She shook her head. "I think that shifters are more fun, but I don't think that's because I'm mated to Aiden. If anything, Colton helped foster that idea. He plays with me in wolf form."

Declan smiled wide. "Seriously? Like stick fetch?"

Meryn shook her head. "No, we use a ball."

Declan simply slumped to one side laughing. "I can't take it anymore, please stop." He wrapped his arms around his stomach. "It hurts."

Etain smiled slyly. "Ask him what animal his is Meryn."

Meryn's eyes lit up. "What kind?"

Declan sat up grinning. "I'm a lion."

Meryn's eyes got huge. "Like Mufasa!"

Etain chuckled regally.

Declan swatted at him. "Not funny." He turned to Aiden. "You have no idea how good it is to have you here, sir."

"Nants ingonyama bagithi baba!" Meryn sang.

Micah pointed at Declan, laughing wordlessly.

Declan shook his head while smiling. "I happen to like that movie."

Meryn gave him a thumbs up. "It kicked ass."

Adriel looked around the table shocked. He could not remember the last time his men were so open and jovial. He turned to his prince. Magnus was smiling, Broderick was teasing his daughter about her charge, and Caspian watched enraptured.

"She does that back home, too. She somehow brings people closer together, and the funny thing is, she doesn't even try. She does it naturally," Aiden said quietly.

"What an amazing gift." Adriel looked at the small human in a new light.

When everyone's laughter quieted down, Meryn turned to Magnus, a serious expression on her face. "Will you tell me how you poop now?"

CHAPTER FOUR

It took another couple minutes for the men to catch their breath. Finally, Grant, the more stoic one of the Eta Unit, cleared his throat and smiled at Meryn.

"Ready for a history lesson?"

Meryn nodded eagerly. She pushed her plate to one side and propped her chin up on her hands listening intently.

"Once upon a time..." Micah teased.

Grant ignored him. "Before the Great War, each paranormal city technically existed. But nowhere on the scale and level of organization that we have now. After the war, with the extended help of the other paranormal races, each city began to take shape. The fae moved their entire city to a parallel plane of existence, never wanting the threat of invasion again. Lycaonia did the exact opposite; they opened their borders to all paranormals. The first elected Shifter Elder, Aaron McKenzie, declared that he wouldn't have made it home if not for the help of the enemy and that henceforth, Lycaonia would be home to any paranormal that needed a place to rest."

Meryn grinned. "I heard about him."

Gavriel coughed.

Adriel eyed the two as Grant kept going. "The witches built a regal castle, then a magnificent city to go around it. Their council concentrated on the education of their younger generation as many older witches had been wiped out. The vampires wanted to avoid humans altogether, so they decided to build their city below ground, in the sheer rock face of a deep canyon. With the aid of their old allies from Storm Keep, they used magic to make life below ground every bit as welcoming and convenient as living above ground.

"The witches and the vampire ruling classes came together and designed the city. Each Founding Family and respective Noble Families would receive their own level. Using earth magic, pipes were run for water and waste management. They used fire magic and crystals to create the glow lights that you have seen throughout the city. They activate with the touch of a hand."

Meryn frowned. "Where does the poop go?"

Grant smiled. "The waste is plumbed through the pipes down into a waste reservoir. Once the waste level reaches a certain height, a spell is activated and it disappears."

"Where is the reservoir?"

"Beneath the city in what is called the Pits. Waste removal, irrigation, and garbage disposal is all routed below the city and then obliterated," Grant explained.

"What if someone, I don't know, accidentally falls in? What then?"

Grant's nose twitched at the idea of falling into refuse. "There are safeguards in place; the spell will not activate if a living being is detected."

"Really?" This time Declan asked.

Grant gave his friend a sour look. "You really did not pay attention at all during the tour they gave us after we first arrived, did you?"

Declan winced. "I had other things on my mind."

Etain chuckled. "Like the two lovely vampire ladies that wanted to meet a lion shifter, if my memory serves me correctly."

Declan gave Etain a wide grin. "That would be an affirmative."

Meryn rolled her eyes. "Men!" She turned back to Grant. "Continue, please."

Grant nodded. "The vampires, like the witches and the shifters, made a deal with the fae queen. In exchange for the use of their portals, the respective cities would gift the fae with not only the land for the portal, but also all the land surrounding the portal for a one hundred mile radius. There the fae would be responsible for all traffic through the portals. They maintain a portal in each of the pillar cities, and only fae can activate them.

"In more recent years, Magnus arranged for a second portal from the fae queen. It opens to a large commercial building in Albuquerque. The building acts as a hotel, parking garage, and postal service for the city. Vampires call to the fae stationed in the city, they open the portal, and escort the vampires through. There they can shop, visit restaurants, pick up mail, do any business, and then return to the city. It was a major coup for Magnus and cemented his position as Elder until he passes it on."