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Conn smiled. “We’re going to need some staff to help us care for such a large house. How do you feel about taking in a demon couple? They’ve been together for probably a thousand years. We would provide them a place to live and pay them a stipend.”

“Are they part of Lilith’s caste?” I asked.

“Yes... and no,” Conn said with a chuckle. “They go along with other royals but are truly loyal only to me. I would trust them with my life.”

I raised my hands in defeat. “Fine. Let’s at least look and see what’s out there. Once we agree on a place, then we’ll see where we are financially and professionally. If I don’t find the missing women soon, it’s doubtful I’ll be offered more work.”

Fiona dragged a box of brownie mix out of the cabinet. “If Mulan moves in with us, it will be much easier for me to train with her. By the time I finish college, I could be a Wu Shaman like her.”

I looked at Conn. “Whatever ya did in bed to upset Mulan, ya’re going to have to be twice as good now to talk her into this crazy scheme. Ya know that, don’t ya?”

“I suppose I should be grateful you even think that Icanpersuade her,” Conn said with a laugh.

I smiled at his humility, but I would bet good money on his charm. This was why I needed to find a place where a witch, a demon, and a Wu Shaman could live together in relative harmony. However, talking about the purchase of an expensive house stressed me out more than I already was.

Thinking about this was going to have to wait until tomorrow.

“I’m going stargazing before Fiona can talk me into helping her make brownies. I don’t need to pack on more pounds. I need to meditate and keep calm about what we’re planning to do.”

ChapterNine

The sky was overcast so only the brightest stars were visible. Conn had found a wicker footrest in the garage, which I propped my feet on instead of pulling them into the chair with me. Conn sized himself to fit his environment, but it was my unchangeable short height that created the challenges in our household.

Buying furniture for a house full of humans with varied heights would get expensive. We might get lucky enough to get some furniture included in the deal, but people rarely let their outdoor furniture go with a sale.

I would need to look for new lawn furniture sized to fit Mulan and me. Even if she didn’t move in, I saw her being a frequent guest, though it wasn’t hard to see her and Conn as a couple. Nor was it hard to envision the three of us working together on Shadow Breakers tasks.

She would always have the hair shop to fall back on when we weren’t busy. Conn would continue to help Lilith. I’m not sure what I would do during down times.

Maybe I’d see if the Salem location of Shadow Breakers needed a trainer. I’d done that role before.

Instead of meditating, my mind raced through all the potential futures I might have. I almost didn’t see the guardian descending until he’d touched down. Then most of what I saw were his silvery white feathers glowing in the dark.

He nodded to acknowledge me just before his body underwent a violent conversion into a fully human form. It was so alarming to watch that I turned my head away until it was done. Given what I’d seen and done in my life, ya wouldn’t think I’d be so squeamish. Watching Rasmus change had set a new limit on my tolerance of gross things, but guardian shifting was still too much for me.

“I wish yer kind could learn to do that in a less disturbing manner. It’s like watching a man birth himself from the inside of a dead animal that—by the way—resembles his guardian body. No one wants to watch that. Even watching a horror movie, I close my eyes at the gory parts.”

The guardian chuckled as he walked around me. I made myself open my eyes, but it was hard. Rasmus in human form was always clean-cut and old-school handsome with a square jaw and a slight growth of beard that needed shaving. His long hair worn back in a ponytail was the only radical thing about him.

This new guardian had embraced a far more radical appearance. Strange tattooed symbols covered large areas of his arms and legs. They decorated a chest full of muscles that he seemed quite proud to show off to me and everyone. He wore an open vest instead of a shirt. His pants were adorned with horrible rips and tears, which made his pants look like they belonged to a homeless person.

The guardian’s appearance was saved by the fluffy blonde hair brushing his shoulders, his flawless tanned skin, and the most amazing turquoise eyes I’d ever seen. His human form looked like he hailed from California—not that I was an expert on Californians—but Salem got visitors from every state.

I blinked a lot while my eyes adjusted to simply looking at him. His somewhat derelict clothes were at odds with his glowing blond hair and wide smile. This strange guardian in human form shocked me into being wary in a way I’d never been with Rasmus. If this one hadn’t given me a white feather from his true form, I might have risen from my seat to challenge him as a threat. Instead, I swallowed that reaction and waved an invitation for him to sit in the chair next to mine.

The guardian laughed, and like Rasmus, his laugh was deep and musical. “My name is Orlin. I’m happy to finally speak to you.”

Realization of what that meant loosened my tongue. “Ya’re the guardian who visited Da, as well as the one who gave me the white feather.”

He nodded. “Yes, and I never meant to hurt you that way. Your power surprised me. Your shocked expression makes you look a lot like your father. He stared at me with that same look in his eyes.”

“A demon helped heal me after ya spoke to me.”

“Yes—Lillithia of the Fir Bolg. Her redemption honors the wisdom of the creators.”

I wasn’t surprised he knew who she was and that she’d helped me. I was only surprised by his visit and wondered why he’d come. The answer could be obvious, but guardians were often very guarded about their motivations.

“So... how’s Rasmus? I haven’t seen him for a while.”