Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
She shook her head slowly. “With her hair like that? Her clothes? No watch? Nah. She’s been away from that long enough to shake off the training.” She switched, chewing her nail this time.
A car was leaving a spot. He waited and then took it, two spaces down from the bar. He turned off the Jeep and sat for a moment.
“I’m going to have a quick chat with Niamh,” he said. “She’s good at information gathering. I honestly don’t think anything will happen to you if you stay in the car, nor do I think people will steal our groceries, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. I’d rather leave you here to guard the groceries than have to guard you inside.”
She spit out a laugh.
“I’m really hungry,” he said, allowing a grin. “I figure they’ll take you and forget about our groceries. I can then just send Edgar or Tristan or someone to get you.”
She laughed harder. “Send the basajaunak. They’d be delighted.”
“Yeah, true.” He sobered. “Do you want to come in with me?”
Her smile was soft this time and her eyes grateful. “Jessie is a lucky woman to have a guy like you around. People probably don’t tell you that enough since they’re intimidated by you. Thank you, but no, I’m sure I’ll be fine. If anything happens, I’ll yell, and gargoyles will pop out from the walls and basajaunak will fill the street and Edgar will spring out of a bush… I’m covered.”
He nodded and opened the door, leaving the keys in the ignition. “There is a gargoyle right in front of the Jeep, against the wall.”
She huffed. “Figures. Blending into stone and walls—that must be handy.”
“It is, especially when the magical world at large doesn’t seem to know they can.”
She quickly turned pensive again and he made his way into the bar. Niamh sat at the far side where she could see most of the inhabitants. Brochan sat behind her at a low table in the corner, his presence and power warning everyone away.
He’d always taken a similar position in Austin’s bar in the early days. Now, it was rare he didn’t sit with one of Jessie’s crew, or a gargoyle, or Niamh herself. He was starting to find his footing in a new life. Maybe it was time to adopt the name Sue and leave that wayward, lost, broken persona behind.
He stood as Austin made his way down. The patrons stiffened as Austin passed.
“Well, how ‘r ya now?” Niamh asked in greeting. “Get everything sorted?”
He paused, narrowing his eyes at her slightly. “What’d you hear?”
“Ah, sure, same ol’ pandemonium with our crew, so it is. We show up, scare the holy trinity out of everyone, and people start jumping at shadows. Can’t hardly blame them. Especially when some pasts don’t want to stay in the past.”
She paused to get her point across but was incredibly blasé. If he didn’t know her better, he’d miss the subtexts. She knew about the mousy mage attacking, and either already knew the woman’s past, or planned to get it.
“Sure, this place is a safe haven,” she continued. “Ye know something about that, so ya do. I told them all about the anxious wee sorts we had back in the day. Still do. I ignore their bellyaching—ye have’ta or it’ll drive ya mad—but I know what it’s like. Anyway, sounds like you’ve got it all sorted. I didn’t bother me arse to help. They have a strong setup here, sure they do, but nothing like we have. There was no point in me rushin’.”
“Jessie communicated through our link,” Brochan murmured. “I checked it out, but I wasn’t needed so I returned here. I assume you guys calmed down the basajaunak.”
Austin couldn’t help himself. “Without getting dragged behind one of them, yeah.”
Niamh spit out a laugh.
Brochan’s eyes glittered. “Don’t expect I’ll live that one down.”
“Probably not, no. Why are they so riled up, did they say?”
Niamh’s eyes turned sharp, and her body tensed. Shut up!
“Ye know them, like,” Niamh drawled, picking up her glass. “They thought yis were battlin’ without them earlier today, and now they are chomping at the bit. Once they wander around the woods a bit and relax, they’ll be grand.”
He nodded, reading Brochan’s body language, a movement so subtle he barely caught the meaning. He doubted anyone here, or many at all, could pick it up. She’s got it under control.
“I’m telling everyone to lay low,” he told them. “We’ll postpone the dinner until tomorrow night and eat in tonight. I’m going to keep the mages secure, but you’re welcome to stay out. I’d like to remind you that you are a guest here. Be on your best behavior. That said, I have warned the beta that you will not hesitate to defend yourself should you need to. And you’ll do so violently.”