The beast was on her ass. Literally on her ass! The tip of his nose almost touching her tail. Shadowlight must have known, for he banked hard to the left, circling back towards the cliffs. Anna followed suit, knowing they weren’t going to make it, not both of them.
Summoning shadow magic, she readied herself to send it stabbing into the creature’s eyes. She didn’t know if it would be effective, but it might slow the beast down, distract it, or piss it off enough to get it to follow her instead of the kid.
“Anna, it is Sorac,” Shadowlight said, his voice penetrating her spinning thoughts.
No.
It couldn’t be.
She chanced another look behind. The beast was grinning at her.
“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me! I hate you so much right now,” Anna shouted behind her as she continued to follow Shadowlight. She was tempted to bite the kid in the tail for his part in this, too. He knew and didn’t say anything.
“Why didn’t you tell me it was Sorac!”
“I tried.”
“Not hard enough!”
“You shoved me off a cliff!”
“Now, now, children. Stop fighting and follow me,” Sorac the dragon said in a booming voice behind her. He swiftly outpaced them in the air and came to a graceful landing on a large flat section of cliff that looked like it had been carved for that purpose.
Shadowlight landed next. Anna followed him in, where she managed a sort of controlled crash. She gave herself a shake and then went and sat off by her self.
Seated, she craned her neck to look up at Sorac. “So, you’re a dragon. Guess I should have put two and two together. Shadowlight said you were a fire elemental and you have scales.”
“I,” he puffed out his chest and stretched his neck proudly, “am a firedrake, not a dragon. One of those fat lizards would never be able to keep up with me.”
Okay. Note to self. Firedrakes were elitist and touchy.
Sorac bent his neck to bring his large head in close to her. She couldn’t tell his color in the darkness, but his plate-sized scales gleamed. If she were to speculate, she’d guess his coloring to be black or some other dark color. Maybe a deep green or a wine tone.
It was too bad they never trained in daylight. She’d bet he was stunning. Though it didn’t matter how pretty he was, she was still pissed off at him.
“I didn’t think you could possibly be worse at anything than you were with the sword,” Sorac said. “I’ve just been proven wrong.
Was the prick actually bitching about her poor showing after he tried to fry her? “Hey! You tried to Bar-B-Q me. I didn’t have time to get ready.”
“Bar-B-Q?” He huffed softly, steam curling from between his lips. “I don’t know what that is, but I didn’t try to harm you. That was only a bit of fun. In the future don’t run from a firedrake, we can’t help but give chase. It’s in our nature.”
“Jeez, thanks for the warning.” Anna rolled her eyes heavenward.
“You’re welcome,” Sorac said with a snort of humor. “Now, let’s try to improve on that shameful first flight.”
Part 3
Chapter 26
A year ago, if anyone told Lillian she would be spending her days watching an elite military team track down and ‘kill’ fae hidden by powerful magic, she wouldn’t have believed them. Mind you, her everyday life was on a sliding scale of the mildly odd to breathtakingly bizarre.
Hence, she was standing in the headquarters for the joint task force watching the mission unfold on a monitor streaming a live feed from the soldiers’ body cams. So far, the soldiers were winning, having managed to track, locate, target and ‘kill’ each of the fae hiding from the patrol.
They weren’t using live rounds, of course, and the fae weren’t hunting the humans, but Lillian was still impressed with what the humans had accomplished. And it wasn’t all thanks to Gregory and Daryna’s training, either. In the past few weeks, the military teams had surpassed even Gregory’s hopes, not that her closed-mouthed mate would praise a human.
Soon, she promised herself, soon we’ll be ready to launch a mission to rescue Shadowlight and Anna.
She didn’t fear they’d fail in their mission. Gregory never failed her, but she feared Shadowlight and Anna’s condition after all this time.
Yesterday when she’d shared her fears with Gregory, he’d assured her that as long as they were still alive, he and Daryna could heal anything that had been done to them. And the Battle Goddess would not kill Shadowlight or Anna. She needed them.
