Worse than dying if Lord Death was to be believed. But Shadowlight might live. That’s all Anna could hope for now.
“Shadowlight, I can’t be saved. You need to go. Escape for me. Help the human family escape.”
Shadowlight growled and shook his head. “I won’t leave you. You wouldn’t leave me.”
Damn stubborn gargoyle!
“Actually, you’re both incredibly stubborn,” Lord Death said with a hint of humor. “But of the two, I think the cub is mildly less so. Perhaps it’s time I talk to him. He might listen now that you are dying.”
“No. Wait!” But Lord Death was already gone, and she feared he was talking privately to the kid.
Chapter 33
Shortly after they’d started out, Gregory had found a game trail. They’d followed its snaking path along the valley for what he estimated was close to six hours when they came upon the cliff Daryna had described. As promised, it provided an excellent lookout for them to study the Battle Goddess’s fortress.
From here, Gregory could look down upon the foot traffic coming and going on the road. And yet being on the opposite mountain slope, there was minimal risk of exposure to the enemy. When dawn came, they would move down the slope and infiltrate the city under the cover of shadow magic. With luck, they’d locate Anna and Shadowlight and possibly Gryton, then be gone before an enemy had time to raise the alarm.
That was the plan.
The soft crackle of a radio drew Gregory’s gaze to where Major Resnick and Captain Stanton were discussing something amongst themselves. Resnick frowned and then glanced up at Gregory and Lillian.
“Alpha recon team was scouting a secondary exfil route in case the primary is compromised when they found another valley where the main canyon branched an hour back.” Resnick paused and then frowned. “They report the valley is full of what looks like thousands of statues. Rough count of at least ten thousand.”
“Those aren’t statues,” Daryna said.
“We didn’t think so. We’ve seen how the gargoyles can take on the likeness of stone when it suits them. I figured this might be something similar.” Resnick said
Gregory’s unease grew. “There are very few species besides gargoyles who can master that magic.”
Daryna nodded. “Yes, but as I’ve said, the Battle Goddess has been studying her brother’s soldiers. And she has found a way to raise a large army that only requires the resources of one a tenth of its size.”
“She conscripts them and then what?” Lillian asked, thinking aloud, “turns them to stone and then only wakes them when needed? Or are the soldiers not truly alive at all?”
“Your first guess is correct. The Battle Goddess raises, trains, and then enchants her soldiers, so they are in a state that is neither alive nor dead. When she has a large enough force to crush her enemies, she has her captains awaken and command them.”
Daryna fell silent. The others around her just stared in disbelief. Gregory didn’t blame them. The news came as a surprise to even him. It seemed his enemy had changed her methods since the last time he’d been born into the world.
Lillian growled softly at Daryna. “You knew this but didn’t bother to tell us?”
“The sleepers are not our immediate concern. It takes substantial spell work to wake them.” Daryna shrugged and Gregory thought Lillian was going to take her by her shoulders and shake her.
Instead, Lillian just sighed and asked, “Anything else you haven’t told us that we should know about?”
“Likely many things, but we don’t have half a year to get up to speed so I will fill you in later. Now, I think we need to concern ourselves with getting Anna and Shadowlight out and what to do if they’ve been corrupted and don’t want to come with us.”
Gregory merely nodded and hoped they’d all return safely to Earth and have nothing more immediate to concern themselves with than a lengthy and boring debriefing where Daryna told them everything else they didn’t yet know.
“Daryna if you withhold further information from me, there will be trouble.” He glowered at his other half. “But for now, my other half is correct, we need to go over the plan one more time in case anything goes wrong.”
Resnick nodded. “If no one else has been withholding information, we should—”
Lillian cut him off. “Major Resnick, while we’re telling the truth, there’s something else we haven’t told you.”
Gregory knew what she was going to say. He could have stopped her or deflected the conversation, but he didn’t. It was time to get this shame off his chest.
