It’s Friday. How did that happen?
We haven’t had a snippet for a bit, so here is Augustine being impersonating an impressive business owner.
Augustine’s office lay on the seventeenth floor. He’d chosen that location precisely because it was just under the top two floors. The eighteenth floor held a private training space. The penthouse business suite above it belonged to his late father. From the moment Augustine officially took the reins of MII, he resolved to never enter it again, and he hadn’t set foot there for years.
The elevator doors whispered open, and he invited Diana forward with a sweep of his hand. They walked across the spotless dark floor through his kingdom of tall white walls and cobalt-tinted light streaming through the sheath of blue windows that wrapped the building.
He watched Diana’s expression covertly. Her face was relaxed and pleasant, her eyes calm. Prime Harrison moved with smooth grace, almost gliding across the floor, and the Doberman at her side matched her stride. The dog’s natural ears were down, her mouth half-open in a canine smile. He had seen enough Dobermans in his line of work. They were cautious dogs, alert and restrained in a new environment. This one was doing a fine impression of a golden retriever. There was an odd synergy between the woman and the dog – both sleek, assured, and pretending to be harmless.
They reached his office, where Lina sat at a pristine desk, presenting the last line of defense to the visitors. The desk was crafted from polished metal with a single white orchid growing from a simple pot. His secretary chose to match the orchid today. A white dress hugged her body, perfectly tailored and form-fitting, yet elegant. Her deep emerald hair, wrapped in a trendy twist, shimmered with peridot highlights. Her eyebrows were black and shaped with laser precision, and she had selected green and black to accent her eyes and mauve to tint her lips. As always, the effect was stunning.
Unfortunately, his newest intern had referred to that precise shade of mauve as “hot dog lips,” and now he could not divorce himself from it. Mentoring the youngest Baylor child came with its own annoyances.
He nodded to Lina and led his visitor to the right, where a translucent wall of white glass hid his office space. A nearly seamless door swung open, and Augustine invited Diana in with a sweep of his hand. She entered and sat in a chair, smoothing the skirt of her elegant grey business suit with a practiced gesture. The Doberman dropped on the floor to her right. Not a concern in the world.
Augustine sat behind his desk. His office was located in the corner where two walls of blue glass met at an angle and from his vantage point, he had a wide view of Downtown Houston. Unlike most people, he loved heights.
Diana glanced at a sign on the right wall, a quote without attribution. Trust Not Too Much in Appearances.
“Virgil,” she said.
It appeared that House Harrison believed in classical education.
“It’s a reminder,” he said.
“To you or to the visitors?”
“To me. We do our best to convince our visitors that we are trustworthy.”
“Is that why you chose a modern aesthetic for the building?”
He nodded. “Most people who want to hire an illusion mage come to us unsure what they might find. Consciously or subconsciously, they expect to be deceived. Our business requires trust, so we keep the interior simple, almost austere. Long unbroken walls, concrete floors, and transparent glass leave little room for illusions. People find it reassuring.”
“I see.”
She wasn’t giving him very much to work with.
“Are you truly trustworthy, Prime Montgomery?”
“That depends on your definition of trust. Will I keep everything you tell me confidential, and will I do everything in my ability to help you if we reach an agreement? Yes.” Augustine leaned back in his chair. “So, how may I help you?”
“Are you familiar with Zeus?”
“The Greek god or your brother’s tiger?”
“The tiger.”
She took a slim tablet from her purse, flicked her fingers across it, and showed it to him. On the screen, a massive animal stretched, vaguely feline, a distant cousin of a tiger if tigers had blue fur splattered with darker and paler rosettes and a fringe of six-inch long tentacles around their necks.
All the magic talents in the world fit into three broad categories: elemental, mental, and arcane. Of the arcane discipline, summoning was one of the least understood. Summoners reached into the arcane realm, a place of magic outside of normal reality, called forth monstrous creatures, and hurled these biological weapons at their opponents. Nobody knew exactly how any of it worked and the summoners were not forthcoming with explanations.
Zeus had been summoned by someone attacking one of the Baylors’ clients, and Cornelius had tamed it against all odds. Augustine had looked into it after the incident. No animal mage on record had even been able to bond with a summoned beast. Cornelius was the only exception.
