Magical Midlife Dating (Leveling Up 2)

Granted, he couldn’t have known she’d evacuate the whole bar with an incredibly potent burst of magic that had gotten his heart thumping, but regardless, her facial expressions throughout the encounter had made his year. If it hadn’t been for the magic, he would’ve shushed Niamh so Jess could give Gary the wake-up call he’d so deserved.

Of course, Austin had been plenty happy to do it himself…

“Yes, actually.” She veered right through the wide expanse of grass. “He wouldn’t have seen holding the door open as a sign of respect, though, like most people.”

“You think I respect you because I held the door open for you?”

She twisted around in order to give him a you’re so dumb look. “Yes, but even if you didn’t respect me, you still respect yourself enough to be polite. You have manners. You’d hold the door open for an enemy.”

“I’d hold the door for an enemy because I’d want to be at his back, and also wouldn’t want him at my back.”

“Well…probably, yeah. It’s different when you do it than when most men do, is what I meant. I noticed that when we went wine tasting that one time, do you remember?”

Of course he remembered. That was the day she’d reached into the center of him, dragged out his horrible past, blown fairy dust on it, and shoved it back in. She’d single-handedly changed his perspective on who and what he was. It was a moment suspended in time that he’d remember until the end of his days.

“Yes,” he said, because he wasn’t sure how to tell her all of that—or even if he should.

“I felt really safe with you. This probably sounds dumb, but it felt like you ushered me in front of you so you could guard my back. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. My life was in flux back then, even more so than it is now, and my worldview was being turned on its head, but there was one thing I didn’t have to worry about: my safety. I knew you had it covered. You see, as a woman, I need to at least keep some semblance of awareness about my surroundings, but that day…I didn’t feel like I had to. It was a nice feeling. I mean, I did mostly pay attention, but… Blech. I’m babbling.”

“You have it right. As the strongest, my job is to take the rear, to protect the most vulnerable. I’d do that for anyone in my territory.”

“That’s not your job.”

“It’s…my position.”

“It should be your job. Ivy House is my job. These are my premises. The town should be yours. Officially yours. The people who come here should know they answer to you. Here, they answer to me.” She pointed at the trees up ahead. The brush hid the elderly guardians from sight, but their bickering gave away their position, Niamh and Earl arguing about the best way to set things up. “Apparently we are training in the trees today. Lord only knows why. They never tell me. But given no one is in the air, they aren’t planning on forcing me to fall as a means to fly today.”

“Probably scared who else you’ll call,” he murmured, following her through the reaching branches.

The first of the guardians he saw was Edgar, crouched off to the side of the clearing and bent over a large volume with yellowed pages. A bicycle helmet adorned his head and a baseball catcher’s chest pad was strapped around his body.

Austin stopped and stared at Edgar for a moment as Niamh and Earl glanced over. That old vampire was unparalleled in his oddness.

“Why should I create that distinction now?” he asked Jess, turning so he wasn’t looking at Edgar. The situation was just too distracting. He’d have a hard time focusing on what she was saying.

She faced him, her expression serious. “As I said, it feels like I called something dangerous on that last summons. It’s coming, whatever it is. Ivy House will help me on this premises, I can feel that. Figuring out the whole leadership angle is on me, but the house will baby me, and push me, and coax me until I reach my true potential. The problem is that it has no influence on the town. Austin, I told you, I’m in over my head. I know I said I would, but right now, I can’t help you protect the town. I don’t know enough yet. I’m afraid I’m about to create exactly the situation you feared.”

“The people coming to help you won’t tear up the town,” he told her.

“Those who have chosen to help, no. What about those who don’t make the cut? What about those who show up for the sake of curiosity? It feels like more than I asked for are coming. They’re coming, and they’ll lurk in the town, swinging their weight around and asserting themselves. Obviously this is all just a hunch, but…the feeling is growing increasingly…” She shook her head. “They’re dangerous, that’s all I’m saying. Danger is coming. I feel it.