Magical Midlife Battle （Leveling Up, #8）(77)

“You don’t think your words are prodding me enough?”

“No, because you haven’t attacked yet. Quit stalling. Come at me or don’t.”

“It’s not as simple as that.”

Annoyance ate through my minimal patience. Tension started to fill my body, and my power throbbed. My beast itched at my skin.

“It needs to be, Kingsley. I shouldn’t have to prompt you to act. Have your scars from Austin’s challenge, so long ago, clouded your judgment to the point that you welcome the animosity your people are throwing at ours? At him? Your children are watching you, Kingsley. They are learning from you. Is this the sort of behavior you want to teach budding alphas?”

He stopped in place, his posture suddenly rigid. Emotions ran lightning fast over his expression.

He stared at me for a long moment, and now I turned to face him fully, my gaze no longer hot, my power starting to ebb. I didn’t say another word. I knew I didn’t have to. I’d hit him right where it counted. I’d shined a flashlight on where it hurt the most.

Tears sprang to my eyes, because I suddenly understood his pain. The hurt caused by his brother nearly killing him. His regret that his daughter had had to bear witness. The embarrassment, probably, of her having to rescue him. His scars from that time weren’t buried as deeply as he tried to pretend.

The proof was there in his tight shoulders and tormented gaze. He wasn’t like Austin, who raged and fought and wore his heart on his sleeve if you looked hard enough. He was more like his mother, suffering in silence.

They needed to heal. They both did. Together.

Taking the high road, I stepped forward and put out my arm at a ninety-degree angle, almost like I was asking for a high five but with my hand turned. A handshake shifters tended to use to show unity.

A peace offering, in this case.

He didn’t hesitate. He met my step with one of his own and clapped his hand against mine, stinging my palm, our forearms meeting （mine looking like a child’s compared to his）， our gazes locked.

“Take down the spell,” he said softly, hardly moving his lips.

I nodded when it was done, very little changing, because the room had gone silent.

“You have a lot to learn, Jacinta Ironheart,” Kingsley said, loud and clear. “But you’ll make an incredible alpha shifter.”

He shook my hand before dropping it again and stepping back. “Bruce…” He stopped when he realized the shifter was still out cold. “Is he dead?”

“No.” James knelt next to him. “He’s breathing. Knocked out.”

“I agree with Ironheart. Get him out of here. He’s relieved of duty. Let this be a lesson to everyone here. We stand a lot to gain from having Austin Steele and Jessie Ironheart’s help. Without them, it’s beginning to look like we wouldn’t have had a chance. We weren’t equipped to handle higher-powered mages. They are our visitors, our allies, and my family. I expect you to treat them as such.”

James stood slowly, disbelief and anger kindling in his eyes. He didn’t dare push back on his alpha, though. He must have recognized it was a battle he would easily lose.

“Yes, alpha,” he said crisply, then motioned for someone else to deal with Bruce.

Austin hadn’t moved from the position he’d been in when the spell went down. His gaze was rooted to me, his emotions still turbulent and aggressive. He hadn’t recovered yet.

“Shall we take a minute?” I asked him softly.

He shook his head, glancing at Kingsley. “No. Continue the meeting. I’ll be back shortly.”

With a stiff back, he about-faced and walked out of the room.

“He’s not mad, he’s just—”

Kingsley held up his hand. “It’s not easy seeing a mate in danger and not being able to help. I get it.”

I quirked an eyebrow at the “in danger” part, but let it go. Let him nurse his ego.

“Okay, what’s next?” I looked at Sebastian, but it was Edgar who spoke up.

“Jessie, I do believe we haven’t talked about the flowers yet.”

A crooked smile worked at the glamour on Sebastian’s face. “We’re done for the moment anyway,” he told me. “I’d like some more information on Momar’s mage configurations, if I can find

it, and we need a better plan for using our potions. We can meet with Austin and Ki—the alpha when we have more information. Please, see to your flowers.”

He offered a little bow, and the image of his face wobbled again, probably because he kept laughing.

“Okay.” I clasped my hands in my lap, facing Kingsley with a grimace. “So. You know how we just had that thing, and everything worked out swimmingly?” I winced. “This is going to undo all of that. This time I’ll probably just jump out the window so you don’t have to go through the effort of throwing me out.”

“Proceed,” Kingsley said.

“I’d really rather not,” I murmured, motioning for Edgar and Indigo to step forward. “Firstly…let me walk you through what we’re talking about here—”

“Jessie, maybe I’d better?” Edgar offered, slinking much too close to Kingsley.

“Edgar, back away from him, and no, I’ll do it.”

He was much too honest.