Gregory’s warm joy sharpened into thoughts and words that soon filled her mind.
“You are always a welcome distraction, my beloved. However, to make things easier, stay silent once I engage the enemy,” he paused and lifted his muzzle high while he sprinted between two military vehicles.
She sensed he was trying to learn something of the enemies by catching some news upon the breeze, but the stink of fumes from the vehicles disguised anything the wind might have carried.
Gregory put on a burst of speed and bolted ahead of the vehicles on either side.
His mind turned toward hers again. “I can smell nothing of the enemy, but I can feel them working to free themselves from my trap. They’ve already managed to damage it, and that tells me the Lady of Battles has not sent just any grunts for this task. These are powerful magic wielders. While perhaps not as powerful as Gryton, still lethal. But I won’t allow them past me.”
Lillian found herself nodding even though Gregory wouldn’t be able to see it. “I know. You will be victorious over these new enemies, and I will be here to mend your wounds—but please don’t get hurt too badly. You know I hate seeing you in pain.”
Gregory laughed. “I will keep that in mind. And while I do love how you look after my battle-weary body, I don’t actually like pain, so will do my best to minimize the number of scars.”
“Thank you,” Lillian whispered. She allowed her consciousness to drift. Gregory was still in her mind, but no longer forefront. She blinked, and her hamadryad’s glade came back into view.
Anna and Shadowlight were still where they’d been all along, so too were the other soldiers. Only Daryna had moved to stand off to one side, her right hand now caressing one of the standing stones.
“Thank you,” Lillian said as she glanced at Daryna.
“Thanks are never needed. I exist to help you and Gregory overthrow the Battle Goddess.”
When had overthrowing the Battle Goddess become part of the plan?
Last she’d heard, the plan was to stop the Battle Goddess’s army and prevent her from breeding a legion of new gargoyle hybrids. There had been no mention of actually attempting to destroy the Battle Goddess. Which come to think of it, Lillian would be totally cool with.
But she’d thought the Divine Ones had wanted the Twins to learn some kind of moral lesson. Unless Lillian had misunderstood something, the Mother Goddess and the All-Father weren’t willing to kill their child. So why was the Mother’s Sorceress now talking about destroying the Lady of Battles?
After the battle, Lillian would get Gregory alone and mention what Daryna had said. Or perhaps she would speak with the banshee first and see if the Fae had learned anything new.
Chapter 21
AS THEY NEARED THE location of the trap, Gregory darted off the road and into the forest. He led close to fifty Fae who answered the call. They would circle wide and flank the enemy while the human soldiers would come from the South and East.
Dire wolves ran with elks and stags. There was even a moose carrying Greenborrow into battle with him. Gran rode the unicorn bareback while holding her staff in one hand. Gregory admired the elder’s skill and was glad to have her ride into battle beside him.
On Gregory’s left, the pooka ran on silent hooves, a predatory shadow just waiting to grind the bones of his enemies beneath his hooves.
The pooka’s single-mindedness brought a smile to Gregory’s lips. The pony was not the only one looking forward to the coming battle.
Gregory was more than ready to face a real opponent after all the play hunting that he’d been doing as part of the cubs’ training.
And perhaps it was a touch juvenile, but Lillian was with him in his mind, watching what he did, and he wanted to impress her. Or at least live up to his own reputation, which, of late, was somewhat tarnished since coming to this realm.
This felt a little like leading his gargoyles into battle. Something he’d missed since coming to the Mortal Realm.
“We are nearly there.” He’d been about to explain strategy but halted as his attention was diverted. There was something wrong with one of the anchor-stones he’d created to lock the spell to this realm.
Even over the distance, he could feel the pressure building in the anchor. A heartbeat later, stress fractures formed along the heated stone.
A second and third anchor-stone now flared warnings at him.
Damn. The trap wasn’t going to hold long enough for the Fae and military of this realm to get there in time.
There were over a dozen soldiers left to guard the anchor-stones and half again that number of Fae.
He glanced at Gran. “My trap is weakening and whatever is within has almost escaped. To do that so quickly, the newcomers must be fiercely powerful. The Fae and military stationed there won’t have a chance and will be wiped out if I don’t get there in the next few moments.”
Gregory called power from the Spirit Realm as he put on a burst of speed.
“Wait! What are you doing? Lillian will kill you if you mess yourself up again.”
“Stay the course. I’m going to help those already on location. Meet me there when you can.”
Behind him Gran cursed, but he continued to surge ahead, calling more power as he ran. He leaped into the air and spread his wings. One powerful beat and then a second and he was airborne. However, he had no intention of flying the distance.
Ahead, the magic he’d summoned from the Spirit Realm shimmered and churned. Moments before he would have collided with it, the spell snapped into being, opening a rift. On the other side was the dome shaped trap he’d created.
Gunfire reached his sensitive ears, and he knew his trap had been breached by one or more of the invaders if the humans were engaging.
Two more powerful wing beats propelled him through the rift.
Below, it was as he expected. A pair of the invaders had managed to fight their way through the burning shield of energy. Ten more armor-clad warriors were still confined within the trap but were working their way through the multilayered shield as he watched.
