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.”