The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9)

by Lisa Blackwood

  Shadowlight glanced at his reflection again. “I look stupid.”

  “Think of it as a different type of armor,” Anna declared, “We’re the Battle Goddess’s new favorites and will one day be expected to rule over everyone else in that hall. This finery is to remind them of that.”

  Shadowlight huffed. She might be right, but it didn’t mean he liked it.

  “I still look foolish,” he complained.

  “It will just be for an hour or so.”

  ANNA STEPPED OUT FROM behind the dressing screen and stomped over to the mirror where she glowered at her formal dress in the reflection.

  “Of all the fucked up—”

  “I told you it was stupid.”

  She glowered at the kid where he was napping at the foot of her bed. His tone dripped with an “I told you so” to Anna’s ear.

  “It looks like something a villainess in a comic book would wear,” she growled as she twisted and turned to view it from different angles.

  “You look lovely, my lady,” Lanya said in a soothing voice as she affixed a large, ruby encrusted silver pin into Anna’s hair to hold the braids in place. At least the servant hadn’t unbraided her cornrows. The woman had had that “I want to play with your hair” look on her face the entire time she helped Anna dress. If time wasn’t a factor, she was sure the servant would have been sculpting her hair into some outlandish style.

  Glowering at her reflection, Anna looked away from her hair to scan the full outfit. A second appraisal didn’t improve it.

  The top wasn’t too hideous. The dress’s bodice was rather plain and sleeveless. There was a black metal breastplate that went over it that had enough rubies encrusted on it to satisfy even the most jewel-hungry person.

  The wide leather harness that had been dyed black to match the breastplate was more her style. At least its presence meant she would be wearing a sword. Any weapon was a good weapon.

  The bottom of the outfit was where the evil comic book villainous vibe came in. The skirt was ankle-length burgundy velvet, a red so dark to be almost black, which was okay. However, she could have done without the slits up the sides that bared her legs when she walked.

  Anna outright refused to wear the pile of leather straps that were supposed to be shoes. She still wore her boots. When she’d asked Lanya where the dress had come from, the servant informed her Commander Gryton had had it sent over with the other items.

  Muttering unhappily, Anna went over to the chest at the end of the bed and dug out her daggers and sword. Once she strapped the leg sheaths in place, Anna decided the blades were her favorite part of the costume.

  With Lanya’s help, she adjusted the sword’s harness to allow her skirt’s fabric to lay naturally.

  “You look lovely,” Lanya said again. She took in Anna’s entire outfit, looking pleased with what she saw until she got to the boots. “Are you sure I can’t—”

  “Yep. And if Gryton really wants the sandals worn, he can wear them himself.”

  Anna tugged at the dress, but nothing made the slits go away.

  “Can’t believe I let you dress me up like a dominatrix.”

  “You look powerful, beautiful, and deadly. The others will think twice before challenging you and the young gargoyle.”

  “What’s a dominatrix?” Shadowlight asked. Anna’s eyes cut across the room to where he was curled in a ball eavesdropping. His eyes were closed again, but he’d just proved he wasn’t sleeping.

  “I’ll explain when you’re older,” Anna said with a roll of her eyes heavenward.

  “Well, if you won’t surrender the boots, I think we are done.” Lanya folded her hands.

  Shadowlight climbed to his feet, made a show of stretching, and then leaped down to pace across the floor in a stiff-legged gait that spoke of his annoyance.

  “If you’d taken any longer to get ready, I would have perished from hunger,” he complained.

  “Fine,” Anna huffed at the kid as she followed him out of the room. “We’ll go so you can eat your weight in food, but afterward I’m going to burn this dress.”

  He turned and rolled his eyes at her. “It will just be for a couple of hours.”

  Had the kid just tossed her own words back at her? Yes. Yes, he had.

  She was pretty sure Shadowlight was transitioning from cute kid to obnoxious teenager in gargoyle years.

  Chapter 19

  ANNA HAD ONLY JUST exited her chambers when Commander Gryton called her. Her mood darkened further, and her annoyance grew as she turned toward his familiar voice. Upon seeing him, she drew in a surprised breath.

