“God, I need a beer,” muttered Stanton, still holding a hand pressed against his bleeding thigh.
“I second that,” Resnick said, but Lillian saw the way he was giving the death glare to Gryton.
Yep. The next debriefing was going to be long and joyless.
As if the thought of a debriefing summoned them, Gran came striding into the glade with several of the joint task force’s top brass marching behind. One of which was the tall, now familiar form of Brigadier General Mackenzie.
Oh crap. How the hell were they going to explain about his daughter?
Alcohol was starting to look like a good idea.
Chapter 42
AFTER A DAY-LONG DEBRIEFING, where he and Lillian did a lot of explaining, persuading, soothing and even a good bit of pleading, the meeting ended with a lot of questions still unanswered. But Resnick and his team had seen what the Battle Goddess had attempted, and the major came to their defense, explaining what might have happened if they hadn’t saved Gryton. Plus, he was valuable for the intel he could provide.
It was true. No one knew as much about the Battle Goddess’s plans as Gryton did. In the end, the humans demanded that Gregory and Lillian collar him. To his surprise, Gryton merely nodded his head, saying that he’d expected nothing less.
After they’d created a powerful spell to stop Gryton from calling on his magic, Gregory had watched somewhat bemused as the male was led away under heavy guard, where he’d be taken to a cell and guarded by both humans and fae.
It wasn’t ideal for studying and determining if Gryton was redeemable, but the day had gone better than it could have.
After the debriefing, they returned to Lillian’s hamadryad where he gathered her in his arms and folded his wings around her, just holding her while they both gazed up into the hamadryad canopy. Every so often, he reached out and touched the tree, marveling at their miracle. A daughter. He and his beloved were having a daughter.
He was sure he still had a silly grin plastered on his face as they walked back to the house.
If he hadn’t sensed Lillian was emotionally and physically exhausted, not to mention hungry, he would have stayed longer.
She’d already returned to her dryad form before the debriefing, claiming that the humans were more comfortable around the more human-looking fae. Gregory hadn’t commented at the time, but he was sure her dryad form just felt more natural.
“I want to eat half the contents of the fridge,” Lillian said and then glanced sidelong at him. “Then I want a long, hot bath. With you in it.”
Gregory halted, but Lillian continued without a backward glance, although, she had to know he’d stopped.
Hesitantly, he said, “You know things must be different between us now that you are again the Mother’s Sorceress.”
Even as he’d allowed his sorrow to take on the form of words, he forced himself into motion. He caught up with her, but she still didn’t respond. “Lillian?”
“Uh-huh.” Lillian kept walking, only stopping at the fridge long enough to grab two plastic-wrapped sandwiches and some bottles of water a blessedly-thoughtful person had left for them.
They continued to their bedroom and Lillian set the sandwiches on the dresser and entered the bathroom. A moment later he heard the bathtub filling.
Seriously? For once he wanted to talk and she didn’t? Lillian always wanted to talk. About everything. All the time. He frowned, tempted to just reach into her mind and learn what she was truly thinking.
Lillian glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “Your expression is priceless. Yes, I know we can’t have intercourse while I’m the Sorceress. However, I don’t plan on being the Mother’s Sorceress forever, at least in this lifetime. I told you, once we’ve dealt with the Battle Goddess and her army, I plan to grow an entire glade of hamadryads, stow my soul in one of them and have lots and lots and lots of sex with you.”
Gregory swallowed wrong and started to choke.
“Don’t swallow your tongue, you idiot. If you die on me before we have a big-ass family, I’m going to come to the Spirit Realm and chew your ass out.” Lillian shrugged and grinned. “And besides, the Divine Ones didn’t smite us for begetting a daughter, so I doubt they’ll have a problem with us having a family this one time.”
That was likely true. “What is the human saying? Beg for forgiveness instead of ask for permission?”
