"Kick ass!" Meryn giggled. "You'll get along great with Eva."
"Is she the one with the perfect roundhouse kick?" Kari asked.
"Yup. She's awesome."
"Did you get an update about Declan?" Neil asked.
Kari shook her head. "I want to head there after checking in with Prince Magnus. So far I have not received any updates about his condition."
Nigel ground his teeth together. "Declan is a great guy. We love playing pranks on him, but only because he treats us like bratty younger brothers. I can't believe that jerk tried to gut him."
"From what I was told, he was actually aiming for a wolf, but trust me, that does not justify what happened," Kari shared.
Meryn opened her mouth to speak when a ringing noise started. Everyone looked around at each other before checking their phones.
"Denka, I believe the computer is ringing," Ryuu said, pointing at the computer in the middle of the room.
Meryn hurried over and opened the flashing program. "It's my minions!"
"I'm afraid to ask." Kari winked at Avery.
Seconds later, two handsome men were waving at Meryn on the screen.
"About time you got up and running! We've been waiting to Skype with you for days," the blond complained.
"Someone has been going stir crazy," the dark haired one jerked his head toward his friend.
"I miss you guys so much. I never liked people before finding Aiden, so this is new for me." Meryn rubbed her breastbone.
"We miss you too, you nut. Everything is so quiet around here," the dark haired one complained.
"You have company?" the blond asked.
Meryn huffed. "Okay, introductions again." She waved to the screen. "Everyone, the pretty one is Noah Caraway, the dashing one next to him is Jaxon Darrow. They are my minions. I am training them in my Jedi computer ways." She turned and pointed behind her. "Guys, the red headed twins are Nigel and Neil Morninglory; they are unit warriors here. The adorable one with the big expressive eyes is Avery Therian, and the woman behind him is his sister, Kari Delaney. She just found out that her mate is Declan, the cool lion shifter I texted you about."
Kari waved at the two 'minions' as everyone said hello. She noticed that Noah looked a bit sadder than when they first connected.
"So what world domination plans have you created since you left?" Jaxon asked.
"Well, I completely set up the wireless and cellular network for the city, and today, we started working with flying drones. I hope to use them as weapons and as our eyes in the sky to help the warriors," Meryn babbled.
The twins cracked up. "That's the responsible answer; the truth is she wanted internet to play Farmville and watch Netflix. The drones are part of a plan to send a diarrhea spell to the detention cell to get back at the guy that nearly gutted Declan," Neil explained.
Jaxon's eyes widened, and a low growl was heard. "I thought you were supposed to be safe there. How did Declan end up gutted?"
Everyone turned to Kari, and she spread her hands. "I only have the barest of facts. He was acting as a mediator on Level Six between a Founding Family vampire and a wolf shifter. They were fighting over a woman, and Declan stepped between them." Kari didn't know how much information had been released, so she decided to err on the side of caution when it came to revealing facts.
"Exactly why that fucker needs to pay," Meryn said vehemently.
"Yeah," the twins agreed together.
Noah began to look more uneasy. Meryn frowned. "Noah, are you constipated? You look like something is bothering you."
Jaxon groaned and buried his face in his hands.
Noah's mouth opened and closed like a guppy. He finally shook his head and looked down.
"Not the right thing to say?" Meryn asked, looking around.
Avery shook his head and Kari shrugged. She had no idea why the young blond was upset.
"Noah, you know that denka is at a disadvantage not being in the same room as you; she can't sense how you are feeling. I'm afraid you will have to be very direct with your concern," Ryuu advised, smiling gently.
"Concern?" Meryn's head whipped back around to the screen. "What's wrong?"
"Are you replacing us?" Noah blurted, the color draining from his face.
"Huh? No. Why?" Meryn sputtered.
Kari looked from the twins to the two men on the screen. "Ah."
Ryuu looked at her and nodded.
"What!?" Meryn demanded.
Avery took pity on her. "Noah is worried now that you have Nigel and Neil, you won't need them anymore."
"That's ridiculous. Noah and Jaxon are my minions. I found them; they're mine. Nigel and Neil are my Baby Keelans..." Meryn paused. "Oh. I can see how that can be confusing. But I feel the same about all four of you."
