Magical Midlife Love (Leveling Up 4)

The pulse grew stronger. The shouts and roars of the battle floated on the light breeze around the side of the building where Domino hid in a cluster of bushes. A peal of thunder drowned out the lessening blasts of the guns. The mercenaries were almost done, and they were the only ones capable of putting up a real fight.

“What kind of an idiot would pick a fight—” Sebastian began, cutting himself off to deflect a spell that burst from the bushes. He tsked. “That won’t work on me, Domino, you should know that. As I was saying, what kind of an idiot would pick a fight with a mage who has a thunderbird and a phoenix at her disposal? Are you that dumb, or just suicidal?”

Another blast of magic erupted from the bushes, the power nothing. He waved it away, and then let the illusion dissolve to reveal his true appearance.

“Is that how you treat an old friend, Domino?”

Domino’s face appeared against the leaves, his eyes rounded, his expression one of utter disbelief.

“Elliot Graves,” he whispered.

Sebastian gave a little bow, acknowledging the name he’d chosen for himself in the magical world. Birth names, Sebastian in this case, were only for friends and family. And for new potential allies, Jessie wasn’t ready to find out that he was Elliot Graves, not after all the hell he’d put her through, but hopefully she’d come around. He was well aware he’d have to eat crow.

He’d come clean to Ivy House, however. He’d visited the room of crystals and offered himself up to it. It could’ve killed him right then, or at any time thereafter. Instead, it had offered him more resources with which to train Jessie. The house had clearly agreed with him—his actions might not be conventional, but they were necessary. His master plan was coming along.

Sebastian just had to convince Jessie of that, preferably without the big alpha ripping his throat out before he could finish. But before that could happen, there was one more trick he had to pull off. One more little fib he would need to tell.

He knew Jessie was about to offer him a role on her team. If the circumstances had been different, he’d have taken it in a heartbeat, but the time wasn’t right. The alpha had a bit more work to do on his territory, and Jessie needed to get those others on her crew, and then all could be revealed, and Sebastian could grovel for the first and only ally he ever planned to take. His late sister’s Sight, the Seeing that had killed her, would not go ignored.

“In the flesh,” Sebastian said. “Pray tell, what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” Domino stepped out of the bushes.

“I’m protecting my interests, obviously. I thought it was quite clear to anyone listening that Jacinta of Ivy House was mine?”

Domino sneered. “All due respect, you always were a disgrace. You’d work with her…team?”

“Oops, your ignorance is showing.” Sebastian lifted his eyebrows. “Her team is incredible. Even you should see that. It is so confusing to me—she’s a female gargoyle, with a thunderbird, a phoenix, a puca, and other gargoyles on her team. Every one of them turns from human into something else, yet you’re so fixated on the shifters.” He put out his finger, and Domino flinched. “It’s fear, isn’t it? Shifters are terrifying. They are a force all their own, especially the alpha ones. Watch out for those, by the way.” He rolled his eyes. “Oh, what am I saying? You won’t need to watch out for them. You’ll be dead.”

Domino’s sneer was a defense mechanism. “What do you think you’ll do? I’m protected by the Mages’ Guild. They will claim vengeance for my death.”

Sebastian laughed. “The Mages’ Guild would surely go after Jacinta Ironheart, this is true, but we both know they won’t dare come after me. Which is why I will spare her the hardship and kill you myself.”

A peal of thunder rolled through the sky, temporarily drowning out a few remaining gun blasts. It was almost over. Sebastian had to hurry this up.

“What do you want?” Domino straightened up. “Money? Meetings with my connections to get back into the magical elite? Done. If you want the halfwit mage, have her. She’s nothing. I was simply curious.”

“I have all the money I could ever want, actually. And no, I don’t need your paltry connections. I need a body. My plans won’t work without one. You’ll do nicely. Your ugly mug doesn’t matter much, because I’ll give you a new one. Mine, if you must know. Well, not mine exactly, but the one I’ve been wearing.” He let himself grin. “Around the shifters, she never worried about its expressionlessness. That was a stroke of luck.”

Fear crept into Kinsella’s eyes and his brow lowered. “You’re nothing. Momar owns the magical world now, not you. He pushed you aside. You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”