“That’s the one.” Lillian grinned. “As much as it might not sound like it now, I, too, hold our vows to the Divine Ones close to my heart, but I don’t see this as breaking our faith with them. They never demanded we be chaste. We decided that to honor them. They only warned against the Mother’s Sorceress and the Father’s Gargoyle Protector begetting a child that wasn’t born of Divine will.”
Gregory closed his eyes, not because he wanted to deny what she was saying, but because he wanted to reach out and grab Lillian and pull her to him and kiss her until they both passed out from lack of oxygen.
“I know we can’t be mates until after we’ve completed what we were born for, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be lovers. There are many creative ways to share our passion without risking a child. We won’t slip up this time. Light only knows, we already have Gryton. One of him is plenty for all three Realms to share. We’ve learned our lesson.”
Gregory chuckled, surprising himself. “I shouldn’t be laughing. This is far from funny.”
“No. Certainly not. We’re talking about our life and future happiness.” Warm, smooth fingers caressed his cheek and jaw, slowly trailing down his neck to rest on his shoulder. Lillian’s warmth brushed against him and then her lips were pressing little kisses along his muzzle.
“If you’d shapeshift, I could kiss you properly,” Lillian said with a hint of humor as she stepped back. “But if you’re not interested, I’ll just go take a cold shower instead of that bath.”
Gregory coughed. “The Divine Ones never mentioned a shared bath as being forbidden and they nurture creativity.”
“Then let’s get creative.” Lillian grinned and led him into the bathroom. He shapeshifted into his human form and leaned in for a kiss. Shortly thereafter, Lillian sighed and wrapped her arms around him.
It was much later by the time they stepped in the tub, and far later still before they climbed back out. Afterward, he carried Lillian to bed. She snuggled against him, half asleep when she suddenly jerked awake and sat up.
“There was something I was going to give you, but after the failed mission to rescue Shadowlight and Anna, I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. Then I got thinking, we never know for certain how long we’ll live in any one lifetime. Seeing the future was never one of our gifts.”
Lillian rolled across the bed. At first, he didn’t know what she was after. Pulling open a drawer in her nightstand, she took out a small black box. Gregory’s eyebrows drew together in curiosity. What was his strange dryad up to now?
She crawled back to him and sat on her knees gazing down at him with warmth, humor, and love in her eyes.
“This was something I asked Daryna to create.” Lillian flipped the lip open. The small box had some kind of hinged lid. “It’s a human tradition, and if I was a man, I’d get down on one knee.”
“I’m happy you weren’t born a male,” Gregory said with a bemused smile crossing his face.
“Actually, you’d normally be the one to get down on one knee, but it’s an archaic, somewhat sexist tradition, come to think of it, and since we’re all about being equals...” Lillian held the box out for him.
He leaned forward and glanced inside. It was a plain gold ring, large enough to fit around one of his fingers if he was in gargoyle form. His breath stilled in his lungs. While he wasn’t that familiar with modern human customs, he knew what marriage was.
“Gregory Livingstone, my most beloved gargoyle, will you marry me?” Lillian paused, waiting for his answer.
A soft growly purr escaped him. He reached up and pulled Lillian down for a ki
ss. It was some minutes later before he was able to answer aloud.
“I suppose I must,” he said with a grin, fully expecting to get a rise out of his dryad. “After all, I’ve knocked you up twice now.” Then turning serious once more, he cupped her face in his hands. “I love you more than anything in all the realms. It would please me greatly to hear you call me husband.”
Lillian chuckled, and then placed the ring on his finger. “Smart boy. If you’d said no, I was going to shift to gargoyle form and beat you up.”
Even as they snuggled together, Gregory knew it was a beautiful pledge that fate might be too cruel to allow them to see fulfilled, but it didn’t lessen the moment as he fell asleep with his beloved Lillian, whole and happy, in his arms.
Tonight, he’d enjoy what peace he could find. Tomorrow, it would be back to planning a war and readying for a visit with the Lord of the Underworld. For the first time in all his lives, he did not look forward to facing his old friend. If they were even still friends. Though he hoped so for the sake of Shadowlight and Anna.