"How?" Noah asked, biting his lower lip.
"Hmm. Not like Aiden, because we don't have sex."
"Thank the gods," Noah whispered.
"Not like Ryuu, because y'all don't feed me..." Meryn scratched her head, looking truly confused.
"Denka, do you care about them?" Ryuu asked.
"Yes, of course."
"Worry about them?"
"Yes."
"Want them to be happy?"
"Duh."
"Then what type of family member do you care about, worry over, want to be happy, that are usually close in age and male?" Ryuu prompted.
Meryn frowned. Kari could imagine the wheels turning a mile a minute in her brain. Finally, Meryn's face lit up. "They are like male versions of Beth and Amelia. That would make them my brothers!" Meryn announced happily. Her eyes narrowed, and she grinned. "I have brothers now; brothers are cool."
Kari took in the four men's faces and smiled. She could see how Meryn's words affected them.
Noah dissolving into tears broke the silence. Jaxon rubbed his back gently, his own eyes shining brightly. Nigel and Neil were clutching each other's hands so hard Kari was afraid they were going to snap off each other's fingers.
"Now how did I break them?" Meryn groaned. She laid her head on her crossed forearms on the table. Avery rubbed her back. "I don't think they are broken, Meryn. I think they are just fine," he whispered.
"We are. We are. We are. We are!" Noah sobbed.
Meryn lifted her head, looking angry. "You stop that! No crying, Noah, I can't help you from here!" Meryn twisted her hands together anxiously.
A sniff then a giggle escaped Noah. "Like you would know what to do even if you were here."
Meryn's face relaxed at his laughter. "Probably not."
"Meryn, I understand Noah and Jaxon, you've known them longer, but you've only just met us." Nigel pointed between him and his brother.
"So?"
"We just met."
"Yes, you said that."
"How can you possibly love us enough to call us brothers?" Neil asked. His eyes were hopeful but leery. As if he was afraid to believe that Meryn could possibly care for them that much.
Kari understood his concern, but knew exactly where Meryn was coming from. She knew the moment she laid eyes on Avery that he was going to be someone special to her. She was willing to bet that Meryn had known that the four men were important to her the moment she met them as well.
"Do I or do I not have this empathy, feeling thing?" Meryn demanded.
They both nodded.
"I just know." She looked them both in the eye. "I know what it's like to have no one. No one to share things with or to care if you eat Hot Pockets for a month straight." All four men shuddered. "So, when I see someone as amazing as the two of you, who stuck up for me and see the fun in the dreariest situations, I want to give you what I didn't have." She shrugged. "No one should be all alone, not ever." Her last few words were pain filled whispers, but everyone heard them clearly.
"I accept!" Noah blurted out, startling everyone.
Jaxon swallowed hard. "I do too. Gods only know what the four of us would do without you around." He looked at the twins. "It would
be four right?" The question hung in the air.
"Of course!" Nigel practically shouted.
"Try to send us away! We're like two bad pennies, we'll always turn up," Neil said, wiping his eyes.
"So my minions and my Baby Keelans are my brothers; that's awesome!" She pursed her lips. "Should we get tattoos?"
"That would be totally badass," Noah nodded.
Noah's eyes widened. "Won't that hurt?" Nigel exchanged worried looks with Noah. Jaxon and Neil shrugged.
Meryn tilted her head and then looked back at Kari. "What do brothers do? Beth is my Yoda and keeps me from making too many political blunders, and Amelia hugs me a lot. What do I do with them?"
Kari blinked. "Did none of your friends growing up have brothers?"
Meryn shook her head. "I never had any friends."
Kari's heart turned over. "Well..." She glanced at Avery. "Brothers are there for you when no one else is. They are always on your side, even if you are wrong, and they bring you the best snacks when you are upset."
Avery giggled. "I don't think I should be used as a universal template for brothers, Kari."
Kari sniffed. "Why not? You are perfect."
Avery rolled his eyes and turned to Meryn. "What about just continuing on doing what you have been doing?"
Meryn shook her head. "No, because that is minion and Baby Keelan stuff. We need to do brother stuff now."
