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)
“Dick—like a non-magical person, remember?” I said.
Mimi looked at his outstretched hand before shaking her head. “No.”
“Okay. Good times.” I rubbed Jimmy’s back. “And yes, this is Tristan.” I motioned to Tristan, who had taken a large step away to give Jimmy some space. “He’s one of us. A very large one of us, but still on the team.”
Tristan put out his hand and stepped forward slowly, trying not to spook Jimmy.
My heart melted and tears came to my eyes. With sudden fear, I quickly patted myself, affirming I was still dressed. My God, when would I stop being so horribly scattered?
I pointed at Tristan. “Do you mind hanging out for a moment while I get Jimmy settled, and then we can talk about the second thing you needed?”
He finished shaking Jimmy’s hand and stepped back. “It’s not urgent. Enjoy your time. I’ll connect with you later in the week, how’s that? And don’t worry about training. We can do it after the holidays.”
“We’ll figure it out.” I nodded at him, removing my hand from behind Jimmy and pointing down the hall. “Head to the kitchen, bud, okay? I’ll grab your bags and meet you there. Tell Mr. Tom to make me whatever he’s making you.”
“Here we go.” Jasper came in holding the bags before motioning upstairs. “His room is down the hall from mine, right? I can just go put these away.”
“Yeah, please, if you wouldn’t mind. Thanks, Jasper.”
Jasper hefted the bags in response and headed up the stairs.
My phone rang again, the name this time coming up as “Camila (Matt).” I stared at it for a moment and then sighed in defeat. I’d been in her shoes. Matt would find a situation impossible to navigate, decide it wasn’t worth his time, and hand it over to me. He had a secretary at work, and one at home.
Ultimately, this situation wasn’t Camila’s fault, and she didn’t need my censure. But man, I wanted to lay into both of them.
I took a deep breath, had a seat, and prepared to rework the holiday plans for the guy who simply could not go with the flow unless the flow directly benefited him.
I had the distinct impression the holidays were going to be a lot tougher this year. At least it would only be Austin and me going home. I wouldn’t have to explain away a bunch of capes.
THREE
Jessie
“What do you mean you told them they were going?” I demanded of Austin the next morning, standing at the edge of the bathroom as he exited the shower.
I didn’t even care about the rivulets of water running down his glistening, cut body, or the light playing across his handsome features, or the part of him that was standing at attention after seeing me in my birthday suit. We were about to do battle, and those things would only distract me.
“Babe…” Austin grabbed a towel and started drying himself. “It’s not safe for just you and me to go on trips, you know that.”
“Except it is. The word on the street is there’s another superpower mage in town, and she is working alongside shifters. The mage community has given me a wide berth. You’ve seen that yourself—there’ve been no attacks, no threats, no invitations to dinners, even. They are wary and they are giving me space for now. We should be fine.”
I didn’t mention—because Austin already knew—that we didn’t know how long this break would last. We also didn’t know what would happen when it was over.
Momar must want to wipe me off the face of the earth, and all the shifters with me. He’d retaliate at some point. The Mages’ Guild… Well, we didn’t know much about them. We might have some idea if Sebastian and Nessa had been in touch, but they hadn’t, not in all this time. They had sent me an encrypted phone, which had arrived shortly after we returned to Ivy House, but all my texts and voicemails to them had been met with silence.
I still tried, though. I missed them. I often walked through the bowels of Ivy House, looking at Sebastian’s abandoned equipment, changing out various ingredients as they went bad just in case he might show up. I went over to their house and helped Aurora garden, not talking much with her (she was like Mimi and not chatty) but enjoying some time and company in their space. They were part of my life here, and their absence had left a hole. I worried about them getting into trouble and not having my help. Or, God forbid, never seeing them again. It felt like too big of a disturbance after Nathanial’s sacrifice, and even though Sebastian and Nessa had assured me it was necessary, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it would lead to more danger for all of us.