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There was only so much even a very determined warrior witch could do.

Conn strolled around the house with a smile on his face while I hustled the guardians out. It was like he was smoking or drinking something that made him un-normally happy. When Henry and Gale both got a good look at him, they nodded to me to let me know they would watch out for their weird-acting son for me.

I was pacing in front of Ezra’s statue when Rasmus returned to the house without Zara. He might rethink returning if he knew how badly I wanted to pull an energy sword and bark a challenge to the deceitful creature up the stairs.

“Do you fear for the fairy’s life or fear for your own if someone frees him?” Rasmus asked.

Since his question was sincere, I answered him back the same. “Zenos tells me Ezra has been working this whole time to free himself from the angel’s hold on him. Who knows what would it take for him to break free? What will the ancient demon do once he realizes I’m onto his game? All I have are questions, Rasmus. I’m convinced he’s done something to both Conn and Mulan. He’s somehow fooled everyone into thinking he’s not a danger to us. The Dagda stone showed me his true form and what he could do. It was too gruesome to allow to happen.”

“You seem very stressed. What can I do to help you, Aran?”

“Can ya restrain the fairy for me if he frees himself? I need to focus on the fight with the creature.”

Rasmus crossed his arms and thought about it. “I’m not sure what I could do to restrain him but I could try to keep him from killing you.”

Outside of interpreting the guardian’s words as yet another polite refusal to get involved, I remained grateful for his lameoffer. I would think of Rasmus as my backup person in case the fighting got out of hand. He could at least contact Orlin in case of a major disaster, like my death at the hands of Mulan’s possessed family.

Chapter Twelve

An hour passed with no sign of them. I knew the barrier spell had worn off.

After disappearing again, Rasmus quickly returned a second time with a book in hand. He parked himself on one of the lobby couches and proceeded to ignore me while he read.

I made an effort not to feel too insulted by his lack of attention. The guardian didn’t get overly excited about much of anything—not even in the heat of battle. During his first appearance in true human form, Orlin made sure that he didn't remember his true guardian self. A very human Rasmus had calmly punched a troll until he knocked him out. That was insane by Shadow Breaker standards because everyone knew that was like punching a stone wall. But a stoic Rasmus had seen nothing wrong with it.

Rasmus was always calm—annoyingly calm. If he was any calmer, I’d forget he was even around at all.

Why in bloody hell was he here anyway? He wasn’t paying attention to anyone, especially me. He might as well go back to the blue house and read his book in relative peace there. I had survived the fight with Hisser without him being around. I’d survive fighting Mulan’s demonic brother-in-law on my own.

Maybe Rasmus thought I was naïve for living so hyperaware of every situation. Despite my need to face situations head-on, and my constant anticipation of the worst, he had never openly criticized me.

But he also wasn’t patting my back and telling me it would be okay.

Why did I even care about someone like him? Here I’d been thinking about inviting him to bed. If he brought that damn book to read, I’d kill him, though.

My hand itched to call a sword. But the moment I did Conn would know it and come to see what was going on. Then I’d have to convince him that confronting Mulan’s parents was a good idea. I still wasn’t sure I’d convinced the reluctant Wu Shaman.

My heart nearly stopped beating when Mulan’s weird family finally appeared on the stairs. They saw me pacing in the lobby and started whispering to each other. I pretended to survey the lobby as if I intended to redecorate it. Rasmus reading in a composed manner lent some support to my flimsy ruse.

The four of them cautiously moved down the stairs, nodding to me when I glanced their way. I stared long and hard at the brother-in-law who used his cane to lower himself down every step. It made him the last person to arrive at the bottom. If ya looked in his angry eyes for too long, ya might even feel sorry for him.

Starting to panic, I put my hand out to call an energy sword. The brother-in-law chose that moment to wave at me and smile.

Mulan’s sister and parents began to talk rapidly to each other in their own language. They turned to look at me every few words. It was both eerie and annoying not to understand what they were saying when it was clear they were talking about me. They did the same thing when Mulan wasn’t present.

I hadn’t dared ask Zenos to translate. Goddess only knew what kind of nonsense he’d tell me.

The chant to call a weapon froze on my lips as Mulan walked through the front door wearing a very old and dirty leather vest over her clothes. Complete surprise caused me to blink, and as my vision cleared, I spotted the staff in her hand. Even it looked normal.

As Mulan glanced at her family, she spoke to them in her language, and then forcefully thumped the end of her staff against the floor. Her sister screamed like someone had stabbed her and threw herself in front of her new—or rather old—husband.

Her parents clasped their hands together as they responded to her, obviously pleading with Mulan not to do anything to their new son-in-law. Doubt flickered in her eyes.

Leaving Ezra unguarded, I strode to her side. “What are they saying to ya?”

"Nothing," Mulan said with a frown, her voice tinged with disappointment. “I am here to do as you asked. I am here to do my job.”

“Well, ya don’t have to make it sound like I brought ya here without a good reason. He’syerbrother-in-law. It’syerfamily that’s in danger of being possessed. I could take him down myself but I figured I’d be stepping on yer Wu Shaman’s toes.”