“Here, Donna, swap this out.” Niamh pointed at the bottle. “Thanks so much.”
“No, no,” I said. “I’m done. I need to head—”
“You might as well, like.” She motioned for Donna to step to it. “That lad of yours will be fine on his own. He’s got enough to be gettin’ on with, seeing as Earl bought out that store for video games. Besides, he’s probably sleeping. You’re grand. Two won’t hurt ye.”
“No, honestly, I need to be…” Donna deposited another bottle in front of me. I wouldn’t be going anywhere. That was always the hazard of drinking with Niamh.
“Okay, then, what sort of fliers do I need?” I asked.
“Masters of the sky,” Austin said.
“Formidable,” Niamh added. “Ruthless in battle.”
“Even better if they can also fight on the ground in human form,” Austin said.
“What we need is pure power.” Niamh wiggled her drink, the ice tinkling against the glass. “We have Ulric for maneuverability, we have Jasper for coasting, but we need someone explosive. Thunderous in power.”
“How about someone who seems like they’re beneath notice but transitions into a form that wreaks vast damage?” Sebastian asked.
“All good ideas.” I chewed on my lip. “And I need another gargoyle. Ivy House said so when Ulric and Jasper were given their place.”
“You can speak to the house?” Sebastian asked. His slate-gray eyes showed no surprise or disbelief, but his tone was one of delight. He really could take crazy in stride. That could only help him with my crew.
“It’s not a normal house.” I thought about everything that had been said, then went over what I knew of gargoyles. “How many big personalities can I handle, do you think? People who might keep trying to push for the alpha role?”
“You?” Niamh shook her head. “None. Ye don’t understand the subtleties of the magical world or those who are ruled by, or rule as, alphas. Dalmatian or whatever his name was proved that. He was trying to subtly manipulate ye the whole time. Good thing he was piss-poor at romance and not so bright.”
A black cloud of rage rolled through Austin, though his appearance gave no sign of it. He hadn’t been a fan of Damarion—both were natural alphas, and neither had wanted the other in his space. It was still a sore subject, even more so now that Austin had stepped up to take the title.
“He always did what I said, even when he didn’t want to,” I replied.
“See?” Niamh tucked in her lips and lifted her eyebrows, as though I’d made her point for her.
“If he was trying to manipulate me, where were you? You never said a word.“
“I agreed with Austin Steele about the way the eejit was training you, and I said so. I didn’t bother me arse about the subtle manipulation. He was romancin’ ye to win ye over. Ye weren’t havin’ it, not that I blame ya. That lad didn’t have a clue. Not one clue, boy. Would’ve been nice if ye’d relieved a little stress, though, if ye know what I mean…”
Another blast of rage rolled through the link.
“Great, super. Thanks again for all the help.” I smoothed my hair back in annoyance.
“How many could Austin Steele handle, though?” Niamh knocked on the bar. “Well, now we’ve got a real question, haven’t we?”
“As many as you need.” He rested his hand on his thigh, looking at me. “I can handle whoever and whatever you call in.”
“Is it confidence…or ego?” Sebastian mused aloud. Austin swung his gaze Sebastian’s way. The mage flinched, and then the crooked grin worked at his lips. “I spent some time as an adrenaline junkie in the past—”
“Oh no, he’s on about his past again,” Niamh drawled, and then chugged her cider.
“After a while, you can’t find anything to get the blood pumping again.” Sebastian’s eyes flashed, the color almost morphing into blue for a split second. “I wonder when this will wear off.”
“It won’t.” Niamh tinkled the ice in her empty glass. Paul hurried over. “Trust me on that. It’s annoying as all hell.”
I lightly touched Austin’s knee to bring his attention back to me. He flinched, and wariness roiled through the link.
“Are you always this jumpy after a challenge?” I asked, trying to make light of it.
He didn’t respond.
“Are challenges typically six-to-one odds or similar?” Sebastian asked. “I thought I’d read somewhere that two alphas fought for territory…”
“It’s supposed to be one on one,” Niamh said. “That’s the only way it truly counts. They must’ve known they couldn’t handle Austin Steele that way.”
“What happens if a challenger wins by cheating?” Sebastian asked.
“If it’s not an honest win, the people don’t have to recognize the winner as their new alpha. Of course, it doesn’t always work that way in practice. A cheating alpha doesn’t just go straight once he or she gets ahead. They usually get the territory, and it almost always fails.”