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“Ya might be the older sibling, Zara, but ya’re not the most serious one. Rasmus is far more serious than ya are. I’m sure that makes himseemolder. It’s also the fact that he’s male. I can say that because Conn has been like a brother to me, and he’s hundreds of years older.”

“Not that anyone can tell I’m old at all. I make sure they can’t,” Conn said with a smirk.

Zara chuckled as she rose. “Thank you for saying all that, Aran. I appreciate the moral support.”

I winked at her. “Don’t get me wrong, though, I do like your serious brother. I wouldn’t let Rasmus be a bad sibling. I’d fuss at him until he did right by ya.”

“I’m quite sure your fondness for my brother makes Rasmus much less serious than he would be in his normal state,” she said.

I smiled but didn’t reply. I think it was the nicest thing she’d ever said to me.

After everyone left for the night, I texted Henry. His people discreetly popped in and cleared our dinner remains with impressive speed.

I looked at Rasmus after they left. “Any chance ya could carry me to the library? My tired butt feels the need for a different chair. Ya can put me in the one that adjusts to my size.”

“I’ll do that so long as you let me return and carry you back.”

“That’s a good deal,” I said, grinning up at him.

The guardian lifted me from the bed and carried me out of the bedroom in his arms. It would have made any princess green with envy.

Henry arrived alone,carrying a tray with two mugs of his special hot chocolate. It was a decadence he plied me with often. If the demon laced it with some special magick that made me more accommodating, so be it.

Now that Conn had made me wary, I’d have to ask Henry about what was in it one day. But I’d nearly died this week. Thedrink was delicious and reminded me why being alive was such a wonderful thing.

I happily sipped as I smiled at Henry. “I’m guessing ya want to tell me about the guests ya have coming to stay.”

“Yes. The two of them are a clandestine couple. He’s a centuries-old warrior centaur who is having an affair with a diplomatic fairy sent to broker peace between his herd and another. They are hiding the recent turn in their relationship from both centaur herds. Discretion and privacy are their primary requirements.”

“Did ya tell them our wards were broken this week? Ben’s wife laid some down, but Conn said they weren’t strong enough to prevent attackers from getting through. Rasmus said he stopped the bowman and those who sent him, but his idea of solving a problem is very different than mine. Conn and I think aerial attackers are still a risk.”

“Yes, I did go over that with them. They have agreed to remain in their quarters and on the floor for the duration of their stay. The pool and spa will be finished by that point. As the only guests, they will have complete privacy. Their meals will be served in their suite.”

I nodded at the explanation. “I saw a centaur herd once. They were all growly and stabby with their magickal spears. I found them combative and unfriendly.”

Henry shrugged. “I strive not to judge my guests. It’s part of the allure of staying with us. The centaur agreed to stay in human form the entire time he was here. I informed him we would not clean horse waste out of the pool.”

I couldn’t see a fairy turning herself into a horse, so human sex was their only choice. Henry promised me his contracts carried ironclad clauses about guests being on their best and most modest sexual behavior.

“How long will they be here?” I asked.

“Three days and nights. They will depart on the fourth day.”

“Sounds good to me,” I said. There was a brief knock on the door, and then Rasmus entered. I finished my hot chocolate and set the cup on the table beside me. “By the time your guests leave, we’ll be back to normal.”

“Do you need help getting back to your room?” Henry asked.

“I arranged for a lift. Thanks for the hot chocolate, Henry. It was yummy.”

Rasmus grinned at Henry as he scooped me up into his arms. It nearly made me believe he had a sense of humor.

Henry inclined his head to my guardian and held the door open for us as we left.

Chapter Six

The next day, a quick text to Ben about going back to work got a return text asking if he could come to see us. I delayed his visit until the evening. Mulan and I had a task to do first.

We currently stood side-by-side, facing the long driveway from the house to the main road that passed by our location. Henry said new automatic gates were being fabricated and would arrive next week. Since I had no desire to be shot again, I felt the core of our protection couldn’t wait that long.