Magical Midlife Alliance (Leveling Up Book 7), page 34
A smattering of nervous laughter sounded from the gargoyles. Wings fluttered in the Gimerel team.
“So I decided that tonight we should compromise.” I lifted my hand, knowing Mr. Tom had the first truck driver on hold on his phone and would give the command.
Sure enough, a food truck pulled around the corner. “Who is interested in the almighty burger? With this food truck, you have options ranging from gourmet to Plain Jane, like I used to be. Dress it up or dress it down—it is entirely up to you.” The next truck rolled around the corner. “More of a taco crowd? We’ve got you covered. Tacos and burritos and other authentic Mexican street fare with a fine-dining spin. Marinated pork, braised beef—you won’t want to miss this.”
The next truck pulled through, this one a regular truck with a camper shell, pulling a wood brick oven on a trailer that had originally lived out back and probably shouldn’t have been moved. Alas, showmanship.
“A food truck paradise wouldn’t be complete without a wood-fire oven. We have Neapolitan-inspired pizzas for you.” I waited for them to get settled a little before the next truck pulled into sight. “Did someone say lobster truck? Yes, I think they did. Delicious, buttery lobster rolls, lobster bisque, you name it. But don’t forget the crab! My favorite is the herb-crusted crab cake bites dipped in their homemade creamy sauce. Yum.”
That truck parked in the nondescript field on the edge of the property. This space didn’t have enough room for us to be posh about the situation.
My stomach rumbled as the last food truck rolled through. “Who could forget dessert? Gourmet French-bakery-inspired desserts that taste as good as they look.”
My team walked out next, dressed down and carrying coolers, pushing an alcohol cart, and bringing out plates and condiments.
“The alcohol and wine selection is unfortunately limited,” I said, “but there should be plenty for an unprofessional buzz that you’ll try your best to hide when it’s time to head back. Please have as much as you want. Of everything. It’s all taken care of, and we have more than enough to go around.” I paused for a moment, letting the excited murmurs die down. “Thank you for coming, everyone. Really. Despite whatever tomfoolery went on with me and your leaders, I’d like you to know that you are all welcome here, at any time. I don’t know your customs yet, I won’t abide by some of your ways, but I’m proud to join you on this magical journey. I’m proud to call myself a gargoyle, and I look forward to the battles yet to come, hopefully with you rather than against you. May your trip home be fraught with danger”—laughter was louder now, and more than one fist rose in the air—“and may we someday meet on the field of battle.”
I held up a hand in a farewell salute, about to turn around. A loud round of applause stopped me. Feeling the moment, I lowered my hand to my heart and offered them a little bow.
“Right this way, miss.” Mr. Tom appeared by my side, ushering me toward the restaurant.
Austin held out his arm for me, and I took it, allowing him to lead us to the door. We were nearly there when he stiffened slightly, slowing.
It took me a moment to pick out the enormous shape standing beside the door, blending into the building. Austin must’ve felt his presence.
Tristan stepped forward, his suit immaculate, with shiny black lapels, a black dress shirt, and a black tie with white polka dots and matching pocket square.
“Miss Ironheart,” Tristan said, offering a bow. “Might I have a word?”
“Uh…yeah, sure.” I smoothed the jewels down my front. “We’re not going to fight, though, right? This jewelry is too heavy to be running around in. It would probably give me a black eye.”
“This is a new suit. I’d rather not ruin it.” His smile made his eyes flash.
We stepped away a little, and his wings fluttered uncomfortably.
“My master has tasked me with informing you that he will be filing a list of grievances regarding your failure to properly follow raid protocol. He will also file grievances—as will a couple others, I assume—regarding the failed protocol at the introductory dinner. You had too much security on hand—the strange vampire and the basajaunak in particular.” He paused, holding my gaze, and I knew he hadn’t told Nelson about the invisible mages roaming around. The same invisible mages he’d likely seen lurking in the restaurant before coming out to find me. “Some of the leaders will file grievances regarding their introductory reception too, due to the nature of their…gifts.”
A heavy weight lodged in my middle. It felt like I was getting in trouble, like I was about to be pulled into the penalty box. Additionally, the system felt rigged. Those men might not like each other, but it felt like they were working together to make sure these grievances pulled me down to the very dredges of their society.
“And this?” I gestured behind me, indicating the food trucks. “I suppose my failure to follow protocol here will result in another list of grievances?”
“For a couple of them, very likely.”
“I know I’m supposed to be your enemy, but can you tell me how many of those might stick? Like…is this my undoing in gargoyle society?”
He paused for a moment. “In the short term, very likely. Cairn leaders can be prickly, and you are very new.”
Frustration ate at me. “Well. It was a helluva run.”
“Will you answer a question for me?”
“Sure, why not.”
He squinted a little and adjusted his footing, expanding his chest a little with a breath. His voice was soft, as if he didn’t want to be overheard. “In the raid, up in the air, why did you plaster yourself to me? Why did you heal me?”
We’d circled back to the why question.
“Because the spell hit you harder than I’d realized, and it would’ve killed you. Healing is more effective with contact, and I had a battle to get back to.”
