by Flynn Eire
“Forgive me for interjecting, but how does it work?” Ashton asked, glancing between us.
I frowned. “My gift is glass. I’m a glass artist. Do you mean like type? I blow glass and fuse it. I do everything glass or—”
“He means with the apprentices and whatnot,” Liam cut in, waiting until I nodded that I got it. “Jordan isn’t just the artist but designer. Say he comes up with some awesome crystal goblet line and it is well received. Then he shows the apprentices what he did, and only they can make something like that. They get sold at a lesser price like painting prints but still for a nice sum, as they’re crystal goblets.”
“So you designed the light fixture samples?” Ashton checked.
“We already have several options we sell, but that’s all we can handle without expanding,” Liam told him.
“You have to think of it like a clothes designer,” I explained. “I’ve not done glass tile designs for a kitchen, but I’ll play a bit and come up with something after working with Nero, and then if there’s interest, we’ll get them going and sell them to contractors or I don’t care if it’s in Home Depot. I don’t. I never have. This is a chance for a lot of people to have jobs.”
“What if the apprentice comes up with their own design?” Jeston asked as he checked out some pictures of samples.
“We have several that have their own designs. They get a cut of everything sold, more like a copyright of the line sort of thing, but it also has Jordan’s approval to sell through his company, which is exposure they wouldn’t get otherwise.”
“That’s so cool,” Verge whispered as he looked at pictures. “Could I play with tiles and like, design something neat for the bathroom and it be mine?”
I didn’t answer right away, as that would complicate matters significantly, and he wouldn’t work for me. I glanced at Liam, and he looked a bit nervous, as it was a legal nightmare if people tried just giving us everything they thought was cool and then they could scream we stole their designs if something was even close.
“I think that wouldn’t be the same thing as designing a vase or being a real glass artist like my apprentices. That’s more like coloring in the picture,” I finally answered. “If you came up with something cool, I would do it for free so I could use it, but making it your line or us getting tons of suggestions would—”
“We don’t accept design ideas outside of the company, as it opens us to claims of idea theft and whatnot,” Liam interjected in his concise way. “It’s more like when we have art fairs with schools or kids—not to call you a kid because you’re young. But they play with our stuff and build whatever but don’t get credit if Jordan gets inspiration from something they did.”
“Yeah, that’s smart,” Verge agreed.
“How are you getting permission to move like this?” Ashton asked me. I snorted. “Yeah, yeah, all you ancient guys don’t listen to anyone, but your people have to.”
“We have several smoking and loaded guns to make it work if we feel this is the right place,” I assured him. “Plus, I tend to dance the line where they think I’m on their side.” I smirked at him when his eyes filled with understanding. Yeah, they’d pissed off the East Coast Council so that they would want me to get them any information I could.
I wouldn’t, but they didn’t need to know that. Lots of times people fell in the holes they originally dug.
“Have you told Ashton about the zakasac who attacked me while you were visiting?” I asked, glancing at Liam for the name again. He said it, and Ashton and Alastair nodded. “Good. There’s also been a hit put out on Councilwoman Aberdeen, as her son now has popularity with his strong gift; some believe he would come take back his rightful place as next for the seat instead of the homophobes who pushed him out.
“However, he’s still too young, so he would need a strong protector and proxy. Which works for certain parties, as the knowledge of London’s abuse is well known now and most think that means he’s vulnerable.”
Ashton snorted. “Speaking as the guy who he threw a steak knife at when he thought I was coming to get him, I say with confidence that no one would be able to push around London Aberdeen for much of anything. I will however speak with the councilwoman and let her know.”
“Good. I wasn’t sure it best to get involved until I came here and heard about her and London.”
“How did you find this out?” his mate, Evan, pushed.
“I’m very good at torturing any zakasac that comes for me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are there many? You said while Alastair was there, so he didn’t take care of it?”
I swallowed my anger but then thought fuck it and did what I do best… Make my point exquisitely. I pulled the glass out of one of the windows and called it to me, stopping it only when it was pressed against the back of Evan’s neck, people exclaiming or gasping. “You do not need to be a warrior to protect yourself or be strong enough to take on the enemy.”
He let out a slow breath as Ashton shot daggers at me. “I agree. One of our friends, his family owns La Salvezza. They protect themselves against many attacks as ancients and not warriors. However, now they have a rotating Wyrok who stays, as we all need to be smarter.”
I nodded, returning the glass to where it was supposed to be. “Yes, I get attacked every now and again. It’s why I make sure I’m isolated from my people so they’re never in the path to me. However, it has been years and now suddenly it’s just about one a day. Three the other day, and all seemed confused as to what the others were doing there, so while they’re grouping and talking to each other, they’re still having turf beefs or debating who’s in charge.”
“But they won’t always,” Verge surmised, and I nodded. No, they would get smarter as they did. It was how life was. If our leadership was being stupid, the other side would get smarter.
We just had to be smart enough to cover others on our side.