“The one you know as Commander Gryton is Gregory and Daryna’s son.”
Neither Resnick nor the other soldiers under his command said anything, though their faces were far from neutral. Resnick was the first to master speech after Lillian’s statement.
“Thank you, Lillian,” he said and then speared Gregory with his gaze. “Now one of the Avatars had better start talking.”
Gregory glanced up at the cloudless sky overhead, stars bright against the darkness. Dawn was still a couple hours off. Now was as good of a time as any to explain about Gryton, he supposed. “It’s a long story, one I only learned of myself a few days ago...”
Chapter 34
During an awkward two-hour stint, Gregory laid out what he knew about Gryton and how he’d come into being. Daryna filled in details from what she’d gleaned from their son’s memories when she was helping him to learn control.
“You helped make him stronger?” Icy venom dripped from Resnick’s words.
The human had many uncomfortable questions and underlying them all was a simmering rage. Resnick’s anger wasn’t misplaced. Gryton had killed many innocent lives in his bid to return to the Magic Realm recently.
But the fact remained, Daryna had reached Gryton on some level, and with more parental guidance, he might be groomed into a powerful ally against the Battle Goddess. And a not so small part of Gregory wanted to give his son a chance to redeem himself.
“Gryton will have to answer for every life he’s taken. And, if he so much as ponders double-crossing us, he’s dead and neither of you will raise a hand to protect him. Or the alliance is over. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes,” Gregory said. “I will destroy him myself if he can’t be saved. I’ve already had this discussion with Daryna.”
“And you?” Resnick asked Lillian.
“You can take him out with my blessing if he hasn’t held up his end of the bargain and protected my brother and Anna from the worst this place has to offer.”
“You?” Resnick asked as he stared at Daryna.
“Gryton has never been given a chance to become other than what he is now. But if he is given a choice and directed down a different path, he will take it. I was in his mind and know he is capable of more than just cruelty and war.”
Resnick grunted doubtfully. “If he isn’t salvageable?”
“Then we will see his spirit is free to return to the Divine Ones.”
“We agree, then,” Gregory said softly. Before he could say, more the radio interrupted him.
Captain Stanton answered in a hushed tone. While the humans relayed some bit of news, Gregory looked out from between the two boulders he was sheltering behind, not trusting that someone within the fortress wouldn’t be able to hear or see past his illusions.
Resnick called Gregory’s name. “My men found something you might be interested in.”
Looking away from the fortress, Gregory’s ears flicked forward.
∞∞∞
The Divine Ones had their hand in this new development. Gregory could feel it. This family had been guided to him. Or more accurately, they’d been fleeing one of the Lady of Battles’ patrols when Alpha team had seen the family’s ill-fated escape attempt. As the soldiers had watched from their hiding place, they’d seen the family get overtaken and captured by the patrol.
Amid the shouting and screaming, the human soldiers had only recognized two words: Shadowlight and Anna.
The human family, whoever they were, might have knowledge. Resnick, his men, Daryna, and Lillian all agreed with Gregory’s assessment.
The major ordered his men to follow the patrol until they could get there.
The trip didn’t take long. Once there, a subtle sleep spell targeting the patrol dealt with the enemy soldiers. Then he and Daryna wove spells so Resnick and his men could understand the human family while they were questioned.
It was Daryna who recognized the mother as River’s servant, Lanya.
Together they listened to the woman as she explained how Anna and Shadowlight had saved them. In turn, she and her family had loyally served the two new arrivals. Her story concluded with how Anna had been mortally wounded and the young gargoyle wouldn’t leave her side, but even then Shadowlight acted to protect the family by ordering them to flee the city before an alarm was raised.
The servant’s story made it even more urgent that Gregory act now. He glanced up at the sky, which was coloring pink with the first hint of dawn. It would be better to wait until the sun was high in the sky and the worst of the fortress’s citizens asleep, but they were out of time.
