Within that large black casket was a solid block of ice. It fit inside the structure perfectly, as if those metal panels were built around it. The ice wasn't what has Croc's three older brothers gawking. Through the static magic they could clearly see Lumi's body frozen in time. His skin, his hair, it was all still perfect, as if he hadn't been dead for weeks.

Covey's voice was harsh, drowning in distaste, "Were you responsible for this? Or was this Jasper's doing?"

"Jasper didn't want to throw away a body that was capable of containing as much power as his. He did ask my permission to preserve the body, though, so I guess I'm just as responsible as him for letting him do it. Why do you care? He may have been our blood, but he wasn't one of us."

"He may have led us astray but he was still our family! We grew up together, we fought to survive together. I know he was a vile person, but for the sake of the few good memories we have of him, we can't disrespect his body like this." Covey looked to Apollo and Thursday, seeing them as distant as Croc. "Don't tell me you two are okay with this?"

"Why do you always have to play the role of morality?" Thursday responded.

"Why do you always have to play the role of a naive idiot?" He snapped back.

His younger brother's eyes flared with hurt. Covey was frustrated, angry. He didn't mean to insult Thursday like he did. He should've known better, knowing that he was as sensitive as he was. For a demon, one with such a vile past, Thursday was pretty damn soft. 

Apollo placed his hand on Covey's shoulder, "That's enough. Don't take your anger out on him. He doesn't deserve it. There is something I should tell you all about Lumi. I didn't want to before, for the sake of my own shame and the family's, but I suppose we're already well beyond that point. Our mother was a very beautiful woman. She caught the attention of several powerful demons, including Malphas, Camio, Barbas. 

I'll never understand why she allowed Beleth to take her as his wife. She... Regretted the decision, and in a moment of weakness, she had an affair with King Salome. I was the product of that affair. She quickly regretted the decision and remained faithful to Beleth from then on. Carmella knew and she kept me silent by blackmailing me with your lives."

"I suppose that means she destroyed the lives of two of her brothers, then." Croc responded.

"How can you be so calm about it?" He asked.

"There was a part of me that always knew. You were different than us. Not in a bad way, but you've always had a way about you that was elegant. Us, we're," He laughed, reflecting on one of Paris and Micah's conversations, "We're heathens."

"You're still our brother. We love you just the same, even if you're only half our blood." Thursday said optimistically.

"There's... More. It gets worse. When I finally did threaten to break my silence, Carmella placed a curse on our mother while she was pregnant with Cromwell. It made it so she would die giving birth. She knew, and she still decided to continue the pregnancy. In fact, she saw it as her way out. Death was the only way she could escape Beleth. 

In truth, Lumi was his actual first born. Meaning, he was the one to inherit his corruption. Whether Lumi knew of my secret or not, I'm not sure. However, after his death, I discovered his. He was controlling our thought process. For as long as he lived, he was implanting ideas in our mind to keep us on the path of sin. Cromwell unintentionally absorbed some of Carmella's magic while in the womb. It made it so he was invulnerable to mind control. That is why Lumi hated him so much. He couldn't control him."

"You mean to tell us that all of the lives we took were because Lumi was forcing us to?" Covey pondered, "We were looked at as some of the strongest demons in the underground, and yet, we were so easily manipulated. It feels like our strength was just an illusion."

Croc shook his head, "No, it wasn't. You all are extremely strong, much stronger than I am. I was the coward that ran from his family, when I should've realized you were all trapped. I'm sorry. If I had cared more, if I could've seen past my anger for once-"

"Stop it, would ya?" Thursday replied, "No one's to blame. There's no way we could be. The only person that should be held responsible is Lumi."

"I suppose now, I can't feel as bad about disrespecting his corpse. The blood that's covered our hands, it is truly his sin to bear. Now, it's our responsibility to decide the fate of his body and his power." Covey said.

"I've decided too many fates already. I believe, considering he was the one that freed us from our affliction, we should leave this in Cromwell's hands." Apollo responded.

