He burned with more power than she’d ever felt in her life. He reminded her of a sun. A living sun. One that was facing down Lord Death.
Erika blinked in shock as she fully realized what she was seeing.
The Avatar soul. Or at least one half of it.
She took several stumbling steps away from the two demigods, but her eyes slid back to the statue of what had once been a flesh and blood gargoyle. Hundreds of luminescent tendrils of magic trailed up from the statue to disappear into the shimmering core of the Avatar’s soul.
He wasn’t dead, then. At least, she didn’t think he’d permanently abandoned his body.
But it did look like the two were readying to give each other a spectacular beatdown at any moment, and there wasn’t one thing she could do to stop them. She moved farther down the beach, hoping to survive whatever was about to happen.
Just as she climbed the first dune, a roar split the air—and she swore she actually felt it in her feet. Stumbling, she fell forward onto the sand. When she looked up in the direction of the roar, she saw a massive dragon burning with molten power.
As the beast neared, her soul link flared wide, and she knew she was looking at Gryton.
He’d shifted to his dragon form. The one thing he’d said he’d never do.
“My Null!” The resounding thought was accompanied by another of his fierce, ground-shaking roars.
Draydrak and the Avatar soul turned to watch the dragon’s approach.
The massive dragon was upon them in three wingbeats, his forelegs outstretched before him. He managed to snatch at both Draydrak and the Avatar. Then the dragon’s momentum carried them all out into the waves.
Steam boiled up, obscuring Erika’s view of the fight.
And it was a fight. There was no doubt in her mind that Gryton was trying to kill them. The dragon wasn’t rational. There was no way he could defeat them both. Perhaps he could take down Draydrak on his own, but Erika had felt the Avatar’s power.
But hadn’t Gryton told her he’d lose everything he was, everything he’d worked for if he shifted to dragon form? Gryton was gone. This was the elemental dragon, and clearly it didn’t think anything like the man.
And if Erika didn’t do something, the Avatar might be forced to kill his own son. Was that Lord Death’s plan all along? Despite the heat of the sun and the warm sand under her boots, a chill flowed across her soul.
She hadn’t expected something so heartless from a servant of the so-called Light.
But could a creature that was death incarnate even have a heart, feel compassion, or experience remorse? Could such a being even perform his duty with such softness?
Erika was still formulating a plan when Anna and Obsidian came in for a landing next to her. She glanced at them both and then back at Gryton.
“What the hell!” Anna shouted as she gawked at the demigod brawl.
“Indeed.” Obsidian stepped in front of Anna as if instinctively trying to protect his Kyrsu.
Erika almost told him not to bother. If that ball of unbridled rage rolled back in their direction, they’d all get mowed down and incinerated. But there was another danger. “Gryton is losing cohesion. I can feel it. We need to find some way to separate him from the other two.”
“I might have an idea about that,” the Sorceress announced, as she joined them.
Erika glanced over her shoulder in time to see Lillian and Thayn come in for a landing next to them. For the first time since Lord Draydrak had snatched her up in his grasp, Erika felt hope.
“Lord Draydrak didn’t actually want to harm you,” the Sorceress explained. “He doesn’t even want to harm my son. This was all an elaborate event put into motion by the Divine Ones.”
Erika’s stomach dropped. “They want Gryton dead?”
She was surprised by the strength of the fear gripping her at the thought of Gryton’s death. Sure, he was a prickly asshole at times, but he wasn’t all bad. And somehow, he’d wormed his way into her heart. She felt equal parts pity and compassion for him. As impossible as it would have seemed when she’d first met him, he was now her friend.
“No. The Divine Ones do not want him dead. They have a task for him to fulfill.” The Sorceress’s words were so different from what Erika had expected, her mind had trouble processing them.
“They don’t want him dead? Why the hell did they set Lord Death upon him then?”
The Sorceress continued to call upon her own magic as she answered. “They didn’t set Draydrak upon him. Not in the way you mean. They must know something that we do not, and they have deemed that it is time for Gryton to finally mature. His fear of his elemental dragon’s chaotic nature has been holding him back for centuries. He must accept all sides of his nature if he has any hope of surviving the coming war and defeating the Battle Goddess. The Divine Ones knew he needed an incentive to overcome his reluctance to embrace his dragon side.”
Erika’s nostrils flared. “The Divine Ones needed bait.”
“Yes. You were the incentive Gryton needed to overcome his own hesitation.”
“Not possible. He hates me.”
Lillian laughed at her. “You’re wrong. You are the one being, besides myself, he has allowed himself to care for. When he thought Lord Draydrak was going to kill you, it brought his dragon nature to the surface.”
Erika looked out at the brawl in the shallows. Steam and sea spray filled the air, forming a thick magic haze that was spreading in all directions.
A moment later, Lord Draydrak emerged from the magic fog, water streaming from his flanks as he rose out of the ocean. He heaved himself closer to shore, his mighty haunches powering him up the beach. But he only made it a short distance before a serpentine head emerged from the churning mess along the shoreline and snapped his jaws closed on one of Draydrak’s hind legs.