That still hadn’t been all that comforting, but then he’d explained that since time flowed differently here than in the Magic Realm, only about five weeks had passed there compared to the eight weeks here.
Five weeks was still plenty of time to do horrible things to her little brother. And Lillian didn’t fool herself; as much as Anna would try to protect the young gargoyle, there was nothing she could do as a fellow prisoner.
Having to wait until the human-fae teams were adequately trained to attempt a rescue mission was horrible enough on its own, but there were other stresses in Lillian’s life. Her hands strayed to her belly. Having Gregory’s child made her happier than she could ever express, but it also added another layer to her fears. If she could not protect her brother, how was she going to safeguard her child in the coming months?
“They have done very well in recent sessions,” Daryna said, drawing Lillian back to the training session and the others all standing around watching.
“Yes,” Gregory agreed. “They are almost ready to venture into the Magic Realm.”
“I would like to drill them in the layout of the fortress city and the lands around it first,” Daryna added, but nodded, “though, I agree.”
“I told you they were ready,” Major Resnick said, and then came to stand at Lillian’s shoulder, where he frowned down at the screen showing a soldier targeting the pooka.
Lillian knew the waiting hadn’t been easy on Resnick either. Anna was like a daughter to him.
And then there was Anna’s real father, Brigadier General Mackenzie. The day after Daryna had received word from Gryton of Anna’s capture, the general had stormed into the workroom where Major Resnick was overseeing Lillian and Gran as they created ward spells for the human weapons.
The general had bellowed about Resnick’s incompetence for a full minute. Lillian knew it was a father’s worried reaction. When she’d seen him a second time, he’d been cool and composed as one would expect of a highly decorated general.
But even after they rescued Anna and Shadowlight, Lillian still thought there might be trouble.
The general didn’t strike her as the type to meekly accept that his daughter was now magically bound in servitude to another being. And Gregory and Daryna weren’t so sure they could sever the link between Anna and Shadowlight without killing them both.
“My superiors are meeting again in three hours,” Resnick told Gregory and Daryna. “Once we get the go-ahead, both teams can be ready to move within a few hours.”
“There is still something Lillian, Gregory, and I must do before we venture into the Magic Realm. Spells that must be performed.” Daryna said and then looked pointedly at Lillian.
Resnick nodded and turned to go speak with his superiors.
Gregory huffed softly and then urged Lillian and Daryna out of the military headquarters.
He didn’t speak again until a half hour later when they were once again surrounded by trees, well away from the humans and their technology.
Gregory was still uncomfortable surrounded by things from the modern world. Lillian might have found it humorous under other circumstances, but the last two months hadn’t been easy.
“Lillian, if you truly plan to come to the Magic Realm with me, you’ll need to give our child into your hamadryad’s keeping,” he said with steel in his voice. “Or you and Daryna can both remain here together.”
There was no way Lillian was letting Gregory risk himself
alone. “No, I’ll have to give up my child soon any—”
Daryna cut Lillian off. “I will not sit by safe in the Mortal Realm while my other half ventures into the heart of enemy territory.”
Lillian folded her arms as she and Daryna both leveled a ‘we’ll kick your ass if you try’ look at Gregory.
“You’ve been outvoted,” Lillian said. “Whatever we find in the Magic Realm, we’ll face together.”
Gregory huffed out a disgruntled sound as his tail flicked back and forth. “I only want to keep you both safe, our child too.”
“I know. But the best way to keep our baby safe is to rescue Shadowlight and Anna, thereby depriving the Battle Goddess of another weapon in her arsenal.”
“Yes, but Lillian, being separated from your child...”
“Will suck. But it would happen soon anyway. All hamadryads gestate their dryad’s child. Even I know that.”
“There’s more to it than that,” he said softly. “When you journey to the Magic Realm, you will feel the separation far more acutely.”
