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

by Lisa Blackwood

  “Of course,” Captain Taryin replied with a chilling smile directed at Shadowlight.

  Anna’s dread inched up another degree. Even Gryton didn’t trust this blood witch if he was making another of his captains stay and watch.

  “If you’ll turn over command of Shadowlight’s collar to me, I’ll begin now,” Taryin said.

  This time Vaspara barked out a short, humorless laugh. “No. I will see that he complies well enough for you to do your tests on them.”

  Taryin nodded placidly as if the other captain’s words did not insult her in the least. “Very well.”

  When she reached for Shadowlight, Anna stepped between them.

  “You can start with me.”

  “As you wish.” Captain Taryin pulled a small blade from a tether around her neck. At first, Anna had thought it was a pendant, but now she saw it was a ceremonial knife. The blade was no longer than Anna’s palm.

  Still, despite its diminutive size, it wasn’t very reassuring when Taryin brought it up close to her neck. There was a tug and a sawing motion and suddenly the captain was holding the end of one of Anna’s braids.

  Better hair than a body part, Anna supposed, but adrenaline still coursed through her blood.

  Taryin set the hair aside in a bowl and then brought the tip of the blade down in a shallow cut along Anna’s left bicep. Then the blood witch held the bowl under Anna’s dripping arm. Once a few drops of blood had covered the braid, Taryin looked around. “Let’s go to the other room where my herbs are stored.”

  Yeah. Totally fine with that. Anna shoved Shadowlight through the open door to get him moving. He’d been staring between Anna and the dead body of the male. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the kid was concerned that the same thing might happen to her.

  Taryin went to the shelves and sorted through a half-dozen pots before she found the ones she wanted. Placing three pots on the nearest worktable, she pried off their lids and sprinkled fragments of dried herbs onto the hair and blood. Next, she reached for a pitcher of some dark, fermented liquid. Anna thought it was wine by its fruity and yeasty scent.

  Once the hair, herbs, and blood were covered in liquid, Taryin raised the bowl, closed her eyes, and began a chant.

  Fire flared and raced along the surface of the liquid, igniting like an extremely reactive accelerant. After ten seconds, Taryin’s chant changed in pitch, and a ball of fire and magic rose up out of the bowl. Five seconds later the flames burned entirely away, leaving a ball of tightly woven magic floating in the air.

  “Very nice,” the blood witch purred. “Oh, the spells I could create using your blood.”

  “The Battle Goddess will never let that happen. These two are more important than fuel for your spells,” Captain Vaspara said in a droll voice. “But if you still plan to test Shadowlight, get on with it. I need to find permanent slaves to serve as body servants for them and then acquire appropriate clothing for the feast.”

  That was the first time Anna was hearing about a feast.

  “Very well,” Taryin said, her expression unreadable. “I wouldn’t want to waste your valuable time.”

  Vaspara snorted disdainfully but didn’t vocalize her thoughts.

  Anna decided Vaspara had just taken top spot on the potential list of allies even though she was a succubus.

  The blood witch stepped closer to Shadowlight. She used her knife to cut a lock of his hair and then nicked him in the bicep. Anna didn’t like seeing the blade used on the kid any more than she liked having it used on herself.

  Oblivious to Anna’s glowers or merely uncaring, the blood witch continued with her task, and soon there was another flash of fire and magic, this one much larger than when Anna’s sample had ignited.

  “Unsurprising, but excellent all the same.” Taryin nodded to Vaspara. “I can start training the youngling in battle and blood magic tomorrow; the human will need at least two more blood exchanges before we start any meaningful training. But at least she won’t be hopeless.”

  “I’ll have them returned here tomorrow after their time in the practice ring.” Vaspara agreed.

  “Actually, keep them at the practice ring. There’s always plenty of blood spilled on the sands there, and if we exhaust that supply, then I’ll just take what is needed from some of the trainees.”

