Dragon's Gift: The Amazon Complete Series: An Urban Fantasy Boxed Set

by Linsey Hall

  Beside me, Ana raised her hands, her magic swelling on the air. She used her power over the earth, calling upon the gravelly ground to rise up and slam into two of the beasts who were closest to us. They flew backward, buried under a pile of tiny rocks.

  I lunged for a creature that charged us, my blade raised high. The monster charged at me, jumping ten feet to sail through the air, headed right for my head. Before it reached me, I swiped out with my blade, shattering the creature’s arm. Black glass shards flew everywhere, tiny pieces slicing across my cheek and neck.

  The Obsidia landed gracefully and spun, swiping out with its other arm, aiming at my leg. I darted out of the way, but too slowly. The glass cut through my shin, and pain flared.

  I gritted my teeth and dived forward, slicing through the Obsidia’s body with my sword. As the creature shattered, I threw my arm up in front of my face, covering my skin. Glass shards embedded themselves in my jacket, but I escaped the worst of it.

  When I lowered my arm, I spotted Bree and Ana tag teaming three more Obsidia. Ana kept them distracted with sprays of gravel while Bree attacked with her sword from the sky. They took them out one by one, and I turned my attention to scanning our surroundings, searching for more attackers.

  The wound at my shin burned, but I ignored it. When a shift in the rubble to my left caught my eye, I tightened my grip on my blade.

  A half second later, an Obsidia burst from the ground, red eyes blazing. Its gaze glued to me, and it charged, razor-sharp arms outstretched.

  I sprinted toward the monster. It was comforting, having a problem that I could fix with just my blade and muscles.

  As I neared the Obsidia, I swiped out with my blade and slammed it into the creature’s arms. They shattered, but the beast used the stub of one to slice at my arm. He made contact, and agony flared, making my eyes water and a cry tear from my throat.

  Thank fates it isn’t my sword arm.

  I raised my blade and brought it down across the creature’s chest, shattering him into a hundred pieces. I was too slow to cover my face, and the glass bit in sharply, a dozen pinpricks of pain.

  When I lowered my arm, I spotted my sisters. Bree had landed next to Ana.

  The monsters were gone.

  “You okay?” I shouted over the sound of explosions.

  Ana bled from her arm and Bree from her leg, but they both looked all right.

  “Just dandy!” Ana said.

  “Couldn’t be better.” Bree grinned.

  Ana turned to Bree, her hand glowing golden with her healing light. “Let me take care of that leg.”

  While they healed up with Ana’s Druid healing power, I pulled a healing potion from my belt. This one was meant to be drunk, and it’d be better for the gashes and tiny wounds. I took a sparing sip, wanting to save some for later, and felt the pain begin to fade.

  A few tiny glass shards fell from my face as my skin evicted them in the healing process. Once I was sure they were all gone, I did my best to wipe the blood away.

  All healed up, we continued to climb toward the top. Every inch of me prickled with awareness as I kept my senses tuned for more Obsidia.

  As we climbed, the sound of explosions grew louder. The earth beneath my feet shook, and more rubble flowed down the hillside. It took everything I had to stay on my feet, and I struggled to keep upright.

  By the time Jude’s figure appeared at the top of the hill, surrounded by the blaze of the setting sun, all of my muscles were burning. I wiped the sweat away from my face and peered at her.

  Behind her tall figure, there were more hills. Gravel and smoke exploded upward, revealing a silhouette of horror.

  I gasped at the familiar sight, stumbling backward. The strongest sense of déjà vu swept over me, highlighting all the similarities between this scene and the one shown to me by the Truth Teller.

  “We’re here.” The words came out in a rush.

  “What?” Bree asked.

  “This. This scene is what the Truth Teller showed the Stryx.” I turned to my sisters, knowing my eyes had to be wild.

  Ana and Bree’s eyes widened.

  “The red sky and black mountains,” Bree said.

  “The explosions.” Ana covered her ears as a particularly violent one struck.

