My Guardian

Neil covered his mouth with his hands to cover up a giggle.

They're just so dang cute.

"Here we go, ladies and gentlemen. Fresh ground coffee, biscuits, gravy, bacon, eggs, and assorted pastries." Sebastian swept into the room and started setting large serving platters down. The twins gulped, taking in the spread. All Eva was looking for was the coffee.

"Where's the coffee?" she and Meryn asked at the same time. Meryn opened her eyes and nodded as if to acknowledge their shared pain.

Ryuu set a cup in front of Meryn as Sebastian did the same for her. After adding her cream and sugar, she took her first sip.

Meryn shivered. "I think it touched my soul."

Eva sat back in the chair, holding her mug to her chest. "I know mine did."

She and Meryn nursed their cups of coffee, while the twins started decimating the food platters. Eva thought that Sebastian would get upset, but he was grinning from ear to ear. "I have not had to cook for a young appetite in ages. You boys keep eating; I will make fresh for the girls here." Whistling, Sebastian headed back toward the kitchen.

By the time Eva was done with her coffee, Meryn's eyes were open, and she was staring at the twins. "They are like baby Keelans!"

Neil looked over at Meryn with a mouth full of food. "Ooo no, Keelan?"

Eva gave him a look. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

He chewed quickly and swallowed. "Yes ma'am." He looked back at Meryn. "Do you know Keelan Ashwood?"

Meryn's joy seemed to dim. "Yeah, I live with him at the Alpha estate."

"That's so cool!" Nigel said.

"Do you know his brother Kendrick?" Nigel asked, practically holding his breath.

Meryn nodded. "Yeah, we're like this." She held up crossed fingers. "He's staying at the Alpha estate; we watch Doctor Who together."

The twins looked at each other excitedly. "He watches Doctor Who?"

Eva looked from Meryn to the twins and back. "Who's Kendrick?"

"Keelan's brother," Meryn said.

"Only the coolest witch that has ever lived!" Nigel exclaimed.

"Yeah! We used to hang out around the archives when we were growing up just to catch a glimpse of him. He's so awesome," Neil sighed.

"When we could get our courage together, we'd go down and ask him questions so we could pass our warrior exam, though sometimes, he was in the middle of an experiment, and he'd threaten to disembowel us, but even that was cool," Nigel explained.

"He's really good peeps; he stuck up for me when the asshole committee members were trying to trash talk me in Lycaonia. He was like, 'I don't think so peasants' or something like that. And I was all like, 'Ha! Eat that!' and they had to just suck it up and take it. He was so badass," Meryn said, waving her hands about.

Nigel and Neil bobbed their heads up and down in agreement.

"Denka, what would you like for breakfast," Ryuu asked.

"Magic pudding," she promptly replied.

He inclined his head and then went to the kitchen.

"What's magic pudding?" Neil asked.

"Is it good?" Nigel wondered.

"It's the best pudding ever. It's the only thing that settles my stomach. After having a cup of coffee, I feel almost normal." Meryn looked around the room. Her eyes landed on the coffee carafe. She eased from her chair and tiptoed over to the sideboard. She poured herself a second cup and then snuck back over to the table. She added her cream and sugar and took a sip. "I've missed this."

Eva frowned. "Should you be drinking coffee, being pregnant and all?"

Meryn shrugged. "I feel better this morning than I have in weeks. I think the baby likes coffee, too."

"That remains to be seen," Ryuu said, walking in with a large bowl. He set it in front of Meryn and picked up her wrist with his thumb and forefinger.

"That's a lot of power," Neil said, shielding his eyes. Nigel had also turned away.

Ryuu looked at the twins and smiled. "Not many witches can perceive this type of magic. While I'm here, if you have any questions, you can come to me." He looked down at Meryn's wrist and a look of surprise appeared. "You're right denka; the coffee has actually helped your condition. Let's not overdo it though. Stick to two cups in the morning. If I don't see any detrimental affects to the baby, we can add another cup in the afternoon." He shook his head. "Your child would do better when exposed to coffee."

Meryn patted her belly. "That's my little Meryn two-point-oh!"

"Ah, sir, what should we call you?" Neil asked.

Ryuu placed a hand on his chest and bowed. "Forgive my manners, I was preoccupied by my denka's condition. My name is Sei Ryuu; you can call me Ryuu."

Nigel smiled shyly. "No one else besides Kendrick could see the magic we could."

Ryuu's eyebrows shot up. "You know Kendrick Ashwood?"

"Sort of. We just followed him around a lot when we were living in Storm Keep," Neil said, blushing.

"I'll speak with him later. I believe he is the best one to recommend learning materials for your type of magic. I'll arrange an assortment of books to be delivered later." Ryuu turned to Meryn. "Denka, while you are in your communications hub, I will be with Sebastian learning how to make your magic pudding."

"You're the bestest Ryuu!" Meryn threw her arm in the air.