Chapter 1

When I didn’t show up for breakfast, Henry must have worried. He tapped on my door and I stopped sorting through my boxes to greet him. “Come on in, Henry. I’m awake.”

The ancient demon’s energy signature was familiar now, and I no longer confused him with Conn. But then, Conn wouldn’t have knocked politely or waited for permission before he entered. Conn”s relentless taunting would have pushed me to my breaking point, forcing me to charge toward the door simply to avoid my demon familiar’s constant nagging.

Sighing, I returned to the clutter on my bed and wished I’d never begun sorting it. Any clothing Jack hadn’t tossed from the house we shared, I’d lost in the fire of the first rental house. I’d kept almost nothing of what I’d worn while in the demon hunter’s prison except for the last outfit Fiona had gifted me.

“Good morning, Aran. It worried Gale when you didn’t emerge from your metaphorical cave in search of coffee. Conn made us both promise to make sure you never went without it. Did you raid the kitchen before we began cooking this morning?”

I grinned and winced at the same time. “No, I haven’t darkened the kitchen door since Gale and ya got here. My system is pretty revved today without coffee. I think I’m coming off the adrenaline of fighting a wicked fairy and his pet snake shifter.”

“All quite understandable,” Henry said. “Would you like me to bring breakfast to your room this morning? It’s no extra trouble. Gale sent trays to your other guests, except for the far darrig who has not yet returned.”

I stopped my sorting to look at Henry. “Dylan probably went home. I’m sorry that I didn’t warn ya that might be happening. I was so tired yesterday I couldn’t think straight.”

Henry chuckled. “No need to apologize, Aran. Your eventful life speaks for itself.”

What else could I do but laugh at his dry summary?

I would miss Dylan. He’d left with Hisser to stash the cobra-hooded black snake somewhere he would live out his life without harming anyone. Thanks to the new skills Tony had given Dylan, Hisser’s snake DNA now controlled his form.

What I told Henry had been true. Dylan likely went home to tell his parents about his adventures. I wished he’d said goodbye but after Ezra’s attack, I’m sure he was done with me and my work. Who could blame him? I couldn’t.

Henry’s report made me feel bad, though, because I should have called him and Gale this morning instead of worrying them. Answering to someone in my house was a new reality I had yet to adjust to. People controlling my business made me feel rebellious. I barely managed answering to Ben even though he paid me to do so.

“I should have let ya know all that, Henry. I’ll try to remember to check in with ya in the future. The truth is I’m used to brooding alone and doing what I please without giving much thought to who I’m inconveniencing.”

Henry waved a hand. “Checking on you gives me something to do. It’s no bother.”

I smiled at Conn’s father. “That’s a lie. I know it’s a bother but it’s nice of ya to pretend it’s not. Coffee and breakfast are all I need, Henry. Ya should know my boss is dropping by today to check out our new foyer statue.”

Henry smiled back. “Will you be catching up on personal business all day?”

My laughter rang out. “I don’t know yet. Unpacking my clothes was more of a chore than I realized it would be. It’s got me pondering a nap. I’m grateful to Gale and ya for taking care of me and making sure I don’t starve.”

A grinning Henry inclined his head at my gratitude. “It is our pleasure, Aran of The Dagda.”

Then he disappeared.

The oddness of my life settled like a wet blanket over me. I wondered if I’d ever stop feeling like a stranger in my home. Henry and Gale didn’t understand yet, but making my own coffee was the least of what was in my DNA.

Along with the dry bar Henry promised, I should ask him to also install a coffee and tea service in the sitting room where I could brew my own. That would allow me pleasure and keep them from worrying. Would that offend him and Gale? I probably shouldn’t worry so much about their feelings but Ma had raised me too well to disrespect them.

For better or worse, this real estate monstrosity was my house. I could fill it with blown-up balloons if I wanted. Or statues of hostile, betraying fairies frozen by wicked angels. Who could stop me?

I’d have to ponder my too-cushy existence some other time. Today, I had more important concerns. I had a female guardian sleeping upstairs and a male one brooding because I’d rejected him. I had Ben coming to see frozen Ezra for himself. I had a house full of demons and Mulan’s parents coming to visit.

And then there was my daughter.

Fiona had texted me from Ma’s house early this morning, which told me she was back in Ireland. Texting wasn’t the same as talking to my child in person but the phone Jack gave her didn’t have an international plan that allowed her to call me for even five minutes now and again. I’d have to see that she got a better phone if it turned out Fiona would spend a lot of time over there.

Despite my utter exhaustion yesterday, sending Rasmus away last night took a toll on me. I’d slept badly and woke at the first quiet pinging of incoming messages from my child.

I had to admit, though, that Fiona’s texts hadn’t sounded like they were coming from the same frustrated girl who’d flown off screaming in the arms of her wicked angel mentor. Despite his nonchalance with me, I instinctively knew I could trust him with Fiona. The angel’s energy radiated his good intentions toward my child, even though his very human male eyes couldn’t seem to stop staring at the womanly curves that kept growing. She’d be twenty-one in a few months.

