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inside.
    "Thank you." Finn reached for the whiskey and downed the glass in one swallow. "You always conjure the best stuff."
    "Do you know what the word Mageia means, Finn?"
    "Sure. It's the Greek word for magic."
    "When choosing a name for our company, I had to think long and hard," Jonathan said. "I wanted a name that represented our family and yet, conveyed the idea of what we are trying to create here. Magic has always fascinated mortals. So what better name to give a company that specializes in creating weapons that feel like magic?"
    "I've always liked the name," Finn said, shifting uncomfortably in the chair. "And weapons are a particular talent of ours."
    "I like discovering new ways to make them more solid, more reliable for consumers. Our government contractors in particular want us to create things with stronger capabilities," Jonathan said. "That's all well and good. Not to mention easy for a group with our special skills. However, even we aren't immune to weapons."
    Finn nodded his agreement.
    "Especially if these weapons are supernatural in nature."
    Jonathan stood and walked to the window. Below him he could see the hustle and bustle of the people of Atlanta , making their way through lunch hour traffic. Mortals were always in such a hurry.
    It was a quality his son, Derek, had held too.
    If he just hadn't played his hand so soon to the half banshee…
    "As you know, Derek had procured a weapon of great value to us," Jonathan said. "A half banshee who is capable of reaping any soul. While Derek was not a part of this family officially, he'd contacted me some weeks before his death with word of his plans. He hoped to capture the half banshee and bring her here to Mageia Enterprises. We could have worked with her talents and used them to stop a few of our enemies."
    He turned to Finn.
    "More importantly, we could have studied her DNA, possibly even have cloned it. Think of a weapon like that in the battlefield. The government does not like to admit it to the general population, but they're always looking for new ways to create a super solider. One that kills just by thinking about it would be worth a lot of money."
    "But of course, you would tweak that DNA so that it wouldn't work against us Sparks , right?" Finn smiled at his father. "And since when are we in the business of cloning?"
    "I have my hand in lots of things, son."
    "So was that Derek's plan? To clone her?"
    "Your brother's plan was to bring her to me as a way of worming his way back into my good graces." Jonathan frowned. "He didn't have the brains for thinking of the long range implications for Mageia."
    "So what do you want from me?"
    "I've just returned from Ireland after meeting with the council of the Brotherhood. They've granted permission for us to bring this half banshee to them." Jonathan sat down and stared at his son. "They've ordered it, in fact."
    "So you want me to go get her." Finn shook his head. "I don't know if I'm the right person for the job, Father."
    "Of course you are. I hear this banshee is attractive. With your appeal, I'm sure you'd have no problem convincing her to join sides with us."
    "If Derek couldn't do it, I doubt anyone can."
    "Derek was sloppy!" Jonathan banged his fist on the table. "He never understood self-control. It was always about indulgence first. If he had been a little more discreet, I believe that we would have had the woman months ago."
    Finn studied him, and Jonathan wondered what was going on in that young brain. But this had always been the thing that pleased him about his younger son--the ability to consider the situation.
    "So, this isn't about avenging Derek's death?" Finn asked.
    "I told the Brotherhood that it was. In fact, I insisted that both the banshee and the creature that killed Derek be put down." Jonathan considered his son, knowing he was taking a chance in trusting him. "Your brother was dead to me. Even if he'd brought me the half banshee, I had no plans to bring him back into our clan.