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)
He hadn’t been arrogant, though. Not to Austin. He’d been businesslike and straightforward, with no humor or mincing of words.
Of course, that might be because he’d found a bigger threat than himself.
“I’m sure it goes without saying, but keep an eye on him,” Austin said.
“Yes, alpha. There is something I’ve gathered from meeting these people.”
“What’s that?”
“They don’t seem to have much respect for shifters in general. They might back off their attitudes with me, but there’s an underlying disdain.”
“That could just be a product of their position, but well noted. It’s something to watch.”
“The lead enforcer is waiting for you in the café,” Brochan said. “Do you need me to stay until you arrive?”
Austin and Brochan hadn’t seen much of each other in the past month. They took opposite shifts, always with a strong team as backup, to ensure the territory was covered with solid leadership at all times. They’d needed it.
Solo gargoyles had been coming in all month, some intensely powerful. Patty had told them that was the norm. Gargoyles looked for guardian placement like Dicks looked for jobs, and the situation Jess had created was essentially a job fair.
The visiting gargoyles had been rowdy, testing the limits. They’d quickly learned the hard way not to do that.
“I’m on my way,” Austin told Brochan. “Get some sleep. The fun starts tonight. You have all the info?”
“Yeah. Nessa dropped off the potion last night.”
“Remember, you might need to pivot at a moment’s notice. Jess often throws a wrench into these types of situations. Just roll with whatever happens.”
“All due respect, sir, I don’t think I can be shocked at this point.”
“I thought that once, too. Now I know better. Get some sleep. See you tonight.”
Austin hung up the phone and finished his coffee. “Mr. Tom, can I have a cup to go?”
“Of course, sir. Coming right up!” Mr. Tom hummed to himself as he grabbed a travel mug and filled it up. “And here you go.” He put the burrito in a sleeve to keep it warm and handed it off. “Oops, the miss is waking up.”
Mr. Tom unceremoniously put the travel mug on the counter, without affixing the lid, and filled a different mug of coffee.
“Do you have your instructions—”
Austin cut off as Mr. Tom hurried from the room.
It was pretty clear who ranked highest in this household.
Jessie
“Here we go, miss. Not a moment late!” Mr. Tom walked in briskly with a cup of coffee and a manic smile. He’d dabbled too frequently in his coffee making again.
“What’s that strange keening noise?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. “It sounds like it’s coming from outside.”
“That’s Edgar. He’s just missing the maze. He’ll get over it. Now, up we go. We have a lot of work to do today. I was listening in on Austin Steele’s conversation, and I think one of the production cairns is already here.”
I glanced at the clock. Seven thirty. It was early, but Mr. Tom was right. I had to meet with Mimi to figure out a few hiccups—we hadn’t finished as many rooms as we’d hoped, so we’d have to decide which could be used for entertaining. Then I needed to finalize my wardrobe and get in some training and a handful of other things before the pageantry officially began with a tour of the production cairn’s goods.
“Right. Okay.” I took a sip of coffee as Mr. Tom laid a not-so-fresh T-shirt out on the bed. Austin’s. “No, Mr. Tom—” I pushed it a little. “He hasn’t left the property yet. I’m not going to get caught in one of his shirts that you stole.”
“Borrowed, miss. I simply borr—”
“Borrowed without asking, whatever.”
With a huff, he gave me my robe.
Edgar sat in the middle of the desecrated hedge maze, bowed over his legs, sobbing in a high-pitched sort of wail. Dolls lingered around the outskirts, their hands clasped in front of them and their heads bent in sympathy.
As I watched, the basandere, whom I’d hardly seen anything of since she and the others got here, walked out of the trees toward Edgar. She stepped over each root and branch that had been left behind from the maze massacre until she reached him, then she sat down next to him and put her hand on his bony shoulder.
My heart squelched, and if Mimi hadn’t convinced Edgar to agree to the plan prior to bulldozing the maze, I’d probably have let him start on another.
“Hello, dear. Good morning!” Patty came bustling in. “My, you’re up early. Okay, I have the gift baskets ready for the production cairn leaders.” She gave me a pout. “So terrible about Venavin’s leader. Nessa will never want to let off a little steam with him now, and she no longer has the lovely Brochan to chase. Things completely fizzled with him, did you hear? Friend zone. Ugh! Weren’t they so cute together? She’s so perky and upbeat, and he’s so gloomy and black cloud! Opposites attract! Anyway, doesn’t matter. Here we go, let’s head to the shower.”