Magical Midlife Conclave

Chapter 1

Kingsley pulls up to his house, exhausted, when his phone buzzes. Unknown Austin number. He grabs his bag and the flowers he bought, climbs out, and answers. His mind is on the training consuming them all since Austin told him about the conclave. There will be rules limiting how many pack members can be brought inside territory lines, but that offers no real assurance. The sheer power amassed will make some shifters spiral, act out, push for dominance, possibly rage mindlessly. Kingsley wants his people ready to help Austin at a moment's notice. They have seven months. Despite the danger, Austin is on the verge of making a major name for himself. He won't be "Black Sheep Barazza" anymore. His ingenuity in structuring the conclave is incredible. He and Jessie are fusing the best each species has to offer. Kingsley smiles, slings his bag over his shoulder, balances the flowers, and walks up the path. He slides the screen to answer.

The voice is deep and growling, heavily laced with command, and says his name: Kingsley Barazza. Kingsley doesn't recognize it. His hackles rise. He checks the screen. Definitely unknown. Who the hell has his private number? He replies with a wary yes. The man says he got the number from Austin, then adds "Steele" like an afterthought. That's odd. Austin would usually give him a heads-up. Kingsley waits silently as he opens the front door. The soft, spicy smell of home greets him. He drops his pack and heads toward the kitchen.

The man says his name is Aljoe, given to him by the Ivy House crew. He says Kingsley would know him by his former name: Yazanth. Then he pauses and adds, "Golden Fang." Adrenaline jolts through Kingsley and he freezes just inside the archway of the great room. His hand clenches, crushing the flower stems. Earnessa looks up from the kitchen counter in concern. Austin is going to get hell for this. Of all the people to let blindside him. Kingsley forces out the word "Alpha," trying to keep his cool. It is not easy. Yazanth Golden Fang is a legend in the shifter community, only a teen when he was forced to take over his large, powerful pack. The very people who had worked with his father turned on him in the name of greed. He fought tooth and nail to keep that pack whole, protecting it against glory seekers and challengers from outside and within. Despite all that, he made the territory blossom. Then, in his final act as alpha, he turned the pack over to his sisters and walked away. He sacrificed his own future to protect theirs. And that legendary alpha just called Kingsley on his private line like a friend. Kingsley forces himself to loosen his grip on the flowers. He takes a deep breath, keeps walking, and shakes his head to ward off Earnessa's alarm.

Aljoe mentions Austin told him of his plans to join their convocation. Kingsley nearly rushes to assure him the knowledge has been kept in the family, but he tempers his urgency and simply confirms Austin did tell him. This alpha isn't much older than Kingsley, but Kingsley still feels like a child being allowed at the adult table. Most alphas would. A planet being compared to the sun. A Honda parked next to a Ferrari. Aljoe thanks him. Kingsley tries to smile at his mate as he presents her the flowers, but his expression is frozen in shock, or maybe reverence. Thank God he is at home. This would be embarrassing if he were still training or walking into the office. Kingsley asks what he can do for him, Alpha. Aljoe asks him to call him Aljoe, since his title within the convocation is still being determined. Kingsley asks forgiveness but mentions Austin said he goes by the name John now. Earnessa freezes. She knows who he is talking to. Aljoe confirms he chose John. John Smith. A normal member of society. Kingsley barely stops himself from snorting. He points out that a rogue with Aljoe's power and prestige was never going to blend into society.

Aljoe growls, correcting him: his power and the scars of his past. He explains he had been forced to inharmoniously live in basajaunak territory. Fighting them for the privilege of staying was preferable to pitchforks and torches. Kingsley asks how the name Aljoe came about. He sits down on the couch. Earnessa stops in front of him with a beer in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. She lifts her eyebrows. He gestures at the beer and mouths thank you. Aljoe explains that like Kingsley nearly did, and his daughter and Sue before him, people kept stopping themselves when calling him Alpha. The vampire got confused, mixed up Joe and John, and here we are. He didn't choose the name. It chose him. Kingsley laughs about Ivy House antics, saying he was once chased around by a bunch of dolls in that house. Aljoe growls in agreement. The house thinks messing with him is a fun pastime. He can't seem to get on top of it. Kingsley advises him to just ignore it and the house will lose interest. Aljoe says that's what Jessie said, except it hasn't. He woke up this morning with a doll standing at the end of his bed, staring at him in the low light. Kingsley barks out laughter. He can't help it. The scene is unexpected, as is the flat way Aljoe conveys it. Aljoe says he naturally tried to kick the thing off, but it scampered away too fast and giggled as it ran out of the room. He has almost stopped running from the gnomes, though. Small victories. Kingsley runs his fingers through his hair and says it's a wonder he stays. Aljoe says this house will not beat him. Kingsley points out that is exactly why it keeps trying. Aljoe grunts. A shifter like him wouldn't stop trying until he'd won. It's why he held on to his pack against impossible odds.

