Dragging in a deep breath, Anna left her hiding place and set out to follow the female to wherever Shadowlight was being held. She didn’t fool herself. This was extremely dangerous. If she got caught, Shadowlight might never escape from the Battle Goddess’s domain. As much tactical sense as it made to sit and wait until dawn when the enemies’ senses would be dulled, she couldn’t just leave a child to be abused, either.
Anna wouldn’t fail. If she had to give her own life to protect the kid, she would. One way or another, Shadowlight was going to gain his freedom.
Chapter 3
HER INITIAL ASSUMPTION that Shadowlight was being held in a dungeon proved correct. She had followed Captain Vaspara deeper into the sublevels of the city, and eventually to the dungeons where she’d managed to get within a couple hundred meters of the kid’s cell. Unfortunately, she couldn’t just sneak in, grab him, and sneak out again.
For one thing, there were two guards parked at either side of his door, with others stationed where branching tunnels intersected with this passage. She’d counted six different checkpoints leading out of the dungeon. The only reason she’d gotten this far was that she’d followed close upon Vaspara’s heels and slipped through each of the checkpoints before the soldiers closed ranks again.
The constant strain of maintaining her cloaking shadow magic was starting to wear upon Anna, but no one had sensed her yet. Then again, no one was looking for an enemy soldier to be foolish enough to infiltrate this place.
That advantage would only last while Shadowlight was still in his cell. As soon as she broke him out, if she managed to break him out, the enemy would swiftly discover it, and the hunt would be on.
She doubted her shadow magic was up for hiding her from anyone actively searching for an escaped gargoyle.
The second problem was the chains.
When Captain Vaspara had entered Shadowlight’s cell, Anna had heard the rattle of chains accompanying the kid’s rumbling growl of warning.
Even though Anna knew she wouldn’t like what she found, those two sounds together had been enough to cause her talons and her fangs to lengthen. Those weren’t the only changes. Her joints had ached and throbbed until she’d feared she might shift into a fully-fledged gargoyle there on the spot.
She’d held her shit together. Barely. Then backtracked fifty feet to an empty room she’d spied on the way. With her back against the wall, she glanced around the room to confirm it was indeed empty. Breathing slowly and steadily, she clapped down on instincts that were still urging her to attack.
Shadowlight needed her calm and logical, not a rage monster on a killing spree.
Although, that might be needed later to escape this place.
Anna looked around her hiding place. Its surfaces were covered in what looked like a century’s worth of dust, which suggested it hadn’t been used lately. That suited her just fine.
Conversation drifted down the hall and Anna heard Captain Vaspara addressing Shadowlight.
“Come now, you must be hungry,” Captain Vaspara said in a reasonable voice. “I brought you some food.”
Shadowlight’s answering growl sounded more like a ‘fuck you’ than a ‘thank you.’
Anna fingered her rifle’s trigger.
Eventually, the succubus gave up trying to talk to the young gargoyle and slammed the heavy door back in place. The demoness left orders that no one was to feed the gargoyle until she returned later.
Anna narrowed her eyes. Captain Vaspara was apparently trying to gain the kid’s trust, but he was too smart for that. He was brave. She allowed herself to feel a little pride on the kid’s behalf.
Then reality intruded. It didn’t matter how brave he was, courage wouldn’t help him out of those chains. His rescue depended on her finding a way to free him.
Communicating with him was the first hurdle she needed to overcome after she came up with a plan. In the past, he’d been able to read her mind. At least until Gregory had started his training sessions. Now she was able to hide her presence and her thoughts.
That same training also allowed her to speak with Shadowlight over a distance. But could she do it without betraying her presence?
She didn’t know the answer to that. She wouldn’t risk it. Not yet. Once she had an escape plan mapped out in her mind, only then would she attempt to reach him.
As long as Shadowlight wasn’t in immediate danger, she would wait until daylight when more of the fortress’s citizens would be asleep.
Right. That gave her a few hours to come up with a plan.
Making her way deeper into what she thought was actually an old guard’s room that had later been transformed into a storage area, Anna studied a row of barrels sitting along one wall. There was a narrow space between them and the wall so she wedged herself into it, safely out of sight of anyone who might happen to glance into the room as they passed by in the hall.
She kept her shadow magic in place as well, just in case.
A little over three hours later, she heard several pairs of footsteps and the now-familiar voice of Captain Vaspara.
“Any trouble from him?” Vaspara asked.
“No. He was pretending to sleep, though, so he’s likely waiting for a chance to strike.”
“I’d expect nothing less from a gargoyle, even one as young as him,” Vaspara acknowledged.
The rattle of a latch sliding back was followed by the heavy scrape of the cell door opening. A low growl echoed down the hall.
“Young one, I’ve brought you some food and drink.” Only Shadowlight’s low growl answered Vaspara’s words. “You haven’t eaten in over a day. You must be hungry.”
Shadowlight continued to growl.
That’s my boy, Anna thought while a wolfish grin crossed her lips.
Eventually, the female captain gave up and exited Shadowlight’s cell.
