Because, really, a brothel is a man's best friend.

July 2025

The summer sunshine rose high over the highlands of Scotland, bathing every blade of grass, every stone-wrought structure, every bleating sheep and every crowing fowl in its golden glow. It shimmered across the lightening skyline, creeping in through windows that, beyond the glass, would not restrict it with thick curtains. The breeze was light, carrying the songs of the birds that flitted and floated around the grounds of the manor that had been erected a century or so before by Lord Farrington*, a navy veteran of the First World War and a favourite of Mary of Teck at the time of her husband, George V’s, rule. It was a mansion comprised of Edwardian architecture, the Lord not at all fond of the architecture that was rapidly becoming popular at that time. No, he preferred some sense of tradition – but not the Victorian perception of such things.

Elijah Krum rose some hours later when he could not bring himself to ignore the birds any longer. His children were away, their grandmother having taken them south into England, but especially south into Hampshire, where they’d spend the day exploring the county and all it had to offer – which meant they’d end up in a garden pub where his grandmother and his cousins would sit with sweet wines, idly watching his children as they ducked and dived around the play area. He was alone for the best part of the day and would not be joined until evening. He did have some company though; that of two fugitives one of whom the Ministry was looking for, the other they assumed had passed on and both were as bad tempered as each other. They got on splendidly, though.

That much was clear from the headline on the front cover of the Daily Prophet.

Elijah eyed Athena Goyle from over the top of the newspaper as she carefully picked through the fruit bowl that one of the House Elves had sat at her elbow. She looked much healthier than she had done when she’d come to him – much healthier than she’d ever looked, in fact. Her cheeks were plump, flushed with the heat that blistered through the house, only relieved by the slight breeze that danced teasingly across their skin every once in a while. Curiously she still seemed to retain that hollow, willowy look that he remembered so much about her and no matter how much the sun persisted against her skin, she still remained as white as a sheet, her dark hair accentuating her paleness and adding to her rather terrifying persona.

Dropping the newspaper onto the table so that the headline was visible, Elijah raised an eyebrow at Athena. She twitched, her eyes widening a little and her lips curling as she took in the title and the picture of the family that had been so brutally murdered. Wizards, the headline claimed; Death Eaters. Athena brought her eyes up to meet Elijah’s and a smile, Elijah noticed, teased at her lips. She was proud of herself. With a heavy sigh, Elijah ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, trying in vain to tell himself that she knew better. He knew she did but she had her problems with Muggles just like every other Pureblood in the world – it seemed only she and a select few were interested in showing them just how worthless they were.

“The third this month.” Elijah stated calmly as Athena lifted a glass of orange juice to her lips. She shrugged slightly and placed the glass down before taking her napkin from her lap and rising to her feet. “Athena, we have to talk about this. You can’t just go around-”

And with that she was gone, leaving Elijah alone and frustrated. His own grumblings were not heard by the House Elves that were quick to tidy away her things and prepare another seat should anyone see fit to join them. Elijah scoffed and got up, throwing open the patio doors and stepping out onto the raised patio, placing his hands on the wall to peer over at the grounds he lorded over so well. The woman drove him mad and she knew it. What she got up to was none of his business but he knew that should she ever be caught he would be implicated in her nonsense. Athena thankfully appreciated the need to be subtle.

And with a huff, Elijah lit a cigarette, shaking his head as he resigned himself to the fact that it would be yet another strenuous morning; and Felix wasn’t even up yet.

* Yay for fictional people!

Sunshine was good. For a country that seemed perpetually shrouded by subliminally blessed clouds abundant with water, the sun was always good news. That is, until it got unbearably warm for a people who had grown incredibly accustomed to the same oppressive clouds they lamented about. Kendall couldn’t remember how the days of almost bitter cold were overtaken by the harsh light of the sun. Nothing ever stayed moderate anymore, these days. Was it not fashionable to be lukewarm any longer? Grunting, the boy turned over in his bed and tossed the oppressive covers away from his heated body. Even then, the faint breeze that he expected to run over his naked torso failed to satisfy his anticipation. Instead, the light of the sun hurt the eyes that merely fluttered open before shutting again quickly, offended by the intrusive torrent of light that flooded the room. Why was it so bright?! Letting out a major sigh, Kendall attempted to simmer himself from the temper that was working up against the House Elf that was supposed to abide by the clear instructions to always draw the curtains shut at the first break of light. It was a pet peeve – waking up to the glaring sunlight. Master was not going to be in a chirpy mood for the day. Unlucky.

