Anna returned his grin. Poor deluded male. Women always dug up the dirt and shared.
Chapter 19
DECKED OUT IN HER NEW outfit—composed of a short skirt, leggings, and midriff-baring top done in shades of forest green and sunset gold—Anna exited the dwelling with Meadow and rejoined the rest of the group. Obsidian was standing just outside like he’d been assigned guard duty.
“Anna, you look lovely.” His voice, almost a low rumbling purr, made her stomach churn with nerves, and not the good kind.
It didn’t help that his gaze had paused for a moment at her chest, where the top’s fabric stretched a little too tightly, and then again at her hips where the shirt accented their flare. Dryads were generally a slimmer build than humans.
Sweat broke out along her palms, and she hunted for something sarcastic to say. Her gaze landed on his dreads.
“How in the hell did you find time to do them while Meadow and I were talking? We didn’t gab that long.”
“I used shadow magic to manipulate the strands.”
“Fuck. You’ve been holding out on me.”
He reached up and rubbed along his scalp, looking somewhat embarrassed. “I tore out a chunk from my mane during the first attempt.”
“Eh? Really? Think I’ll stick with the old-fashioned method.”
Obsidian was still looking self-conscious as he turned and led the group away from his dwelling. Slowly Anna relaxed and then scolded herself for being a fool.
She hadn’t been this off balance since just after the attack.
For fuck’s sake. This was Obsidian. It didn’t matter that he’d shifted and now looked like the world’s sexiest guy. He’d harm her no more than Shadowlight would. And even if he was harboring ideas about nurturing a romantic relationship with her, she knew she could trust him to back the fuck off when she told him hell no.
He wasn’t the monster that had haunted her dreams in the months after the assault.
Giving herself a mental shake and a reprimand for losing her shit over something as foolish as Obsidian’s innocent compliment, Anna turned her attention back to her earlier conversation with Meadow.
She and the dryad had shared a bit of small talk, while the other woman had helped her pick an outfit but, unfortunately, Obsidian’s earlier comment had proven correct. She was unable to get the dryad to open up about his childhood.
Now, as the group swiftly made their way across the bridges and rope ladders, wasn’t the time to continue her previous chat with Meadow. It would have to wait until they were once again on the ground.
Luckily, they were soon on the ground. Anna soon saw other gargoyles shifted to appear human—or actually, dryad, she supposed.
Obsidian led them down a familiar path toward the larger gathering place. Sounds of a growing crowd could be heard just ahead. Music filled the surrounding forest. It was pretty and non-assuming. Exotic sounding woodwind and string instruments if she was to guess.
While they walked, Meadow continued her explanation of the Spring Rite from where she’d left off when Obsidian’s appearance in his humanoid form had distracted them.
“Later, after the dinner, drink will begin to flow, and a horn will call the revelers to dance. The dryads begin the dance and seduce the gargoyles into taking part, but really most already know who’s going to join the dance, since we ask days in advance.”
“Sounds like just good old dating.” Anna found herself grinning at the thought of gargoyles dating. It hadn’t occurred to her before.
“Just because a dryad invites a gargoyle to the dance and he accepts doesn’t mean it will end...”
Coughing sounded behind them, and Meadow glowered over her shoulder at Oath, who was making the universal ‘girls are gross’ look.
Anna grinned at Oath in silent agreement.
Meadow wouldn’t be put off, though. “The singing and dancing spreads throughout the forest and often goes until dawn.”
Yep. Have the picture, thanks.
“The new pairs will discover if they are compatible.” She looked over her shoulder, saw that Oath and Nightshade had dropped back, and continued her tale. “There is both a physical and emotional component to the bond between a dryad and her gargoyle. Some bonds form quickly, others more slowly. The elders encourage such relations but require that we don’t risk a child until we’ve completed our training at least to the level of Adept.”
Anna glanced behind at the two younger males. “What about the youths? What do they do while the adults are adulting?”