That bond somehow kept Zeus alive and thriving. Creatures summoned by weaker summoners vanished when they lost focus. The summons of the upper level Significants and Primes stayed in the world permanently, but most summoned creatures had short lifespans, even with the best of care. They withered, like repotted plants that failed to take root. Sometimes it took days, sometimes weeks, but eventually all arcane creatures perished. With the exception of the organisms that were planted into a human host.
“We decided to call the species Tigrionex.”
Tigris, Latin for tiger and nex meaning violent death. “Tiger of slaughter?”
“Yes.” Diana slid her finger across the tablet. Another image appeared, still of Zeus. Wait, no. This blue tiger was slightly different. It looked a little smaller, and its blue fur had a slight purple tint.
Augustine glanced at Diana. “You obtained a second tiger?”
She nodded. “Cornelius and I had her summoned at great expense.”
The cost must’ve been astronomical.
“Her name is Celeste. I was able to form a pact.”
“Not Hera?”
“No. We didn’t want to jinx it.”
House Harrison had access to two summoned beasts and both of them had bonded to their tamers. Clearly, there was something special about that family.
“Zeus and Celeste were allowed to mate. Before you ask, it was voluntary on their part. We would never exercise our influence over our animals to force a breeding. It was a difficult pregnancy.”
“What about cloning or surrogacy?” he asked.
“That would have meant taking the choice away from them.”
So they would risk a massive investment for the sake of maintaining the animals’ autonomy. Interesting.
“We almost lost the mother, but in the end a single cub was born.”
Another swipe of her fingers, and a new image. A shockingly adorable blue cub. He understood the need for secrecy now. If anyone found out about this, the Harrisons would be swarmed with requests.
“What’s the cub’s name?”
“Kitty.”
He blinked.
“It’s a placeholder name. We were hoping that when Kitty grew a little, Matilda would form a pact with her. My niece is very talented, and she sounds mature, but she is still a nine-year-old child. She makes reckless decisions. Cornelius and I will do everything in our power to protect her, but we cannot be everywhere at once.”
And Kitty would grow up to be a formidable protector.
“These animals are different. They are smarter, more aware, and the bond with them is deeper,” Diana said. “Because of the difficult pregnancy, we decided to wait to introduce Matilda and the cub. We want to make sure Kitty survives. If Matilda bonds with her and the cub dies, the trauma to my niece would be catastrophic. That’s why the Baylors can’t be involved in this matter. In the two months since they moved into their new compound, Matilda made friends with every mouse and bird on their property. She spies on them constantly. Nothing happens in that house that my niece doesn’t know about.”
“Can she hear through mouse ears?” he asked.
Diana looked at him for a second. “Vikilinta recording devices are one inch long, have the width of a pencil graphite, and weigh 19 grams. They’re voice-activated and record up to 400 hours of audio. A healthy adult mouse weighs between 40 and 45 grams, can carry twice her body weight, and can be convinced to wear a harness.”
And now he felt like a fool. What in the world was he thinking? The child was a budding Prime, not a mythical Beastmaster. Something about the connection between the tech and animals always short-circuited his brain.
“Of course. However, I can’t imagine the Baylors would look favorably on that kind of security breach.”
“I’ve stressed the need for privacy to her multiple times,” Diana said. “I do not believe her obsessive recording is malicious.”
“Then why?”
Diana sighed. Her face took on a slightly worn expression. “It is my understanding that a child subjected to early trauma, such as losing a parent in a horrific way, often seeks to establish control over her environment.”
“Matilda is afraid that she will miss something vital and the people she cares about will die.”
“Yes. You see now why we hid the cub.”
He understood perfectly.
“Matilda keeps the information she overhears confidential, unless something alarms her. For example, I know that Arabella visits this office twice a week, and she hasn’t told her mother or Catalina about it.”
Diana’s gaze turned direct and unblinking. The Baylors treated Matilda and Cornelius as family. She likely felt protective toward them. He wasn’t obligated to explain, but good business relationships relied on trust.
