Kendrick felt a small smile on his lips. "Well, he got the cave and books part right. I think that all older brothers seem powerful to younger brothers."
Rheia laughed. "I have five older brothers, and I always thought they could do anything."
"How did you explain moving to a town they could never visit?"
She shook her head. "My brothers are sort of adopted brothers. They are the Vanguard squadron that protects Jefferson."
Kendrick half closed his eyes and pulled out his mental file on Jefferson. "Radek Carson, bear, Marco Rodriguez, jaguar. Dax Vi'Eaereson, fae, Athan Durant, vampire and Levi Sorrel, witch."
Rheia's eyes widened. "You just did what Meryn does."
Kendrick didn't even try to hide his surprise. "What do you mean, exactly?" He had to be sure she meant what he thought she did.
Rheia pointed to his head. "You just pulled up some sort of mental file and read from it didn't you? Meryn can do that. She has what Aiden calls 'Meryn Moments' where she has to stop and allow things to process so she can store it correctly. If I hadn't done the physical on her myself, I would swear she was half computer."
Kendrick felt a spurt of hope flare. In all the centuries he had been alive, he'd never met anyone who thought like he did. That tiny, strange human could think like him? "She seemed a bit..." He didn't know how to describe her without being rude.
Rheia laughed. "Quirky, strange, immature, odd, manic? Take your pick. But the thing is, she's all that and brilliant. She sees things so much differently than we do that, honestly, it can be hard to keep up. We just let her do her own thing though; it would be a shame to force her to act normal, when she's so much more."
Her words triggered a memory of his mother. 'Kendrick why are you trying so hard to be ordinary when you are clearly extraordinary?' The society in which he was raised didn't tolerate deviations from the norm, so he had left home to learn on his own. Yet here, in this house, they not only accepted Meryn as she was, they encouraged and nurtured her differences.
"I can't wait to get to know her better."
Rheia hesitated, took a deep breath, and met his eyes. "She hasn't had it easy, so please be patient with her. I don't think she has accepted what has happened to Keelan; it's why she was going to try to reach him with the Ouija board and why she calls you Keelan-From-the-Future. She has only recently experienced what it feels like to have a family, she hasn't learned how to process losing someone."
Kendrick felt a rare moment of shame. He had judged Meryn in the same fashion others had judged him in the past. "I promise to be both kind and patient with her."
Rheia's relief was written across her face. "Thank you." She looked down at her watch. "I'll let you get ready for breakfast." She turned and walked out of the room.
Kendrick removed the leather pouch at his belt and laid it on the bed next to Keelan. Next, he removed his clothes and folded them into a neat pile. He waited a moment for the spelled garments to reset and then put them back on thinking of the clothes he wanted to wear for the day. Instead of worn travel clothes, he now had on a pair of perfectly broken-in jeans, an undershirt, a black button-down, a thin black hoodie, and a black blazer to go on over it. Black boots covered his feet, and as usual, his magic washed his hair, teeth and body for him. He reattached his pouch and headed out the door.
He followed his nose to track down the source of the amazing, rich aroma of freshly ground coffee. When he opened the dining room door, all conversation stopped.
"Keelan!" A child-like, female voice called out happily. Kendrick looked around the table and spotted the owner of the adorable, squeaky voice. Seated next to Rheia was one of the most adorable little girls he had ever seen--except for Amelia, of course.
Despite the lack of coffee, he found himself smiling gently at the child. "No, I'm afraid I'm not Keelan. My name is Kendrick, and Keelan is my little brother."
Her small face scrunched up in thought. "You make him better, like Momma?"
He nodded. "That's the plan."
She smiled brightly. "Good. Miss him."
"Me, too," he admitted before taking the open seat next to Amelia.
"That's Keelan's seat," Meryn grumbled.
Kendrick found that he actually liked the way she frowned at him. She didn't fear him one bit and didn't hesitate to let him know that he was sitting in Keelan's chair. Her honesty was actually refreshing.
"Why are you smiling?" she demanded.
"Was I smiling?"
"Yeah, it was kinda creepy."
"Meryn!" Amelia admonished.
"What? It was."
Amelia turned to him. "Yes, that is Keelan's chair, but I don't think he'd mind you sitting there. And yes you were smiling, but it wasn't creepy."
