Sorceress at War (A Gargoyle and Sorceress Tale Book 4)

by Lisa Blackwood

  “Gregory and Daryna won’t allow anyone else to go after him, either.” The accusation was clear in her voice.

  The demigods wouldn’t allow anyone to go?

  Well, fuck that.

  “We won’t leave Shadowlight to the Battle Goddess’ mercy. We can’t. We can’t risk him sharing everything we’ve done here. Even if they do not want to risk themselves or others, we still must send a team to rescue Shadowlight.”

  Daryna stepped away from Lillian to study Anna instead. “It’s not as easy as you make it sound. Anyone who attempts to invade the Battle Goddess’ territory would be found out and incarcerated. When we move on her, we must be ready to strike a blow she won’t recover from.”

  “What are you saying?” Although, Anna thought she knew what the Sorceress was telling her.

  Falling silent, Daryna paced a half circle around Anna. “We are simply not ready to go after Shadowlight. Your fellow humans are not ready for a full-scale war to land in their backyard, either.”

  “So you will do nothing?” Anna heard her own voice climb an octave. She couldn’t lose her shit over this. Shadowlight needed her calm, composed, and focused on his rescue.

  “We will not be doing nothing,” Daryna said as she continued to pat Lillian’s back. “We will be readying for battle. And I promise you. When we are ready to strike a devastating blow, we will find Shadowlight and free him from the Battle Goddess’ traps.”

  But Shadowlight might not have the time. Anna couldn’t imagine the Battle Goddess sitting back and waiting for Shadowlight to reveal what he knew. He would be tortured for information.

  “Daryna is correct,” Gregory said. “We can’t risk open war with the Battle Goddess yet. She might very well win. And we don’t dare appear in the Lady of Battles’ domain until after we have an army ready and eager to destroy hers. We must approach Shadowlight’s rescue with caution.”

  “But I can’t sit back and allow any number of horrors to be performed upon the kid.”

  Gregory’s voice softened. “We will go after Shadowlight. But as much as my every instinct is screaming to go after him now, we need a plan, as well as an idea of what traps we may be up against. If we have any hope of rescuing Shadowlight, we will need to know what to expect and get in and out quickly without being discovered.”

  Anna felt a tiny bit of hope. It wasn’t that Gregory was abandoning Shadowlight, he just needed a sound plan.

  Worry and guilt still churned within her, but she managed to calm some of the rage. Although the need to beat the shit out of something was still strong.

  She would get Shadowlight back.

  Gregory nudged Lillian gently, trying to coax her into climbing onto his back. When she refused, Gregory continued his earlier line of thought. “I might not know exactly what the Battle Goddess has been up to, but I know someone who does. Tomorrow I will hunt down Gryton, drag him back here, and carve out every piece of information we need.”

  Anna arched her brow. How was he going to capture Tin Man? That bastard was slipperier than shit and disappeared faster than fog in the summer. So far he’d proven impossible to catch.

  “This is the second time we’ve managed to get a chunk of him.” Gregory held up a piece of battered and bloodstained armor. “With this, I have enough of his blood and magic to create a spell to track him. He will not be able to hide for me this time. His armor is a physical manifestation of his power. It’s a part of him.”

  “I’ll help,” Anna said as that intense need to protect Shadowlight reared up within her again.

  “No. Not this time. I’ll not risk losing another cub to Gryton’s tricks.”

  “I’m not a cub.”

  “You are not even a quarter-century old.” Gregory huffed. “A cub.”

  Her teeth creaked as she ground them together. Who wasn’t a child compared to this immortal demigod’s age? Anna tried another tactic. “I’m older than Lillian—”

  He cut her off. “Lillian isn’t going either. Daryna will stay behind to guard you both while I hunt down Gryton.” There was a long stretch of silence as he eyed his sorceress. “Daryna will remain to guard you this time. No matter what.”

  Anna was somewhat surprised to hear the harsh tone directed at Daryna.

