“Maybe next, he’ll dominate me.”
The first huffed at her friend. “You tried that, remember? He didn’t date you any longer than he dated anyone else. He doesn’t settle down. He’s always been very clear about that.”
“You’re just jealous because he never went after you.”
“Inever went afterhim.I don’t chase, and neither does he.”
“Well”—the second shrugged—“he didn’t used to settle down, maybe, but now he has a cairn that respects him. Nelson always made him feel temporary because of his past or whatever. But I hear the female doesn’t care about that. If he feels some security and permanence, he’ll be looking. We got along well, he and I.”
“He got along well with everyone. There wasn’t one person he pined after or worshipped. He was too busy thinking about himself and playing his games. I’m telling you, you’re wasting your time on that gargoyle. He’s the playboy who never takes things too seriously. Wouldn’t you rather have someone you can count on?”
The second waved that away. “I can count on myself. There aren’t any garhettes in his cairn, or whatever they call it. Not that he wants, anyway. He’s probably going to take this opportunity to snag one of his kind.” She adjusted her hair. “Hell, even if it’s just for a while, I’ll take it,” she murmured as an afterthought. “He was always the best of the bunch. I hadfunwith him.”
A strange, uncomfortable feeling tightened Nessa’s stomach. She glanced at the women, wondering what had triggered it. It couldn’t be calling Tristan a playboy—he was, and had no reservations about his antics. He didn’t boast or hide them or care much at all, honestly. Very few gargoyles did. She liked that about them, the openness. They didn’t slut-shame or call women down for behavior they themselves enjoyed. It was liberating.
Jealousy? Laughable. The thought barely crossed her mind before she discounted it. Shetrulydidn’t care about him with other women. It was surface level for him, and she shared the same philosophy. They were a little too similar in that way. Inmanyways, she had to own.
Wouldn’t you rather have someone you can count on?
Her stomach tightened again, and she dragged her lip through her teeth before looking away. She had counted on him that other night. Greatly. A part of her wanted to count on him still. Wanted someone strong and mean and familiar with the shadows in order to guard her in a way she hadn’t dared let anyone. She wanted someone to handle the beasties for her, like he’d always promised. Maybe someone to grant her a safe haven so she could work on herself, so she could maybe heal a little.
That wasn’t his jam, though. She knew that. Hell, these women knew that. Their whole cairn did, it sounded like. He liked to play games, to stay aloof, and to keep his secrets.
But maybe…
She picked at her nail again.
Maybe it was time she put herself out there. Not for guys like him, who didn’t trust and didn’t want to, but for someone else who might not balk at what she was and what she’d done.
Or maybe she was feeling sappy after coming home. After realizing that Jessie and Austin and the Ivy House crew felt like family, and she wanted to belong with them in a way she had never dared to belong with anyone but Sebastian and his sister.
Hell, she didn’t know. This was all getting much too complicated.
“Anyway,” she whispered, even though this invisibility spell also had soundproofing qualities. She shook her head and stared at the fortress. She could feel Sebastian looking at her. “What?”
He didn’t respond, and when she glanced his way, his eyes were deep and sorrowful and troubled. She knew that look.
“Stop.” She rolled her eyes and turned away again. “The past is in the past. We have a team now, and we’re going to be okay.”
“I know.”
“Right. Well then, stop looking at me like that.”
“But areyougoing to be okay?”
Jessie and Austin stepped out of the fortress in their human forms, nude and hand in hand.
“Wait…” One of the garhettes who’d been talking paused for a moment. “Wait, didn’t she go in with a satchel? I saw that, didn’t I?”
“I don’t know, but she doesn’t have anything now. Neither of them does.”
The first garhette took a few steps that way, hands on her hips. The gargoyles above circled, forgotten by most of those on the ground for now. “It doesn’t look like she took anything.”
The other stepped forward to stay at her side. “You’resureshe had?—”
Another garhette jogged over with a crooked smile. This one wore sturdy clothes. “She had a bag going in there, did you see that?” She mimed something around her middle. “It was orange with black writing. Did you see it?”
“Yes! But now she doesn’t have anything at all. Did she put something in there?”