Letting out another grunt of frustration, Kendall reached under his pillow for his wand. And there it was again, the strange feel of the foreign wand. Well, it wasn’t that foreign. After all, it was one of the few that Augustus had kept at the manor, just in case. Kendall, however, could barely grow accustom to it. The grip was far smoother than his one, of which he was positive that Athena Goyle had in her possession. It was the only valid explanation. The letters to her demanding for it back failed to return. Whether deliberately done or not, Kendall wasn’t pleased to be missing his wand. He was, however, once again, amused at the one woman who continued to confound him. With a smirk of mild amusement, he pulled the Rookwood wand from under the pillow and flicked it mildly. The curtains drew shut immediately. The orange glow that followed after through the curtains found far more favour with the master. With a sigh, Kendall locked his ankles as he raised his arms and began to stretch the length of his body. Then, he brought his hands under the back of his head before allowing his eyes open for thoughts to be bounced between the ceiling and them.

…

The idea that flew to his mind, to Kendall at least, was brilliant. It was enough to throw him out of bed to throw on some decent clothes to battle the heat, miss breakfast, and head to the fireplace for Elijah’s. After dusting whatever little bit of Floo Powder off himself, Kendall found himself staring at the face of a rather confuddled House Elf. The boy raised an eyebrow, as if offended by the staring. It was only when the House Elf looked away in panic that Kendall chuckled and strolled easily pass it. No sign of Eli. The food on the dining table was, however, a certain sign of breakfast. Grabbing a slice of toast, Kendall lifted a glass of half-drunk orange juice and finished it, before walking towards the patio where there was – alas – the man he was looking for. “Bonjour!” Kendall eased into one of the chairs and chomped on the toast before he turned to offer a smug face to Eli.

"You," he started and briefly pointed his slice of toast to Eli, "my friend, are in luck." Kendall nodded and took another bite. He chewed impatiently before he continued. "I have the most amazing idea that will take that ugly glum look off your face, and light up that potentially pretty face you've got there." Kendall made a face before going on. "It's a worthy investment." He returned to his toast and waited expectantly for an indication of curiosity on Eli's part before he would go on again.

The escape from Azkaban had given Athena an unnecessary confidence boost and thought Elijah knew she’d benefit from it, he hadn’t thought she’d react quite like she had. She’d been roaming about varying cities in the country since harnessing the ability to Apparate using the wand she’d stolen from Kendall and more often or not the nights out on the town would end in the death of some poor, unsuspecting Muggle. Elijah didn’t mind, it was no inconvenience for him if they died, but it would be inconvenient if she were to be caught again and he implicated in what she was getting up to. That he didn’t want and he’d spelt that out to her what felt like a hundred times and though she feigned the act of listening to him, Elijah was aware that Athena had long since given up on doing so. He would’ve been a liar if he claimed it didn’t bother him. He was doing her a favour, after all, but Mira wouldn’t take it very well if she learned Elijah had just heaved Athena out. For now, he’d have to put up with it.

At the sound of a familiar voice, Elijah looked up. His eyebrows shot to his hairline at the sight of Kendall Rookwood and he rose from his seat on the patio, leaving his cigarette in the ash tray as he reached forward to shake his friend’s hand. Elijah smirked at Kendall as if to say: “really?” before combing his fingers through his hair. He smiled wryly before casting a look up to the windows of the house where a harried Athena disappeared from view. Elijah could have sworn he saw a slight smirk on her lips but decided not to inquire as to what she was looking at. He knew well enough what she was looking at and knew she was gagging for a chance for theatrics.

“Do tell, friend.” Elijah encouraged. “If it’s good enough, maybe I will give you some money.” Elijah chuckled.

Kendall scowled openly at Eli, accustomed to and complacent in the presence of a man that he had spent seven years at Hogwarts with. And then he smirked and shook his head. "The Rookwood wealth is in abundance, Krum." There was no hiding the family pride and bruised ego there. "What the Kendall requires is a worthy friend to share the spoils with." The boy took his time to finish up the last of his toast. Then, he sprung up, took a couple of steps, and reached for the cigarette that Eli had left waiting at the ashtray. Kendall took a slow puff before returning the cigarette back to its place, making a face as he did so. "I can never bring myself to like it, can I?" With a shrug, he turned away from it and back to his friend.