Kingsley asks how he is finding the Ivy House crew. Aljoe says surprisingly pleasant. The basajunk are almost charming when they aren't trying to kill you. Imagine his surprise. Kingsley notes the mispronunciation but lets it go, not wanting to embarrass him. Instead he says it is absolutely incredible how Jessie has brought them into the fold. Aljoe agrees. Unheard of. His sisters think he is messing with them. Kingsley asks about the phoenix, odd as ever. Aljoe says the phoenix is eccentric. It's the computer person who is odd. Hilariously so. The thunderbird is cooler than he has ever been or ever will be. And the vampire gives him nightmares. Kingsley laughs again, responding to the color he can hear in the alpha's voice. He had always heard Golden Fang was as hard and stoic as they came. Not Aljoe. Clearly the Ivy House crew is rubbing off on him, or maybe the gargoyles, or the basajaunak. He can take his pick. Kingsley says that vampire is amazingly incredibly useful in battle. Out of the blue, he appears exactly where and when you need him, followed by that gal pal of his. Aljoe mentions Nessa, his shadow. He has been told about her but hasn't seen it in action. She has some energy thing she's working on. He hadn't heard of that particular magic, but if she can break through whatever blockage she seems to have in her power, or efficiency, or whatever is going on, then she might be a real asset. Kingsley remembers Nessa doing something with energy when Jessie was hurt in battle. He would have asked how she could be an asset, but it doesn't sound like Aljoe understands the particulars. He will need to remember to ask Austin.

Kingsley asks how he is settling into Austin's territory. Aljoe releases a breath and pauses before answering. He asks if Kingsley was here once before. Kingsley confirms he was there to help his brother get established. He was there when the phoenix first came in. Aljoe says he half wants to take that phoenix on to see if he can best her. Kingsley says he didn't, laughing. Aljoe laughs too, definitely looser than Kingsley had ever heard he could be. Aljoe says then he won't have to guess why he hasn't. He pauses again. He says Austin has a lot of power in this territory and a rock-solid strategy and structure to manage it. He's an incredible alpha. Kingsley widens his eyes. Praise like that from Yazanth Golden Fang is few and far between. Aljoe says that territory is wound very tightly, but Austin has the ability to manage it. Kingsley agrees. His betas help with that. Sue has come into his own here. Aljoe says he heard of Sue, that the meddling puca told him his original name and pack, but he wasn't someone he cared to learn more about. He was a middling alpha who adequately managed his pack. Great fitness reports, but no real aspirations for territory expansion. Kingsley had looked him up too. Sue didn't have any proper alpha training. He didn't have anyone to learn from. Aljoe says he's a natural. He could have reached, but he didn't. He thinks Sue didn't have anyone to challenge him. Anyone to push him. Kingsley agrees. Aljoe says now he does. Austin seems to have a real affinity for coaxing the best out of his people. No ego, no bluster, just expectation and a helping hand when it's needed. He said Kingsley taught him everything he knows.

Kingsley huffs. He trained him, that's true enough. The nuts and bolts of being an alpha wasn't hard to teach him. His struggle was with his beast. Kingsley couldn't help him there. He had to work through that the hard way. Since he has, the student has far surpassed the teacher. Aljoe tells him he can tell Kingsley believes that, but he isn't giving himself nearly enough credit. The foundations of Austin's knowledge are excellent. His training is rock solid and iron tight. Aljoe doesn't recall Kingsley being this well trained. It shows how he has grown as an alpha, surpassing his own teachers. He commends him. Most generational alphas are stunted by tradition, but Kingsley continued to grow. Kingsley can feel his face heating, a surge of pride infusing him. And now Yazanth Golden Fang is complimenting him. Was this real life or had he slipped into a dreamscape? He thanks him, saying that means a lot coming from him. He mentions he followed Aljoe's career and picked up little hints and tricks along the way. Aljoe says why reinvent the wheel if someone is already doing it better. Kingsley chuckles. He mentions he is still adjusting to the change in dynamics. He has learned the Ivy House crew is easy to get along with if you exist within the chaos, to trust in the team and give up trying to form any sort of cohesive structure, and to tune out the various random comments and bickering.

Aljoe says they are a different walk of life, yes. He thinks Jessie is the only one who can properly manage them. He was worried about her seemingly loose hold on the reins, but when she was here, he let her do as she would. He was glad he did. Kingsley says he can see how the loyalty was created. He himself has been sucked into her orbit. Aljoe pauses again. He says he is just going to come out and say it. The gargoyles are doing his head in. All of them, the females included. Garhettes, he guesses. Their insistence on bumping and jostling, touching, is fraying his control. The females don't mean any harm, and he is trying to acclimate himself to that, but the males do it to get a rise. That is not as easy to ignore. Kingsley assumes he hasn't mentioned this to Austin or Brochan. Aljoe notes that Brochan goes by Sue now, the comment seeming offhanded, as though randomly changing names seemed normal to him. No, he should be able to figure out how to exist in a pack, even if he is on the outskirts of it. Kingsley tells him he is in the Ivy House crew, so he is in the middle of things, but he hears what he is saying. Pride is preventing him from asking. It is training. To look lost and confused, to show a lack of control, reduces one's status in a pack, especially as an alpha. It makes you look weak, and weakness invites challenges. Aljoe, above everyone, can never afford to let down his guard.

Kingsley tells him in an even tone that he knows Aljoe knows this, but he needs to constantly remind himself, so he will remind him. That convocation is not a pack. He is in something new that is constantly evolving. Austin and Sue, more than anyone else, except maybe Aurora, realize this. If he needs a road map, catch them when they are having a beer at the bar, or hanging around Ivy House, and ask them about it. Aljoe grunts in acknowledgment, but Kingsley isn't sure his words will be enough to override the decades of survival mechanisms now ingrained. He will probably think he should handle it, and so he will try, and he will probably blow up and kill someone. Because yes, those gargoyles can rile up a shifter in the worst ways, and they know it. They delight in the ensuing challenge. They wouldn't know the level of raw, lethal power they would unleash with Yazanth Golden Fang, not until it is too late.