His gaze was steady. “And the real reason for the contact?”
I studied him for a moment and then glanced around before wrapping us in a protective bubble, making it large enough that Austin would be in it, too. “No one will be able to hear us right now. Listen, long story short, we know there’s some sort of something going on with that orange blood you have. You came from somewhere other than an established cairn, and my people have a vague knowledge of where that somewhere might be. That’s all I care to know. Hiding your blood absolved me from any fault in outing you.”
“I am not your problem, and so you don’t care about mine?”
“Is that a trick question? Wouldn’t you rather I butt out?”
“Yes. I’m just stating the obvious.”
“Right.” I felt a grimace drag at my lips. When he phrased it like that, with the tone and harsh look and everything, I felt judged. I felt like I was letting him down. Which was crazy, because he was right—he wasn’t my problem. He basically ran my enemy’s team.
Still, though, old habits died hard—or would not go away, it seemed—and I found myself explaining.
“Honestly, I probably wouldn’t even know what creature you are. That, or I’d be surprised it’s real. I’m not saying I don’t care.” I reached forward and touched his forearm, then quickly pulled back because that was a little too friendly. “I do care, actually. That’s why I’m butting out. You seem to want to keep it a mystery, and you have a good reason. I respect that. I won’t allow myself or my team to blow your cover and ruin all you’ve achieved. I especially won’t allow that douche leader of yours to find out and turn you away because he’s a small-minded dipshit and I really want to punch him directly in the face…” I cleared my throat. “But anyway.”
“You protect what’s yours.”
It wasn’t phrased as a question, but felt like one anyway.
“Of course,” I said, taking a step back to tell him this chat was wrapping up. “That’s my duty.”
A grin pulled at his lips. “She was right about you. You’re entirely genuine, and you have a good and pure heart. Not at all like the rest of us.”
“Was that Niamh? Don’t believe her. She’s just trying to get your goat.”
He shook his head, his gaze finding Austin. “You can help her in there if you show a little of how an alpha does things. There have been a lot of rumors about the shifters, but the leaders don’t much believe them.” He shrugged. “But it’s your show.”
As he walked away, he made a circle in the air with his finger. “This was a really nice touch, the food. Tell your filmmaker to splash it all over her network. I’m sure they’ll eat it up.”
He obviously meant Patty.
“Edgar would’ve loved the pun,” I murmured, watching him reenter the restaurant. “I feel like I missed something, though. Why is he helping us?”
“I don’t know,” Austin replied. “Nathanial said something similar to me before we left. This dinner isn’t going to dig you out of the status hole.”
“Definitely not.”
“Then would you mind if I took point?” He walked me to the doorway, handsome in his expensive suit. “I’ve been playing nice, allowing you to try to navigate your people. But now…”
“By all means.” I waved him on.
He didn’t hesitate, walking into the establishment like the owner he was. The hostess greeted us, her smile professional but her eyes tight.
“Watch yourself, alphas,” she murmured. “They haven’t had the nicest things to say.”
“Thank you, Candace,” Austin said, breezing past.
We found them in the center of the room at the table that had been prepared just for them. Two places were left open next to each other, but neither was at the head of the table.
Tristan had taken his place near the door, standing beside Nessa, whom he’d be able to see and hear despite her invisibility potion—and despite the fact that he hadn’t taken the potion I’d drunk down in the car. Austin had taken it as well, wanting to be able to hear the mages just in case they had information we needed. That was before we’d found out the gargoyle leaders’ positions were plain.
Sebastian stood near the gargoyle leaders, staring down at them with disgust lining his features.
“Finally,” Nelson said loudly. “She finally shows up to her social funeral. You’re done as a gargoyle, little girl. You messed with the wrong group of leaders.”
Withor looked positively gleeful. He clearly thought making me a social pariah would discredit any information I had on him. Eram looked equally pleased, never having liked me and now not having to deal with me. Gerard was the only one with a stoic face, unusual for him, and subdued demeanor, as he watched me enter with the solemnity of a man deep in thought.
The raw, primal vehemence Austin channeled so well leaked into the air around him as we neared the table. His power pumped out in waves, heady and vicious. All the eyes at the table widened, their focus quickly zooming to him.
“Yeah, right?” I heard Nessa murmur, clearly to Tristan. He must’ve had a reaction to the magic as well. Thankfully, it didn’t seem aimed at us. “He’s been holding back for her sake. He’s like…the perfect co-leader. Yay! Now we get to see the alpha come out to play.”
“You will stand when the alphas join the table,” Austin said, his tone rough and his bearing authoritative. “It’s a sign of respect. Or in your case, obedience.”
Withor scoffed, the first to recover, arching an eyebrow at Nelson. Nelson shook himself out of his stupor, and then a shaky smile that was probably supposed to be sly curled his lips.
“I think I can speak for everyone when I say”—Nelson lifted his eyebrows, his smile growing, his confidence creeping back—“none of us respect whatever hybrid thing the two of you are trying to do, and we don’t owe you any obed—”
With speed that froze Nelson to the spot, Austin pulled his arm from around me and grabbed the other man by the tie. He yanked Nelson up, making the chair shove out from behind him. Nelson’s eyes widened and his hands hung lank at his sides.