“He is correct,” Daryna said. “Even though dryads must give over their children to their trees, the dryad doesn’t usually venture far from her hamadryad during those years.”
Lillian cradled her stomach, even now feeling the pulse of life within, a tiny fluttering heart. Her gargoyle magic could sense the child now. Not the gender, not yet, but Gregory said they would be able to scent the sex of their child in another few days.
“But me being away from the tree won’t weaken the hamadryad or harm the child, right?”
“No,” Gregory reassured her. “Your tree is strong. Our child will be safe with the Clan and the Coven guarding her glade.”
“Then I’m going with you. I’ll transfer the child to my hamadryad now.”
“My beautiful, brave mate,” Gregory said as he stepped forward to embrace her. “Tomorrow will be soon enough.”
Gregory’s hand caressed her belly, and she smiled at his expression of absolute wonderment. Lillian would raze an evil demigoddess’s temple to the ground if that’s what it took to protect this tiny new miracle.
Chapter 27
Gregory nuzzled Lillian’s cheek and at that moment he wanted to be away from everything so he could spend some time alone with his mate. Daryna must have sensed his mood because she bestowed him with a mischievous grin.
“Go. Take Lillian hunting.” Daryna gestured at the darkening forest all around them. “You both deserve some time alone. It’s likely the last chance you’ll get for a while. I can find my own way back to the cabin.”
It was true. Once Lillian went into her hamadryad, she’d remain there for two days, but when she emerged, she would be in peak form, ready for the mission to the Magic Realm. After today, they’d be accompanied by the humans and fae until the mission’s end.
“Come,” he whispered to Lillian, “hunt with me. Daryna and Gran will inform us later what the humans decide, but I already know they will ‘green light’ a mission to the Magic Realm as soon as possible. They have no more choice than we do. The Battle Goddess has set her sights on this world.”
His words might not have comforted Lillian, but she nodded.
“I’ll hunt with you and then tomorrow I’ll surrender our child to my hamadryad.” She paused, her expression turning fierce. “And then after that, we start a hunt of a different type. The Battle Goddess might not know it yet, but she will feel the rage of the Avatars for her interference.”
“That she will,” Daryna agreed darkly. “If she has harmed the young gargoyle or his Kyrsu, I will show her what true rage is.”
Gregory reached out and hugged Daryna, surprising both women. “I love you and forgive you for attempting to protect Gryton, but if you do anything so foolish again while we are in the Magic Realm, I will see that you can’t attempt such a thing again.”
While Daryna and Lillian were both put off balance by his words, he turned and dropped to all fours. As he ran past, he slapped Lillian in the backside with his tail. “Come slow one, if you can catch me perhaps I will reward you.”
As he darted off into the forest, Lillian’s curses and Daryna’s delighted laughter reached him. He didn’t run fast or particularly far before he heard Lillian giving chase. She was catching up to him, so he knew she’d shifted to gargoyle form.
Lillian was fast and enjoyed stealing the lead from him, but this game trail was too narrow and thick underbrush hugging close to the path would prevent her from passing him. He grinned and set a slower pace that he knew would bother her.
She approached swiftly and wasn’t slowing down.
“What are you—”
She leaped upon his rump, stampeded over his back, and then was springing forward to land on the path ahead.
“You’re too slow and I’m hungry. Go hunt by yourself,” she shouted back at him as her tail-tip vanished around a bend in the game trail.
He did so love a good challenge. Lengthening his stride, he surged forward, thundering down the trail in pursuit of Lillian.
She led him on a merry chase before eventually slowing enough for him to run at her heels. When the underbrush finally thinned, he ran alongside her and used the proximity to lick at her shoulder and dragged in a great lungful of her scent.
“Ha. Food before sex. Stop being so very male.”
Her tone lacked bite, so he nuzzled her the next chance he got.
