“I told my mom,” Jasper murmured. “My village knows, but…”

“And that’s it, right? Yeah. My mom is not a normal gargoyle’s wife. She doesn’t keep business in the cairn. This is the only time I will brag about that fact.”

I slipped my hand in Austin’s and grabbed the muumuu that was still on the little table as we passed by. “Kingsley will be okay. We’ll make sure of it.”

He didn’t say anything as we continued, but I could feel the turmoil roiling within him.

Twenty-Eight

Austin had been quiet the whole plane ride home, us having used the plane waiting there instead of calling in another. It had been stuffed with snack foods and drinks, but by that point, I hadn’t been hungry. Austin had stared out the window, his emotions troubled. It wasn’t just worry. There was a certain prickly protectiveness that suggested Broken Sue had gotten it right. Austin wanted to react to danger the shifter way—banding together with those most trusted and fighting. They reached for loyalty and togetherness to get them through hard times.

I guessed I sided with the mages in how I handled things—I would reach for whatever would help us win.

In the limo on the way back, just the two of us, I said, “I’m going to say yes to Elliot.”

Austin didn’t comment, holding my hand, staring out the window.

“I’m going to have him teach me,” I continued, wanting to soothe his worry. “I’ll be pissed for a while, I’m not saying I won’t, but…I believe him. I hate to say it, but I believe him. And even if I didn’t…we need him. Your brother needs him. I’ll walk into the belly of the beast and come out on fire if I have to, but I will show up in your brother’s town ready to unleash hell. I’ll make you proud to have mated me.”

He met my eyes. “Nothing could make me prouder to have mated you. You’re perfect as you are. Don’t do this for me, or my brother. Do it for you. You need to trust your teacher.”

I leaned against him and rested my head on his shoulder. “I just have to get used to the fact that he seriously tricked me. I had zero idea. Absolutely no inclination. That guy is good.”

“He is. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but he seemed genuine when he was at Ivy House. He only wanted the best for you, and he helped protect you. That wasn’t an act.”

“Yeah.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he breathed out a sigh and said, “Brochan is right. Every fiber of my being is telling me to push away from all these extra people and join my family with just you and my pack. That we’d be enough to face this thing.”

“And your logic tells you?”

“That if we do it that way, we’ll all die.”

“That’s why you called in Kingsley when Kinsella came,” I said, finally understanding.

“I wasn’t thinking about it at the time, but probably, yes. Call in family when things get too big to handle.”

“Well…I mean, you are calling in family. Extended family. You’re bringing in me, and I’m bringing all my gargoyles and my Ivy House crew. The basajaun is bringing in his family—”

“I can’t believe that. That would be…incredible.”

“Yeah. So you have him. And Ulric’s mother will apparently make my gargoyle influence bigger, so we have that. And Elliot and his hookups—some families are just really big. But they’re still family.”

He huffed out a laugh and shook his head, putting his arm around me and pulling me in. “I know.” Another quiet beat. “How will you punish Sebastian for lying to you?”

I laughed as we pulled up to the house. The driver came around and opened my door.

“I’m not sure. I have to think of something vile. Maybe Niamh can help me with a practical joke. I don’t even know how I’ll—”

The words died on my lips. Right there on the stoop, holding a long stick topped with a filled kerchief, sat Elliot Graves. He stood as I walked up the path.

“After your battles, I always have the last say,” he said, the stick resting on his shoulder.

“How’d you get here before us?” I asked.

He gave me a smile. “Magic. Do you have a couple hours so I can fill you in on my plans? I’ll tell you everything. We can knock Momar to his knees and signal to the world that you”—he put his hand to the side of his mouth—“and I…aren’t to be messed with, and neither are shifters. The shifters can organize and force the Mages’ Guild to start playing by the rules. I have complete confidence we can pull it off, Jessie, but only if I start training you now. There is no time to lose. When you set foot on that battlefield, you need to own your title as sorceress.”

I gave him a lofty stare. Austin waited behind me, and I could sense the rest of my people climbing out of the limos. Ivy House was, thankfully, quiet.

“Fine, Elliot—”

“No.” He put his hand on his chest. “My birth name is Sebastian. Please, Elliot Graves was a stage name I made up for a different, more ruthless person. Sebastian was what people called me when I was just a weird nerd who liked to play with magic and geek out with Star Wars. I’d like to be your friend again, Jessie. I know I tarnished your trust, but I really did want to stay and train with you. I was happy doing magic in the bowels of Ivy House, or helping Edgar with his flowers. If it was a different world, and I didn’t have the name I do, I’d even love to join your team. I am comfortable here. I feel like I can finally be myself.”

And just like that, the ice within me melted. I never had been very good at holding grudges.

“Okay. Sebastian. But we won’t just bring Momar to his knees. We will tear him off his perch and make an example of him. You do not threaten my friends and live to tell the tale.”

The door swung open as I neared it.

Sebastian fell in behind Austin, following us. “Are you ready, alpha? It’s time to climb atop your own perch. The female gargoyle and the most ruthless shifter the world has ever known.”

“I’m already on that perch,” he replied. “The enemy will find out the hard way.”

“Okay, but…remember, I’m supposed to be the bad guy,” Sebastian said. “Don’t steal all my thunder.”

As I settled into a chair in the front sitting room, heaving a sigh of relief to be home, Ivy House said, “I told you so.”