Good, they could feel pain and they could bleed, which also meant they could die.
They grappled with each other as the battle continued around them. He fought his opponent with lethal blows intended to end the fight quickly. There were eleven more opponents besides the one he fought. But the humans were keeping this one’s partners busy at least.
Gregory worked the hole in his opponent’s armor bigger. Then summoning Spirit Magic, he channeled it into the opening. The scent of blood and burnt flesh clogged his nose, but above all that he could smell the taint of a demon. This one was not Riven, but something else.
Apparently, the Battle Goddess had not learned her lesson from the Riven. Gregory wondered how long these hybrid demons would serve her before they, too, betrayed her like the Riven had.
Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about this fellow’s betrayal. Spirit Magic continued to build within the armor. Trapped, it had nowhere to go since the armor was designed to prevent magic from entering, or, in this case, exiting.
Gregory delivered a powerful kick and knocked the other male away seconds before the warrior screamed in high pitched agony. A moment later, demon, host, and armor all vaporized in a flash of bright magic. Sparks flew in all directions as the iron-mix armor melted into a molten slag. It splashed against his own shields and the surrounding area like wind-driven rain.
Smoke rose up from the dry grass as a few tiny curls of flame appeared. Gregory waved at the small fires, extinguishing them before they could grow dangerous.
He was darting forward to tackle the other opponent on this side of the dome when the energy flickered and flared wildly before it winked out of existence.
Ten more enemies rush forward from inside the shattered ring of anchor-stones.
Oh. Lillian was going to be pissed at him.
With a joyous roar, he charged towards them, his shadow magic darting before him. He collided with the fastest of the newcomers and tore his helmet from his head. A blast of Spirit magic took care of that fellow and Gregory was leaping forward again.
But the others had seen what he’d done to two of their number, so swiftly drew back out of his way. He summoned more shadow magic and set it hunting. Most of the small shards were unable to get past the protections worked into the enemies’ armor, but it confused them and slowly herded them where Gregory wanted his next opponent.
Leaping forward, he bounded into a group of three enemies. While he blocked their blows with magic, he ripped at their armor and looked for other weaknesses he could exploit that would allow him to dispatch them swiftly.
As he drove his present opponents back, gouging and tearing into breastplates, helmets and shoulder guards, the rest converged upon him and joined the fight. Gregory broke off the attack before their combined axes and swords could cut him to pieces.
Several armed military vehicles rolled into the meadow. Massive guns mounted on the backs took aim at the enemy. A second later, more gunfire tore through the air. The noise was enough he was surprised the air itself didn’t shatter like glass under the onslaught.
Unfortunately, the Battle Goddess’s soldiers had powerful personal shields that stopped the bullets. But the sheer force and number prevented the enemy from spreading out. Ah. They were combining their power. They weren’t strong enough individually.
Gregory circled around behind, preventing the enemy from retreating.
That’s when he saw Gran and the other Fae arriving. They swiftly joined the military already in place. Then the two forces, both magical and mortal, focused their efforts on one enemy at a time. Gregory felt mild pride at how well they fought together. Perhaps the training sessions were beneficial, after all.
Chapter 22
Lillian piggybacked on Daryna’s link to Gregory, and together they shared in his vision of the battle. Neither woman said anything to distract him. The last thing he needed was to have his attention divided.
While she was glad to at least know what was going on, Lillian wished to be fighting by his side. She would have been if not for the tiny, fragile life within her womb. Not that she regretted her baby, not for a moment. She just wanted Gregory safe, too.
Lillian was drawing breath to demand Daryna go to his aid when military reinforcements and the other Fae arrived. The tension between her shoulder blades eased a touch, and she rolled them to try to further loosen up the stiff muscles. Still, her wings twitched with nervousness.
Daryna tilted her head to the side suddenly, like she was listening to something Lillian could not hear. She strained her senses, and then she felt it.
Another tremor of magic shivered through the air.
“Did you feel that?”
Daryna blinked open her eyes. “Yes. I did. It’s not good news, I fear.”
