“Those two guys can’t even be in the same room without going for each other’s throats,” I said. “Clearly that…what was it? The hairy creature?”

“The basajaun. He came in when you were flying. Hairy, stinky, wild, prone to hold grudges…”

“Right, that creature. Well, clearly he’s cut from the same mold as Austin and Damarion. That, or the guys came on too strong, posturing and acting like macho idiots, and he wasn’t having it. I’ve got something he wants, though.”

“Really?” Mr. Tom followed me from the room. “What’s that?”

“Magical flowers.”

“I’m not following…”

My phone chimed, and I glanced at the screen.

Austin: At the bar. Organizing sentries throughout town. You okay?

My first destination was the kitchen to retrieve a huge glass of water. Maybe two.

I answered Austin. My skin is waxy, but I’m good. Going to go find that hairy creature. I don’t think it’ll attack me. It let me escape. We have an accord.

In the kitchen, I filled a glass, drank it, and then slugged back a few more.

“The thing is…” I wiped my mouth and headed for the back door. “He didn’t seem to know much about the mages. I got the feeling that he’d always had the guard job, hadn’t actually done it forever, and was doing it because that was his expected role. It didn’t seem like he’d asked any questions of them. He might not know anything about them.”

“When did you talk to it?” Mr. Tom followed me outside. Edgar stood on Niamh’s porch, his hand up to knock. He turned our way when he saw us.

I quickly filled Mr. Tom in as I walked across the street to Edgar. A pulse of magic sang through my bones, and I felt doors open within Ivy House. A high-pitched scream made me look back.

Lights flickered in the windows. Smoke curled from one of the chimneys on the right side.

“What’s…”

My speech dried up as the front door swung open and Ulric came running out of the house, followed quickly by Damarion, both of them wide-eyed and in a state of undress. From around the side of the house ran Cedric, holding up his britches as though he’d received the summons midway through getting dressed and hadn’t paused to finish. Another body blasted from a second-story window, fell to the front lawn, turned the harried dive into a roll, and bounded up. Jasper, the gargoyle I hadn’t talked to much. I really needed to make more time to get to know everyone. That was certainly part of the reason why they were Damarion’s gargoyles.

Another pulse cut through me, Ivy House calling those in town, obviously summoning them to meet me. That was probably why she’d sent Damarion and crew racing outside. She wasn’t one for patience, clearly. I’d woken up, and it was time to take down our enemies.

“What’s the matter?” Damarion said as he reached me, grabbing for my shoulders. I evaded and turned, catching Niamh opening her front door. A bright pink nightshirt hugged her torso and ended just below her upper thighs.

“This job requires pants, usually,” Mr. Tom said.

“What in bejaysus are ye at this early in the mornin’?” Niamh hollered, scaring Edgar off her porch.

It was a good point—I hadn’t thought to check the time.

Six in the morning. Did Mr. Tom ever sleep, or had he figured out how to sleep standing up, hovering over me?

“I’m feeling great, thanks,” I said dryly, trying to hide my grimace.

My phone vibrated in my hand. Text from Austin: Tell Ivy House to back off. I’m almost done. Meet you there.

“Well, I can see yer feeling fine. Yer walking around and rarin’ to go. That means you need to rattle everyone awake, does it?”

“Clearly the idea of working offends you, but did you forget there is still a job to be done?” Mr. Tom sniffed in disdain.

Niamh’s eyes shot fire as she zeroed in on him. Edgar backed away a little more.

“Okay, enough.” I held up my hands to forestall whatever zinger was sure to come. “Stop. Sorry, I didn’t realize the time. I just woke up. We still have mages at large, though, and they know their stuff. I escaped them once. I doubt whatever they rig up next will be as easy to get out of. Spoiler alert, last time wasn’t easy at all. It hurt quite a lot, actually. Clearly they won’t be dumb enough to come for me on Ivy House property, so I will be putting myself out there, trusting Austin and Damarion to have my back.”

Damarion stiffened, probably because I’d mentioned Austin first. I ignored it.

“First things first—we will find that basa…bas…”

“Basajaun,” Mr. Tom said.

“Right, we’ll find the hairy creature and ask him where to find the lower entrance to the cave. That should help us track them.”

