His ears wilted as his expression morphed into sorrow and grief. A sheen of tears shimmered in his big, dark eyes.
Ah, hell. This would be far harder on the kid than her.
That realization made her feel even worse.
“Is there nothing I can do to remain awake while I heal?” She asked the older gargoyle. “Shadowlight has lost so much.”
Banrook shook his head. “No. Some ailments only stone can heal. But rest assured, we will protect and love our young brother in your absence.”
Anna stared up at the ceiling and fought back a surprising wash of tears. If she slept for years, Shadowlight would grow up without her. Would she even recognize him when she woke?
“My Kyrsu, you will,” Shadowlight said with a tearful huff. “I am your Rasoren. We are family and will always know each other.”
That might be true, but it wouldn’t be the same as watching him grow. The kid, her little brother, would be gone when she awoke.
As she wallowed in her emotional pain, Banrook came to a circular stairwell that led down into darkness. As they descended deeper, she noted a few details through her fading senses. The air wasn’t damp or stale. It was fresh and held the briny essence of the ocean, as strong as when they’d been above ground.
A slight breeze even ruffled the older gargoyle’s mane.
“There is great power here.” Shadowlight’s voice held a hint of awe, and he eased closer to Anna and Banrook until he could nuzzle her hair.
“Do you sense danger?”
“No.”
Despite his words, nervousness reasserted itself.
For his part, Banrook continued as if unaware of their silent exchange, though he’d already revealed his secret ability to listen in.
They walked in silence after that. A creeping lethargy soon spread through her limbs and a new, strange instinct to struggle out of Banrook’s arms was rearing up inside her. She needed to go find a place to rest.
Sensing her distress, Banrook crooned softly. “Fear not. You still have enough time to see what I wish and to speak your goodbyes to the child.”
Anna nodded weakly, having to trust in his words since Fate had taken away all other options.
“Ah, see?” he said only minutes later. “Here we are.”
Banrook descended the last few steps and then they were once again on level ground.
She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to see. They’d emerged into a chamber thick with shadows.
It was disappointing after all the buildup.
“Patience, young one.” Using his muzzle, Banrook gestured ahead of him. Three other gargoyles stood twenty feet from the stairs. “I’d like you to meet Master Verroc, and Adepts Soryn and Shorban. Together we will be Shadowlight’s primary instructors and mentors. Yours as well, once you’re healed and ready to start your training.”
If she’d been more alert, she might have been better able to assess the three new gargoyles, but as it was, she was having trouble remembering their names. Master Verr and Tor and Shore-something-or-other. It was all she could do to keep her eyes open.
“Kid, you still there?”
“Yes, Anna.”
“What do you feel coming from these three?”
“The one called Verroc seems suspicious of us, but he’s loyal to Lord Death and will follow his commands. The one called Soryn feels undecided. And Shorban—he and Soryn are brothers to judge by their scent—he is openly curious about us. Well, about you anyway to judge by how he’s studying you.”
“Huh, maybe he’s just wondering if Banrook will be carrying a stone statue in the next thirty seconds.”
“Anna,” Banrook called her name and gave her a little shake. “Stay with us for a few moments more. We’re almost there.” He nodded to the other three gargoyles, jolting her with the motion.
It was enough to rouse her into witnessing one of the gargoyles, Verroc maybe, reach out and run his talons along a stalagmite rising from the cavern floor. One of the brothers did the same to a second stalagmite situated six feet from the first one.
A moment later a ripple of power flowed through the cavern, shivering and shaking the air currents. More magic crackled upwards, circling each stalagmite, snapping and dancing in a fiercely beautiful spectacle.
When the blue radiance covered both pillars from root to tip, the power from the separate mineral structures arched toward each other. When they touched, a loud ringing filled the air.
Banrook raised his tail to shade her eyes and seconds later a blinding light flashed out from the two stalagmites. Even with a tail shielding her eyes from the worst of the radiance, it still took a few seconds for the spots to vanish from her vision.
