The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9)

by Lisa Blackwood

  “We are so screwed,” Lillian muttered to herself. Anna didn’t disagree with her and was already on the radio calling for reinforcements.

  “We need to buy some time until more help gets here.” Anna took aim with her rifle and the sharp report of weapons fire echoed through the glade.

  Lillian winced at the sharp noise but focused her attention on the battle. Anna ignored Whitethorn and Goswin and fired rapid bursts at Commander Gryton. She knew who the true threat was.

  Four other soldiers who had managed to dodge darts, arrows, and Gryton’s fireballs, joined in the fight. Together the five soldiers managed to slow Gryton. Halting him was like stopping a flow of lava. He continued to walk forward, pushing a wall of fire in front of him.

  The fiery wall seemed to turn most of the bullets into molten slag, which splattered against his armor with dull, wet sounds.

  But Anna and the other soldiers didn’t give up, holding their positions and continuing to fire. Now and again, a sharp ting sounded and a few sparks flew as bullets made it past Gryton’s defensive magic to strike his armor.

  Whitethorn stepped out from around the wall of fire as he drew his bowstring and took aim at one of the soldiers.

  Lillian called her shadow magic and shaped it into tiny, biting, knife-like shards. The bits of darkness raced across the distance and savaged Whitethorn. The sidhe huntsman dove for cover behind a stone picnic table, but Lillian’s magic followed.

  So too did Shadowlight. The young gargoyle lunged from behind the cover of the hamadryad and raced across the distance. He jumped the picnic table and closed his teeth upon Whitethorn, shaking the other Fae in his jaws. While Shadowlight was fighting Whitethorn, Goswin got in another dart.

  Lillian growled and lunged after the sprite, her shadow magic racing before her. The sprite was faster and darted behind one of the stone rings.

  A moment later she popped up and fired two more darts at the soldiers. One struck the soldier nearest Anna. He staggered and then dropped to his knees. A second soldier joined his fellow.

  Before any of the allies could regroup, a wave of force raced out from where Gryton stood. This wasn’t the fire magic that Lillian had expected, but Anna and the other remaining soldiers were still knocked off their feet.

  Bad. Very bad, Lillian thought as she summoned more shadow magic and directed it to attack Gryton.

  Her magic was marginally more effective than the bullets. Like tiny bits of shrapnel, they burrowed their way into the seams of his armor. He couldn’t stop them all.

  Gryton snarled at her but turned his attention toward Shadowlight, ignoring Lillian.

  What the hell?

  Then she understood.

  Oh, hell no.

  Anna had regained her feet, but the other soldiers were unmoving. Shaking her head like her ears were ringing or she was disoriented, Anna shook off whatever the attack had done to her as she raised her rifle once more.

  This time, her target was Goswin, where she stood over Shadowlight. Blood blossomed at the sprite’s shoulder and then her thigh. She screamed as she fell. She tried to regain her feet but couldn’t.

  Two down, Lillian thought, just one really badass enemy to go.

  With a growl, Anna redirected her fire upon Gryton. Lillian joined her. Their combined assault slowed but didn’t stop him.

  Not that it should have, Lillian knew. Before, Gryton had very nearly been a match for Gregory.

  Strangely, he didn’t seem to be pressing his advantage. The Battle Goddess’s most deadly weapon should have made short work of Anna and herself. Why hadn’t he dealt them a crippling blow? So far, everything he’d tossed at them was more defensive magic than bring-your-enemies-to-their-knees lethal.

  Was he weakened by something the hamadryad had done to him?

  Or was this something else?

  Then Lillian realized he must want to capture more than just Shadowlight.

  There was an abrupt end to the gunfire, and the resulting absence of sound announced their defeat. Lillian’s ears twitched at the lack of painful noise, but she didn’t hesitate and continued her attack upon Gryton. Unfortunately, Anna was out of bullets, and they were out of options.

  And then Lillian felt yet another disturbance in the magic around her like she had twice before in the last hour.

  A churning vortex appeared in the air between Anna and Gryton. For a moment, Lillian felt hope rekindle. If Gregory was here...