Chapter 2

The Crystal Room

Sebastian scratches his head with a paintbrush, unsure why he has one. He looks around his messy workstation in the crystal room, the sublevel of Ivy House where all the magic originates. The first female gargoyle and her sorcery magic linger, watching him. A pot holds a congealed mess from an experimental potion gone wrong. Papers lie on the ground with layouts and notes about border areas weak for defense. They appeared a few days ago on the clean table where Ivy House places things to help him. He mentioned wanting a sounding board, and then a plant appeared. Then a vampire, Edgar, showed up accusing him of stealing natural components for his garden. Sebastian tattled on Edgar to Jessie.

Nessa strolls in. Sebastian jumps and jabs himself in the cheek with the paintbrush. She takes it from him. She peers into his eyes, assessing his wellbeing. They need an edge against Momar. She says she talked with Edgar. Sebastian is dumbfounded. She pulls the pot off the burner, organizes papers, opens a folding table near the crystals, and gathers books onto it. She says they need a bookcase because these are old volumes. She pulls out her phone to take notes. She says Edgar is making a shrine in the woods. Sebastian says he knows and already told Jessie. Nessa says Jessie had her look into it. She thinks Sebastian should talk to Edgar. He would rather not; he fears he would agree to a garden party with gnomes and end up roasted over a spit. She scolds him about staying up for days, reminding him they are not hidden away anymore. They have people counting on them. Jessie is a target and they are part of her defense. He must be lucid. He claims he did sleep. She threatens to put Mr. Tom in charge if he does not regulate himself. He begs her not to. She gives him one chance. He looks for his phone, left it somewhere. She sighs and yanks a parchment from under the replacement plant Edgar provided. He murmurs about invisible ink. She says it is not pee. He started to undo his belt because he thought it might be, and Ivy House cut the lights. Ivy House does that when he is on the wrong track.

Nessa tells Ivy House to cut the lights in whatever room Sebastian is in if he needs to sleep. Do not let him stay up past the delirium stage. Force him out, that will help Jessie. The lights flicker. Sebastian mumbles that it is probably for the best. He knows he will hate it because he hates walking away in the middle of something, but he is always working on two or three things at a time. There is never a good time to pause. He has to be forced.

They exit into interior hallways that run like veins throughout the house. A few turns and they are suddenly outside. Early July sunshine blinds him. Dave sits on the grass behind Ivy House with two other basajaunak. The only area not torn up in Naomi's efforts to redo the backyard. Jessie gave Naomi a wish list and Naomi will probably exceed her wildest dreams. Sebastian hopes Edgar does not sneak in any shrines. He does not recognize the other basajaunak. They are scary. Pleasant most of the time, but one glimpse of them in battle ruins their good sides forever. At any moment, the aggressive side could emerge. Sebastian murmurs that he bets Momar is training mages to withstand the fear of other magical types. Momar is smart enough to know primal fear is debilitating, and mages are not used to that terror. They froze in the battle at Kingsley's. Nessa plays devil's advocate, saying they froze in the skirmish at Drex's too, so if they were being trained, that would not have happened. Drex is an alpha whose territory they recently visited. Mages were hiding in the woods, waiting to strike. The basajaunak could communicate through the trees. They should have felt the lurkers. They knew something was not right but did not know what. Momar had figured out how to strip away one of Jessie's defensive measures. He has to be working on the others with a team of powerful, intelligent mages. Jessie only has Sebastian.

Sebastian says those mages were expendable. Momar seemed to be waiting for Jessie and would know those mages would never survive. They got only rudimentary information. They were not prized. Nessa asks where he would get a basajaun to test on. Sebastian chews his lip. Nessa tugs his hand to keep him moving. He murmurs that anyone can be abducted with the right magic. Momar knew how to hide from them, which takes research and practice. They need to ask Dave to send word through his relatives, asking if anyone has gone missing or if they have found mages sneaking around. They can smell magic if it has been used. Nessa stops and pulls out her phone again. Sebastian says shifters next. They would need to practice on shifters. Abducting them would be easier. Nessa says paying them to cooperate would be easy too. Maybe both.

Bushes rustle on the right, then the left. Sebastian whispers about the gnome hunt. Nessa says it is terrible. The gnomes keep making friends with Edgar's flowers and convincing the flowers to turn on Edgar. Edgar is distraught, but the basajaunak are gleeful because the killer flowers are good eating. Sebastian asks if they are deadly. Nessa says yes, which apparently also makes them good sport for the basajaunak. Cyra keeps trying to burn the woods down around them, but Ivy House is cock-blocking her, Nessa's words. Nessa has been asked to seek out Patty, who scares the gnomes. Sebastian murmurs that they need to get the gnomes on their side, squinting at the shadows in case of ambush. He could use magic to seek them out, but he is too tired for mundane spells. Nessa is right. This is dangerous. He has more duties now than just playing with potions and reading spell books. He has to be more alert in case a battle lands on their doorstep, and eventually that will happen. Nessa says they need a lot of things.

