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)
When he saw me looking, he used his thumbs and pointer fingers to pinch the edges of the vest and hold the edges out a little like it was the caliber of Austin’s expensive and tailored suit.
“Edgar said that I should blend in, and I didn’t know what else might do it.”
“Not that,” I said, shaking my head. “What’s with the braids?”
He pulled out his leg, showcasing an impressive French braid that ran down his outer thigh. “I had too much grog last night, and a lady friend thought this might be nice.”
“Grog? Were you sailing?”
His brow furrowed. “No, why?”
I let it go. What was the point?
Broken Sue looked great in his suit, and Mr. Tom held his typical suitcase of disguises.
“Fine,” I said, noticing Cyra sitting on a beanbag chair in the back corner in a fitted orange suit with a red lacy shirt underneath, probably no underwear, and flip-flops. The outfit almost looked good. Nearly there. “Great.”
The rest of the team members attending the dinner wore muumuus, even Indigo, who didn’t shift. Those staying behind, which were a few pack shifters, Patty, Mimi, and Aurora would watch Jimmy. Aurora had wanted to come, but she apparently didn’t have the seniority. She’d help guard with the others.
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I feel ridiculous, most of us look ridiculous, and it’s time to go. Oh, I better bring a bottle of wine.”
“I made more strawberries,” Austin said, making no move to go and get them. “I didn’t get to see you eat any of the last ones. The gargoyles ate the ones we took into the club last night.”
“So good, bro,” Jasper said from near the door with Ulric. “So, so good.”
“They were,” Tristan agreed.
“It’s probably wrong to bring anything to a party like this,” Mimi said. “But given…everything, it would likely be on theme.”
“Fantastic,” I said dryly. “Let’s just go. We can bring the strawberries to the ex thing. Or just eat them here later.”
“Hey, Mom…” Jimmy paused on the stairs, looking down at me. “Oh. Are you going to a costume party?”
“Super.” I headed for the door. “What is it, bud?”
“Oh, just…” His face flushed when he saw Aurora on the couch. “Nothing. I was just going to ask if we could order something sweet, but if there are going to be chocolate-covered strawberries lying around…”
“We’ll order in a few things,” Mimi told him. “We wanted to see your mother off in her pumpkin.”
“Why isn’t Austin dressed up?” Jimmy asked.
“I’m a modern-day Prince Charming,” Austin replied without skipping a beat. “The kind of guy who has evolved in his fashion sense.”
“Yes, hilarious.” I pointed at Jimmy. “No leaving tonight, remember.” I swung the finger toward Aurora. “You, either. We don’t know what’s out there, okay?”
“We do know what’s out there, actually, and that is why we will definitely not leave,” Aurora murmured.
“Stay safe,” Mimi told us as we headed for the door. “If anything seems odd, fire magic and run.”
“It’s going to be us,” I said under my breath. “We’re the ones that are going to seem odd.”
It was not easy fitting the dress into the fancy car. I now had more than a few regrets about purchasing said car. When Austin parked twenty minutes later, I found it even harder to get out. He downright laughed when the hoop got stuck.
“This is seriously not funny,” I said as he closed the door and we waited for the rest of our crew, who had much less trouble with their chosen forms of transportation.
“If it were a shifter situation, no, I would not see the humor.” Austin held out his bent arm for me to take. “If it were a gargoyle situation, I would think you were on drugs.”
“But since it is a mage function?”
“I’m just here to make sure you are safe. Everything else is not my problem.”
I had no idea why he was in such good spirits. We were heading into a potential trap, and I had no easy way out of this dress. The trust I was putting in Sebastian and Nessa was extreme.
The house was large, with tended landscaping in an interesting design and a little bridge that went over a koi pond. A double door was tucked under a large overhang with little benches off to the sides. Sconces hung to either side filled with what looked like fresh flowers.
“Knock or doorbell?” I asked as a metallic clang preempted the door swinging open to reveal a stuffy-looking man. He wore a black suit with a starched white dress shirt beneath. A white silk pocket square stuck out of his breast pocket, and one of his white-gloved hands was bent in front of his chest.
“Good evening,” the man said, his voice a little scratchy and wrinkles lining his face. “Thank you for coming. I was told to mention that this door holds a ward. As you pass through, any magic or potions currently applied to you will be stripped away. Also, that the staff here is armed with various weapons that are studded with or shoot silver. Should there be a problem, they will use them.”