“I am not the Battle Goddess’s tool,” Obsidian whispered into her mind. “I’ve overcome this darkness.”
“Shh. I know.”
“I was cured—thought I was. But it’s only been asleep, waiting for its match.”
Waiting for me, Anna realized, waiting for that which completes it. The darkness inside me.
She shuddered with growing horror. While she’d slept, Shadowlight had been able to overcome the darkness within him, her absence somehow starving it into submission.
“The full extent of the Battle Goddess’s changes didn’t come into effect until I turned fourteen. Gargoyles normally emerge from their mother’s hamadryads during their tenth summer. At which point, we’re physically mature and ready to begin our training.”
Anna had been briefed on gargoyle and dryad reproduction. None of this was new. Which meant if he brought it up, then there was more to the story she didn’t yet know.
“When my tenth year came and went without anything bad happening, my mentors and I took it as a good sign.”
Linked with him, Anna could see the story unfolding in her mind. “But you didn’t stop growing.”
“No. I soon surpassed even the largest gargoyles in height and weight until I was fourteen. That’s when my physical growth stopped, but my magical strength continued. Something else came with it. A new darkness—a violence. It would rise and consume my mind when I perceived a threat to you. It was that same berserker rage you would descend into when I was threatened.”
Yep. The reactions were sounding far too much the same. Though she wondered what threats he was referring to.
“What happened to make you think I was in danger during the time I was asleep?” Because she’d love to know if she had other enemies gunning for her. Say among the council of Elders.
“Several of the healers studied you while you slept. They learned a great deal about how our powers work. Years ago, some of them brought a plan before the Council. They wished to wake you for short intervals to further their studies. Maradryn was one of the few who disagreed.” Obsidian’s hand loosened from its death grip and relaxed enough to rub the small of her back as if he was giving comfort to her.
“Go on,” she nudged gently.
“My power, that darkness which dwells within me, decided that the healers’ planned course was an unnecessary threat to you; that you would be better served to sleep and heal naturally. The other Masters agreed with the healers.” Obsidian paused at length. Then at last, with a deep, weary sigh, he continued. “When they attempted to wake you the first time, I attacked. I couldn’t stop myself, didn’t want to stop myself. I was protecting my Kyrsu, and it felt glorious.”
Anna gave him another pat, not knowing what else to do. “I presume by your earlier wording that you eventually mastered your darkness with the help of your mentors?”
“Yes. At least we thought we had.”
“But you’re not the only one with that darkness sleeping inside. I have it too.”
Obsidian slowly pulled away without meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry for that.”
“We’ve been over this before. I don’t regret for a moment having you in my life. Sure, maybe I do the whole berserker thing from time to time when I sense a threat to you.” Anna shrugged and then cupped the side of his face. “That’s a small price to pay for being alive and having you as the best little brother ever.”
“I should have allowed the healers to study you. Perhaps if they’d been able to study an immature version of what I possess, they’d have been able to dig it out of you before you woke.”
“Well, they can study me now.” Anna’s expression turned serious. “I think your reaction is linked to my reawakening, that my untrained and undisciplined mind somehow allowed your…beast to escape.”
“Anna that’s not—”
“Hear me out. You already conquered and learned to control your rage, but mine is young, wild and uncontrolled. If I can learn to master it as you have yours, then it stands to reason we should be able to live free of the berserker rages.”
Master Banrook halted next to them. Anna glanced down at her hands and then back at the elder.
“Master Banrook, I’m in desperate need of a mentor strong enough to help me conquer the darkness inside before it can influence Obsidian greater than it already does.”
“Anna Mackenzie,” Banrook tilted his head in a respectful nod of acknowledgment. “I will mentor you, and we will not allow the darkness to have you.”
The tension between Anna’s shoulders eased. “Thank you, but before any kind of training, Obsidian and I really need to see the healers.”
Banrook merely nodded his silent agreement.
Chapter 15
Even though Anna tried to take the blame, he still felt a soul-deep shame at how swiftly he’d fallen prey to the darkness. Anna might be untrained and still prey to its whims, but he should be able to recognize its rising and prevent events like what just happened. If Anna hadn’t maintained her senses and calmed him, he would have killed Reaver before the mentors stopped him. Their magic was formidable, but so was he and if they’d attacked, he would have retaliated in his mindless rage.
“Stop beating yourself up over something that was beyond your control, kid.”
“I’m no child. A child isn’t capable of putting his fist through Reaver’s face.”
Anna just shook her head and gave him her ‘males-know-nothing’ look.
“You’ll always be my little brother, get used to it. Now I’m going to call you kid because it annoys you.” Her accompanying emotions soon turned darker and more serious, though. She then placed both hands on his shoulders and urged him up. “If you thought I didn’t want to put my fist through his face, then you’d be very mistaken.”
“But you didn’t act upon your desire.”
“No.” Anna paused, her expression turning uneasy. “But I think I somehow made you act on it instead.”
Her words held a hint of possibility. But his training was much more advanced than hers, his mind capable of building a wall not many of his mentors could breach. He should have been able to control himself and prevent the darkness from gaining hold.