The demigod snarled something in a foreign language and twisted, two of his swords slashing toward the dragon’s neck. The dragon released the demigod and twisted out of reach before Lord Death could land a blow. Behind them, the Avatar rose up out of the water, towering over them both. If Erika wasn’t misremembering, he was even bigger—and more pissed off looking—than he’d been the first time she’d seen him like this.
The dragon, sensing danger, attempted to bolt away from his father, but the Avatar snatched him up and tossed him farther down the beach. The dragon rolled, scrambling for footing. Digging in, he slowed himself and then came to a stop. Spinning toward his father, he opened his mouth wide and spewed fire.
The big demigod recoiled, suggesting his son’s fire was damaging to one even as powerful as him.
But as illogical as it was, Erika was concerned for the dragon. Fire was now bleeding between his scales and dripping from his mouth. A river of it streamed from between the dragon’s horns and flowed down his spine to the tip of his tail.
She didn’t know how much more power the dragon could call upon without tipping over the edge and losing all control. If that happened, Gryton might die and take out a vast chunk of this world with him.
It was like the assassin spell all over again. Only here the opponents were too powerful for her to drain dry and neutralize.
Erika glanced back at Lord Draydrak, but he was just standing there, waiting with his four swords at the ready. Perhaps she no longer had to worry about him.
She glanced toward the other titan in time to see the Avatar unfurling his massive gleaming wings, blocking out the horizon with their size. She thought he was going to take to the air and continue the attack, but as he beat his wings, he angled them in such a way as to fly backward with each beat as if he was a giant hummingbird.
When he touched down again, he was between them and the dragon.
“Our son is losing control, my Sorceress. I cannot force him to surrender,” the titan acknowledged, growing concern and something like sadness entering his voice. “If the Null cannot calm him, you know what we must do for the good of all.”
Erika attempt
ed to stare a hole through the Sorceress. “What the hell is he talking about? He can’t mean what I think he means. I won’t let you kill Gryton.”
Erika began to advance upon the Sorceress, her Null’s ability stirring because of her fear.
Lillian gripped Erika’s hands. “Easy. We won’t kill him, but nor can we allow him to remain here and destroy this world. If we have to, I will create a portal spell to the Spirit Realm and with Lord Draydrak’s help, my other half will force the dragon through.”
“What will that do to Gryton?”
“I don’t know if the one we know as Gryton will ever calm enough to resurface, but our son will live.”
“That’s a bullshit plan.”
“Yes. And the Divine Ones never do something without purpose. That is why I think they have something more in mind for you and G—”
A low rumble issued from the dragon. Erika tensed as the beast’s head on its long serpentine neck darted low to the ground and then snaked from side to side until his gaze locked on her. In a flash, he was dashing across the damp sand.
Shit. For such a big creature, he was surprisingly fast on his feet.
The dragon roared a third time as he charged toward her location. Erika thought she might now know what the early mammals felt like when a rampaging saber-toothed predator ran at them.
The gargoyle titan slammed the dragon with his powerful tail, knocking him off his feet again. The beast didn’t stay down more than a moment, and then he was back on his feet and lunging at his father. In swift retaliation, the dragon managed to slam his own tail into the Avatar. While his father was off balance, the dragon roared and breathed more fire upon the Avatar.
Beside Erika, the Sorceress hissed as if in pain herself. She must be feeling the damage to her other half. But before the dragon could inflict another blow, Lord Draydrak galloped back into the battle, driving both opponents toward the group gathered around Erika.
“Fuck this,” Anna shouted as she grabbed Erika by the shoulders. The female gargoyle had to strain mightily to get them both into the air from a standstill, but she managed it. Obsidian was on the wing next to them. Erika also noticed the Sorceress had taken to the air as well. Though she wasn’t flying away. Instead, she just hovered in the air as she summoned more power.
Erika twisted in Anna’s grasp and then reached up and pressed her palms against the female gargoyle’s wrists.
“Damn it Erika! I’m trying to save you,” Anna shouted.
Erika ignored her and sprinted back toward the Sorceress. Looking up at the female half of the Avatars, she put every bit of will power into making the Sorceress acknowledge her. When the other woman looked down, Erika shouted over the sounds of battle. “What were you saying about there being more to the Divine Ones’ plans?”
“It may not matter. We may already be too late. But if you’d have been able to get close to the elemental dragon, I think you would have been able to calm him enough that he’d stay close and allow you to feed on him. If you strip enough of his magic, Gryton may retake command of the body.”
“I’ll do it.”
The Sorceress just shook her head and continued to create the portal spell. “I will not stop you. But I can’t guarantee that you’ll survive the attempt. He’s already so powerful, and you are not yet matured. You may very well die, and I’ll still have to send my son to the Spirit Realm. It’s not worth your life.”
“If I die, I die. According to y’all, it won’t be my first time,” Erika shouted the words over her shoulder as she began racing toward the three battling titans.
One thing the Sorceress hadn’t mentioned was that Erika might die from getting ground into the sand by a certain titan’s bigass hooves.