“You have many reasons many would come for you,” Alastair muttered. “That’s the problem with being in the spotlight or even where people can find you. They can find you then.”
I shrugged. “I believe Boston’s coven leader is working with zakasacs. Several others. It’s looking more and more like that was the long play. Get one of theirs into a council, many councils, and from there put this one in place as needed.”
“That’s scary organized,” Zibon whispered. “What makes you think that?”
“Because most council members do not push for coven leaders. Normally the coven pushes, almost like a government election of mayor, but over the past century, more and more have been pushing to put leaders in under the guise of working better with the council. Certain people started it. The cover was then others did it too, but those first ones were put in by several of the council members you lot busted as working with zakasacs.”
“And one of them put the Boston coven leader in place?” Alastair asked, sounding tired.
“Yes, and they seemed to know what you’re doing here, that you came to speak with me, and the outcomes of the trial Claudius held and everything about the Quebec coven. Now don’t you find that odd when everyone is always keeping so many secrets?”
“What was your response?” Nero asked, looking like he was biting back a smile.
“I tossed the heads of the zakasacs who I figured came from him through his window.” I shrugged when I got several looks. “It wasn’t a frontal attack, so it’s not a frontal response. That is coming before he attacks that way. I believe he misjudged me with the fear tactics and stalking shit. Now he plans to kill me and take over everything I have, including my people, and I won’t ever let that happen.”
Nero’s eyes flashed shock. “Someone filled him in on who you really are. Who you know. I would bet good money that is a big part of suddenly trying to take you out.”
“It normally is,” I drawled.
“Who are you really?” Ashton asked, all of us ancient giving him a look like there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d answer that.<
br />
“Seriously, again?” a warrior growled from a few tables away. “Now there’s a reserved sign on where I sat yesterday?”
“Dude, on your forehead as well,” someone hissed at him.
The warrior turned towards his friend, which made me able to see it as well. I swallowed a sigh, thinking I recognized the handwriting. Well, everyone here might know who I’m related to soon enough. I hoped not. As much as I thought maybe a community like this would be good for certain people, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be in regular contact with them either.
“Let’s start on the houses and factories,” Liam suggested before we got too distracted or people took the moment to jump on me. “We have already secured a vast expansion of land—”
“Where? Near here? I’ve bought what I could, but the rest was blocking me,” Ashton demanded with a growl in his voice.
I rolled my eyes as I held up my hand to hold off Liam. “Yes, apparently you’ve been fairly aggressive and a ‘self-important little liberal shit that inherited everything from his daddy and will run it all into the ground.’ And that’s not the type of person you can just send Alastair to go talk with after doing that so much around here.”
“What did you offer?” Evan asked.
“What he wanted more than sticking it to a liberal little shit or trying to trick a mining company that he has coal under the land,” I drawled.
“You found dirt on him,” Nero chuckled.
“It wasn’t hard to find, I assure you,” Liam muttered. “We assured him that we would be putting in factories that would piss off the liberal shit trying to start a tree farm to help the environment and would probably pull up the coal and use it in the kilns. He’s finishing packing his family up and moving to a very nice beach house in Florida Jordan won in a poker game.”
“Joke’s on him, as it’s totally going to get wiped out in the next hurricane to hit Florida,” I grumbled. “Why they keep building houses in the worst spots and relying on insurance or FEMA is a crock of shit.”
“Why get the land when you weren’t sure you were doing this for real?” Verge asked, glancing all around at the big league players before him like he was shocked he got to sit there.
“Because even if I wasn’t coming, my doing it would help lend credibility here, and your goal is to save people.” I shrugged. “Besides, if one of the ancients or this whole camp had gone dark side, I needed to know that too so certain people could handle it.”
“No one could take out Alastair and all the ancient Wyrok here,” Zibon argued, his eyes full of anger at the implication his mate was bad… And fear because he knew the truth.
There was always, always someone who was bigger and badder.
4
“Jordan also wants Alastair’s help for pulling out glass from city and county dumps that we will have brought back to the factory and handle properly,” Liam added. “Protection for those trips as well, as we know not every location can be reached in one day much less round trip. We have human drivers who can pick up for distributors like you have coming in with supplies, but these would need to be people who know what’s going on.”
“I think it would be a good practice for escort missions and training for post-trans getting their CDLs,” Zibon muttered as if not sure it was a good idea. “Except Wyrok would have to accompany them, as the zakasacs are focused on getting baby warriors or whatever.”
“That’s good, but I’d also have to work with them some so they are not in the way if there’s a problem,” I added as I finished up my breakfast, which was shockingly good. I felt the questioning gazes, and I nodded to Evan. “I teach all of my apprentices to use their gifts offensively as I showed earlier.”
“Wait, all of your apprentices have the gift of using glass, not just they’re talented with glass?” Nero asked me.