"The idea deserves more enthusiasm than that, Elijah. But, all will be forgiven when you repent upon a glimpse of its magnificence." Kendall lifted the glass of juice he had taken moments ago. He licked his lips and found bits of orange pulp after a drink. Satisfied, he looked at Eli and continued with attempted pomp in the tone of his voice. "I bestow upon you the privileged invitation of joining me, to partake in the delightful debauchery that will enlighten every corner of a mansion with the presence of countless imports from exotic places." Kendall noted the baffled expression on Eli's face and smirked in satisfaction.

"You see, Pappy has inspired me." More bafflement. "Maia Papa ... blah blah blah. Some slave girl Father brought home from Egypt." Kendall finished the rest of his juice and placed the glass down. "Some business gift that is incredibly agreeable with the eyes. If not for the fact that I think Father is shagging her, she would be getting Kendall loving everyday, three times a day." Kendall chuckled cheekily, taking note of Eli's disgust, and feeling mightily entertained by it. "Doesn't talk much. She's got some mad exotic accent, looks like she shags well, and Father said she was a dancer of some sort besides being a slave girl. Now that, or her, is the inspiration behind my exciting business plan." Kendall ran his fingers through his hair.

"We buy a mansion, do it up, go to exotic places and buy girls like her cheap, and manufacture the world's most exclusive and intensely desirable Wizard's Gentlemen's Club." Kendall paused, checked for a response, and went on. "Just imagine us. Owners of a place full of expensive champagne, the most exotic girls who dance, entertain, offer satisfaction ..." He winked. "Dream business, no?" Kendall adjusted his collar as he allowed a pregnant pause. "Now," he started again. "Will you be taking up this rare opportunity as my partner in this beautiful crime?"

Elijah couldn’t help but smirk in response to Kendall’s scowl. It was a running trend amongst Purebloods to make subtle digs about each other’s wealth, so much so that it had become almost instinctive to do so – it had almost become norm to the point where they did not realise they were doing it. The Rookwoods were, as Kendall said, very comfortable but no family had as much money in excess as the Krums and it was all down to the fact that everyone wanted their own money, couldn’t keep it and so hid it in order to do so. The financial issues that had blighted the family in the early 20th Century had proved to be almost, almost catastrophic and so it was to Elijah’s branch of the family that the money went to, falling into the hands of his great-great-however-many-great’s-grandfather who looked after their funds. That unfortunately made everyone incredibly unhappy and so sought to make themselves personally wealthy which in turn increased the wealth of the family as a whole. It was safe to say that the Krums were incredibly reliable and every member suitably efficient and wealthy in their own right. Elijah was, certainly, a great example of this.

“I am well aware of that, my friend,” Elijah replied smoothly, flatteringly, “I was merely teasing.” Elijah watched with thinly veiled humour as Kendall tried for what felt like the millionth time, to smoke one of Eli’s cigarettes. Elijah chuckled warmly and shook his head at the other man. “You’re too pretty to smoke it plainly, Ken-doll.” He cooed; his grin widening. “You need a cigarette holder, studded with diamonds. Then you can look incredibly classy.” Elijah’s wiggled his eyebrows and his grin seemed to widen impossibly further before he laughed and shook his head at Kendall. “Okay, I’m listening, what’re you after?”

Elijah listened carefully to Kendall’s ideas, his facial expressions morphing from delight into utter dismay as Kendall went on. In the end, Elijah found himself staring open mouthed at the other man, unsure as to what he was supposed to say in response. It was a fantastic idea, this Elijah realised, but he could well imagine what Mira would say – and what Athena would say – when she found out. It was for that reason that Elijah was ever so slightly hesitant to agree but the words were out of his mouth before he really had chance to think it through.

“I will!” Elijah heard himself explain, feeling his mouth curve up into a smile again. But then, of course, the smile fell from his face. “Mira’s going to murder me isn’t she?” Elijah collapsed back into his seat and picked the cigarette up again. “We won’t mention it,” He said decisively before glancing up at Kendall and asking, hesitantly, “How are you, anyway?”