“Watch it!” she shouted up at Lord Draydrak’s underbelly as she raced between his legs on her way toward the dragon.
Once she was clear of Draydrak, she sought out the fire elemental.
“Gryton! I’m here. To me!” The soul-link flared once more, and he turned to look at her.
Yes, that’s it. Ignore everything and come to me.
The big dragon looked at her but then swung his gaze back to his father.
Behind her, she felt the Sorceress approaching.
“Gregory, let Erika try to help our son. She knows the risks.”
A moment later, she felt the weight of the Avatar soul’s intense gaze upon her. There was a slight hesitation, then he answered. “Very well. Try to save our son from himself, but don’t get killed.”
Erika nodded and then glanced over her shoulder and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to the Sorceress. Which was probably why she didn’t see Gryton bearing down on her position until too late. Within seconds he filled her entire field of vision. The wave of heat hit her before he’d even reached her. Then she was snatched up in one talon tipped hand and the heat intensified tenfold. But by some miracle, that likely had something to do with her powers as a Null, she wasn’t burned to a crisp.
Then the dragon surprised her by cradling her protectively against his chest as he turned to face the others on the beach. By his posture, he clearly still considered them threats.
Damn it, he’d never calm with them all standing around. Then a new idea popped into her head. “Come on. You’ve got mighty wings. Time to use them.”
She wasn’t sure if the dragon understood her words or her intent, but suddenly the elemental dragon was spinning on his haunches and then bolting down the beach in a three-legged run. Once he reached the needed speed, he spread his wings wide and then launched himself up into the air. As the beach fell away and the ocean stretched out before them, she was already second-guessing her idea, but there was nothing she could do about that now.
“Let’s find some nice island or stretch of the mainland where we can do some hunting. I assume you enjoy hunting, yes? If not, maybe we can sit and talk.”
She forced herself to relax with the hope he’d do the same given enough time while she tried not to think about how her plan might be total rubbish. She reassured herself with the knowledge that since the Avatars hadn’t followed, it must mean they had faith in her ability to contain Gryton’s elemental dragon.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
Chapter 2
Lillian
LILLIAN WATCHED AS her son flew swiftly toward the horizon with his Null held protectively in his claws. As if sensing her regard, the dragon dipped closer to the water, making him harder to see. The dragon still raged, and his fire still burned around him, rising up above his scales, but in her heart, she knew the Null would never give up. And neither would her son. They were both survivors.
“He will be fine,” her other half acknowledged. “We’ll give him and his Null a chance to calm down and then we’ll go after them, collect them, and bring them back here to continue with our original purpose for coming.”
She smiled up at the other half of her soul. She’d forgotten how stunning he was when he shed his corporeal form in the Magic Realm. They didn’t often have to shed their bodies like he had. But she admitted the wisdom of doing so this time. If Gryton had lost control, her male half could carry their son to the Spirit Realm and then return without harm to himself.
“I should return to my body,” he said and then paused before reaching for her. “But first I want to hold my other half for a short time while there is one less bag of flesh between our two halves.
“Bag of flesh. You charmer.” But she held her arms out to indicate her willingness. In fact, she was as eager as he was.
One large hand reached down and scooped her up into his palm.
As his magic surrounded her, she could pretend for a time that they were again one being like they were in the Spirit Realm. The only other thing that came close to this sensation of absolute belonging was after a session of powerful lovemaking and her gargoyle mate had still been buried deep within her, their minds and bodies blending together basking in the bliss of shared pleasure.
He chu
ckled, the sound one of masculine satisfaction. “I hope to experience such a thing again in our future. But for now, I suppose I must return to my flesh and blood body before it dies.”
Lillian craned her neck to glare up at him. “Are you telling me you didn’t put it in stasis before you started brawling on the beach with our son?”
“There wasn’t time. But fear not, I kept enough tethers in place to keep the body alive.”
When he lowered her back to the beach, she marched over to his gargoyle body, which was resting in its stone form. She immediately laid her palms against his chest and caressed the stone as she closed her eyes.
With a flick of thought, she weaved a portal spell to the Spirit Realm and redirected the power into her other half, meticulously healing the smallest of damages so he wouldn’t feel so much as a twinge of pain at his return.
“You pamper me.” He folded his shimmering wings and knelt. Then the other half of her soul began to glimmer more brightly, and his form lost its definition. A moment later, the soul and power of the male half of the Avatars raced into his gargoyle body.
Beneath her hands, his skin warmed and then he was moving, taking her into his arms to give her small delightful gargoyle nips and kisses all along her cheeks and down her neck. When he made to venture lower, following the swell of her breasts, she laughed, smacking him away.
“We have company. Save that thought for later. I’m sure there’s something we can do even without our new toys.”
Gregory was still laughing in delight as Major Resnick and his team arrived on the back of their gargoyle mounts.
“I saw everything that just happened, and I’m still not sure what I saw,” Resnick growled. “And where the fuck did that monster take Private Emerson?”
Lillian turned toward the major and knew she would have to spend some time smoothing ruffled feathers if the alliance had any hope of surviving.
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 181