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“No. I’ve earned my maturity the hard way. I’m not keen on giving it up.”

“Are you going to make me kill you too?”

“What kind of question is that to ask?” Rasmus demanded from above me.

She looked up at him. “What’s his name?”

“None-Of-Yer.”

“I don’t recall a guardian by that name.”

“Because it’snone of yer business,” I said.

She giggled at my joke and jabbed her finger through the air in front of me. “You have a smart mouth.”

When I noticed she was escalating, I reached into the pocket of my jumpsuit and rubbed the white feather there. Anytime I was around Rasmus, I made sure to carry it. “Do ya know a guardian named Orlin? I met him recently.”

Her smile fell away. “What do you know of him?”

“More than I ever wanted to learn, trust me. I wish he was here right now to tell ya what he shared with me.”

“Do not call him here,”she ordered loudly.

A wind ripped through the auditorium. Orlin and six other guardians flew into the large room and landed.

“He’s been keeping a close eye on me,” I said with a shrug.

Orlin’s guardian body split as he endured the change to human. I turned my head to avoid watching.

“What kind of freak show is happening now?” Rasmus demanded from beside me.

I felt him pull me against him. I closed my eyes tighter, put my face against his vest, and tried not to think about it happening to the body I currently leaned against. No matter how many times the guardians shifted in my presence, I was never going to get used to it.

Orlin waved a hand at Rasmus who instantly let me go, sat back down, and then slumped in his seat. He wasn’t frozen like the others. Instead, Rasmus had been put to sleep.

Orlin calmly turned his head to the woman. “Hello, Zara.”

She cocked one hip out in a sultry way as she studied him. “Hello, Orlin. Long time, no see. Since when do you hang out with humans?”

“Leave now while you can.”

My tongue got the better of me. “Ya can’t let her leave, Orlin. She’s killing innocent young women to be immortal and has been turning others into demon wolves. This guardian woman is one of the bad guys. I have to stop her.”

“You can’t stop her,” Orlin said firmly, staring me down. Finally, he looked at her again. “Leave, Zara. Aran is a child of the gods. If you harm her, the wrath of her ancestors will end you in a very unpleasant manner. Leave now before I have to do something I don’t want to do. If you continue down your current path, Aran will come after you. It’s in her nature. We won’t interfere.”

“Fine. I’m leaving,” Zara said as she glared at me. “Your understanding of your existence is pathetic. I’m not afraid of your paltry powers and I will retaliate if you get in my way. What I’m doing is for the greater good of all your people. Try using more than ten percent of your brain, witch, and you might figure out I’m being helpful.”

Orlin pointed at the crowd. “Give them a memory and free them before you go. They gave you their time and energy. You must return their devotion in kind. It is the law of the creators.”

Zara huffed but walked behind Orlin. She chanted words that created energy which separated and fell on each individual. They fell forward in their seats, dropping phones, purses, and whatever else was in their hands to the floor in front of them.

When Orlin turned to watch her, I looked behind me. Conn and Mulan were missing from their seats. At least that was one worry I didn’t have.

I turned back and waited. Zara stomped up onto the stage and gathered her things.

“Are ya seriously letting her go?” I asked.

Orlin nodded. “We have bigger problems. I told you not to tell Rasmus about his past. I can see some of the veils blocking his memories have fallen away. Now he’s in crisis.”