Magical Midlife Meeting: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 5)

by K. F. Breene

“Forgive me. I thought you were telling a joke. Since…” Noah gestured at me.

  “No, Noah, please. Enlighten us. I’m sure Miss Ironheart would dearly like to hear your thoughts on her…setup.”

  Noah frowned and looked at the other hologram mages down the table, each of them smirking, snickering, or, in the case of the man who’d been reading the paper in the lobby earlier in the day, blankly staring. Noah shook his head. “Isn’t it obvious? When she’s not being a Jane, she’s one of them stinky gargoyles, and she has filthy animals around all the time. She doesn’t even have the power to cast a soul shadow. She’s a hot piece of ass, but—”

  Rage blistered through the link, and it wasn’t mine this time. Every muscle on Austin’s large frame went taut. His jaw clenched. He slowly clasped his hands in his lap, his stare of death beating a promise into Noah’s head.

  The situation would have been very precarious for Noah if he’d been present in the flesh. And he knew it. His mouth clicked shut and his eyes widened, just like Burke’s had.

  Actually, just like Burke’s were doing again. Still leaning back in his chair, he lost what little color he’d had left.

  I sipped my wine, basking in the glow of Austin’s rage, something within me purring at the feel of it.

  “Yes, they are something, aren’t they, these shifters?” Elliot said.

  The appetizers were brought in, and the server put one plate each in front of Austin and me.

  “Here we have, mini cornbread crab cakes with a lemon-caper sauce,” she said softly.

  “Thank you,” I said, setting down my glass. Cyra drifted up, on Austin’s side this time, sticking her butt in the fairly weak hologram of a man who looked old enough to be Father Time’s brother.

  “Now. The subject that has been on everyone’s mind and all over social media for the past month…” Elliot pulled his hands away and leaned back, being served wherever he was. The others did the same. Once settled, he picked up utensils that didn’t show in his hologram and cut into something off screen. “Why are you here?” He smiled and popped a bit of nothing into his mouth, like a mime. The others followed suit, and suddenly I was mighty uncomfortable. Mimes had never been my favorite, although I guessed it wasn’t as big of a deal, since these guys could still talk.

  Cyra finished her bite of Austin’s crab cake and tried one of mine. “Hmm.” She nodded as she chewed. “Very good. I have the best job there is.”

  “Okay, but…” I picked up my fork and knife. “The wine I get, but if they poisoned the crab cakes, they could’ve poisoned only one of them, hoping it wasn’t the one you actually tried. You’d only have a one in five shot of tasting the poisoned one.”

  Across the table, Burke stopped chewing mid-bite, his poison person having already been sent back to the wall behind him.

  “Well spotted, Jessie—” Elliot’s voice hitched, as though he’d caught himself making a mistake. He cleared his throat into his fist. “I assume it is okay if I call you Jessie? We’re friends now, aren’t we?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Usually the first course is soup, since a person on poison duty would catch that, even with a slow-release poison. But individual morsels are more likely to make it through. Rest assured, I do not poison people that I mean to kill. It is much too simple and, quite frankly, boring. I prefer to play with my food, so to speak.”

  Movement slowed and all eyes drifted to Elliot.

  He wiped his mouth with an invisible napkin. “So, back to it. Why are you here? You must be incredibly curious. It’s simple: I mean to return to the magical world, and when I do, it will be with an ally. My intention is to pit myself against Momar and reclaim my title as the most powerful mage in the world.”

  “You’ve been gone a long time,” the man next to Austin said. “Some might say you are out of the loop.”

  “All would say that, I think,” Elliot responded.

  “Which means you’ll have to build yourself back up. You’ll be vulnerable to attack in that time. I’ve seen your staff. You’re a little light on mages. There’s even a rumor going around that your head mage left.”

  “Heard that, did you?” Elliot’s eyes flicked to me and then away. “He left for greener pastures, yes. I had to track him down and kill him for his disobedience. Quite the shame. Luckily, I am more than capable of taking over my lab.”

  These mages clearly didn’t know I was the greener pastures. I wondered how they’d heard the rumor so stripped of detail.