Fiona’s answer to me asking how she was doing had been cautiously positive and achingly honest. She admitted straight up that learning to use her magic was much harder than she’d ever dreamed it would be.

She also told me the Shadow Breakers had sent someone to question her about Ezra. It seemed Colonel Benson had wasted no time letting his home office know what had happened. The news shocked all of them. If I hadn’t been a trusted magickal, the Shadow Breakers might not have believed the photo Ben had sent along as evidence.

The fairy’s treachery had shocked Ben but no one was more shocked than I was. I’d fought at Ezra’s side for years. He had played the roles of trustworthy work partner, lustful lover, and caring friend so perfectly that I never suspected he wasn’t what he seemed.

I’d seen no deceit at all from the fairy until he’d confessed to his plans for Hisser to kill me. Fiona’s wicked angel did me a huge favor by freezing Ezra with the energy sword in his hand. It was an undeniable reality check and one that wouldn’t let me forget.

After spending a half hour messaging with my daughter, I felt better about her absence, but going back to sleep had been impossible. To keep from obsessing, I’d gotten up and gotten to work unpacking.

Coffee truly hadn’t been on my mind until Henry showed up. I couldn’t remember that ever happening before.

I turned at another knock on the door to my quarters. “Enter,” I yelled.

It wasn’t Henry this time but the energy was just as familiar. A freshly showered Rasmus stood beside a food cart containing a large carafe of coffee and all sorts of breakfast treats. A single tray would never have held all they sent.

My stomach growled the moment I smelled it. And the coffee smelled divine.

“Good morn to ya,” I said to my delivery person.

It was hard not to stare because Rasmus smelled as good to me as the coffee did. I would have given up my coffee to lie back down with him. If he knew it, he wisely gave no sign. I couldn’t indulge my longing for him anyway. Ezra’s betrayal had been the last ego hit I could handle. It was time to get my shitty love life straightened out and that time was today.

Rasmus cleared his throat. “I decided not to wake Zara until you and I talked. I’ll wake her when you’re ready.”

“Thanks. I definitely could use a bit more time to prepare for her this morning.” I sighed and did my best to smile at him in a friendly way. It was hard to be casual with my heart beating so hard at his presence. “I promised ya we could talk so let’s do that now. I can finish my unpacking later.”

When he didn’t immediately cross the room’s threshold, I chuckled and walked to pull the food cart into the sitting room. “Come in and have a seat, Rasmus. The chairs in here are temporary but I think they’ll hold ya well enough for our chat. Will ya be joining me for breakfast? It looks like Henry sent enough food for five people.”

“Thank you, but I ate earlier. Someone came to the door with a menu request this morning. Gale sent a tray to my room afterward.”

“Suit yerself,” I said, positioning the cart in front of the chairs.

Early morning light filtered in through the sheers Henry had hung up, but it wasn’t bright enough to cast sunshine into the space. I turned on the single floor lamp in the corner. It still wasn’t enough to see clearly. Sighing at the coziness I’d unintentionally created, I picked up the remote Henry had provided me and set the fire blazing in the hearth. Since I didn’t want Rasmus to get the wrong idea, I held his gaze while I set him straight. “There’s no heat to the flame. I’m short on light sources.”

With his hands in his pockets, Rasmus nodded as he entered the sitting room. “Did Henry do all this for you?”

I nodded as I poured out coffee for myself. My stomach growled loudly again in anticipation. Rasmus lifted an eyebrow at me.

Rolling my eyes, I gave up trying to play it cool. “Fiona texted me at four-thirty this morning. I’ve been up ever since.”

“Where is Fiona?”

“Her angel mentor returned the two of them to Ireland after they released a local witch coven from Ezra’s spell. Tony wasn’t overly chatty about his plans or hers but did mention he was training Fiona to protect the ring.”

Rasmus blinked at the news. “Are you sure he was an angel? Should I have Orlin check him out?”

I shrugged. “Henry confirmed Tony wasn’t a demon. Ya told me the ring’s guardian was either a demon or an angel. Plus, Tony mentioned training Da to protect the ring and how much faster Da learned compared to Fiona. It was a simple deduction.”

Ramus nodded. “Yet you still sound concerned. Are you worried about her spending time with him?”

I eyed him over my coffee cup. I would not be baring my soul to anyone this early in the morning but especially not to Rasmus. If it were up to me, I would never expose my true self to him again. Not even Ma used my own words against me as much as the guardian did.

“My daughter seems fine with her situation and I trust her. What troubles me are Bridget O’Malley’s ideas about such creatures. Da never told her what Tony was so Ma has waited all her life to meet an actual angel. But that being is nothing like what she has in mind. Still, I’m inclined not to judge the man since I wouldn’t be sitting here sipping coffee this morning without his intervention.”

Rasmus swallowed hard. “Because your fairy friend betrayed you.”

I nodded as I sipped. “Yes. The only good news is that Ezra’s betrayal only hurt half as much as Jack’s did.”

Rasmus dropped his gaze to his hands. “Did he harm you before he got stopped?”

