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“The guardians wish to talk to you when you have some time for them,” he said.

I sighed loudly and nodded. “Fine. I know I can’t avoid them forever. My early session with Rasmus didn’t end well so I’m not looking forward to justifying myself to his counterpart.”

“Were you actively trying to avoid them?” Henry asked with a frown.

“Yes, but ya didn’t know it. I promised to deal with them both and I will. I was just stalling as long as I could.”

Henry smiled at me. “If you want alibis for a few days of avoiding them, I could help you create them. Can you reschedule your meeting for a week from now?”

I was so moved by Henry’s offer to provide me with alibis that I put a hand on his arm and gazed at him adoringly. He looked down at my fingers resting on his pressed shirt sleeve in shock. I withdrew my touch to keep from getting emotional. Only Conn had ever offered to ease my mental burdens.

“I need courage not alibis, but thanks for asking. Will ya see if the guardians want to meet me on Fiona’s back porch?”

“Certainly. Should I have someone move some outdoor furniture there?”

“Fiona’s house came with outdoor seating made for tall people. Rasmus and Zara are both tall enough for the chairs. I’ll sit on the storage bench. We’ll be taking a walk after introductions so there’s no need for too much comfort.”

“I see. Is physical discomfort part of your intended punishment for them?” Henry asked with a snort.

I lifted my gaze to study the foyer ceiling. Someone had painted a pastoral scene on it. The scenery wasn’t my style but I could appreciate all the work it had taken. Even if I wanted to replace it, what would I put up there?

“I’m not intending to punish anyone. What I plan to do is worse than punishment. I’m going to incorporate the guardiansinto our strange family group and normalize their presence here. I would appreciate it if ya put the word out to keep a close eye on Zara. I have no idea what behavior to expect from her.”

“The young demons love spying on people. I think taking precautions with her is wise. The rouge ancient ones weren’t known for being helpful, no matter what they claimed. Guardians were feared for their sweeping actions and questionable judgments. I have always believed their neutrality was a myth.”

I chuckled without humor. “As soon as I figure out what normal is for her or Rasmus, I promise to let ya know. The male guardian is truly here on vacation. However, Zara is here for rehabilitation. Their vacations all seem to be working ones. Rasmus will be helping me manage her training program.”

Henry grunted. “So you’re her warden and this house will be her prison.”

I made a face. “Yes, but I don’t enjoy thinking of it like that. Let’s say Zara’s a brand new computer I’ve purchased and I plan to program her to be useful to me.”

His snickering over my computer analogy threatened to get out of control when I glared at him. I bet Dylan would have understood it. Mulan would have as well. I’d have to remember to tell her later. She told me to come over for tea after dinner and we’d chat.

Henry sighed loudly. “I guess I’ll tell Gale to hold off serving you your pride for dinner. You’ll be eating it soon enough about the guardian sharing your bed, but for now, we have to wait.”

I pointed a finger at him. “Rasmus is no longer sharing my bed, as ya well know. And I wasn’t lying about him being here on vacation. Every few hundred years the guardians are required to vacation here as humans. They feel it keeps their information updated about the inferior species they serve.”

“Ah...” Henry said. “He didn’t return foryouand you’re offended about him having multiple reasons for being here.”

“Oh, I’m much more than offended. I’m coldly livid after talking to him this morning,” I answered.

Henry gave a mock shudder but kept grinning.

“Give me ten minutes to switch my shoes and get over there before ya tell them.”

This time he gave me a mock salute before wandering away.

I rolled my eyes over how entertained he was before jogging to my room.

Chapter Three

Ididn’t get to see Zara’s new appearance yesterday. Her face had been turned toward his chest as Rasmus carried her.

Not having seen her helped me today because my expression held nothing but surprise when they rounded Fiona’s house side by side. Rasmus had gone a bit overboard and the two of them looked enough alike for people to think they were twins.

At least studying them gave me a legitimate excuse to look at Rasmus. His new uniform seemed to be snug jeans and even snugger t-shirts. If a woman ignored the constant judgment residing in his gaze, the rest of him would do nothing but delight her.

Even Mulan—the most fiercely independent woman I knew—thought I was being stupid about keeping Rasmus out of my bed. “A woman has needs, Aran. Use him to meet them. He will not steal your anger. Trust me.”