He growled, "Would you stop calling me that? And like I said earlier, I do have an idea of what to do with it. There are several spirits lurking around the manor, but one has caught my eye. He's very humble and sweet. The complete opposite of Lumi. Someone like that, we could trust the power with."

"You aren't speaking of one of your nephews, are you?" Covey asked.

Croc snickered, "Hell no. I love them, truly, but I would never trust anyone with Ricky's temper and Ghost's mental instability to have that much power." He glanced back at Felix near the door, "No offense."

He flashed a short smile. "None taken. I'm pretty much the only one in the family that's not fucked up. Aside from us, though, there's only two spirits in the manor. Something tells me you aren't talking about my girl either." 

"No, I mean the young boy. His name is Casper. He can't control the power he currently has, but I feel if he was given a demon's body, he'd finally be able to. You know him better than I do, though. So correct me if I'm wrong." 

"In my opinion, you couldn't have chosen someone better. He's got more heart than anyone else here. He's pure. Jasper might not be happy with your decision though. Even if he has a pure heart, he was once human. Putting a human's soul in a demon's body is blasphemy in his eyes." Felix explained.

"He'll have to deal with it. I know this is right. When you guys meet Casper, you'll know it is too. I promise." 

"If he takes Lumi's body, though, that would technically make him our blood, wouldn't it?" Thursday asked.

"If you want to get technical about it, yes, but it doesn't matter." Croc said, "Once you bear Jasper's mark, you are apart of the Qrow Manor family. We're all brothers and sisters under this roof. Well, aside from all the sex that happens, but you know what I mean." He pushed shut the doors to the casket, making sure to secure the chain again. "C'mon. We shouldn't be down here too long. I don't want to piss Jasper off."

"You've never been one to respect authority." Apollo commented.

"This is different. Just think about what little Marci did to you. From what I've been told, her power couldn't hold a candle to Jasper or Asher's. And now, that new one... I sensed the same kind of magic from him that I do from those two."

"You don't know, do you? About those three?" Thursday asked. 

"He doesn't need to know. Information you're given is to be kept in your mind only." Felix stressed to him.

"Sorry... I guess I don't get it, really. Why he would want to keep things from his servants if they're the ones fighting for him." 

"No one is that big of a fan of the way he runs things, but it's not our place to argue with him. If he wants everyone on a need to know basis, then so be it. He has every reason to be that way. We've had traitors before." 

"I really have to wonder if there's ever been an army to exist without a traitor. It seems as if it's simply our nature." Covey said. 

"Always the philosopher, Covey." Apollo lightly laughed.

"I'm heading back down to Mike. Do me a favor and make sure Apollo get's into a nice room." Croc told his nephew as he passed him on his way out.

"Well, we're a little out of guest room at the moment. So, you may have to stay in one of the wards. We'll figure something out." Felix told him.

| | |

Beau sighed to himself as he felt a shadow looming over him. He looked up, seeing his dearest boss smiling at him. By the way Jasper sat himself on Beau's desk, he looked more like his slutty secretary. His smirk was clever, as if he'd just gotten away with a crime. 

"I'm busy." He deadpanned, "What do you need?" 

He fake pouted, "Why do you have to be so crude? Maybe I just wanted to see you." 

"It's never that simple with you." Beau responded.

The demon sighed, "You know me too well. It's nothing too bad, I promise. I'd like to ask that you come visit me in my quarters after curfew."

"You never let anyone in your room. Actually, to my knowledge, no one has been up there. What's the special occasion?"

"Nothing special. I just want to spend some private time with you. I have something else to attend to, but I really do hope to see you at my door this evening." Jasper hopped down from his desk and walked off towards the door.

Beau rubbed his eyes and tried to not feel stressed out for once in his life. It was a little difficult with Jasper playing cat and mouse with his emotions. One moment he's acting like he doesn't want him. The next, he's inviting him into his private space. If he could make up his damn mind already.