  Vaspara nodded as if bleeding random victims was everyday news. The succubus was just turning to leave when there was a sharp knock and the guard from earlier entered from the hall outside. He glanced at them and muttered an apology for the interruption but ushered in a man and woman. Two steps behind them, a girl and boy followed. All four had their hands tied and Anna’s stomach plummeted in horrified realization.

  “Captain Taryin, I’ve brought the slaves as you asked.”

  “I told you to wait until after I was finished with the Rasoren and his Kyrsu.”

  The guard apologized again and then swept into another deep bow. The move was both graceful and fast, but not so fast that Anna missed the moment when the guard’s gaze slid to her for a brief moment. But she had caught the look and recognized it for what it was, a glimmer of rebellion.

  Since this was the same guard who’d been leaving when they first entered, his arrival now, with the four slaves, wasn’t an accident. Anna was certain of that. He’d wanted to arrive with his prisoners while she and Shadowlight were still within the blood witch’s grim workshop.

  “Who are these people?” Anna asked. “And what does the blood witch want with them?” Oh, but she already knew, and Anna didn’t care what she had to barter, she was going to save the kids, at least.

  It was Captain Vaspara who answered. “They are all traitors to the Battle Goddess.”

  “The children, too? Surely they weren’t plotting against the demigoddess.”

  “They didn’t,” Vaspara said with a bored shrug. “Nor did their parents, not directly, but they tried to flee this city.”

  “And that’s enough to warrant death?” It likely was in this place, and if the parents were that desperate, it must have meant they thought their children were as good as dead if they stayed.

  “The male and his brother,” Vaspara pointed to the father and then jerked her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the dead guy back on the stone slab. “Both served Shadowlight’s parents as free servants. After Stalks the Darkness and River made their escape with Shadowlight, we later learned that Darkness had warned the brother about his escape plan. The human traitor then sought out his brother and family and convinced them to flee.”

  Beside her, Shadowlight stiffened and looked at the family. “You knew my parents?”

  None of them answered Shadowlight’s question, but Vaspara confirmed it. “Yes. They served them but are now traitors stripped of all rank and soon the blood witch will strip them of their lives.”

  Vaspara sounded bored, but she locked gazes with Anna like she was trying to convey something important that she didn’t want to say out loud. Anna’s mind whirled and then understanding struck.

  “Gryton said he’d return all the possessions belonging to Shadowlight’s parents to him in the coming days if we were biddable.” Anna paused to spear the blood witch with a challenging look. “We have held up our end of the bargain. These slaves now belong to Shadowlight, and this even saves Vaspara the need to hunt up servants for us.”

  Vaspara nodded, still pretending boredom. “That is true.”

  “They are traitors,” the blood witch snarled. “They deserve death.”

  “Hmm,” Anna said, looking around the room slowly before returning to the terrified prisoners. “I disagree. Sounds like the instigator is already dead in that room back there. These four merely had their hands forced.”

  “They still must be made an example of. I only follow the edicts set down by our Lady.”

  “Time for the bluff of all bluffs,” Anna sent to Shadowlight and then drew herself up and faced down Taryin. “I was there when the demigoddess told Gryton to treat us
with the honor our rank grants us. I order that the slaves be delivered to our quarters immediately.”

  The blood witch recoiled.

  “Ah, you didn’t think I’d figure that out so fast, did you? Or you thought I wouldn’t have the ambition to take what is rightfully ours.” Anna smiled coldly. “I’ve always been driven to rise up and conquer every challenge tossed at me. Shortly after I was attacked by the Riven, Shadowlight found me and gave me a choice, a quick, clean death or I could take his blood and fight to overcome the taint and if I survived, I would be tied to him for life.”

  Anna circled around the blood witch. Sensing her surprise, she latched onto it like a weakness. It might not be fear, but she could work with surprise.

  “I agreed to Shadowlight’s offer because I will always fight to win. I do not know how to surrender. Die or adapt. I’ve always adapted. I might not yet know a lot about magic, but that will change.”

