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

by Lisa Blackwood

  Sudden understanding struck Gryton. “You always planned to use me.”

  “Yes. Had things gone as planned, it would not have come for several seasons yet. Shadowlight would have been fully trained when I sent you to the Mortal Realm to destroy the Avatars. Once they were out of my way, I would send Shadowlight and his Kyrsu to crush my brother’s army.”

  As long as she was talking, she wasn’t pouring as much power upon him, so he’d keep her entertained because he sensed something she did not. “What about your plans to enslave the Avatars?”

  She jerked back, her eyes narrowing in rage like he’d slapped her. “Plans change.”

  “Did you know my mother captured me when I was in the Mortal Realm? She knew me. Knew I was her child. The one thing she had been waiting an eternity for. What do you think the Avatars will do to you in retaliation when they leave the Spirit Realm and are reborn one day?”

  “You lie. The Avatars would kill you the moment they recognize what you are. They know their duty.”

  “Actually, they didn’t kill me. At first, my father was shocked, and his initial gut reaction was to destroy me; though, even he came around and didn’t swat me out of existence. I came here to free Shadowlight and his pet human. I lived up to my end of the bargain. The Avatars are honorable. They will avenge my death. That pleases me.”

  The Battle Goddess’s howl of rage made him smile.

  It also gave him the will to hold on a little bit longer as she resumed pouring a torrent of power into him. While she was distracted killing him slowly, he turned his thoughts inwards.

  “Did you get all that, mother?”

  “Yes,” the Sorceress whispered back to him and he felt a loving caress accompany her words. “Your father heard it as well and together the Battle Goddess is outmatched.”

  “Don’t underestimate the blood witch.”

  “We won’t,” she promised and then dropped out of the link, but the male half of the Avatars was still with him.

  “I may still have to kill you one day, but I will not let the Lady of Battles destroy what I brought into this world.”

  Ah. Such a loving father he had.

  “Gryton, I know you helped Shadowlight before you even knew we’d arrived here. That was noble. If you have a conscience, then maybe there is something more buried deep in your soul that’s worthy of salvation.”

  “You’re not the type of father who tells his son how much he loves him, I take it?”

  “No,” Gregory said with a chuckle. “But who knows. Maybe one day. Let’s live long enough to find out.”

  Gryton started to laugh. The Battle Goddess and her captains pulled back in surprise.

  Love was a foreign concept to Gryton, but he wouldn’t mind living long enough to determine whether he was capable of the emotion. And if he wasn’t? Well, he’d settle for razing his enemies to the ground and scattering their ashes to the four winds.

  He looked up at the Battle Goddess. I’ll start with you.

  Chapter 38

  MAJOR RESNICK AND SERGEANT Maracle flanked Lillian as they made their way across the valley floor and onto the road. Ahead Captain Stanton, Lieutenant Willis, Gregory and Daryna led the way while Corporals Laforce and Brown came last. She and Gregory had expanded their shadow magic to hide signs of the group’s passage. Even passersby wouldn’t hear their whispered conversation.

  “A year ago,” the major said in an offhanded manner, “if someone had told me I’d be walking down a cobbled road in the company of a female weregargoyle attempting to rescue an evil demigod to halt an even more demented demigoddess from using him like an arsenal of tactical nukes, I’d say they’d gotten themselves some bad drugs.”

  “Weregargoyle?” Lillian asked wondering if she should be offended.

  “White folk have to label everything,” Sergeant Maracle said with a humorous glint in his eyes.

  Lillian was still getting to know Resnick’s new team. Sergeant Maracle was the unit’s closemouthed sniper. Most of what she knew about him was second-hand knowledge from Gran.

  No one could long resist Gran’s extrovert nature, not even the sniper, whom she’d learned was of Mohawk heritage.

  “Oh, come on,” Resnick complained. “It was funny. Shapeshifters. Werewolf. Weregargoyle. No? Fine, I’m sorry.”

  Lillian rolled her eyes and kept walking.