  But it wasn’t Gregory.

  Chapter 23

  THREE MORE ARMOR-CLAD warriors stepped into the glade and shouted something at Gryton. They didn’t sound overly friendly, and neither did Gryton’s reply. Lillian had the distinct impression that Commander Gryton was surprised by these newcomers’ sudden appearance. He wasn’t the only one.

  Lillian moved closer to Anna, thinking to grab her and fly to safety. But one glance at Shadowlight told Lillian that that plan wasn’t going to work either.

  Shadowlight was on his feet again, but he was weaving and stumbling badly and he collapsed after a couple more steps. He fought against whatever drug, poison, or magic spell the darts had delivered into his system and struggled back to his feet. Lillian’s heart broke. The youngling was trying to reach them. But he was in no condition to fly or run.

  Lillian dropped to all fours and snarled at Gryton. She had to get to Shadowlight. When she tried to circle around the armor-clad enemy, he snapped out his wrists and a wave of power raced toward her.

  She dove to the ground and dug in her claws as the wave rolled over her. It continued past to flow harmlessly away. While Lillian and Gryton danced around each other uselessly, the three newcomers marched straight for Shadowlight. Two of them grabbed him under his arms and started dragging him toward the portal.

  Shadowlight twisted and fought, but in his drugged state he was no match for them and was quickly clubbed into submission.

  Anna snarled and tossed away her empty rifle and pulled out a long knife instead. Her expression was fierce and unreasoning as she charged across the distance. At the last moment, she hunched low and tackled one of the newcomers hard enough to make a linebacker proud.

  The warrior crashed to the ground, and Anna followed, her knife finding the slit in the enemy’s visor. Blood sprayed. The newcomer screamed. Anna’s knife flashed again and again until the body under her stopped twitching.

  Apparently, not all the Battle Goddess’s warriors were as hard to kill as Gryton.

  Lillian darted across the distance, angling toward the two who still dragged Shadowlight between them. Anna joined her, sprinting toward the enemy from the right. They had almost reached their targets when the ground heaved under Lillian’s feet, and a secondary force slammed into her back.

  Earth and sky changed places over and over. She continued to roll until her maze’s evergreen walls caught her. The scent of cedar surrounded her. Lillian blinked and spit out a mouthful of dirt, grass, and bits of cedar. What had hit her? A wrecking ball?

  She shook her head. After a moment, she blinked her vision clear. Gryton was bent over Anna, and then he heaved her up into his arms and over his shoulder. The other two dragging Shadowlight had almost reached the portal.

  Gryton glanced at her, clearly wanting to snatch Lillian as well, but decided against it as he turned and walked toward the portal.

  He didn’t make it. A second portal appeared between him and his destination.

  A raging ball of gargoyle fury erupted out of the portal and lunged right at Commander Gryton. At first, Lillian thought Shadowlight had escaped his captors, but then she recognized her beloved Gregory.

  Relief washed through her. She tried to get to her feet and go to him, but her body didn’t want to cooperate. Helpless, she could only watch through her narrowing field of vision as the two lethal predators squared off.

  By the rising scent of deadly magic filling her glade, Lillian could only conclude that Gryton had no interest in capturing Gregory. And Gregory’s snarls told Lillian
that her beloved had no interest in leaving this enemy alive.

  Another portal flared brightly and Daryna walked out of it into the battle-scarred glade. Magic burned all along her body, and she stood and took aim at the two dragging Shadowlight back to the Magic Realm.

  The first wave slammed into a shield and scattered in twenty different directions. Daryna didn’t stop and continued forward undaunted, tossing another wave of magic at the enemy. The two enemy soldiers scrambled the rest of the way to the portal and were through it before Lillian could cry out.

  Daryna screamed in rage, but the other portal was already closing in upon itself, its magic shimmering less brightly as the portal diminished in size. She darted forward but was already too late.

  With a hiss of anger, she turned to where Gryton and Gregory still fought. She raised her arms, palms toward the two combatants.