  She reached out and grasped the still glowing ball of magic that floated above the table. Her talons lengthened, and she flexed her fingers, crushing the ball of magic and absorbing it into herself.

  Shadowlight prowled closer to Taryin now, too. “Gargoyles don’t surrender.”

  Anna nodded. “So, you see? We’ve looked around and studied how things work around here and we will now adapt. We will become what the Battle Goddess demands. But we won’t be the victims you expect.”

  “You are both children,” Taryin said, a hundred thoughts flashing behind her eyes.

  Anna laughed. “Then you are about to get your petite ass handed to you by a pair of the most ambitious and determined children you’ve ever met.”

  “I will not be spoken to in such a manner by a mere human!”

  “You are a fool, Taryin,” Captain Vaspara said. “There is nothing mere about the humans of her world. Gryton told me about their world. They have perfected the art of death. In a little over a hundred years, their wars claimed millions of lives. They are capable of breathtaking violence; their atrocities rival anything that we have ever done here in our realm.”

  Anna was familiar with some of humanity’s darkest hours, but when it was put that way...she winced.

  “That is—” Taryin was cut off by Vaspara.

  “Gryton let me look directly into his mind. The humans of the Mortal Realm have created weapons that can destroy millions of lives in a blink of an eye. Our Lady knows this. It honors her. That is why she will one day rule both realms. The humans have earned that honor. Anna and Shadowlight will lead the way.”

  The blood witch glanced at Anna, her surprise melting away to be replaced by a glimmer of respect.

  Anna’s stomach churned a little.

  “That’s why,” Vaspara continued, her bored expression back in place, “if Shadowlight and Anna want the slaves, it is their right to claim them.”

  “Very well,” Taryin agreed slowly.

  Anna didn’t wait around for the powerful blood witch to change her mind and she planted her hand against Shadowlight’s back and applied enough pressure to get him moving. They were almost through the door when Vaspara glanced back at the soldier who had brought the family. “You will escort the slaves.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  Once they turned the first corner, Vaspara relaxed enough to slow her stride. She cast another glance over her shoulder at the guard and then looked to Shadowlight. “That guard and many more like him used to serve your mother. It is within your right to reclaim them.”

  Shadowlight’s answer was swift and short. “I claim them all.”

  Vaspara nodded, “As the Rasoren wishes, so will it be done.”

  “We’re going to become tyrants,” Anna told him without a hint of guilt or self-loathing.

  “We make a good team,” he said, sounding so very proud.

  Chapter 18

  FEELING MORE THAN A little proud of himself, Shadowlight dropped to all fours and paced a circle around Anna and the family they’d rescued. These new people, even the guard, were now part of his tribe, his to protect.

  His magic stirred as his thoughts focused on what Vaspara had said. There were others, guards and servants alike, who rightfully fell within his ever-increasing sphere of protection. He would find them, claim them, and then one day free them once he and Anna found a way to escape. Until then, they needed allies.

  With a new sense of purpose driving him, he continued to circle his new charges but now approached the two children.

  “Hello,” he said, giving each a good lick. “I’m Shadowlight.”

  Both children started in surprise. The girl squealed and laughed. The boy recoiled.

  He was hurt by the boy's rejection. Everyone liked him. Why didn’t this boy?

  “I won’t hurt you,” he offered. “You’re safe with Anna and me. Vaspara said your family served my parents.”

  “We did.” The boy replied but kept looking to his parents who were talking with Anna and Vaspara.

  Anna was busy interrogating their new servants, so the boy was on his own.

  Now was as good of time as any to try to win over the boy and girl.

  Before Shadowlight could vocalize his thoughts, the boy spoke. “We served River and Stalks the Darkness, but they abandoned us.” The boy glowered at Shadowlight. “Why should we trust you?”

  Shadowlight was taken off-guard by the anger in the boy’s tone, but his gargoyle nature also told him it was deserved. His parents had abandoned these people when they’d fled to Earth to help Lillian and to keep him from becoming the Battle Goddess’s tool.