“I’m not joking. I could eat an entire deer by myself.” She smacked him with her tail hard enough to make him stumble. That was no loving, playful swat. Right. Hormones. Feed the pregnant female or else.
When he regained his stride, he surged ahead. “Then I had better bring down the biggest buck I can find if I want even a small bite or two.”
“My mate is wise,” Lillian agreed.
He soon found a promising scent trail and followed it to a small herd of five deer. He picked his target and swiftly separated him from the others.
Lillian followed close behind, but not so close she’d catch a stray kick from a panicked deer. They’d agreed that while she was carrying their child, she’d allow him to make the kills.
Gregory soon ran down the deer and gave the buck a merciful death.
∞∞∞
Many hours later the cool night breeze blew along Gregory’s back, but he was content, his mate slept snuggled in his arms. A thick blanket woven of shadow magic cushioned them from the roots and stones of the forest floor and their wings were enough to banish the chill.
Both his mate and their unborn child rested peacefully. He tucked his wings tighter around Lillian and snuggled closer, simply enjoying the moment even though sleep eluded him. Besides, he was happy for that. These few wakeful hours gave him more time to simply revel in the new sensations.
He’d sired a child with his beloved for the first time. Well, second time, since Gryton was undeniably his offspring. While he would do what he could to save the fire elemental and attempt to instill some sense of morality in him, Gregory wanted this second child to never know the pain and horror Gryton must have faced.
Gregory only hoped he would be given a chance to be a parent to this one.
Lillian stirred in his arms and blinked open her eyes a moment later.
“Have you not slept?” she asked as she stretched.
“No,” he said, not bothering with a lie. He never wanted to lie to her. “I couldn’t sleep, but it pleases me to just hold you and watch you while you sleep.”
“Mmm.” Lillian yawned and stretched. “Way to rock that stalker talk.”
She bumped her muzzle against his and predictably forgot about her horns, and clinked them against his.
“Damnit. Horns. Sorry,” she said as she rolled over and reclined facing him. “Now what’s the real cause for those little worry lines between your eyes?”
“I was just thinking how much I wanted to be able to give this child the love he deserves.”
“He? You got insider info you’re not sh
aring with me?” Lillian drew in a deep breath, trying to catch the scent of their child on her skin.
“No,” he laughed. “Son or daughter, I’ll love this child. And I haven’t used magic to discern the gender, I promise.”
“You better not.”
“I was just thinking that this little miracle might be the only one we are ever granted.”
Lillian laughed, surprising him. “Once we win the war and give the Battle Goddess a really good spanking, I’m planning on retiring from being an Avatar.”
“Retiring?”
“Yep, just for the rest of this life. I’m planning on growing a crapload of hamadryad cuttings from my tree until I have an entire grove. Then I’m shoving my soul and Avatar power into one of them.”
“Ah,” he said in a noncommittal way. Though he thought he knew where she was going with her ‘grove’ of hamadryads. He fought to hold back a silly grin.
“Once they are old enough, I’m going to use the hamadryad grove to carry all our children. It might take a decade or two, but I plan on having one of those crazy, big-ass families with ten plus kids.”
Gregory grinned at her, but as much as his heart liked the future she painted, his mind knew if there was open war, demigods and Avatars might all find themselves once again within the Spirit Realm. “I hope we are given a chance.”
Lillian’s merriment vanished. “You think we’re not going to survive?”
“I cannot see the future and I cannot promise you that we will both survive this.”
“God, Gregory,” Lillian reached out to him. “Don’t think like that. We’re the Avatars, we’ve lived thousands of lifetimes together.”
“And we’ve died at the end of each of those many thousands of lifetimes too. Some by choice. Some unexpectedly. There are no guarantees except everyone returns to the Spirit Realm, eventually.”
“That’s a terrible way to view life.”
“It is the truth.”
“I know, but I will go forward with the belief that there is always hope. And I will hope enough for the both of us.”
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