Epilogue
ANNA’S LOW MOAN OF pain woke Shadowlight. It was only then that he realized he’d lost awareness for a few precious seconds. He raised his head and discovered Anna was curled in a fetal position next to him. Her skin held a greyish tint to it and sweat coated her body. Every few seconds a mighty shudder would rack her smaller frame.
“Please don’t die,” he whispered to her and petted her damp mane.
She blinked up at him, her lips trying to form words.
“S...sorr...sorry,” she croaked out at last.
“Don’t talk. Save your strength.” But what he really meant was, ‘don’t finish that sentence’ because he didn’t want to hear his worst fears vocalized out loud. He tried not to think about them even in his own mind.
Glancing around, he started to look for help.
They were on a vast island, overlooking the ocean. Far below, the ocean crashed against the base of a cliff, sending sea spray high up in the air. He didn’t care about any of that.
Anna was dying and needed help.
“Lord of the Underworld, if you can hear me, please help Anna,” Shadowlight whispered the words out loud as well as in his mind.
There was no answer, but far off Shadowlight could hear hooves impacting stone. As the sound grew louder, the ground underneath him began to shake. At least he hoped it was the ground and not his body quaking in fear.
He glanced toward the center of the island.
A gigantic form, easily as tall, or taller, than the Battle Goddess, leaped over a low cliff wall and continued to thunder toward Shadowlight’s position. Size was the only thing Lord Death had in common with his twin.
He galloped over the ground swiftly, his four powerful legs carrying him over the dangerous terrain effortlessly. When he reached a ravine too wide for his horse-like lower body to safely jump, he spread his wings and sailed over it before landing with a clatter of hooves against stone.
The God of Death pulled up short when he reached Shadowlight’s side. Then he stared down at them and rested his hands on the hilts of his four massive swords. He tilted his head until his muzzle was pointed down at them.
“Never have I met two such stubborn souls.” Lord Death’s mellow voice rumbled above their heads.
Anna tried to push herself to a sitting position, but Shadowlight wrapped his arms and wings around her as if that would protect his friend from Death incarnate. Though, he didn’t think anything he did would protect her from this four-armed god of death.
“Hello, young ones. My name is Draydrak, but you may call me Dray if you prefer.”
Shadowlight glanced up. This wasn’t precisely the greeting he’d been expecting. With renewed hope, he asked, “Will you save Anna? A blood witch’s magic is trying to destroy her soul.”
Draydrak stared at them in silence for a moment then he reached down and plucked Shadowlight and Anna up in one giant hand. Adrenaline sent Shadowlight’s heart pounding, but he refused to show fear. Anna had taught him not to show weaknesses to an enemy. And while his gargoyle nature told him Lord Death wasn’t an enemy, Shadowlight still wasn’t convinced he and Anna were safe in his care, either.
“Her soul I can, and will, protect,” Draydrak said, cupping a second hand above them and summoning magic. “Saving the human’s life? That I cannot promise.”
The large hand slowly lowered, trapping Anna and Shadowlight within a cage of interwoven digits, but that was the least of Shadowlight’s worries, for the next instant the temperature dropped as a chilled power flowed over them. Seconds after that Lord Death began to sing.
The hauntingly beautiful sound surrounded Shadowlight, soothing and lulling him into a sense of peace. Slowly, his eyes drifted closed and his head grew heavy. Anna no longer moaned in pain and his fears became a distant, forgotten thing.
“Sleep well, young ones,” Draydrak sang. “You will need your rest for what is to come.”
Thank you for reading Sorceress Enraged.
Lillian, Gregory, Anna and Shadowlight’s story continues in Legacy of the Sorceress.
Legacy of the Sorceress
A Gargoyle and Sorceress Tale
Book 6
Lisa Blackwood
Legacy of the Sorceress
Back Cover
A roll of the dice and Fate thrusts Corporal Anna Mackenzie into a new situation.
