He brought his wrist up to his muzzle. A swift, sharp nip and his fangs sliced through his skin and his own blood coated his lips. Scanning the human, he sought the locations of the Riven bites. Finding five in total, he dripped his own blood upon them.
With a strangled hiss of pain, she gasped and her eyes snapped open. He used the opportunity to press his bleeding wrist to her lips. She choked and sputtered at first, trying to spit out his blood, but he merely pushed his wrist harder against her lips.
“Drink, it’s your only chance at life, and even then, a slim one.”
The human’s wide-eyed stare didn’t change at first, but after a moment his words must have sunk in because she forced herself to swallow.
Her fingers wrapped around his forearm with a desperate strength as the muscles along her neck tensed and flexed as she fought past her natural gag reflex. The hard-fought battle drained away the last of her strength, and her fingers loosened their grip, but her iron will won the fight, conquering her aversion to his blood. Though, by her deep grimace and occasional muffled gag, she didn’t like it. To be honest, he took no joy in the act either. It simply hurt.
She jerked her head to the side.
“Enough.” She held up a hand, which trembled with near violence. “If you force me to drink more, I swear, I’ll throw up all over you.”
Shadowlight didn’t know how much blood was required but took her at her word and instead held his wrist over her bite marks again.
“Dammit all to hell, that hurts!”
He nodded. “It’s working then.”
“Fuck. You don’t say!” She curled into a fetal position and buried her face in her forearms. It did little to muffle her pained sounds.
“There is no one else near,” he offered helpfully. “You can scream if you want.”
“Good to know,” she gasped and shuddered. “Might take you up on your offer later.”
“Or I can knock you unconscious, though it might be better if you remain alert enough to tell me how you feel.” He paused and lapped at his bleeding wrist so his saliva would aid in healing the small wound. After a brief internal debate, he decided to tell her the truth. “I’ve never done a blood exchange or healing before. I’m too young and have never had the chance. Although, I know how it is done.”
She looked up, her expression etched with pain, her brown skin sweat-covered and taking on an ashen, greyish tint. “Seriously?”
If she would have said more, it was stolen by a convulsion gripping her body.
He sat next to her and then gathered her up against his side so she wouldn’t beat herself black and blue against the tree’s gnarled old roots. The Riven taint was putting up a good fight, but he sensed his blood was winning. Soon, there would be nowhere in her body it could hide.
“Distract me,” she managed after the first wave of convulsions past. “Young. How young?”
He didn’t see any point in lying. The truth couldn’t harm her.
Besides, he wanted to make friends. The few fae he’d interacted with treated him with the greatest respect but were aloof and cold. Well, perhaps not Greenborrow. The leshii seem genuinely interested in offering friendship. Something about this human’s boldness and quick mouth reminded him of the leshii.
“I’m eight.”
“Eight?” She eyed him from the tips of his horns all the way down to where his talons dug into the soft loam. “Eight what? Eight years?!”
He stopped lapping at his wrist. “Yes.”
“Are you fully grown?”
“No.”
“Lord,” she choked. “If you’re a child of your kind, I don’t want to meet any adults.”
“My father is only a little taller. Hmmm...it’s probably best if you don’t meet him just yet.”
Shadowlight decided his parents probably wouldn’t be happy about what he’d done.
Perhaps not Lillian or Gregory either. Gran? She seemed the most open. Maybe he could confide in her once the human was healed. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.
Decision made, he looked back down at the human. She was unconscious again, but she breathed. A quick survey of her wounds showed they were still grievous. However, he thought she might live.
For now, he would have to find a place to hide her from the other fae. Once she was healed, there wasn’t anything the others could do. They’d eventually see the good in her.
They wouldn’t harm another of Light’s warriors, after all.
With a happy snort, he scooped up the human and headed back toward home. After he stashed the human somewhere safe and wove a spell of protection, he’d find Greenborrow as his father had ordered. Later, when no one would miss him, he’d come back and tend to the human’s wounds and then find a more permanent place to stash her.
Chapter 4
“COME ON,” LILLIAN HELD out what she called a polo shirt and gave it a vigorous shake. “Put. The. Shirt. On. Now. They’re almost here.”
Gregory stood across from her and returned her frown. It wasn’t actually cold, even though a rain shower had moved in while they’d discussed plans.
Lillian worried and fretted he wouldn’t be dressed in time before the human soldiers arrived. He scrounged for what the healers were called, something uniquely complicated only they would come up with. Oh, yes, medical technicians. He still couldn’t get particularly worked up about humans. Besides, he was now in human form, dressed in human fashion—which he hated. It was a passably warm day even with the rain shower. He saw no reason to wear the unnecessary layer the shirt represented. Even his fragile human hide could maintain enough heat without it.
“Do I have to get Gran in here?” Lillian asked, one fist planting itself against her hip, while the other one held the shirt in a white-knuckled grip.
Gregory huffed, finding the situation humorous. He stepped up to Lillian, closed one hand around the shirt, and the other around the back of her head and pressed their lips together.