  Huh? So the male half of the demigod pairing could and would get pissed off at his female half.

  If Anna wasn’t so worried about Shadowlight, she might have looked into that more.

  “How long do you need to track down Gryton?”

  “A few hours. But I must look over Lillian to make sure she and our child are both well. And the humans will want to be brought up to date.” Gregory glanced at the darkening sky. “I’ll start the hunt at dawn after I’ve had a chance to make sure Lillian is fully healed.”

  “I’m fine,” the other woman piped up, “we can start the hunt now.”

  “No,” Gregory said in a deep rumble as he wrapped Lillian in the protective shelter of his wings. “I felt your pain and desperation during the battle with Gryton. You need healing.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m a gargoyle. My body is already healing.”

  Daryna laid a hand over Lillian’s abdomen. “He’s worried about our child.”

  That got Lillian’s attention. Her tail stopped flicking and her wings wrapped around herself as if that would help protect her unborn child.

  Anna wasn’t the maternal type. Didn’t want kids. And yet she still felt strong, soul deep sympathy for the poor woman.

  Out loud, Anna added, “Let Gregory take care of you. Then he won’t be distracted when he goes to hunt down Gryton. I’ll get Resnick up to speed with the situation.”

  Because, by God, if Anna wasn’t given a job, she was going to lose her shit. She couldn’t help it. The need to rescue the kid was almost overwhelming.

  “Thank you,” Lillian said.

  Gregory and Daryna supported Lillian between them as they walked from the maze.

  Anna was left with a very unhappy looking Resnick. He stopped before her, frowned down at her, and then took in the scene. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see you alive. But what the hell happened? I’m getting conflicting reports. Start talking.”

  Anna stood at attention. “Yes, sir.”

  At least telling him everything she knew gave her a purpose.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Lillian allowed Daryna and Gregory to help her back to the cottage. Once there, Gregory simply pulled her into his arms and carried her up to their rooms. No small feat since she was still in her gargoyle form and was as tall as him, if not as heavily muscled.

  Daryna kept pace with them and Lillian’s battered body drank in the healing power of the Mother’s Sorceress. At the moment, she couldn’t summon a speck of anger or distrust for Daryna. She was just happy to have helped since it might be the difference between life and death for her unborn child.

  Once they entered the master bedroom, Gregory carried her to the bed and sat down with her. He kept her in his lap, his wings and arms circling her protectively.

  “Is our child all right?” Lillian directed the question at both Daryna and Gregory, not caring who answered.

  Daryna dropped down in front of Lillian and gripped her wrists. Taking a pulse? Weaving more magic?

  “Our little one is strong,” she said as she glanced between Lillian and Gregory. “All is well. Although, sleep will certainly be beneficial.” Again Daryna paused. “Are you sure you don’t wish to know our child’s gender?”

  “You can tell already?”

  “Yes. Gargoyle offspring develop much faster than humans.”

  “I…” Lillian began but paused and let her hands drop to her stomach. She wanted this baby to be a surprise. But more importantly, she didn’t want to associate this new life with darkness or unhappiness. Now, with Shadowlight captured, it was far from a joyous time.

  But what did Gregory want?”

  Lillian turned just enough so she could look up at him. “Do you wish to k
now?”

  His muzzle dipped down to nuzzle her hair and lower still to caress her cheek. “No. I believe there should still be some mysteries in the universe.”

  Lillian pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Good. A surprise it shall be.”

  She looked back to find Daryna’s gaze turned inward, vague and far away.

  “Are you well?” She asked the other woman just to see what kind of answer she’d get. “Drawing on power is damaging to you, isn’t it.”

  “I am well, but now that you are healed, you should get some rest. Gregory will stay with you while I go and meet with Vivian, Greenborrow, and the other Fae Council members. We need to find out and reverse whatever Gryton did to Whitethorn and Goswin.

  Lillian nodded. The sooner the two Fae were freed from whatever spell had enslaved their minds, the better. What other powers did Gryton possess that they had yet to discover? She hadn’t known Gryton had the ability to control another’s mind.

