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Mulan turned to me and raised both eyebrows. I blew out a breath. “It did not happen the way he says. I dug the vibrator out of yer purse to make sure itwasthe staff. Then Zenos slammed his face against the van window trying to scare me and he startled me into dropping it. The stupid thing turned on when it hit the floor and I had to chase it down to turn it off.The blasted thing nearly vibrated its way under the seat. It was embarrassing and Idid notproposition him.”

The Wu Shaman crossed her arms and looked at Zenos to see if my denial was true. He chuckled and shrugged.

I turned and smacked her arm. “Why are ya checking my story with him? He’s the one lying—notme.”

Zenos roared with laughter at my offended tone. “The truth always riles Aran up. I’ve never met a woman with less deceit in her. She’s so much fun that I might need to extend my stay.”

I narrowed my eyes until I was glaring at the dragon mage through slits. “Even yer compliments sound like insults. I can’t believe I was starting to think kindly of ya.”

Mulan laid a hand on my arm to soothe me but she looked at Zenos when she spoke. “Aran and guardian boy toy have not been together in long while. Forgive her, Zenos. She ignores her needs and is testy.”

“Listen now...” I began but Mulan’s fist tightening in the air shut me right up. I clawed at my throat while I stared wide-eyed at her for having the nerve to spell me.

She smiled at Zenos. “When Aran sleeps with boy-toy, I cannot do that to her. He makes her very powerful.”

“Ya don’t say. It must be serious between them if they’re sharing magick.”

Mulan nodded. “Yes. I think it is. He grovels at her feet begging to return to her bed. Her guardian also says my demon brother-in-law is not demon. He says he is a jiangshi who stole life force of demon.”

Zenos slapped his gigantic hands together and clapped in approval. “The guardian is right. The jiangshi were created as a way of imprisoning humans who needed more than one lifetime to give up their trouble-making tendencies. Very few of his kind are left in this world. I think yer brother-in-law survived this long by stealing the energy of an immortal demon. That’sdefinitely a demon suit he’s wearing. I bet it belongs to the demon royal who needs it back to complete his regeneration.”

My throat finally released enough for me to comment. “By having the royal demon’s life force, he’s stopping the true demon from returning. What a brilliant strategy.” It was almost as brilliant as Zara stealing the life force from young women to keep her alive and young.

Zenos nodded at our findings. “I’m sure he hates his old man with a cane human form. I know I’d hate looking like that. I bet he parades around as a demon more than anything else.”

“We seek to make him young again yet still erase his ability to jump bodies,” Mulan said.

Zenos grunted. “Why don’t ya just end the bastard, Mighty Wu? Ya’d be doing a good deed for the demon he stole his form from and getting rid of a problem for yer family. A jiangshi can die for good if ya know how to kill him. Ya just got to find the right way.”

Mulan shrugged. “Killing him would be worse decision. Spoiled sister loves him.”

“Well, good luck to yer attempts to reform him then. If I’m awake tomorrow, I’ll come watch.”

Mulan shook her head. “No, we must do it tonight. We cannot trust our magick to hold him until morning.”

“Let me see if I can help with that.” Zenos walked over and poked at the hairy creature’s cheek. “No, he’s good until tomorrow. The guardian will have to release him before ya can work yer plan on him. Those snooty bastards can stop time, ya know. That’s what he did here for yer jiangshi.”

Zenos glanced at the sheet-covered Ezra and pointed at him. “The fairy’s good for another couple of weeks but he won’t last that long. Yer answer to that problem is on its way. I had a vision of him getting free.”

“Is that yer omniscience talking?” I asked with all the snark I possessed.

The dragon mage never even dignified it with a frown, which was highly disappointing.

Zenos smiled at me instead. “No, not omniscience this time. I have a gift for predicting as well. But in this case, it’s a matter of connecting the dots. Ya got to get the angel energy off of him or ya’ll never be able to send him beyond the veil. Didn’t yer guardian tell that, either?”

Mulan and I exchanged glances. Why would Rasmus not tell me there was no need to worry about Ezra and the jiangshi? Was it more of his determination to not get overly involved? Our squabbles were no reason for him to withhold valuable information from me. And I would tell him so the first chance I got.

“Well, night all. I’m one very tuckered dragon this evening,” Zenos said with a wave as he started up the stairs.

I hissed out my frustration after he was gone. “Now ya see why I want to kill Rasmus as much as I want to sleep with him. This is the guardian’s bloody way of making sure he has to be involved even if he only chooses to watch. I swear if he brings a book tomorrow, I’m going to seriously hurt him.”

Mulan burst out laughing. “I’m going home to sleep, witch. Maybe I have sex if I get lucky. You should have sex too.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“You are funny woman. Lie. Lie. Lie.”

She was right, of course, but I wasn’t admitting it. Not after learning Rasmus had once again withheld secrets from me.