I nodded, realizing they’d never caught that before. “Most come to me when young after someone or another finds they have an affinity for colors and an artist’s eye. I work with them and in close proximity for years if they keep training. They then have the same gift as me.” I blinked when I saw the open mouths. “That cannot be a shock to you when it’s common for parents and children to have the same gifts.”
“Not a lot of warriors have all that stable of an environment,” Nero reminded me. “It’s not like even the rich ones hang out in covens or Wyrok—”
“Yes, I understand that and that Wyrok never stick around,” I snapped, Nero and Alastair flinching, as they knew the sensitive topic for me. “Fine, now you know it is possible. There aren’t guarantees in life, and if they don’t get the gift, I haven’t kicked them to the curb. They simply cannot do what we do then. Most get the gift because I work with them enough if they want it, not just because their parents want the prestige of their child working with me.”
“Some have fallen in love with other aspects or moved on when their gift was different,” Liam added. “We also have several who work with fire or—”
“Can you help our friend?” Verge and Zibon blurted at the same time.
Liam blinked at them and nodded. “Yes, of course I will. Is he having problems?”
“Yes,” several people answered.
“I will work with him immediately, as I believe Jordan will have me stay here and get out of the line of fire when he goes back and starts shit. He can help me clear the snow and whatnot.”
“That doesn’t sound like me,” I lied, not offended when several people snorted. “For the record, latching onto someone with an elemental gift helps keep them grounded through their transition. I cannot say that’s the same for warriors or those who get violent gifts, but I’ve never lost an apprentice hopeful, only them not get the same gift.” I nodded to Jeston. “You have an iceman here, and that’s a good grounding one.”
“Don’t stick me with pre-trans,” he blurted, looking slightly panicked and confirming my thoughts that maybe it wasn’t his lack of focus but something that made him not want to be near them. Fair enough.
“It was just an example, but warriors are a bit more wild,” I muttered, hating the topic of warriors and births and extra abilities. “From what I know—which isn’t much—they vary in gifts, as it fills in the need for a camp to be well rounded. Nature’s funny like that, so in reality this camp would be unlikely to have many duplicate gifts.”
“That’s fairly accurate,” Evan said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I can’t think of any of us having the same gift, but most didn’t start here, only some. None of the warriors from here have gotten the same gifts as us.”
“Let’s move onto details of what we’re thinking and discussed so far while we have Jordan’s focus.”
“How carefree of you to leave the details and finer points for someone else to handle,” Jeston said under his breath, knowing I would hear him. Well, well, he really was interesting to poke an ancient that they really wanted to join their community.
Nice.
“Says the guy who didn’t even realize the flower was for him,” I chuckled, not looking at him as I focused on Nero. “I want three Pensmore Mansion type buildings in the subdivision along with some sort of apartment complex for my incoming employees, as there’s no way to explain all those employees that don’t live other places while we’re hiding some in the ritzy subdivision.
“Now how you want to rig that given we want to get people out fast, I leave to your expertise. But my people can help your construction people, as they’re used to manual labor. Many already work with light fixtures and whatnot. Give them whatever you need to make this work, as I have more than enough in reserves to cover them for years without selling more. I however need either Nero’s garage or somewhere to work.”
“Here is what we’ve had drawn up for what we need for the factories as well,” Liam added, knowing how I sounded like a finky brat that wouldn’t go anywhere without his toys. I didn’t care if I sounded that way or not. The one thing I’d learned the older I got was that I had to put me fir
st. I could help scores of people but only if I had my shit together.
So I always made sure I had my shit together and what I needed. Glass wasn’t just what I loved or my job, it was who I was, as it was my damn gift. I felt it when it was around me. I was completely in touch with my gift.
The world would be a better place if more people were self-aware.
Jeston burst out laughing when ten minutes into the meeting Liam reached in his bag and pulled out colored pencils and a sketch pad, placing them in front of me. It drew everyone’s attention to what he’d done, and I waved Liam off when he started to get mad on my behalf.
“It’s funny because I do refer to you as my mother and you just give the kid a distraction,” I told him, not upset in the slightest, especially when Jeston nodded. “Just so you understand it’s more than that, the last time I sketched during a meeting that I had to be at like this, I designed a chandelier that sold for six hundred grand. That’s a lot of funds to hire people to reproduce the design.”
“So Jordan always makes sure never to waste his extremely valuable time,” Liam added. “All of these pictures of samples we brought, all of it besides the light fixtures, were of Jordan’s design and made by him since Alastair visited with the idea of moving here.”
Jeston held up his hand when Liam went to ramp back up. “I get it. I wasn’t laughing at him or even how you’re so in tune with him. It was exactly what he said, how he refers to you as his mother and you handed him colored pencils because he looked god awful bored.”
“Good, then you wouldn’t mind moving closer and letting me study your eyes,” I pushed, glad when he nodded and stood. “I like the coloring for fixtures and even dinner ware. If we work on sheeting with hand presses, we can get the frit and layers.”
“Let me see,” Liam muttered, waving Jeston over. He stood when the warrior came closer. “I would think sinks too.”