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I didn’t roll my eyes because I was an adult. This ruse wouldn’t work if I couldn’t play my part. “That’s interesting. I have a couple of wolves with a unique problem. They’re in the stables. We’ll walk over there soon. What else can ya do?”

Zara’s head dropped and she sighed.

Rasmus turned to face me fully. “My sister has forgotten her skills. She lost them during her healing. We’re hopeful the knowledge of her powers will return in time.”

“I see,” and I did. More than Zara realized. “Does she have wings? Can she fly like you?”

“Fly?” Zara’s head came up to stare at Rasmus. “Do you seriously have wings?”

I laughed. “He does but he’s still learning how to use them. That’s how we met. He dove at a Troll like a hawk going after a mouse. They both went rolling across the pavement.”

Rasmus shrugged at my story. “Being Irish, Aran loves to tell a descriptive version of every story. I have wings, and yes, I’ve been able to use them. I accepted a job with a paranormal organization called Shadow Breakers. Aran is my mentor.”

I held up my hand. “But not in the flying part. I’m calling in an expert to help Rasmus with his flying. I’m mentoring him in policing paranormals.”

Zara turned away from Rasmus to look at me again. “You’re speaking of humans with advanced skill sets, like witches and fairies.”

“And guardians. All three of us classify as magickals. Each paranormal type is a different species. Many magickals consider humans to be little more than prey. My job is to protect humans from those magickals that believe that.”

I watched as Zara nodded solemnly at my statements but I could see some churning in her expression. “Do ya think non-magickal humans are worth less than paranormal beings?”

Biting her bottom lip, Zara stared at me as if afraid to answer truthfully. “As a guardian, we seek to keep the balance on your planet. We become human to take a break from the tedium of our jobs. Regardless of what we think about a species, our purpose is to see that they evolve as naturally as possible. Intervention is only allowed in extreme circumstances. Humans have been the slowest species on this planet to evolve into a higher form and no one quite knows why. Most of them don’t realize or accept that their essence recycles into a new body repeatedly. This is my brother’s primary focus of study. He looks at why so many are resistant to change.”

“Yes. I am well aware of yer brother’s work among my people.” I turned to glare at Rasmus. “We’ve had many discussions about him seeing humans as an inferior species.”

“But he wasn’t talking about you. You have advanced skills,” Zara protested.

I stared hard as I spoke to her. “If ya talk about one of us, ya’re talking about all of us, guardian. My family comprises a mix of magickals and non-magickals. Whether or not one receives magic is up to our gods. Regardless of our power levels, we share the planet and work in harmony to exist.

“That has not been my observation,” Zara said.

“Because we’re a work in progress. We have to work at not devaluing anyone. Overcoming our flaws is what makes us strong, flexible, and resilient. When ya start evaluating people by what skills they don’t have or the magick they can’t do, there can be no end to the judging. Admittedly, some have to work than others do in remembering it. The struggle defines our natures.”

Zara huffed a little. “But that constant struggle seems so inefficient, don’t you think?”

I lifted both my hands in the air. “Who says evolution should be efficient? Maybe it works like that on other planets, but humans don’t follow evolutionary rules well. It’s an innate aspect of our species to rebel.”

Zara frowned at that. “So you identify with all of them even though you possess the power to conquer them.”

“What would conquering bring me? I’d exhaust my power trying to keep those I’ve conquered from conquering me back. I feel no desire to conquer, and yes, I identify with all the creatures of this planet. In the best of cases, our species elects fair overseers, not tyrannical rulers.”

“Not all rulers are tyrants,” she said.

“Not all rulers are needed. Seeing everyone as having the same value creates mutual respect and benefits the survival of our species. It’s like someone judging you for not flying just because yer brother can do it. Maybe ya inherited something different or even better. But ya would work with him to combine yer skills for the greater good. Right?”

Goddess, she was still the female guardian I met. All they did was stifle her nature a bit. This would be a long five years if she stayed in the “humans-should-bow-before-us” frame of mind. I’d heard that lecture from her once before and had hoped never to hear it again.

“Let’s take a walk and visit the demon wolves. We can debate our moral philosophies some other time. I’m still recovering from nearly being killed this week. My energy is not yet back to normal.”

Zara’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry if I stressed you with my observations.”

My laugh was from the gut. “Ya didn’t stress me any more than I already was. I’m sure we’ll get back to debating yer low opinion of humanity some other time. I’m not up to arguing about it with yer brother either, which is why he’s currently sleeping next to ya instead of in my room. I decided while Rasmus was gone that I would not keep justifying my wants and needs to any guardian, even the ones I like.”

“I can see that I’ve offended you. That was not my intention,” Zara said.

“Yes, ya have offended me, but don’t let it worry ya. Yer brother does it all the time,” I said before shrugging it off. “I’m not kicking either of ya out of the house for now. I promised yer guardian overseer that ya could stay five human years with me. Who knows, Zara? Maybe during that time, ya might change yer mind about my species.”

Zara took in my words but I could see in her face that was never going to happen. She had closed up inside her arrogance the way Rasmus so often did.