  “What’s going on?” Jude shouted, climbing down the mountain toward us, her braids blowing in the wind.

  I turned to face her. “This looks just like the scene that the Truth Teller showed me in class.” I pointed to the explosions. “This is the work of the Stryx.”

  Jude’s eyes narrowed. “Really? I got a glimpse of red in the image, but didn’t see it well.”

  “Really. I saw it so clearly.”

  She waved us forward. “Then come up and check it out closer. See if you still feel the same when you get to the top.”

  I scrambled up the hillside behind her, moving as quickly as I could. By the time I reached the top, I realized it was a massive crater. We were standing on the spoils of a huge digging operation. In the pit below, the Stryx were plowing into the earth using explosives. We were near a volcano—we had to be, given all the obsidian flying through the air—and the Stryx were just going deeper.

  I squinted down into the middle of the gigantic crater, but I could see nothing except smoke and explosions.

  “We can’t get in!” Jude shouted over the noise. “We’ve tried, but there is a barrier blocking us.”

  “So you can’t stop them?” I asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “It’s definitely the Stryx, though. I’d bet my life on it.”

  “Good.” Jude nodded. “At least we know, now.”

  I turned back toward the explosions, finally spotting Maximus standing about thirty yards away on the same ridge. He looked tall and strong enough to break a bus in half. His arms were crossed over his chest and his face creased in a scowl as he watched the explosions. He hadn’t seen me yet.

  “Why is he here?” I asked.

  “Sent by the Order,” Jude said. “This is serious. If the Stryx keep this up for much longer, all the rocks that they’re blowing out of the earth are going to crush a nearby village.”

  My stomach plunged.

  “Oh, fates,” Bree murmured. “Human or supernatural?”

  “Both.”

  She frowned. “So we can’t even tell them the truth. We have to protect them without revealing there’s magic.”

  “And that’s a hell of a lot harder,” Jude said.

  I stared at the explosions below, horror and fear rising within me like a thick black tar. “You don’t know what they are after?”

  “Not a clue,” Jude said. “We only know it’s the Stryx because you say so.”

  I turned to her. “Do you believe me?”

  “I believe that you believe it.” She shrugged. “And I trust you. So yes, right now, we’ll assume it is the Stryx. But what they’re doing, I have no idea.”

  I turned back to the explosions, trying to see through the thick black smoke that surrounded the Stryx’s operation. The longer I looked at it, the more powerful it felt. The magic within the crater grew, calling to me.

  I stepped backward, shaking my head and sucking in a breath.

  That was weird.

  I tried to look away, to find my sisters or Maximus. But I couldn’t. My gaze was glued on the smoky crater. The magic within rose up toward me, twisting around my body and seeping inside my skin.

  Come.

  The voice echoed in my ears, impossible to ignore.

  Come to us.

  I shook my head, resisting. But the magic within the crater called. Worse, it pulled. As if the tendrils of dark magic had twisted around my muscles and bones, it had a grip on me. It tugged me forward.

  Part of me wanted to go. Wanted to figure out what was happening down there.

  Most of me knew it was a death wish.

  The magic didn’t care what I wanted. It tugged me forward, forcing my limbs to move. Panic flared in
my chest. I struggled against the magic’s hold, trying to pull myself back and fight the grip of the dark power.

  Come to us.

  Against my will, I walked forward, my muscles forced into action. I tried to scream, but no sound escaped my lips. My body was a prisoner to the magic, and I was stumbling down the hill toward the smoke below.

  “No!” I tried to scream, but the words were just a whisper.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of three tiny figures.

  The Menacing Menagerie. Drawn here by my distress, no doubt. The three little creatures clung to my legs, trying to hold me back. They weren’t strong enough, though, and I stumbled forward like a zombie.

  Did my sisters not see me? Jude or Maximus?

  I was walking to my death, forced by this dark magic, and they hadn’t noticed.

  My heart thundered in my ears, nearly deafening.

  “Rowan!” Maximus’s shout echoed with fear. “Stop!”

