Only powerful vampires could change into a swarm of insects. In his prime, Edgar had been an extremely powerful vampire, but vampires could get too old, just like everyone else. Although old age wouldn’t kill them, it did steal some of their facilities—their minds went fuzzy, they became weaker, and they lost the ability to stalk prey as effectively. Ivy House had restored Edgar’s abilities, if not his mind. Which was why we’d told him to remain the silent menace and, for the love of God, stand up straight and try not to run. He looked ridiculous when he ran.
Movement caught my eye to the left.
“Don’t look,” Austin murmured.
In a moment, I saw why.
Sebastian wandered out of the trees. Austin must’ve smelled him. He was completely at ease, his poise more confident than I could remember, shoulders back and spine straight. It struck me that he always cowered around the shifters, showing his submission to their more dominant personas, but now, around other mages and on the offensive (even if invisible to them), he was clearly in his element.
He strolled through the space seemingly without a care in the world, like he could wipe the floor with every person he saw, vampires included. He walked right past them, lingering briefly, sometimes so close that he could lean over and blow into their faces. If they’d reached out, they could have pulled him into a hug. The Ivy House potion was clearly beyond any revealing potion these people possessed. Sebastian had been right. Good news.
He met us at the beginning of the walkway as Austin looked back at our line of people.
“Thanks for waiting, alpha,” he said, stepping behind me. Austin wouldn’t be able to hear him, though, not with that potion. I relayed what was said in as low of an undertone as I could muster.
“He didn’t take the potion?” Sebastian asked me.
I barely shook my head, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that I was talking to someone.
“Then tell him, when you can, that those vampires will be easy prey for his shifters. Their power scale is nothing. The mage must have brought in this many people because he’s wary of the shifters. He has people hiding in the trees, but they’re not bothering to mask their smell.” He laughed. “He has no idea what he is walking into. Absolutely no idea.”
“Shall we?” Austin asked me.
“Of course,” I said.
“Use your magic inside, miss,” Sebastian said, following close behind us. “You will be safe here tonight. The shifters have the outside covered, and your alpha and I will protect you inside, but you need to practice. Keep your wits. Just like any meeting with an established mage, you’re entering the snake pit.”
Thirty
Jess tensed beside Austin as they entered the restaurant. The only renovations Austin had been able to pull off were freshening up the paint and decor. There was a lot more work planned, but hopefully it would serve its purpose for the first meeting.
Janet stood at a small podium in the waiting area, a fresh-faced twenty-something who’d been in the area for a while but had rarely visited O’Briens. She was a raccoon shifter, but she seemed to have very little interest in a magical life and zero interest in joining a pack. She hadn’t been thrilled to learn Austin had taken over the restaurant. It was a shame—a raccoon would be a good spy, able to get out of tight corners with ease. Mean little buggers, raccoons. Were-raccoons were ten times worse when cornered.
“Mr. Steele, good evening.” Her smile was entirely forced. It could’ve been a reaction to him, or perhaps to the invisible presence standing off to her right. This mage’s invisibility potion wasn’t nearly as good as Sebastian’s—it didn’t even mask scent. He’d thought smell and sight went hand in hand with those potions, but clearly they came in all sizes.
Why bother at all? They had to know every shifter and probably gargoyle in this place would be able to pinpoint their silent watchers. Were they shortsighted, stupid, or simply ignorant of what shifters could do? This night would be telling.
Janet’s gaze slid to Jess. “Miss Ironheart, welcome.”
“Who?” Jess looked behind her.
“That’s the name they’ve given you,” Austin murmured as a line formed between Janet’s brows.
“Oh, really? Who did?”
“I’m not sure who started it, but my territory all seems to agree.” He slid his arm around Jess’s waist and let his hand rest on her hip.
“Janet, show us to our guest—”
But Jess wiggled her fingers and swept her arm toward the dining area. “There’s some kind of ward up,” she murmured. Then she cocked her head as if listening to something. Sebastian.
Rage boiled through the link from Jess, and her hands balled into fists. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“They created a ward in the dining room to keep shifters out,” she said in a tight but even tone. “You are apparently not welcome in your own restaurant, Austin. What do you think of that? This mage has zero respect for me and my crew, because he and his friends aren’t asking me to come without my shifter date—they are trying to tell me, like I’m a child. They are trying to force me to do what they want.” She paused for a moment. “Be calm. Yeah, right,” she murmured. “Austin, if you want, you can tear down that ward yourself. Sebastian seems to think you can do it. There is a woman standing on your left trying to break out of the binding and gagging spell I currently have on her. Sebastian says I shouldn’t show my power level yet, but I’m having a slight rage problem, and I’m not exactly in control.”