Chapter 20

Rasmus quickly removed his magickal hold on the jiangshi before returning to sit by Zara. I used Conn’s energy to create my normal armor for fighting demons. I called an energy sword as well.

I’d had a brilliant idea at the last minute for Conn in large high demon king form—crown and all—to be the first thing the jiangshi saw when released.

Mulan’s family huddled on the stairs watching what we did. They refused our offer for them to sit on one of the leather couches near what was happening. A terse Mulan barked at them whenever they started complaining.

All noise stopped the moment Conn called his crown. They stared at him and then looked at her. Mulan glared back and shook her staff until they cringed away. I had no idea what they all said to each other, but all of us noticed when her family finally shut up.

“Are ya ready, Mulan?” I asked.

The last magick holding him was hers.

Conn looked the Wu Shaman’s way and smiled at her with all his pointed teeth. The Wu Shaman stared back for a moment before rolling her eyes at his show of both prowess and support.

Then she muttered something in her native language and rapped the staff twice on the jiangshi’s demon head. He snapped out of his stupor with a growl. Rebellion lit his gaze until he saw Conn. Then both arms came up to cover his face as he screamed.

That was a good call on my part. Even a fake demon knew to fear the demon king.

“Time to tell him how it is,” I said.

Mulan lifted her staff and held it while she spoke to her brother-in-law. His arms gradually fell away from his demon body.

Mulan paused and waited for his answer to a question she asked.

He answered her without words. His demon form disappeared and he changed back into his old man human form. To say he appeared fragile was an understatement. Ya could tell he was fairly skeletal under his robes.

Once the jiangshi gave up his demon form, so did Conn. Thankfully, Conn fetched the jiangshi’s cane and handed it over. It seemed to be all that was keeping the jiangshi from falling.

Mulan’s sister chose that moment to start wailing as she pleaded with Mulan to let them all go. I was proud of the Wu Shaman for being strong enough to refuse them. I was even prouder of the jiangshi saying something stern enough to shut his wife up, which it promptly did.

He and Mulan exchanged more words. Both were calmer, but her language sounded like yelling to me even when voices weren’t raised.

Finally, Mulan turned to face me.“He accepts our plan is necessary to save his life but fears my sister will no longer want him once his power is gone. I do not understand what any man sees in spoiled child like her. Love is truly blind.”

I put my hand in my pocket and fingered the disk I’d made. Zenos and I had no way of knowing what the angel power would do to him. But I think it was a safe bet that he’d learn to control it.

“Why would his power be gone? He’ll have some power. Right?”

Mulan thought about it and then shrugged. “I do not know what he will have. Do you?”

“No clue,” I said, blowing out a breath. “But if I had to make a guess, I think he’ll have more power than ever before. However, the power he has will only allow itself to be used for good. The power Zenos collected is power enough to turn a supervillain into a superhero.”

We both turned to look at him. His gaze bounced between us but he didn’t seem terribly afraid. Maybe Conn posed a worse threat than we did.

Mulan shrugged again. “I cannot let him stay like this. I cannot let him possess them. Hateful or not, they are my family.”

I reached out to her and put a hand on her arm. “Ya’re the best of daughters, Mulan. Never let them tell ya differently. What ya’re doing will save them all.”

“Or kill them,” she said.

“Well, no plan is perfect,” I said with a small, wicked smile.

“Conn is right. You sound like Zenos now.”

“If ya don’t like how I talk, try to keep it to yerself. Ya don’t have to openly insult me in front of the guardians. I have feelings, ya know.”

I could have sworn I heard Zenos laughing in my head. I definitely heard Mulan giggle at my outrage. My grin was small. “So are we doing this?”

Mulan nodded. “No matter what happens, I am grateful for your help.”

“Good. We’ll hug later,” I said, smiling now. “Activate the talisman. Let’s get this shit show over with.”

Mulan handed me the disk she’d made. I put it in my hand and held it out. She chanted until all her tiny turtle shells hung suspended in the air around her staff. Even the symbols on it glowed. The louder Mulan chanted the more the disk twitched in my hand.

When her eyes changed from chocolate brown to blood red like Conn’s demon ones, I admit I got a little freaked out. My reaction was nothing compared to Mulan’s sister screaming. But that ended as quickly as it began. Someone encased her family in a magick bubble.

After Mulan’s eyes returned to normal, the disk vibrated in my palm. I walked to the jiangshi and showed it to him. He swallowed hard and ripped open his robe with one ancient hand. I nodded to him and used my palm to hold Mulan’s talisman against his skin.

Then I chanted to add my power to Mulan’s. I kept my hand on his flesh no matter how many Chinese swear words he spat at me. The talisman sank beneath his skin.

