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

by Lisa Blackwood

  Was that curiosity?

  Amusement?

  Balls!

  Had that part with Truth, Meadow, and Lark been a test? Death had once alluded to knowing every soul’s destiny. It was part of his gift. It allowed him to know when each soul’s life had run its course. He might have seen this in one of his many futures.

  If it was a test, Anna assumed they’d failed. Lord Dray had ordered that none of the enemies be allowed to escape.

  But that didn’t change anything. Anna would still have acted to save her friends.

  Lord Draydrak continued to study them in silence.

  What the hell did he want? Usually, he’d just read their minds or say what was on his.

  When in doubt...

  “I’m sorry and humbly beg forgiveness.”

  “For what?” Dray asked.

  Was that a hint of humor?

  Anna glanced sidelong at Obsidian. “You can step in at any point.”

  Obsidian’s tail flicked ever so slightly, but otherwise, he made no response to her statement.

  How helpful.

  At last, Dray took pity on her. “I saw what you did. Now you would apologize for saving three lives? And protecting your Rasoren from the grief of losing three friends?”

  Wait one minute.

  Come to think of it, what was the chance that Vaspara and Sorac would just happen to find three of Obsidian’s friends in the middle of a battle?

  “Yes, Kyrsu. You’ve caught me. I didn’t just see the outcome; I orchestrated the event to no little degree.”

  Obsidian snorted in surprise, his expression much less humorous than the demigod’s. “You intentionally put my friends in danger to test us?”

  His betrayed tone made Anna want to reach out and comfort her Rasoren.

  “The futures showed the possibility of good coming from that strange meeting. I just nudged your friends with a word that this would aid you in the future. I hope that seed of potential will grow to save many more.”

  “Truth knew what would happen to him?”

  “No. But I did warn him some futures showed his return to the Spirit Realm. He chose to serve in spite of the danger.”

  “Forgive me.” Obsidian bowed his head, humility returning to his every line.

  Dray sighed as he looked down upon the gargoyle. “There is certainly no need unless it is to apologize for never grasping the two directives I exist to serve: Save as many lives as possible and never harvest a soul before it’s time.”

  Anna blinked at him. What the hell was he talking about? “But you’re the Lord of the Underworld. You deal in death. You are death.”

  “And don’t you think death is necessary for all life to flourish? An old tree falls and creates room for younger ones to thrive. The diseased animal is hunted down by predators, thus saving others of their herd from getting ill as well as providing food for the next generation of predators. Can life flourish without death? No. There would be no life. Even plants compete for food, water, and light. Death is the promise of renewal.”

  He made it sound so sensible, but she still couldn’t see the good in a tidal wave sweeping across the land and snuffing out three hundred thousand lives. Could that be because she was small and mortal?

  Perhaps if she were as ancient as he, she would see the universe differently.

  Though, she didn’t think she’d ever change enough for that many lives to mean so little. At least she hoped not.

  “It’s not callousness like you envision.” Lord Dray said. “It’s compassion. What would happen to all those souls trapped in broken bodies beyond healing or repair? The agony of disease and rot eating away at them. Should I allow them to exist in pain for eternity?”

  Dammit. That did sound like compassion when there was no modern medicine or magical healing to be had.

  “By why not heal instead of kill in those instances?”

  “Sometimes the Divine Ones simply wish for a soul to return home and sing of the world where they lived for a short time.”

  And I got no comeback to that.

  She touched along the link, seeking Obsidian. “Take over. Anytime now.”

  Obsidian sat down on his haunches and looked up at Lord Draydrak. “You’re truly not angry we risked the entire island to save three lives?”

  “Every life is worth saving. Each soul deserves the chance to learn as much as possible. You followed the Light’s directive by saving those three souls.” Dray looked thoughtful. “You may have saved more than those three souls this day.”

  Did he mean...? “Vaspara? Sorac?”

  “Yes. There are many future paths their souls might take. In one, I see the barest hint that those two might be redeemed. I am proud of your actions. Remember that compassion almost always leads toward the Light. But a theological debate about death and good and evil is not why I summoned you here.”

  Dray looked out across the ocean for a moment before continuing. “It is time my new gargoyle Legion meets the old. But first I must endow my Rasoren with the magic to wake them.”

  Wake them?

  “Yes, Anna. You’ve only met a fraction of my Legion. The last two generations and their teachers. The previous generations sleep, awaiting the time when they are needed. That time is now.”

  Well, shit.

  Now that she thought about it, how had she overlooked that there were thousands of ancient hamadryads? One of her lessons had made mention of the fact that the tree began to die upon the death of her dryad. If there were thousands of the healthy, living hamadryads on the island, then somewhere there must be thousands of dryads.

  “How many?” Obsidian asked.

  “Enough to end the war between my sister and me once and for all.”

  Ah. He wasn’t just planning to win a few battles and send his twin’s army running back to hide and lick their wounds.

  “No, Anna. I plan to end my sister once and for all.”

  “But I thought the problem was that you can’t die and as long as she’s linked to you, nothing can kill her? Or am I misunderstanding?”

  “It is as you say. I cannot die. And as long as I exist, so does my twin. But if I give up a vast portion of my power, that which roots me to this realm, I can return to the Spirit Realm, and if I can force her to expend much of her own power first, I’ll be able to drag my unwilling sister along with me. Once home, the Divine Ones can at last mend what is broken inside her.”

  Anna could get on board with that plan.

  “But what of you?”

  Dray laughed, flashing his very white teeth at her. “I must remain in the Spirit Realm for the duration of my twin’s healing—centuries or millennia as you judge time.”

