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"Nothing, sir," Ari grumbled. "But if you don't have a future generation of warriors to lead it's your own damn fault!"
"No little baby fruit baskets and NinjaGaidens," Meryn chortled.
Everyone stared. Finally, Thane asked the question that most probably had. "Meryn, what do you mean fruit basket?"
She pointed to Ari. "It’s what I saw for him."
Kendrick tilted his head. "Meryn, do you remember exactly what you saw when you looked at Ari?"
Meryn nodded. "Yeah, stars, bells, flowers, and berries. It reminded me of a festive fruit basket."
Kincaid lowered his mug frowning. "Why does that sound familiar?"
Kendrick stood and walked over to Meryn. "Do you think you can try something different? I'd like to see if you can recall the images."
Meryn scrunched up her face. "I can try, but no promises."
They both closed their eyes.
"See, flowers and stuff," Meryn said, pointing to her head.
A moment later, Kendrick stepped back, causing them both to open their eyes. He looked from her to Ari then back, before finally turning to stare at him. "What she's seeing is actually Deadly Nightshade," he informed them.
Kincaid snapped his fingers. "Belladonna, that's why it sounds familiar." Then he looked at Ari. "Oh."
Beside her, Ari flinched. "Is that a good thing?"
Kendrick looked down at Meryn. "Well?"
She shrugged. "I think it's pretty."
Kendrick walked back to his chair and sat down. "You know, I think this fits Ari exceptionally well."
"My brother is not a poison," Rex protested.
Kendrick's expression became sly. "To you, he wouldn't be. Belladonna had many applications, including medicinal and even cosmetic. I think what you get from Ari depends on how you approach him. A deceptively beautiful flower that is the essence of death. Simply fascinating."
Meryn typed for a moment. "Okay, you're in the system as Nightshade now."
Ari blinked. "Nightshade?"
Meryn pointed to her head. "I made your image for me, your call sign. I think it sounds like a comic book hero. Too cool."
Ari mulled it over. "Okay, I love it. Much better than a fruit basket."
Brie regained her composure. "Very cool," she agreed. She looked back over to her dad. "Will you live here? Ari and I have discussed our living arrangements, but I let him know, now matter what we need to make sure we see you often.”
"You and Doran are everything I need, and you both belong here. The house in Monroe is just four walls after all. We'll bring the memories we made there with us when we start our new lives here."
"What about your practice?"
Her dad laughed. "I'll be teaching the witches here all about lions. That way, they'll be able to heal them that much better. This will be especially helpful in Éire Danu, since it has such a large portion of lion shifters. In a way, I get to have my cake and eat it too."
Brie watched his face to see if he was fibbing. They had a lot of memories tied to the house, but she understood how he felt. In such a short time, it no longer felt like 'home' anymore.
&n
bsp; "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