When I stepped away from the jiangshi, he transformed into an even more skeletal version of himself as I watched. He was the epitome of death and represented every fear a human could have about it.

“His jiangshi power is gone. My sister is no longer possessed,” Mulan said.

The jiangshi—too beaten down to fight anyone—let Conn bring him a chair so he wouldn’t fall. Dejected by his shriveling humanity that he could no longer change for himself, he leaned on the cane and mourned what we’d done to him.

Mulan’s father—angrier than ever—spoke slowly to her, pronouncing each sentence with a glaring finality. I watched Mulan straighten as she glared back at him. Hurt oozed from every pore. But she answered her father with a swipe of her staff in the air in front of us and a guttural utterance of a single word. Her gaze moved from her father to her mother to her sister. Then she turned away from them.

“What did they say to ya?” I asked.

“I am disowned,” Mulan said. “It is official.”

“So it won’t matter what happens to him now? We can do what we like with him.”

“It matters only to him and us. I will never forgive them even if they beg. I have no family now.”

I fished the coin from my pocket. “Then let’s create a superhero. I bet he’ll be yer fan.”

Mulan walked to the jiangshi. I trailed a step or two after. She talked low to him, using her hands to illustrate. I didn’t need the words to know she was outlining the risks to him. He’d been living with death for so long that it amazed me he might still fear the real thing.

He looked at me with hope in his eyes. Then he nodded. I nodded back. I pulled the talisman from my pocket and showed it to him.

Mulan backed away from me to give me room for the spell.

“Ya might want to warn him this could hurt.”

“I already did,” Mulan said.

I patted my chest. “Showtime, guys. I need ya boost my power.”

We agree with your intention. We will do as you ask.

I hadn’t known I needed their agreement. I’d have to ask them about that later.

I chanted quietly and sent my magick into the talisman to let it know I was there. The jiangshi struggled until he got to his feet. He held his torn robe aside for me to put the talisman and my palm against his decayed flesh.

I gathered the power rising inside me and sent it flowing through my hand. “Per vim facinnt huius te resurrecturus!”

His body failed to hold him up so my power did the job. “Per vim facinnt huius te resurrecturus! Per vim facinnt huius te resurrecturus!”

My voice echoed in the foyer like a god’s as I commanded the talisman to resurrect the man’s true human form.

His screams of pain moved through both of us. I held on as the talisman burned its way through dead flesh and into the part of the jiangshi that was still alive.

Finally, he fell away from me to back up. Still screaming, he clutched at his chest. But it was too late to halt what had been done. The change was happening.

The jiangshi crumpled to the floor as we watched and then slowly rose to his feet. He walked around the chair Conn had brought him. He rubbed his chest that was filling out. His whole body began to glow.

There was a burst of light and before us stood a stranger. Mulan glanced at me with her “check-him-out” look in her eyes. I ducked my head to hide my smile. The talisman had worked.

“Tell him it might or might not last. Or it might happen spontaneously now and again. We don’t know how it will work long term.”

She turned to the jiangshi and did as I asked. He walked forward to us then, no longer afraid. I stepped back when he dropped to his knees at my feet. The effect he produced in me was radically different than when the guardian did it. This man at my feet made my lips curl.

“What is he doing?”

Mulan covered her mouth to stifle her giggle. “He thinks you are goddess. He worships you.”

“Well, tell him I’m not one.”

Her shrug was large. “You are child of god with guardian blood. Maybe you are goddess. I will not lie for you.”

“Mulan, that’s not funny.”

Her giggle was loud. Everyone heard.

The jiangshi knee crawled closer, grabbed my ankles, and kissed both my boots. He muttered something again.

“He says you may command him. He is your servant.”

“Tell him I said he is to use his power to do good to everyone that needs help. Outside of that, he is to live a happy and peaceful life for as long as he has left.”

Maybe that would prevent Tony from trying to repossess his magick one day. I wasn’t sure he could do it since by then the talisman would be a permanent part of the jiangshi’s bones. But I had seen him pull power from Ezra and return it to Dylan’s stone. It was best not to underestimate the angel.

There was no need to worry about that today, though, now was there? Tony could have popped here if he’d felt what we were doing, but he didn’t. I truly wished Zenos had been here to see how far I had bent the rules. He’d have been very proud.

I reached down and pulled one of the jiangshi’s newly restored hands off my boot. I tugged on it to pull him to his feet. When he stood again, I patted his chest to remind him of what he’d suffered.

He bowed his head to show his understanding. Then he turned to Mulan’s family and held open his arms. He said one word to them—I assume it was the sister’s name because she ran to him. Then they were both weeping and talking over each other as she checked out his resurrected form. He was handsome and I wondered what he’d done in his time to deserve being turned into a walking dead person.