Lillian felt her talons flex. “Speak.”
“It’s more of the Battle Goddess’s warriors.”
Just what they didn’t need. Then she knew why Daryna looked so torn. “Go to Gregory. He’ll need your help.”
“I can’t leave you and our child unprotected.”
Flashing a hint of fang in a wicked gargoyle grin, Lillian stared down at Daryna and tightened her hold on her swords’ hilts. “While I may not be as lethal as either you or Gregory, I am not helpless. Besides, I also have Anna, Shadowlight, the banshee and a shit ton of military just waiting for a chance to get some of the Battle Goddess’s soldiers in their crosshairs.”
Her tail flicked slowly back and forth while she waited for Daryna to answer. Perhaps she needed another nudge. “How much more danger do you think I’ll be in if Gregory and the others get more than they can handle? If even one or two of those enemies escaped, where do you think they’re going to head next?”
“They’ll come for the hamadryad. My spells will prevent them from traveling back to the Magic Realm, but if they are able to get close enough, they will be able to send a message requesting reinforcements. If the Battle Goddess thinks she has a chance to get a foothold in the Mortal Realm, she might act now even if she isn’t finished building her army. We must stop them before they can get close.”
“Go then. Help Gregory neutralize the enemy before they can endanger all the earth.”
Daryna nodded. Looking unhappy, she moved away from Lillian until she was outside the ring of stones. Moments later she summoned another portal spell; its magic was like a cold draft from the Spirit Realm. For the span of ten heartbeats Lillian saw nothing, and then the strange magic doorway solidified and beyond the threshold was the place where a bloody battle was underway.
Daryna glanced back over her shoulder at Lillian. “Stay.”
She would have made the retort that she wasn’t a dog, but the Sorceress stepped through the portal and was already summoning a deadly spell. The strange doorway collapsed before Lillian had a chance to see what shape the combat spell took.
“Being left behind still sucks,” Lillian hissed under her breath.
Anna’s snort told Lillian the hybrid had heard her. The other woman sauntered over and glanced where the portal had been. “You think it was a good idea to send her to the others? From the updates Resnick is getting over the radio, the battle is going well. The training sessions have paid off.”
“Daryna said that if even one of the enemy soldiers gets close to the hamadryad, they’ll be able to use her to call for reinforcements.”
“A tree that doubles as a long-range radio. Yep. Normal,” Anna said but glanced around the meadow distractedly.
Lillian noticed Anna’s fingers flexed on her weapon. A show of nervousness? That wasn’t normal.
“Do you sense something?” If so, why the hell didn’t you say something before I sent Daryna away?
“No, but it’s never a good idea to send all your big guns into battle and leave your forward operating base unprotected,” Anna countered and then sighed. “It’s nothing. Just all this magic putting me on edge. I’m really starting to hate magic.”
Lillian flashed a fang at Anna. “
You sound a lot like I did when I first learned about all this, but I’ve gained friends that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. You’ll see the benefits one day, too.
“Sorry. Don’t believe in silver linings.” Anna’s gaze flicked over to where Shadowlight was walking a perimeter around the tree. He was looking all fierce and daunting again. “Well, maybe the kid. He might be worth every poke and prod I’ve received from the scientists. Maybe.”
“I heard that!” Shadowlight huffed and galloped over to them. “Of course, I’m worth it. You’ve always wanted a little brother.”
She smiled affectionately at the gargoyle. “Yeah, kid. I’ve got one now, and you’re correct. I wouldn’t change anything.”
Wiggling happily, Shadowlight bounded around Anna. He’d been about to say something else but was cut short by a soft whistling sound that ended in something small smacking into flesh.
Shadowlight whirled around in surprise, but the sound occurred twice more. The young gargoyle twisted and pulled three small darts from his flank. They rested tiny and guiltless in his palm.
What the hell?
A commotion among the soldiers had Lillian glancing away from her brother for a moment, in time to see two soldiers dropped to the ground.
