Page 5

Conn’s smile was wide. “Now I know why you were so tired this morning. The first time is both exhilarating and exhausting. Congratulations—to both of you.”

When I nodded at his smirking summary instead of snapping back, Mulan giggled. Did she know how much worry my celibacy had caused my familiar? I could easily imagine Conn telling her all my secrets just so they could laugh.

“I need tea.”

My statement about needing tea addressed no one in particular, but Mulan grabbed the teapot and filled it at the sink. I watched tiredly as she reached into a cabinet and pulled out her own blend.

“This is tea I gave your daughter to recover from demon sleep. It rejuvenates total body energy.”

I nodded when I saw her waiting for me to respond.

Mulan shook her head and muttered in Chinese as she spooned the loose tea into a large mug. My head swiveled to my familiar when Conn quietly responded to her in the same language. She shrugged in reply without looking at him.

His grin was wide when he looked at me. “The Wu Shaman is upset that a man could do this to you.”

I grunted. “I’m upset too. I’ve been working on how to never let it happen again.”

Conn snickered again. “Was he seriously that good?”

I narrowed my eyes. “If ya want details, ya’re going to have to find out for yerself. If Mulan killed both of ya for cheating, she’d solve most of my problems.”

Mulan delivered the steeping tea to the table. I curled my hands around its fragrant warmth and sighed in gratitude. I needed pampering today. It was hard not to whine about Rasmus not being here to take care of me.

“I took a call while you were looking at the blue house. Fiona isn’t coming home.”

“What?”My head snapped up and I glared at Conn. “She leaves Dublin tomorrow evening and gets to Boston the next morning. She sent me the details in a text message.”

Conn rubbed his nose. “Her situation has changed since she made the original arrangements. She says she’s staying to train with the Shadow Breakers. She said to tell you she found the right teacher. She was afraid you’d be mad at her for not coming home so she called me instead of you.”

I shook my head. My daughter might have known what she needed more than I did, but I had yet to see evidence of that in her decision-making. I leaned on the table and rubbed my eyes.

“I’ll call her later. If she wants to stay, that’s fine, but I want to hear about this teacher of hers. Not that I’d know anyone after all these years. Ben can look them up for me.”

Conn chuckled. “Fiona said not to bother calling because her phone didn’t work in most places there. She promised to call you in a few days from Bridget’s phone.”

I thought of the many times Jack said his phone wasn’t working when he’d been hanging out here in Salem with his demon-hunter side-piece woman. If I found out it was a case of like father—like daughter when it came to lying, I’d spell Fiona’s hair to fall out. I was tired of blatant liars like Jack and those like Orlin who considered me too naïve to hear the truth. My daughter’s behavior better not be moving into that same shady category.

I leaned harder on the table and rubbed my forehead. “Is Fiona okay?”

Conn hung his head and nodded. I felt sure he did that simply to cover his smile. It amused him that my daughter had picked the worst time to assert herself. I couldn’t play tough mother with my absent child. Didn’t I have enough shit going on anyway?

“Fiona sounded excited about staying longer. There was something else about not returning to school this fall, but I decided to not question that random comment until her Irish adventure ends.”

“What are ya calling her Irish adventure?”

“Your daughter is working with the Shadow Breakers.”

All I could do was grunt again because she’d done exactly what I asked her to do. If they helped Fiona find her magick, it would be good for everyone. The thought of her being completely helpless around magickals chilled my blood.

It was probably for the best she not be here until I figured out how to deal with Zara. I hope she told Jack she was staying because I didn’t want to be arguing with him about it. Her father had her convinced that she had no magick. Maybe the ring was guiding her. All I could do was pray it protected her.

“She may be safer over there,” I admitted as I picked up my tea to sip. “Thank you for the tea, Mulan. It’s delicious.”

Mulan’s narrowed gaze swung to Conn as she pointed at me. “She is too nice. Did sexy guardian break her soul?”

“No. He slightly dented her ego, but she’ll survive. Jack left her alone with Fiona the week after she was born. She lethimlive,” Conn said with a broad smirk.

Mulan nodded at his answer as she crossed her arms. Conn stood in the middle of the floor while Mulan leaned against the counter. The room seemed too small for the three of us so I stood and picked up my cup.