Even if he couldn’t heal Anna, he wouldn’t leave her to die in that place. Certainly not with a blood witch in residence.
Gregory had thought he and his Sorceress had eradicated the entire blood witch coven eons ago, but it seemed that at least one still lived. He’d correct that mistake if Shadowlight and Anna hadn’t already managed to destroy her.
When they were finished questioning the parents, Resnick ordered Alpha team to escort them back to the portal. They’d be returning to Earth for their own safety but also for the knowledge they had of the Battle Goddess’s domain.
Chapter 35
Shadowlight had ordered the servants away almost four hours ago, wanting them to have a chance to escape before guards learned something was amiss. As soon as they were gone, he’d used shadow magic to hunt down every last drop of Anna’s blood so it couldn’t be used in dark spells. He may not be able to save her, but he would do that for her.
Once all trace of her blood had been dealt with, he’d jumped up on the bed and curled around her body, mantling his wings to keep her warm. It was the only thing he could do for her. He’d already shared blood and power with her.
Lanya had dressed the wound the best she could before fleeing with her family. Shadowlight would have cloaked everyone in shadow magic and made his escape with them, but he’d been warned that if he tried to move Anna, she’d bleed out.
He couldn’t fly with her for the same reason, and Captain Taryin’s spell was somehow preventing Anna from embracing the healing stone sleep. All he could do was wait for her to heal enough that moving her wouldn’t kill her.
In the time since he’d first shared blood and magic with her, the terrible belly wound had slowly begun to knit itself together, but that wasn’t the greatest danger. The blood magic was eating away at her spirit. His power was countering Taryin’s spell, to some degree, but not enough.
Anna was running out of time. He might be young and inexperienced, but he knew what death felt like, and this power would be her death, and it wasn’t going to be a clean one. This was the Riven all over again, only worse because he wasn’t sure if gargoyle blood would save Anna this time.
“Come to me, my gargoyle. Let me at least save her soul.”
Death had been whispering to him since shortly after Anna lost consciousness. Shadowlight knew Death never lied. If he sought out the Lord of the Underworld for aid, Anna would die. He didn’t want her to die and leave him. She still might die here, but at least if he stayed, she still had a chance.
“Child, her only hope lies with me. Please return home.”
“I can’t. The collar—”
“Will not hold one such as you.”
Boots thudded against stone in the hall outside. Someone was running swiftly towards his location. A moment later whoever it was rattled the latch. Thankfully, Shadowlight had already barricaded the door with a hastily put together spell, so the door didn’t admit the newcomer.
Reaching out with his magic, he learned it was Commander Gryton. His first instinct was to fight the fire elemental until it occurred to him that Tin Man might be able to help heal Anna.
Outside, Gryton cursed. A moment later a hot wave of magic vaporized the door leading out to the hallway and the commander sprinted inside. He crossed the outer room and then the inner bedroom door crashed inward.
Gryton took one look at them and compressed his lips in anger.
“Why are you still here?”
The barked question wasn’t the one Shadowlight had been expecting.
Striding over to the bed, Gryton looked down at Anna and cursed louder, then he swiftly checked Shadowlight over for injury. Finding none, he returned to examining Anna’s belly wound.
Gryton glanced over his shoulder, scanning the outer room. “We need to hurry. Others will discover what you did to the blood witch and the twins. Ninara’s second in command is already seeking her. You and Anna need to be gone before then.”
Confusion swamped Shadowlight. “Why are you helping us?”
“Because I’ve been tasked with protecting you and the hybrid since shortly after she came here to rescue you,” Gryton said as he wove his own powerful wards at the entrance of the bedroom.
Shadowlight glanced down at Anna. Even in gargoyle form, her skin was a sickly washed out shade. “Why are you helping us? Is this another test?”
With his back to Shadowlight, he couldn’t read Gryton’s expression, but he could smell his concern. The commander ignored his questions while he continued to build his protective spells.
