Page 64

“Yeah, I know. But I used his magick for a good purpose.”

“To create a superhero?” Rasmus asked.

I glanced back at the jiangshi. He smiled and waved when he caught me. Then he and Mulan’s family were all bowing to me. Good Goddess, their approval annoyed me more than all the whispering had.

“I still say those people are not Mulan’s real parents. She’s completely different from them.”

“She merely outgrew them. That happens sometimes.”

“Those petty divas disowned her and wanted to adopt me.”

Rasmus laughed. “Did they honestly say that?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Is that why Mulan was laughing so hard?”

“Yes. It makes me want to kill them. All she wants from the selfish bastards is to be acknowledged and appreciated. It would cost them nothing to give that to her.”

“Command them to treat her well. They’d probably comply with their goddess.”

“Very funny, Rasmus. And the Wu Shaman would know they were faking. She has second sight. Even I would know they were faking. So why bother?”

“So what now?” Rasmus asked.

I looked down at my boots. “I need new shoes and new boots. These have jiangshi kisses on them. He has dead guy cooties. I don’t know if Henry can get that off.”

Rasmus chuckled and rolled his eyes. I grinned at his action because Zenos wasn’t the only contagious person. I was oddly proud of his show of disdain.

That made me wonder if I’d ever see the dragon mage again. Then I wondered why I cared. He was nothing but trouble and too immortal to change. I still owed him for the resurrection spell and I’m sure he would come back to collect on that magick debt one day. I never believed his story about only being here for the entertainment.

“Want to go shopping with me tomorrow?”

“Is it a date?” he asked.

I thought about it for a moment. “Do ya want it to be?”

Rasmus nodded. “Yes. I want it to be.”

“Okay. I guess we could call it that. How about we make a day of it and go plant shopping as well? I’ll buy ya lunch. We can get the plants delivered so we don’t have to pack them around. Maybe Henry can give us a ride downtown.”

“Sounds great. I’m going to go talk to Zara. I’m still on the fence about her sincerity. She went from sullen to friendly in a very short time.”

I nodded. “Yes, I thought the same. It happened after she watched me take some of Ezra’s power away. I think her inclination to collect power didn’t get completely programmed out of her. Maybe we need Mulan to make a talisman for her.”

“I can see why you’d suspect her motives,” Rasmus said as he leaned into me and kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

My eyes stayed glued to him until he disappeared out the front door.

Mulan came to my side and replaced him. “I’m glad you made up with boy toy.”

I turned to smirk at my friend. “We’re going on a date tomorrow.”

“That is miracle for you. Rasmus should talk to Conn. Conn knows very romantic places.”

I chuckled at her dreamy expression. “Rasmus and I are going shoe shopping, and then to buy some plants.”

Mulan made a face. “That is not date. That iserrand.”