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)
We crossed the space to the organized setup.
“Hi,” I said to the leader—Anthott, his name was.
He stared at me silently, his hands stiff at his sides.
“Do you need to flip a switch to activate him or something?” Hollace asked, wandering closer.
“Oh, Hollace, look at this one!” Cyra tramped across the rugs to get to the one she liked.
“Don’t step on those,” Jasper said softly through his teeth, trying to grab her.
“Why?” she asked, out of his reach. “They’re rugs. What do you do with them if not walk on them?”
“Solid logic,” Hollace drawled.
“It really is hard to argue with her at times,” Patty told Anthott, patting his forearm. He flinched slightly. “Well? Don’t keep Miss Ironheart waiting—what do you have for her?”
Sebastian and Nessa drifted in behind me. Edgar skulked around to the side, and the rest of my crew wandered closer to hear.
“Yes, Ironheart,” the gargoyle said crisply. “I stand ready to answer any questions.”
I grimaced at him. “Uhm…” I shook my head, looking at the rugs spread out behind him, then the perfectly folded or delicately draped items on the tables. “Well, why don’t you tell me a bit about your operation?”
“Artistically, stylistically, or mechanically?” he asked.
“This feels like a test,” Sebastian said. “At least it’s multiple choice.”
“Artistically,” Nessa stage-whispered. “Do artistically.”
I gestured Anthott on to say that that was fine.
“Yes, of course.” He turned ninety degrees. “There has often been a divide between purpose and art. If something is made for a working purpose, it is not generally crafted to be a piece of art. I blur those lines. I have simple rugs, as you see.” He lifted his hand to indicate a plain beige rug. “It can go with almost anything. It blends in to allow other things in the room to pop. It’s functional and durable and very boring. Or is it?”
“I’m going with no,” Nessa said, poking Sebastian. “What’s your guess?”
“There’s a face in it,” Hollace said.
Anthott craned his neck to see who’d spoken. “Interesting,” he murmured, looking again at the rug. “Any other guesses?”
I narrowed my eyes at it, realizing it wasn’t an all-beige rug but actually a series of dots in various shades similar to beige. When closely observed, the dots seemed to move, like they were forming patterns or pictures. It reminded me of Ivy House’s wood murals, which did actually move.
“I see a monster face,” Sebastian said. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “This is stressing me out. I don’t like inkblot tests.”
“How about this one?” Anthott led us around to a rug with a geometric pattern.
The more I looked, the more the shapes popped out, one by one, until it almost looked 3D.
“Weird,” I said. “I mean…cool, definitely. I haven’t seen anything like that before.”
“Better,” Sebastian said. “I like this one, actually. Except for the colors.”
“Yes, so the rugs can be plain at first glance but take on a life of their own once studied,” Anthott said, walking us around to another. “The inkblot beige, the geometric purple. And now we get to the type of rug I sent you. This is a harder rug to create. It is a statement piece all its own. In the right hands, it creates interest and depth. It elevates a room. In the wrong hands—”
“It’s hideous,” Edgar said, nodding slowly. He’d drifted toward one of the cairn’s gargoyles, nearly shoulder to shoulder. The gargoyle didn’t seem to notice.
“Exactly, yes,” Anthott agreed, seemingly not offended. “It would’ve been better to send you something simple, probably, but I find that there is an emotional charge with rugs like this. I’ve found that people either like them or hate them.”
“What if she’d hated it?” Hollace asked.
“It wouldn’t have mattered. It was the emotional reaction I wanted. Any emotional reaction. It’s that emotional connection that would make me memorable. I made sure to put it in a well-made and more traditional trunk, and to include some luxury apparel in a bland color. It would make the rug stand out.”
“Huh.” Hollace peered over my shoulder. “Smart.”
“All of these rugs are made to be used. They are made for foot traffic. But the materials are good quality, too, soft enough to make love on.”
Nessa’s eyebrows climbed high, and her mouth popped open with a smile. “Tell me you’re a gargoyle without telling me you’re a gargoyle…”
“We’ve found Ulric and Jasper’s people,” Hollace said, laughing.
Anthott paused in obvious confusion.
“Never mind.” Nessa waved him away. “What else ya got? I see trunks over there. Are they sturdy enough to lock Edgar in them?”
“I’m not sure I’ll like that game,” Edgar said, backing up now.
“Come on, Edgar, you’ll never know until you try.”
FIFTEEN
Jessie
“Venavin had the better material in the textiles,” Austin said as our limo driver brought us to the restaurant we’d used for other high-profile visitors. Austin had listened to the alphas’ spiels, given a detailed look at all the products on display, and asked intelligent and insightful business questions that had blindsided Pierce and not at all thrown Anthott.