Once her vision cleared, she continued to blink a few more times, just in case her eyes were playing tricks on her. But nope. Where before there was nothing but space between the pillars, a door to another place now stood.
The stalagmites had transformed into a large stone frame for a double set of iron-bound doors made of some pale wood. When one of the gargoyles—they’d all moved, so she didn’t know who was who—pushed on the right door, it swung open on silent hinges.
Beyond was daylight and the scent of green, growing things. She’d seen stranger things in the last few months, but this made her laugh until she was light-headed.
“Fantasyland has magic portal doors. Go figure.”
“She’s going into shock again,” Banrook said as he hurried through the doorway.
Once they crossed the threshold, they reappeared in a room that looked exactly like the one they’d just left, but Shadowlight’s cautious sniffing as he sought new dangers told her they were somewhere else.
Banrook continued to stride forward, then swiftly ran up the stairs that were identical to the ones in the other place. Before long, Anna found herself back on the surface of the island. Or an island. This one was far more lushly covered in trees and greenery than the one they’d just left.
Beside her Shadowlight exhaled a startled huff, seeing or sensing something more than she could.
Why was that important?
Her eyes drifted closed.
“Anna, they are all hamadryads.”
She cracked open one eyelid to scan the trees. Hamadryads? There must be a shit-ton of dryads hidden around here somewhere. But how was that going to help win a war with the Battle Goddess? Dryads were skilled at hiding and healing but were no warriors.
“The dryad nation answered Lord Draydrak’s secret summons. They have been mating my species to increase our numbers for many years,” Banrook explained. “It has been working rather well. We now have an army a hundred times greater than the Battle Goddess will expect.”
“The Lady of Battles will have spies,” Anna heard Shadowlight say. “She must know of this place.”
Banrook snorted. “Our enemy does not know of our plans, and she won’t learn of it until far too late. We are in a time before the Divine Ones used their Avatars to give birth to Lord Draydrak and his misguided twin. Here we are far in the past, but also outside the normal flow of time.”
Banrook sounded very proud, and Anna could only take him at his word. Because this new knowledge was almost too much for her tired, foggy mind to assimilate.
“There are so many gargoyles here,” Shadowlight whispered in awe. “More than my father’s memories show. Many, many more.”
“Yes,” Banrook explained. “Stalks the Darkness, like all the other gargoyle soldiers born in the future, are unaware of this place. It must be this way to protect our secret, for the border guards always face the possibility of capture. We cannot risk the Lady of Battles learning our master’s ultimate plan for her. Only the Council of Elders and a few guards with the sacred duty of protecting the time portal are privy to this secret and travel freely between times to carry out our duties.”
“Yet you showed us,” Shadowlight said, suspicion coloring his voice. “Now we can’t go back without risking this secret.”
That’s my kid, Anna thou
ght a little proudly. Trust no one.
“Yes,” Banrook agreed. “This place will keep you safe from the blood witch’s influence and well away from Death’s sister. Here Anna can heal while you mature naturally and learn to be a proper gargoyle. Once Anna has healed, we will see to her training.”
Banrook shifted Anna in his arms until she was standing. Well, not really standing. She’d have fallen in a crumpled heap if he wasn’t holding her upright by a firm grip under her arms.
Shadowlight stepped forward, wrapping her in his arms. “I’ll miss you.”
His voice broke, and his shoulders shook. If Anna could have moved her arms, she would have wrapped him in a fierce embrace. Instead, she was as limp as a doll in his arms.
Only thoughts and emotions remained.
“I love you, cub. Remember that. Always.”
Shadowlight cried harder.
“Oh, kid. I’m a tough bitch. When I return to you, I’ll be stronger than ever, and we’ll give the baddies a smackdown of epic proportions.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. Have I ever broken one to you?”