He swooped down on one of the warriors as he started toward the nearest anchor-stone.
The stones were outside Gregory’s trap, so he hadn’t added much in the way of protection, just enough to keep curious Fae and military scientists at bay.
Gunfire rang out again, which reminded Gregory not to summon his shadow magic to hide his approach. He’d felt the sting of the humans’ bullets enough to respect the tiny shards of metal. Getting winged by ‘friendly fire’ as Major Resnick called it, wasn’t something he needed.
He was going to get roughed up enough as it was.
The armor-clad figure continued toward his target, unaware Gregory was diving for him.
At the last minute, Gregory unfurled his wings and changed the angle of his descent to intercept the enemy.
They collided with a leaden thump, Gregory’s weight and momentum driving the other off his feet and together they continued backward a good twenty meters until the solid energy of the dome stopped them.
Power snapped and hissed, at which point Gregory realized the warrior’s armor was an iron mix of some kind.
Ah. That’s why they’d been able to force their way through his shield. A second realization occurred to him as he grappled with the invader. This creature—whatever he fought—wasn’t of Fae lineage. None of the Fae could wear armor such as this.
His impact had dented the other’s armor, and Gregory took advantage of the warped breastplate to pry up a corner near the arm. With a bit of work, Gregory managed to sink a few claws into exposed tissue.
Blood gushed, and the other male screamed.
Good, they could feel pain and they could bleed, which also meant they could die.
They grappled with each other as the battle continued around them. He fought his opponent with lethal blows intended to end the fight quickly. There were eleven more opponents besides the one he fought. But the humans were keeping this one’s p
artners busy at least.
Gregory worked the hole in his opponent’s armor bigger. Then summoning Spirit Magic, he channeled it into the opening. The scent of blood and burnt flesh clogged his nose, but above all that he could smell the taint of a demon. This one was not Riven, but something else.
Apparently, the Battle Goddess had not learned her lesson from the Riven. Gregory wondered how long these hybrid demons would serve her before they, too, betrayed her like the Riven had.
Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about this fellow’s betrayal. Spirit Magic continued to build within the armor. Trapped, it had nowhere to go since the armor was designed to prevent magic from entering, or, in this case, exiting.
Gregory delivered a powerful kick and knocked the other male away seconds before the warrior screamed in high pitched agony. A moment later, demon, host, and armor all vaporized in a flash of bright magic. Sparks flew in all directions as the iron-mix armor melted into a molten slag. It splashed against his own shields and the surrounding area like wind-driven rain.
Smoke rose up from the dry grass as a few tiny curls of flame appeared. Gregory waved at the small fires, extinguishing them before they could grow dangerous.
He was darting forward to tackle the other opponent on this side of the dome when the energy flickered and flared wildly before it winked out of existence.
Ten more enemies rushed forward from inside the shattered ring of anchor-stones.
Oh. Lillian was going to be pissed at him.
With a joyous roar, he charged toward them, his shadow magic darting before him. He collided with the fastest of the newcomers and tore his helmet from his head. A blast of Spirit magic took care of that fellow and Gregory was leaping forward again.
But the others had seen what he’d done to two of their number, so swiftly drew back out of his way. He summoned more shadow magic and set it hunting. Most of the small shards were unable to get past the protections worked into the enemies’ armor, but it confused them and slowly herded them where Gregory wanted his next opponent.
Leaping forward, he bounded into a group of three enemies. While he blocked their blows with magic, he ripped at their armor and looked for other weaknesses he could exploit that would allow him to dispatch them swiftly.
As he drove his present opponents back, gouging and tearing into breastplates, helmets and shoulder guards, the rest converged upon him and joined the fight. Gregory broke off the attack before their combined axes and swords could cut him to pieces.
Several armed military vehicles rolled into the meadow. Massive guns mounted on the backs took aim at the enemy. A second later, more gunfire tore through the air. The noise was enough he was surprised the air itself didn’t shatter like glass under the onslaught.
Unfortunately, the Battle Goddess’s soldiers had powerful personal shields that stopped the bullets. But the sheer force and number prevented the enemy from spreading out. Ah. They were combining their power. They weren’t strong enough individually.
Gregory circled around behind, preventing the enemy from retreating.
That’s when he saw Gran and the other Fae arriving. They swiftly joined the military already in place. Then the two forces, both magical and mortal, focused their efforts on one enemy at a time. Gregory felt mild pride at how well they fought together. Perhaps the training sessions were beneficial, after all.
Chapter 22
LILLIAN PIGGYBACKED on Daryna’s link to Gregory, and together they shared in his vision of the battle. Neither woman said anything to distract him. The last thing he needed was to have his attention divided.
While she was glad to at least know what was going on, Lillian wished to be fighting by his side. She would have been if not for the tiny, fragile life within her womb. Not that she regretted her baby, not for a moment. She just wanted Gregory safe, too.
Lillian was drawing breath to demand Daryna go to his aid when military reinforcements and the other Fae arrived. The tension between her shoulder blades eased a touch, and she rolled them to try to further loosen up the stiff muscles. Still, her wings twitched with nervousness.
