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)
Her voice rose above the din.
“He has two options of wine, and they are colors, not varietals,” she replied. The Guardians quieted to hear. “We are at the top of a mountain, and they don’t seem to trade with anyone but their own kind for some reason. The desire to be poor, maybe? Their trading partners are also very likely in high places that don’t favor grape growing. The wine is probably shit. If you make it cold enough, you won’t taste it as much. Hence the ice cubes.”
“Jesus,” Jasper said on a release of breath. “She understood the assignment.”
She winked at Sebastian, who’d widened his eyes at her response. A few of the bigger Guardians stiffened. She did understand the assignment. She was helping Niamh create a problem and doing it with a smile.
“Jessie is going to be pissed if they actually start a fight, though,” Aurora said.
“They won’t,” Ulric said with assurance. “Gargoyles like the buildup. We don’t break and fight as easily as shifters. We like to get good and mad first. Niamh knows this. She’s tested the limits on a great many gargoyles in O’Briens. She knows what she’s doing.”
“Hey, guys!” Fred walked in wearing a thick jacket and spikey green hair. She’d liked the humid heat in North Carolina. The crisp air of snowy mountains was not her jam. “Oh, cool capes!” She leaned against the bar. “I wish I’d known! I found a cape at a costume shop in Drex’s city. I figured it would be a neat statement piece. I should’ve worn it. Next time!”
The bartender came back with an individual-sized bottle of white wine and a pint glass filled with ice. He was clearly trying to be obtuse on purpose.
“Fantastic.” Nessa beamed. “Exactly what I was expecting in a place like this.”
“Oh, man,” Jasper said under his breath, shaking with silent laughter. “She’s excellent. Look how uncomfortable Sebastian is.” His laughter grew. “I wish I would’ve been there when Niamh took Sebastian to the shifter bar outside Kingsley’s place.”
The bartender slung up three empty shot glasses before pulling well whiskey from the alcohol trough below the bar. He poured the shots, spilling some on the bar as he did so, and dropped the bottle back where it belonged. He didn’t bother distributing.
“And whatever the one at the end wants,” Niamh finished.
“Hi! I’m Fred. What’s your name?”
He didn’t answer.
“Blank slate. I like it!” Fred replied, undaunted. “Do you have any fresh coffee?”
“No.”
“No, huh? Hmm. You drive a hard bargain. What kind of bourbon do you have?”
John started to chuckle.
“The brown kind,” the bartender answered, and a few of the eavesdropping Guardians snickered.
Fred looked at him in confusion, glanced at the wall of alcohol behind him, and surveyed the bar. “Is this some kind of practical joke or something? This is a real bar, right, not an integrated theater performance or something? I was a part of one of those in New York. It was pretty cool.”
She wasn’t joking, but because of her over-the-top nature, it came out like she was. Nessa spit out laughter and John laughed harder, clearly trying to be quiet about it. His face turned red.
The bartender tensed in anger.
“Get her the best bourbon you have,” Niamh said, and even though she had to have been delighted with Fred’s help, she didn’t crack a smile.
The bartender pulled a shot glass over and reached down for the well alcohol again. He brought up the whiskey and poured it before pushing it toward Fred.
He moved away, stopping to refill a beer for one of the Guardians before bothering to help Ulric and Jasper, and Fred loudly whispered, “After meeting that guy, I don’t feel like such a dick.”
She clearly meant to keep it between them, but she didn’t know how well supernaturals could hear. It reached all the way down to the end.
John’s laughter boiled over. He covered his mouth, but his body shook with it. Guardians looked over, their eyebrows settling low. They knew their kind were getting made fun of.
“I assume those wings are real, if micro-sized?” the bartender asked as he reached Ulric.
“Like your dick, yeah,” Ulric shot back. “A beer, in a bottle. Looks like you won’t bother doing your job, so whatever kind you feel like grabbing.”
“Same,” Jasper said. “And maybe a smile to go with it.”
The bartender leaned a hand heavily on the bar. “You guys holding a grudge after we took your female to task, huh?” He smirked. “Gimerel is falling apart, everyone knows that. We got a new leader, but we got the same Guardians. If I were you, I wouldn’t rile them up. I’d let them take it easy on you.”
“Says the guy who’s never been a Guardian,” Jasper responded.
“To the guy who’s too small to be in any cairn but a female-driven start-up.” The bartender smirked and moved on to get the beers.