The high-pitched sound came again, and more soldiers fell before the tiny darts. Lillian still didn’t fully understand what was happening when Goswin stepped from out of the maze’s west entrance. She fired more darts from a small blowpipe.
Every dart that found a target dropped a soldier to the ground.
Lillian decided she didn’t need to know what was going on. All she needed to know was that a sprite was a swift and deceptively deadly little Fae.
And worse, she wasn’t alone. Whitethorn, leader of The Hunt, walked in beside her and took aim with a much larger and more deadly bow and arrow.
Grabbing Anna, Lillian dragged her behind the hamadryad. From within the screen of the thick branches, Lillian saw something far more serious than just the two Fae.
Commander Gryton paced along behind them, tossing his fiery magic at anything that still moved.
Anna called Shadowlight to them, and he obeyed, but Lillian noticed he was none too steady on his feet. He tripped as much as stopped next to Anna. The human stepped over him and put herself between him and the threat.
“We are so screwed,” Lillian muttered to herself. Anna didn’t disagree with her and was already on the radio calling for reinforcements.
“We need to buy some time until more help gets here.” Anna took aim with her rifle and the sharp retort of weapons fire echoed through the glade.
Lillian winced at the sharp noise but focused her attention on the battle. Anna ignored Whitethorn and Goswin and fired rapid bursts at Commander Gryton. She knew who the true threat was.
Four other soldiers who had managed to dodge darts, arrows, and Gryton’s fireballs, joined in the fight. Together the five soldiers managed to slow Gryton. Halting him was like stopping a flow of lava. He continued to walk forward, pushing a wall of fire in front of him.
The fiery wall seemed to turn most of the bullets into molten slag, which splattered against his armor with dull, wet sounds.
But Anna and the other soldiers didn’t give up, holding their positions and continuing to fire. Now and again, a sharp ting sounded and a few sparks flew as bullets made it past Gryton’s defensive magic to strike his armor.
Whitethorn stepped out from around the wall of fire as he drew his bowstring and took aim at one of the soldiers.
Lillian called her shadow magic and shaped it into tiny, biting, knife-like shards. The bits of darkness raced across the distance and savaged Whitethorn. The sidhe huntsman dove for cover behind a stone picnic table, but Lillian’s magic followed.
So too did Shadowlight. The young gargoyle lunged from behind the cover of the hamadryad and raced across the distance. He jumped the picnic table and closed his teeth upon Whitethorn, shaking the other Fae in his jaws. While Shadowlight was fighting Whitethorn, Goswin got in another dart.
Lillian growled and lunged after the sprite, her shadow magic racing before her. The sprite was faster and darted behind one of the stone rings.
A moment later she popped up and fired two more darts at the soldiers. One struck the soldier nearest Anna. He staggered and then dropped to his knees. A second soldier joined his fellow.
Before any of the allies could regroup, a wave of force raced out from where Gryton stood. This wasn’t the fire magic that Lillian had expected, but Anna and the other remaining soldiers were still knocked off their feet.
Bad. Very bad, Lillian thought as she summoned more shadow magic and directed it to attack Gryton.
Her magic was marginally more effective than the bullets. Like tiny bits of shrapnel, they burrowed their way into the seams of his armor. He couldn’t stop them all.
Gryton snarled at her but turned his attention toward Shadowlight, ignoring Lillian.
What the hell?
Then she understood.
Oh, hell no.
Anna had regained her feet, but the other soldiers were unmoving. Shaking her head like her ears were ringing or she was disoriented, Anna shook off whatever the attack had done to her as she raised her rifle once more.
This time, her target was Goswin, where she stood over Shadowlight. Blood blossomed at the sprite’s shoulder and then her thigh. She screamed as she fell. She tried to regain her feet but couldn’t.
Two down, Lillian thought, just one really badass enemy to go.
With a growl, Anna redirected her fire upon Gryton. Lillian joined her. Their combined assault slowed but didn’t stop him.
