She looked at the guys in the room. "Okay, what's the catch?"
The exchanged confused expressions. "What do you mean?" Ramsey asked.
She pointed first to Aeson then to Ramsey. "You guys are just too perfect. Last night, you did everything you could to welcome me for Ari's sake." She raised a brow. "And don't think I didn't notice how you spoil him and the Tau unit." Ramsey winced, and she continued. "Creating name tags was freaking adorable, and you're all so domestic, my ovaries are spiraling in shame, so what gives?"
Aeson laughed at her last statement then went back to his frying pan. "Unlike the other pillar cities, until very recently, the units of Éire Danu really didn't have much to do. Patrols were pointless in a city that had no borders. It's true that we still trained and did drills, but there was no urgency behind it."
Ramsey set down the cream pitcher by the coffee bar. "Éire Danu is known amongst the warriors as the transition city. We are a pretty evenly split between older warriors about to enter inactive status or turn Vanguard and recently promoted warriors. It makes for a very nurturing environment where we, the younger warriors are treated like baby brothers, and our estate has a less military vibe."
Matthieu smiled. "As for Ari, well, he is the baby. He is the youngest here by alm
ost a hundred years. He was born and raised right here in Éire Danu, so we all watched him grow up. It is hard not to spoil him, and by extension, the nearly as young Tau unit."
"I never even noticed," Ari said, stepping into the room. He went to her, tilting her head back for a kiss. "I woke up molesting a pillow. Your work?"
She giggled. "You looked like a cat kneading his blanket."
He leered down at her. "I'll knead something later," he promised.
"Later?"
"Later. I had a few texts waiting for me on my phone this morning. Tau and Chi have been summoned to the palace. Tyrien Ri'Aileanach has declared a case of No Confidence in the way the murders are being handled."
Aeson whistled low. "From what I heard, that goes directly against the queen's decree to allow Brie to handle things."
Ari nodded. "It's the first time in Éire Danu's history that a case has been filed countering the ruling king or queen directly." He went to the coffee bar then opened the cabinet above the urns pulling out six travel mugs. "Thank the gods Rex is home. He was at the palace at the crack of dawn, scraping Brennus off the ceiling. Brennus wanted to challenge the pissant directly."
Leon walked in and went right to the fridge. He pulled out a small container of yogurt and an apple. "I would pay a hefty sum to watch that."
Aeson turned to Ramsey. "Go flip Carson's mattress. If we start now, he might be fully awake by the time he reaches the palace."
Ramsey nodded, then jogged out of the room. A few moments later, a loud thud followed by shouts were heard. She turned to Ari, who held up a finger. "Wait for it."
Seconds later a resounding boom shook the walls of the villa. "What on earth?" she asked, as the vibrations in the floor drifted away.
"Carson's a fire witch. I wonder if Ramsey avoided the fireball this time?" Ari poured coffee into one of the travel mugs then began to doctor it.
She heard footsteps on the stairs before Ramsey flew into the room. "I always forget he can do that!" The hair on one side of his head looked a bit singed.
Aeson smiled and slid her eggs on to a plate. "Which is exactly why I keep asking you to wake him."
Gage and Priest were the next to walk in, Kincaid behind them. Gage held up his phone. "Did you see this?" he asked Ari.
Ari nodded, then pointed down to the travel cups. "Grab your coffee."
Brie picked up her fork and began to inhale her eggs. She loved her morning coffee, but she needed fuel to face the day. Ari looked at her plate longingly, and she held up a fork. He leaned down and took a bite. "Thank you." He took her cup and poured it into one of the mugs. He added fresh hot coffee then pointed down. "How do you take yours?"
"An extra sweetener and some of the cream. Ramsey has made me a fan." He nodded, then fixed her to-go cup before handing it back to her.
Kincaid whimpered, staring at Brie's plate, and Ari winked. "I'm sure if we look pitiful enough, Cord will feed us."
Kincaid brightened. "That's worth having to attend the meeting."
They all heard loud footsteps before a dark-haired warrior thumped into the kitchen, glaring at Ramsey. Before he could lay into the lion shifter, Ari held out a travel mug. "Tau and Chi have been summoned to the palace; grab your coffee." The warrior stopped mid-snarl then marched over to the coffee bar. Now the six mugs made sense.
Aeson removed his apron and handed the spatula over to the warrior that had been working the toaster. "Saxon, can you take over?"
"Sure thing." Saxon took Aeson's place at the stove, and the men headed toward the door.