Divine Ritual

A knock drew Daniil's attention to the door once more. He rose and opened the door, greeting the newcomer with a somber bow. "Duke Volkov, please come in and join us for tea." 

A tall broad shouldered man with long black hair wearing a deep blue jacket with white slacks entered the room, looking over its occupants with an icy stare. Behind him, a teenage boy, dressed in gray followed. Both shared the same cold, dispassionate expression until the door shut behind them. The elder grinned and hugged Daniil. "It;s good to see you, Dani." 

"And I you, Dimi," Daniil returned the embrace, grinning. "Is this Matias? He's almost as tall as you! What do you feed him up there to get him to shoot up like a weed?"

Matias straightened and looked at the twins curiously as they sat on the couch, nibbling on fresh cookies. "What happened to you two?" He asked as he walked over to them.