Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
“Why does everyone keep saying for some reason?” he murmured in a wispy voice.
“There, see?” Mr. Tom pushed him at the dome. “Nothing to worry about.”
Deciding to trust the Ivy House crew, because he really had no choice, Sebastian walked into the dome. The spell was a magical trap of sorts—one people could enter but not escape—and he regretted showing Jessie how it worked.
“Why didn’t you shift and take to the sky?” Mr. Tom demanded of Niamh.
The dome wasn’t soundproof, an intentional decision on Sebastian’s part, because he’d wanted everyone to hear the squawks of Jessie beating her challenger. Which had happened. Had he known the next set of squawks would be his own, he might’ve rethought the matter.
“I couldn’t be arsed,” Niamh replied. “What good would it’ve done? All yer doin’ is flyin’ around in circles. And anyway, someone had to watch Edgar. All we needed was for him to gallop into the dome like some crusty vaudeville act hollering whoopee at the top of his lungs. Now that would be embarrassin’ to us all.”
“I’ll try not to be offended,” Edgar said.
“Show a little support for the heir and your employer, would you? Team spirit,” Mr. Tom said.
“Sure I am showing team spirit,” Niamh said. “I’ve got an Ivy House doily, a beer, and a front-row seat. I’m all set. Now feck off. Yer ruinin’ the taste of me beer.”
Sebastian lost the thread of the conversation as Jessie caught sight of his loitering at the edge of the dome. Swirls of pinkish-purple light drifted behind her as she altered her course. One minute, she was beside the dome walls, and the next, she was cutting a path through the center of the space, flying directly toward him.
“Fight with everything ye got,” Niamh hollered at him. “She might take it easy on ye, but her gargoyle sure won’t.”
“Fantastic,” he murmured, inching out a little farther.
“And for the love of God, lad, look like the powerful mage ye are. Yer embarrassin’ yourself.”
He took a deep breath and tried to straighten up. It was easy to strut and swagger and look like he owned the world when he was playing the Elliot Graves role. His alter ego was ruthless and vicious and morally gray at best.
But he wasn’t Elliot Graves in this shifter town, and it was impossible to maintain any kind of swagger at Ivy House. For one thing, Niamh loved to poke holes in people’s confidence. For another, everyone was just too weird. Sebastian was sort of weird, too, and he’d enjoyed being himself here in a way he couldn’t in the magical world. He hadn’t needed his usual armor.
He had to remember, though, that Jessie was also playing a part. She had helped him feel safe, and now she was trying to help the rest of her territory feel the same way. This was her job. As part of her team, he needed to help her with it.
Besides, didn’t they do this exact thing in practice? Granted, they weren’t usually trapped in a magical dome, surrounded by lethal creatures who hated his kind and would give anything to rip him apart, but even so…
He blew out yet another breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and rolled his shoulders.
Time to hide the nerd who wanted nothing more than to work magic. Time to resume his cloak as the most notorious magical villain this world had ever known.
“Now, here we go.” Niamh drained the last of her beer and handed it back to Edgar as excitement unfurled through her.
Sebastian straightened out of his usual hunch. His shoulders rolled back, and his head came up. He went from a mousy-looking guy to a magical badass owning his space. He strutted forward, his arms loose at his sides, his steps purposeful and aimed directly at Jessie. Even from behind him, Niamh could tell his gaze was hard and direct. A challenge.
A surge of rage tumbled through the bond. Not from Jessie, though—from Austin Steele. The big alpha didn’t like someone challenging his mate.
“Well, now, this isn’t something I’m used to seeing with Sebastian,” Mr. Tom said, forgetting the other gargoyles were still in the sky and crowding close to the dome.
“Git yer nekked arse away, would ye?” Niamh shoved him. “Jaysus, Mary, ’n’ Joseph. Yer all sweaty, like.”
“Sebastian’s ready to play hardball,” Nessa said before draining her beer.
Jessie paused in the air for a moment. Sebastian paused as well, his stance cocky. He leaned in such a way that said he was bored with his opposition.
A thrill curled through Niamh’s bond with Jessie. Excitement. The gargoyle had found its match. It was time to play.
She snapped out her wings before tilting her head up and roaring into the sky. The gargoyles above followed suit. The great thunderbird and mighty phoenix added their voices before the shifters on the ground joined the call. All around the dome, the challenge was voiced on Jessie’s behalf.