Daryna regretted that her first session with her son was already coming to a close. But there would be other days, although, escaping her gargoyle protector unnoticed might prove difficult. She couldn’t risk using the collars a second time. In truth, she couldn’t stomach the thought of enslaving Gregory to her will. No. The collars would come off this day.
She would just have to use something else as a distraction. Daryna frowned, not liking where her mind went, but Lillian would be the easiest distraction to use against Gregory if it came to that.
Glancing at Gryton, she said, “If I can’t escape tomorrow night to continue your training, take what I’ve already taught you and reinforce those lessons until they become second nature to you. And think on my plan. I do not require an answer right away.”
“I will think upon all you have told me.”
She sensed Gryton still didn’t entirely trust to the new path fate had set him on, and given his past, Daryna couldn’t blame him. Everything that had shaped him reinforced that he could only trust himself. But he was also a creature of logic more than passion, and the intricacies of her plan to slay the Battle Goddess had impressed him.
“Good. Even if Gregory finds your trail and puts a wrench in my plans, I will make certain you don’t have to flee back to the Magic Realm empty-handed. But we will talk more on that later. I must go.”
“I will be here waiting.”
Daryna nodded. He would be. She sensed no deception in his words.
With some regret, she turned from her firstborn son and summoned magic. The portal swirled to life in a vortex of power, and without a backward glance, she stepped through it and appeared in the forest she’d left behind only a few hours before.
She made her way back to the stone cottage and continued inside until she was again looking down at her most beloved other half. She patted him gently and crawled into bed and curled into his warmth.
He slept on, unaware of her treachery.
Chapter 5
AFTER AN AWKWARD BREAKFAST in their room, Lillian again found herself in the company of Daryna and the ever-watchful Gregory as they made their way down to the center of the maze where her hamadryad grew. Daryna had said that she was capable of summoning the magic she would need to remove the collars herself, but that by using the hamadryad to channel the flow of magic from the Spirit Realm, it would be less wear and tear on her new body.
While Daryna had explained the spell work to Lillian, Gregory circled them like an overprotective border collie. Any soldier or scientist who came too close got a warning snarl. Her gargoyle protector had been out of sorts ever since he’d woken up and found he was sandwiched between his mate and his Sorceress.
Lillian might have felt sorry for his apparent confusion if Daryna hadn’t been caressing him at the time. Or if it hadn’t been equally clear that he’d been enjoying his Sorceress’s touch until he saw Lillian’s expression. At which point, he’d bolted from the bed like she’d set his tail on fire.
The one saving grace was that Gran was waiting for them just outside the maze’s main entrance with a dozen other Fae in tow. The new arrivals gave Lillian someone else to walk and talk with. Thus giving her an excuse to ignore Daryna.
Lillian soon learned that Gran had recruited other Fae in case of trouble with the military or the accompanying science team. In the end, there wasn’t any trouble though. Gran’s evil eye was more than enough to keep the scientists in check.
If she was given a choice, Lillian preferred the soldiers over the scientists. At least the soldiers only watched them with eagle-eyed distrust. Which was better than being viewed as a specimen for study.
When they reached the center of the glade, they found a good two dozen soldiers stationed inside. Lillian noticed a variety of flags decorating the different uniforms. It looked like half of the world’s other militaries had come to join the fun.
“After seeing what one of the Battle Goddess’s minions could do all by himself,” Gran said as she gestured at the scorch marks that scarred the area, “the joint taskforce has tripled the number of soldiers in the glade in case more enemies than just Gryton came here with him. The military knows the hamadryad is the easiest way to travel between the realms.”
“I see the alliance has developed a little more diversity.” Lillian nodded to a variety of uniforms.
“It’s funny how the threat of a demigoddess from another realm has convinced many of the world’s politicians to put aside their petty bickering.”
“It’s actually reassuring.”
“To you maybe,” Gran said. “All I see is a big political headache and the likelihood of even more scientists arriving. At this point, even if we devastate the Battle Goddess’s armies and win the war, the Clan and the Coven will never be able to disappear into the relative safety of obscurity.”
“One problem at a time. At present, I’m more worried about the possibility of more Gryton-type minions arriving than I am of what might happen three months or a year from now.” Lillian still remembered all too well the damage Gryton and the collar had inflicted upon Gregory.
Gran sighed. “I’m not even certain who has military command at this point, but I did convince Major Resnick and his superiors to agree to pull some of the soldiers back while Daryna works with the tree to remove the collars.” Gran grinned. “Well, convince might be too gentle a word for what I did. There might have been mention of angry demigods should anyone get between them and the hamadryad.”
Once they reached the tree, Gran and the other Fae dropped back and stationed themselves around the inside wall of the maze with the military personnel.
Lillian again found herself alone with a stoic sorceress and a watchful gargoyle. While she wasn’t happy to be indebted to Daryna, she was glad that the collars would be removed soon.
It would also mean that Gregory would be free to call upon his own powers without limit or command. That would be another great weight off her shoulders.