With her soul hanging in the balance, the young gargoyle, Shadowlight, makes a deal with the Lord of the Underworld to save Anna’s life. The demigod saves her, then sends the pair to Haven, a city outside time, where they will heal.
The price?
Thirteen years. The length of time Anna will need to embrace the healing stone sleep of gargoyles. When she wakes, an adult gargoyle is waiting for her. He goes by the name Obsidian, but she’d once known him by another—Shadowlight.
Obsidian might be a stranger, but she’d promised Shadowlight she’d never leave him. Now his older self wants her to honor that promise and stay, training alongside him to become one of Lord Death’s military leaders. To honor the memory of a gargoyle cub she’d once loved like a little brother, Anna agrees to join the Lord of the Underworld’s cause.
Is she working for the good guys? Or has she traded in one Overlord for another?
Either way she’s staying. Her promises don’t come with an expiration date and the more she gets to know Obsidian, the more she sees Shadowlight in him. There’s no way she’s abandoning the kid a second time.
Chapter 1
REALLY, THERE ARE ONLY three types of shit storms. First, there’s the ‘this is some bad shit, but I’ll escape with only a few new scars.’ Second, there’s the ‘Oh, Mother of God, I’m screwed, but I’m damned well going to take down the other bastard before he kills all my buddies,’ and then as a grand finale there’s the ‘I’m fucked. You’re fucked. Everybody is fucked. We’re all going to die.’
Anna decided her present situation was somewhere between the last two. She wasn’t at all sure if the four-armed, four-legged monstrosity holding her broken body in two of his massive hands was trying to heal her or kill her.
To judge by the pain, she’d guess kill. But then again, the prolonged agony wasn’t what she’d pegged as Lord Death’s modus operandi. Wasn’t Lord Death supposed to be the ‘good’ twin? Before all this started, didn’t the Avatars consider him a friend?
Just then another wave of Death’s acid-like power flowed across her skin and she screamed, her voice as broken as her battered body felt. Time was meaningless, the only certainty was that she’d been screaming for a frigging long time.
So much for a battle-hardened soldier.
The endless onslaught of Death’s magic continued to rush across her skin and into her body. Deeper, always digging deeper. Was he trying to rip out her soul? God be merciful. Please let it end.
“Soon,” a beautiful male voice whispered into her ravaged mind. “It will be over soon. And I promise y
ou, once this is done, you’ll see that I am a friend.”
Friend? Dafuq you say! The Avatars needed better friends.
Anna blinked as sight slowly returned. Until then, she’d been blind to everything except the endless pain. A foot or two in front of her, a beloved and familiar, if a little blurry, image formed.
Shadowlight?
A muzzle dipped low and lapped at her face, washing the stinging sweat out of her eyes.
Yes. That was the kid. Did that mean this was almost over?
She blinked a few more times.
No. Not over. Lord Death was still holding her in his two lower hands while the upper two poised above her, pouring a torrent of power upon her. Shadowlight was sitting next to her, perched on Lord Death’s thumb with his tail wrapped around the giant’s wrist.
The sight made her feel something besides pain: tiny.
She felt as insignificant as a mosquito.
Her mind continued to clear. The pain grew less intense. Still dazed, she shook her head and blinked up at Shadowlight. The power was flowing across his skin as well, but he seemed unharmed.
Anna licked her lips and forced her mouth to form words.
“You okay, kid?” The words came out more of a wheeze.
He bumped his muzzle against her cheek. “I’m fine. You’re the one who nearly died.”
“Nearly? You mean I’ll actually survive this?” Whatever the fuck ‘this’ was.
Shadowlight glanced up at Lord Death. The giant nodded but continued to focus on his work. Which, apparently, was not peeling her like an orange to get to the juicy soul within.
Who would have guessed?
“Lord Death is working to undo the damage the blood witch’s magic inflicted upon your soul,” Shadowlight explained. “He says it’s much more complicated when the soul is housed in flesh, but I begged him to save your life.”
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 120
