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Did Rasmus tell her about the Dagda stone? Or did she know because she sensed it? I watched as Zara paused while she thought about it. Then she finally nodded.

“Nearly every mythology talks about the original human-to-animal shifters receiving talismans from their alleged gods. It was those talismans that gave them the ability to shift. Powerful spells resided in those talismans which were usually made of wood. I’ve found one or two spells for talismans that have merit.”

Mulan frowned. “But we hoped to do opposite. We want him never to shift again.”

Zara looked at Mulan like she’d just failed a major test. “Spells work forward and backward. What happens is controlledby holding the proper intention. Ink on paper is the easiest to infuse. Wooden objects are the second easiest. Inscribing that much magick on a metal object or a stone would require significant power, but you have enough, Wu Shaman. All of them would work for you.”

Mulan nodded. “I see the wisdom of what you say. Paper would easily dissolve inside human body and become part of cells. Wood also would break down and be absorbed like plants are when eaten. Metal would stay metal and never become part of his true form. It could be removed.”

Zara arched an eyebrow at me when she answered. “Yes. It could.”

So that’s how she knew. Rasmus must have told her about Ezra.

I looked at them over my coffee. “Mulan’s specialty is wood. She made her own staff. I think that would be a good format for her magick.”

Mulan looked my way and smiled. “I see your wisdom too, Aran.”

I drank and then set down my cup. “It seems we potentially need two spells. The first will take away his jiangshi abilities and make him permanently human. The second spell is needed to restore him physically.”

Conn raised his hand. I laughed as everyone looked his way. “Are we raising hands to talk now?” I teased.

Conn ignored me to speak to Mulan. “Getting jiangshi to give up access to his demon form may not go as well as you think. Not to brag here, but being a demon is pretty awesome. I think he will be reluctant to let that state go.”

I smirked at him. “What are ya hinting at, Conn? Are ya saying being human isn’t equally wonderful?”

His grin said everything for him so I rolled my eyes. “Ya do understand that Mulan is human, don’t ya?”

“Oh, yes,” Conn said. “But I would never trade her places. She has suffered far more in her human life than I ever have in my demon one. The emotional abuse from her family is enough to fill me with gratitude for the species I was born to be.”

I looked across the table to Mulan. “How do ya put up with him, Mulan? No man is that good in bed.”

Mulan shrugged. “I often wish that were true but demon is magnificent lover.”

No one at the table laughed openly, but I saw Rasmus and Conn exchanging grins.

I was grateful Zenos had slept in this morning. It had spared us—or at least,me—his commentary during the testosterone-filled celebration. That would have been too much.

A short time later,Zenos tracked me down in the library.

I was sitting in the chair by the fireplace while going through my favorite spell books. After ruling out the possibility of Rasmus altering the creature’s genes without the use of a proper laboratory, I’d sent him off to check on Zara. I now sat alone researching potential spells.

No one except Conn knew that I kept my sacred books in the storage that he maintained for us. I’d sent him there with a list after breakfast and now I sat going through the ones he’d brought back to me.

Zenos barged in, his heavy footsteps echoing through the room, before flopping down unceremoniously in the second chair. My chair had sized itself to fit me with my feet firmly planted on the floor. His chair immediately enlarged itself to fit his greater height and size.

He smiled and widened his eyes. “Is this yer work?” he asked in awe.

The wonder in his tone softened me. “I’d love to tell ya it was, but no. Henry knows a talented witch with wood magick specialty. Maybe I should ask him for suggestions about fixing the jiangshi. He might know someone who can help.”

“That’s why I came here. How can I help ya, lass?”

My ego still stung from his teasing last night. I wanted to keep my distance from my so-called teacher but this was no time to be petty. If what Mulan tried with the jiangshi failed to restore him completely, we would need a Plan B to revive him.

The immortal dragon mage had more magickal knowledge in his little finger than I would ever possess in my entire body. I'd be a fool to turn down his help.

“Do ya know any spells that might restore real human life to a jiangshi?”

Zenos pondered it for a moment. “They call them ghosts because even their souls are undead. Their bodies do hang around, but their souls are driving them like a vehicle, rather than living within it. Some say it’s that very division that makes them so angry and insane.”