Few of the next days were all same boring. Nora went to school and back home, the cycle went on lazily. Then it was the time of winter breaks. Nora was enjoying her free time, hiding under the layer of blankets.

It wasn't until William announced something at one of dinner night.

"A party?" Nora's eyes widened in surprise and amazement.

"And we are organising it here? But what's the occassion?" She couldn't help but bounce her knees a little, feeling excited.

Back home at her parents house, she wasn't allowed to have parties nor that she had friends to begin with. The thought suddenly made her feel bitter but she forgot about it and put her attention on William.

"One of the reason that it is your 16th birthday tomorrow." Her jaw dropped at William's words.

She could not help but blink in amazement again.

"You remember my birthday?" She asked a moment later still feeling surprised.

"She is 15 already?" Hunter intervened, speaking his thoughts out loud.

Lucifer blinked also astonished.

"What? Do you think I'm 13?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I thought you were still 10." The way Hunter said these words so truthfully had made Nora frozen. Angel and Lucifer laughed hysterically.

Damon noticed adoringly how his little sister pouted sadly. He found everything about her adorable.

"Meanie!" She exclaimed suddenly feeling angry.

"Brat!" He commented nonchalantly.

"You are a nuisance, Hunter!" Nora scoffed.

"You are nothing but a child! So better respect me!" He sneered back.

"Geez. You guys are so loud." Hades said who suddenly woke up in the middle of his nap.

He fell asleep earlier while eating dinner.

"Shut up lazy ass/Hades!" Hunter and Nora yelled together.

"Hunter, I can understand Nora but why are you acting like a child too, bro?" Lucifer butted in.

"You indirectly called me child too?" Nora accussed him.

"Well you are always being babied. So technically it's not wrong." Angel shrugged, ignoring Hades who fell asleep beside him.

"When am I being babied? I never noticed." Nora mumbled suddenly confused.

"Vincent took you to the Disney world." Lucifer pointed.

"So what? That doesn't make sense."

"Vincent never gave someone that sort of attention. He is nothing but a work freak and he hates travelling for what he says and I quote 'nonsense' reasons. I meant to say, once you said to Vincent that you want to go there, he took you there. He never did anything nice to us even if we begged for it when we were kids." Angel ranted on.

All eyes went to Vincent who was innocently drinking beer.

"What?" He pretended that he didn't understand.

"Speak the truth that you both like her the most." Lucifer snapped his fingers at Vincent including William. William calmly raised his brow.

"There are more than enough reasons to like Nora the most. You can ask Hunter too." At William's words and Vincent's silent agreeing noise, heads snapped up to Hunter who was already knowing where this was going.

"Brat is hundredth times nicer than you. You all were nothing but troublemakers. She's a good kid and better than you all in many matters."

Nora was stunned. It was unbelievable that Hunter was complimenting her but he was still directly calling her a child.

"I never grounded Nora. Isn't it enough proof? Nora in personality wise is like Damon. Does that satisfy your curiosity? Or I need to highlight the main key points?"

Damon smiled at William's words. Angel and Lucifer grumbled something gibberish no doubt cursing while Hades was unaffected at direct insult because he was still fast asleep. Not that he was ever grounded before. He was too lazy to make troubles. Sleep was everything that mattered to him.

"Now, if you are all calm. So hear me out my dear siblings." William went to his strict and serious family head mode again. This time everyone paid attention to him. Surprisingly Hades too who was not so graciously kicked awake by Lucifer and Angel.

But seeing William's persona, he straightened up. Nora saw it for the first ever time that he could be serious too when William gave commands.

"As I have mentioned before; the first reason of this party is to celebrate Eleanora's 16th birthday and the second reason is to introduce her to our associates."

This made her rest of brothers' tense slightly but like always they believed in William's judgement.

Nora was confused. It was just her birthday. A simple thing, so perfunctory but the way William had said his last words, it made her believe that there was more than that.

"After dinner, I want all of you but Nora present in my office so I can brief you all on your position tomorrow."

"Roger." They replied in a chorus. It was a bit strange for Nora. Her brothers' playful demeanour from earlier had like vanished. She almost felt like she was sitting in between a group of strangers.

But a comforting hand that laid on top of her hand, brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up at Damon's face. He gently smiled at her, calming her nerves. It was almost like he could read her thoughts.

"Umm." Nora looked up at William.

"What is it, Nora?"

Nora felt way nicer after noticing that blankness of earlier faded away from his tone just like the rest of her brothers's faces. They all looked at her.

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked softly.

"What do you mean?" William asked, his face tilted slightly to the side, curiousity peeking from his tone.

"Umm you are gonna give everyone some sort of duties. What will be my job?"

Next something happened that shocked Nora completely.

William faintly smiled.

It was just a slight gesture but it was there.

"There is nothing that you need to do, Nora. You will just enjoy. It's your birthday afterall."

"See! Then she ask why we say that they baby her!" Two very loud voices echoed in the room.

The mature ones in the room ignored them.

Nora was about to excuse herself to her room but she stopped.

"May I invite Anastasia?" Nora asked, suddenly remembering about her best friend.

"I heard that Stefano woke up from the coma a week ago. I believe her whole family will be arriving too."

She ignored Lucifer's scoff at Anastasia's mention and internally cheered Vincent who gave her this good news.

"But still it's better that I invite her on my own too." That being said, she said goodnight to everyone and skipped to her room.

"What's your problem with that little girl? She's not that bad." Hunter immediately faced Lucifer with a scowl.

"For the first time I and Nora fought because of her." Lucifer grumbled back.

"Really? Is that your childish reason? It's sure is dumb just like your face!" Hunter rolled his face.

"And you are a big softie! You bastard!"

Apparently calling Hunter softie did a trick. He lunged at him.

Their bickering carried on not until William cleared his throat to get their attention that he easily got while the rest of their brothers watched.

"If you two won't shut up then I would hate to send you both away to attend business conferences in Russia."

Hunter and Lucifer instantly calmed down. They never liked business conferences to begin with.

****************

A merry chapter.... Will there be more?

And, we are going to be approaching the ending arc of this book soon...!

Get early access to the completed book on Patreon. Link is in the profile...!

Author Davina!