“Your very existence puts you in a foul mood,” Mr. Tom said, straightening a painting in the hall.

“That is because I have to share that existence with ye, ya miserable old goat,” she replied. “Now pull yer socks up, unless ye want to be fired from another butler gig.”

He looked down at his feet. “I’ll kindly ask you to leave my socks out of it.” He paused. “You can’t even see them!”

“It means get ta work. That auld mammy is running circles around ya, boy. She’s handling the whole house with a smile, so she is. Jessie is probably rethinking having yer sad sack loafing around.”

“Oh my God, please don’t start at each other right now. I cannot handle it.” I rubbed my temples and stopped outside the front sitting room, the one we usually used to discuss business or just hang out. We had a ton of stuff to work through. Agnes’s contact was working on the potions, so that was out of our hands for the time being, but I had to work out guard schedules for the gargoyles within Ivy House, not to mention those staying in the hotel. Should we scatter them through the wood as lookouts? Edgar had been tasked with researching ways to circumvent Ivy House’s magic, since the house admitted to me last night before I went to bed that she did know of this issue from the past, but didn’t have a solution for me to fix it. She said she’d help Edgar in any way she could, but she didn’t have a recipe for a counter-spell. Talking that out was probably necessary, since information had to exist somewhere, or how did Elliot Graves know?

But at this particular moment in time? I just couldn’t be bothered. I was too exhausted.

“Mr. Tom, can you make me a snack or something?” I asked. “I’m going into my private sitting room.”

It hadn’t started out as a private sitting room, but it was small, in a seldom-traversed back corner of the house, and everyone left me alone when I used it. Within the last couple months, I’d started calling it what it had become.

“Of course, miss. I’ll be in directly. Would you like a snack for one, or…” He looked between Austin and me.

I wanted Austin’s company, if only because he had some immensely broad shoulders to lean on, as Agnes had clearly noticed, but I did not feel like putting myself out there to ask. Fatigue and frustration had a way of bringing out my vulnerability. I didn’t think leaders let their subordinates (the new gargoyles) see them cry on the cusp of battle, especially when it was over something as trivial as a guy not accepting an invite to join them for a sit and a think.

I shrugged and didn’t comment, starting off down the hall, my mind spinning.

“For three,” Austin said. “I’m hungry.”

My eyes teared up in relief. I was a mess right now. I needed sleep.

When I stepped into the sitting room, the comforting smell of books greeted me, the small bookcase at my back holding my favorite volumes and a bunch of books on my to-be-read list. The actual house library was a great place to read, but it didn’t offer the sense of comfort and seclusion this space did. I sighed as I sank into my favorite chair, the sun filtering in through the open window shades doing little to lighten my spirits.

Austin closed the door behind him before lowering into the chair opposite me. He propped his feet on the ottoman, crossed his ankles, and then entwined his fingers on his lap. His gaze drifted out the window to match mine, but he let the silence linger.

“Thanks,” I said softly, watching the leaves wiggle on a large oak. “I wanted quiet, but didn’t really want to be alone.”

“Understandable. Dealing with this situation is a lot, especially with your parents already here.

I filled my lungs to bursting and then let the breath out slowly, feeling my muscles relax a little with the exhale. Not enough, though.

“I’m just…” My eyes teared up again. “I’m freaking tired, Austin.” A tear escaped, and I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand. “I’m tired of this crap. If Elliot wants a piece of me, why doesn’t he just show up and meet me face to face? Or attack the house or something? I hate all this stealth and secrecy. It’s exhausting. I still don’t even know how to work most of my magic. I am absolutely zero threat to someone like that, and whatever the proprietor of this house might’ve been to the magical world back in the day, it’s not like that anymore. I’m a nobody with a weird, half-formed crew, no clue about politics, and no desire to do anything but hang out in this town and live in peace. Why doesn’t he just go away? I can’t help him. In fact, you know what? I’m going to write him a letter to tell him exactly that. Quit bothering me—I cannot help you.”

More tears dripped down, and I batted them away furiously, annoyed that I was breaking down. Frustrated that I felt so helpless.