“Wow,” I said, staring at the emotional reunion. “I guess he did love her.”

Mulan shrugged. “So it seems. At least he is not old man anymore.”

Her parents eventually rose and walked to check him out as well. They looked him over and inspected the talisman burns on his chest.

Mulan watched the happenings with an emotionless expression. They were a happy family without her being part of it. I wondered how badly that hurt her. I simply couldn’t imagine Ma ever disowning me over my powers unless I used them wrong. If I abused my magick, she would try to kill me to stop me from doing it. I guess my family was just... well, I suppose different was a good word.

The last thing I expected was to have her parents and sister come and kneel at my feet. Mulan raised an eyebrow as she glared down on their bowed heads.

“What in Danu’s name is going on now?” I asked. “I’m so damn tired of yer people, Mulan.”

She barked something at them. They answered her quietly without meeting her gaze. She covered her mouth and for a tense few seconds, I thought she was going to cry. I wanted to kill the three of them for traumatizing her over and over.

Then to my utter surprise, Mulan burst out laughing. She laughed and laughed, bending forward to hold her stomach. She laughed every time she looked at them... or me.

“Are ya going to tell me what’s going on? I’m ready to kill them for upsetting ya again.”

“Oh, Aran,” Mulan said, wiping at her eyes. “My father wants to adopt you.”

I uttered a swear word I don’t normally use and held up my hand to stop her from saying anything more. When that only sent Mulan into another round of hysterical laughter, I rolled my eyes and walked away from all of them. It was so ridiculous—they were ridiculous.

Both guardians looked me over as I walked by. I saw something in their eyes I didn’t recognize. It looked a little like fear at first, but it also could have been their arrogant belief that they could have handled the jiangshi better than I did.

“Now what,” Zara asked.

I looked at Zara. “Mulan’s family moves into a hotel and we get to enjoy the rest of our vacation.”

“So nothing more today then. I’m going back to my research.” She rose and headed to the door.

I called out to her. “We’ll have Ben out next week to meet ya.”

She stopped and turned. “Who is Ben?”

“He’s our boss,” I said, watching her smile bloom. “If he’s agreeable, we’ll find something for ya to do.”

“Thank you, Aran. Or should I say Goddess Aran? No wonder Mulan was laughing so hard.”

“Don’t go there,” I said, pointing at her. “Really. Just don’t.”

I turned to Rasmus. “Am I going to hear something from you about this?”

“About this from me? No. I’m quite proud of you. The angel might have something to say about it later.”

“Yeah, I know. But I used his magick for a good purpose.”

“To create a superhero?” Rasmus asked.

I glanced back at the jiangshi. He smiled and waved when he caught me. Then he and Mulan’s family were all bowing to me. Good Goddess, their approval annoyed me more than all the whispering had.

“I still say those people are not Mulan’s real parents. She’s completely different from them.”

“She merely outgrew them. That happens sometimes.”

“Those petty divas disowned her and wanted to adopt me.”

Rasmus laughed. “Did they honestly say that?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Is that why Mulan was laughing so hard?”

“Yes. It makes me want to kill them. All she wants from the selfish bastards is to be acknowledged and appreciated. It would cost them nothing to give that to her.”

“Command them to treat her well. They’d probably comply with their goddess.”

“Very funny, Rasmus. And the Wu Shaman would know they were faking. She has second sight. Even I would know they were faking. So why bother?”

“So what now?” Rasmus asked.

I looked down at my boots. “I need new shoes and new boots. These have jiangshi kisses on them. He has dead guy cooties. I don’t know if Henry can get that off.”

Rasmus chuckled and rolled his eyes. I grinned at his action because Zenos wasn’t the only contagious person. I was oddly proud of his show of disdain.

That made me wonder if I’d ever see the dragon mage again. Then I wondered why I cared. He was nothing but trouble and too immortal to change. I still owed him for the resurrection spell and I’m sure he would come back to collect on that magick debt one day. I never believed his story about only being here for the entertainment.

“Want to go shopping with me tomorrow?”

“Is it a date?” he asked.

I thought about it for a moment. “Do ya want it to be?”

Rasmus nodded. “Yes. I want it to be.”

“Okay. I guess we could call it that. How about we make a day of it and go plant shopping as well? I’ll buy ya lunch. We can get the plants delivered so we don’t have to pack them around. Maybe Henry can give us a ride downtown.”

“Sounds great. I’m going to go talk to Zara. I’m still on the fence about her sincerity. She went from sullen to friendly in a very short time.”

I nodded. “Yes, I thought the same. It happened after she watched me take some of Ezra’s power away. I think her inclination to collect power didn’t get completely programmed out of her. Maybe we need Mulan to make a talisman for her.”

