Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“The lonely mountain dominated by a shifter pack,” Austin said as he turned.
“Yes.” Fred pointed at her screen. “That is noted in her file—not the pack or alpha name or anything, just that there is a shifter pack in this area. Two people came looking and didn’t return. The third was sent as a test.” She made a face. “He passed said test by also not returning. They are wondering if this pack killed her as well and are in process of sending in a team to get answers.”
“They won’t stop until they know for a fact,” Sebastian said. “And the only information you need to look up is why she left. I know all about her and her work. She is an absolute genius. Low in spell casting power, but that woman can dream up potions I never would’ve thought of. I’ve heard, anyway. She’s a legend. I cannot believe she is alive! And here!”
“But you didn’t recognize her?” Jessie asked.
“No. I’ve seen her from a distance, and that was in her work attire. Guild members are expected to dress well. Her appearance now, compared to then, is as different as Elliot Graves and…” He looked down at himself.
“But she recognized you,” Jessie pushed.
“And not Nessa,” he replied. “I was being dragged to and from torture sessions. They used me as a fear tactic for some Guild departments and, while they’d usually spare someone in a position as high as hers from the displeasure of seeing a torture subject, she had to work with the grunts. She dreams up the potions, but without the power, she has to instruct others how to materialize them. She would’ve seen me looking worse for wear, much like I am now. She clearly remembers.”
“Why’d she try to attack you?” Tristan asked.
Sebastian made a face. “Because she thinks Elliot Graves would make an example of her. He’d drag her into the public eye and viciously kill one of the Guild’s precious workers.”
“And would he?” Jessie asked.
It was Natasha who answered. “Depends on why she left. She helped the Guild orchestrate some atrocities. She’s complicit in their crimes. If she had no choice because they wouldn’t let her leave, that’s one thing. But doing it of your own free will?” She tsked. “An example would need to be made to show magical people that we will not stand for it.”
“If you were to try that here,” Austin said, “it seems Drex and his pack will try to stand in the way.”
“In the way of us,” Sebastian said, “and in the way of the Guild when they invariably break in and get what they came for. This pack clearly doesn’t understand the hell they are inviting to their doorstep.”
11
Jessie
The evening passed uneventfully, with a big cookout in the backyard and the taste test between the lasagnas. Sadly, for Austin and Nessa, both dishes were incredibly delicious, and people were so blinded by their tastebuds, they forgot which one they’d sampled in their hurry to get seconds.
I had to admit they were both incredible. I had a long history with lasagna. It’s the thing I made when someone needed dinners during a trauma recovery of some kind. It was a good potluck dish, or something that created a lot of leftovers and kept me from cooking for a few days. My lasagna, however, was mediocre at best, something to stave off hunger. I should’ve known Austin would create something exceptional. He always did, and I now knew Nessa was talented in the kitchen, too. It was obvious she loved cooking. If Austin were ever detained and Mr. Tom wasn’t around, I’d invite myself over to Nessa’s house for dinner.
I was finding all sorts of ways to keep from cooking.
Nessa had also made brownies, but they didn’t make it to the cookout. We each had one, and Tristan ate the rest. I had no idea how he kept his figure with the amount of chocolate he consumed. Jealousy might not become us, but it didn’t stop me from feeling it.
I stood in the kitchen as Mr. Tom tidied up after breakfast. He hadn’t waited to be invited over this morning. Instead, he’d stolen the front door key the night before and had let himself in before I’d gotten up. My pant suit had been pressed—by him—and my shoes shined. Also, by him.
I wasn’t wearing either.
Niamh had come over last night with a lot of rumors and speculation. The townspeople were wary about the mages but appreciated the quiet peacefulness of the community. They weren’t prone to raising a fuss. That is, until the mages randomly attacked visitors. Vistors the townspeople quite liked—Niamh was on her best behavior.
Those rumors, though, told in whispers, were nothing compared to what Sebastian and Nessa knew about Tilda. That mage had some serious explaining to do, starting with why she was endangering a pack and ending with why Drex was letting her.