The Clearing

Edgar waits in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by lounging basajaunak. Cyra stands next to a tree, facing an outcropping of ferns, hands out. Indigo sits on a large branch in an oak, surveying from above. Edgar turns to them with his hands pulled into his chest and fingers dangling down. He calls Sebastian the plant thief. Sebastian sighs and says Ivy House did that. He has better things to do than wander out here in search of potted plants. Indigo asks what could be better than searching for a prized potted plant. She is serious. Edgar affirms. He says the foot does not fit the shoe. Sebastian blinks, wondering if that should make sense and does not, or does make sense and should not. Nessa prompts Edgar to tell Sebastian what he wants to do. Edgar lowers his hands and clasps his long, spindly fingers. He knows Jessie is against his accidentally aggressive flowers, and while he admits they are in experimental stages, he thinks this is the perfect place for a shrine. Sebastian blinks slowly. He is much too tired for this. He asks if it is a shrine for the flowers. Edgar gives him a patient smile. No, not for the flowers, though he likes the way Sebastian thinks. Indigo suggests bronze. It would catch the light correctly. Edgar nods. Until then, they can make a shrine out of the people who are fooled into wandering into this clearing. Sebastian should set up a series of fake magical pitfalls that trespassers will avoid. They will magic through the weaker areas, thinking Sebastian is not perfect and they are much smarter, and they will sneak through here. This clearing. Then the flowers will kill them gruesomely, and they will make a shrine that Niamh can send into the spider web. Everyone stares at him like it is a plan fully formed. Maybe they are all too tired. Sebastian asks, spider web? Nessa says internet. She puts a hand on Sebastian's arm. She reminds him how she and Edgar always seem to turn up at the right place and the right time. Sebastian runs his hand down his face. Yes. She explains that Edgar has an incredible sixth sense when it comes to impending danger. After more studying, thanks to Ivy House's resources and... her cheeks color red. She is probably thinking about Tristan. That happens a lot lately. The gargoyle-monster is doing what no one else has been able to do, break through her thick walls and work his way into her soft, scarred, squishy middle. She is not making it easy on him, fighting it till the last. Sebastian hopes Tristan does not give up before she finally relents. She is such a good person. She deserves someone to whisk her off her feet and take care of her in a way no one else ever has. She deserves to finally trust someone with her heart, her past, and especially her future. She needs a mate who will love her as completely as she is capable of loving in return. Sebastian blurts, I love you. You deserve the best. He meant that for Nessa but forgot to pull his dazed eyes away from the vampire. Edgar's slow smile spreads across his thin face. His canines gleam. He says that is very nice to hear. He always thought they were the best of friends. It is nice to know that is true. Nessa pauses with her mouth open. Sebastian whispers, oh no. Indigo claps and says yay. Nessa's eyes glitter, her smile wicked. Best friends, all around. Sebastian clutches his neck. He just professed brotherly love to a vampire. Nessa says Edgar will want to chat about that later, but they have business to discuss. Sebastian starts to object, but Edgar nods and says let us not get ahead of ourselves, even though this is the best of times.

Nessa goes on. She has learned she can sense and map ley lines. She can feel and trace, and use, their energy. It is part of her magic. While Edgar does not have the same type of magic, he has an innate ability to tap into the energy currents around him. He always thought his premonitions of danger were intuition, and while part of that is true, he has learned to clue in when he feels danger in the energy currents. It is a survival mechanism that helped him avoid the vampire-hunting parties. Edgar says they were tenacious. Indigo says he can sample the winds of time. Nessa drawls a kinda. Sebastian surmises that Edgar can read intent. Nessa shrugs and says that is a fine way to think about it. Edgar blinks at him, one eye closing before the other. He does not finish. Sebastian asks why he needs to think about this. Nessa says they are going to need him to follow Edgar's plan to the letter and put in the type of magic he asks for, in exactly the places he asks for it. She points at her feet. It will lead to this clearing, which will have an assortment of killer flowers. Sebastian says Jessie said not to use those flowers in case they kill lost hikers. Edgar says hikers are trespassers too. Indigo nods. Nessa holds up her hand. They do not want to kill hikers. And they will not. These woods are full of basajaunak. They can sense the hikers through the trees. They will get rid of those. Ivy House can feel those. It is the people the basajaunak cannot feel that they are concerned about. The ones Ivy House cannot sense. Sebastian has now come up with three potions to get onto these grounds undetected. He is working on counteracting those, which is great, but what if they come up with a different potion he has not figured out how to counteract? They need a plan B in case they get through. Edgar says, if you build it, he will come. Sebastian furrows his brow. Who will? Kevin Costner, Edgar says. Nessa waves that away. He is quoting Field of Dreams, the movie. They are not expecting this to happen right away, but it is better to get things set up now just in case. Sebastian takes a deep breath. Yeah, fine. He does not have the energy to do this right now. Nessa says she knows. Edgar has to map out the route. Sebastian asks why she dragged him out here. She could have just explained all this. Because he needs to hear the information from the source to make connections she never would think of. She wanted him to start thinking about it so he is ready when they are. Sebastian rubs his eyes. He does not bother arguing. It is rare she is wrong. Okay. Let us walk back and I will explain the ley lines. She grabs his hand again. Thanks, Edgar. Indigo. She waves and tugs him back toward the house. She will chat with him later. Edgar calls, bye, bestie. Indigo says he should get him a locket. You show up in a picture, right? I never thought to try one. Edgar says he does. He is very handsome in all his pictures. Sebastian murmurs, oh no, and Nessa starts laughing.

The Library

Nessa will not let him go straight up to bed, something about it being the afternoon and his needing to keep normal hours. Neither will she let him head back down to the crystal room to pass the time. Instead, she suggests he go to the library and think about things. She does not say what things, not that she ever needs to. He has a million quandaries he wants to research at any given time. Most of that requires clarity of thought, something he does not much have at present. The library's large double doors stand open. He steps in and feels calmness wash over him. Naomi renovated it into a magical place that still carries the old-world feel. The high ceiling is ribbed with dark beams carved with ivy. The air is cool, even on the hottest day. Ivy House regulates the temperature to preserve the old volumes lining the rows upon rows of shelving. Flowers and

Chapter 3

Six months remain until the Conclave, and Jessie knows the time will pass in a blink. Preparation is crucial. She slips on her muumuu as the sun sinks. Sweat covers her limbs and she has not caught her breath. A newer guardian and his buddy give her a thumbs-up, calling her strong. Many gargoyles are arriving in droves to join the team.