Augustine reached into his desk, took out a folder, and offered it to her.
Diana glanced at the contents. “Internship agreement signed by Nevada Rogan?”
“My sister attends Donovan High.” Normally he had a knee-jerk reaction to speaking about his family but for some reason it didn’t trigger in her presence.
Diana’s eyebrows rose. “Donovan? Not Heritage?”
Of the two high schools catering to the magically gifted, Heritage was far more prestigious. If you were a scion of a House, you went to Heritage, while Donovan took the rest.
“Yes. She attends under an assumed name.”
And an assumed persona. If Verena’s classmates ever met her off school grounds, they wouldn’t recognize her. Except for Arabella, none of them had any idea what his sister truly looked like.
“The principal and the senior staff are aware of who she is,” he continued. “My sister wanted it this way, and I acquiesced. Let’s just say that I understand what drives Matilda better than most people.”
An understatement of the year.
“Arabella also attends Donovan,” Diana said.
“Yes. They are friends.” The strangest friendship that sprouted from a bizarre crisis. “They’re both taking an AP course in House Business Administration, which requires 160 hours of internship with a business owned by a House other than your family.”
“You swapped,” Diana said. “The Rogans took your sister, and you took Arabella.”
He nodded. “It’s an arrangement that works for both children. I know that Connor and Nevada will not put my sister in harm’s way, and they understand that I will do the same for Arabella. Feel free to reassure Matilda. Shall we return to the matter at hand?”
Diana studied him for another moment and turned the tablet toward him. On it, a fat fluffy tiger cub took shaky steps on stubby legs. She stumbled over to her frightening mother and batted at the otherworldly beast with her small paw. Celeste lowered her head. The cub tried to pounce, fell, and let out a frustrated noise, a tiny baby growl.
“You understand that the recovery may require significant investment even with the discount,” he said. “Do you wish to see an estimate?”
“No. Whatever it takes. We will pay it.”
“Are you sure?” The Harrisons were a House, but their talents didn’t have many lucrative applications.
“Absolutely. This isn’t property, Prime Montgomery. This is a life.” Diana brushed her fingers over the recording. “We welcomed Kitty into this world, we assumed responsibility for her, and now she is scared and alone. Celeste knows that her daughter is gone. She relies on me to bring her home. Whatever it takes.”
A digital timer appeared in the corner of the screen, counting off seconds. Thirty-two hours, seventeen minutes, and twenty-three seconds.
“The time until Kitty needs the next shot of her medicine,” Diana said. “Will you help me?”
He looked into her green and gold eyes, and the words came out before he realized he had spoken. “Of course, I will.”
Who would dare kidnap Kitty?! Okay I’m sooo invested in this and I hope at some point we get more HL.
Love this! The world-building expansions from the main plot here, as well as glimpses of what the Baylors and Matilda are up to, are all fascinating. The careful cultivation of slaughter tigers is cute, too. Who could’ve gotten close enough to kidnap Kitty??
Loved this snippet! What wonderful and complex characters! Thank you!
It sounds like there’s a possible addition (or two)in the Hidden Legacies series? Please???
Fingers tapping until I can buy this….. This was lovely.
Thank you so much!!!
Yes! All the snippets and breadcrumbs coalesce and it all comes together! Thank you that was wonderful.
Zeus has a mate and cub!!!!
YESSSSS!
When I picture Zeus, I always think: Lisa Frank!
Yes, I know that leopard is rainbow, not blue, but I can’t help it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/s/fN6a8GYQ90
Stupid and behind here. Is this a new book to the series?? If so , when please??!!
Just a snippet of a new story I parts from HA for fun.
Please tell me that there is hope for just 1 or 5 more books. It was nice to go back to Houston. Shared this with my niece – we are big fans of House Baylor and others
I love it. Hidden Legacy is really my favorite, despite it being very hard to choose as I love all your books.
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
So I spent sometime trying to figure out, is kitty the one that’s missing? Diana never said. Did I miss in the previous short?
“We welcomed Kitty into this world, we assumed responsibility for her, and now she is scared and alone. Celeste knows that her daughter is gone. She relies on me to bring her home. Whatever it takes.”
