Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
She shut the door behind him with a click.
Jessie lifted her eyebrows at the scene but was content to let Niamh handle it.
Nessa stared at the door for a moment. “Okay. That was unexpected, but not a problem. Let’s roll with it.” She faced Jessie. “He had the spell book you’ll be using. As you all know, our goal is to get some answers from our friend in there. To do that, we’ll use a mixture of intimidation and pain. I wondered, Mr. Alpha Steele, if we could use”—her finger moved through the air in front of the gathered people—“your rather dashing gorilla?” She winked at Broken Sue. “We promise to return him in one piece.”
Austin nodded, and Broken Sue walked forward, his expression hard and his eyes pinning Nessa to the wall behind her. Well, he tried, anyway. Her smile grew until she was practically beaming at him.
“I haven’t been in one piece for a great many years,” he growled softly.
“Even better,” she replied at the same volume. “I won’t have to be gentle.”
He stiffened just slightly, his muscles popping along his arms.
“Right, so.” Niamh resumed control. “I’ll be goin’ in, too, obviously.” She braced her hands on her hips. “Curses. I forgot to tell Edgar to grab the cooler.”
Nessa grimaced. “This first part might be a bit…tough to watch.”
Niamh laughed. “Dearie, ye don’t know what tough to watch looks like. Here, Ulric, go get me beer cooler, would ya?”
Cyra raised her hand. “Can I participate? I bet I could show you what ‘tough to watch’ looks like.”
“That sounds like a good challenge.” Hollace rubbed his hands together. “If only the basajaun were here. He’d be good at this.”
“He feels like he’s on his way into the area, and no”—Jessie stepped forward and put out her hand—“there will be no full-on torturing. Scare him, fine. Rough him up, okay. But I draw the line at torturing. That’s not how we do things.” She grimaced. “Hopefully.”
She meant hopefully, my gargoyle complies. Niamh had a feeling it wouldn’t.
“Well, okay, why not?” Nessa said, never troubled. “Let’s see if we can frighten information out of him without too much pain. I’m up for trying new things.”
Broken Sue glanced down at her, a question.
“Yes, you’re still needed.” She motioned him toward the cube.
“Wait.” Niamh held up her hand. “Give Edgar a little more time. He’ll have our trespasser plenty loosened up in another few minutes. That vampire can unsettle the hardest of ’em.”
TWELVE
My magic thrummed through me in strong waves. Austin stood beside me, waiting for Niamh’s cue to enter the room. She had apparently taken over. When she gave a nod, Sebastian entered first, putting up a defensive spell just in case. He may not have accepted my gargoyle’s offer of a connection, but I could feel the emotions of those around me now, so I knew he was in Elliot Graves mode. His emotions had stagnated, as though he didn’t feel anything at all.
Nessa started to go next, but Broken Sue covered her shoulder with his hand. “Let me,” he grunted, gently moving her to the side and entering the room ahead of her. He had to turn a bit sideways to make it through the door, and I knew Austin would have to do the same. I bet that was by design. It would make them look bigger, larger than life. Compared to almost all mages, they would surely seem that way.
“Quite the gentleman, cutting in front of a lady,” Niamh said sarcastically.
“Don’t you listen to her, Mr. Gorilla,” Nessa chirped. “I am positively swooning.” She flashed me a smile before bounding in after him.
Niamh put out her hand for me, peering into the room. “Not yet, Jessie.” She then glanced around us. “Earl, we’ll need you guarding the door. Right in front, like. Put on yer best disguise so he won’t see ya.”
Mr. Tom puffed up his chest. “I do not answer to you, woman. Miss?”
I shot Austin a bewildered look. Niamh clearly subscribed to the power of eccentricity. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”
Ulric jogged back in carrying Niamh’s cooler. He stopped near her, probably hoping the errand had granted him admission into the room.
She said to Austin, “Do you have a chair? A folding one. Battered up would be good.”
He nodded to one of his people, who took off at a jog.
“What is it you’re aiming for?” I asked her as she directed Ulric to join the others.
She glanced in after him, then waited for Mr. Tom to finish donning a brown coat with the sleeves rolled up, a pipe, and the Elvis glasses with the glued-on sideburns. He turned and took his post by the door.
“No, not here, ya donkey,” Niamh said. “On the inside. In case he gets loose, like.”
“That is preposterous,” he replied. “That room is going to be crowded. I’ll guard you from the outside.”