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

by Linsey Hall

  I sprinted for the Stryx, but they joined hands, glaring at me. The Stryx on the left slammed the green charm into her chest. They disappeared a half second later.

  I wanted to shriek my frustration and fall to the ground, but I couldn’t.

  The magical drill was still firing.

  I turned and ran for it, but Bree and Ana had gotten there first. They flew into it, pushing it over and breaking it in half.

  All around, my friends and allies finished off the demons who remained. There were no more titans. No more Stryx.

  Not here, at least.

  My sisters landed in front of me, Ana shifting back into human form as she set foot on the ground.

  “We need to get to work,” she said. “Let’s close up this gate.”

  I nodded, swallowing my disappointment at losing the Stryx. We had work to do before the threat was gone.

  “I’ll clear the field.” Bree launched herself into the air, flying from fighter to fighter, commanding them to clear out.

  The earth mages stayed, along with anyone else who could help.

  I sprinted to the buggy, then leapt into the driver’s seat and cranked the engine. Before they completely destroyed the crater, I wanted to get the magical drill out of here. It was broken, but no way I wanted it repurposed by the titans in Tartarus. And we might learn something from it, though it was unlikely.

  I stopped the buggy next to the drill and climbed onto the front platform, grabbing the chain that had so recently been tied around my waist. My arm ached as I worked, but not as badly as my disappointment.

  “I’ve got this.” Maximus appeared at my side, taking the chain from my hands. He met my gaze, worry in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m good.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.” There was more I wanted to say to him, but now wasn’t the time. I nodded to the chain. “Thanks for that.”

  I climbed back into the driver’s seat as he wrapped the chain around the broken drill.

  Once he’d finished, he walked over to the driver’s side. “I’m going to stay and help with this. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  “See you.” I pressed on the gas and drove away from the pit, dragging the magical drill behind me. On my way up to the edge of the crater, I stopped to pick up the wounded.

  Caro the water mage had a nasty bump on her head, her platinum hair stained red. Jude looked like she might have a broken arm, but her blue eyes gleamed with victory. Ali and Haris were fine, so they waved me on.

  The Menacing Menagerie were busy raiding the demon corpses before they disappeared and returned to their hells, so they just ignored me. I picked up a few people I didn’t recognize, but at least all of them looked like they would live.

  At the top of the crater, I turned back to look.

  Maximus was rolling the enormous boulders back into the pit, while the earth mages were commanding huge piles of rubble to pour back into Tartarus. Ana stood amongst them, moving more earth than anyone.

  “We did well,” Jude said.

  I turned to look at her. “I let the Stryx get away.”

  “You didn’t let them. They ran scared. They were terrified of you.”

  She was right. They had been. “They’re still gone. And they’ve got three titans.”

  “Better than twelve. And if we closed the gate to Tartarus in time and Atlas heals, we’ll have saved the satellites and avoided WWIII. I consider that a win.”

  I nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Live to fight another day.”

  And the Amazons would be okay. That was a huge win. We’d use these victories to defeat the Stryx. We could do it. They were afraid of me. I was going to make sure they stayed that way.

  16

  An hour later, after dropping off the wounded and the magical drill, I returned to the mountain in Greece. The sun was rising, and it was light enough that I could see the village at the bottom of the mountain.

  The rubble pile that had nearly crushed it was gone. All of that was piled back in the pit that led to Tartarus. Wearily, I climbed the hill toward the top. I could still hear the scraping of earth as they finished filling in the hole, and I prayed that the Obsidia wouldn’t make an appearance. I didn’t have the energy to face the little bastards.

  When I reached the top, a smile stretched across my face for the first time in a while. The pit was gone. So was the crater. Maximus, Ana, and Bree climbed up the shallow slope toward me, along with a half dozen other mages who’d helped put the earth back into place now that the barrier no longer prevented us.

  Gratitude swelled in my chest as I looked at my sisters. They all looked whole and healthy, though pretty dinged up. But in our world, anything short of on-your-back-dying was pretty good.

  Maximus walked straight up to me and didn’t even hesitate. He just wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward him. I melted into his warmth, so damned happy that he was safe. There hadn’t been time before. Closing the gate to Tartarus was too important. But now that I had a second, I focused on him.

  I leaned back and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Good job with that titan.”

  “That little guy? Nothing.” He grinned.

  I smiled back, then turned to my sisters. Bree leaned against Cade, while Ana leaned against Lachlan.

  “Do you think this thing is closed for good?” I asked.

  “All of the earth is back on top of it,” Bree said.

  “The Order will send mages to enchant it,” Maximus said. “It needs to be reinforced with magic.”

  I nodded, remembering what Atlas had said about the magic that kept the titans in place. It wasn’t just the earth. But hopefully, with the ground covered back up, the Amazons and Atlas would be fine.

  Ana dug into her pocket, then pulled out a rock. She held it out to me. “Here. You can go check on the Amazons. I know you were worried about them.”

  I nodded gratefully and took the transport charm. “I am.”

  I hugged her and Bree, then pulled back. “Want to meet at my place later tonight for a drink?”

  They grinned. “I think we deserve a little celebrating.”