“The one thing I had going for me was Ivy House’s protective magic,” I continued, sobs threatening, “and now Graves—or someone—has found a way around it. And maybe I could work the defenses myself and do okay, but against two groups? Or even one spread-out group? I have to see the enemy to use the defenses, and if there are too many, I won’t be able to. No matter how vigilant you and the others are, you can’t be here all the time. I’m wide open. Now that he knows he can get someone onto my land without anyone noticing, what’s to stop him from sending a mage? He won’t send a weak one this time.” I wiped away more tears, fear rolling through me. “I’m not strong enough for this, Austin.”

He rose from his chair, crossed the small space, lifted me into his arms, then returned to his spot and sat back down with me in his lap like I was a child. I didn’t resist. Couldn’t. The sobs bubbled up and overflowed, racking my body, pouring out all of my uncertainty and helplessness and exhaustion. He wrapped his strong arms around me and held me close, my face buried in his neck.

Finally, when the sobs died down and his neck was wet with my tears, he spoke.

“You are more than just this house.” His voice vibrated through his chest in a low hum. “You are insightful, an incredibly fast learner, and already amazing with your magic after such a short period of time. What you’ve learned in months dwarfs what most magical people learn in years. Most importantly, you are courageous. When you were kidnapped a few months ago, you didn’t sit down and wait to be rescued. You kept calm and made a friend of the basajaun, one of the most dangerous creatures in our world. You did that, not Ivy House. The mages figured out a way to cut you off from the house, yet you still triumphed. You are incredible all by yourself, Jess. Ivy House chose you because it knew it would be safe with you, not the other way around.”

I shook my head, pushing away a little. “I wouldn’t have been able to escape those mages without Ivy House, and I wouldn’t have been able to escape that cage without you.”

“Because you’re still learning. Every student relies on their teachers. It’s the way things should be. And that brings me to my second point. Ivy House isn’t the only defense you have. You have me. Through me, you have this town. I’m still in the planning stages, but when I’m done, Ivy House will be your keep within my castle. I’ll pack my territory with so much power that even Elliot Graves will think twice about going through me to get to you.

“Until then, you have a fearless crew, and we would all lay down our lives to see you safe. As soon as Agnes’s uncle’s drinking buddy’s cousin’s girlfriend or whoever”—he paused for my laugh—“lands on the type of spell the deer used, or even an idea of how it works, you and Edgar will figure out how to tear it down. I have every faith that this is in your wheelhouse. It’s just another challenge to help you grow. We all need a spur in the side sometimes, and I think this is yours.” He ran his fingers across my temple before tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “When you do find a way to counter that potion, you can wait to use it until his people get good and close to Ivy House, assuming he sends more of them. Then you can tear away their protections and let Ivy House deal with them in the most gruesome ways she conjures up. You can let her have vengeance. Instead of a letter to Elliot, you can send a head.”

I widened my eyes. “Wow. That devolved into unspeakable violence quickly.”

His smile was slight and his eyes were full of warmth. “Welcome to the magical world, where there are penalties for bullying.”

A soft rap came at the door. Mr. Tom was not usually in the habit of knocking, but having guests in the house had apparently changed all his habits.

I made a move to climb off Austin’s lap, but instead he stood and deposited me on my feet. He ran his hands down the outsides of my arms. “You good?”

I laid a hand on his chest, his heart beating against my palm. “Yeah. Thanks. You always know what to say.”

“The truth. All I ever say is the truth. You’re exceptional, Jacinta, and not because of the magic. Not because of this house or your crew. Definitely not because of me. You are a shooting star in a dark sky.”

My vision swam and my lip trembled. I nodded mutely.

When he stepped back, his movements were rigid, like he was forcing himself to do it. He hated people in turmoil. The alpha in him clearly felt the need to soothe me.

I took a deep breath. It was time to pick myself up, dust myself off, and solve the problem—and the only way to do that was to act. I had all the tools; I just needed to use them.

“Come in,” I called, returning to my chair as Austin sat down in his.

“Yes, miss. Here we go.” Mr. Tom carried in a silver tray laden with sandwiches, cut veggies, chips, and fruit. “If you want anything else, just let me know.” He placed the platter on a small round table in the corner. “To drink…” He ducked out into the hall and brought back a bottle of sparkling wine in a silver ice bucket, followed by a pitcher of sweet tea. “We also have a troubling amount of cheap American beer, should you want that. Or hard alcohol, if quickly numbing the pain is the order of the day.”