Anna really hoped the answer was retire to their own place and sleep until dawn. That’s how she’d prefer to end her night.
Meadow looked truly startled. “Why, they are already dancing and having fun. A gargoyle signals his interest in courtship by sitting until a dryad approaches him. He’ll then only stand if he’s interested in that dryad.”
Great. So much for just sitting in a quiet corner and waiting it all out. Talk about an introvert’s worst nightmare.
“What if I get tired and want to rest for a bit?”
“Rest?” Meadow laughed. “We’re warriors. Think of this as an endurance test. The mentors will be watching.”
Nightmare. Total fucking nightmare. Commander Gryton and the captains were starting to look good.
Finally taking pity on her, Meadow patted Anna’s arm. “Don’t worry. You won’t be judged if you find this first full taste of our society too intimidating. Just follow Obsidian’s lead. You’re his Kyrsu. It’s his responsibility to see to your welfare and introduction into our society.”
She barely heard the dryad’s last three sentences. Her mind was still on the implied cowardice. The hell with that!
She’d battled demonic Riven, demigods, a blood witch, and an assortment of other riffraff. A freaking country dance did not intimidate Corporal Anna Mackenzie!
“Obsidian has never remained seated. I think he will this time, though, since he shifted into his wingless form. That’s another, more obvious sign, that a male has an interest in one particular female, and he wishes to impress her with his shapeshifting abilities.”
Anna choked on spit. After sputtering and wheezing loud enough to draw everyone’s attention, she managed a bored, “That so?”
“Yes. But in the past, there’s been a lot of speculation, so who can really guess the mind of your Rasoren. Some think he just hasn’t finished maturing. Others reason he doesn’t like women. And then there are those who think he’s holding out for his human Kyrsu.” The dryad rushed on before Anna could refute that rumor. “Not that it’s anyone’s business. Those are just some of the general speculations. I thought you should know.”
Damn. She’d have preferred to remain ignorant. Now she had something else to add to the list of things she’d need to hash out with Obsidian one day soon.
“You’re very tranquil and hard to read,” Meadow said suddenly, surprising Anna. “Most would have some kind of visible reaction.”
“Tranquil?” Anna cracked a smile. “Not a word anyone who has known me for more than a couple of days would use. I’ve been on my best behavior so as not to embarrass my Rasoren. I’m stubborn, sarcastic, ambitious, judgmental and have been known to fly into a rage easily. Not very pretty to see, I’m afraid.”
Meadow laughed. “I see so much of Obsidian in you. Or maybe that’s you in Obsidian.”
You don’t know the half of it, girl.
Just as they came to the end of the stone pathway where it opened into the vast clearing, Obsidian joined them. “Thank you, Meadow, for keeping Anna company while I spoke with Truth about tonight. Will you be joining us?”
“Unfortunately, no. I must help my mother with the wine, but I look forward to talking with your Kyrsu again soon.”
Anna watched as the dryad vanished into the crowd, then she turned her attention to Obsidian. “I don’t need a babysitter. If you want to go have fun with your friends without me, go.”
“I’ll not leave you after wha
t Reaver did yesterday.”
Sighing at his predictable answer, she glanced around until she spotted Oath and waved him over. “Oath, you and the rest of your underaged friends will all help to keep me entertained tonight, right?”
Oath nodded his head so fast it almost vibrated.
“See,” she whispered along her mental link to Obsidian. “I’ll be protected, and you can go court whatever girl has caught your fancy.”
It sure as hell better not be me, Anna thought to herself.
“Oh, Anna. There is no girl.”
“Really? You like guys?”
Obsidian snorted. “It’s far more complicated than that, but I’ll tell you later. Not here.”
He wouldn’t even tell her over their mental link? Dammit. It had to be bad.
“Okay, later it is.”
Obsidian agreed and led her out into the gathering, his friends arrayed around them, once again acting as an honor guard and keeping the curious onlookers at bay for a little while longer.
