“Jessie, what’s the hold-up?” Niamh shouted as she walked up the hallway from the back. “They are setting up a battering ram, fer feck’s sakes. What do they think, we have a drawbridge or something? Bunch o’ maggots. They’re all lining up just outside the property. They’ve clearly heard the stories.”
“They’ll have to cross the threshold to use that ram,” Jess murmured, looking at Earl.
“We have a small arsenal, yes,” Earl said. “I keep it locked in my room so the Paddy doesn’t get it and terrorize the tourists with live ammo.”
“Bollocks. I could get an unlicensed firearm without hassle,” Niamh said. “Jessie, let him handle that. Let’s go. Time’s a-wastin’.”
Jess pointed to Earl. “Either get them in the walls or get them armed. Preferably the former.”
Jess jogged down the hall, Austin right behind her. She turned the corner, down another hall, and then they were pushing outside. The gargoyles stood in a line in their gargoyle forms, their wings tucked in to give everyone room. Beside them, with a large space between, stood the shifters in animal form, three wolves, a rat, a bobcat, and a snow leopard standing out front with a dozen others, ready for battle.
The basajaun broke through the trees. He didn’t even pause to sniff the flowers, something incredibly rare for him, instead jumping over them in one awesome leap and landing on the grass. He slowed as he neared, no human disguises on his hairy body.
“They are amassing,” he said, lifting his hands, fingers splayed, indicating both sides of what Austin could only assume was the woods. “They are moving slowly but in perfect synchronization. Their master is very organized. Can you feel them?”
A muscle pulsed in Jess’s jaw. “No. They all have the potion, clearly. It’s fine. We’ll handle it.”
Jess stopped in front of the gathered crew and Austin took his place slightly behind—this was her territory, her authority. Only when she gave him the floor would he step in.
“Hey, everyone, thanks for joining us.” Jess walked in front of the waiting line, and Niamh—still in human form—filed in at the edge of the gargoyles with Edgar. The basajaun filled in the gap between the shifters and gargoyle, making Logan, on the end, jump. He held his position, though. Good sign.
“There are too many for me,” the basajaun said. “Sixty or so. I came to ask for my orders.”
Jess blew out a breath. “Sixty.” She shook her head, about-facing and walking back down the line, thinking.
The shifters looked from her to Austin. They weren’t used to lag time. Most alphas would have started barking orders by now, whether they were ready or not, to avoid showing any uncertainty in front of their underlings.
The gargoyles stared straight ahead, wings fluttering and arms at their sides, waiting patiently. They were familiar with Jess. They knew that she liked to have all her ducks in a row before settling on a plan of action.
Austin let the moment ride—the seconds ticked by, turning into a minute, and the only thing that happened was that Jess paced back the other way, muttering to herself, and bent and looked at the ground. He wouldn’t step in yet. They could spare a little more time. He needed to see if she would rise to the occasion on her own.
Metal clattering on wood stole his focus for a moment, coming from the front of the house. A rhythmic beat. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
“Edgar, go see what that is,” Jess barked, not looking in that direction. Instead, she peered out into the wood. “Basajaun, what are the positions of the back army?” she asked.
“They are spreading out in a line. If I had not left my position, they would be herding me in toward the house. The image in my mind is like when someone goes lost in the wood and the townspeople go on the hunt. Sometimes they lock arms so that no area is missed. The enemy forces are not touching, but they’re within sight of one another.”
“They want to herd everyone to Ivy House.” Jess turned to look off in the direction of the front of the house, her eyes distant.
“It’s the enemy to the front,” Edgar said, loping back. “They are in a haphazard sort of mob, banging swords and weapons against their shields. They have a couple of magical creatures on chains, but nothing to worry about. I’ve had a lot of experience. There was a portion of time when my clan tried