At the clothes pile, Tristan meets her. He asks how she feels. She shrugs and falls in step, saying she thinks she has the flight pattern down. He confirms she looks great up there. She admits Sebastian's spells are weak. They will work on most non-magicals but not against a magical shield. Tristan explains Sebastian, Niamh, and Nessa all think Momar will not make a large-scale move yet. He wants information first, so weaker spells are safer. Jessie knows it is true, but it feels like a waste. Conclave first. Attacking mages after. They need their army. Without it, they lack enough power.

Jessie sighs at the crazy turn her life has taken. She is trying to amass an army. Tristan says he thought he would wander forever. Now he is putting down roots in a small town in the Sierra foothills and trusting his life and past secrets to a female gargoyle, her off-kilter team, and a little sprite who has stolen his heart. Jessie lifts her eyebrows, surprised he admits it. He says there is no point hiding it. She offered him a life, and for the first time he dreams of a future. Jessie asks if the sprite knows. Tristan rubs his neck. No. He does not know if she will ever give in to her feelings. It does not matter. Hope springs eternal. Tears prick Jessie's eyes. Since when is he a poet? He asks if that counts as poetry. She laughs and hugs him. They will all get a happy ending, she says, as soon as she is back to exploding heads. He adds and other clichés and stuff. She laughs. There is one thing. He never told her about his mysterious past. He pauses. One day. Hope springs eternal, she replies.

The Invitations

Mimi is in the back sitting room with Austin, Sue, Aljoe, and Aurora, organizing invitations to be sent today. Jessie needs to meet them before meeting Niamh at the bar. Niamh wants to talk with Austin and Jessie and scoffed at doing it here over dinner. Tristan asks to shower. Jessie says he does not need to ask. He says Mr. Tom always reminds him a guest should ask permission. Jessie sighs and says she will tell Mr. Tom he is welcome anytime. Tristan asks why he would spoil his fun. She rolls her eyes.

After her shower, hair wet, she heads down. Tristan has beaten her there, drinking from a white mug, probably coffee. Extravagant personalized invitations are spread across a table. Mimi tells Austin he cannot hold grudges. He has heard alphas talk dirty about him. He must treat them as if they did not. Austin points at Aljoe, who has had people talk badly about him longer. Mimi says that was jealousy, and he should flaunt that. Austin earned the rumors. Jessie laughs and leans against Austin's back. He says he is not still earning them. Mimi purses her lips. That remains to be seen. Aljoe's eyes twinkle. He says it is a pity their packs were so far apart. They would have gotten along. It is a shame Austin did not know his dad, Naomi. Mimi flicks a glance but does not comment. Aurora tells Jessie that Mimi lost her shit when she heard who joined the team and would live in Ivy House. She was beside herself, giddy to meet a legend. Jessie does not notice, even standing right there. Another time Aljoe complimented Ivy House as one of the most beautiful places he had ever stepped inside. Mimi almost fainted. To Jessie she looks the same old grump. Since then she has settled into a job that has grown exponentially. She builds up the territory, manages Austin's businesses, oversees employees, and finishes bits of Ivy House before the visiting alphas arrive. She does not bat an eye. If she is stressed, she does not show it.

Austin touches invitations and hovers over the nope pile. His indecision is plain. Mimi says they are at max. If he wants more shifters, he must hold back gargoyle invites. Austin breathes out and pulls his hand away. Balancing magical types matters. The whole situation is a trial run, seeing if they can work together, put ego aside, and form an alliance. Jessie asks Tristan if the gargoyle list is finalized. Because this is different from a connection request, Tristan called each individual cairn and explained the dangers. Every one wants to attend. They have backups. Austin steps away. They will see if any shifters show up. Aljoe and Mimi say together that they will. Aljoe inclines his head for Mimi to go on. She nods in thanks, and Aurora wrestles a smile behind her back.

Mimi says one of these has not been done in decades. She was at the last one. It was chaos. Mayhem. Too many deaths to count. Challenges happened constantly. The hosting pack lacked resources to quell aggression. Most packs left early. Meaningful meetings were impossible. Utter failure. Jessie asks why people would show up this time. Mimi says they have heard stories and do not learn from history. But also the packs who lost no one raised eyebrows. They were viewed as best and strongest, their alphas the smartest. Mimi made connections that brought life-changing help to her pack. It was worth it. Aljoe asks how many she lost. One. He was not where he should have been, and she did not notice until too late. She lacked power to drag him out. They could not heal him in time. Aljoe nods gravely. Jessie asks about his pack. None. His grandfather had people get into trouble but had power to drag them back. That is basically all he did. Mimi says his grandfather was already at the top level and stayed there. Aljoe confirms. Now his grandfather thinks Austin is a damn fool for putting one on, and Aljoe lost his mind for joining. He thinks the youth are repeating the mistakes of elders. Sue says this one will have more magical types, ten times more dangerous. Aljoe says or ten times safer. Jessie notes most other magical types are in their corner. Aljoe replies that is why basajaunak or gargoyles might decide an offense is grievous and try to kill someone. Jessie's stomach churns. Austin rubs her back. They will be good. It is balancing on a knife's edge, but they can handle it. Aljoe crosses his arms. He has seen Austin and Jessie work miracles. Just like the convocation, no one else could make this work. They are uniquely qualified. Where everyone else would fail, they will succeed.

