Page 100 of Jolt's Vengeance

Davina rolls her eyes good-naturedly from her perch on the armchair. "Please don't encourage him. You know he'll be waking us all up at 3 AM to go stargazing."

Pushing my sister’s button is on my to-do list. "Ach, let the lad have his fun. Besides, you're just jealous Santa didn't bring you anything as cool."

My seventeen-year-old sister huffs dramatically, but I catch the hint of a smile playing at her lips. "As if. My new laptop iswaycooler than some glorified binoculars."

Sorcha pipes up from her spot on the floor, surrounded by a pile of art supplies. "I think Con's telescope is neat! Can I use it too?"

"'Course you can, squirt." Conrad puffs out his chest like a little emperor bestowing favors.

Jolt's chest rumbles with silent laughter against my side.

His thumb traces lazy circles on my arm, and I find myself leaning into his warmth.

It's strange how natural this feels—him here with my family, as if he's always belonged.

"What do you think, Jolt?" I ask, tilting my head to look up at him. "Reckon we've got some budding astronomers on our hands?"

His deep green eyes crinkle at the corners as he grins. "Definitely. Though I'd keep an eye on that one." He nods toward Conrad, who's now dramatically reenacting some space battle with his telescope. "Pretty sure he's plotting interplanetary domination."

I snort, picturing my six-year-old brother as some sort of pint-sized evil overlord. "Wouldn't put it past him. The wee terror's too clever for his own good sometimes."

Jolt's arm tightens around me briefly, and I catch a flicker of something in his expression—fondness, maybe—before he schools his features back into his usual easy-going smile.

"Speaking of clever," he says, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the ongoing gift-opening frenzy, "Davina, how's that college application process going? Aggie mentioned you were looking at some programs."

Davina perks up, clearly pleased to be included in the 'adult' conversation. "It's going well, actually! I've got my eye on a few programs, but I haven’t decided what I want to do yet."

It’s a little hard to believe Davina’s going to be graduating high school next year.

Sorcha rushes over, plopping herself unceremoniously onto my lap.

At ten, she's really getting too big for this, but I wouldn't dream of pushing her away.

"Aggie," she says seriously, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I need your expert opinion."

I raise an eyebrow, fighting back a grin. "Oh? And what might you need my expertise on,mo chridhe?"

She holds up two sketchbooks—one with a vibrant floral design, the other adorned with fantastical creatures. "Which one should I use for my new project? It's very important."

I pretend to consider deeply, tapping my chin in mock thoughtfulness. "Hmm, a truly weighty decision. What do you think, Jolt? Any artistic insights to share?"

He leans in. "Well, as someone with absolutely zero artistic talent, I'd say... flip a coin?"

Sorcha giggles. "You're silly. I can't leave it up to chance! This is serious business."

"Ah, of course. My apologies," Jolt says solemnly, though I can see the corners of his mouth twitching. "In that case, I vote for the magical beasties. Can't go wrong with a dragon or two, right?"

Sorcha considers this, then nods decisively. "Good point. Dragons it is!"

She hops off my lap and scampers back to her pile of art supplies, already lost in her own world of creation.

I watch her go, a bittersweet ache blooming in my chest.

It hits me suddenly how much I've missed—how much I'll continue to miss—being away at university.

Sure, Vegas has its excitements, but nothing quite compares to the comfort of home, of family.

Jolt must sense the shift in my mood because he gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

---