Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Hi,” Cyra called. “Remember me?”
“We’re not supposed to notice people,” Hollace told her.
“Well, that’s rude. Oh, look, Indigo, there’s Drew!”
“Drex,” Indigo replied. “He was really sweet. Very good patient. He looks good in that suit.”
“Shhh,” someone said, and Austin couldn’t tell if it was the same person as before.
“Ah sure, let them at it,” Niamh drawled. “Maybe they’ll get challenged. Pity I forgot my cooler.”
“You’re making a mockery of the miss,” Mr. Tom admonished her.
“She’s well used to it by now with ye hangin’ about in those ratty tuxes,” Niamh replied.
A shifter they passed sneered at the messiness of the showing. Another huffed in derision and turned away, showing disrespect.
Ordinarily, something like that in a situation like this would bring a flash of rage. Austin would need to battle his beast to keep from stepping out of line and beating that shifter into submission. But his beast was subdued right now. Calm and patient. He didn’t need to assert dominance, he realized, because he already owned it. He just hadn’t proven it yet, and doing so now was beneath him.
They reached the stage. Jess’s hand was squeezing his, her knuckles tight. Her jaw was clenched, her body tense as she tried to keep her roiling aggression contained while hiding the effects from the crowd of onlookers. He didn’t bother telling her it was a futile effort. She advertised her every thought, and this was no different.
Let them think she didn’t have any discipline or control. Let them sidle up to her with their condescension and smirks. He wouldn’t shield them from the outcome of that folly. Some lessons needed to be learned the hard way.
He and Jess walked to the edge of the stage to allow their people to line up. Ulric and Jasper grabbed Indigo and Cyra and marched them to where they were supposed to stand. They were trying to help. The result was comical. Sue and Tristan closed them in and finally Austin led Jess to their place at the front.
“Welcome,” he said. Half the crowd went still and the other half fluttered wings and shifted their weight. “Thank you for joining us for the first ever Dusky Ridge conclave. As you can see, this won’t be a similar conclave to those that you might’ve heard about in the past. For one, our convocation houses more than just shifters. The second reason is we will not tolerate unsanctioned violence, as you have been previously warned. Challenges will be held in a designated location with appropriate staff. Being that challenges mean something different to each magical species, if multiple magical types are included in the challenge, the nature of the challenge and the risks will be properly explained. The participants will have an option to bow out.
“If you incite violence outside of sanctioned challenges, our people will put you down hard and fast. That might be with force, and it might be with magic. Alphas and cairn leaders will be held accountable for their people. If you don’t have control over your people, this is not the place for you. If you ignore that warning and there is a problem”—a growl laced his words—“I will handle you personally.”
He let the threat linger. His power pumped. Jess fidgeted beside him, her gargoyle thrashing to make a show of aggression to back up his claims.
“We have planned dinners and cocktails and cookouts,” he went on, “so that magical types might mingle and get to know each other. Please keep an open mind. All of our customs are different. We present ourselves in different ways. The slight you feel might not have been intended. Or you might give offense accidentally. Communication is key to preventing unneeded challenges. Gargoyles…don’t challenge shifters just for sport. You’d hate to accidentally get dead.”
The gargoyles laughed. A few pushed each other. Gerard nodded with a smile, turning to point at a few people.
“I feel attacked,” someone said, laughing.
The shifters looked over. There were no grins. Wariness showed in a few tense shoulders or with clenching jaws. Condescension and derision showed in plenty as well. Some, though, were curious. The generational alphas largely didn’t give anything away at all.
“You may not know that my brother, Alpha Kingsley Barazza, was the first to try to unite the shifters. We are better together. Stronger. He met with some roadblocks. I have joined his cause, and with me, my mate. For those of you who don’t know, this is Jessie Ironheart, mistress of Ivy House. She is the only known living female gargoyle and has healing and sorcery magic. She has opened my eyes to the need for more than just shifters to unite. We need an organization where everyone has an equal voice. First this will be in the name of defense. Later, hopefully, it will be with equality in mind.