He still hadn’t come to terms with what he’d done when Banrook came over to him and put a wing around his shoulder.
“Come, young ones. Master Maradryn and the other healers will see to you three while the rest of us decide upon a suitable punishment for this…” The mentor looked toward the moaning Reaver. “Unfortunate incident.”
Obsidian watched as three healers came forward. Two approached Anna, but his Kyrsu merely shook her head.
“Help him first.” She pointed at Reaver. “Poor bastard can’t even roll over to stand.”
It was true. The damage inflicted upon the other male was beyond physical damage. When he’d attacked, he’d shredded Reaver’s protective shields with ease and then went after the source of his power, where the wellspring of magic flowed from deep in a gargoyle’s spirit.
If Anna hadn’t called him off, he would have magically gutted the other male in a matter of moments. It wasn’t something that his gargoyle mentors had taught. No, this was something dark from back in the days when a blood witch had begun his teachings.
The elders hadn’t come to realize the full extent of Reaver’s injuries yet. He wasn’t sure if Anna had realized what he’d done, but if they stayed, she’d come to understand what he’d done and where he’d learned that twisted bit of magic.
His shame swelled stronger.
So, when Banrook suggested they go to the healer’s quarters, Obsidian was only too happy to obey.
“We’ll speak more after you’re healed.” Banrook folded his arms across his chest. His glower speaking of his displeasure.
Obsidian nodded, the very picture of a docile subordinate, he hoped.
His mental link with Anna flared. “We’re about to get a good old-fashioned dressing down aren’t we?”
“Yes. That
puts my mind at ease. If they were going to toss me in some prison hole, there wouldn’t be any niceties first.”
“You guys actually have prison holes? Sounds more like a Tin Man type of punishment.”
“No. We don’t.” His attention narrowed in on the term Tin Man. He hadn’t heard Commander Gryton called that in years. For reasons he didn’t fully understand, that old spark of jealousy flamed back to life at the mention of their captor-turned-ally-at-the-end.
Then he had a disturbing thought. Did Anna use it as half insult, half term of endearment?
It shouldn’t matter to him.
Gryton was far away in the future.
He wouldn’t use the link to investigate Anna’s feelings.
But it was a great temptation.
Chapter 16
The healers’ quarters were irregularly shaped stone buildings forming a larger complex that twisted its way between the trunks of the towering hamadryads. Navigation would be a nightmare, but it made sense that healers’ quarters would be on the ground since moving injured persons up and down through the branches would have been a monumental task.
Anna didn’t get a chance to look around much, though. Almost as soon as they entered the first stone archway with its iron-bound wooden doors, the healers converged on them, fussing over them both, asking question after question, poking and prodding her and Obsidian the entire time.
Eventually, all but two of the healers went about their business—or Anna assumed—went to help with Reaver’s injuries. The remaining two introduced themselves as Novice Mist and Adept Prairie Dancer. They led Anna and Obsidian deeper into the complex, into one of the rooms branching off the main artery.
A short time later Obsidian was laid out on a bench with a healer on either side of him. It was as Anna expected. Obsidian’s injuries were more significant than her cracked ribs. The two healers muttered among themselves for some minutes. Then one left.
“What’s wrong?” Anna used their mental link, it was becoming as second nature as breathing. “Her expression was concerned.”
“Annoyed more like.”
Obsidian didn’t bother to raise his head or open his eyes, his posture that of a dog lazing in the sun.
“Why? Because you were too stubborn and got into a fight with Reaver instead of coming to see a healer?” Anna let a good dose of I-told-you-so enter her thoughts.
“Actually, no. The healers think Reaver got what he deserved. They are having trouble getting past my natural resistance to magic, even healing magic.” He paused and hissed as the remaining healer found a tender spot between the small of his back and the base of his tail.
Grunting, he opened his eyes and watched Anna. “All gargoyles possess a natural resistance to foreign magic, even that of the dryads, but the trait is stronger in me. Likely will be in you as well. It makes healing me somewhat problematic. Journeyman Healer Mist has gone to find Maradryn to help.”
While Obsidian was explaining the particulars, Mist returned, Maradryn sweeping into the room a couple steps behind. The elder glanced around, shook her head at the gargoyle and then instructed Prairie Dancer and Mist as they began working on Obsidian.
Anna learned that Prairie Dancer was Oath’s cousin.
Since Obsidian trusted all the healers, Anna picked an out of the way spot along the wall and carefully leaned back. There was a second padded bench situated directly in front of him, but she didn’t want to get underfoot. Sighing, she let her guard down, her mind going blank for the first time since waking. It had been an emotionally draining day, and her ribs were a now constant throb.
“Why isn’t a healer seeing to Anna?” Obsidian raised his head, turning to look at her with both eyes. With an unhappy grunt, he levered himself a bit higher off the bench.
“Stay down,” Maradryn ordered before Anna could say the same. “Prairie Dancer will see to your Kyrsu momentarily. We just need a bit of extra power to breach your defenses.”
He grunted unhappily but stayed put. Though his tail flicked in agitation.