  “Major, keep talking and you’ll need a ladder to climb out of the hole,” Maracle commented dryly.

  “What? I said I was sorry.”

  Obviously still finding Resnick’s antics funny, Maracle grinned and muttered a ‘you’re hopeless’ as he sauntered past the major on his way up to the front again.

  Resnick shrugged and looked at Lillian. “Well, you’re a dryad that shifts into a gargoyle when the mood strikes you, so you can see where the confusion came from.”

  Lillian snorted. “Weregargoyle has got to go. Scratch it from your vocabulary, or I’m going to bite your ass every time I hear it.”

  “Fair enough.” Major Resnick grinned. “Consider it gone.”

  A moment later, his jovial look vanished and he groaned. “I have to write a report about this shit with Gryton. I can’t even begin to describe how bad my superiors are going to chew me out for this.” Resnick continued to mutter to himself. Lillian still heard ‘evil shit demigod’ and more cursing.

  Lillian frowned unhappily. “I’m not happy about this new Gryton angle either, but if we don’t do something the Battle Goddess is going to use him to destroy Earth. Mention that in the report.”

  “There will still be deep skepticism. Hell. I’m here and have seen more weird shit than most and I’m still having trouble swallowing the whole story.” Resnick shook his head. “And it isn’t that I don’t believe the Avatars. It’s just so—”

  “Crazy?” Lillian added helpfully. “Says the woman who thought she was human until six months ago and now I’m a gargoyle. Hmm...yeah. You’ve got nothing to whine about.”

  Major Resnick just shook his head and laughed. “Point taken.”

  Ahead Gregory suddenly halted and motioned them off the road. The soldiers responded swiftly, and Lillian dropped to all fours a second later. Once everyone was belly down in a small overgrown ditch, Gregory joined them.

  With Lillian on one end and Gregory on the other, they spread their wings over Daryna and the humans. Where their wings crossed over, so too did their shadow magic.

  Even the most observant hunter would detect nothing. But Gregory still waited until the ten-horse patrol rode past and out of sight before he rose up and signaled everyone back onto the road.

  Gregory said once they were inside the city, it would be easier since the city had already been searched and the patrols were now expanding further afield in the hunt for Shadowlight and Anna.

  That wasn’t to say they would be safe within the city by any means. If they were discovered before they had a chance to snatch Gryton and escape, it would be a no-holds-barred fight for freedom. Lillian shoved that unpleasant thought aside.

  The road climbed an ever-steepening slope until they reached the main gates. During the long climb, Daryna and Gregory remained in contact with Gryton, to give him hope so he would not give up.

  They moved swiftly into the city and made their way toward her hamadryad in this realm. Gryton didn’t have much time, but thankfully, Lillian’s instincts told her the tree was not much farther, just north and west of their present location.

  As the sun rose higher in the sky, shadows became scarcer, but Gregory and Daryna navigated the strangely empty city with familiarity, finding narrow alleyways and tree-shaded walkways. The city wasn’t completely empty, though. They still had to avoid guards on watch and subdued servants going about their business.

  “News of Shadowlight and Anna’s escape must have reached the servants by now. Why isn’t the city in an uproar?”

  “The servants are likely too frightened to show themselves while the Battle Goddess is raging.” Gregory
’s ears flicked toward Lillian as he spoke. “And her senior warriors are all within her temple, but I am still on alert for any signs we have been detected.”

  So far, they’d been lucky. They hadn’t been forced to take out further patrols after that first one to rescue the human family. If they’d been forced to take out more patrols, their enemies would soon realize something was amiss.

  At last, they made their way through the fortress city and reached its north wall. Beyond that was a sprawling field that gently sloped away from the city’s wall. It was a practice yard, Gregory said, but she didn’t even give it a cursory scan. Her gaze locked onto the two trees that grew further down the slope.

  Hamadryads. One of them was hers from when she’d lived here as a child. The other belonged to her mother. As she drew closer, Lillian saw why they were unharmed from any form of the Battle Goddess’s retaliation. A shimmering dome of energy encased the two trees.

