Magical Midlife Battle （Leveling Up, #8）(88)

Timmie glanced at the door with a frown. “Where are the guys?”

“Ah.” Niamh rolled her eyes, leaning back a little. “They got in a tiff about something-er-other.

They didn’t want to see each other at the bar, so neither came. Don’t worry, they’ll be back out soon enough. This happens all the time. They’re as bad as brothers, so they are. And the stupid things they fight over.” Timmie poured Niamh a whiskey, listening. “One time Ulric caught Jasper wearing his socks. The wrong socks ended up in Jasper’s drawer and he wore them. Well, ye should’ve seen ’em!

Yellin’ at each other, threatenin’ to give the other a box. They’re children. Yer better off not troublin’

yerself. Didn’t I say so the other day? Well now. Here’s the proof.”

Timmie laughed. “I’m not looking for forever, I’m just looking for a good time. And those boys are a real good time.” She winked at Niamh, finally noticing Sebastian. “Who’s this?”

“Sure, ye know him. He was here the other day.” Niamh took a sip of her drink. “The gangly gargoyle, remember?”

“Oh yeah,” she said, squinting at Sebastian and then glancing at his cape. “That’s right. Didn’t he

come with the female gargoyles? The ones that don’t shift?”

“Yes, yeah,” Niamh said without missing a beat, quickly building a new story about him. “Yeah, he didn’t make the cut as a guardian, but he wouldn’t be left behind, so he pleaded with the ladies to bring him. Those female gargoyles are only here to look after their mates and watch the pack kids and what have you. Don’t know why they gave in. He’s pretty well useless. He can’t even run a mop

’round the place, sure he can’t.”

Sebastian put out his hands in feigned indignation. “Dude, I’m right here.”

Niamh acted like she hadn’t heard him. “I figured I’d get him out of their hair for a bit by bringing him for a drink. Maybe he’ll get in trouble with the big boss for leaving the pack lands and be sent home, huh?”

Timmie laughed, and Sebastian continued to stare in indignation.

“What’ll ya have?” Timmie asked him.

He just shook his head. “A ride home, maybe?”

“Bourbon, neat,” Niamh answered for him.

The bartender moved away, and still Sebastian stared at Niamh. “Really?” he finally prodded.

“Everyone knows it, why pretend like we don’t?” she replied.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered as the bartender served his drink and looked around in confusion.

“Weren’t there three of you?” she asked with squinted eyes.

“No?” Niamh glanced over her shoulder. “Why? Did someone walk in behind us?” She hooked a thumb Sebastian’s way. “He never notices when danger’s around.”

“You’re going to give me a complex,” he grumbled.

“Maybe I got it wrong. So what did you…” Timmie’s words drifted away as she watched a skinny guy with a plaid shirt and a shiny gold watch walk in through the door. He stared straight ahead, walking in an equally straight line, until he got to the open stool he wanted. Then he did a ninety-degree turn and sat down. It was more than a little unusual.

“Is he serious with that watch?” Sebastian murmured without thinking.

“Right? ” Timmie whispered, leaning toward him before sparing Niamh a knowing look. “They’re all like that, I swear. Right, Niamh? You must’ve noticed over the last few days.” She looked skyward, shook her head, and slowly made her way to the newcomer.

“That’s one of ’em, right?” Niamh asked.

“Obviously, yes,” Sebastian whispered, his lips against his glass as though he were about to take a sip. “Lower level and insecure, so he’s overcompensating with the watch. He hasn’t got the funds or the position to wear a nicer one, though, so he’s gone for gaudy. You’ll get some scheduling information from him, maybe. His contact, what his contact is hoping to achieve, what he’s learned from the shifters here, but you won’t get anything the likes of which that runner gave Tristan the other night. But we’ll wait and see who else shows up. This guy could be the low-hanging fruit. The one you trip if something scary is chasing you.”

Niamh chuckled. “Makes sense.”

“You haven’t been using the potions to see invisible mages, right?” Sebastian asked before lowering his glass.

Niamh coughed and then threw her head back really quickly, downing the small vial before slipping it into the satchel, the strap resting around her knees.

“No. I’ve felt them around but didn’t want to give anything away by looking right at them.”

“Smart.” Sebastian tapped his fingers against the bar.

Niamh looked over slowly. “Would ye stop that? When did ye get so annoyin’？”

“We’re still in character…right?”

“Is that what this is? Yer bein’ annoying to play some sort of part?”

Sebastian lowered his brow at her but stopped the tapping.

She settled in to her drinking as Timmie talked to the new guy.

“Have Jessie and Austin been out since the night she got challenged by those girls?” Sebastian asked, not able to settle down. He wasn’t used to working like this, with zero defined plan and now under the guise of a ridiculous story he likely wouldn’t remember. They were all flying by the seats of their pants, and he was not good at doing that. If he didn’t come up with small talk, he’d look as stressed as he felt.