Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Patty smiled and hooked her arm through Nessa’s. As they started walking out, Patty quietly asked Nessa, “Those pieces of jewelry the old gargoyle was talking about…have you seen them? I’m a little concerned that they will be clunky, horrendous things that will give everyone a fright. Somewhat like most of this house’s interior…”
They passed through the door after the others. I hung back, waiting for Austin. He picked up the bracelet to get a better look.
“It’s definitely well made.” He took it from the box and turned it over, looking at the back. “All the gems are secure and the artistry is definitely on point. The gems look pristine, though I can’t really tell how many carats they are with a naked eye.”
“But…” I said with a grin.
He returned it to the velvet box and closed it. I slipped my hand in his as we headed for the door.
“But…” He glanced back before we turned the corner. “The design is a little chaotic—not entirely refined—and the worth…is lacking.”
“Did you see all those gemstones? That’s gotta be…hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not over a million. I’m no expert, but I’ve browsed jewelry I’d never be able to afford before…”
He smiled as we walked slowly down the hall. He clearly didn’t want the others to hear our conversation. I wondered if he thought it would insult them.
“It’s the pride of the cairn,” he said. “It sounds like the leader showed it off as though it was the finest thing they’d ever produced. With their own mine and their own artisans, I’d expect the piece to be jaw-dropping. Extravagant. Elegant. I’d expect them to go way overboard. Think of the pieces that jewelry establishments like Harry Winston or Cartier drape across the necks of celebrities. Or Tiffany’s yellow diamond, worth over thirty million.”
“Right, except those are multimillion-dollar Dick companies, and this is a gargoyle cairn firmly entrenched in their neck of magical society, a species that Nathanial said likes to stick to its own. They aren’t like the mages who filter into the Dick world and acquire the riches to show for it.”
Austin was quiet for a moment as we neared the front door. “Some of the shifters have big bankrolls. I wonder if that’s because we aren’t as entrenched in our own kind as gargoyles seem to be. We don’t mess around with Dicks for the most part, but we don’t shut them out, either. We’re open with the rest of the magical society, too.”
“I wonder why gargoyles are like that.”
“Slow to change from the olden days, perhaps. This territory might not be their cup of tea because of it. That might work against you.”
“Or it might work in our favor if people want a little more excitement in their lives, like Dave.”
“Let’s hope.”
We exited the house to find the others standing around the extravagant carriage that had been delivered as one of the cairn gifts. I slowed to a stop before reaching the group and glanced at Austin.
“There is one thing.” I gazed back through the door. “That bracelet is pretty. It does have craftsmanship. It’s modern. Ivy House has fine things, worth much more than that bracelet, but everything is outdated.”
He grimaced, pulling me close. “A bit, yes.”
“And some things are a little…gaudy.”
“A little, yes.”
“It’s pretty far from the modern era, and it sounds like the new gargoyles won’t look favorably on that. I need to make time for an Ivy House refresh. Maybe even a complete overhaul.”
He nodded in agreement. “So does the town. Patty stopped by the bar earlier today and informed me of that. If we want to attract the gargoyles—”
“And we need to.”
“We have a lot of work to do.”
FOUR
Jessie
Given the carriage had been parked on the front lawn for days, we’d seen it a good few times and admired the gold accents and the sturdy craftsmanship. This cairn had a few production cairns as well, including one who mined gold. The sentiment was apparently along the lines of “transportation fit for a queen,” something very on brand for the gargoyle culture. I just couldn’t help wondering what we were supposed to do with it. I didn’t plan to buy draft horses to pull me around the town. My old Honda was just fine if I ever needed to go anywhere. That thing would run forever.
“Okay, let’s head around back,” Patty said, leading the way.
She took us around the side instead of back through the house, and from the way her head swiveled this way and that, I could tell she was assessing the grounds. Those at least looked good. The front of the house, anyway. Edgar had stayed modest with his designs and flower planting. We just couldn’t allow anyone out back or near a back window to witness the explosion of flowers and the eccentric hedge maze.