  “That’s the spell Daryna and I created so no one else could easily venture into the Mortal Realm.” Gregory rolled his eyes in her direction. “You know how I hate uninvited guests.”

  “Wait. If nothing can pass that shield, why does the Battle Goddess think she can send Gryton through to Earth?”

  Gregory huffed and made a sour expression. “The magic is attuned to me, Daryna and you. Gryton is our son. The magic recognizes him as part of us.”

  “The Battle Goddess knows Gryton is yours?”

  “Yes. It must be why she offered to shelter him. It certainly had nothing to do with kindness toward an orphaned child.”

  They made it through the practice yard and reached the enormous shimmering dome. Bright sparks of color danced and flared over the surface, shimmering and spinning like the rainbow hues on the surface of the bubble. Only this bubble wouldn’t break when touched.

  “You said the spell would only recognize us.” Lillian kept her voice lowered so it wouldn’t carry. “What about the humans?”

  Gregory reached over to nuzzle her. “My worrier.”

  “Well, someone has to, since shit hits the fan almost daily.”

  “The spell will let us bring others through with us, but there is a little...” Gregory paused as if searching for the correct word.

  “Blip in your plan?” Lillian supplied.

  “Hmm. Yes. Though it’s not a large problem.”

  “Out with it.”

  “We must wait outside until Gryton is brought here and shoved through the dome,” Gregory explained. “When someone passes through the barrier, it will be noticeable. We’ll hide close enough to the dome that we can slip across when they send Gryton through.”

  Understanding clicked. The swirling pretty bits of color would change when disturbed.

  Lillian glanced across the area. “There’s not much cover.”

  “Stealth has served us well so far. We will trust in our magic and hope the Divine Ones give us their blessing.”

  Ah. It was hope and pray time. Nice and reassuring.

  Resnick sidled up next to them, and Gregory explained the situation. For his part, Resnick took it well. “Alpha team reports they and the family are safely back at the portal.”

  “Good,” Gregory said as he scanned the area for hidden dangers. “Have your men go through and then radio back once they reach Earth. The portal will carry the signal while it remains open. However, once the human family and your men go through, I want Gran to close the portal. She knows what to do. We won’t be returning home that way and I don’t want a patrol accidentally stumbling upon it.”

  “I’ll see it’s done.”

  “Thank you.” Gregory scanned the area once more. “The Battle Goddess’s soldiers will likely approach there, between those two ridges,” Gregory pointed to the narrow gully. “If we move west along the dome’s curve, we will be in the tallest hamadryad’s shadow and still be able to see them coming while remaining out of their direct path. Besides, it’s better to be downwind in case one among them can scent something my shadow magic might fail to hide.”

  “Hiding in shadows still feels like a piss-poor shelter,” Resnick stated as he and his team moved to the location Gregory indicated.

  Lillian and Daryna were herded after them. Gregory came last and they settled in to wait.

  It still felt strange waiting for the enemy to bring them Gryton. And a not so small part of her felt that they should be looking for him instead of just waiting for the Battle Goddess to finish torturing him.

  But Gregory’s plan was sound. Wandering around an enemy fortress was a good way to get captured. So, Lillian waited.

  Chapter 39

  GREGORY WAS THE FIRST to hear the approach of the newcomers, but Lillian picked up the sound seconds later. Soon a long line of armor-clad warriors approached. They were led by a beautiful woman wearing a long flowing dress. Her hair was unbound, a floating curtain that shifted with the wind.

  She certainly wasn’t dressed for battle like the others. Lillian’s eyes narrowed. That could only mean her power was such that she did not fear the bite of an enemy’s blade. Or other forms of physical damage. That couldn’t be a good sign.

  “Let me guess: the blood witch?”

  “Yes,” Gregory replied with a soft hiss. “Don’t lower your mental shields during the fight or after, not until we’re home. Her power rivals that of the old ones.”

  More comforting news.

  Lillian and the others remained hunched down, but she could detect their shift to readiness.