"Suppose I wish to pick an alternative to your suggestion?" Kendall chuckled as the mental image of it spread out quickly for him. "Suppose I desire to smoke one only when a woman holds it in a place I'd like her to hold it at?" He drummed his fingers briefly on the handle of his chair. "A much prettier suggestion, I reckon. And I'll share. Well, maybe. I'm sure you've no problem getting your own. Just remember, leave me the women. Take the girls." Then, thanks to Eli's sufficiently interested prompting, Kendall had leaped immediately into his supposed business plan.

"I knew it!" Then, with the mischievous grin still on his face, Kendall sat back down after jumping triumphantly out of his chair. Pleased, he offered his hand to Eli. "Welcome to the dream team. We have a foolproof idea, too much money, the spirit of youth, and the best people on the team: me, and me." Kendall chuckled before he leaned back into his seat and composed himself from the mild excitement. "I have the land, or building really, already. You, my pretty little friend, make it beautiful." Kendall smirked and rushed on before there was time to notice whatever Eli's response would be. "Someone will do the accounts, we will both manage. You can manage the uglier ones ... WE will bring in the first clients; and of course, we will go on a world tour for the ladies." He paused to catch his breath. "How does eleven sound to you for the first round? More? How does tomorrow sound to you? Yes, tomorrow we will embark on that tour." Kendall finished it off with a wide grin.

"This is almost just as fun as the business of torturing useless nothings." He smirked. "No, Mira's going to be blown away by your ingenious enterprising spirit." Then, he shook his head. "No, we won't tell her. Not until the city of sin is properly set up, no. And then, we will present it to her, with a bow." The boy had obviously gone delirious with the absence of Athena. As much as the description bears exaggeration, it cannot be denied, as much as Kendall attempts to deny it, that the assumed death of Athena Goyle had required a massive form of distraction to move on in life. Kendall was far from pleased. He hadn't counted on her dying. Now he would never be returned his wand. Ever. Again. Besides the fact that he was beginning to mourn the loss of his favourite person, Kendall was sore about the wand.

"I'm a Rookwood." He shrugged in response to Eli's question, as if he assumed that the other man was enquiring about his life after Athena. Kendall shook his head. He needed to get his mind off that girl. "When do you seal yourself to a fate with your woman, anyway?"

The prospect ahead was one that Elijah was tentatively looking forward to. He had a feeling it would most likely blow up in their faces but he knew that Kendall would embrace the opportunity no matter where it took them. Elijah found himself believing he would be the more cautious of the two – especially if Athena and Mira were to find out about their little business venture. Elijah cast a wary look up to the manor and bit his lip hesitantly, knowing that no doubt Athena would find out about Kendall’s idea. Nothing was a secret in the house and the portraits seemed to hear everything. Athena would find out – sooner rather than later too.

“I don’t know, Kendall.” Elijah said hesitantly, finishing off his cigarette. “I’ve got children, you know. They depend on me. If I disappear for a long period of time they get as antsy as me. I don’t want to do that to them. Besides, going off in search of buxom prostitutes is the last thing I really want to do when I could spend the summer with them. Don’t take it the wrong way, mate. You’re perfectly capable, though. You don’t even need my help! I trust your judgment. If you really want an opinion from a Krum, take one of my cousins. I’m sure they’ll be incredibly happy to help you.” Elijah laughed a little and shook his head, imagining the glee that would light up the faces of his cousins at the prospect of women-hunting.

It was not a moment later that Elijah caught a flash of colour in his periphery. He twisted his body round and squinted a little as he searched for the source of colour. A head popped out from underneath the breakfast table not a second later and Elijah’s eyebrows rose at the sight of Fauve scrabbling across the floor with a peach cupped in her tiny palm that by far dwarfed her grasp of the fruit. Fauve hopped back up onto her feet and turned back to the table to peruse what it had to offer before pressing her feet back into fluffy slippers and hopping across the floor, through the French doors and out onto the patio.

“Daddy, Auntie Thea said that you were out here and she was right! She’s so smart. She read me The Fountain of Fair Fortune this morning! She said she was going to get dressed, though. She’ll be down in a minute. Thierry is in the library.” Fauve took a breath before sinking her teeth into the peach and mumbling, a mouth full of sweet fruit. “D’you reckon Auntie Thea will take me to town today like she promised?”