  “Very well,” Daryna said. “I shall go. But when I return, I had better find you both fast asleep.”

  “Yes, my Sorceress,” Gregory said in a respectful tone, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

  Daryna stood, gave Lillian one more probe with her magic, and then made her way towards the door.

  After she was gone, Lillian reached out and wrapped Gregory’s arms even more firmly around her body.

  “I want a shower, but I also just want to be held,” she admitted.

  “I don’t see why we can’t do both,” Gregory said as he nuzzled her hair again. “Although there is no way two gargoyles will fit in the shower. Do you feel up to shapeshifting back to your dryad form?”

  Lillian sighed, not wanting to dredge up the strength required to shapeshift, but the thought of being clean swayed her into summoning her magic. After a few swift, mostly painless moments, her body morphed back into her smaller dryad form.

  Gregory continued to nuzzle her hair and showered affection upon her, every so often his tongue would come out for a quick caress.

  He soon stood up. With Lillian held easily in his arms, he started to walk towards the bathroom. His long strides quickly covered half the distance. Lillian wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to brush her lips against his.

  “Thank you for existing,” Lillian whispered.

  “Always. And we will get Shadowlight back.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The forest’s night creatures were out, predators hunting on silent wings and stealthy paws. Her claws flexed and her fangs lengthened. Anna might have considered herself another predator if she had something to hunt.

  But she was impotent without a target. She’d never felt so helpless.

  She’d left HQ far behind and slipped silently into the surrounding woods with no one the wiser. For all Major Resnick knew, she had gone to get some much-needed rest. Which had been her original idea but she couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even think about sleep while Shadowlight was still a prisoner.

  She wanted to snarl at the night, at the many injustices of the world, but most especially at a cold-hearted demigoddess. Someone needed to eradicate the Battle Goddess.

  That Gregory was willing to attempt a rescue was some relief. But not enough. She wanted to go with him and see Shadowlight freed. That might ease the tiniest portion of her guilt for failing the cub so terribly.

  Unfortunately, Gregory’s rescue mission hinged on catching Gryton and forcing him to cooperate. Catching Gryton might take days. Trusting him to help? Well, that would be never.

  Which was why Anna found herself haunting the shadowy forest. She was too restless to sleep and perhaps too dangerous to her fellow humans to remain among them. Rational she wasn’t.

  A twig snapped to her left and the sounds of footsteps that hadn’t been there a moment before reached her sensitive ears. When she focused on the direction of the sound, she could perceive a faint heartbeat and less than a minute later the familiar scent of Lillian or Daryna reached her nose. She wasn’t sure which woman approached. Their scents were identical.

  However, she’d learned to differentiate them by how they carried themselves. The Sorceress moved with superhuman grace; Lillian moved like your average human being.

  When the woman finally walked into Anna’s line of sight, she knew this was the powerful sorceress.

  “Daryna.” The one word came out almost a growl. Anna wasn’t in the mood for company tonight.

  “That’s no way to greet the person who is about to help you rescue Shadowlight.” The Sorceress halted before her, looking calm and confident as always. Anna scanned the area a second time, hunting for Gregory in the deepest shadows where the moonlight didn’t penetrate the forest canopy. But there was no sign of the male demigod.

  “I came alone,” Daryna said as she held out a large rucksack that looked like it had been stolen from supplies.

  Anna was more interested in what the other woman had said about Shadowlight and rescue than the rucksack’s origin.

  “How are you going to help me rescue Shadowlight? Did you and Gregory change your minds?”

  “Come.” Daryna gestured to a recently fallen tree some twenty meters away. “What I have planned will take some explanation.”

  Anna wanted to get to the meat of the matter. Circling around a subject always drove her nuts. And tonight, she was already too much on edge, but she stomped over to the tree in question and thumped her ass down upon it without uttering one damn word.