  If not for his voice and general height, she might not have recognized Tin Man without his armor. She frowned as she studied him.

  Of course the fucker would have to be handsome. And it wasn’t just ‘oh he’s cute’ Nope. He was the type of man that females between the ages of thirteen and one hundred and three halted whatever they were doing to admire the superb specimen of pure masculine beauty.

  His long, sleek black hair spilled over his shoulder and drew her eyes down to his powerful chest which narrowed to a trim waist. Years of combat and sword training had given him a toned body with lean muscle and tight abs. Tight and trim everything.

  His formalwear didn’t include a shirt, just wide bronze armbands, a matching belt, loose pants and body paint. At least she thought the symbol on his chest was painted with some metallic bronze paint, but then again, it could be a magic tattoo. Whatever it was, it drew the eye.

  The fabric of his pants was lightweight. Perhaps a silk or linen mix of some sort. When he moved, the material shifted with him, giving glimpses of his muscular thighs and powerful calves.

  Fortunately, Anna wasn’t about to be led around by her hormones or let them trick her into doing something foolish. She knew Gryton only looked out for his own ass, spectacular though it might be.

  Still, it didn’t change her earlier determination to use any kind of weakness against him if it would further her goals to protect the kid from the evil of this place.

  Gryton’s long strides brought him to her quickly. He wore sensible boots, Anna noted, not the stupid strappy sandals Lanya had kept shoving at her.

  After a moment, her gaze left his boots and sought out his face. His amber-ringed brown eyes sparkled with humor as his gaze fixed on her feet. Soon a smile tilted the firm line of his lips into a curve.

  The prick had a dimple. A. Freaking. Dimple.

  Anna was proud she didn’t try to punch the smug look off his face.

  When he halted before her, light rippled along the strange symbol stamped on his chest. Okay, so much for body paint, magic tattoo it was. It glowed bright, like embers from a campfire. Before she could stop herself, she shifted her weight and stepped back, only to realize what she was doing and then retook the lost ground.

  Tin Man’s grin grew broader. Anna ignored the smugness and studied the strange, impossible-to-miss, glowing mark on his chest.

  “What’s with the technicolor tat?”

  Gryton arched his brow but must have understood her question, for he tapped a finger against it, making it glow brighter each time his finger struck skin.

  “It’s a birthmark.”

  “Birth? You have parents?” Anna said as she curled her fingers around her sword’s hilt. Not that she knew how to use one, but it was a handy place to rest her hand.

  “Most living creatures do have them. Parents, I mean.”

  “Until now I wasn’t entirely certain you were a living creature. My working theory was a disembodied spirit had taken up residence in an old armor suit.”

  “Ah,” Gryton’s fangs flashed in a grin. “As you can see, I’m very much a flesh and blood male. You are welcome to explore if you’d like to put your doubts to rest.”

  Lame pickup line, dude. Aloud Anna asked, “You mean like with my dagger to see if you bleed like a real flesh and blood person?”

  His smile never faltered. “That’s not quite what I had
in mind...”

  No, Anna didn’t suppose it was.

  Shadowlight growled, the sound more menacing than usual. “I’m hungry, and if we don’t go to dinner now, I’m going to take a bite out of Gryton.”

  The commander burst out laughing, surprising both Anna and Shadowlight.

  “Come then, young ones. I’d rather not have a gargoyle take a chunk out of my hide.”

  Gryton led them back to the hall. It looked much like it always had. The only difference she could see was an increased number of candles and more of the seats were filled than usual. Plus, like Gryton, many of the diners had forgone armor. That didn’t mean they were weaponless. Anna still saw lots of daggers, maces, swords and whips.

  As they made their way to the high table, she also promised to stop bitching about her outfit. What some of the other diners wore made her attire look positively modest and concealing.

  When they reached the high table, there were a few familiar faces.

  Commander Gryton took his customary seat and Shadowlight flopped down next to him without being asked. Good kid.