The three healers summoned a warm, soothing power that reminded Anna of lazy summer days and green, growing things. Oddly, the magic was a shimmering silver. As tree Fae, Anna had somehow expected their power to be green.
Unaware of Anna’s frivolous thoughts, the three healers worked with a quiet efficiency. They were using what looked like a cross between physiotherapy, massage, and magic to realign and repair the damage to Obsidian’s spine and connective tissue.
“This stubborn idiot would have turned to stone on you if he hadn’t gotten here when he did.” Maradryn smacked at his flicking tail. “He never outgrew that stubborn streak.”
“I’m no more stubborn than the average gargoyle.”
The healers rolled their eyes and continued their work, but their healing magic must have been doing the trick because they soon reduced Obsidian to a wing-quivering, groaning, and sometimes purring pile of gargoyle.
Glancing away, she sought somewhere else to look and settled on staring out one of the narrow windows at the north end of the room. She watched the patterns on a hamadryad trunk where a rare ray of sunshine penetrated the dense canopy overhead and created a small patch of dappled shadows on the rough bark.
The link between them was still active even though she wasn’t trying to access it, a full array of emotions and sensations flowed, ghost-like through her mind. They were working their way towards his tail when things got weird. Discomfort hummed through their mind link. At first, she thought it was pain.
Oh, boy. That wasn’t caused by his injuries…
Anna pretended interest in the scenery and walked to the next window, putting that much more distance between them to give Obsidian the illusion of privacy.
“Anna, where are you going?” Maradryn called from her position at Obsidian’s head. “Prairie Dancer and Mist are almost done here and one of them will attend to your injuries shortly.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. I’ll be right over.”
“Is there something amiss?” Maradryn asked, a knowing look in her eyes.
“Nope.” Just sharing a doctor’s office with a horny gargoyle. Nothing wrong at all.
A wave of something hot flowed along their link, then cut off abruptly as Obsidian erected a shield. Anna winced and grabbed her head.
“Is something wrong?” Prairie Dancer asked, not realizing what Anna and Maradryn had already surmised.
“It’s nothing,” Obsidian said.
Anna returned to staring off into space. She didn’t pry, because she didn’t want to accidentally break his mental shields and get an eyeful of his thoughts. He obviously had a thing for either Prairie Dancer or Mist. Hell, he was a young male. Maybe he liked them both.
Maradryn glanced up at the other healers. “Mist, why don’t you go see how Reaver’s healing is coming. Prairie Dancer, you can see to Anna’s injuries now. I’ll finish up here.”
Anna could have kissed the woman. Observant and discreet—the best kind of ally.
At least that’s what she thought until Prairie Dancer walked over to the other bench and patted the blanket covered surface. “Take a seat here.”
Anna groaned mentally, and then glared at the dryad’s back as the woman turned to go retrieve some forgotten supplies. If she suggested they move to another room, it would only serve to highlight that she was embarrassed.
She’d die first.
Sealing her lips, she settled on the bench and faced forward. At least she couldn’t see Obsidian unless she turned her head. Small blessings.
Prairie Dancer soon returned. “Can you raise your shirt for me?”
Anna obeyed. The movement made all the hurts flare with renewed throbbing. She hissed.
Beside her Obsidian made a sound of sympathy. “It was the only way I could catch you in time.”
“I know.” She glanced sideways to meet his eyes briefly before returning to studying the damages.
Well, she thought, that’s a little uglier than I�
��d expected.
Her brown skin was several shades darker around her torso. An inky purple coloration started at her last rib and extended all the way to her waist. Damn. That was some bruising. Internal bleeding?
She probed gently at her abdomen, but it didn’t feel hard, and no sharp pains greeted the touch.
Anna glanced back up and found Prairie Dancer staring at her shadow magic sports bra where the lower half was exposed by her raised shirt.
What? Did a boob pop out or something? She glanced down to check. Nope. The girls were where they were supposed to be.
“You’re wearing...” Prairie Dancer’s mouth fell open. “But those are only worn...”
The dryad’s gaze cut away to study Obsidian. “Only gargoyles need clothing that will shapeshift with them.”
Disbelief laced her voice, but then her healer’s instincts must have kicked in because her gaze narrowed again as she scanned Anna’s injuries.
“Those bruises already look more than two days old. Only gargoyles heal that fast...”
Maradryn halted her work on Obsidian and came and placed a hand on Prairie Dancer’s shoulder. “I didn’t think. I should have expected this after everything Obsidian told the Council.” She looked away from Anna to stare down at the younger dryad. “You will heal Anna’s injuries, and once you are finished, you will tell no one what you’ve seen here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master Maradryn,” Prairie Dancer breathed softly.
“Good. I’ll assign you to be Anna’s primary healer. If she is injured in training, you will be the one to heal her. The Council wishes this to remain a secret until Anna has earned the Legion’s trust. You understand?”
“Yes, Elder. You have my word of honor.” The dryad healer sounded more than a touch in awe of what she’d discovered.
“Good. Then heal poor Anna.” With that, she returned to working on Obsidian.
It wasn’t until Obsidian settled his head back on his folded arms that Anna realized he’d been ready to pounce if the dryad had responded in any way that might endanger their secret.
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