“I can see why you’d suspect her motives,” Rasmus said as he leaned into me and kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

My eyes stayed glued to him until he disappeared out the front door.

Mulan came to my side and replaced him. “I’m glad you made up with boy toy.”

I turned to smirk at my friend. “We’re going on a date tomorrow.”

“That is miracle for you. Rasmus should talk to Conn. Conn knows very romantic places.”

I chuckled at her dreamy expression. “Rasmus and I are going shoe shopping, and then to buy some plants.”

Mulan made a face. “That is not date. That is errand.”

“I’ll fix my hair and wear mascara. That’s the best I can do. It’s been a tough week.”

Mulan sighed. “You do not female well.”

“Rasmus thinks I female well and he has the bite marks to prove it.”

“Good. There may be hope for you yet,” Mulan said, giggling as she pulled me in for another tight hug that nearly took my breath away. “Thank you.”

“Helping is what friends do.”

“I wish you were my sister.”

I hadn’t seen that comment coming but I felt the same. If I’d had a sister, I could only hope she would have been as cool and fun as Mulan.

I smiled at her. “We’ll have to be unofficial siblings because I’m never letting yer family adopt me. I’m not as nice as you are, Mulan. Ya know I’d kill them all in their sleep if they nattered away at me the way they do with ya.”

When Mulan hugged me tightly again, we collapsed into each other giggling.

Henry’s throat clearing had us breaking apart. “Excuse me, Goddess Aran.”

“Ya just had to get that jibe in, didn’t ya, Henry?”

His grin was wide. “Yes, but I have an important message for you. Your boss has been trying to reach you all day. He finally got hold of Dylan who messaged me. He says the matter is urgent and you need to get in touch as soon as possible.”

I sighed as I untangled myself from Mulan. I couldn’t seem to get more than two minutes of happiness for myself. “Will ya drive Mulan’s family to a hotel tomorrow, Henry? I’m officially kicking them out of the house since they officially kicked her out of their family. They’re strangers to us now.”

Henry chuckled. “It would be my pleasure to get rid of them—I mean, to drive them.”

I smiled. “Can ya have someone drop me and Rasmus off downtown tomorrow before ya do that? We’re going on a date and Dylan still has my car.”

“Of course. Or you could go car shopping tomorrow and get a decent one. The one Dylan is driving could be our loaner to friends.”

“And where would I get enough money for a new car? This place isn’t cheap to run.”

Henry smiled. “Conn tells me his investments have done quite well lately. He said he put enough money for a car into your account but that you’d not see it unless he told you about it. I didn’t believe him yet now I can tell it’s true. You need a full-time keeper, Aran. You’re far busier than any CEO I’ve ever served.”

“I have one. Conn is my keeper.”

“Because he has no choice. You need more than just him. He has Mulan to worry about as well.”

I grinned at Henry. He used to only refer to her as the Wu Shaman. Now he was using Mulan’s name. That was good progress because the woman needed to revise who she considered to be her family.

“Are ya hinting about me asking the guardian to take me on? I don’t think he has the right stuff.”

Henry smiled. “It’s not really a hint. It’s more like a recommendation for your own good.”

Dylan burst through the front door, saw me, and ran my way. “Did you call Ben yet? He said there was a gorilla loose in downtown Salem. I bet he wants us to catch it. Can I go on this one? Animals are my specialty.”

I shook my head. “Why do I have to go after it? Does the word vacation not mean what it used to mean?”

Henry chuckled. “Not when it applies to you. I’ve given up as well.”

Pointing my finger at him in warning, Henry’s laugh followed me as I went to find my phone.

The joke was on my demon caretaker because I no longer thought of Conn as my keeper. Nor did I see Rasmus taking the job since Zara was so high maintenance.

The truth was that I thought of Henry and Gale as my keepers now. It was their fault for feeding me so well. They also did my laundry, changed my bed, and brought me coffee in the sitting room every morning. Conn had done none of that. He just nagged me to make my own coffee and wouldn’t let me speak to people until I’d had a sufficient amount.

I finally found my phone hiding in the bedcovers of my unmade bed. It was in shambles after spending the night with the guardian. I’d been too late getting up to bother with trying to sort it out.

Sure enough, there was a typed message from Fiona and a gazillion more from Ben. Or maybe he’d sent ten. I didn’t count them but the notifications filled up my entire phone screen. That was simply too many to read so I didn’t bother. I preferred a more direct approach.

Hating myself for giving up my time so easily, I sat on the bed, said a quick prayer of thanks for today working out, and returned his call.

Ben’s phone rang and rang, but he never picked up.

With no other choice now, I went to the messages and started reading.

—THE END—