“Excuse me, Jessie, but—”

I held up a hand for Damarion. “I heard about you trying to talk him around. I’ll approach it a different way.” I turned to Edgar, surprised when he flinched and covered one of his eyes. “Edgar, please go grab me the best bundle of fresh flowers you can procure. Your very best.”

“Basajaun eat meat, Jessie,” Edgar said. “I’m sure I can find a haunch of pig or something…”

“Chocolate isn’t strictly necessary for my survival, Edgar, but on occasion I’d gnaw off your hand to get some.”

He pressed the hand not covering his eye a little tighter to his chest.

“We’re going after them now?” Niamh hadn’t moved to put on pants.

“Yes. Now. They’ve had two days to come up with another plan. I don’t want to wait for them to spring it.”

Gargoyle wings flapped above the street, flying low, coming from town. They’d beelined here instead of flying over the woods like we’d agreed. They were too big to be bats—any non-magical folks who were up at this hour would probably call the cops.

“Get them inside.” I waved my arm and motioned them toward Niamh’s house, the closest available enclosed space.

“No, no, not in here! They’re gargoyles. They think they’ll melt if they take a shower.” She waved them away.

Mr. Tom puffed out his chest. “That is an old wives’ tale, and your refusal to allow them into your house is discrimination. Really, woman, in this day and age?”

“The younger ones are a little ripe,” Edgar said solemnly. “It isn’t their species, of course, but just a lack of overall hygiene. Younger guys, you know—sometimes they’d rather not bother washing up. Niamh has a large collection of doilies in her house. They tend to trap smell. Then again, should we need to burn them, I can always furnish her with more. My newest batch—”

“Fine, put them in the back.” I stepped onto the bright green front yard that Edgar must’ve made it his duty to keep up and directed them like I might an airplane. “Thanks for coming, guys. Just head back there, if you don’t mind. We’ll be with you in a moment.”

“I’m a little lost. What’s the plan?” Ulric asked.

“I can’t allow you to approach that basajaun,” Damarion said, his hand gently settling on the swell of my butt. I stepped away. Clearly we needed to talk. Now was not the time.

I felt Austin on the property, cutting through the woods and across the back lawn.

“Edgar, go get those flowers. Hurry.”

“Yes, Jessie.” He took off running, a strange sort of hunched lope with his elbows flared out, his long fingers dangling at his sides, and his head bobbing animatedly with each step.

“I hate to criticize, Jessie…” Niamh said, watching him go.

“If you couldn’t criticize, you’d never utter a word,” Mr. Tom said.

“…but you might’ve given that old vampire the gift of youth. Or even just shaved off a few years so he wouldn’t look like such a muppet when he runs. I don’t think his limbs work quite right. Look at the state of him!”

Austin loped around the house, passing Edgar, before he stopped and shifted into his human form. He stalked toward us, crossing the grass and then the street, like a predator about to take down a kill.

I put out my hand to tell him not to mess with Damarion, but I didn’t need to. He gave Damarion a wide berth, clearly pushing aside their differences because of the situation.

“What’s the plan?” Austin asked, having stopped in the place Edgar had just vacated.

“Find anything?” Niamh asked.

Austin shook his head, his gaze roaming my face and then body, probably sizing up the state of my health. His skin had the same waxy quality as mine, his freckles or sun spots also burned away, and his face looked a few years younger. Clearly we’d lost our top layer of skin and were still in process of growing a second coat, as it were. I hoped I’d never have to do it again.

“All the strangers around town have checked out,” he said. “I have people working on checking the neighboring towns. The communities are small, so we should get some information soon.”

I gave them a quick rundown about the basajaun as Edgar hurried back with the bouquet.

“I’m going to attempt to fly there.” I took a deep breath. “I might not make it all the way, though. I didn’t do great the other day.”

“It was your first flight, but you held a mountain of muscle with those tiny wings,” Ulric said, and I frowned about the wings comment. I didn’t think they were that small. “You did great.”

“I will carry you when you need it, but we should not approach that basajaun, Jessie.” Damarion moved closer. “It is—”

“I’ll follow in my other form.” Austin didn’t need to step toward me—he pulled my attention to him. Mine and everyone else’s. “We’ll be prepared to extract you if that basajaun decides you aren’t so fun to chat with when you’re out of your cage.”

“This is a mistake,” Damarion said.