The Walk

Later, Jessie murmurs that Aljoe is good at inspiring confidence as they walk toward Austin's bar downtown. Warm evening air carries flowers. Austin entwines his fingers with hers. The others will meet them there. Tristan stays behind with Aljoe to talk about the gargoyles. Austin agrees Aljoe has a way about him. Jessie says she had always heard that. A strange moan cuts her off. The golem in Betty's basement is restless. Jessie says Betty needs to take him for a walk. Austin asks what she was saying. Jessie says they all know Aljoe. Mimi is basically fan-girling. She has never heard of him. Austin says if Aljoe had been an alpha when they started, she would have. He would have been the pie in the sky. His dad and grandfather were formidable alphas.

They turn the corner. Darkness gathers. The sweet air mingles with Austin's clean cotton and spice scent. Pine rides the breeze from the mountains. Jessie murmurs it is good to be home. He stops, pulls her in front, and the failing light shines in his cobalt eyes. He brushes his lips across hers. He loves her. She smiles against his lips. It is not just the town or Ivy House. He feels like home. She tells him he will be every bit the legend Aljoe is. Aljoe knows it, too. Austin corrects her. We will, he means. She narrows her eyes. No. She will be the lady who cannot teach her team to stand in a straight line. He laughs. There are all types and sizes of crowns. Queen of crooked lines. Sounds right. Head ringmaster. He thinks it is just ringmaster. For this circus, there might need to be more. He laughs again.

They walk quietly. Insects throb. Jessie's magic fans out, picking up little creatures and a couple basajaunak lounging in trees. Gargoyles fly above, disappearing into the night sky. Austin murmurs this is the last push to prove himself to shifters. Jessie says not at all. He will win some over at the conclave, and they will keep at them like the gargoyles. They will get them. They are good at dogged determination. Austin breathes a laugh. That is not what he means. He will prove himself here without doubt about his power, and then he will take the magic. Shivers wash over Jessie. Ivy House says about time. Jessie shushes her. Austin looks confused. Jessie waves. Not him. Ivy House. She stops on the darkening sidewalk.

She turns to him. He is going to take the magic? Her magic? The Mate Protector's magic, yes. With Tristan and Sue and now Aljoe, there is enough power to pull him down if he loses himself to whatever sucks at her. Jessie puts a palm against his cheek. She will stop him from losing himself. She will keep him grounded, just as he keeps her grounded. But is he sure? A humorless smile pulls at his lips. No. But it is time. That magic is there to help him protect her, and he feels he will need it soon. This is the calm before the storm, a lull while Momar regroups. She has gargoyles. He needs to prove himself to shifters, and the conclave is his chance. After this, it is time to go after the mages. Friend or foe, they will meet them on their turf, and for that he needs whatever help Ivy House can give. He has decided that after the conclave, he will take the magic, come what may.

Jessie holds his face. It is forever. He would tie himself to her forever. He says he already has, Jacinta, in many ways, down deep. He has always struggled with the darkness within him. He worries this magic will tip him, spin him somewhere he cannot control. He wants assurances he can be put down if... Jessie covers his mouth. Stop. Absurd. She struggled because she was a Jane. She did not know magic, and then she was enclosed in a dark creature. He has wrestled with that all his life and bested it. Now he adds different magic. As long as he does not lose his head and try to steal her magic, they are okay. They will confront it together and come out the other side. Two weirdos who got magic from a house, except he will probably still teach people to form a line. His lips move against her hand, a smile and a kiss. His eyes look worried. He nods silently. She says he does not have to take it if he is not sure. Ivy House says he does. Jessie rolls her eyes. Austin asks if Ivy House told him. He smiles and pulls her tighter. She is right. If it protects Jessie even a little better, it is worth the risk. Jessie says he has done all this to protect her already. She turned his life upside down, stripped his peaceful life, and shoved him at war. If he is not a hundred percent sure, he should not. He can take it later. Austin laughs sardonically. Peaceful life? He was hiding here. He told himself it was best, but he was fooling himself. He was being a coward. She woke him up and nudged him toward the stars. Because of her, he reconnected with and saved his family. He owes her everything. If his family had been taken by Momar and he had done nothing, if he had not been there or known until after, it would have... His voice hitches. His eyes glass. Jessie runs her hands along his jaw. He captures her wrists, slides his hands to hers, entwines their fingers. He had a shell of a life until her. No peace. No future. He built his life on ghosts and guilt. He went home to a quiet, empty house and woke to beauty he could not internalize. Until her, he came alive. A tear leaks out of Jessie's eye. He kisses it away. He will brave the magic. He will either master it, or ensure he is taken out. Jessie slaps him. She knows what he is doing. It is noble, but shut up. Being taken out is not an option. If it comes to that, she will force them back and go down with him. She will tell him she loves him even as he kills her. His hand covers her mouth. A pained expression creases his face. Point made. She pulls his hand away. He will either take the magic and master it, or not take it. End of story. He puts his hand back. Point made, he says. He got it. She lifts her eyebrows. He takes his hand away and covers her mouth with his. She feels his smile. Ivy House says with pride that he is the very best mate she could have chosen. He is better than all the others. He is the kind of man the Mate Protector's magic was meant for. Austin jokes that she does not make his life easy, tugging her back to walking. Ditto, she says, leaning into him.