  Gryton’s survival instincts must have been truly impressive for he broke away from Gregory and lunged behind one of the standing stones that circled the hamadryad. A moment after he vanished behind the stone, Lillian again felt a disturbance in the magic around her. There was also the thick, fiery essence she’d come to associate with a spike of Gryton’s power.

  But it was already fading. And that’s when she realized Gryton had vanished from her senses.

  Gregory stomped around behind the standing stone, but his thunderous expression told Lillian what she already knew. Gryton was gone. Escaped.

  Tin Man had more lives than a freaking cat.

  One day she was going to do her best to chew through all nine of them. But not today. Today they had to go after Shadowlight. Lillian just had to stand up first. If her body would cooperate. Unfortunately, she was also losing the war against the darkness creeping up the edges of her vision. Her sight narrowed down further, and the glade faded.

  Chapter 24

  ANNA CAME AWAKE WITH a jerk as a bright light shone in her eyes. A field medic was kneeling next to her. She shoved him away, and her entire body screamed in pain as she rolled to her feet, but something, some need, drove her to alertness.

  “Easy,” the medic said. She ignored him.

  There had been a battle.

  Whitethorn and Goswin had turned on them.

  Gryton.

  Fucking Tin Man had attacked them again.

  Shadowlight. She scanned the area, looking first to the hamadryad and then to where Daryna and Gregory stood over Lillian.

  Anna glanced around to where the other medics were attending to more survivors.

  Panic rising within her, she scanned the entire area again, but still no Shadowlight. And a gargoyle was a bit hard to miss.

  “Where is he?”

  The medic grabbed her arm. “You took a beating. You probably have a concussion. Possibly internal bleeding.”

  “Get your hands off me, or you will be the one with internal bleeding.”

  Anna recognized one of the scientists approaching. She snarled, showing fangs. “Tell me what happened to Shadowlight?”

  “We don’t know,” Doctor Fleming said.

  Instinctively, Anna reached out for that blood-link she shared with Shadowlight. Normally there would be a tingle, or stronger tug, which would lead her to him.

  But this time there was nothing. Just a void.

  Oh, God. No.

  Please, no. Not the kid.

  He couldn’t be dead.

  Major Resnick entered the clearing leading another squad of soldiers. But Anna stormed past him. He was just arriving and wouldn’t have the answers she needed. Instead, she headed directly toward Gregory and Daryna where they knelt next to Lillian.

  Anna skidded to a halt beside them, her throat threatening to seal itself as grief welled up within her.

  “Where is Shadowlight,” she asked for the third time.

  Three sets of eyes glanced up at her. Lillian was crying.

  Oh, God. “Is he dead?”

  White rage mixed with grief in her mind. If that bright, loveable goof had been snuffed out of the universe, she would...kill everything. Exterminate every last one of the Battle Bitch’s godless henchmen. She’d start with Commander Gryton. She’d find a way.

  Gregory didn’t answer with words, but he shook his head.

  Anna felt like the earth had just shifted under her feet. He wasn’t dead? Oh, thank God.

  If Shadowlight had been hurt, she’d see that he had all the care he needed to heal. She’d raid the town’s library to find enough books to occupy him every damned hour of the day if he wanted her to read to him.

  “He’s hurt, isn’t he? Where did they take him? Back to base?” He must have been bad off to leave her behind, Anna thought as another cold tendril of fear wormed its way into her heart.

  Coming to her feet, Lillian stood on shaking legs, but still towered above Anna in gargoyle form. Gregory stayed on all fours, offering his back for his mate to lean upon.

  Lillian ignored Gregory and reached out for Anna, dragging her into a hug. Surprised to find herself in a fierce and unexpected hug, Anna just patted the gargoyle’s back awkwardly.

  “They took Shadowlight. They took my little brother, and I couldn’t stop them.” Lillian drew in a ragged breath and continued, “Gregory and Daryna won’t go after him. They won’t let me go after him, either.”

  The other woman broke into great body-shaking sobs.

  Gregory stood and wrapped her in his arms. Even Daryna came forward to place a comforting arm around her shoulders.

  “We can’t just leave him to become the Battle Goddess’s slave,” Lillian whispered between sobs.

