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No, no, no... I couldn’t—make thatwouldn’t—do the whole brooding thing again. What kind of freaking animal form would Conn take on a property this size? That brooding nonsense she and Conn both did would not be happening again if I had any say.

“Don’t make too many plans for yer pity party, Wu Shaman. Conn isn’t mad at ya. He’s mad at himself for not believing me when I warned him about the demon. The only thing ya did was make him promise to be extra kind to a bunch of people whodon’t deserve it. No, we’re all equally to blame for this mess. The moment Zenos told me that one of yer family was keeping a big secret I should have confronted all of ya with it.”

Mulan put her head in her hand. “I feel shame that refuses to go away. My family is selfish. I am weak for feeling sorry for them.”

“Shame goes away with the right action. Trust me, I’ve kicked myself enough for my mistakes to have learned that lesson. Yer demon situation is not over, Mulan. So please stop moping and start thinking instead about how we can force yer sister’s demon husband to do the one thing that might reform him.”

“If he regenerates for long time, my sister will die before him.”

“I know. He needs the shortest, most effective version. Conn can probably tell us what that is. Ya think the bastard would want to throw away his cane badly enough to volunteer to do it.”

Mulan looked at me. “How would Conn know what is best? He does not regenerate.”

I shook my head. “Yes, he does. He regenerates every day. It’s a silent, painless process for him. All he needs is a couple of hours of sleep. Magick does the rest.”

“I did not understand that. I thought he was exempt from normal demon life.”

“No, but he looks no older or younger. He says he is the same physical age now that he was when he signed the contract with The Dagda. His parents look that age as well. Henry and Gale plan their regenerations to keep themselves in their current conditions.”

“Conn has good family.”

“Yes, he does. I’m getting more attached to them every day. It worries me a little.”

“They like spoiling you. They like how you open your arms to strangers.”

I rubbed my nose to hide my smile as I carried my now-empty teacup to the sink. “Well, a woman has needs and Rasmus is about as strange as a lover gets.”

“I have demon lover. I make no joke about your man.”

I waved her statement away as I went to her door. “So does yer sister and look where that’s gotten her. Yer sister is close to being demon-possessed. But ya’re not. Conn’s method of possessing ya is far more ethical.”

Mulan giggled. “How do you know he possesses me?”

“Because Connlander loves to brag about being with ya.”

“About being with me?”Mulan asked with a squeak.

“Not likethat. Conn likes you too much to tell tales. He just said it had been a very long time since he sincerely liked a woman as much as he did ya. He also mentioned that the two of ya were perfect in bed. I was jealous when he bragged about it, but now I understand. A perfect bed partner is a rare find. Liking someone outside the bedroom is a greater treasure.”

“Then I am rich woman,” Mulan said. “Thank you, Aran. You truly are good friend.”

I put a hand on my chest and sighed dramatically as I left a laughing Mulan.

Chapter Fourteen

In the short time I was gone, another large sheet had been made and was now draped over the demon. With two covered statues, the foyer looked more like a museum gallery than it had before. A young demon male running a floor buffer over the tiles only added to the ambiance.

I shook my head at how strange my life had gotten as I headed to my quarters. My big plan was to take a few pain pills and lie down for a while. Those plans got blown away when I crossed my threshold and felt a familiar presence. Rasmus sat in my sitting room, which now sported two comfortable armchairs, a larger side table between them, a matching coffee table, and a small sofa that faced the chairs. Henry had created a cozy sitting area for talking. It looked like the library.

Rasmus raised his gaze from the book he was reading. “Henry said to tell you this is temporary. The furniture is on loan to your quarters until you have time to choose your own.”

My sigh was one of defeat. “He probably knows I wouldn’t have picked anything better than this.”

Rasmus smiled at me. “How’s your head doing?”

I lifted my fingers and felt the knot. It wasn’t flat yet but it had gone down a lot. “It’s better. I still have a headache.”

He put a bookmark between the pages and set his book down. “I can fix that for you. Come sit on the couch with me.”