  “Maybe,” the man pushed, “but the fact remains that you will be vulnerable. Momar is more ruthless than you ever were. He’s not as cautious—”

  “It was never caution, Rufus. It was strategy. In order to achieve a complete victory, one must crush the opposition in its entirety. Pull out the root. That takes time and planning. Otherwise your enemies will come back to haunt you. Isn’t that right, Chambers?”

  The man with the bow tie’s eyebrows lowered, and I suddenly wondered which one of these guys had been responsible for ruining Broken Sue’s life. Could that be what Elliot meant?

  “Momar doesn’t seem to have any trouble with his swifter approach,” Noah said with a full mouth.

  “He has left severed roots all over the world,” Elliot replied. “They are under the ground, slowly growing toward the surface. They merely need to be tended before they will sprout once more.”

  “Yes, well…” Rubber Band Face shook his head. “Momar took down the power players. He might have left some of the crumbs, sure, but no matter how much you tend those, they’ll never grow into…flowers or trees or whatever it is you’re talking about. They’re useless.”

  Elliot grinned slyly. “That’s the difference between you and me. Between me and Momar. Big-picture thinking. Trees and flowers and ferns and critters—they have more power than you would think when you group them together and give them purpose.”

  Chambers leaned his elbows on the table. “Is that the power you are hoping to amass? The failed leftovers of Momar’s battles?”

  “That is the power I will collect, yes. That I will prime and prepare for use. But I won’t tell you how. Only my ally will be privy to my plans. Otherwise I will gather a network and a staff, like I have in the past. I doubt the world has changed that much.”

  “It’s changed more than you think,” the paper reader said.

  My empty plate was cleared away and a steaming plate was set down in its place, no time to rest between courses. Cyra stepped forward immediately, and Rufus paused, probably wondering if he was about to get a butt in his hologram again.

  “Roast beef tenderloin with red wine sauce,” the server murmured softly. “Haricot verts and a buttery garlic mashed potato.”

  I nodded as Cyra barged in and took more than the couple of needed bites. “This is good,” she said around her food. “Hire these cooks instead of Mr. Tom.”

  Rufus waited until she was done. “Even if you are correct, Elliot…” He cleared his throat. Gesturing to Paper Reader, he said, “And I’ll mention that Maverick is—”

  “Maverick?” I blurted out with a laugh.

  Everyone paused and looked at me.

  I covered my mouth with my napkin. “Sorry. I didn’t know his name. Just…surprised me, is all. Does he have an assistant named Goose?”

  Elliot laughed heartily. Maverick’s eyebrows settled low.

  “As I was saying,” Rufus continued, “I would agree that the world has certainly changed more than one might think. You won’t be able to hide away in your mountain and expect to be left alone while you plot.”

  “Yes,” Maverick said, undaunted by my reaction to his Top Gun name. “When you rose the first time, you were unknown. You claimed your mantle almost out of the blue. You are watched now. The Mages’ Guild has their eye on you. Momar is aware of this meeting and eager to know what comes of it. You won’t get a chance for a mistake, and you might not even get a chance to emerge as you plan.”

  “Yes, you’re right,” Elliot said, wiping his
mouth. “And I’d be quite the simpleton if I hadn’t thought of all of that. Coming up out of the blue the first time wasn’t a stroke of luck, however. It wasn’t a surprise to me like it was for others. You’d best remember that.”

  “Do you expect your ally to cover your back while you make your…return?” Noah asked.

  Elliot pushed an invisible plate away and went back to resting his elbows on the table. He squinted at Noah. “Cover my back? No. Keep my whereabouts secret? Possibly.”

  Burke huffed. “How would that even be possible?”

  “For you?” Elliot tapped his pointer fingers together. “It wouldn’t. You’re here to make everyone else feel good about their status. Including the Jane.”

  Anger crossed Burke’s face, but it was insanely hard to feel bad for him. It was a bummer that he was the only mage physically present. He was the kind of blowhard you’d decline an invite to a really great-sounding party just to avoid.