  Shortly before the enemy reached the outer edge of the dome, the woman in the lead raised her hand. The line of soldiers shifted as they moved to the side, parting to allow two other warriors forward. The newcomers held chains and dragged something behind them as they marched toward the blood witch’s location.

  It wasn’t until they were at the front of the line that she saw what they dragged at the end of the chains. If she hadn’t known this had to be Gryton, she never would have recognized him.

  The black lump of char raised an arm and gave his chains a savage jerk. The guards on either side stumbled but didn’t fall.

  Gryton still had a little fight left in him. She didn’t know how. No one deserved to be, to have had done — whatever had been done to him.

  God. Lillian ground her teeth together to stop the snarling growl that wanted to escape. Gregory shifted, and she realized he was holding Daryna back.

  Suddenly the blood witch spun around, no longer addressing her soldiers but looking around like she sensed something the others hadn’t.

  “Move,” Gregory ordered as he grabbed Stanton and Maracle and shoved them through the barrier. Resnick was propelled through next. Then Lillian was snatching up Laforce and Brown. She wrapped her tail around Willis just as Gregory shoved them all hard. Together the three of them stumbled through the barrier.

  Daryna darted through next and ran past them. Gregory came last. He paused long enough to help Lillian to her feet and then he darted off in pursuit of Daryna.

  Lillian dropped to all fours and ran after them. It didn’t take more than a second to know they were sprinting toward the section of dome where the blood witch and Gryton had last been located.

  Ten seconds later Lillian reached the front of the dome to find both Daryna and the blood witch summoning magic.

  Other captains were already flinging balls and spears of fiery power at the dome.

  The surface danced and flared with a thousand ripples, each new impact caused the pattern to cascade in a new direction.

  So far nothing had made it through the shield, including Gryton. Lillian bounded up to Gregory.

  “We need to get Gryton,” she said as she watched the shifting bodies on the other side of the dome. “They’re dragging him further away.”

  “Go to the edge of the shield and prepare to drag Gryton forward when I say. Use the chains. Don’t touch him directly.”

  Lillian nodded and leaped to obey, still not knowing Gregory’s plan. Whatever it was must req
uire a lot of power because he was drawing down a tornado of cold magic from the Spirit Realm.

  He stood with his arms outstretched above his head as more and more power built. Outside the dome, the blood witch was doing the same. Then moments apart they both unleashed their respective powers. The dome shuddered under the impact. Lillian felt her heart drop down to her stomach, but the shield held and absorbed both powers.

  Waiting with muscles taut, Lillian crouched, ready to dart forward and snatch Gryton at Gregory’s signal. Daryna joined in the fight and flung a torrent of magic toward the barrier. The Sorceress’s movements were a strange, graceful dance, almost like watching a martial artist, but instead of landing blows upon an opponent, her power raced to certain points on the shield, counteracting whatever the blood witch had been attempting.

  “Now,” Gregory roared and Daryna flung a second vast wave of magic upon the barrier.

  Lillian leaped forward as the dome’s circumference grew, pushing outward in an ever-widening circle. It expanded faster than the enemy could react, hitting armor clad figures and tossing them away like leaves before a train.

  The blood witch was tossed back farther than the others as if the barrier was revolted by the taint of her touch.

  But Gryton was now inside the dome. Lillian bolted forward. Remembering Gregory’s warning, she reached for the chain instead of Gryton’s ember-bright arms. She swiftly hauled him farther from the edge of the dome.

  At least until she was brought up short by a new resistance. A glance over her shoulder confirmed her suspicions. One of the soldiers had managed to maintain a hold on his chain and was even now regaining his feet. The warrior was immense, his shoulders broad. Lillian grinned.

  The fool had never played tug-of-war with a gargoyle. She bunched her shoulders and thigh muscles and then gave a mighty heave. The armor-clad figure on the opposite end of the chain smashed into the dome. He didn’t release his hold, so she gave him another two good bashes.

  He still maintained his grip. Was the bastard part tick? He was latched on like one.