“I’m helping you because we’re family and I swore I’d help you and the human, or die trying.” Gryton glanced over his shoulder again. “Likely it will be ‘die trying’ since you don’t have the survival instincts the Divine Ones gave a rock.”
Shadowlight’s ears flicked toward Gryton and then flattened against his mane. This had to be another test.
Gryton finished the spell work and walked back to the bed to look down at Anna. “She’s dying, and you won’t long survive her if you don’t do as I say.”
When the commander reached for Shadowlight’s collar, he snarled a warning.
“Don’t bite the hand that’s offering you aid, cub.” A sharp slap delivered to Shadowlight’s muzzle accompanied the words. “I’m going to release the collar, so you don’t have to waste your power breaking free.”
Shadowlight didn’t fight, but he continued to growl as Gryton felt around the collar, delivering little surges of magic into the metal. Then suddenly, between breaths, the weight of the collar fell away and Shadowlight blinked up at Gryton in surprise. The commander had kept his word. Why?
“If you run now, you have a chance to escape the fortress before anyone else knows what has unfolded. With your training, you might even make it to one of the other kingdoms who would offer a gargoyle shelter.”
“I won’t leave Anna.” Shadowlight sprang back up on the bed and crouched over her. If the commander thought he was going to just run away and leave Anna to die, Gryton had another surprise coming.
“Anna will be dead by noon, her soul dragged back to the blood witch for an eternity of torment.”
“The blood witch is dead.”
Gryton laughed. “No, she is not. Already she is restoring herself. You left her with two powerful victims to feed upon. Ninara and Honnan are no great loss, but the blood witch will rise even more powerful than before. Only the Lord of the Underworld can save Anna’s soul.”
Shadowlight glanced down at Anna and looked at her clammy skin. “I can’t lose her. Lord Death will kill her.” He’d already lost everyone else; he couldn’t lose her, too. And, yet, if he didn’t go Anna would pay the ultimate price for his cowardice. “Are you certain there is no power here that can heal her?”
“Yes,” Gryton snarled. “I would save her soul if I could, but e
ven that is beyond my fire magic. After she dies, her soul returns to the blood witch. Taryin will be able to summon her corpse and mend the dead flesh to create the perfect slave to keep you in line.”
Snarling, Shadowlight gathered Anna in her arms and leaped back three steps, as if putting distance between Anna and Gryton could somehow deny the truth of his words.
“Her only chance lies with Lord Death. At least that way, even if her body dies, her soul will return to the Spirit Realm to be reborn one day. Take comfort in that, cub, and do what’s right. If I had done that when I was first born, maybe I’d now lead a better life than the one I find myself in.”
If this was a test, Shadowlight didn’t care if he passed or failed. He couldn’t risk Anna’s soul.
Sobbing silently, he reached into his own being and sought that power which linked all gargoyles to their liege lord.
Just the briefest of touches was all it took. Already the powerful spell that was a part of his very soul began to expand, spreading out over his body and Anna, too.
Shadowlight glanced up at Gryton one last time. The commander was summoning new spells. Lethal battle magics this time instead of wards of protection.
“What about you?” Shadowlight asked in the last few moments before the spell would activate and pull his body back to his liege lord.
“Me?” Gryton laughed, “I shall be alone again. A natural state for me.”
Shadowlight held out his hand. “Come with me.”
“No, Death and I have never seen eye to eye,” Gryton paused and then grinned. “And, cub, if we ever meet again, don’t assume we will be on the same side. Trust no one. You’ll live longer that way.”
Gryton’s voice faded away and so too did the room as the spell flung Shadowlight and Anna far from the Battle Goddess’s kingdom.
PART 4
Chapter 36
Lillian was climbing over a large outcropping of stone as they made their way back to the overlook peak when a strange yearning sensation flowed over her. Her wings spread and her muscles bunched as if to propel her up into the air. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Gregory’s wings shifted restlessly. He must have felt it, too.
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