Jaxon chuckled while Noah and the twins exchanged looks. Finally, Neil spoke up. "Actually Meryn, your minion and Baby Keelan stuff is brother stuff, you just didn't know what to call it at the time."
Jaxon nodded. "He's right. Playing Xbox, designing tech toys, implementing world domination plans, and binge watching shows on Netflix while eating junk food are practically essential brother-like activities."
Neil turned to the screen. "What shows are you watching?"
Noah practically began bouncing in his seat. "Well, ever since Netflix dropped Doctor Who, we've been watching Supernatural."
"What?" Meryn whispered.
"We're three seasons behind. Our cable was spotty before Meryn arrived," Neil said.
"What?" Meryn gasped low.
Kari became concerned when Ryuu hurried over to his charge's side and began rubbing her back. "It will be okay, denka."
"Oh shit! She didn't know," Jaxon hissed.
"All is lost!" Meryn wailed loudly, throwing her hands in the air.
Neil turned to Jaxon and Noah. "What do we do?"
Noah's eyes were wide as he shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. This is major! Find her some chocolate, coffee, Cheetos, anything!"
Avery looked back at Kari, worry on his face. "Kari, help her."
Kari walked over and unclipped the walkie-talkie from Meryn's geek bag. "Hmm hello?"
"This is Adriel. Kari, is that you? Is everything well?"
Kari took in Meryn's epic breakdown. "Not really. Meryn just found out Netflix dropped Doctor Who."
After a second of silence, Bethy's voice came across the walkie-talkie. "Oh my gods! Kari, can you please get her back to my uncle's quarters? I'll meet you there. I'll have Sebastian whip up some Magic Pudding for her. I think I have some Classic Who on DVDs in storage. We'll get her settled, and I'll look for them."
"The world is a darker place. How could this happen! It's a conspiracy! Evil has taken root in the world!" Meryn ranted.
"Right. I will get her there." Kari lowered the walkie-talkie. "Avery, Ryuu get Meryn back to Magnus' quarters. Neil, Nigel, go find Bethy and help her go through storage. She is pregnant, and some of those boxes may be heavy." She looked at Noah and Jaxon. "You two find out if Doctor Who is available through any other online streaming source, if not, get Aiden's credit card and buy every season they have available on iTunes." She placed her hands on her hips. They just stared at her. "Today, gentlemen!"
At once, the six men began to move. Ryuu inclined his head. "You have my thanks."
Noah and Jaxon disconnected from Skype as they got to work. Nigel and Neil left at a run to help Bethy, and Avery and Ryuu were gently coaxing Meryn back to Magnus'.
Kari walked behind them, smiling at the way Avery soothed his new friend. He was the sweetest soul she had ever met. The second he'd connected with Meryn made her family as far as Kari was concerned, so she was willing to do whatever it took to make the crazy human happy, if only to keep Avery smiling.
Bethy met them at the door. An anxious looking man peered out from behind her.
"You poor thing! You're having a rough week aren't you?" Bethy said in a sympathetic voice.
Meryn stopped in her tracks and looked at her adopted sister. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and Bethy's eyes widened. Before anyone knew what was happening, Meryn went into a full blown nuclear meltdown.
Bethy was immediately at her side, wrapping her arms around her. "Shsssh, honey, it's okay."
Meryn just shook her head. "It's dark! And I hate it here! Now I can't watch Doctor Who and that was my escape! I miss Noah and Jaxon and Penny and Amelia, even though she hugs me!" Meryn's barely coherent wailing echoed through the stone halls. A tiny light began to buzz around her head. Ryuu stood close to Meryn's side, his hand on her wrist. A faint blue light glowed from his circled fingers.
Bethy sniffled as her eyes began to tear up. "I know; I miss home too."
Kari watched in disbelief as Bethy began to break down right along side Meryn. Avery wrung his hands as he bounced from foot to foot, panicked.
Kari walked to the doorway. "Your name?"
The man blinked. "My name is Sebastian, I am the Rioux squire."
"Good. Let us get these two somewhere warm and comfortable. Where would be the best place?"
