“He would not appreciate it,” Edgar replied.
“That’s why we didn’t tell him, like,” Niamh said. “He’d bluster and blow and hullabaloo, and who needs to hear it? He’s off waiting for Jessie to need him, so we’re in the clear. She’ll be a while.
Austin always likes to work out his anxiety in the bedroom.”
“People in this area have never seen gargoyles,” Tristan said, scanning the sides of the street.
“They’ll think my cape is nicer than yours, and we’re both a little touched in the head. This way, no one will know what you truly are. No mage would ever dare look that ridiculous.”
“Especially a mage as ugly as you are now,” Edgar added.
“Seriously, what is wrong with this face?” Sebastian hunched as he walked, resigned that he wasn’t getting out of wearing the cape. “I was going for boring. I don’t want anyone to notice me for long.”
“Oh, well, that will work, then,” Edgar said. “Hideous and boring really amount to the same thing when it comes to people not wanting to look at you twice.”
“Oh my God, please stop,” Sebastian begged.
“You got it, bestie!” Edgar gave him a thumbs-up, and while he’d clearly put time and effort into his teeth, his nails looked like he’d been digging graves for the last hundred years…by hand.
“Fine,” Sebastian said. “Where are we going and why?”
“To the bar, obviously.” Niamh motioned for them to hurry up. “Tristan can see through invisibility spells, so he’ll see if anyone is spyin’。 If they are, ye’ll help neutralize them so we can grab them. If not, I’ll chat up the bartender and see what I can find out about the goings-on this close to the territory. The bartender is bound to know or have heard somethin’。 If we’re lucky, we’ll get some information we can use.”
It was a good plan, Sebastian just wished it hadn’t been sprung on him. He surely could’ve been a lot more useful if he’d had even a day to do a little planning.
Edgar, giving Niamh a lot of space but still in front of Sebastian, looked over his shoulder with a goofy grin. The vampire squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, opened them again, and re-faced front.
Whatever silent communication that was supposed to be, it was utterly lost on Sebastian. Which was probably a good thing. Understanding Edgar was surely a one-way ticket to the Land of No Return.
“I see you’re wearing a similar ensemble to what you had on at the cairn leader dinner,” Tristan observed. He was walking beside Sebastian, something Sebastian was embarrassed to admit he hadn’t noticed until that moment. “No watch?”
“I didn’t want to stand out,” he replied. “That was before I knew I’d be wearing a cape. Not even a long cape, either. A flimsy, cheap cape only down to my knees. I’m not only posing as a gargoyle, but a weak gargoyle at that. This is not doing wonders for my ego, I’ll say that much.”
Tristan ignored his complaint. “Natasha seems to have a fascination with watches. I figured I’d better learn about them for when I take her out.”
Sebastian frowned, something that would distort his current face a little. He immediately smoothed his expression again.
“You’re taking her out?” Sebastian asked. “From what she’s said, I didn’t think that was a possibility.”
“I am taking her out, yes. Just as soon as she realizes it is a possibility.”
“Ah.” Sebastian scanned the sidewalk across the street. “Is this a ‘no means yes’ situation?
Because that’s a really good way to get you dead.”
Tristan tilted his head back and laughed, a joyous sound so unlike the intense vibe he so often gave off.
“I’m not so stupid, no,” Tristan said, his smile gleaming in the pale afternoon sun. “She won’t admit it, but she’s looking for a fairytale. She wants a knight to sweep her off her feet. She just doesn’t think knights can be anything other than good, moral people. I aim to prove her wrong.”
“And save her?”
“If she’d like to be saved, sure. Or I’ll jump down into the trenches with her, and we can live like the world is on fire. We complement each other, she and I. I know what she likes even if she hasn’t quite realized it herself yet. Once she has had me, she won’t remember anyone else’s name.”
Niamh looked back with raised eyebrows. “Fulla yerself, aren’t ya? Gotta be tough, lugging’ that ego around wit’ya everywhere.”