Maybe a reread is in order? 🙂
Right, I saw that, but there was no “someone took Kitty” or “Kitty is missing” or “I need you to find Kitty”. Everything is assumed. or implied. She never actually said what the job was to Augustine. Everything is assumed. Probably the contractor in me. I’ve learned over the years to make the client explicitly say “this is what I want you to do.” (and preferably get that written down.)
I struggled with that too. In the previous snipped (where Augustine catches a ride) she says she needs him to retrieve something. I caught it on a reread of that snippet.
Ok, thanks for this. I was just assuming it would come together in the story, but it was bugging me a little. Clues divided between snippets slipped past me. Not the first time! Probably not the last either.
You are not the only one. 🙂 Enough time had passed between the snippets, and there was no “someone kittynapped her” or “we found the gate open” that I finally assumed we simply were missing that part of the conversation.
EDIT: Oh my goodness! I must have missed the updated snippet! I remember a snippet from ages ago, but there is an updated post! Yes, go back and read the Oct 13th post, it does not stand alone, it is at the end of the blog. Here is the snip from that snippet 😉
“Something has been stolen from us,” she said.
“And you need me to find the culprit and recover it?”
Diana nodded.
😀
I will be patient, I will be patient & wait until it is done & published…ARG!
Love this snippet and this series.
Thank you
Love it. 🥰
Ooh! Shiny! More please?
These snippets of Augustine are a veritable delectation for the mind! Thank you!
Please Please co tinue this story!
I hope this turns into a big fat book❣️Montgomery is a really fascinating character and so is Diana. MontAna?
MONTANA!!!! Yassss
Thanks❣️
I am nearly choking to death on my greed to get my hands on this story. I hate to rush you when I know how much is on your plate, but my god, I am old and sick and my life may depend on this.
Great snippet. I am confused abut the timeline, though, since Arabella was out of high school when the Baylors moved into the compound. At least, I thought she was?
i had the same thought when i read that… im sure that will be fixed in the edits.. but good point!
There is no mention of Arabella graduating highschool in the pre-Ruby Fever books 🙂. The snippet takes place before the main action of the book starts.
Thanks, Mod R ❣️ It seems so long since I read the last one that I couldn’t remember.
I believe this tale could go in so many exciting directions I will just sit back and enjoy the adventure. In one of the crannies in my head, I think Matilda is sitting back and laughing watching the characters and BDH floundering.
now I’m imagining a mouse spying on all the horde😅🤣
.. plus may I please.. pretty please ask for this snippet into a book..s.. pleeeeease.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This story gives me life. I am incredibly chalant, but I shall attempt to wa*t p*tiently for the full story!!!
speaking of clones! anyone else want to clone G & I so we can got more brain products? lol
seriously I can’t effing wait! thanks for the snippets.
I am so glad that Zeus has a mate. And now, a baby. He is not alone in this world. Thank you AL very much.
And Diana is showing heart and emotions as well, I remember her in some of the initial books having difficulty connecting. And Matilda is already growing with the idea that connections are important not only for business. This makes me glad too.
Well done.
(When is the book ready? I need to throw my $$ at you)
No fair! Overload….terminal cuteness. I want the book. Now.
This is so very exciting!!
Oh, wow. Another countdown to keep up with. Gotta have it.
Wow this is beautiful! I’m so happy they’re going to have a book together!
I’d buy that book.
Tantalizing! Can’t wait for more!
What a lovely way to start the weekend.
The last few weeks have been very crazy for my family and this is a breath of fresh air for both of us.
Looking forward to the entire story.
Thank you very much.
EXCELLENT!!! Cant wait for the book!
I can’t wait ’till Kitty gets enormous so someone can say Here Kitty, Kitty.🐈⬛
Also,” Hot Dog Lips”. That had to be Arabella, even before her name was said. ROFLOL!
Thank you HA!!
Another wild ride beginning, with some maximum tiger cuteness!!
So many dynamics in play. Wonderful to be back in HL world!
Oh my gosh! This snippet pushed all my buttons! House Andrews how can you know me so well??? And I want it now all of it! (sigh) Waiting for this one will be difficult.