  As much as she hated Tin Man, he was still the most known commodity in the room. She’d rather Shadowlight not be exposed to the others any more than necessary. Case in point, Anna’s eyes sought out the woman sitting three seats down on Gryton’s other side.

  The more bodies between Shadowlight and Captain Taryin, the happier it made Anna.

  Gryton leaned back in his chair so he could see her past Shadowlight’s massive wings. “Now that you’ve had a chance to meet and be tested by all your mentors, your training will begin in earnest tomorrow. From this point on, you will be expected to complete the tests and tasks set by your teachers and show daily improvement.” Gryton paused to sip at his goblet of wine and then continued, “Rest assured that the instructors have orders not to cripple you or the cub. They will practice restraint until you both reach your full magical potential.”

  Well, isn’t that thoughtful of them, Anna muttered silently in her own mind.

  “I know you don’t trust me—” Anna’s snort made him pause, but he merely arched an eyebrow and continued, “but I am much more trustworthy than some.”

  His gaze cut away toward the blood witch before returning to her.

  “No worries. I don’t trust anyone here.”

  “It’s likely for the best,” Gryton agreed with a shrug and returned to his wine.

  The servants placed food in front of Shadowlight and Anna at the same time. The young gargoyle dug into his food with more appetite than usual, his manners completely forgotten.

  Anna wasn’t particularly hungry but soon cleared her own plate.

  Shadowlight glanced back at the large platter of the cooked fowl, looking hopeful and sheepish at the same time. Anna dragged the platter closer. That was all the encouragement the gargoyle needed to refill his plate.

  “I see he has a healthy appetite,” Gryton said in an offhanded manner.

  Anna shrugged. “He’s a gargoyle.”

  “A young and growing one at that. I will make sure that he’s given a chance to have another quick meal between some of his classes.”

  Anna didn’t thank him. There was something he wasn’t saying. She could sense it, almost like a smell rising off his skin. Not a lie, no. An omission.

  “Your appetites will increase,” Gryton said as he nibbled on the leg. “As your metabolisms require more food for your growing bodies. Since Shadowlight isn’t yet mature, he’ll need more to fuel his growth, but as your own changes occur and your gargoyle nature begins to assert itself, you’ll find yourself developing a greater appetite as well.”

  Anna was already aware of what the Battle Goddess’s sessions were doing to them, but she didn’t have a solid timeline yet for how quickly they would change.

  She needed details if she was going to form a plan that culminated in a successful escape.

  “How often will we need to go before the Battle Goddess?” Anna asked between bites of her meal, hoping that it came across as small talk and not an eager inquiry.

  This is just polite table talk, nothing more, she projected and hoped Gryton believed the lie.

  “Once your training starts in earnest, the Lady of Battles thinks two days between each of her sessions will be optimal for Shadowlight’s development. Any closer and it would be too stressful for his body. As he matures, so too will your gargoyle nature.”

  Okay. So, they had a couple of days before their next visit with the Battle Goddess.

  “The blood witch mentioned I’d need a few more sessions before I could start training under her, but Shadowlight has a firmer grasp on his magic, and she thinks he can start tomorrow. Do you agree?”

  Gryton chewed thoughtfully at his food. “Yes but stay close to Shadowlight during his times with Taryin and don’t run any errands for her while he is in her company.”

  Shadowlight had stopped eating to listen to Gryton’s words, but he only huffed softly in agreement and then returned to his meal.

  She already knew Gryton didn’t trust the blood witch from the earlier verbal exchanges between Vaspara and Taryin, yet she hadn’t expected him to so openly warn her.

  “How long will this process take? I mean until Shadowlight is mature and I’m a full-blooded gargoyle?”

  “If you think you’ll be able to escape then, I must disappoint you. Our Lady’s power will also instill a new sense of loyalty in you both.”

  “Figured as much. Guess I’m just curious how long it will take until I no longer care about things like escape.”