“If he isn’t taking food by tomorrow night the Battle Goddess has instructed me to use magic to gain his cooperation. Until then, no one else is going in there. Understood?”
“Yes, Captain Vaspara!” The words were accompanied by the stomp of boots against stone and the rattle of armor as they gave their version of a salute.
ANNA WAITED TO MAKE her move until dawn, or at least what passed for morning here. This planet’s day wasn’t the same twenty-four hours as Earth’s. As best she could figure, it had a twenty-eight-hour day. Enough to notice, but not enough to handicap her significantly. Although, she supposed the planet had a different gravity than Earth, too. When she’d first arrived, she’d just assumed her weariness was a result of the altitude up in the mountains.
Nope. Nothing so mundane. Alien planet. Complete with super unfriendly magic-wielding aliens.
Huh. And some people whined about jetlag. Try portal hopping to another planet.
While she waited, Anna checked over all her weapons. One in particular, since it was still relatively new to her. When she’d broken into the workshop where Lillian and Gran had been wards-spelling all the weapons, she’d spotted a rack of the new 272 semi-automatic sniper weapons used during some of the sessions with the joint fae-human training units.
The rifles still hadn’t been deployed for regular use, hadn’t even been given an official designation yet as far as she knew, though the humans on the team were already calling it by the unimaginative moniker of C20.
Taking an unfamiliar weapon into a fight was an excellent way to get killed, so she’d practiced with it on the trail. The suppressor and her own shadow magic had done a good job of silencing the report.
She’d checked the rifle and her other weapons a half-dozen times while she’d waited. When she gauged it was four hours past dawn, Anna left her hiding spot and peered through the crack between the frame and the ancient wooden door.
Unfortunately, this time she didn’t have the rattle of the guards’ armor or the stomp of boots to disguise the creak of the old hinges as the door opened.
Gritting her teeth, she slowly opened the door a fe
w millimeters at a time and poked the muzzle of her rifle through. She shifted only enough to verify she had a clean shot at both guards.
If her attempt to communicate with Shadowlight blew her cover, she’d need to take out the pair of guards quickly and quietly. It was a risk, but one she had to take.
Here goes nothing.
She brought the pad of her finger against her rifle’s trigger and exhaled slowly.
“Shadowlight, if you can hear me, respond but don’t give away that you are talking mind to mind, or whatever the fuck you want to call this mental voodoo.”
“Anna?” His voice filled her mind. Emotions flowed along with that one word. Hope, fear, suspicion, and desperation were the most palpable. She also knew he wanted to believe it was her, but he expected a trap.
“It’s me, kid. Daryna sent me to rescue you. If she hadn’t, I would have found a way to find you.”
“It really is you.” Excitement and hope blooming fully formed in his thoughts.
Their conversation didn’t distract her from studying the two guards. If either showed even a hint that they sensed her communication with Shadowlight, she was taking them out.
So far, they showed no signs of suspicion.
“Kid, I’m going to get you out of there. I’ve got explosives to blow the latch on the door, but that will announce my presence rather loudly, and I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to free you from the chains. Tell me how they’re attached. I have an idea.”
“They’re bolted to the wall by some magical means. I can’t tear them loose.”
“Okay. Don’t worry about that. How are they attached to you?”
“Manacles around my wrists.”
“Nothing around your neck or ankles?”
“No.”
“Good.” Hope flared, and she had to calm her mind. She didn’t want her insecurities to leak across her link to the kid. Or, worse, to the guards. “I’ve seen Gregory shift to human form before. Are you capable of that? Because if you are, then you might be able to slip out of those manacles.”
“Gregory is an Avatar. He has many powers that a regular gargoyle doesn’t. But even so, most gargoyles have the ability to shift forms for short times.”
“Do you think you can?”
There was a long pause followed by a wave of uncertainty. “I’m not yet fully mature. Lillian is older than me and only learned to shapeshift recently.”
“She only just learned about magic a few months ago, right? She didn’t even know she had the ability,” Anna reasoned. “You’re pure gargoyle and already command a good bit of magic.”
“I’ll try, but if I can’t, then what do we do?”
Anna shrugged even though she knew he couldn’t see it. “Shoot the guards, blow the door, more explosives where the chains are attached to the wall and then run like hell. Once we’re free, we’ll find a way to get those manacles off later.”
“We might not escape.”
“No. There are no guarantees other than I won’t leave you behind.”
“I don’t want you to get captured.” Worry tinted the young gargoyle’s thoughts.
“That’s not on my wishlist, either, but I’m not leaving without you. We’re doing this one way or the other.”
“I’ll try to shapeshift,” he promised.
“Good, but don’t stress if you can’t. I’ll still break you out.”
“Should I try now?”
“Sure kid. Everything’s ready on my end,” Anna said, sighting the first guard through her scope. “Let me know if it works.”
“It might take me a few minutes. I need to access my father’s memories.”
“Take all the time you need.”
If at all possible, she’d take the two guards down silently, set the charge and then pick off any guards that came running toward the sound of the blast. Once Shadowlight was free of the cell, they’d use shadow magic to hide and make their way back to the surface, using the route Anna had plotted out in her head.