After a moment, he says he would like a quiet, peaceful life one day. For a little while. He never really had that. In his youth he battled his beast, or

Chapter 4

The bar is alive with movement, laughter, and people having fun. Garhettes, gargoyles, shifters, and the occasional basajaunak fill it nearly to bursting. Happy hour is a tiny window but incredibly popular. Few Dicks and Janes remain in the area; most cashed in on high house prices and fled the strange people randomly flocking in. The influx of gargoyles and garhettes has been extreme, forcing many to find houses in nearby towns. The territory now spans four towns and counting. Shifters have crowded in too, drawn by opportunities, curiosity about Austin's leadership, or run-ins with mages that made them want to do something about it.

Niamh sits in her usual spot, chosen long before Jessie arrived and always vacated when she walks in. No one wants to mess with the puca. Phil sits next to her, his spot reserved for similar reasons. Nessa is next to them. People nod at Jessie or smile, moving out of her way. Then they take a few more steps after noticing Austin coming in behind her. Austin says he will meet her there because he wants to check in. Though not technically the bar's manager anymore, Austin always has a hand in its affairs.

Nessa straightens, beaming, and asks how Jessie is. She stands and shoves her chair toward Niamh, offering it to Jessie, then tells the man next to her to shoo. The man is usually one of the surlier patrons, and Jessie waits for him to push back, but he blinks twice and almost robotically vacates his seat without a word. Niamh says it is too much and everyone will notice. Nessa says if it were anywhere else, he would cause a problem the moment he snapped out of it. Nessa takes his seat. She says he is not stupid; he will not cause a problem in this bar, especially with the alphas here. Niamh asks what if he catches her outside and suspects she is messing with him. Nessa says she is a mage; he might not know what she did, but he will suspect something. She shrugs that she will give him a kiss as she sticks a knife in his gut. It would not be the first time someone thought she was easy pickings. Jessie holds up her hand and says wait, start from the beginning. Niamh says that can wait. She asks where Austin Steele is. She needs to chat before the other two get here. Phil says Niamh has now exhausted the number of times she can use the word lummox. Jessie says Austin is checking in and will be here in a minute. She asks who the second and third lummoxes are. Nessa says Tristan and Aljoe.

Nessa turns toward Jessie and lowers her voice. She has not told Jessie the latest because she did not want to get Jessie's hopes up if she could not deliver. Jessie smiles, her heart warming, and asks if Nessa is finally getting with Tristan. Nessa sucks in a startled breath, eyes widening. She clears her throat uncomfortably and says no. She asks why, did he say something. Niamh snickers and Nessa's cheeks turn red. Jessie says she did not want to get involved while really wanting to. She says Tristan is trusting other people for the first time and wants to put down roots, look toward the future. She thinks he is here for the long haul, not a flight risk anymore. Nessa brushes her hair out of her face and turns away to grab her drink, trying to get her scattered thoughts in order. Niamh snickers again. Nessa turns back and says no, it is nothing like that. Phil nods sagely and says Tristan absolutely has, on multiple occasions, and his balls must be so blue they are ready to fall off. Niamh says he has not even looked at anyone else since they have been back, too busy pining in misery. Phil agrees. Nessa rolls her eyes and tells them to pull it back. She focuses on Jessie again.

Nessa reminds Jessie that she has the kind of magic to manipulate energy. They have talked about it. Jessie says yes, Nessa has been learning from the books Tristan gave her, not so innocently. Nessa blushes again. She says Ivy House had some really good, eye-opening books. She can manipulate emotions and intentions. She can will people to do what she wants, but she can also trace the energy they use, finding motivations, paths they have physically followed, things like that. It is an incredibly simplistic explanation, but Jessie gets the idea. Jessie asks if she is getting better at influencing more stubborn people. Niamh says much, and Nessa has a lot of gargoyles to practice on. Nessa nods. She says it is funny that Niamh and she largely do the same thing, but Niamh does it with words and Nessa does it with energy. Niamh says it took her four hundred years to get where she is, while Nessa has been at it less than a year, so Nessa got the better magic. Nessa says except she does not get to change into a nightmare alicorn and fly. Jessie shrugs and says Nessa did it with words and actions before this and manipulated her fair share of mages. Nessa agrees energy just makes it easier. Then she beams and says that is not all this magic can do.

Phil says when you are powerful in it, at least. Nessa says right, if you have enough power, you can seriously flex with this magic if you learn how. Her blush creeps back in. She must be thinking about Tristan. Jessie thinks it is cute and hopes Nessa gives in to him. He has come a long way since they first met him. Nessa asks if Jessie is paying attention. Jessie says yes and entwines her fingers in her lap dutifully. Austin comes down on the other side of the bar and asks if Jessie wants wine. Niamh tells Austin to come there; she needs to talk before the other two get there. She tells him to text Tristan to stall. Austin serves Jessie wine and takes two more orders. Niamh grumbles but does as he says.