  “Three moon cycles, or months as you call it, and then Shadowlight will be mature and you’ll have full command of your gargoyle nature.” Gryton picked up a warm roll and buttered it. Taking a bite, he chewed as he watched her thoughtfully. “You’ll both be well into your training by then. If you exceed our expectations, the Lady of Battles may even send you back to the Mortal Realm at the head of her army.”

  Anna stared into the mirror-like surface of her drink. That was not how she and the kid were returning to Earth.

  It couldn’t, no, it wouldn’t, come to that. She’d just have to come up with a plan, put it into play, and then successfully escape before they no longer wished to leave.

  The meal continued and Gryton chatted about various aspects of their training. On her right side, Captain Sorac added a few other suggestions on how to get Anna up to speed in various martial arts.

  “I’ll make a sword master out of you, human,” Sorac said with a soft hiss. No doubt it was his version of a friendly conversational tone. “I’ll beat you into shape over the next moon cycle, you’ll see.”

  Gryton and Sorac leaned back in their seats and broke into a seemingly friendly banter over some of the other captains. They talked about mundane things like Anna and Shadowlight weren’t sitting between them, sucking up every little piece of information they let drop.

  After a few minutes of nursing her drink, Anna glanced sidelong at Shadowlight. He’d finished another plate and was now glowering down the table toward where the blood witch sat talking with Honnan. Anna didn’t blame him. They were her two least-liked and least-trusted acquaintances since she’d come to this place.

  Much later, tables were pushed aside, and musicians came out and began to play. The music, played on a variety of foreign stringed instruments and woodwinds, was slow and surprisingly beautiful, not something she’d expect from such a violent and warmongering society.

  The first few hauntingly beautiful pieces flowed into more upbeat songs and some of the diners got up and danced while others clapped their hands or stomped their feet in time to the music.

  None of the music touched Anna, her heart and mind too full of worry over what this place was going to do to one innocent, young gargoyle.

  Chapter 20

  A SWORDMASTER ANNA wasn’t. She knew that before she’d even set foot in the outdoor practice ring. But she and Shadowlight reported to Captain Sorac for testing as ordered
, so here they were. Anna was fully expecting to get her ass beat but compared to some of the other things they’d already endured, it wasn’t so strange that she was looking forward to training sessions.

  “Draw your sword,” Captain Sorac barked as soon as he walked into the sand ring.

  Shadowlight complied gracefully, his sword coming free of its scabbard in one smooth motion. Anna copied the kid but already knew her movements were jerkier than his.

  Sorac speared her with a look, his expression a blank mask for a heartbeat or two and then he roared with laughter. Between big whoops, he summoned over another of his students. This girl was human-looking, and if Anna was to guess her age, she’d go with seven.

  The captain then shooed them into the next ring and turned his attention back to Shadowlight. Anna went. She wasn’t happy to be even that far away from Shadowlight here in this place, but she went.

  While Sorac tested the young gargoyle’s skills, the girl showed Anna some of the most basic forms of swordsmanship. Distantly, Anna tried to follow the instructions, but her attention was divided. Sorac wasn’t holding back in his bout with Shadowlight.

  The kid’s skills with the sword were much farther along than hers and he was able to block Sorac at first. At least until their mentor upped his game. The strikes came fast and furious, their blades a blur. Shadowlight stumbled and Sorac came far too close to decapitating him. Only the gargoyle’s quick reflexes allowed him to recover his balance and block the strike.

  She’d expected Sorac to stop at that point. He didn’t. The strikes became more brutal.

  Anna wasn’t even aware she’d burst into motion. Yet she was just suddenly running, that protective magic sleeping inside her roaring awake. Her strength and skills in hand-to-hand combat caught Sorac by surprise and she slapped his sword arm aside and flexed her talons, aiming for the narrow strip of throat just above where his armor ended.

  Unfortunately, Sorac’s surprise lasted all of two seconds. Grinning at her, he slammed his hand against her breastplate. At the instant of contact, magic rippled in the air, expanding outward. A tremendous wave of force sent her flying backward violently. She didn’t stop until she crashed into the crowd of watching students.