he sensed my fear and was deciding which way to lean with it. I hoped he didn’t opt for a practical joke…
He turned just slightly, giving me his full attention. “I remember that you said you were new to Ivy House. You are just a cub. Cubs must be protected and nurtured. They must be taught the ways. It is forbidden to attack one so new.” He nodded. “Yes, I will help. If you will allow me a daily flower break, I will help you with this threat.”
“Ulric, go get Edgar,” I said quickly. I was not about to pass up the chance of recruiting such a fearsome ally, but I had promised that Edgar could be present the next time I traded with his flowers.
“The magical worker who came over the mountain had a fair bit of power, yes,” the basajaun said as Ulric took off running. “I do not know about the shifters. I cannot smell their power level.”
“With shifters, it’s usually determined by the animal—and they travel in accordance with their rank, the strongest usually at the back and the weakest in the middle,” Austin said. “I can show you, if you’ll return the favor and let me know if you find out anything about who’s crossing your mountain in the direction of my growing territory.”
“It is a trade.” The basajaun nodded.
“This trading thing is tedious,” I mumbled as Edgar loped behind Ulric, one running like a normal person, one looking like some sort of vaudeville act.
“So you were the creature that scared the deer away last night?” I asked, my tension easing. “You were following it?”
The basajaun frowned, the expression only evident by the changing configuration of his hair. “This is the first time I have been off my mountain in months. I have had plenty to interest me there.”
Tension flowered inside of me again. Wishful thinking, clearly. There was still a Big Bad unaccounted for.
“Hello.” Edgar licked his colorless lips as he stopped near the basajaun.
“Edgar, the basajaun has agreed to help us in exchange for a daily flower quota,” I said, then held my breath, hoping he didn’t make this difficult.
“Oh. Yes, we could use the help. For now, anyway.” Edgar smiled, his canines elongated again. “Ivy House has delivered to me an additional book, and I am making some headway, but sadly, it doesn’t contain anything in the way of a counter-spell. My research continues.”
The basajaun shook his head slowly. Apparently he wasn’t picking up what Edgar was putting down.
“Edgar, why don’t you talk about the restrictions with the flowers,” I said. “Didn’t you say you were going to create some sort of meal plan for the basajaun?”
“Oh! Of course.” Edgar turned to the basajaun. “You must know that flower production takes time and love. I am better than most, but even I must wait for them to grow. For that reason, we’ll need to limit how much you eat at a time. I have planted more, with you in mind, but we only have so much space. Come, follow me—I’ll give you a sample of what I’m working on for you.”
I watched them go, the basajaun stooping to catch every word.
Austin looked out over the wood. “I’ll learn the way to smell magic. That will help me assess the prowler, if there is still a trail. If the magical presence in the street was of a higher caliber, we can assume he or she will be cautious. They’ll try to figure out who they’re competing with before pushing forward. Or they might just rush in, hoping to get there first. We need to bring in the other gargoyles.”
I blew out a breath. “Ulric can work on a story to tell the parents.”
Austin nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “That basajaun gives us a leg up. Not only is he incredibly vicious, but he’s at home in the trees. He can move through the woods more stealthily than anyone our enemies have at their disposal. There is danger lurking, but we are equipped to handle it. After a full night’s sleep, you’ll see that.”
I dropped my head to his shoulder. If it was Elliot Graves, he clearly had a team of people headed over the mountain, and who knew how many would come at us from the front. We’d be grossly understaffed, not to mention I had my parents holed up inside. Without Ivy House, Austin’s confidence didn’t ring true. It was a nice sentiment, and I appreciated