Nessa goes on, asking if Jessie knows Ivy House is at a nexus in the ley lines. Jessie twitches her eyebrows and says no, ley lines like the magical river thing Momar used at Kingsley's. Nessa glances at Niamh and says she thought Niamh filled her in. Niamh says Sebastian said Jessie did not need to know yet. Nessa rubs her temple. Niamh clarifies it was for Jessie's own magic, and Sebastian did not want to confuse her. Nessa is fine to tell her this. Nessa brightens and says okay. She is clearly excited about this new facet of her magic. She explains that Ivy House sits within a large nexus of power. There are small and large ones, often at sites with ancient construction, dramatic geography, metaphysical locations. Ley lines travel in straight lines, connecting all those nexuses. If you look at a map of them all, there are grids and triangles and star patterns. Each pattern has a different relationship with energy. Her eyes glitter. Some texts say the right magic, combined with the right connecting patterns and a solar event, can create portals. You could go from one nexus to another. Jessie furrows her brow, glances at Niamh, then back to Nessa. She asks if she is serious, a portal like teleporting. Phil says dryly that the hint is in the name. Nessa shrugs and says she is researching it, but would that not be awesome. Niamh drawls that Nessa would not get all her mountains of snacks when she traveled by plane. Jessie ignores her and says yes, it freaking would. Nessa's smile stretches. She says in answer to Jessie's question, Kingsley had a ley line passing close by. Momar was able to pull the power from the ley line into his mage-made infrastructure. That is why it took so many people to bring it to life. If it were on a nexus, it would have been ten times easier and faster to make that same thing happen. Cold runs through Jessie. She asks if they have a map, and says they will want to see what packs are on a nexus. Nessa says she is looking into it, don't worry. She says they all have different jobs, and Jessie does not need to worry about this right now. Jessie takes a sip of wine. Nessa is right. They have too much going on to all do everything. They have to divide and conquer.

Nessa says the really cool thing about her magic is that it could work with Jessie's magic, but they are not allowed to talk about that yet. She pats Jessie's arm. She can work within the ley lines, assuming she can fully manifest this magic. She was plateaued for a while, but she thinks she just had a breakthrough. Jessie's head starts to buzz as she tries to process all of this. Nessa goes on exuberantly. She can feel the ley lines and nexuses, which is not that cool because one of her kind has already done all that. Jessie notices the note of pride in Nessa's voice when she mentions one of her kind. Nessa can also anchor a line and stabilize the flow. That is helpful for spells and maybe portals, if that is real. She can prevent dangerous surges and unpredictability, or manifest surges to help boost a spell. At Kingsley's, she could have surged the power to help the mages create the spell quicker. Phil says if she were a bad guy. Nessa says right, obviously. She holds up a finger. But she can also do the reverse, again assuming she can figure out how with the resources at her disposal. Niamh says they need to find more of her kind and get her some training. Nessa takes a deep breath and says all good things come to those who wait. Jessie says off-handedly, quoting Tristan from earlier, and other clichés and stuff. Nessa laughs and says exactly. She says assuming she can do it, she should be able to redirect energy. As a good guy at Kingsley's, she could have tapped into the ley line and disrupted the flow. She could have sent the energy away from the area and deflated the spell. Done at the right time, it could have saved... Her eyes turn mournful. She does not say the name. Niamh says and maybe killed herself in the process. Jessie looks at Nessa hard. Nessa shrugs and says disrupting the flow comes with a lot of risks, yes, to her personally. But with great risk comes great rewards, and other clichés and stuff. Jessie takes a deep breath and says hopefully they will not need to make her prove that she has the ability.

Austin moves in behind Jessie. He picks up the chair, turns it a little, and pulls her so her back leans against his front, crooked in the chair. He slings his forearm over the chairback. Nessa goes on, nodding hello at Austin, saying there are also rituals that can be used to augment her magic. Oaths, sacrifices, celestial timing, stuff like that. Anyone can use those and have throughout the millennia, but without the right magic, that will only afford one so much power. Hers would be a boost and does not need a goat. Niamh says a goat, her arse. They would sacrifice a crooked mage if they did anything. Austin asks what he just walked into. Niamh says Nessa is getting ahead of herself. She has a few books; she is a far cry from making a portal. Austin repeats, what did he walk into, leaning harder against Jessie so he can see Nessa's face. He needs a lot more information. Nessa waves Niamh away and says she will get there. Austin asks Niamh what she wanted to talk about. Niamh murmurs too late as Tristan walks into the bar. Jessie glances around at the seats and says they should have met at Ivy House. They do not have enough room here. Niamh says nonsense and motions for Nessa. Nessa winks at Jessie and says it is fine. This time they will not have any idea why they moved. Niamh murmurs until they think back to what she just said that they overheard. Nessa responds that a kiss and a stab is all it takes to ward off a bully. Tristan's whiskey voice says not even remotely. Nessa flinches and goes rigid. Her face turns crimson, and she looks away, reaching for her drink so she is turning her back to Tristan. Tristan says especially if the bully is him.

The bubble of space around Tristan closes as he walks closer, leaving Aljoe trailing behind within the press of bodies. Gargoyles bump into Aljoe, their wings fluttering against his sides. Someone steps in his way and stops, not concerned with blocking him. No one treats him like the dangerous alpha shifter he is. Jessie wonders if they have a death wish. Niamh murmurs, leaning closer, that it is always like this. The shifters scatter because they know better, but the gargoyles do not care when something is dangerous. They like to poke the beast to see what sort of battle will ensue. Jessie says in confusion that Aljoe is part of her group. Why would they poke at him when she has spoken up on his behalf? Not to mention they must have heard the stories about his power from when they found him. Tristan takes the empty seat next to Nessa and explains that they have heard the stories. They are curious. To a guardian, this is not being disrespectful, it is asking him to come out and play, to give them a show of strength. This is gargoyle culture. They want to meet the danger head-on. They fully expect him to resort to shifter culture, and they will not stay and fight. The problem is Aljoe is intentionally trying to maintain a low profile out of courtesy to Jessie and Austin. That is Tristan's guess. Aljoe has not mentioned his discomfort to Tristan or Sue. The guy is basically setting himself up to fail. Jessie asks in disapproval if Tristan is blaming Aljoe for the gargoyles' behavior.