Page 56 of Magical Midlife Conclave

“And you think this breach might come at any time?” Austin asked.

“The danger is lurking,” Edgar said.

I looked at Austin, feeling the weight of that warning. We knew the danger was lurking. Aurora now had all sorts of proof. Soon it would be in our backyard, literally.

But we had a whole team for just this reason. Nessa had handled making a trap without involving Austin or me. We had to focus on the conclave, and whenever this lurking situation occurred on Ivy House grounds, we’d deal with it then. Probably when it was the least convenient, as usual.

He met my gaze for a long moment, knowing all that for himself but now reading it in my eyes or body or emotions. He nodded to himself before looking down at his lap. A flurry of emotions colored the bonds but didn’t show on his face. He hated giving up control of such a direct threat to my safety, I knew, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He, above all, had to focus on the conclave.

“Okay,” he said, before taking a large sip of his coffee.

“Okay.” I returned my gaze to Nessa. “Let us know if you need us.”

She shepherded Edgar out without looking at Tristan. He barely glanced at her until she was past, and then he watched her leave in silence.

“Right.” He straightened with his coffee. “Sue is waiting in the sitting room. He wants to speak with you, Jessie. After, Austin, he’s ready for your rounds.”

“Is everything okay with Nessa?” I blurted.

He paused before turning for the door. “She’s not the type of woman to rush. It wouldn’t be as fun if she was. Patience makes us appreciate the best life has to offer.”

He walked out of the room with all his swagger.

Ah. The games were getting a little too close for comfort for Nessa. Sebastian wasn’t worried, though, and he knew her best of all.

Everyone left. In the silence that followed, I sighed and put down my mug. “Is it too much to ask to do one thing at a time? This conclave is plenty. Could we not have a break from mage magic for once?”

Austin pulled me toward him. “One good thing about the conclave is that there will be a lot of power here. Not just shifters, but gargoyles and basajaunak. Momar would be an absolute fool to invade. He’s slinking around. Fine. We’ve prepared for that. We’ve got some time still, Jess. Maybe not a lot, but some.”

I sighed, leaning against him. “I know. It’s just a lot, all of this.”

“I know.” He kissed my temple. “I don’t like mages hanging around any more than you do, but at least we aren’t blind to them. We have Fred, an ace in the hole.”

“Niamh has been very gracious in not saying I told you so.”

“She only bothers to do that with Mr. Tom.”

“Thankfully.” I chuckled softly and then sighed again. “One more month.”

“One more month, and then we see what our territory is made of.”

Aurora

“Hey, Training Wheels.”

Aurora stopped beside her uncle’s borrowed Jeep with the top and doors off. He’d left earlier with the small group that would meet and welcome the basajaunak elder.

Behind her, the resident shifters, gargoyles, and garhettes chatted in the large field that was inside the territory limits. They’d gone over the expectations for what was to come and, most importantly, the magic Sebastian had ingeniously dreamt up, and Jessie helped bring into reality.

“Yeah.” Aurora turned to see Bud, one of the new rogues that had come to the territory looking for a place to belong. He’d tried Dick and Jane life and didn’t much like it. “Tough guys” always tried to pick fights with him, and he usually wound up in jail. Nor would alphas accept him, sensing his near-alpha power and worried he’d cause a problem, a common tale. He hadn’t wanted to join a pack again—also a common tale—but once he’d talked to Aljoe, he’d stopped only long enough to get the stars out of his eyes before he was ushered into the crew.

His perfectly styled hair contrasted with his messy clothing. He liked to antagonize the garhettes, who would not stand for “such a handsome young man” to look like “he crawled out of a bush.” Aunt Florence herself had combed his hair when they were waiting for Sebastian to give the magical demonstration.

“Those garhettes are a trip, huh?” He jerked his head to the side, indicating no one in particular.

Aurora jingled the keys in her hand as she walked toward him. He met her halfway.

“Yeah, right?” She showed a smile with her body. “They weren’t supposed to be here today, actually. Jessie asked Austin to invite them. He has a hard time saying no to her.”