Daryna tilted her head to the side suddenly, like she was listening to something Lillian could not hear. She strained her senses, and then she felt it.
Another tremor of magic shivered through the air.
“Did you feel that?”
Daryna blinked open her eyes. “Yes. I did. It’s not good news, I fear.”
Lillian felt her talons flex. “Speak.”
“It’s more of the Battle Goddess’s warriors.”
Just what they didn’t need. Then she knew why Daryna looked so torn. “Go to Gregory. He’ll need your help.”
“I can’t leave you and our child unprotected.”
Flashing a hint of fang in a wicked gargoyle grin, Lillian stared down at Daryna and tightened her hold on her swords’ hilts. “While I may not be as lethal as either you or Gregory, I am not helpless. Besides, I also have Anna, Shadowlight, the banshee and a shit ton of military just waiting for a chance to get some of the Battle Goddess’s soldiers in their crosshairs.”
Her tail flicked slowly back and forth while she waited for Daryna to answer. Perhaps she needed another nudge. “How much more danger do you think I’ll be in if Gregory and the others get more than they can handle? If even one or two of those enemies escaped, where do you think they’re going to head next?”
“They’ll come for the hamadryad. My spells will prevent them from traveling back to the Magic Realm, but if they are able to get close enough, they will be able to send a message requesting reinforcements. If the Battle Goddess thinks she has a chance to get a foothold in the Mortal Realm, she might act now even if she isn’t finished building her army. We must stop them before they can get close.”
“Go then. Help Gregory neutralize the enemy before they can endanger all the earth.”
Daryna nodded. Looking unhappy, she moved away from Lillian until she was outside the ring of stones. Moments later she summoned another portal spell; its magic was like a cold draft from the Spirit Realm. For the span of ten heartbeats Lillian saw nothing, and then the strange magic doorway solidified and beyond the threshold was the place where a bloody battle was underway.
Daryna glanced back over her shoulder at Lillian. “Stay.”
She would have made the retort that she wasn’t a dog, but the Sorceress stepped through the portal and was already summoning a deadly spell. The strange doorway collapsed before Lillian had a chance to see what shape the combat spell took.
“Being left behind still sucks,” Lillian hissed under her breath.
Anna’s snort told Lillian the hybrid had heard her. The other woman sauntered over and glanced where the portal had been. “You think it was a good idea to send her to the others? From the updates Resnick is getting over the radio, the battle is going well. The training sessions have paid off.”
“Daryna said that if even one of the enemy soldiers gets close to the hamadryad, they’ll be able to use her to call for reinforcements.”
“A tree that doubles as a long-range radio. Yep. Normal,” Anna said but glanced around the meadow distractedly.
Lillian noticed Anna’s fingers flexed on her weapon. A show of nervousness? That wasn’t normal.
“Do you sense something?” If so, why the hell didn’t you say something before I sent Daryna away?
“No, but it’s never a good idea to send all your big guns into battle and leave your forward operating base unprotected,” Anna countered and then sighed. “It’s nothing. Just all this magic putting me on edge. I’m really starting to hate magic.”
Lillian flashed a fang at Anna. “You sound a lot like I did when I first learned about all this, but I’ve gained friends that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. You’ll see the benefits one day, too.
“Sorry. Don’t believe in silver linings.” Anna’s gaze flicked over to where Shadowlight was walking a perimeter around the tree. He was looking all fierce and daunting
again. “Well, maybe the kid. He might be worth every poke and prod I’ve received from the scientists. Maybe.”
“I heard that!” Shadowlight huffed and galloped over to them. “Of course I’m worth it. You’ve always wanted a little brother.”
She smiled affectionately at the gargoyle. “Yeah, kid. I’ve got one now, and you’re correct. I wouldn’t change anything.”
Wiggling happily, Shadowlight bounded around Anna. He’d been about to say something else but was cut short by a soft whistling sound that ended in something small smacking into flesh.
Shadowlight whirled around in surprise, but the sound occurred twice more. The young gargoyle twisted and pulled three small darts from his flank. They rested tiny and guiltless in his palm.
What the hell?
A commotion among the soldiers had Lillian glancing away from her brother for a moment, in time to see two soldiers dropped to the ground.
The high-pitched sound came again, and more soldiers fell before the tiny darts. Lillian still didn’t fully understand what was happening when Goswin stepped from out of the maze’s west entrance. She fired more darts from a small blowpipe.
Every dart that found a target dropped a soldier to the ground.
Lillian decided she didn’t need to know what was going on. All she needed to know was that a sprite was a swift and deceptively deadly little Fae.
And worse, she wasn’t alone. Whitethorn, leader of The Hunt, walked in beside her and took aim with a much larger and more deadly bow and arrow.
Grabbing Anna, Lillian dragged her behind the hamadryad. From within the screen of the thick branches, Lillian saw something far more serious than just the two Fae.
Commander Gryton paced along behind them, tossing his fiery magic at anything that still moved.
Anna called Shadowlight to them, and he obeyed, but Lillian noticed he was none too steady on his feet. He tripped as much as stopped next to Anna. The human stepped over him and put herself between him and the threat.
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 91