  “I hope so.” I wouldn’t feel like it until I knew the Amazons and Atlas were okay.

  We said goodbye, then I turned to Maximus. “I think I need to do this alone.”

  He nodded, a slight smile on his face. He leaned in to speak into my ear. “Perhaps we could have that date when you get back? In a few days, once you’ve recovered.”

  Warmth flowed through me. “Yes.” I didn’t even hesitate. “I’d like that.”

  He stepped back and pressed a kiss to my cheek, then turned to leave.

  I waved goodbye to my sisters, then threw the transport charm to the ground. It exploded upward in a plume of silver dust. I stepped into it, letting the ether suck me in and spin me through space, then depositing me in a busy street in Istanbul. The sun was higher here, and the day warmer.

  I hurried down the sidewalk, toward the Amazons’ building. As soon as I entered the tall glass building, my gaze went to the two guards who sat at the table, once again playing chess.

  They stood. No golden crystals hung around their necks.

  “Are you better?” I demanded. “Has the wasting disease gone away?”

  They both grinned widely. “As of a half hour ago.”

  I sagged in relief, my muscles nearly turning to water. “Oh, thank fates. How is everyone else? The Queens? Atlas?”

  “The Queens want to see you.”

  I nodded, following them to the elevator. Tension crawled over my skin as the elevator rose. I ignored the view of the city and focused on the Amazons. “How is everyone?”

  The dark-haired Amazon turned to me, a wide smile stretching across her face. “Better. It was like the strength all flowed back into us at once.”

  The door dinged open, and I hurried out.

  Queen Penthesilea and Queen Hippolyta surged to their feet.

  “You were succ
essful,” Queen Hippolyta said.

  I strode toward them, taking in their vibrant expressions. There were no charms around their necks. Thank fates. I’d been so worried about them.

  They were an ancient race dedicated to protecting the world, and they’d almost been wiped out. Not to mention, they were the last of my kind.

  I couldn’t help myself.

  I threw out my arms and hugged them both.

  They stood stiffly for only half a second, as if confused, then they wrapped their arms around me and hugged me back. Warmth flowed through me.

  I had my family—my sisters were my family, no question about it. But I could always use more. If my time in captivity had taught me anything, it was that I could always use more good in my life. More family and friends.

  I pulled back. “You’re really all right?”

  Queen Penthesilea nodded. “So is Atlas. He sent a message fifteen minutes ago. He’s well, and the satellites should be too.”

  “And Prometheus?”

  “We haven’t heard from him,” Queen Hippolyta said. “But then, we wouldn’t normally. We assume he is okay.”

  “Probably pulling a con on someone else,” I said.

  They gave me quizzical looks, but I ignored them. No need to tell them the story of how Prometheus might have manipulated me into drinking a ridiculous amount of Raki all while intending to help me.

  Queen Hippolyta stepped back. “Would you like to meet some of the other Amazons? Now that we’re not under such a tight and dire time schedule?”

  “I’d love that.” And I really would. I was going to need to learn a lot if I wanted to defeat the Stryx.

  Threat of Magic

  Dragon’s Gift: The Amazon Book 4

  1

  Training facility at the secret Amazon warrior headquarters

  The warrior lunged at me, her sword swiping for my neck.

  My heart lurched as I ducked low, avoiding her strike. I gripped my own sword, unfamiliar with the new Amazonian weapon, and whirled away from her. She growled and charged, but I was ready.

  I sliced at her with my blade, narrowly missing her neck.

  “It’s in the wrist!” shouted Alkaia, my trainer, from the sidelines. “Don’t forget the wrist.”

  Damn it, Alkaia was right. I was forgetting the wrist. The Amazons—some of the most famous warriors in history—were letting me train with them, and I was forgetting the damned wrist.

  My opponent came at me again, wielding her xiphos with precision. She certainly wasn’t forgetting to use her wrist, and the short sword nearly struck me.

  I gripped my own xiphos and danced out of her way, my fancy footwork the only thing saving me from getting a slice to the arm.

  Because they were immortal badasses, the Amazons trained with real weapons. I had a few nasty slices to show for it.

  All around, the training room bustled with people practicing their swordplay. Today, I was up against Lykopis, a warrior who was over two thousand years old but looked only twenty. She wore modern black tactical gear. Her dark hair swung in a long ponytail and her green eyes followed my every move like a snake.

  I really liked Lykopis, except for the fact that she was probably going to kick my ass.

  I quickstepped away from her, heading back toward the wall as I considered my options.

  Speed was the only thing that could make up for my shoddy wrist-work, so I waited until she lunged for me. As her steel glittered, I darted right, going low toward her waist. I moved as quickly as I could, swiping out with my blade and striking her lightly in the side. I pulled my punches, not wanting to hurt her too badly since this was training.

  She hissed, darting away from me.

  Sweat dripped down my temples and I grinned.

  “Enough!” Alkaia stepped forward, slicing her hands through the air. Her blonde hair hung in long waves, streaked with black to match the tactical gear that all the Amazons wore.

  “Damn it.” Lykopis scowled. Then she nodded and met my gaze. “Well done.”

