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)
It was his eyes that made him stand out. They looked almost like glowing embers. His face seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him from the pictures I’d studied.
“Hello,” I said, wiping the sweat off my face. “Can I help you?”
He surveyed me for a long moment as the mages continued to yell above us.
“Shall I shake the words out of him?” Dave asked, and two of the basajaunak must’ve thought that was a great idea because they stepped forward to help.
The gargoyle raised his hands a little higher. “As a security measure, I had hoped to scout the location for tonight’s dinner. I knocked on the door, but no one answered.”
“When no one answered, you decided you might as well go on a little trespassing expedition?” I braced my hands on my hips as I caught my breath.
“I heard shouting and decided to trespass enough to check it out, yes.” He shook his head at me, his stare so intense it could rival Naomi’s. “Your gargoyle form is…unlike anything I have ever seen. Stories don’t do the female gargoyle justice.”
“Yeah. What I lack in the wings department, I make up for in the sparkly glamour area. What access did you need? The house? The yard?”
A smile flitted across his features. “Your magic is powerful.”
“Yes, I got it from the house.”
“I heard. Forgive me; I’m struggling to process everything. Do you practice like this all the time? It looked like you were in a life-or-death situation.”
“We practice in a way that’ll hopefully help us in battle. Have you battled much…?”
“Tristan.”
Ah. He was the lead enforcer for Gimerel.
“Have you battled much, Tristan? Where the enemy had more resources than you and their sole purpose was to kill you?”
“They did not intend to kill you last time, miss,” Dave said. “They planned to kill us. You, they planned to kidnap and torture.”
I blinked up at Tristan slowly. “Yes, Dave, thanks for refreshing my memory.”
A little line formed between Tristan’s eyebrows. His eyes seemed to burn, the glowing intensifying. I stood strangely transfixed, practically feeling the humor and fascination emanating from him.
“You expect more battles?” Tristan asked.
“Yes. Always.” My fatigue got the better of me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to start preparing for dinner. Mr. Tom will be down shortly—I think he’s hanging on to make sure the mages don’t die—and then he can show you whatever you’d like.”
He still had his hands raised in the sky as I walked around him and toward the house. At any other time I might have laughed, but today I just couldn’t find the humor. Sebastian had been a problem in this training, and he was only one mage. We’d taken far too long in bringing him down. Momar would be bringing in many more mages to act against Kingsley. We had to do better.
“Miss Jessie, I would like to speak with you,” Dave said, his one stride matching two of mine.
I slowed and stopped again, squinting into the sun. “Sure, what’s up?”
The yelling above stopped, the gargoyles apparently having decided the mages had had enough.
Dave smiled down at me, his heavy mustache splitting to reveal his large teeth. “I wondered if you would allow your wood to play host to more of the basajaunak? I have offered my mountain, but now that the gargoyles are here, I would like to stay closer. That means they would like to stay closer, as well.”
“Sure, Dave, that’s fine. You’ll just need to work out with Edgar which flowers can be eaten when.”
“Yes, Miss Jessie, I figured as much. Her will be in charge here, since she has been given the task of waking up the woods. The visiting basajaunak will respect her and the environment—I hope you know that.”
“Yeah, it’s totally fine. No problem—”
“And in repayment of your hospitality, they will help protect you and the wood.” He lowered his volume a little. “I think they are eager to do it. We were already en route here when I felt the stranger’s presence on Ivy House soil. Given you were all busy, I thought the situation needed my attention. They were quick to volunteer their help.”
I smiled, patting his forearm. “That’s really awesome, Dave. Thank you for hosting them until now. It means a lot.”
“My pleasure, Miss Jessie.” His smile broadened. “Shall I invite them to trail the gargoyle while he is outside? I do not like his curiosity.”
“Sure, if you think they would want to and it wouldn’t put me out too much in trade.”
“No.” He winked. “They will enjoy themselves, I think. The gargoyle behind you was trying not to show his wariness, and it was not working!” Dave started to laugh. “Did you see his face?” He laughed harder.
“Right. Okay.” I stepped away a little. “Is that all, or…”
“Yes.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I knew they would come. I knew they would.”