and roused Edgar. The dolls had apparently seen themselves home, which I didn’t relish thinking about. Once everything was sorted out, Austin had lumbered back out of the house, and I hadn’t heard from him since. I said as much.
“He probably blames himself, as well. That mage was in his territory all this time without him knowing.”
“That mage knew just enough to purposely stay away from him.”
“That won’t matter to Austin Steele. He holds himself to unrealistic expectations. It won’t be easy for him to get over the fact that the mage got the better of him.”
I turned my head, back to looking out the window. “This is ridiculous. I can’t stay on this property forever—I will have to leave sometime. With a price on my head, I’m going to need a team around me to guard my back. Everyone blaming themselves and licking their wounds is not helpful. It’s not going to make things safer going forward.”
“Agreed, miss.”
“What do you think about bringing some of the gargoyles onto the team?”
He sat down again, as awkwardly as before, and said, “Honestly, I don’t think they have proven themselves yet. None of them have meshed with the established team. Right now, there are two teams, rather than just one.”
“Damarion’s team, and yours and Niamh’s team.”
He hesitated. “Basically, yes. The summoned gargoyle team, and the house team. Despite being the same species as the others, I am not viewed as part of the gargoyle group.”
“But Damarion said that they didn’t even know each other before they came here.”
“I wager that is how the summons works. They collect along the way, finding each other, moving together, and establishing the pecking order before they arrive. Once they arrive, they are ready to assimilate.”
“Except they haven’t assimilated.”
“They have, just not with the house team. They have assimilated with one another, and with you.”
Frustrated, I pushed to standing. “That’s not going to work for me. Does Damarion need to be brought into the Council…seating thing in order for all of you to work together? Are the groups only separate because he’s not connected with the magic? Those gargoyles will follow me, sure, but my default setting isn’t as commander. When I need something, I take charge, but otherwise I don’t think of it. It’ll take time for me to grow into that role. In the meantime, I need someone to handle the day-to-day…”
A memory jogged for position. Austin speaking to me.
I have experience in leading. Obviously you don’t need my help with Niamh and the others, but if new people show up, you can count on me. I will put them in their place until you’re ready to step up and take over. You know my past—you know I won’t try to usurp power. Eventually, hopefully, I wouldn’t be able to.
My frustration bubbled a little higher.
“Damn Austin for not wanting to be involved in this. He’s the missing link. He’s the ace in the hole. And he doesn’t want the job. Not officially, anyway, and if he won’t officially take it, it’s a hard sell to outsiders.”
“Yes, the situation is certainly grievous.”
I huffed out a sardonic laugh. “Grievous…yes, it is. So what I’m looking for is a replacement for Austin. Right now, the only candidate is Damarion.”
“He certainly has the right materials. Strong, sure, loyal, born to lead…”
“He’s an elitist, though, who hasn’t made an effort to connect with the nut cases of this house.”
“True, he hasn’t taken to Edgar and Niamh very well…”
That didn’t warrant a comment.
“I wonder if I could talk him around,” I said, bracing my hands on my hips. “Maybe he just doesn’t understand that I need my second to handle day-to-day issues that involve the whole house. If he knew that, he might be more inclined to treat everyone as a group.”
“He’d certainly need to welcome non-gargoyles, because you can’t just have gargoyles on your team.”
“Yes, exactly. He seems a little green—maybe he just needs some training, like I do.” I paused, thinking, then added, “And if he’s more secure in his footing, he may treat the Austin situation like a professional instead of a competition for dominance.”
“I was with you until that last bit.”
“It’s worth a try. I don’t have much choice.”
“But you do have a choice. You can send another summons and see who you get, like fishing. Catch and release. You don’t have to settle for your first couple catches.”
“Is it too late to quit and choose a different life?”
“And stay alive and free? Yes, miss. That ship