“No.” A warm tongue swept across her cheek, but the sensation felt dull and distant.
“This isn’t goodbye. It’s a see you later. And I will return. Promise.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“She’s shifting to stone,” a deeper voice said. “Hurry. Place her on the ground.”
Distantly, she felt herself being shifted into a fetal position. Soft grass tickled her nose and cheek.
“There. She won’t fall on her face the first time she wakes.”
“Can I stay with her?” Shadowlight’s voice grew fainter.
“As much as your training allows.”
They continued to speak, but Anna only heard a few words, and then even those few snatches of conversation drifted away, and she knew nothing more.
Chapter 3
OBSIDIAN PACED BESIDE Truth as they traversed the bridge network suspended between the ancient hamadryad trees. Flying would have been faster, but Obsidian ached too much from training to enjoy even a short evening flight.
Besides, walking gave them time to talk on the way home. Obsidian eyed the other gargoyle out of the corner of his eye. “I can’t believe you won’t give me any pointers I can use when it’s time for me to take the Adept Trial.”
Truth snorted and flicked an ear in Obsidian’s direction. “And have Master Banrook chew my tail off and beat me to death with it? Nope. Even if I shared, it wouldn’t help. My mentors claim they tailor each test to the individual undergoing it. So, if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer not to get my new rank stripped away for sharing secrets with an uninitiated.”
Obsidian huffed though it was more for show than any real annoyance at his friend. He’d expected the answer, anyway. It wasn’t like he’d thought the straight-laced gargoyle would speak even if the mentors allowed it. Even for a gargoyle, Truth had an overly developed sense of honor.
“Will you celebrate with a drink?” Truth asked. “Lark and Meadow will be there.”
Truth was delusional if he thought dropping the names of two dryads—no matter how pretty and appealing they might be—would sway him into coming.
Mentally snorting, he admitted he didn’t have time for a relationship even if he wanted one, which was likely for the best since a heaping pile of other complications stood between him and the possibility of a serious courtship. Sighing, he turned back to his conversation with Truth.
“I doubt you’d find a stone statue good company.” Sleeping in his stone form had become a regular occurrence.
“Again? Which mentor did you have today? Shorban or Soryn?”
“Both. At my request.”
“Goddess, I swear you like getting your ass kicked.”
“Who said it was my ass getting kicked?” Obsidian grinned. He had done rather well today. The exhaustion was a good type. Though he also had to admit even if he wasn’t that tired, he’d still have returned to his quarters.
“Fine,” Truth said, a sullen little note in his tone. “Sleep. You will need it because there will not be much of that going on these next three days. Spring Rites are upon us if you hadn’t noticed, you great reclusive ogre. There’s no way you will escape the dryads’ eye again this year. They already have plans for a great feast.”
Obsidian snorted. “That’s not the only thing they have planned.”
“Exactly. I fancy none, so you better have my back. Unless—” Truth’s eyes narrowed suddenly. “Have you and one of the dryads already come to a consensus?”
Rather than answer his friend, Obsidian quickened his pace.
Several dryads had approached him. He’d turned them all down.
It was no secret that the fastest way to seduce a gargoyle was through his stomach. If he could have avoided the feast, he would, finding certain dryads overly aggressive in their hunt for future mates.
Ahead the path branched, the left bridge leading to the group of platforms that housed Truth’s home and a few other gargoyles in the same level of training. The bridge’s right fork led to a more secluded area away from other lodgings.
At the fork, they paused, saying their goodbyes and Obsidian even agreed to meet the other gargoyle in the morning to hunt food for the dryads to cook. Usually, both species shared in the duty of hunting and cooking, but during the Spring Rites, the dryads pampered their gargoyle counterparts, and no gargoyle would complain about that. In the fall, the gargoyles returned the favor during the harvest festival.
With a final goodbye, they went their separate ways—Obsidian taking the right fork of the bridge to the more secluded area where he’d made his home. Growing up, he’d never entirely felt like he belonged, his size and heritage setting him apart from the other gargoyles.
