Magical Midlife Love (Leveling Up 4)

“No, probably not. He gets crazy.” The street shimmered a little before settling back to normal. The shape of Sebastian manifested near my elbow. A little hazy, orangy and sparkly, but there. “Cool.”

I gave a thumbs-up and tried once more to blend into the stone, remembering what Mr. Tom had said. Feeling the stone. Turning into the stone.

Shivers coated my body. Was it finally working? Either way, I needed to get closer to the main drag.

I crossed the street at a jog, then flattened against the wall of an old house turned orthodontist’s office. Shivers still danced across my skin. I chanced a glance at Sebastian, standing about ten feet away, looking right at me.

“Dang it. You can see me?”

“Is it cheating if I tell you?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

He looked away. “That’s a yes, then, it is cheating. Your expressions come in handy.”

“Dang it,” I said again, aiming for the alleyway down the way. Ulric drifted back, scanning the street, on bodyguard detail. Mr. Tom slunk across the street after us, following at a distance.

“Oh, I see,” Sebastian said, at my back. “He is disguising himself for when he can’t blend into buildings. Though…who is he trying to look like? And the rolled-up sleeves and pant leg still make absolutely no sense.”

“Can’t people still hear you?” I asked.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “Though I’m still unclear on what we’re doing. Other than failing to blend into the stone.”

“Just shh.” I moved slowly, digging down deep inside of me, bypassing the sorceress magic to access the gargoyle part of me. The part with the wings, tough skin, and ability to fly. I called it up, glowing with the feeling. The desire to change form and take to the skies overcame me. To rise above the buildings and hunt…

That was probably a good sign.

“Can you see me?” I whispered.

“Shh,” Sebastian replied.

I rolled my eyes, halfway down the alley now, focusing on the street. Someone passed by, straight and tall, muscular. Definitely not Sasquatch.

Farther along, I caught sight of the vacant wine-tasting room. The empty barrels had all been cleared away, the area swept. Once I signed the paperwork, I’d own half of a winery. Austin and I would need to settle on a winemaker, update the tasting room, and get the word out. It would be a lot of work.

Why didn’t that scare me as much as officially transferring Ivy House into my name?

Because you could sell the winery, but Ivy House comes with a blood oath and a contract term of “forever unless killed.”

“Oops. Where did your mind go?” Sebastian whispered. “You’d nearly done it. You’d blended in for the most part. If I hadn’t been watching, I probably wouldn’t have noticed you.”

“Sorry,” I said, pushing the thought of my duty away. But it refused to release its grip. The time had come for me to become the leader my people needed, the leader they deserved. I had to do what Austin had done and claim my position fully, balls to the wall. Only it was easier said than done.

I reached the edge of the alley, fighting to keep my focus, and losing.

Jasper waited just down the way, Mr. Tom was behind, and Ulric was…in the air?

I looked back, catching a glimpse of him just as he jumped from one rooftop to the next, his wings snapping out so he could soar the last few feet before his feet touched down. He held his clothes in his hand, and the second he landed, he disappeared into the wall next to him, his bright pink form blending in effortlessly.

Why hadn’t he just followed behind Mr. Tom?

I turned back to the street, my gargoyle magic pulsing, as if I’d unburied it earlier and made it easier to access. Actually, it felt like when I was in the middle of changing, the power surging.

Ready to grab it up and drape it over me like a cloak, hoping for more than just nearly working this time, I froze.

Sasquatch stood right in front of me, an evil smile curling his lips. Triumph lit his eyes.

“Dang it!” I yelled.

Sixteen

“Missus high and mighty can’t use the magic she was given,” Sasquatch said, his mustache moving as he spoke, the motion wiggling a clump of food stuck on the end.

“You couldn’t be grosser if you tried.” I spread out my arms. “Go ahead.”

“Let’s hear it.”

I lifted my eyebrows, my mood blackening, which was saying something, because it was already in the dumps. “Hear what?”

“That I won.”

“You get to stab me. Isn’t that proof that you won, you dangling dingleberry?” I spread my arms wider, aggressive now. “You won. So go ahead, claim your victory.”

His smile widened. “Get back into the alleyway more. The alpha said we can’t do this where people can see.” He pulled a pocketknife from his back pocket, a different one than before, and extracted the blade before motioning me on. “I’ll follow.”