He tore his eyes away from the upset women. "Meryn has been using the guest quarters' media room to relax in. I will take them there and turn on the fireplace."
"Fireplace?" Kari asked.
"Ventless gas fireplace. Does wonders to knock off the chill when it gets cold." Sebastian was about to step toward his two charges when Gavriel appeared behind him.
He took one look at the two women, and his eyes turned red, and his body began to expand. "If another one of these idiotic, parasitic, sycophant vampires have upset them, I will rip them apart limb by limb."
Avery turned and winced. "Meryn found out Netflix dropped Doctor Who, and Bethy started crying when Meryn did."
Gavriel took a deep breath and slowly began to relax down to his original size, though his eyes remained red. He walked over and pulled both women to his body. Bethy and Meryn buried their faces in his chest."
"Hush now zain'ka moya, solnyshko moya, I have you now. Let us go warm up and partake of Sebastian's Magic Pudding; things are not as dark as they may seem." Gavriel gently kissed both women on the top of their heads and steered them inside, Ryuu close behind them. Avery walked over to stand with Kari; they looked at each other, unsure if they should follow.
Sebastian reappeared at the door, smiling. "Please come in. I have put on a fresh pot of tea, I am sure that the two of you could use a cup."
Avery nodded, but Kari shook her head. She gently pushed Avery out in front of her, handing him the walkie-talkie. "Take care of your new friends. I still have work to do in Magnus' office, plus I would like to actually speak with my mate sometime today without him being drugged to the gills."
Avery took a step, then spun on his heel and threw himself at her. She hugged him tight. "Love you, Kari," he whispered.
"Love you too, kiddo. Go relax and help those two smile again, yeah?"
Avery pulled back. "Right!"
Kari met Sebastian's eyes. He winked then nodded. Feeling better now that the squire was watching out for her brother, she began to retrace her steps, heading back to the office where she would be spending most of her time.
*****
Kari opened the door to Magnus' office; both men looked absolutely exhausted. When they started to rise, she waved them back into their seats. "So I take it from your
expressions that the phone call with Rex Lionhart went well?" Kari stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.
Aiden groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. "He handled it about as well as I would have if it had been my younger brother hurt."
Magnus nodded. "I cannot imagine receiving a phone call like that about Caspian."
Kari cocked her head to one side. "Is your walkie-talkie turned off," she asked Aiden.
Aiden's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Kari took a deep breath. "Meryn had..." she paused, unsure how to explain what happened. "An episode earlier. She found out that Doctor Who is no longer on Netflix and didn't handle it well." Kari watched as every ounce of color drained from Aiden's face.
He stood suddenly. "I have to go to her." His eyes darted around the room. "I need Bart! Bart would know what to do."
"Who is Bart?" Magnus asked.
"He is an old human that runs the store near Lycaonia. He is an expert in all things female."
Magnus smiled. "He sounds like an extraordinary human."
Aiden stepped from around the desk and headed toward the door. He stopped then turned to Magnus. "Is there a place to buy chocolate here?" he asked.
Magnus nodded, pointing a finger up to the ceiling. "Level Six, look for Pierre. He deals strictly with imported chocolate."
Aiden exhaled in relief as the air whooshed from his lungs. "Chocolate fixes everything," he said seriously and then opened the door and left.
"I truly think he believes that," Kari said, more to herself than anything. Magnus chuckled. "Chocolate will help a man like that go a long way," he joked.
"Magnus, I hate to ask, but is there any way that I could visit Declan?" Kari did not want to give the impression that she did not want her new position, but everything in her had been fighting to go see Declan from the moment she had left his side. Surely, by now, he had to be out of surgery.
Magnus stood. "Of course, you are not a prisoner here. In fact, if you can wait a moment, I would like you to come with me to greet Rex when he arrives. The three of us can visit Declan together."
Kari let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "That would be wonderful."
Magnus walked over to her and placed a hand on either shoulder. "Kari, I know that a lot has been thrown at you today, and you have handled it beautifully. Whatever you need, do not be afraid to ask. I know exactly how large a gift you are from Fate, not only to Declan, but to me as well. I believe that you are desperately needed in the city, especially now."