Yes, he’d made friends, and he valued those friendships—but the feeling of not wholly belonging never fully went away.
Alone now, Obsidian dropped to all fours and trotted toward his destination, the usual eagerness temporarily dispelling some of his weariness.
Grinning to himself, he turned down another branch of the bridge system that spread throughout the vast hamadryad forest. Overhead he could catch a few glimpses of stars between the dense foliage. Other nights, he would have taken a pleasure flight before bed. But not tonight. His nest called to him.
Rounding a large trunk of an ancient hamadryad, Obsidian came to a halt as the breeze carried the scents and sounds of others to him. It was unusual to find others out here this time of night. Hmm.
“Come on! We’re out of time. Obsidian is likely already finishing up with the brothers.” The words came from a somewhat young sounding voice.
A moment later Obsidian placed the speaker. It was Novice Oath, a gargoyle several years behind him in training. They’d struck up a friendship all the same. But what was the youth doing here this time of night? He should be in his own bed by now.
“Well. If you were worried about getting caught, why did you come?”
Ah. That voice belonged to Lark, a dryad in Warpath’s training group.
“Why did you?” Oath countered.
Had Lark come to his place to ask him to join her at the fires and then found the younger gargoyle outside? Obsidian sighed mentally at the thought. But that made little sense either since he was now picking up Nightshade and Meadow’s scent. That was surprising.
Lark snorted. “I don’t think we have much to worry about. Soryn is a tough old bastard. If he gets tired, Shorban will take over. They’ll keep Obsidian busy well past second moonrise.”
Usually, Lark’s words would be correct, but his mentors released him early in a rare showing of sympathy. Now, Obsidian was back early and had interrupted some mischief.
“If he catches us, he’ll put us on extra cleaning details,” Nightshade whined. He was likely only here because Lark was present. Nightshade’s infatuation with the older dryad was almost comical.
“He’s not an
adept yet,” Lark said.
Sounding more concerned by the minute, Nightshade whispered, “But Truth is.”
“I’d volunteer to take extra shifts for a chance to see the human.” Oath again, awe ringing clear in his voice.
“But she’s spelled into stone. There’s not going to be much to see,” Meadow complained.
“Doesn’t matter,” Lark countered. He could practically hear Lark’s jaw clench with determination. “I agree with Oath. The risk is worth the reward. We’ll be the first beside the council to see Obsidian’s Kyrsu. Don’t you want to see the female who will one day command us?”
Ah! Obsidian grinned with a new understanding. The human locked safely away in his dwelling had finally become too great a temptation for his peers. Their curiosity had led them to this rash action.
His grin grew broader. He’d been just like them only a few short years ago.
“We should go.” Fear of discovery tinted Meadow’s words. Her scent as well. It wasn’t the only emotion on display. Mortification lay thick in the air. She must find the entire situation embarrassing, and yet, here she remained.
“He’ll be coming back soon, and even if we’re gone, he’ll be able to scent that we were here.” Meadow again, sounding more stressed.
“So little faith,” Lark interjected. “My magic casting has advanced far enough to weave a spell that will erase our scents.”
“He’ll know someone was here if we tamper with the entryway spells. This is a stupid idea.” Meadow’s tone was more exasperated than embarrassed now. “I’m leaving. It’s not like you’ll be able to get past his protective spells, anyway.”
Obsidian called on his shadow magic to hide. As his mentors could attest, he’d grown proficient with magic. The mischief makers wouldn’t see or smell his presence until he wanted them to.
With power shrouding his form, he stalked forward, determined to cause a little mischief of his own. Ahead, he could see the small group of miscreants.
Oath stood closest to the entrance of the dwelling, his muzzle nearly pressing against the spell covering the door. “It’s too complicated for you. This smells like Master Banrook had a hand in its making.”
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 122