As they made their way farther into the gathering, Anna spotted more of the humanoid looking males.
Anna’s attention soon turned from the gargoyles in their hybrid forms to something even more interesting—tables laden with food. They sat in ten long rows at the center of the clearing, situated in a rough horseshoe shape. A wide variety of fruits, breads, meats, and vegetables covered the surfaces. It all smelled heavenly. Anna’s mouth began to water.
Oath, Lark, and Nightshade peeled off to check out the food choices on the side tables, leaving only Truth walking at Obsidian’s shoulder.
It wasn’t until she was closer that she realized all the tables were made from magic.
“Wow. That must’ve taken someone some energy to shape all those from shadow magic.”
“You can sense shadow magic?” Truth asked with sharp disbelief. “But you’re human. That’s not possible.”
Fuck. She’d just stepped in the proverbial crap.
“Anna is unique. You must know that she was changed by the Battle Goddess even as I was.” Obsidian speared Truth with an intense stare. “Anna has many abilities the elders don’t yet want revealed. Do I make myself clear?”
The sharp command in his tone nearly had Anna standing at attention. This was the voice of a Rasoren—prime war leader of the gargoyle Legion.
“Is she gargoyle stock?” Truth asked in a low voice. “Has our enemy found a way to breed gargoyles and humans?”
“No.” The one word rang out.
It wasn’t a lie. She didn’t have gargoyle parents, after all. Truth must have sensed a hint of deception for his eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared to take in Obsidian’s scent.
“No more questions until after we’ve met with the Council of Elders.”
“Well, if that’s settled, I’m starved.” Anna hooked an arm through each of theirs and guided them toward the food. “Let’s go eat.”
Chapter 20
THE EVENING WENT WITHOUT further mishap. Obsidian’s mood improved once he had a heaping plate of food in front of him. It might have helped that there were hundreds of different delicacies to be had. Soon his friends returned from wherever they’d gone and took seats at the table Obsidian had claimed as his own.
Music and song continued for the entire meal.
“How much longer will this be going on?” Anna asked.
“Do you wish to retire before the dance starts?”
“Is that an option? If so, then hell yes. Sign me up for some downtime.”
“Not really, unless you aren’t fully recovered. The mentors would understand if you were tired still from yesterday’s events.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Obsidian studied her in silence and for once she couldn’t guess at his thoughts, but soon the meal concluded, and the music changed, a deep, throbbing drumbeat joining in.
Anna noted that all the dryads were now getting up and dragging their gargoyle counterparts up as well.
The music increased in volume. The crowd began clapping, stomping and swaying to the music. Anna attempted invisibility without actually calling on her shadow magic. But it didn’t work, and Oath and Nightshade darted up on either side and grabbed Anna’s hands and pulled her away from Obsidian before he could stop them.
Behind her, she could hear Obsidian and Truth laughing as they were dragged into the dance by others.
People spun by Anna at a dizzying speed. She soon found herself being handed off to strangers, but all were friendly and happy. Soon, even she began to relax and enjoy the dancing, which was a fast-paced mix between Celtic circle dancing and something of the stylized moves found at a powwow.
After an hour of dancing, more young dryads and gargoyles appeared, carrying large pitchers and ladles. When one young dryad child—she couldn’t be more than fourteen—offered Anna a drink, she was happy to accept.
The first sip surprised her. It wasn’t water or alcohol. It was a cold and sweet nectar-like drink, blessed with the gift of quenching thirst and delivering much-needed sweetness to fuel them for another few rounds of the circle dances.
The three moons of this planet rose higher in the sky, casting the revelers in a surreal silvery glow. Thick mist rose from the warm ground, adding to the magical feel.
After another hour, the dancers took a rest, returning to the tables where they sipped drinks and laughed and nibbled at food.
It was during one such rest period that Obsidian’s foster mother, Master Maradryn, joined them at their table. She eyed them in silence for a moment before just spitting out her concern.
