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Henry turned to me. “The books about the first angels burned in Alexandria. Humans never bothered to stop that from happening. I concluded from my studies that no overseer wants the beings of this planet to have any kind of complete knowledge.”

I sighed. “I don’t suppose ya made copies of the angel books when ya read them, did ya?”

Henry walked away without answering me. I heard Gale laughing as she followed him inside the house.

Fearing I’d offended Henry with a request he couldn’t fulfill for me, I’d left the house and come here to let him cool down. Was I brooding or hiding out? I couldn’t have said for sure, but I was enjoying the peacefulness of Fiona’s covered back porch.

If I’d had the ingredients, I might have made myself a pizza in the pizza oven that had convinced this cottage was her perfect home. It had been a long day, though, and I was too tired to fend for myself. Gale had promised me dinner in my room tonight and I was going to let her spoil me.

I was waiting until I thought Henry would let me go to my quarters. He had pulled up the carpet in my sitting room and refinished the wood floors under it. Henry had let me shed my gross clothes and grab a shower in the bathroom attached to my bedroom. But he’d also waited for me to finish to make sure I didn’t get curious and walk on the still-drying floor stain.

That sort of hovering control made me feel like I was living with Jack again. Like my ex, Henry liked to micromanage the details of everyone he served. But since he’d helped Conn find a place for the statue of my frozen former lover in the foyer, it would have been churlish of me to fuss at Henry about anything today.

So I’d come here instead. Wishing the rain would stop so I could take a walk, I had just leaned back on my bench and closed my eyes when I heard Conn stomping toward me. The man stomped everywhere when he was in his human form and tense. I wouldn’t be fussing at Conn today, either. I was too happy to see him.

I opened my eyes and smiled. “How are ya feeling, Conn? How’s Mulan?”

Conn sighed. “We’re both fine. I’ve been searching everywhere for you. The venom did something to my energy. I couldn’t sense where you were.”

The snake skin that had coated me during my fight with Hisser was nearly gone now, but some still lingered. “I think something is interfering with our normal senses,” I said as I patted my chest where the stone lived.

“Well, I hope that’s not permanent. Henry says you need to come back to the main house right away. You have unexpected company.”

I blew out a frustrated breath. “Is it Ben? I told that man we’d talk about everything tomorrow.”

“No, it’s not Ben.”

“Is it Tony and Fiona back to report on the witches?”

“No, and I can’t tell you how much I do not trust that creature training her, Aran. Heis nota real angel.”

“Is he demonic?” I asked.

“No,” Conn grudgingly said.

I chuckled at his belligerent tone. “Then Tony’s an angel, Conn. Orlin said Fiona’s trainer would be one or the other.”

Giving up his argument, Conn held out a hand and pulled me to my feet. I moaned as I noted all my aches and pains. I hadn’t hit the cave wall but sliding down it while holding onto the dagger had strained all the muscles in my arms and legs. Carving my way out of a snake’s mouth hadn’t been easy, either.

“Can’t a warrior witch have a moment or two to herself?” I grumbled.

Conn laughed and hugged me. “Quit complaining. After what you faced today, facing down a guardian should be no challenge for you.”

“Is my visitor a guardian? I’m too tired to tell.”

“Henry thinks he is. I sense nothing right now.”

Today had been a wake-up call for Conn and me. There was no room in our work for complacency or arrogance.

We strolled across the connecting driveways in the mist. The property was so quiet that it felt like a park. I remembered a question I had meant to ask him. “I appreciate the wards ya put in place. Did ya have to ward out all the animals? I miss seeing squirrels and rabbits.”

Conn grunted as he turned to me. “Do you want the demon wolves getting in touch with their prey drive and feasting on local wildlife?”

“Good point,” I said, chuckling at his forward thinking. My smile faded slowly into a frown. “I thought ya died today, Conn. It was the first time I ever realized that I could lose ya.”

Conn stopped and stared at me. I waved away his shock. “Oh, I know ya wouldn’t havereallydied but would have made regenerated in my lifetime? I thought I might die too, and realized I wasn’t ready to die. I want this crazy life we have together.”

“So do I.”