Being in human form had some benefits. He deepened the kiss and was rewarded by Lillian softening into his touch. She relaxed against him. Both hands came up to caress the muscles of his chest, the shirt long forgotten. He debated dropping it on the floor to free his other hand to roam. Unfortunately, his ears picked up the sound of a sharp rapping at the front door.
A pity, he would have liked to have seen where the kissing would have led. He liked the new relationship he’d been building with his Sorceress. Alas, the humans were at the gates, and he needed to be on his best behavior. He’d promised, after all.
He broke the kiss, and Lillian made a little sound of protest. Giving her a lazy grin and a quick peck on the cheek, he said, “That’s the going rate for me to play at human and suffering the full regalia that goes with it.”
Gregory admitted a touch sheepishly that he liked using a few of the human terms—they needed so little added explanation. Lillian didn’t seem to see the humor and huffed like a quail disturbed from its daytime roost.
“Now...”
“Is not the time to argue,” he said and pulled the shirt over his head. “The humans are at the front door and impatient to get in if that’s what the repeated, heavy-handed pounding means.
Lillian grumbled something less than delicate under her breath, and then grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door.
“Do you remember the details of your cover story if someone attempts small talk?” Lillian asked as she started down the stairs.
“Every word.”
Gregory allowed himself to be steered toward the big armchair and then be pushed down into it. A moment later a cup of something hot was shoved in one hand and a couple of cookies in the other. The television was still on, and the coffee table was loaded with food and what Lillian called a board game.
Gran had clearly engineered the scene to look as natural as possible.
Gregory ate the cookies and reached for the nearest plate with his favorite type—the ones with the warm, chewy dark substance called chocolat
e. It was regrettable they were entirely bad for one’s body. He scooped up another handful. If he was going to sit through this episode, which involved willingly shedding blood for one’s enemy, he’d take his reward first.
Still wearing an apron coated with a fine layer of flour from all her baking efforts, Gran walked past him on her way to the front door, seemingly unconcerned with the newcomers’ arrival. Lillian, on the other hand, was fussing nervously with plates, saucers, and teacups.
While the door swung inward, Gregory studied Lillian’s expression and body language—which was supposed to reflect mild surprise but was in fact so false anyone who looked upon her would surely become suspicious. He reached out and slung an arm around her waist and dragged her into his lap.
Her yelp of surprise sounded far more genuine than any act.
He took a sip from his mug and nearly spat it back out. Black coffee, hot enough to burn three layers of skin off the roof of his mouth. With a deep grimace, he forced himself to swallow the offensive liquid while he glanced toward the door with natural curiosity. A medical technician and three other soldiers stomped through the front entrance.
Gran dusted the flour off her hands and held one out in greeting, but the human in the lead merely looked for a place to set down his equipment.
One of the other soldiers, not one Gregory had seen before, addressed Gran. “I assume you’ve been keeping up with the news and know about giving samples for testing. It’s voluntary, but we strongly suggest everyone get tested to rule out possible health complications.”
Gran gestured the newcomer in farther and closed the door. “By all means. Anything we can do to help. Although, I have to say I’m confused by one thing. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have people report to a hospital if they start to feel sick?”
The medical technician spoke up, his response sounding like something he’d already said several times in the last hour. “If there is any chance of illness, we want to quarantine it early to stop any possible spread.”
“Ah, that’s the first bit of wisdom I’ve heard since all this began.” Gran smiled as she rolled up her shirt sleeves until she’d exposed a good bit of her forearm.
Gregory watched, a touch curious, as the human sat on a chair next to the one Gran had dropped down on.
The procedure was over quickly though he didn’t think Gran liked to see the small vial sticking out of her arm. She’d gone a little pale and looked away. Once it was over, and she was holding a small bit of cotton to the tiny injury, she looked up and met Gregory’s eyes with a little shudder. “I hate needles. Never could stand the sight of my own blood.”
Jason took his turn in the chair, and the procedure was repeated just as painlessly. Lillian struggled out of his lap, and he let her take the chair next. He stood a moment later and made his way over to her side, attempting to appear bored and unconcerned.
And he was—about giving blood. But he didn’t have to like how the human soldier in charge wandered over to hover at Lillian’s shoulder. This wasn’t a random male interested in a pretty female.
Gregory smiled. Clever humans. This male was hoping his mere presence would cause Lillian’s family to make a mistake. He also gathered from the male’s mind that there were others nearby with some kind of device which allowed them to see and hear what was going on within. He squelched the urge to wave at them in the human way to see how they would react.
“Your turn,” Lillian said in a falsely cheery voice. Gregory grunted and sat down. He exposed his arm like he’d seen the others do. There was a poke, and then he caught a faint whiff of his magic-laced blood. Had he been in gargoyle form, the tiny blood drawing device would not even have penetrated his skin.
This had to be the first time in all his existence he’d allowed an enemy to claim first blood without a fight.
The Mortal Realm offered him new delights every day. He was turning toward the medical person to see if he could intimidate him out of annoyance and sheer boredom, when a sharp knock sounded at the door.
