Magical Midlife Battle (Leveling Up, #8)(24)

“Beta,” Austin said in greeting, inclining his head.

Kingsley announced the names of the other guys and gals in his line. “If you or your people need anything and I’m not available, any of my team would be happy to help. Just say the word.”

“Thank you.” Austin put his arm around Jess, his hand resting on the small of her back. “You remember my mate and co-leader, Jessie.”

“Hello, Kingsley, nice to see you again!” She beamed at him, stepping forward with her hand outstretched. “Crap, sorry.” She struggled to contain her smile. “Alpha. It’s nice to see you again.”

“My people have been briefed on your situation,” Kingsley said, taking her hand, his eyes twinkling. “You can let slip a smile or two. Okay, no, the laughing is taking it too far.”

She laughed harder and stepped back, covering her mouth with her hand. “Epic fail on my attempt to have no expression.”

“Epic fail,” he agreed.

Austin went about introducing the important people, making note that his shifter beta wouldn’t be in until the second wave arrived tomorrow. He wanted to see their reactions when they first laid eyes on Brochan.

“One thing, alpha,” he said once he’d finished, “before I let Jess introduce her people. Some of the basajaunak showed up at the last minute. We’ll be adding them to our group. We’re also not entirely sure how many more gargoyles will be coming in from a cairn we’re friendly with.”

“Not a problem,” Kingsley said easily. “We have plenty of room. Now, Jessie, if you wouldn’t mind, can you give us a rundown of the creatures there?”

“Yeah, of course.”

She turned and did just that, having to stop a couple times for James to ask for more details, like what kind of magic a thunderbird did, or how Niamh chose between her two forms. At the end of her account, seriousness stole over her. “This is very important,” she said. “As a female gargoyle, I have the ability to form a connection with the people I fight beside. It’s like a blood bond. If you accept, we will feel each other’s whereabouts, I’ll be able to gauge your general emotional state, and so on. I believe it’s supposed to help me keep everyone organized and safe in battle. The offer is almost always unconscious. If you feel it, you are more than welcome to accept it, but know that I’m not sure how to undo it. Yet. Don’t carelessly accept.”

“And if we don’t want this connection?” Kingsley asked, his voice wary.

“Then deny the offering. It doesn’t seem to be hard.”

“It isn’t,” Sebastian said.

“Regarding those mages…” James said. “I beg your pardon, but how do we know they won’t turn on us? I’ve never met a mage who has liked shifters.”

“Have you met any mages at all?” Nessa asked him, lowering her gaze after a moment, clearly so he wouldn’t take it as a challenge.

James paused, and then answered with mild disdain, “No, I don’t expect I have.”

“Most mages haven’t met any shifters,” Sebastian told him, his gaze still bored. He didn’t lower it. “Not properly, at any rate. I’ll spare you the details of the work I’ve done with Alphas Steele and Ironheart. The bottom line is, if the enemy captures me, they’ll torture and then kill me. It would behoove me to help you to win, because that’s the only way I don’t die. Not that I’ll likely be much help, so it probably doesn’t matter.”

“How so?” Kingsley asked.

Sebastian lifted his hands and looked around. “This is a sprawling, isolated territory with very little cover outside of the township—from what I’ve seen so far, at any rate. Given the numbers that Momar is sending, there is no possible way Jessie and myself will be able to protect you all from

their magic, not even if I’m flown overhead. Basically we’re taking knives to a gunfight.”

Jess had turned to look at him, and fear soaked into her expression. “Are you being serious right now or are you playing up that persona? I can’t tell.”

“Note to self: don’t take Jessie on an undercover mission,” Ulric murmured.

Sebastian met her eyes. “I got the schematics of this place, but”—he shook his head in frustration

—“it’s more spread-out than I was envisioning. Much more isolated. Obviously I’ve only seen a portion of the territory, but what I have seen is a nightmare. If they have off-road vehicles, they can likely move faster than our shifters. Maybe our fliers in some places.” He pointed at Nessa without breaking his gaze away from Jessie. “See if you can get any info on their gear. We only know about their magical guns so far. Let’s see if they’re planning anything else.”

“Got it.” She pulled her phone out from her cleavage and started tapping the screen.

“We have the fliers to combat the mages, though,” Jessie said, bracing her hands on her hips.

“With Gerard’s guardians, we should have about as many gargoyles as they have mages. Gargoyles can withstand a degree of magic.”

“Gargoyles can withstand a degree of magic, yes, but they aren’t impenetrable. The higher-powered mages will punch through their tough hides, and they’ll have plenty of time to do it because it’s grassland and dirt out there, only dotted with trees. They’ll throw spell after spell before the gargoyles can reach them. This isn’t like what we faced in the basajaunak lands, Jessie, or in your territory. This is the big leagues. These will be power players with power approaching mine. A few of them working together? Stronger than you. They have the upper hand here, and we haven’t a hope of—”