Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Waiters came out carrying two bowls of soup each, placing them in front of the guests. Cyra pushed between Jessie and Austin to taste, even though it was very unlikely there would be any poison at this dinner.
“With them means you will likely be forced to become involved in unsavory, despicable things,” Emma said. “Things only a person with no morals would do.”
“And against them means you are an enemy.” Arthur pressed his lips together. “I’m sure you know what happens to their enemies.”
“You made a statement to mages everywhere when you willingly stood in Momar’s way and then beat him,” Ester said. “It said that you not only oppose him, but you have the power to do so. That the shifters, working with you, are strong enough to take on the best, biggest, and most organized mages and win.”
“But you are also so incredibly new,” Bert said, steepling his fingers, not bothering with the soup. “And you also had a vested interest in the situation, right? Austin’s brother?”
Austin inclined his head in the affirmative.
“So we then got to wondering, was it a statement, or merely an instance of your people defending your own?” Arthur said. “Allowances can be made for the latter. Which then leaves you open for alliances with the very people you fought against. People who, now knowing your power and seeing your potential, will probably offer you the moon.”
“Such as what?” Jessie asked.
“Prestige in our society. Vast wealth. Power over others. You’d be like royalty. They are like royalty, and we are the lowly peasants.”
“You are making a very compelling case…for them,” Austin said, his confusion evident. Tristan agreed. This was the worst offer of friendship he’d ever seen. It was clear why these people didn’t play politics and tried to stay out of the way.
“There is no sense trying to hide it,” Arthur said. “Those are the types of things they offer the powerful members of our society. They reel allies in with promises of high social standing and riches, and then they use them. We wanted to talk with you before they got to you. Explain how things really work in magical society. How the Guild holds mages for ransom, basically—”
“They are more like a Dick mafia than a mage organization,” Ester said angrily. “They extort, lie, kill—you name it. They run on greed. And after they reel you in with all their promises, they set you up as a mob boss, stealing and killing for them.”
“Let me save you all a lot of time.” Jessie set down her spoon. “While I don’t know exact details, I have a very good understanding of how Momar functions. He has sent people after me in the recent past, and he’s sent them after my family. I hold grudges. As far as the Guild, they did nothing to stop it, so they are clearly useless and need restructuring. I have chosen a side, and no amount of money or empty promises is going to change that. I’ve willingly put myself in the way, as you say, and now I’m readying myself for when someone tries to remove me.”
Jessie’s magic pulsed through the room, offering the people sitting there a battle. Offering them glory. A fight to the death. The message was from her gargoyle, whose magic was different from the mage’s—it was showing them that while she could be considered part of their club, she wasn’t one of them. Her differences made her stronger.
“That is…” Arthur smiled a little, dipping his spoon into his soup. “That is very good to hear.”
“Those of us on the edges,” Bert said, “have established a sort of network, trying to look out for each other. We in no way have the power and holdings to push back against Momar or the Guild, or even some of their higher-powered minions, but we are not useless. We could be your allies…”
Tristan lost the thread of the conversation as Edgar drifted back in, a little smile on his face. He showed zero alarm, but Tristan’s warning systems were all still firing. The strange feeling persisted, almost calling for him to check it out. Tugging at him.
“See anything?” Tristan asked for the sake of being thorough.
“Only my shadow,” Edgar said, standing a little too close.
Tristan shook his head. The vampire was weird.
And then he nearly cracked his neck with how fast he looked back. “What did you say? Your shadow?”
“Yeah, she was—”
“Well, hello, everybody.”
None other than Sebastian walked through the door the servers had been using, dressed in a suit, with his hair in the messy playboy style and his watch gleaming in the low light. His swagger said he was playing Elliot Graves, and his half-smile said he had something wicked planned.
Tristan’s gut churned.
There had better be a logical explanation for why Sebastian was giving Tristan warning tremors.