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The trip back into my own body was short and brutal, made worse by my rebellion against the return. When I came out of my scrying, I was on the ground and gasping for air.

Rasmus Version 3 stooped and bent over me. His concern made his face look older. Conn was on the other side staring down at me from his full height. I reached out a hand and let Rasmus pull me to my feet.

Conn looked me over once I was upright. “You certainly look in better shape than last time you scryed for someone.”

“I found one of our missing women. She isn’t dead, but she’s also not Lina Malcom anymore. A strange spell caster turned her into a wolf with horns.”

Conn made a sound in his throat. “So there was some truth to the rumors after all. The women are being turned into wolves.”

“Not werewolves, though. The creature I saw Lina change into had red eyes and horns. Lina’s a demon wolf now.”

I took a step and felt woozy. “Scrying is more revealing than it used to be, but it takes a higher toll on my magick. Instead of flashes, I get treated to movies. I don’t know how I feel about the trade-off, but it is what it is.”

I took a couple more steps and nearly fell. Conn reached out, but another pair of arms swept me up before Conn could.

“Wait,” I commanded and Rasmus stopped. “Turn me so I can see Conn.”

Rasmus spun with me still in his arms. His strength was just as I remembered. His concern for me was just as great. But being in his arms only reminded me of when he’d held me before.

I cursed Orlin for my feelings of loss. And I cursed him for dropping the new Rasmus into my life without warning me how extensive the changes were.

“Who’s Orlin?” Rasmus asked.

I blinked as I looked into his eyes. I guess I’d cursed loud enough to be heard. Was the Rasmus I knew still inside this stranger who carried me? How much power did the guardians have that they could make a person start their life over to this degree? Did they do that to other people?

The guardians had done worse to Rasmus than Jack had. It pained me to admit it, but nothing a human could do to another human was at this level of genetic meddling.

“Did the Orlin guy hurt you?” Rasmus asked in a near whisper.

I blew out a breath and patted his youthful jaw. “No. Orlin claims to be my grandfather, but we’re not on speaking terms at the moment.”

I looked away from Rasmus and over at Conn. “Bring the locket with you but leave the rest. I need to cleanse it all before I pack it up. Once I’ve had some tea, I’m sure I’ll be fine. I don’t feel weak or hurt like before.”

Conn grabbed up the locket and followed us.

We trooped into the house and to the kitchen. My tea mug was still sitting on the table where I left it. Rasmus deposited me in a chair and set about making fresh tea. He rinsed my cup, his, and Conn’s. It was a very domestic scene and cracked the walls I’d been so busy building against him.

Conn handed me the locket, but I didn’t put it on. I was afraid now of what I might see about Lina’s life as a demon wolf. Goddess only knew what would happen if I put some of Lina’s hair inside it. The possibilities made me shiver. Was it the locket or was my power stronger? Either way I’d have to be more careful with it.

I pecked the table with my fingers as I pondered how strong my concern was for Lina Malcolm’s future. No one deserved to be turned into another creature against their will. No one deserved to be turned into something they were not. But what could I do about the demon wolves? The perfect example of how fate could ruin someone’s plans was Version 3 of the guardian I’d saved being in my kitchen drinking tea. I launched into a deeper explanation to distract myself.

“Whoever the spell caster in my vision was, she used the blood Lina and another woman stole from the werewolves for her ritual. I think it provided the animal form, but I don’t know where the horns came from. They had demon horns and red eyes, Conn.”

Conn took a seat and stared at me. “Maybe she combined her werewolf mixture with demon blood. That’s what the military scientists did. They made true abominations because the gods did purposeful things to keep our species from breeding with each other.”

I leaned over the table. “At first, I thought she was a demoness, but she chanted in a language I’ve never heard to invoke the change in Lina. I thought I’d heard every language of magick at least once. This was different.”

A perfect cup of tea with a teaspoon across the top slid in front of me. I looked up at Rasmus. “Why are ya being so kind to me?”

Rasmus’s mouth lifted at the corners, but he didn’t smile. “Would you rather I wasunkindto you?”

I stared at him. “It wasn’t a rhetorical question about human behavior. If ya’re hoping I’ll train ya, that’s a done deal, Rasmus. I need the extra money, and I verbally promised Ben that I would take on that work. If ya’re the first student I have to train then I’ll consider it my fate to do so. I won’t let the strange reaction I have to ya stop me.”

Rasmus leaned against the kitchen counter and stared. “I do want you to train me. What about renting me a room, though? Colonel Benson’s wife wasn’t keen on him taking the new job. Having me there in her home after hours isn’t helping their strained situation. I can’t afford a place of my own, but finding a roommate I won’t have to lie to is a challenge. It was kind of Colonel Benson to offer me a room up to now, but it’s time for me to find a better situation.”

I held up my hand. “Stop. Ya can sleep in the garage. We don’t park my old car in the garage anyway. Conn may be getting a roommate soon, but she’ll be sharing his bedroom with him—or so we hope. The garage should be all yers for a year.”

“Mulan and I definitely will be sharing my bedroom,” Conn said.