Elijah blinked rapidly at his daughter and cleared his throat before reaching for her and rubbing her upper arms – a nervous tick. “Getting dressed, is she? Well, she’s probably getting dressed to take you out, Fauvie. She did promise, after all. I’ll get your brother in a minute. We’ve a Quidditch game to see today while you girls are out. Um. Why don’t you say hello to Kendall? He’s a friend of mine.”

Elijah gestured to Kendall and the girl swivelled round, her thick hair flying in all directions as she did so. Elijah resisted the urge to drag her back and plait it into a braid, noticing that it had already been taken from its fastenings and brushed, the escapade beneath the table having no doubt reduced it to the fly-away strands it was now. She hopped across the patio tiles, pretending, no doubt, that if she touched any other than the designated blocks she selected, she’d fall into lava, and planted herself before Kendall. Fauve looked up at him curiously, from his shoes to the very top of his head and promptly held out her peach.

“Would you like some?” She asked by way of greeting. “I like peaches, they’re really yummy. Do you like Peaches, Mr. Kendall, sir? Auntie Thea likes peaches. Not as much as me though. Thierry and Daddy don’t like peaches but they’re rubbish.” Fauve wrinkled her nose. Her eyes suddenly widened, though, her attention stolen by the bracelets wrapped around Kendall’s wrist. “Oooh, pretty!” Fauve seized forward, grabbing his fingers with her tinier ones, thrusting her peach into his spare hand. “Eat!” She encouraged before tugging his hand towards her face so she could further inspect his wrist. “Can I have this one?” She asked, tugging at the braided yellow bracelet sandwiched between several others.

“Pffft,” Kendall started against Eli’s reasons. He shook his head in protest. It wasn’t until Eli strategically spoke well of his ability that the boy stopped and grinned in approval. But he still had a point to make. “Children, my man, are such liabilities. Don’t get me wrong. They’re important. They carry the bloodline and all.” Clearly he missed the point of them completely. “They carry your legacy and all. But really, troublesome, they are.” He nodded solemnly. “I will, however, be independent and gifted in my choices of our goods. Should I be needing Krum services on the job, you will get a post.” With his hands idle and restless, Kendall crossed his arms at his chest and began to tap his fingers against his sides to an unacknowledged beat.

“Y’kn-“ But no, he will never know. And no, it wasn’t a pity. It was nothing of consequence. The conversation was abruptly cut off and Kendall looked in the same direction that Eli had turned to. The boy raised an eyebrow in mild amusement and curiosity, watching one of the children that Eli had talked repeatedly about but that he was only seeing for the first time. She didn’t seem as bad as he would have expected of a child. Not yet anyway. Her approach to him provided more amusement than he would have imagined. Kendall grinned back at the little girl confidently, waiting for the end of her perusal of him, only narcissistically believing in the undoubtedly good opinion she was going to have of him.

Still, he didn’t trust himself to communicate with a child. He would rather have nothing to do with any at all. For now, at least. “Well, I only like some kind of peaches.” Of course, the innuendo was inappropriate in Fauve’s presence. But before Kendall could turn to Eli to complement his words with a wink of supposed rebellion to his friend, the boy was attacked. Well, not really. But he did believe so. He could only hold on to the peach shoved into his hand. Better there than dropped to the floor. Kendall had to, however, leaned forward involuntarily, as a greater than expected force tugged at his hand. Immediately after her question, his eyes shot imploringly to Eli. Kendall was not amused anymore.

“Uh. Daddy can buy you one! He knows where to get one, I’m sure!” Kendall began to back away slowly, hoping that his escape wouldn’t be noticed in time. “Or, or, Auntie Thea could buy you one. You’re going out with her, aren’t you? I’m sure she’ll know! She’s an Auntie.” On the way, obviously failing to notice the lack of reason. “I didn’t know there was an Auntie Thea living with you, Eli. Well, of course I wouldn’t. Just … you know … that was what Ath-“ He bit his bottom lip. He wasn’t going to bring her up if he could help it.

The reflection that greeted you in a polished pane of glass depended on your perception of yourself. The morning light seemed to shed everything in a different light, though. It filtered in trough the thin panes of glass fixed in place by stark white borders. The curtains loose on the rail mounted above the window were blowing gently in the warm summer breeze that blew into the room, making pieces of paper on the desk oriented at a forty-five degree angle by the window flutter delicately in its draft.