  But I couldn’t. Finally, he’d seen me, but I was so far down.

  “Rowan!” my sisters screamed in unison, but their voices echoed in the distance. They were too far.

  I was too far.

  Then I was enveloped in the darkness entirely. Their voices were gone. My breath was gone. My will was gone. I kept walking, straight through the thick black fog and toward the explosions that made every bone in my body shake.

  Without a doubt, I knew the truth.

  I would die here.

  4

  The Stryx’s evil magic pulled me deep into the darkness. All around, the explosions shook the air. Shook the ground. Only magic kept me upright, but I fought it anyway, trying to escape the grip of the Stryx. They were calling me to them, and if they got ahold of me, I was dead.

  The Menacing Menagerie were gone, no doubt forced away by this evil power.

  What kind of magic could do this?

  When a golden light blared through the darkness, it was like a breath of air to a drowning person. Something grabbed me—a hand, tight around my arm. It yanked me backward, strong and sure.

  I stumbled, breaking away from the pull of the Stryx. The hand that had grabbed me belonged to someone with great power. Golden magic, strong and bright. The figure pulled me from the black smoke.

  Once the magic had loosened its grip on me, I coughed and spun. I stood within a golden circle, a clearing in the middle of the smoke.

  In front of me, Hermes stood. The messenger god wore his winged sandals and a golden helmet. His skin and white tunic were stained with the smoke around us, and his brow was creased with worry.

  “What happened?” I shouted over the sound of explosions. “Where are we?”

  “A protective circle.” Hermes coughed, using his tunic to cover his mouth so he could breathe. “The Stryx dragged you in. They want you.”

  I shivered, eyeing the darkness that surrounded us. “Why?”

  “They need you. For what, I do not know. But you must not go to them. Your goal must be to defeat them.”

  “I wasn’t trying to go to them. Something dragged me toward them. They’ve never been able to do that before.”

  “They are powerful. More powerful than you have seen.” Strain creased his brow. “Even now, it is difficult for me to keep you safe from them.”

  “Why did you save me?”

  “Queens Hippolyta and Penthesilea demanded that I do so. I owe them a favor.”

  “Who the hell are they?” The smoke was starting to make it hard to breathe.

  “The Amazons, the greatest warriors in Greek history.”

  My jaw nearly dropped. “They’re real?”

  He gave me a look that suggested I was an idiot.

  He wasn’t totally off the mark, actually. If Hermes, the messenger god, existed, of course the Amazons existed.

  “Why do they care about me?” I asked.

  “They wish to see you. And not only that—you need to see them. Your magic is not settling well within you—it is fractured. If you are lucky, this journey will help you fix that.” His gaze turned dark. “But it must be soon, before it is too late. Before the magic devours you. Your magic, your soul.”

  I swallowed hard. “Devours me?”

  “The fate of a DragonGod is not an easy one, and the Greek gods have gifted you with such great power that you must work hard to control it. You don’t have much time left. Perhaps a week?”

  I swallowed hard. Less time than I’d thought. “Where do I find the Amazons?” I wracked my mind for any memory of the great warrior women. “Don’t they live on an island somewhere?”

  “That is fiction. They once lived along the shore of the Black Sea. In the modern day, they have adapted. You will find them in Istanbul. Search for the symbol of the warrior woman, and you will find them.” He reached for my hand and pressed something into it. A stone. “That transport charm will take you to them.”

  “What do I do once I find them?”

  “Whatever they tell you to. If you’re lucky, you’ll learn to control your magic. You might also learn how to stop the Stryx. They’re connected to you, Rowan. You must get control of your magic to have any hope of defeating them.”

  “So I might figure out what they are up to?”

  “Yes, if you survive.”

  A pulse of power from the darkness nearly bowled me over. Even Hermes stumbled.

  His face paled. “I must go. It is becoming too dangerous.”

  Before I could speak, he grabbed my arm and pulled me through the smoky air. For the briefest moment, it threatened to suck me back in and drag me toward the Stryx. But Hermes kept his grip firm.

