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We’d all have to stay secluded a bit longer, but it would be worth it. Some of us needed the rest.

I hid my face in Rasmus’s shirt and let myself laugh with relief.

“Can I have my talisman back?” Ben asked from behind my back.

I realized then that I still held it in my hand. Breaking free from Rasmus’s grasp, I proudly lifted it up to reveal its new golden coating.

“I can’t promise yer results won’t be as equally hard to deal with as the jiangshi’s.”

Ben sighed and looked at his wife. “Nephilim magick is like guardian magick, isn’t it?”

“They share the same origin. Nephilim is partly human and has evolved to serve their needs. Your results will be from whatever type Mulan’s ancestors practiced. We have no way to predict what will happen.”

He looked at his wife. “I love you, Felicity.”

“I know, Benjamin. Put the necklace on. Nothing terrible is going to happen. I read my stones before we came.”

Ben pulled the necklace over his head and let it fall beneath his shirt. “Ow... it stings,” he said, pulling the material away from it. He started to adjust the straps, but they came away in his hands. The pieces looked like someone had burned the talisman off them.

He clawed at his shirt until he ripped it off. I couldn’t believe Mulan was missing Ben’s sexy man chest showagain.

On his chest was the imprint of the talisman his wife made for him. It looked like a tattoo. I tilted my head, trying to make out what it was.

It looked different.

“It looks like a turtle,” Felicity said, putting her face as close to it as she could.

“Oh. Turtle power,” I said, raising my fist in the air. “That’s from Mulan. She can do some wicked things with turtle shells.”

Ben ran his thumb over it. “It stung when I put it on, but it doesn’t hurt now.”

“And it can’t be snatched off ya again,” I said. “They’ll have to cut it out of ya now if they want to get rid of it.”

“What do you think it means?” Ben asked.

I shrugged. “Get yer wife to take a picture. When Mulan wakes up, I’ll ask her and let ya know. Be careful going home, Ben. I’m going to find someplace to crash in this monster house of mine and sleep for the next two days.”

Felicity was trying to wrestle her husband back into his shirt to get him out the door. Everyone had disappeared, even Hart and Jessing.

Ben was still studying his new tattoo as they headed out of the front door. One of Henry’s people locked it behind them and waved to us.

“Conn is in Henry’s suite on the second floor. If ya carry Mulan there, she can sleep on the sofa, and we can sleep in our bed. She might be sick when she wakes up. Henry’s people can watch over her.”

“That’s a great idea. Will you carry her staff?”

“Because ya can’t manage both?” I asked.

“Physically, I can manage, but I try not to touch it.”

Rasmus was afraid of the shaman staff. Well, that was fascinating news.

“Why not?” I asked.

Rasmus blew out a breath. Goddess, we were still struggling to tell each other the truth.

“Spit it out,” I ordered.

“It doesn’t like me, but it seems to really like you.”

“Good goddess, it’s a sentient stick with turtle shells on it.” I nodded at his pained look. “Fine. Carry the Wu Shaman, and I’ll carry her scary tool.”

I laughed and danced with the staff all the way up the stairs and all the way back down.

When we got to our room, Rasmus picked me up and tossed me on our bed to make me stop laughing.

Goddess, I loved my crazy life.

— THE END —