They halted just under the drip line of her hamadryad’s canopy. Standing in the shade of her tree’s sheltering branches, some of the tension that had lodged between her shoulder blades eased. Her worries were not completely gone, but they lessened as they always did when she was out with her hamadryad.
After a moment, Lillian turned her attention to Daryna, where she’d started to summon magic for a spell.
“When I studied the tattoos while I was still a hamadryad, I learned a great deal about how the spells of enslavement worked. The threads of power linking them to your bodies are easy enough to undo from outside. There were a few other nasty bits of spell work involved, but nothing I can’t handle. Although, I will start with Gregory. He’ll be able to protect himself better than you would be able to. And while I’m confident, I won’t risk our child on an arrogant notion that I know all there is to know about the collars.”
Lillian nodded her understanding and agreement. Normally, she would have been quick to volunteer first, but now with the child, she had to be more cautious.
“Gregory, whenever you are ready,” Daryna said.
He took a step closer to the Sorceress, and then he knelt on the ground and closed his eyes, tilting his head back almost in supplication. An uneasy feeling rose within Lillian again. But Daryna merely rested one hand on Gregory’s right shoulder while she fingered the tattoo that circled his throat.
She studied it at some length and then Lillian felt a breeze kick up, one that had no natural source. Magic flickered along Daryna’s fingers, a barely visible shimmering.
Soon the Sorceress began a chant. It was almost beyond the range of hearing, even for Lillian’s gargoyle-enhanced senses. As the chant grew in volume, the breeze the magic had summoned swirled faster. The slight glow around her fingers expanded, throbbing in sync with both the breeze and the chant.
A chilled power Lillian had come to recognize as Spirit Magic caressed her skin, raising gooseflesh in its wake. Soon the chill had spread, filling the glade and dropping the
temperature by several degrees.
Frost glinted on Gregory’s dark skin, and Lillian winced at how cold he had to be. But then again, he seemed to be enjoying the cold. Gargoyles were odd. Or perhaps it was actually Daryna’s touch he took pleasure in.
Lillian frowned, her stomach souring at the thought. But she stomped on that emotion before it could spiral into something darker. She wasn’t going to be jealous about her new doppelgänger. It wasn’t fair to Gregory to force a divide between them.
Not yet at least. She’d wait until she had something more substantial than just a primal jealousy to go on.
Daryna continued to call power from the Spirit Realm. A vortex of energy now danced around Gregory. It snatched at his hair and clothing. The cross current winds began to moan, high-pitched and eerie. The savage currents picked up bits of grit and gravel from the walkways and tossed them around the glade, pelting anyone in their path.
Protective instincts flared to life within Lillian, stronger this time, and talons erupted from her fingertips. She took a step toward Gregory and the Sorceress just as the chant ended. The sound of the howling wind halted so suddenly Lillian’s ears twitched.
“I would never harm Gregory,” Daryna said, stepping aside, so Lillian had a clear view of her mate.
Gregory was still kneeling, but he was now touching his own throat. Then as a toothy gargoyle grin spread across his face, he summoned his magic freely, without needing consent or command from her.
He seemed completely unharmed by Daryna’s spell work. Grudgingly, Lillian admitted she owed thanks to the other woman for fixing her most grievous error.
“I know you wouldn’t harm Gregory intentionally, but I’ve seen a lot go wrong, too.”
The Sorceress nodded. “I understand. Your trust must be earned.”
“I’m sorry,” Lillian said, “but, yes, it does.”
Again, Daryna merely bobbed her head, that annoyingly stoic look back in place.
Gregory stood and whispered quiet thanks to Daryna. Then he gave her a couple of thorough gargoyle kisses before he walked over to Lillian.
She’d never been a fan of the gargoyle way of showing affection, but now that it was directed at another person, Lillian felt her insides twist with another stab of jealousy.
‘Ugh. Get a hold on that green-eyed monster,’ Lillian muttered deep in her own mind. ‘He’s just showing affection to the other half of his soul. Deal. With. It.’
Yah. Right. The pep talk did nothing for her.
Gregory stepped in close to Lillian, blocking her view of her doppelgänger. He nuzzled her hair out of the way and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. His warm breath and scent surrounded her, making it impossible to stay upset at either Gregory or Daryna.
“I will do the spell work to unmake your tattoo,” Gregory said as he tapped a finger against her throat. “Daryna will monitor and protect our little one from the power of the spell and any backlash from the collar.”
The concept of a child was still so new to Lillian that it hadn’t occurred to her that breaking the spell on the collar might be dangerous to the fetus in her womb. The thought of losing that tiny life terrified her. She wanted Gregory’s child.
“I would rather allow my own tattoo to remain in place than risk the life of our child.”
Gregory rested his hands on Lillian’s shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. “As long as I draw breath, I won’t allow harm to come to you or our child.”
His words reassured her. It was true. He wanted this child. Perhaps even more than she did. He’d certainly been waiting longer.
“I trust you.” Lillian glanced at Daryna. “Both of you.”
Daryna and Gregory both bowed in the same old-world style and then began their work. Even before they laid hands on her, Lillian felt their separate powers reach out and wrap around her.