Rough and slow, Austin said, “I said stand.”
The command for the rest of the table was evident. The threat of extreme violence was unmistakable.
Slack-faced, the leaders stumbled out of their chairs, swaying to their feet and half falling onto the table in the process. Once on his feet, Withor grabbed at his own tie, and the others started to look around in concern, as though not quite sure how they’d gotten there.
“Back to your stations,” Austin barked, and the guardians who had stepped forward stalled before slinking back to their spots.
Slowly Austin let go of Nelson’s tie, backing up.
“Jess?” He pulled the chair out for me and waited until I sat down. After, he took his own seat, pulling in his chair and leaning back again, resting his arm across the back of my chair. “Now you may sit.”
“He’s good, right?” Nessa murmured. “Scary and exciting at the same time.”
The gargoyles slowly took their seats, Nelson clearly unhappy with the situation but not wanting to set Austin off again. He adjusted his tie and tried to cover his newfound obedience by taking a sip of his wine.
“Wine, alphas?” The server who’d waited on us the other night stopped by my side.
“Yes, please,” I said. “Whatever they are having.” I motioned at the leaders.
“Same, thank you,” Austin told him, then turned to the leaders. “We’ve welcomed you into this territory and given your people an adjustment period to learn how to properly behave. We’ve allowed you to check out our operations, and when you brought more people into the territory for your play at battle, we allowed it because of your customs. After all that, you still allow your petty insecurities to blind you.” He paused for a moment, and silence rang in the room. “I’m not going to tell you how to do your jobs. It’s more effective for us to sit back and watch you step into your own graves. One thing I know, however—you’ll think back on this trip and know with certainty that you chose the wrong path. We will make sure of it.”
He looked over at me then, and I knew him well enough to know that he’d just changed whatever it was he’d set out to do.
“What do you say we go sample from the food trucks with the others?” he asked me as the server poured us glasses of wine. “We can eat here anytime. We might as well enjoy better company.”
I smiled at him and pushed my chair back. “Excellent idea.”
Before we left, Austin addressed the leaders one more time. “You’ve overstayed your welcome. You are now here on our good graces, and my patience has dried up. I’ll expect you to leave this territory as soon as possible.”
I thought I heard Nessa swear softly, but before I could glance over to see what the matter was, Nelson said, “Gladly,” and a strange sort of buzz permeated the restaurant. It sounded like a swarm of bees, but on a much larger scale. Like gargoyle wings when Nathanial was trying to summon his people, but in a chorus.
The leaders all looked in confusion in the direction we were heading.
“What’s that—”
“Attack,” Tristan said over me urgently, grabbing Nessa’s shoulder. “That’s our warning system.”
“Tristan, sir,” someone yelled from the lobby. “We’ve received notice of an attack!”
“Attack?” I said as my gargoyle flowered power within me. “Who—”
Austin’s phone rang as Broken Sue yelled into the restaurant, “We’ve got mages and mercenaries, sir, crossing the territory in the northeast. Nine mages and two dozen mercenaries. They’re coming in hot.”
“Let’s go, let’s go!” I shouted, yanking off the necklace. “Austin, back your people away until we can get fliers there. Sebastian and Nessa, we need you visible. We’ll fly you in. Nessa, after that, you’ll go on the ground. Sebastian, Ulric will be keeping you airborne. The fliers will take on the magical people so our ground crew can tear up their mercenaries. Let’s get out there!”
THIRTY-ONE
Jessie
The buzzing was louder outside—three gargoyles in the air were beating their wings fast and shallow enough to make a loud humming sound. It was incredibly handy as a warning system.
Shifters ran toward the parking lot. Broken Sue waited for Austin. They’d drive there and shift when they were close.
“Miss Jessie,” Nathanial said as he ran toward me, ripping his shirt off his torso. My team ran behind him, all of them shedding their clothes as well. “You need to call the gargoyles. Don’t worry about the leaders, not for this. Do what you were meant to do and join us all together. Bring them into the fight as a unit so that they don’t clutter the air on their own.”
“Yeah, they’ll want to go to battle,” Ulric said, out of breath as he discarded his pants. “You’ll need to organize them.”
I remembered Nathanial telling me the gargoyles would want me to bring the fight to them. I knew in my heart he was right. When called to battle, gargoyles felt excited and eager and giddy with anticipation. They were a battle species, apparently like the basajaunak that had already gathered around us, wanting to do what they were made to do. Fight.
“No problem,” I said, flicking off my shoes and then shedding my clothes.
Austin grabbed me around the middle and hauled me to him roughly, his hand in my hair and his lips pressed firmly to mine. A car stopped not far away, loaded with shifters waiting for their alpha.
“Stay safe,” he told me. “Find the darkness. Don’t fear it—I’ll never allow you to be lost. Guard what’s most precious to me in the world, Jacinta. Guard yourself. I love you.”
“I love you,” I told him, taking this moment to focus solely on him.
And then we were each going off in opposite directions, him to get to the battle and me to get in the air.
“They will not mess with our home,” I said to myself, shifting into my gargoyle form and then launching into the air.