Gran was already halfway there by the time Gregory transferred his attention from the medical technician to the door. He stretched his senses outward and already had the newest arrival identified before he’d even entered.
Gran opened the door and Major Resnick stepped in, a greeting already on his lips.
“Vivian, always nice to see you,” he shook her hand and then stepped around her after a moment and made straight for Lillian.
The human at Gregory’s elbow removed the needle and put a small bit of cotton and a tiny bandage over the site. Gregory managed not to sneer. The tiny wound had already healed as soon as the metal was removed from his arm.
“Lillian, good to see you again,” Resnick continued in his disarming small talk. “I take it the equine escape artists haven’t run off into the woods lately?”
Eyes narrowing, Gregory studied the human warrior. Something was off.
Resnick was a capable, astute leader. The type to take in a situation, study it from different angles, and then come to a tactical decision. Sociable, he was not. He’d probably prefer to take a bullet rather than make small talk.
Lillian frowned and then gave a truthful, “I hope not. If they have, I’m sure they’ll be found.”
“Always glad to help.” Resnick turned his attention fully to Gregory. “And you must be Lillian’s mysterious fiancé, which no one in town has met.”
Gregory straightened from the chair and towered over the other humans in the room.
Even in human form, he didn’t see the need to cram himself down into a smaller form than absolutely required. Of course magic and shapeshifting didn’t have size limits—matter simply had to be compressed. However, Gregory was just more comfortable seeing things from a particular vantage point.
Making Major Resnick crane his head to look him in the eyes...that was an added benefit. Rather juvenile, but mildly rewarding all the same.
“Name’s Gregory.” He mimicked what he’d seen on television and held out his hand to the human. “Nice to meet you, Major. Lillian told me about your meeting in the woods.”
“Ah, as I told her, I’m always glad to be a help. Besides, it was nice meeting another of Vivian’s delightful clan.”
Gregory chuckled at the human’s far from a subtle inquiry. He stared down at the human, allowing a touch of challenge and his millenniums-old gargoyle nature to rouse and show in his eyes.
To the human’s credit, he held his gaze and returned Gregory’s unvoiced challenge.
Gran came up to them before anything more interesting developed.
“Major Resnick, can I interest you and your friends in some refreshments? There’s a pot of coffee in the kitchen, and the cookies are still warm.”
A couple of the humans showed mild interest, but Resnick merely shook his head.
“Another time. We still have several stops to make.” He gave Gran a smile which held a hint of true warmth before glancing back at Gregory. “Don’t worry. As soon as everything settles, I’m sure I’ll find a reason to stop by.”
With that less than subtle remark, Resnick, followed by his men, departed without so much as a goodbye or a glance behind. Then again, they hadn’t come to exchange human niceties.
Curiously, Lillian had grabbed a pen and pad of paper off the end table and was furiously scrawling some message.
When she was finished, she tore off the top sheet and slapped it to his chest and began again.
He read her messy writing. ‘Way to blend in! Ever heard of the word subtle? It’s a concept you really need to work on.’
A grin stretched across Gregory’s lips.
Gran folded her arms under her breasts and directed a deep frown at him, and then jerked her chin in the direction of the kitchen.
Ah, he was about to get an ear full from more than one female. Lovely. Only in the Mortal Realm did he receive scoldings.
He followed Gran and Lillian into the kitchen and then down the stairs to the basement.
They continued past the wine cellar and on into the secret rooms and tunnels where the magic-forged weapons were being stored.
Their presence reminded him that he would need to solve this human dilemma quickly so the Clan and Coven could continue with the preparations for war with the Lady of Battles.
“It’s safe to talk,” Gran said when Lillian motioned at her own lips in question.
“Good, because we need to be ready to move. They aren’t going to waste time getting that blood analyzed.”
Gran nodded her head at Lillian’s words. “Exactly right. Gregory, your magic allows you to hide, but your ability to shapeshift might be more useful to us at this point.”
“You wish to change our plans?” Gregory, still in human form, quirked an eyebrow and rather enjoyed the novelty. “What did you have in mind?”
“I think it would be safer to swap out our samples while they are still en route. Certainly, easier than trying to get inside the military’s HQ afterward. If you can impersonate one of those medical technicians, you might be able to switch the samples with no one the wiser. Unlike one of the other coven members, if you’re caught, you can extract yourself far more quickly and easily. Though dear, try not to vanish before their very eyes. That’s likely to do more harm than good.”
Lillian’s brother came in carrying a box which looked exactly like the type the humans had put the blood samples in.
He didn’t smell a hint of magic upon it, so Jason or another Coven member had done what Lillian would have called a little ‘sleight of hand.’ Gregory smiled. He’d always been fond of efficiency.
“Do you think you can impersonate one of the humans and switch the samples in time?” Stress thickened Lillian’s voice. It was cute how she still worried about him.
“Yes, but I’ll have Darkness shadow me in case I get into trouble I can’t get out of without a distraction.”
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 55