Gregory stood in front. His thumbs pressed gently against her throat, caressing the tattoo with chilling power. Behind her, Daryna knelt and reached around her to curve her fingers along Lillian’s abdomen. Warmth seeped into her body, emanating from Daryna’s touch. It cocooned Lillian’s unborn child in layers of protective magic.
“There,” Daryna said. “Our little one is safe.”
Gregory huffed an affirmative and unleashed a torrent of energy. Threads of power flowed across her skin; the cold more intense now that she was its focus. The tattoo around her neck flared with a heated warning, dragging a gasp of surprise from Lillian. The spell branded into her skin shifted and heaved like a living thing.
Her fingers flexed and tension raced up her back. Her breathing came in short, choppy pants.
The urge to shift into her gargoyle form clawed at her mind, but she didn’t know what that would do to the spell Gregory wove, so she fought the need.
“Shhh,” Gregory whispered, bowing his muzzle close to her ear a moment before he began a chant that sounded similar to the one Daryna had used on him.
Then, just like earlier, he ended his chant and a strange wash of power from the Spirit Realm flowed from his hands into her body, taking with it the constraining band of power that had been circling her throat. There was a secondary shift of power and then she felt free, like a weight was lifting from around her neck. Instinctively she reached for her throat and fingered the skin. It felt whole. Clean and unblemished by the tainted collars.
She blinked and stared into Gregory’s eyes for a moment. “Thank you.”
Then she turned to face the Sorceress who was already stepping away. “And thank you as well. I am in your debt.”
Daryna shook her head. “You owe me nothing. Besides, that seems somewhat self-serving.”
“Still, thank you for protecting my child while Gregory freed me from the collar.”
“I will always protect our child and our mate.”
Chapter 6
GREGORY HUNG BACK AND watched Lillian and Daryna. Even though they’d left the maze behind for the gravel paths of the garden, a chill still followed them. Regrettably, this iciness had nothing to do with the magic they’d summoned for the spell work.
The sensation creeping up his spine was caused by another situation entirely, and he even had a word for it—rivalry.
Gregory had the distinct impression he was the bone of contention between these two formidable females. Daryna was all ancient confidence and superiority, which wasn’t helping. Lillian, on the other hand, was doing what she could to adapt to the situation without starting a verbal or physical fight. But she was distancing herself from him.
And that was not something Gregory liked. At all.
All three of them needed to work together as one unified being. But Lillian was raised human, Daryna was set in her ways, and he simply wanted fate to find someone else to toy with for a while.
If a compromise was to be found—and one damn well better be found, there was no way he was choosing between his mate and the Sorceress—it was going to be up to him to locate the solution.
“What would you like to see next?” Lillian asked Daryna, her voice colder than magic from the Spirit Realm.
“You as a gargoyle. I must admit, I’m curious. I’ve seen what you look like in Gregory’s memories, but I want to see you with my own eyes. Then I’d like to go hunting with you both before work demands all our attentions elsewhere.”
Lillian’s hand dropped to her belly. “I’ve meant to ask, but are we all confident that shape-shifting won’t harm the little one?”
Daryna tilted her head and studied Lillian—giving her a look that said she didn’t quite believe she’d been asked such a foolish question.
“Not helping,” Gregory muttered into Daryna’s mind. “Are you intentionally aggravating Lillian?”
Daryna arched an eyebrow at him but directed her answer at Lillian. “Have I not said that I would never do anything to harm our child?” Daryna made a vague gesture at the tree line in the distance. “Besides, a hunt will be good exercise. You’ll want to stay in peak physical for
m for the health of the little one.”
Lillian’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Daryna’s tone.
Gregory stepped between them. “We might not get another chance for days. Gran says the military is badgering her. They want us to work with them more closely. I also need to get back to forging more ward-spelled weapons. And we have an army to raise. A hunt sounds good when compared to all that.”
“Fine,” Lillian growled.
Gregory felt the betraying wilt of his ears as they drooped to half-mast.
Lillian’s expression softened slightly, and she rolled her eyes at him. “I could use the exercise of a good hunt. We can walk to the tree line and then I’ll shift. No use giving the scientists anymore of an eyeful than they already had.” Her expression turned troubled. “It’s bad enough that Anna’s been forcibly volunteered to be their guinea pig, but I still can’t believe everyone is just cool with Shadowlight volunteering for study.”
While Lillian’s muttered comment inched back over toward more angry and annoyed, Gregory felt a spark of humor at that particular situation. The young gargoyle loved attention, asking questions, and generally getting underfoot.
“The scientists will get more than they bargained for with Shadowlight and Anna. Besides, Whitethorn and Greenborrow are watching over those two cubs.”
“Anna will be thrilled you called her a cub. She’s older than me by a couple of years.”
Gregory huffed again. “You’re all cubs in need of training. And I think I need to master the skill of time travel to find enough hours to rub together to complete all my tasks.”
Bending down, Gregory nuzzled Lillian’s hair when she continued to look sour. “But those are worries for later. Come, hunt with me.”
The hard glint in Lillian’s eyes softened further, and she nodded. But a moment later her expression hardened again when she looked from Gregory to Daryna and back again.
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 82