I am not good at timelines. Also straight and crooked, although that’s not applicable here.
In Ruby Fever, Matilda is 10 so this is before that?
Also, in the previous snippet, Augustine has killed some people , right? So it’s after this in the timeline?
It’s in the break between the prologue of Ruby Fever and the main action 🙂.
And yes, the previous snippet is after this.
I love this!
I love reading about Augustine!
But can we please talk about the fact that mauve is not a shade of red and I do not understand how the color makes “hot dog lips”?
mauve is a shade of pink, and it comes in many different tones. hotdogs (like oscar mayer for example) are a shade of pink. https://recipes.net/articles/how-to-cut-a-hotdog-for-a-one-year-old/ (ignore the article, just look at the picture of the cut up hotdog color.)
What laura said. Also, if Lina had fillers injected into her lips, they could be larger than her normal size. That with the lipstick color makes “hot dog lips”.
That just makes me snicker. 🤭
Cannot wait!! So excited!!
Aaaaaaah all the grabby hands emojis!!!! Gimme my precious!!
Go get Kitty, Augustine 🎉
I can’t wait to hear about her in future stories!
Ooh! I want to read this book!!
House Andrews does know how to whet our appetite ! Now watch the BDH turn into a slavering horde…
You can put me down for a pre-order for whenever this shortstory/novella/novel/series gets done
awesome snippet!! now i really want to know more about how the two kids meet up. “bizarre crisis” could just be so many things with these guys. 🤣
how the search for kitty goes well and can’t wait! 🐱🐱🐱
Oh oh oh. Can’t wait to read the rest
I need artists rendition of Kitty! Thank you for this!
Augustine, master negotiator ..
‘He looked into her green and gold eyes, and the words came out before he realized he had spoken. “Of course, I will.”’
Hah, this shipped has sailed! Love it so much.
ETA on publishing?
As much as I love Clan Andrews, I love House Andrews more.
It’s nice to be back in this Texas 😊
♥️
Ok, you cannot give us a new ship without promising an ending! Wedding bells for House Harrison and House Montgomery, please!
THIS IS AMAZING! Thank you For sharing this
I’m so thrilled
can’t wait for the.book!
Are next tea and talk with Dina. Should be between Cornelius with Zeus, and Elias with Chaos Cat talking pets and training. With Dina hopefully sharing info about both creatures.
Excellent idea!
+1
This is just going to be awesome you know it! Loving this story so far thank you for sharing with us!!!
You are so generous…. this is absolutely thrilling! So glad to be back in the world of the Primes.
AAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SAVE KITTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grind her kidnappers into — no,no ….. AFTER Kitty is rescued and safe, those who actually comitted the kidnapping *AND* THOSE WHO ORDERED IT should be ….. I can’t quite think of anything awful enough …. perhaps their terribly-dead bodies found nailed to a wall, with no discoverable clues about why it was done or who did it ….. though who most need the message will understand it …*glares at kitten-nappers*
This is going to be so fun!
you both are the best matchmakers in the world – and I so so so want to know what happens next
Thank you, thank you! It’s been two days of broken appliances. This is lovely and I am extremely excited to read the cub’s story.
Well, now I’m worried for Kitty. And unsurprised about Matilda.
🤩🐯🎭 what is not to love?
Love this, thank you!
WTH…..if this is a snippet…..are we looking at getting a full on Pancakes book??? 👀👀👀🫣
So invested!!!
Thanks for the snippet^^
And I need help! I can’t find a blog post with beautiful keyboards. Can you help me?
Sure, here it is 🙂 https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-coziest-keyboard-ever/
Thanks^^
Omg. Howto draw me in. Your writing is just ace.
Blue murder tiger plushies?
😅
Chilling … I live in Massachusetts so very chill. Chillaxing as we like to say.
Oh, this is good!!! More, please!
This is so awesome! The horde requests a sign of life of Kitty (a snippet) every month until the short story is released. Please please and thank you.
I’m so excited for this, getting an insight into Augustine is so interesting! thank you so much for the snippet.