  “So you expect us to sign on to be your ally,” Maverick said, pushing his own invisible plate away, “without telling us any more about it?”

  “Yes. You have it exactly right.” Elliot dropped his hands.

  “What sort of assurances do we get?” Maverick asked.

  Elliot pursed his lips. “I’ll discuss all of that with the person I choose to partner with.”

  “And…” Maverick crossed his arms over his chest. “How do you plan to choose?”

  A grin spread across Elliot’s face. “Easy. A good old-fashioned gladiator arena where you will compete against each other to sit in a room with me and hash out the plans. It is the only way you will get to see me in person. I did not hide all this time to stick my neck out the first time I have visitors. If you want your chance with me, you will have to prove your worth first.”

  My stomach sank into my shoes as I looked around at the other, much more experienced mages sitting at the table. I might have more power, but that didn’t mean squat in a face-off-type battle, not without Ivy House at my back. My team was newly formed, and I was a novice. Our chances of winning were next to nothing.

  “I’ll play your little game,” Rufus said slowly, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest like Maverick had. “It does not mean I consent to work with you, but I will hear you out.”

  “You will attempt to claim his audience, you mean,” Maverick said. “I, too, will play this game. I see the value in a partnership and have some ideas about how we can work around Momar to achieve our goals. With some…restrictions, of course.”

  “I’ll play.” Noah threw an invisible napkin onto his plate. Maverick and Rufus gave him condescending looks. “There is more to winning than the head mage’s power. My team is infinitely superior to yours. I’ve spent years building it. I’ll clean up, no problem.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Elliot said.

  “I’m out.” Burke sucked down the rest of his wine. “To hell with this.” He stood from the table. “Been nice knowin’ ya, Elliot. Momar is going to make an example of you, and that’s if the Mages’ Guild doesn’t get you first.”

  “Hmm,” Elliot said as Burke stormed out of the room, his poison-control person hustling behind him. “Anyone else want to acknowledge their lesser magical stature?”

  “I’ll acknowledge my sanity, how’s that?” Rubber Band Face rose. “I’m not going to stand against Momar. I don’t want that kind of heat.”

  “And that is why you have never risen above your paltry station.” Elliot was taunting him, no doubt trying to get him to change his mind, or apply pressure to the mages who hadn’t spoken up yet.

  It worked on Chambers. “I’m in. Screw it.”

  “Mhm.” Elliot nodded. “You would certainly work.”

  The table was quiet, just the chubby man and me left.

  Cyra, who’d eaten about half my roast beef, dropped my plate back and pouted when she saw that Austin’s had been cleaned. She nudged me to get me to answer.

  “Nah,” the chubby man said, standing, and I wondered why these people went through the action of walking out when they could surely just blink away like Elliot had earlier. “No disrespect, Mr. Graves. I would love to work with you. I think you are heads and tails smarter than Momar, and twice as cunning. But I can’t compete with these guys at the table. There wouldn’t be a point in trying.”

  “I completely understand.” Elliot nodded as the man left. His gaze settled on me.

  “Did you bring her here for lion food or something?” Noah asked.

  Elliot barked out a laugh. “How could I, when it is she who brought the lions? Or whatever animals her shifters turn into.”

  “Yes, but way back when they brought lions into the—”

  “We knew what you meant, Noah,” Elliot said. “It is our patience that is lacking, not our intelligence.”

  “Speaking of patience, this is no place for a Jane,” Chambers said, “and even less of a place for her circus animals.”

  I stared into Elliot’s hologram eyes. I felt Austin’s steady encouragement and the confident impatience of Cyra. The only way we were going to get in front of Elliot was by winning these games. If I didn’t take Elliot out, he could capture me at will, and when I refused to work with him, if that was what he wanted, he’d probably kill me and my people. Even if he let me leave, he’d continue to mess with me until I finally gave him whatever he wanted.

  I didn’t have much of a choice.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I’m in.”

  Eighteen

  “Okay, then.” Elliot gave me a little smile. “We have our contestants. A schedule will be delivered to your rooms tomorrow. We’ll waste no time. I suggest you get your beauty sleep.”