  When we stumbled out onto the mountainside, the orange light of the nearly setting sun blinded me. Hermes disappeared immediately, and I spun in a circle, searching for my friends.

  Explosions still sounded from within the crater, and dark debris flew into the sky. About twenty feet down the slope into the crater, my friends looked as if they were banging on an invisible wall, trying to push their way through. Maximus, Bree, and Ana fought like mad, punching and kicking the wall. Jude looked like she was trying to funnel glowing orange magic into the barrier, perhaps to break it or drain it of its power.

  They’re trying to save me.

  “Guys!” I shouted as I stumbled down the hill. “Stop!” When the tug of the Stryx pulled at me once more, I halted, gasping. Everyone turned to look at me. “Come on!”

  Relief flashed on their faces. I didn’t spare a second more. I just turned and ran, scrambling up the hillside. I had to get far, far away. The Stryx still had a hold on me, and I couldn’t let them suck me back in. No way I could count on Hermes to save me twice.

  I reached the top and began to slide down the hill on the other side, heading toward a low-lying bank of mist.

  “Rowan! What’s wrong?” Bree shouted from behind.

  “Just need some”—I gasped, sprinting forward—“distance!”

  I kept running, finally stumbling to a halt about halfway down. The sound of explosions was fainter here, and if my friends saw me start to zombie-walk back toward the Stryx, they’d stop me.

  Panting, I dropped to my knees, trying to catch my breath. In the distance, the mist cleared a bit. I squinted toward it. Were there buildings there?

  Yes, there were.

  A small village sat in the valley between two hills, ancient and stalwart through the ages.

  The village that will be destroyed by the Stryx if they keep going with this mad plan.

  An ache started up in my chest. The buildings were small, little white houses of the style that were so recognizably Greek. A street led into the village, passing between two houses. I caught sight of a boy, no older than six. He stared at me with big dark eyes, his right arm wrapped around a big goofy dog.

  The ache turned to a lightning bolt of fear.

  That little boy would die if the explosions went on much longer. At best, he’d evacuate and lose his home. Lose everything. Even now, rubble from th
e overflow was spilling down the hillside toward them. It would bury the village soon enough.

  My gaze went from the boy to the dog.

  Fates, I have to fix this.

  Panting, I stood and turned to watch Maximus, Bree, Ana, and Jude race down the mountain toward me, confusion and worry on their faces.

  “What the heck is going on?” Ana demanded.

  Maximus strode up to me and gripped my arms, concern on his handsome face. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  I nodded, reaching up to clasp his hand with my own. Warmth flowed through me at the touch, and I smiled. “I’m fine. For now. But I can’t get near those explosions. Not right now.”

  “Fates, you had me worried.” He pulled me to him in a tight hug, and I squeezed him back. Warmth, comfort, acceptance. His touch made all of those flow through me, and I drank them up.

  Finally, I pulled back and stepped away. Jude was nearly to us. I didn’t think my teacher and hopefully future boss knew about us, and I wasn’t sure what she would say. Not that her opinion would sway my feelings, but I didn’t need any extra complications right now. I turned from Maximus to decrease suspicion, and looked at my sisters.

  “What’s the deal?” Bree reached out and grabbed my arm, as if wanting to assure herself that I was safe and alive.

  “The Stryx dragged me to them.” I shuddered at the memory of the loss of control. “I don’t know how they managed it, but they’re strong.”

  “You’re the only one who could cross the barrier,” Jude said. “They protected their operations with a spell, and we can’t get any closer. How did you get out?”

  “Hermes, the Greek messenger god, saved me.” I told them about the Amazons sending him and wanting to meet me. How I might be able to fix my power there, and I might even be able to get answers about what the Stryx were doing.

  “Then you need to go,” Jude said. “Without question.”

  “Yes.” Bree’s gaze was intense. “Anything that will help you get your magic under control.”

  I nodded. “I’ll go.”