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)
Her gaze slid down my front. “You’re going like that?”
“That is precisely what I said.” Mr. Tom moved in closer. “How about we dress it up with this?”
He held one of the new pieces of jewelry, which was beautiful but laughable in its extravagance, considering what I was wearing and where I was going.
“No, I—”
“Have you lost what few marbles survived the ages?” Naomi demanded of him. “If you can’t help the situation, leave the situation alone. Jessie, please wait a moment. I’ll go throw something more appropriate on. I’d like to go with you.”
Ulric, Jasper, and I all watched in shock as she walked off.
Mr. Tom gave an aggrieved sniff. “Let’s just see what she deems is appropriate for that bar. The woman always dresses as though she’s going to some sort of fancy recital or dinner party.”
In a blink she returned in white cotton pants and a white scoop-neck T-shirt, with a long-sleeved denim tunic over it. She looked sophisticated but casual.
“Yeah, she wins,” Ulric said.
“Mr. Tom, you should dress Jessie in that kind of style.” Jasper pointed. “That’s a little nicer than your standard jeans and T-shirt, but not too nice, you know?”
Mr. Tom issued a “humph” before striding away.
“Nice job of rubbing salt in the wound, mate,” Ulric told Jasper.
Niamh sat in her usual seat at the bar, and I was surprised to see a basajaun sitting beside her. Not Dave, but one of the others. A large yellow hard hat perched on his head, a burdened safety vest with the yellow reflective strips was wrapped around his middle, and a kilt adorned his lower half. He hunched over the bar with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red and a pint glass to pour it in.
“That’s what we’re doing now?” I muttered.
The silky feel of wings brushed my hand as I tried to make my way toward her. The place was busier than usual, and it was impossible to wind my way through without touching anyone. The gargoyle I’d accidentally touched turned, looking down at me. I didn’t recognize his face, but that didn’t mean much. I hadn’t been out much since they’d all arrived.
I pushed around a shifter, who glanced over and then promptly made room. The two gargoyles behind him didn’t budge.
A spindly hand closed around my arm.
“No, Jessie,” Naomi said, stopping me. “This is not how an alpha moves through a room. Demand your space. Only then will they respect you.”
I knew she was right, but it was such a hassle. Couldn’t people just be respectful of others? Why did the magical world constantly require a person to throw their weight around?
Annoyed, I sent out a pulse of magic. I’m here. Move.
Shifters shuffled out of the way quickly. They knew my magic and remembered the early days when I had zero control. The gargoyles looked around in confusion. Their wings ruffled. Their stubbornness showed.
Another pulse of magic, localized, adding some sting. Move!
The two closest stared hard at me, their feet planted and their jaws clenched. Others turned and twisted, trying to figure out what was going on.
I returned the stare of the two men as my magic started to thump within me and my gargoyle rose.
“Clear out of the way,” I told them.
Their eyes narrowed. The one on the right said, “Go around,” but his body positioning and the spark in his eyes said, Make me.
Fine.
I unleashed magic and slammed them, knocking them back before crushing them to their knees. A spell stronger than this had prompted Tristan to challenge me. These guys, though, bent like reeds in the wind before falling. Their knees and then their hands hit the floor as they groaned under the pressure of my magic.
My logic said, That’s overkill, but fire curled through my middle and smug pride straightened my shoulders.
The noise in the bar died down dramatically. Wide eyes turned my way and the path in front of me cleared as gargoyles shuffled quickly out of the way.
“Perfect,” Naomi said softly.
Making it to Niamh, I found the seat next to her newly vacated and my nemesis, Sasquatch, pushing through the crowd to get away.
I pulled out the stool he’d just vacated, knowing he wouldn’t be back. When I used magic, he took off. He was too used to being on the other end of it.
“Here, Naomi, do you want to—”
“Sit down, for God’s sake.” Naomi gave me a light shove.
Grimacing, I did as she instructed, feeling Austin coming around the corner at the other end of the bar. He’d probably been in the office.
“Here, Naomi, I got it.” Jasper grabbed a high chair from somewhere then pushed through the crowd to set it down between but a little behind Niamh and me. We turned to make a triangle. “What are you doing?” he then asked Ulric, who was lingering behind. “I took a shower. I’m ready for wingman duty.”