  “Of course we’re not leaving Shadowlight in enemy hands. We’ll launch a counter assault and get him back,” Anna swung her attention back toward Resnick. She waved him over. “Resnick is here. He’ll inform the others that Shadowlight has been taken. We’ll get him back.”

  Anna wasn’t sure if her words were meant to comfort herself or Lillian.

  “Gregory and Daryna won’t allow anyone else to go after him, either.” The accusation was clear in her voice.

  The demigods wouldn’t allow anyone to go?

  Well, fuck that.

  “We won’t leave Shadowlight to the Battle Goddess’s mercy. We can’t. We can’t risk him sharing everything we’ve done here. Even if they do not want to risk themselves or others, we still must send a team to rescue Shadowlight.”

  Daryna stepped away from Lillian to study Anna instead. “It’s not as easy as you make it sound. Anyone who attempts to invade the Battle Goddess’s territory would be found out and incarcerated. When we move on her, we must be ready to strike a blow she won’t recover from.”

  “What are you saying?” Although, Anna thought she knew what the Sorceress was telling her.

  Falling silent, Daryna paced a half circle around Anna. “We are simply not ready to go after Shadowlight. Your fellow humans are not ready for a full-scale war to land in their backyard, either.”

  “So, you will do nothing?” Anna heard her own voice climb an octave. She couldn’t lose her shit over this. Shadowlight needed her calm, composed, and focused on his rescue.

  “We will not be doing nothing,” Daryna said as she continued to pat Lillian’s back. “We will be readying for battle. And I promise you, when we are ready to strike a devastating blow, we will find Shadowlight and free him from the Battle Goddess’s traps.”

  But Shadowlight might not have the time. Anna couldn’t imagine the Battle Goddess sitting back and waiting for Shadowlight to reveal what he knew. He would be tortured for information.

  “Daryna is correct,” Gregory said. “We can’t risk open war with the Battle Goddess yet. She might very well win. And we don’t dare appear in the Battle Goddess’s domain until after we have an army ready and eager to destroy hers. We must approach Shadowlight’s rescue with caution.”

  “But I can’t sit back and allow any number of horrors to be performed upon the kid.”

  Gregory’s voice softened. “We wil
l go after Shadowlight. But as much as my every instinct is screaming to go after him now, we need a plan, as well as an idea of what traps we may be up against. If we have any hope of rescuing Shadowlight, we will need to know what to expect and get in and out quickly without being discovered.”

  Anna felt a tiny bit of hope. It wasn’t that Gregory was abandoning Shadowlight, he just needed a sound plan.

  Worry and guilt still churned within her, but she managed to calm some of the rage. Although the need to beat the shit out of something was still strong.

  She would get Shadowlight back.

  Gregory nudged Lillian gently, trying to coax her into climbing onto his back. When she refused, Gregory continued his earlier line of thought. “I might not know exactly what the Battle Goddess has been up to, but I know someone who does. Tomorrow I will hunt down Gryton, drag him back here, and carve out every piece of information we need.”

  Anna arched her brow. How was he going to capture Tin Man? That bastard was slipperier than shit and disappeared faster than fog in the summer. So far, he’d proven impossible to catch.

  “This is the second time we’ve managed to get a chunk of him.” Gregory held up a piece of battered and bloodstained armor. “With this, I have enough of his blood and magic to create a spell to track him. He will not be able to hide from me this time. His armor is a physical manifestation of his power. It’s a part of him.”

  “I’ll help,” Anna said as that intense need to protect Shadowlight reared up within her again.

  “No. Not this time. I’ll not risk losing another cub to Gryton’s tricks.”

  “I’m not a cub.”

  “You are not even a quarter-century old.” Gregory huffed. “A cub.”

  Her teeth creaked as she ground them together. Who wasn’t a child compared to this immortal demigod’s age? Anna tried another tactic. “I’m older than Lillian—”

  He cut her off. “Lillian isn’t going either. Daryna will stay behind to guard you both while I hunt down Gryton.” There was a long stretch of silence as he eyed his sorceress. “Daryna will remain to guard you this time. No matter what.”