  He waved his hands, and the holograms of the others blinked out, leaving only the Elliot hologram, Austin, and me at the table.

  “You can make them disappear?” I blurted.

  “My ward can keep them out, or toss them out. The power is mine. Speaking of which, I suggest you erect one outside of your door. A tripwire won’t stop these mages from having a look around.”

  The server took my plate, and I lifted my napkin, getting ready to go.

  “No dessert?” Cyra asked, disappointed.

  “Of course dessert. What do you take me for?” Elliot flicked his hand, and the server bustled away with the dirty plates. “Now, down to business. Let me see this watch of yours, Mr. Steele. You are clearly showing off.”

  Austin pushed his chair back gracefully and walked toward the hologram, sticking out his wrist.

  “Yes, I knew it.” Elliot laughed and shook his head. “Who did you steal that from? Because that is not a collector’s item anyone would willingly sell.”

  “I took it from my father, a long time ago.”

  “He didn’t ask for it back?”

  “He didn’t know I’d stolen it until it was too late. By then, he had too many of his own problems to get it back. Problems that took him to an early grave.”

  “Hmm.” Elliot looked me over. “It seems Miss Ironheart didn’t like the gifts she received.”

  “How do you know that name?” I asked.

  “I know many things about you, Jessie. I do my homework. Rest assured, you’ll do well in the games. I wouldn’t have made them a requirement if I’d thought you’d suffer.”

  “Wouldn’t you? Hmm.” I leaned back as the server came back with three dessert glasses filled with chocolate mousse and topped off with puffs of whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings. Apparently, Cyra was now free to join us.

  “We’ve had our differences, Jessie,” Elliot said as Cyra sampled our dishes and then started in on hers. “But we don’t have to be enemies. There is room in the magical world for the demon and the angel to coexist.”

  “Not happily,” I replied.

  “Well. That remains to be seen.” Elliot stood, and I noted that he didn’t have to push his chair back to do it. “Please, bring in your people and use the room for as long as you would like. No one will b
other you here.” He stepped away from his place. “You’ll be going first, by the way. I’ll pair you with that fool Noah. Like ripping off a Band-Aid.”

  And then he was gone, disappearing on the spot.

  The breath went out of me and I sagged over my dessert. “So this is really happening.”

  “That man is confident about regaining his status in the magical world,” Austin said, still standing after playing show and tell with his watch.

  “He called in some power, too,” Cyra said through a mouthful. Her dessert was nearly done. “A couple of those mages seem like heavy hitters. Elliot Graves would do well to team up with either of them. Too bad he’ll be dead.”

  “Shh!” I wrapped a protective soundproof bubble around us. “He might be gone, but that doesn’t mean he’s not listening somehow.”

  Cyra shrugged. “He’s not stupid. He knows why you’re here. Do you think he’s afraid of the others? Not a chance. They want to use him, not kill him. He knows you’re different. He knows you’ll hit him with a kill strike the second he’s in view.”

  “She’s right.” Austin put out his hand for me. “Would you care to dance?”

  I felt my eyebrows climb. The string quartet was still playing, and the room was empty but for the two of us and Cyra. Still…it was enemy territory.

  “Ahhmm…” I took his hand gingerly.

  Austin helped me out of the chair and led me around the table to the dance floor in front of the string quartet. A balding man with a round nose and thick glasses smiled at me as he played his violin.

  “You went through all this effort to get ready.” Austin rested his hand around my side and pulled me in close, his other hand holding mine. His smell permeated my world, clean and spicy and masculine. “At least you can show off how beautiful you look.”

  He bent to kiss me softly before he started moving, his steps graceful and sure, his prowess on the dance floor unsurprising. My dress swished around my legs as he swung me and then twirled me, one hand always holding mine, the other directing me.

  My stress unraveled within minutes, and I smiled up at him as he spun me. I was rusty, but it didn’t matter, not with his firm and commanding leadership, never letting me stumble, making me look good with each move, even if it was just Cyra and the musicians watching us.