  In the end, it hadn’t helped. He was among the enemy. But there were other victims here as well.

  For the first time, he felt shame for what his parents had done to save him. They’d abandoned those loyal to them to face the Battle Goddess’s rage alone.

  Anna was suddenly at his side, her fingers giving a reassuring scratch.

  “What are your names?” She asked the two children.

  It was the boy who answered. “I’m Brannan and my sister is Fayon.”

  “Well, Brannan,” Anna said, her expression fierce. “I don’t leave friends behind. Shadowlight doesn’t either. I can’t promise to keep you safe from all dangers and I can’t promise you your freedom either, but I can promise we won’t willingly betray you or your family.”

  The boy was surprised by Anna’s blunt words. Shadowlight could smell it.

  “I thank you for the truth,” the boy said at last. “One doesn’t often hear it in this place.”

  Anna nodded sharply, though her lips compressed in that way he’d come to understand was her expression for some dark emotion that she couldn’t vent, but he did catch her muttering about evil bitch goddesses enslaving children.

  “Kid,” she said along the private link. “I know this makes our escape more difficult, but I’m still going to try to get us and these poor souls free of this place. Don’t ever allow the blood witch or her ‘lady’ to crush your hopes.”

  “I won’t,” he promised.

  Together they returned to their quarters where their new servants went to work stowing away all the supplies Gryton ordered for them. They hadn’t had much time in the last three days to sort it all, but that didn’t faze the servants.

  While the two children attended to the fireplaces, stacking wood and kindling, their parents saw to the clothing and armor. The mother, Lanya, laid out clothing for the feast they’d only learned about a few hours earlier. It was supposed to take place in a little over an hour, just before dawn. Shadowlight was still adjusting to the nocturnal routine here, but he was hungry again, so didn’t really care if supper and breakfast had been reversed.

  Anna grumbled something about shift workers that he didn’t understand. While Lanya was seeing to their attire, her mate, Barrick was helping Anna understand all the leather straps and buckles of the armor she’d be expected to wear tomorrow, at least until Lanya overruled her husband and said she needed to get Anna and Shadowlight ready for tonight�
�s feast.

  Shadowlight was the first to be chased into the bath by the domineering older woman, but he didn’t complain. She reminded him of his mother. Once Shadowlight was finished his bath, she soon cowed Anna into following orders as well.

  While Anna was busy with her bath, he stood in his own room, looking over his clothing for the celebratory dinner. His new knee-length loincloth was black velvet, its edges lined with rubies and silver embroidery. Sighing, he picked it up and donned the clothing without complaint, although he didn’t like how the added weight of the jewels made the long skirt of the loincloth slap against his legs as he walked.

  Fashion was foolish.

  When he padded out of his room, Lanya was lying in wait, a large torc held in her hands. She explained that it would fit over his control collar, effectively hiding it. Next came wrist and armbands made of the same silver and rubies as his torc and loincloth.

  She wasn’t done yet, though. There was a matching set of bands that clipped around his ankles and then she pulled out two silver cones and attached them to the tips of his horns. Every time he moved, the suspended ruby attached to each tip clicked against his horn.

  He wrinkled his nose and stomped into Anna’s room to see what she would be forced to wear. A body-size mirror suspended from a hook in the wall caught his attention. He paced over to it and then sneered at his reflection in its silver surface.

  Foolish vanity. He looked like an idiot.

  Lanya followed him into Anna’s room, more grooming tools carried in her hands. “Perfect. Stay right there, I’ll finish up with you and move on to Anna as soon as she’s done with her bath.”

  Lanya stood behind him and then started to work his hair into braided sections.

  Fifteen minutes later, Anna stuck her head in her room, and the servant was still working to tame his wild mane while he glowered at himself in the mirror.

  Anna looked him over, a merry light in her eyes and then she started to laugh. At least until she’d dried her tears of mirth and got a good look at what she was to wear. All merriment vanished, and she sighed unhappily.