“I’ve come to caution Obsidian against entering into a relationship with a dryad this day if that is his plan.” She eyed his wingless form.
“I know the rules.” Obsidian sounded sullen.
“But Anna must be curious and if I know you at all, you haven’t told her.” Maradryn tilted her head as if challenging him to deny her words. “A normal Rasoren and Kyrsu can be father and son, brothers, long-standing friends, or if unrelated, the pair might even be lovers. But they also need to get along off the battlefield as well. If they are unmated when they first form the bond, they both must pick mates together, and those mates need to tolerate each other at the very minimum.”
Anna’s poker face cracked in two and she was left gawking at them with her mouth gaped open. “That’s one hell of a tall order.”
“Yes. And that’s with a normal bond. What you and he share goes beyond that. Your power seems to naturally share everything. Strength. Knowledge. Pain. Likely pleasure too.”
“Oh, my God. I want off this ride.” Anna muttered under her breath, then cleared her throat. “I’m not sure how things are around here, but I’m not down with any kind of three-way poly relationship. I don’t swing that way. And in case you have forgotten, Obsidian is like a brother. There’s going to be a whole lot of nope during this conversation.”
Speaking about little brother, he was awfully tight-lipped. She turned to him to find him deep in thought and looking unhappy.
At last he sighed and joined the conversation.
“Why are you even bringing this up, Maradryn? The council still doesn’t want me to court anyone, because of my...condition. Has that changed? No? Then why does any of this matter? We all know the spring rite can’t be anything more than a fanciful diversion for me. It means nothing.”
“Then why did you take on your wingless form?”
“I don’t know!”
The last came out so scathing even Anna winced.
Maradryn just huffed. It was almost a laugh. “I’m not a gargoyle, but I know a lie when I hear one that obvious.”
“I don’t...I know I can’t...”
“Surely you must have realized we didn’t mean for you to never take a mate. All we wanted is for you to wait until everyone knows and is comfortable about what Anna is. Then once you find that one woman you wish to spend your life with, bring her to the council, and we will explain the full ramifications.”<
br />
Okay. There was way, way more going on than Anna knew.
Maradryn touched Obsidian on the shoulder. “Though I think you’ve already set your heart on one particular female to be your lifemate, haven’t you my dear?”
“What is going on? No cryptic talk. I want clear, uncomplicated answers.”
Maradryn chuckled. “Then you are sure to be disappointed. I don’t think there is anything uncomplicated about either of you.”
The music swelled louder, the drums drowning out Maradryn’s words until she leaned closer and whispered in Anna’s ear.
“He’ll tell you everything later. I’ll just say it’s unfortunate you look upon him as a younger brother. It would solve many issues if you didn’t.”
What the hell? She loved him like a brother. End of story. She wasn’t being obtuse, naïve or stubborn. It just was how she loved him.
The only way she could love him.
Chapter 21
ANNA WAS UNSETTLED. Obsidian knew it, felt her spike of uneasiness like a shivery essence flowing along their link. It took a lot to upset his Kyrsu, but he’d sensed her unease many times since she’d woke from her healing sleep. That he was the cause left a churning void in his soul.
Well, to be honest, he was now more than a little unsettled, too.
After last night in the healers’ quarters, he’d awoken with the knowledge that he wanted Anna. Heck, he’d known even that first night, when he’d shifted from stone to flesh and found Anna awake and in his arms.
The need to let her know his interest was the reason he’d shifted to this hybrid form. Well, that and to let others know his intentions. He was interested in only one woman. The woman sitting across from him now.
A woman who was absolutely horrified at the thought of him as anything other than her brother. His less than subtle decision to shift to this form was now circling back to bite him.
There was no avoiding the final dance now that he’d announced his interest in courting a female. When no dryad succeeded in seducing him off a bench later tonight, everyone would know Anna was the object of his desire, which had been his plan. But he hadn’t counted on Anna’s near horror at the thought of them becoming a couple.
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 132