  Daryna settled on the tree a good two feet away and brushed her hands along the tree’s bark. “This one was far too young to fall. She was destroyed from within by a boring insect that caused rot to set in.” Daryna paused and glanced sideways to meet Anna’s gaze.

  It took some fortitude to hold her gaze, but Anna did it.

  To her surprise, Daryna looked away first and then said in a soft voice. “I can’t sit by and watch the equivalent happened to Shadowlight.”

  There was guilt in her tone. Did the great demigod feel responsible for what happened to Shadowlight? Well, good, she should. They’d all failed the kid.

  “You’re going to go after him,” Anna stated bluntly.

  “Gregory would follow if I did. Also, this body is only temporary. It wouldn’t withstand the force of magic that I’d be required to call upon to fight the Battle Goddess and rescue Shadowlight. And I can’t tell you how bad it would be for this body to expire within the Goddess’ domain where she could recapture my soul and force it to be reborn into another body of her choosing. Yet, I also fear Shadowlight might not be able to wait for Gregory.

  “Then what do you plan?” Even as Anna said the words, an inkling came to her.

  “Sometimes it is better to send one spy into enemy territory rather than an entire army.”

  Anna would go in a heartbeat, but she wasn’t at all certain of her ability to get herself and Shadowlight free of the place. She would try. “Of course I’ll go. But I will need supplies.”

  Daryna patted the rucksack she’d brought with her. “There is food, water, spare clothing, and blankets. You have to get yourself weapons as I am unfamiliar with them. But I will create a map for you from my childhood memories. The basic structure and layout will be much the same, but be aware whatever I draw will be twelve years out-of-date.”

  “It will do,” Anna said, as new purpose filled her blood and enlivened her senses. “You could draw me a map in the dirt, and I still would agree to go for a chance to save Shadowlight.”

  “Oh. There is a catch, I’m afraid.” Daryna reached into her pack and rummaged around until she pulled out first one medallion and then a second and held them out.

  With a questioning look, Anna took the offered objects and studied them both. She wasn’t well-versed in magic, but she recognized power when she felt it. These were no mere ornaments.

  “Locating Shadowlight within the Battle Goddess’ temple will not be easy. Freeing him will be harder. And getting free again—I think you know
the odds won’t be in your favor.”

  “I don’t care. I’ll go. I’ll do it and free Shadowlight or die trying.”

  “I can send you into the Magic Realm, and if your mission is successful, these medallions will allow you and Shadowlight to return here.”

  Anna turned the medallions this way and that. “How do these work?”

  “They’re really rather simple. You just smear a bit of blood on them to trigger the spell. They are actually keyed to Shadowlight’s blood, but you now share some of that same blood, so the spell will recognize you as well.”

  Anna glanced down at them again. “That’s it? Just bleed on them?”

  “Yes. It will trigger the spell and transport you back to the Mortal Realm immediately.”

  “Got it.” More weird shit, but she understood.

  “I fear rescuing Shadowlight will not be easy. He will be under heavy guard.” Daryna folded her fingers together and laid them in her lap. “Those guardians will be highly trained with as many well-developed senses as you now possess.”

  “Understood.”

  “There is one other thing. If it looks like you are about to be captured or you somehow lose the medallions before you get to Shadowlight, you still have another escape.”

  Great, more cryptic crap.

  Daryna continued like she was unaware of Anna’s impatience. “All gargoyles belong to the Lord of the Underworld. In a moment of desperate need, even you will be able to find your way to his temple.”

  “Not that I want to find myself there, but I’m a firm believer in having all scenarios thoroughly planned out. Is there a map to his realm?”

  “The gateway is one found in your mind. Reach out to Lord Death and he will answer.”

  “Hmmm. Yep. Okay.” Totally get in and get out without being discovered. Run like hell and then use the medallions.

  Daryna’s expression took on that distant look again. “There isn’t much time. If we are going to do this, it needs to be now while Gregory is distracted attending to Lillian.”

  “I’ll need some things first,” Anna said, already building a supplies list in her mind.