I picked up a croissant filled with egg, bacon, and cheese and took a bite to avoid answering. The delicate bread tasted like heaven. Whoever was cooking was a truly gifted chef. I devoured the whole thing in a few bites before I realized I’d never answered his question.

My gaze swung back to Rasmus. My reluctance to discuss this with him made me sigh inside. I was still angry at him for being gone and resentful of him wanting to know all the details of what he missed. Just because Rasmus hadn’t betrayed me yet didn’t mean he wouldn’t. He’d already developed the knack of going for long periods feeling no concern for me at all.

“The fairy didn’t harm me personally and I don’t think he ever intended to. Ezra’s big plan was to get someone else to kill me before he carved the Dagda stone from my chest. He told me he feared losing an honest fight with me but I don’t think he was serious. Mulan said his power was as great as what Conn stores. I’m sure Ezra knew that was the case.”

Rasmus blinked at that announcement. “I think I’ll take some tea after all.”

I waved to the cart. “Help yerself. I’m sure it’s on there for ya because Henry knows I don’t drink tea this early in the day.”

Rasmus turned over a mug, added honey to it, and poured tea from a small ceramic pot.

I refilled my cup while he stirred and quietly fumed. I was going to have to go over all this again with Ben. My irritation with Rasmus was not small.

“Ezra had stolen an artifact from the far darrig family that guarded it and used it to turn Hisser into a full-blown Naga assassin. He was even bigger than that giant snake we fought at the Troll Shaman’s cave. Hisser used his venom to stop Conn and Mulan. When the Dagda stone got involved with helping me, it gave me a special dagger and some snakeskin of my own to protect me.”

Rasmus set down his tea and scrubbed his face.

My grunt was soft and disgusted. “To make a long story as short as possible, I defeated Hisser but then Ezra drew an energy sword out of thin air to kill me after all. I know he would have struck me down with it if Fiona hadn’t drawn his attention to her. When Ezra went after Fiona, Tony froze him because he’s obligated to protect her.”

Rasmus frowned deeply. “Why did you not call an energy sword for yourself?”

“Because Conn is the source of my warrior powers.”

“Not all of them, though, since it’s obvious you survived,” Rasmus corrected.

“I learned fairies come to the human realm to collect power, which they take back across the veil to their people. Helping humans—a species they consider inferior to themselves—is the alleged price they pay for it. All fairies do this but most are far more discreet about it than Ezra.”

“The veil is a time slip location.”

I shrugged a shoulder at his comment. I considered it magick, not science.

“All I know is that Goddess Danu created the veil as a place for the Tuatha de Danann to live after the Great War’s pact of peace was signed. I’ve never been there and never intend to go. Nor do I consider myself a living battery they can drain for their benefit.”

Rasmus kept his gaze on me as he drank tea. “Did Conn and Mulan survive?”

“Oh, yes,” I said as I refilled my large mug. Gale was a great believer in substantial cups of coffee and tea—Goddess bless her. “Conn wove a spell to protect them both but the effort took most of his energy. If I’d died, he would have died as well because no one would have saved him. The difference is that he would have eventually returned as himself. Mulan and I would reincarnate as different people. I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”

Rasmus leaned forward and once again rubbed his face with both hands. “I didn’t mean to be gone so long. Working on Zara in my human form took longer than it would have if I’d been a full guardian.”

I shrugged at the news. “Is that why ya had all those light beings helping ya fix her?”

Rasmus straightened in his chair. “How do you know about them?”

“Magick,” I said, snorting a bit as I lowered my cup. “But I guess ya got her sorted out in the end, right? Because now I have to deal with her for the next five years.”

“You will not bear the burden alone.”

My smile was weak. “Before he left yesterday, Orlin said he’d be monitoring Zara’s progress. He said he was going to bring her some books she could study that might speed up her learning.”

“We reset Zara to who she was at the beginning of her service to this planet.”

“It will be interesting to see what Zara was like as a female guardian before the male versions of herself forced her into survival mode. Humans can’t be their best when all they can think about is staying alive. They turn primal and want to kill things. That’s how she was when we first met.”

“My science specialty was entity biological regeneration and transmutation. Zara’s specialty was force physics, which is the study of controlling the energy surrounding all objects.

I stared at him over my nearly empty cup. “Witches could call force physics a form of magick. Maybe Zara will come to think of herself as being a practitioner like me. Practicing magick will be something we have in common.”

Rasmus lowered his head and it stayed bent for a long time. I picked up the coffee carafe and shook it before pouring the rest into my cup. I sipped at it while I waited for the guardian to tell me something else significant. But he didn’t say another word.

Instead, Rasmus rose from his chair and left. That male had an uncanny knack for making my worst nightmares about abandonment come true. He hadn’t been there to help when I fought Hisser and Ezra. Now he wasn’t able to hear my story out before bolting.

What had been so Goddess blessed important that he had to leave in that instant?

I sipped my coffee and quietly fumed while I pretended not to want to run after him. Goddess only knew what the guardian was thinking because I sure didn’t.