Not that it should have, Lillian knew. Before, Gryton had very nearly been a match for Gregory.
Strangely, he didn’t seem to be pressing his advantage. The Battle Goddess’s most deadly weapon should have made short work of Anna and herself. Why hadn’t he dealt them a crippling blow? So far, everything he’d tossed at them was more defensive magic than bring-your-enemies-to-their-knees lethal.
Was he weakened by something the hamadryad had done to him?
Or was this something else?
Then Lillian realized he must want to capture more than just Shadowlight.
There was an abrupt end to the gunfire, and the resulting absence of sound announced their defeat. Lillian’s ears twitched at the lack of painful noise, but she didn’t hesitate and continued her attack upon Gryton. Unfortunately, Anna was out of bullets, and they were out of options.
And then Lillian felt yet another disturbance in the magic around her like she had twice before in the last hour.
A churning vortex appeared in the air between Anna and Gryton. For a moment, Lillian felt hope rekindle. If Gregory was here...
But it wasn’t Gregory.
Chapter 23
Three more armor-clad warriors stepped into the glade and shouted something at Gryton. They didn’t sound overly friendly, and neither did Gryton’s reply. Lillian had the distinct impression that Commander Gryton was surprised by these newcomers’ sudden appearance. He wasn’t the only one.
Lillian moved closer to Anna, thinking to grab her and fly to safety. But one glance at Shadowlight told Lillian that that plan wasn’t going to work either.
Shadowlight was on his feet again, but he was weaving and stumbling badly and he collapsed after a couple steps. He fought past whatever drug, poison or magic spell the darts had delivered into his system and struggled back to his feet. Lillian’s heart broke. The youngling was trying to reach them. But he was in no condition to fly or run.
Lillian dropped to all fours and snarled at Gryton. She had to get to Shadowlight. When she tried to circle around the armor-clad enemy, he snapped out his wrists and a wave of power raced towards her.
She dove to the ground and dug in her claws as the wave rolled over her. It continued past to flow harmlessly away. While Lillian and Gryton danced around each other uselessly, the three newcomers marched straight fo
r Shadowlight. Two of them grabbed him under his arms and started dragging him towards the portal.
Shadowlight twisted and fought, but in his drugged state he was no match for them and was quickly clubbed into submission.
Anna snarled and tossed away her empty rifle and pulled out a long knife instead. Her expression was fierce and unreasoning as she charged across the distance. At the last moment, she hunched low and tackled one of the newcomers hard enough to make a quarterback proud.
The warrior crashed to the ground, and Anna followed, her knife finding the slit in the enemy’s visor. Blood sprayed. The newcomer screamed. Anna’s knife flashed again and again until the body under her stopped twitching.
Apparently, not all the Battle Goddess’s warriors were as hard to kill as Gryton.
Lillian darted across the distance, angling towards the two who still dragged Shadowlight between them. Anna joined her, sprinting towards the enemy from the right. They had almost reached their targets when the ground heaved under Lillian’s feet, and a secondary force slammed into her back.
Earth and sky changed places over and over. She continued to roll until her maze’s evergreen walls caught her. The scent of cedar surrounded her. Lillian blinked and spit out a mouthful of dirt, grass, and bits of cedar. What had hit her? A wrecking ball?
She shook her head. After a moment, she blinked her vision clear. Gryton was bent over Anna, and then he heaved her up into his arms and over his shoulder. The other two dragging Shadowlight had almost reached the portal.
Gryton glanced at her, clearly wanting to snatch Lillian as well, but decided against it as he turned and walked towards the portal.
He didn’t make it. A second portal appeared between him and his destination.
A raging ball of gargoyle fury erupted out of the portal and lunged right at Commander Gryton. At first, Lillian thought Shadowlight had escaped his captors, but then she recognized her beloved Gregory.
Relief washed through her. She tried to get to her feet and go to him, but her body didn’t want to cooperate. Helpless, she could only watch through her narrowing field of vision as the two lethal predators squared off.
Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset 2 Page 14