Kendrick ruffled her hair the way he always had when she was a child. She ducked from under his hand and narrowed her eyes at him. She hadn't liked it when she was a child, either, but it didn't stop him then, and it wouldn't stop him now.
Amelia was a born peacekeeper. Her empathy made her painfully aware of the feelings of those around her. She was happiest when those around her were happy, and she hated conflict and confrontation.
"You know I hate that." She swatted at his hand.
"Yes, I know," he admitted.
"Then why do you keep doing it?"
"Why would I stop simply because I know it annoys you?"
"Gods, that sounds like a Meryn question," Colton groaned.
Kendrick eyed the man. "Why did you make it sound as if being like Meryn was a problem?"
"Yeah Colton, why is being like me a problem?" Meryn challenged before throwing a roll at him.
He held up his hands in defense. "Sorry! I didn't mean to make it sound like an insult. Amelia acts like Meryn sometimes, but she doesn't really think like Meryn. Kendrick just processed the conversation like Meryn. I wasn't trying to be mean; I was just surprised."
Amelia clapped her hands together and smiled at everyone. "I know, let's do introductions."
"Amelia, I love you like a sister, but if you continue to act so damn chipper, I'll throat punch you," Meryn threatened.
Amelia stuck her tongue out at Meryn. "As if you could reach my throat."
"You're not that much taller than I am," Meryn protested loudly. Around the table, everyone laughed.
"Little peacemaker," he said softly, and Amelia blushed. "No need for introductions for everyone," he continued in a normal tone of voice, looking around the table. He let his mind bring forward his information on the Alpha Unit. "Unit Commander Aiden McKenzie, bear shifter. Born to Elder Byron and Adelaide McKenzie. Two older brothers, Adam and Adair, and one younger brother, Benjamin. Best friend, Colton Albright, wolf shifter, third in command in the Alpha Unit. Born to Robert and Alice Albright, no siblings. Gavriel Ambrosios, vampire, second in command in the Alpha Unit, parents, unknown. Age, unknown. Finally, Darian Vi'Alina, fae warrior in the Alpha Unit, recently mated to my godsdaughter, Amelia. I have met Rheia and spoken to her. I saw Meryn briefly last night; she left an impression. The others I haven't been introduced to yet."
Meryn's eyes were wide as she stared at him. In that instant, he knew she recognized herself in him. He winked at her, and her eyes widened even more, and her face broke out into an infectious grin. He would definitely have to keep an eye on this one.
"You seem to know quite a bit about us," Aiden commented dryly before taking a huge bite of his pancakes.
"Did you think I wouldn't? You serve with my brother; of course, I would investigate you all thoroughly." Kendrick looked down at his empty coffee cup then around the room for the coffee carafe. He was about to get up in search of one when he received the second surprise of his morning. A familiar Japanese man walked in through a set of double doors. He placed a plate of food in front of him seconds before setting down a cup of dark brown liquid next to it. Kendrick stared in wonder; the plate was a traditional Japanese breakfast. He hadn't had one like this in centuries.
He stood, and ignoring custom, pulled the man into his arms. "Sei! What on earth are you doing here? When did you leave Japan?" He pounded his back before pulling away.
Sei smiled and inclined his head. "Heika. After what happened to Keelan, I knew it wouldn't be long until you arrived. You were so intent on getting to your brother's side, you didn't even see me last night."
Kendrick shook his head. Was Fate rewarding him for keeping Caiden away by putting the only other man in the world he trusted at his side? "I never thought I'd see you again. What happened? Why are you here?"
Sei steered him back into his chair. "My old Master is gone, and I was banished by his family. I drifted for a long time before I found myself here in Lycaonia." Sei walked around the table until he was standing behind Meryn. "Fate brought me to this little one, and I serve her now. She calls me Ryuu."
Kendrick stared and couldn't stop the laughter if he tried. "Ryuu? How'd that happen?"
Sei turned his head but not before he caught the tinge of pink. "A simple mistake on my part. Denka was the first one to call me Ryuu, and I find that I prefer it."
Kendrick shook his head as he smiled. He knew he must look out of his mind to those around the table but didn't care. He had his oldest friend back, exactly when he needed him the most. "Then that's what I'll call you as well. Damn if it isn't good to see you! If only Keelan--" Kendrick stopped himself. Reality slapped him in the face. "Look at me, laughing, when my own brother is upstairs practically dead." He buried his face in his hands, elbows on the table.