Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Austin adjusted his stance, slipping his hands into his pockets.
Sebastian wilted a little. “Unsavory, I told you. It’s—”
“You misinterpret my posture,” Austin said. “That’s ingenious. Masterful, even. I think your ability will be a great help when Jessie is dealing with cunning and sly opponents who are openly her adversaries…”
Sebastian put up a finger. “And that is exactly what you are about to walk into. Their range of emotions and expectations regarding Jessie are all over the place, as evidenced by the connection requests. Most of them didn’t know whether to treat her as a Jane or a gargoyle. The top tier, the cream, as Patty said, were just as scattered. One hinted that they’d done their homework—the sculpture. One showed their own status—the bracelet. One just randomly sent you a car—I bet that was about monetary worth. The carriage was the only one that hinted at your status in the community. A leader. A pinnacle of success. But that very gift makes zero sense in the modern world. The cairn that sent it must be vastly out of touch, and whatever they think it’s going to be like meeting you is probably going to slap them in the face.”
He paused to let all of that sink in. Austin didn’t comment. Sebastian had some very good points. Points Patty had been circling since all of this had started.
“You are very good at reading people, Austin Steele,” Sebastian said. “I am very good at reading motivations. Political motivations, motivations based on power, manipulations—I’ve survived all these years through my ability to read the room. And this room is going to turn hostile very, very quickly. You need to prepare for the worst. For war.”
FIVE
Austin
Later that night, Austin sat at the little table in Jessie’s room, looking out over the darkened grounds. She lay cozy in her bed behind him, the sheets pulled up to her neck and her hair fanned out across the pillow. Her soft snores drifted across the room, the sound tranquil and safe. She was protected.
For now.
He drummed his fingertips against his thigh, watching Edgar in the moonlight as the vampire attempted to stand up the flowers that had been crushed earlier in the day. It looked like he was tying sticks around their bases and staking them in the ground. That vampire was not right in the head.
Austin let his gaze slide away, noticing a shape looming not far behind Edgar. Large and hairy, it peered out of the trees. Austin couldn’t tell from this distance, but he guessed it was the basandere watching Edgar’s antics. Or maybe just waiting for him to leave so she could sneak a few more flowers. Both she and the new basajaun had been given a large sampling earlier, and it was as though they’d grown up without sugar and were trying chocolate for the first time. Their sounds of delight could be heard throughout the yard. Dave’s joy was easily felt through the Ivy House link, along with his confidence. He thought he’d hooked them, that he’d get them to stay.
Austin hoped he was right. He hoped they’d tell their friends to come too. He needed them.
He let his gaze keep wandering, his mind whirling. He’d thought a lot about what Sebastian had said earlier. A lot. The mage had made some very good points.
At this point, they all expected at least a little pushback from the gargoyle leaders. He hadn’t thought of the possibility of their getting hostile, though. Thinking on it now, he honestly wasn’t sure why it hadn’t occurred to him.
Hadn’t Austin experienced something similar when he walked into this town and forced order? The hostility he’d faced hadn’t diminished until the troublemakers either left or submitted.
Growing up, he’d watched and/or helped Kingsley aid smaller packs that suffered from poor leadership. They’d had to force order there, too. They’d had to force change, and often that only came by fighting and physically removing the existing leadership.
Change was a tricky bitch. It was best done over time, gradually.
They didn’t have time.
Nathanial’s approach—to accrue guardians now, and work on winning over the leaders later—sounded good in theory, but it didn’t account for the status issue. Austin couldn’t imagine the better guardians wanting to work with them if Jess couldn’t guarantee them some modicum of status. To gain status, they’d need support from powerful gargoyles.
Jess would need to manipulate, coax, push, shove, and then dance around these leaders, working them around. To do that, she would need the help of Sebastian and Nessa. Niamh. Even Patty. Austin’s role would be territory stability.
He’d also need to provide the element of flashy sophistication that his brother managed so well.
He let out a breath slowly and thought about grabbing his phone.
Edgar had stood up all the crushed flowers, and now ventured into the trees in the direction of the statue Jess had received. Maybe he planned to move it. Or pickaxe it until it was destroyed.