  There was no bitterness or insincerity in her tone. That’s what I liked about the Amazons. They made a great team. Lykopis didn’t like being beaten—hell, no one did—but she was a good loser when her opponent was one of her fellow Amazons.

  It still wowed me that I was one of them.

  I’d only learned about the Amazons a week ago, but they were quick to adopt me as one of their own. I still spent most of my time at the Protectorate castle in Scotland, but I’d managed to steal over to their compound for an hour a day to train with them. The rest of my time was spent hunting for the Stryx, the evil witches who’d become my mortal enemies.

  “You need to use your wrist.” Alkaia’s words cut through my distraction, and I turned to her.

  “I know.”

  “Your mind is elsewhere,” Alkaia said.

  There was no point in telling her that my mind was on the Stryx. All the Amazons knew it. I’d spent most of the last four days hunting them, sparing only an hour for training.

  “I’ll try harder.” I looked down at the short sword that was vaguely leaf shaped. The ancient Greek blade was unfamiliar in my hands, but I liked it.

  Behind Alkaia, a set of elevator doors whooshed open. Queens Hippolyta and Penthesilea stepped out, their expressions as stern as always.

  I admired the queens. They’d ruled jointly over the Amazons for over two thousand years, and under their watch, the race of ancient warriors had become some of the most successful mercenaries in the world. They fought only on the side of good, of course, but any battle they joined was won.

  The queens strode toward me, each wearing identical black tactical wear. They didn’t look any different than their soldiers, really, but the power that rolled off them was definitely different. These women packed a seriously powerful magical punch, and they were looking right at me.

  Alkaia stepped to the side, joining me, and Lykopis disappeared toward the locker rooms.

  The queens stopped in front of us. They were both tall, but it was their magic that made them seem like they towered over everyone else in the room.

  “How is your training going?” Queen Penthesilea asked.

  I looked down at the sword. “Good. I need to work on my wrist, but good.”

  “She’s exceptionally talented,” Alkaia said.

  Heat warmed my cheeks. Alkaia wasn’t full of compliments when she was training me, but I’d take them any time I could get them. She reminded me a bit of Jude, my trainer at the Academy. The stuff I did with the Amazons was on my off time, but I liked doubling up.

  “We have good news,” Queen Hippolyta said. “Tiresias has been spotted near the Black Sea.”

  “The seer?” The name rang a bell, but I’d been hunting down so many leads for powerful seers that they were getting fumbled in my head.

  “The most famous seer from Ancient Greece,” Queen Penthesilea said. “He’s been missing for centuries—a real hermit, that one. But he’s been spotted by our sources. Right in the Black Forest, near the Black Sea. By the shore, we think.”

  I grinned. “And he might be able to help me find the Stryx.”

  Both queens nodded, their smiles broad.

  Four days ago, after the Stryx had released three Titans from their prison in Tartarus, all five of them had disappeared. Poof, gone, no trace.

  We had no idea what they were up to, but Titans were the magical equivalent of nuclear weapons. They were giants with magical gifts to rival the gods, and we didn’t know what the Stryx wanted with them. It was safe to assume that whatever it was, it’d change the world as we knew it.

  And not in a good way.

  As a result, everyone was on the lookout. The Protectorate was dedicating all of its manpower to finding them. Maximus, my sorta-boyfriend who considered it his life’s work to make me swoon, said that the Order of the Magica was doing everything they could to find them, as well.

  The Amazons were helping on the condition that I showed up at their
base of operations to train for an hour a day. I was one of them, and even though I wouldn’t live here like the rest, they wanted me to learn their ways. In return, they helped me hunt for the Stryx.

  And this was our first real lead. A seer powerful enough to shed some light on the problem.

  Queen Penthesilea dug into her pocket, then handed me a small black stone. “This will take you to the Black Forest. It is dangerous, so you must be careful. You will find Tiresias on an island in the lake.”

  “We suggest that you bring backup,” Queen Hippolyta said. “There are dangerous things in that forest.”

  “I will.” I gripped the transport charm tightly. “Thank you for this.”

  “Thank you, Rowan.” Queen Penthesilea nodded. “You are the one fated to defeat the Stryx. We will do everything in our power to help you succeed, for the alternative is catastrophe.”

  Ancient queens had a tendency to speak in dramatic language, but in this case, she was right. The Stryx were as deadly as an army of giant cobras who could teleport right into your bedroom.

  With those final, ominous words, the queens swept out of the room. I sighed, sagging.

  “Do you need backup?” Alkaia asked.

  I glanced at the clock over the bank of elevators, noticing that it was nearly four. “No. I’ve got just the person in mind. But thank you.”

  In fact, I was late for a date with him.

  In fairness, the word date was pretty generous for what we had planned. Not that we didn’t want to go on a real one, but the most we had time for these days was a quick drink while comparing notes on our hunt for the Stryx.

  Alkaia nodded. “Well, good work with the xiphos. And be safe out there.”

  “I’ll do my best.” I hurried from the room, catching one of the elevators that would take me to the bottom floor of the huge building that served as the Amazon’s headquarters. It looked like any of the other fancy glass buildings in Istanbul’s business district, though most people had no idea what it housed.