He shook his head. "Thanks to a sprite named Felix. He made himself known to Darian and told us what happened."
Felix appeared hovering close to her head. She lifted her hair and he dove under for cover. Darian stared in amazement.
"When were you going to tell us you had a sprite?" He asked.
Meryn shrugged. "It's been a long day."
Gavriel and Colton walked over to what was left of the body of the attacker. It was still barely visible except for the faint glow.
"Keelan is this a spell?" Gavriel asked.
Keelan shook his head. "None that I have ever seen."
"It is a shikigami, a servant of mine. It made the assailant visible." Ryuu sat up and rubbed the back of his head. He rolled to his knees before placing both hands on the floor in front of him and bowing low, touching his forehead to his fingers.
"Denka, I failed to keep you safe. Though it will cost me my life, you are free to sever the bond that ties us and proffer for a new squire."
"Oh Ryuu, get up, please. Your, whatever it was, made this guy visible so I could shoot him and Aiden could fight him. It's not your fault he attacked you from behind." Meryn couldn't stand to see such a proud man on his knees.
Ryuu stood and bowed fully at the waist. "I swear this won't happen again." He vowed.
"I'll forgive you even if it does. What's a shikigami?" She asked.
"They are trained spirits I have summoned." He explained. Meryn was impressed.
"They came in handy tonight. Could you make us some tea? I know I'll need a cup to calm down."
He bowed low again and immediately left for the kitchen.
"Good man there." Darian observed.
"He's the best." Meryn looked down at her would-be attacker.
"What's around his neck?"
The men looked down. Aiden set her down and walked over. "What do you see?"
Meryn pointed to the tiny sphere hanging from a cord around the dead man's neck.
"Meryn I don't see anything." Aiden turned to her in confusion.
"It's right there!" She pointed again. This time Adelaide and Byron came over to look.
"Meryn I don't see anything either." Byron told her.
Meryn walked over to the body and she was about to lean forward when Aiden grabbed her arm. She let out a screech and swatted at his hand.
"Don't do that! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? You don't just grab someone's arm when they are about to bend over a dead body!" Meryn clutched at her chest trying to slow her breathing.
"I don't want you near him."
"Aiden, his brains are on the foyer floor, I'm pretty sure that is a universally accepted indicator that a person is dead."
"Fine, but be careful." He groused.
She knelt down and pulled on the cord until it snapped. Once the necklace was no longer around the body's neck it became completely visible and the faint green glow disappeared.
She held it out. "An invisibility spell?"
Keelan shook his head. "Not like any I have ever seen."
Meryn stood when the foulest odor she and ever smelled hit her in the face.
Gagging she turned her head. "What in the hell is that smell?"
"That is what a feral normally smells like. Normally it's what makes tracking them easy. It's a by-product of losing your soul. You begin to rot from the inside out, it's a bit unpleasant." Aiden explained.
"Unpleasant? My eyes are watering, it smells like Cheetos. Cheetos and hot ass!" Meryn covered her nose with her hand. "Agggh! It's so strong I can taste it!" Meryn wiped her tongue on her sleeve.
Colton stared at her like she was a genius. "How come we never described it like that? It's perfect! Cheetos and hot ass, wait until Sascha hears this one."
"Oh Colton." Adelaide sighed. Meryn noticed was now standing on the front porch.
"I hate it when the enemy discovers something new." Darian grumbled.
"Let me see it baby." Aiden held out his hand. When she went to hand it to him she accidentally dropped it and it smashed on the foyer floor. Meryn turned to Aiden "I'm so sorry it ..." She stopped mid-sentence when two small golden orbs floated upward through the ceiling.
Meryn watched them drift away. She turned to Aiden. "It's over right?"
Aiden pulled her close. "Unfortunately baby, I think it's just starting."
*****
"Are you sure you'll be okay living with the guys?" Aiden asked for the thousandth time.
"Yes. We need to be together and you need to be here. So that means I need to be here." They were just finishing up moving her in from the main house.
"How did you get my mother to agree to it?" Aiden asked.
"I told her that her chances of becoming a grandmother would go up if we were sleeping together on a regular basis." She laughed at the lecherous look Aiden gave her.