My Brother's Keeper

"Understood." Ryuu said and went into the kitchen.

Rheia stood. "I'll let Penny, Noah, Jaxon, and Mina know." She hurried out of the dining room.

Colton scowled. "Do you really think something so dangerous is necessary in the house?"

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't." Kendrick said casually as he eyed the pastries in the basket at the center of the table.

Darian slumped back in his chair. "First Keelan, then the Committee, now we're reduced to warding spells in our own home. What have our lives come to?"

Colton cut his roll in half and smeared a layer of thick jam on each side. "At least we have the perimeter. No matter who cast it, it's keeping those damn ferals out of the city."

Rheia came back in and sat down next to her mate. She eyed his gooey roll and shuddered. He had lathered it on so thick, it was almost as if he was eating jam with a bit of roll.

Ryuu reentered the room carrying a cup of steaming coffee. He placed it beside Kendrick and went to Meryn. "Denka, you have to eat something." The squire had a worried look on his face.

"Not hungry," Meryn muttered, her face still on the table.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Meryn. Anne wondered why that was so surprising.

Aiden turned in his chair and scooped Meryn into his lap. "What's wrong, baby? You've been eating three breakfasts lately; why aren't you hungry?"

Meryn didn't answer, she just turned her head into his chest. "I'm tired."

Aiden looked at Ryuu and Ryuu nodded. "Denka, how about a very small cup of coffee, with chocolate in it. Just like what Heika is drinking."

Meryn turned her head slowly to look up at her squire and nodded. "Please."

At first, Anne thought Meryn was just playing to get some coffee, but the worried expressions on the faces around the table told her that this was a severe deviation from Meryn's normal behavior.

In less time than it took him to make Kendrick's drink, Ryuu returned with a cup for Meryn. Anne thought that she would gulp down the sweet beverage, but when Meryn only took a single sip and set the cup down, she knew that this was serious.

Ryuu took Meryn's wrist between his fingers and closed his eyes. When they opened, he turned to Kendrick. "Heika, could you please?"

Kendrick stood immediately and hurried around the table. He eyed the blue tattoo and raised a brow at Ryuu, who shrugged. Turning his attention back to Meryn, he gently held her hand between both of his.

Anne found herself holding her breath as she waited to see what Kendrick would find. When his eyes popped open, she almost fell out of her chair. She was surprised at how quickly she had come to care for the odd woman.

Kendrick's astonished expression turned to Amelia and then back to Meryn. "Extraordinary."

"What?" Aiden growled.

Kendrick smiled. "Fate is a mischievous female. I am constantly amazed by her woven designs." He began to whisper, and when he was done, he placed Meryn's hand back in her lap.

She blinked and looked around the table. "I feel much better." Before anyone could tell her not to, she snatched up the mocha and began to down it's contents. When she was done, she exhaled loudly and set the cup back on the table. "That was fucking awesome!"

Kendrick watched Meryn, a bemused expression on his face. Beside him, Ryuu sighed. Kendrick clapped him on the back. "She deserved a little pick-me-up."

Meryn wiggled until Aiden set her back in her chair. "I think that coffee made me hungry." She turned and looked up at Ryuu. "Do we have any pancakes? And bacon? And hash browns?"

Ryuu's smile was indulgent. "That's what you requested for breakfast yesterday."

Meryn smiled. "Does that mean I can't have it again today?"

Ryuu shook his head. "You can have whatever you want. It's a good thing I froze the leftover pancakes yesterday." He bowed to Kendrick and headed into the kitchen.

Kendrick patted Meryn on the head as if she were a puppy and walked back to his chair.

"Wait a damn minute. What happened there?" Aiden demanded.

Kendrick sipped his coffee. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is what was wrong with my mate?" Aiden growled.

"I'm not quite sure, but I have an idea."

"An idea? Care to share?"

"No."

"No! What do you mean, no?" Aiden glared at Kendrick from across the table.

Anne had had enough. Kendrick didn't deserve any of this. She stood and slammed both hands down on the table. "That's enough!"

Aiden sat back his eyes wide. "I didn't mean to upset you, but I have to know what happened to my mate."

"Then you should ask politely like a normal person!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I've known Kendrick just as long as the rest of you. Magic abilities not withstanding, I know that he isn't the type of person who would withhold information to hurt someone. If he says he doesn't know, that means he needs to look into it further before he makes a diagnosis. If he announces it's one thing and it turns out to be another you'd blame him for that, too.

"I know I'm the new kid around here, but the unwarranted hostility you have shown him is obvious. For Keelan's sake, I'll only say this once: Stow your shit!" Anne was breathing heavily, and her emotions were spiraling out of control. She hated it that, every time she got upset about something, she cried. People always assumed it was because she was weak when, in truth, she was trying really hard not to kill people.