That was the plan. She just hoped Fate was on board with it.
“Anna, I found my father’s memories, I’ll try.”
“Okay. Keep me informed.”
But with Shadowlight merged with her through the magic of his shared blood, he didn’t have to tell her it worked, she could feel his sense of pride at mastering another ability.
“Good job, kid. Are you able to get the manacles off?”
“Yes.”
He was practically bouncing with happiness.
“Good. Don’t move yet, I don’t want the guards to know what’s about to hit them.”
And they didn’t. She made two clean headshots through their helmet’s open visor. The guards hit the floor with the loud clatter of armor against stone. She shoved the door aside and made her way to Shadowlight’s cell while scanning up and down the hall for newcomers.
“Crouch low against the far wall,” she instructed as she shaped the C4 and set the charge. When she was done, she moved down the hall and covered her ears. “You clear?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure if I can shapeshift back to my gargoyle form again so soon.” There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
“Don’t worry about it. Can you still call on your shadow magic to hide?”
“Yes.”
“Good. That’s all we need. Because we’re screwed if we have to fight our way free of this place. There are enemy combatants all over the fuck.”
“Gran says you shouldn’t swear.”
“I won’t tell her if you don’t.”
Happiness radiated along the mental link and he promised, “I won’t.”
“Good, you ready? It’s going to be loud. As soon as the door blows, I want you out of there and on my six. We’re going to run thirty feet down the tunnel until we reach the stairs. Don’t stop for nothing. Stay behind me. I will be shooting at anything that moves. Anything comes up from behind, just tap me on the shoulder. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Here goes.”
Chapter 4
THE BLAST FROM THE charge deafened her for a few precious seconds, but she held her position, rifle pointed toward the stairs. Their location was exposed, enemies able to approach from two directions, but it couldn’t be helped.
Anna was glancing back at the cell’s blown door when an adolescent boy burst out of the cell and sprinted toward her. He moved wicked fast, but it was still a surprise to see a scrawny boy and not a massive gargoyle running toward her even though she knew he’d shifted forms.
She glanced forward again. “Grab my pack. Move when I move. We get separated now, we’re screwed. There won’t be a second prison break attempt.”
Together they ran back the way Anna had first come. She’d memorized the route in her head, going over it several times during the night so they wouldn’t get lost as they ran.
They made it to the stairs by the time the first guard came running toward them.
His helmet’s visor was up, and though he had some form of defensive magic in place, it did him no good. He died as swiftly as the first two guards had.
Three more guards appeared and died just as quickly. Then Shadowlight slapped his hand down on her shoulder. She twisted and took out two more guards approaching from behind.
She and Shadowlight bolted up the stairs, breaking through the doors at the top just as more guards came rushing to their comrades’ aid. Anna took out as many of them as she could and kept moving. Shadowlight snatched a sword from a fallen enemy’s hand without releasing Anna’s pack.
They ran, never slowing or stopping unless they needed to dart into a side room to avoid a larger company of soldiers than Anna wanted to fight. Once the way was clear again, she and Shadowlight continued their mad dash to the surface.
When they emerged into the sunlight, Anna blinked back tears at the brightness but kept moving. They darted between what shadows they could find now that the sun was high in the sky.
They were about halfwa
y to the main gate, but unless some miracle occurred, they weren’t going to make it that far. Soldiers swarmed out of buildings and alleyways faster than ants in defense of their nest.
There were just too damned many of the enemy and not enough shadows to hide in even though Anna hugged the walls of buildings or sought the shade cast by the few trees growing in the fortress.
Changing directions, she headed for the stables. That dubious shelter was closer and perhaps by the time they reached it Shadowlight would be able to shift back to gargoyle form. He’d have a far better chance of escaping on the wing than on foot.
His chances doubled if she stayed behind and provided cover fire while he made his escape.
“Where are we going?” he asked. “The gate is the other way.”
Anna reached back and dragged Shadowlight along when he slowed.
They kept running, ducking under the trees, around horse-drawn carts and what looked like honest-to-god human peasants. There was other, less human-looking, foot traffic as well. But thankfully it thinned out a bit as she and Shadowlight moved farther from the central keep.
At last, they managed to get clear of the densest concentration of soldiers, and they weren’t now being chased. At least that she could see. It didn’t mean there wasn’t someone following.
Anna sprinted around the side of another building and into a narrow alley. There they paused to catch their breaths. Her eyes darted to the kid and away again. It was disconcerting.
She was used to seeing the big, black-skinned wall of muscle that was a gargoyle. Even a child like Shadowlight was still taller and bulkier than her. She wasn’t used to seeing this scrawny little teen even though she knew Shadowlight was a child.
Fuck. Fuck it. Evil overlords should just leave kids the fuck alone.
At last, she asked, “How you holding up?”
“I’m fine,” he whispered.
Crap, he even sounded younger. More victim than warrior.
“I’m sorry, kid. Ready for another run? There’s a stable up ahead. I hid there last night. We might be able to hide long enough for you to shapeshift back to gargoyle form and then fly out of here under cover of shadow magic.”
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 99