Athena was lingering before the shiny glass that reflected her appearance. Her hair was damp, slowly drying in the humidity and springing upwards in light curls, her skin was of a slightly tan shade after being out in the sunshine on the patio with Elijah and Felix and her body looked much more comfortable in itself; healthier, even.

She rubbed the soft material of the towel against her body, feeling the warmth and eventual drying of her skin aided by the breeze. She folded the material after before dropping it onto the trunk at the foot of her bed. She glided across the room, her footsteps light against the impossibly soft carpet. She pressed her hands against the windowsill and peered over the side, squinting in the sunlight as she looked down over the patio where Elijah was sat smoking, Fauve telling him excitedly about something and nothing. Athena’s eyes skirted over them idly but attentively before moving to the creature she recognised from the hallway. Kendall.

An involuntary smile tugged at Athena’s lips.

News had broke a week before of her death and she had done very little to contradict it. Anyone who had seen her turned up dead.

She dressed quickly though was really in no hurry. She dried her hair with Kendall’s wand before teasing the locks into gentler curls. She’d merely slipped on a wrap dress, foregoing everything else that was deemed appropriate to where under or over such clothes, and slipped her feet into a pair of sandals that Mira had gotten her years before. Somehow, all of her things had ended up at Eli’s and she was immensely grateful for it.

Athena entered the dining room once again, observing carefully the awkward exchange Kendall had with Fauve. She smirked, visibly amused by his upset, and took herself a peach from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table. She moved from the table to the French doors. She leaned heavily against the doorframe, her smirk widening as she brought her hand up to her face, feeling for her ear behind which Kendall’s wand was stashed. She raised an eyebrow curiously before taking a bite out of the fruit. Eli caught her eye from the patio and his eyebrows shot to his hairline, mouthing words at her that she could not comprehend but gathered the meaning of easily: he wanted her to go away.

Athena merely smirked at him in response.

“Of course I can find her one, Kendall,” Athena spoke loudly and clearly, holding the peach down by her side. “But she wants that one. Have a bite of the peach – it’s fabulous.”

For seemingly the first time in public, Kendall lost the act of complacent confidence that he carried to everything and everywhere. It was as if nothing could make him look like he was being caught terribly off-guard. That is, until the surreality but familiarity of the figure of Athena shoved itself into his perspective. The dropped jaw and massive eyes of shock allowed themselves to betray him for far longer than he should have and would typically have allowed. The mammoth of disbelief and reality of the very figure he was secretly mourning about demanded that from him. With a first blink, another, and another, Kendall simply stared at Athena, without speaking. It was at the sound of her voice that Kendall snapped out of his stupor. A look of misery flashed across his face, one that reflected the sense of shame at mourning for a woman who looked perfectly fine standing in front of him, and who actually successful wound up his sentimentality for a period of time. Still, in that moment, he was determined to snap out of it all. After all, she was fine now, wasn't she?

"You look fabulous, Goyle." And with that, Kendall shot a look at Eli, as if to enquire after what he quickly assumed to be betrayal of some sorts. Sure, he never staked a claim, and Athena wasn't one to accept any claim. Not now, anyway. Still, she was his woman, according to him. What was Eli doing with her? Kendall continued to shoot looks of spite at Eli before turning away to Athena again. "Auntie Thea, eh? Getting familiar?" Another accusatory look at Eli, and back. "Enjoying ourselves here, are we?" Forcefully, he yanked the yellow bit of bracelet that he had put on carelessly the night before, for no apparent reason. There was nothing else he knew of to do right now other than the tantrum he placed in that action of taking it off. But, he reined back his temper and looked at Fauve decently. "Sure, why not? Uncle Kendall is always a generous man. He gives his bracelets away like how he lets other people have his woman." The tension certainly did not ease from his voice. He handed Fauve what she wanted, before slipping both hands into the pockets of his shorts.

"... And. His. Wand." He had neared Athena after a couple of steps in her direction. "Even Athena Goyle herself shouldn't be allowed to get away with stealing the wand of Kendall Rookwood." Kendall came closer. "I trust you had fun with it, Thea." A deliberate use of that name. "Now, can I have it back?" An unpleasant smirk. Surely, the wand was important. Still, it masked an offence much greater than what was pronounced. He was still far more bitter about Eli getting to her first, or Eli getting to Athena at all.