Speaking of Primes, the Wall Street Journal had an article on the 15th entitled “ the ultrarich are spending a fortune to live an extreme privacy.” Great tidbits!
Love,love, love this story and this new adventure. Eagerly awaiting the next post!
🥹🐅
Fluffy blue cub… Arabella as intern…. Loooove it!
This is excellent. I hope it finds a way into a Hidden Legacy novel. Diana’s caution is totally justified. If Arabella or Matilda ever learned about the cub’s existence or predicament they would both search for “Kitty.” Absolutely no one could stop them. I understand how much fun House Andrews finds the Innkeeper books to create but Hidden Legacy is delicious and my read and reread series.
I was sucked in immediately
How exciting! More from the world of House Baylor! And blue tiggers… <3 <3
I love how a snippet can cause the hunger to devour rise so fast
kitty!!! augustine will saves you
Love it.
As a member of the BDH, I so want this story. I know you know, but you have us all salivating. Also, we have to know Kitty how is rescued! [There is no other acceptable ending, but Kitty being rescued and returned to her mother. 😉 ]
I’m going to stop reading snippets so I can savor the full story whenever it comes out. BRAVO! This is delicious. I appreciate that HA chose to address the Augustine and Arabella issues by having Matilda and Dianna call it out! From the mouth of babes! Naughty Horde members, take that. At the same time, this also reveals how alike Dianna and Augustine are. I will be tickled to read more about each of their enigmatic pasts and this budding relationship.
Wow! Thank you! This is awesome.
I wish I still got email notifications. do y’all not do that anymore and that something else I’ve missed?
Hi Joy, the newsletter is still definitely happening. Sometimes it gets delivered to the spam folder or unsubscribes in error due to server firewalls. Please resubscribe at the link: https://subscribepage.io/MXW8Sl
I will also email this to you, in case you don’t check replies 🙂
Thank you – I didn’t realize how much I missed these characters and your story telling until I read this excerpt. You tell a great story and I love the cadence of your writing, more please – thank you!
KITTY!! This is the best
i love this. i need a kitty.
what color are diana’s eyes? brown and gold? green and gold? is she one of those lucky people whose eyes change color with their outfit?
thank you for the snippets!
oh my goodness!
Fantastic!!! I loved it.
happiness is reading the next snippet
omg love it and wow, the secrets Matilda holds
Zeus is a daddy and there’s a little blue tiger cub. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heh. Reading about the “spy mice” suddenly brought back childhood memories of “Runaway Ralph” by Beverley Cleary. I can picture those mice riding tiny motorcycles- just like Ralph!
I hope Lina has some hidden illusion or transformation powers. Taking so much time to do her makeup each day while working for an illusion mage who normally adjusts his appearance would be so frustrating. Especially on a bad hair day or when eyeliner just refuses to look the same.
If Mathilda is so invested in the Baylors that she’s deployed spy mice to keep up to date on all that happens in the compound, wouldn’t she have figured out some way to be spying on Diana too? We don’t know how long Celeste was preggers, but with whatever fussing was needed during the difficult pregnancy, how could Diana have kept that quiet enough for Mathilda not to know? Especially as Diana would have had to keep a bonded arcane cat close? With Mathilda as quietly self-possessed as we have known her to be, could she be doing anything but hunting the foolish kittynappers (catnappers?) already? Will she arrange for the snatchers to grab her too in order to dose Kitty with the necessary meds?
Aaak! I’m already fretting…! (Sad face 🙁
I love that a romance is budding for them!
Everything you write is so entertaining, enticing. it always leaves you wanting more.
I’m curious if we’ll ever find out more about summoned creatures in general. And what are the ethics of summoning an animal as was done with Celeste. For example, Cornelius and Diana were not willing to use their influence to force breeding, but were willing to summon Celeste from her native environment. Were they able to give Celeste a choice of whether or not to come as part of the summoning process?
Where can I read Rogan and the nine month stomach bug? Am rereading the series and can’t find this one?
Thanks Rosemary
If it’s not linked on the Free Fiction page anymore https://ilona-andrews.com/free-fiction/, it means a vintage snippet has been archived and is no longer available 🙂