  Anna held her silence, but he’d probably picked up on her thoughts, for he grinned broadly at her. “Yes, it will be a...vacation.”

  He said the word like it was unfamiliar to him. Hell, it likely was.

  “But what will happen while you’re gone?”

  His expression turned serious. “I have safeguards in place. My swords will absorb all my power and continue to keep the cycle of life and death in balance throughout the universe. Enough talk. Come to my temple. I will grant Obsidian the power he needs to wake my Legion.”

  Chapter 53

  ONCE DEEP INSIDE DEATH’S temple—a gigantic structure that easily dwarfed the great pyramids—Dray led them to an altar room where he said he’d need some time to prepare.

  As far as Anna could tell, he merely stood in the center of the room where his four swords had been driven partially into the stone. He stood in the center of the circle, his back to them, his monstrous wings folded against his equine body.

  Anna kept her eyes firmly glued to the stone beneath her feet, or sometimes on Obsidian, where he stood silent and watchful at her side.

  Anywhere that wasn’t Dray’s naked horse-like rump.

  “Relax, there is nothing to see,” Obsidian’s voice encroached upon her thoughts, followed by a hearty dose of humor. “Lord
Dray relates as male, but since the Divine Ones have yet to bless our Lord with a mate, he chooses to remain genderless.”

  Anna was about to sneak a peek when Lord Draydrak’s statue-like body moved at last.

  He raised his head from its bowed position and reached out to draw his swords from the stone they’d melted into. Then almost too swiftly to follow, he crossed the four blades. At the contact, they began to hum.

  It rose from a deep tone to something higher and purer. A great flash of light followed, and the blades vanished. The demigod now glowed with fierce light.

  Anna took an involuntary step back.

  Flames in tones of blues and purples licked along his body, growing increasingly paler and brighter by the second. She shielded her eyes from the blinding illumination bleeding through his skin.

  Then his form shimmered like a mirage in the heat. The next moment it disintegrated into a million bolts of light, swirling in a shimmering vortex.

  Anna’s breath froze in her lungs, her fingers curled around her sword’s hilt.

  Then, the bright, pure soul that was the essence of the Lord of the Underworld reached out with a tendril of power and touched Obsidian on the chest.

  Her Rasoren grunted in discomfort. Though he held his ground. Instinctively Anna reached out to share his pain. Some force prevented her from reaching Obsidian’s mind. Or any part of him, she realized belatedly.

  A shield of energy now surrounded him.

  Panic rose within. Her magic flared brighter in response. The part of her mind that wasn’t all fear and instinct knew Lord Draydrak wasn’t killing her Rasoren. But it was still a mighty battle to keep herself rooted in place.

  “Easy, Anna, my intent is not to harm your beloved partner, though it is indeed painful for him. However, this will make him stronger. Strong enough to challenge the male half of the Avatars and wrestle control of the Gargoyle Legion from him.”

  What the fuck? No one had mentioned Obsidian would have to fight Gregory.

  Anna’s heart hammered in her chest and blood rushed in her ears, but she held onto control by the tips of her talons.

  “When I am finished, Obsidian will be stronger than ever, and so will you.”

  Anna nodded sharply and then sat on her haunches to wait, telling herself it would be over soon, and then she could comfort and pamper Obsidian after this newest ordeal.

  After close to an hour, the pure, bright power with its strange mix of heat and cold pulled back from Obsidian, revealing him curled on his side.

  The magic hadn’t entirely faded from his skin, and she was already at his side, curling her gargoyle body around him protectively.

  His skin was shifting to gray, hardening to stone as she watched.

  “He will need to rest while his body adjusts to the gift I have just given him. When he wakes, the time portal will carry you both back to Haven one last time. There Obsidian will wake the rest of my Legion. Once that is done, you both will return to the Mortal Realm and face the Avatars.”

  Anna blew out the breath she’d been holding. “Our training was cut short. I doubt we can fight the Avatars and win.”

  “It is unfortunate we don’t have more time together. All I can say in comfort is that some battles require more than physical and magical strength. While Obsidian’s task will be to challenge Gregory for control of the Legion, your task will be to convince the Sorceress to return to me for a long overdue talk.”

  “Just to talk?” Anna asked as she settled a wing over Obsidian. After what he’d just endured, she wanted him to know she was near even in sleep.

  “Yes.” The glowing nebulous energy contracted back upon itself, taking on shape and form once more. When she could see clearly, he’d returned to his previous fearsome form.

  “I will do my best to convince her.”

  “Good. Our talk about Gryton is long overdue.”

  “Gryton? He’s trouble.”

  “More than you know. Yet we may need him if we hope to win the war with as few casualties as possible.”

  Again, Anna found it strange that a being who oversaw trillions of deaths across the universe daily still worried about casualties.

  Thank God he did. Otherwise, he might decide to start fixing problems with the sweep of a scythe.

  “I have a question.” He lowered himself to the ground, his long legs folding under him in that graceful way he managed. “What is it with the comparison with death and an agricultural implement? I am no farmer. And a scythe would make a poor tool.”

  “You don’t talk to newly returned souls?”

  “No. Almost never. They are always too excited to return home after a long journey.”

  Bemused by the picture he painted and that a demigod would ask her a question, she explained the origin of the symbolism.

  “A reaper? But I harvest nothing for myself. I merely set a soul free.” He sounded somewhat affronted.

  “Well, you did say you experienced their joy, right? So some would argue you are harvesting something.”

  His ears cocked forward, giving him a somewhat surprised look. Anna felt her lips twitch.

  “Hmph. I suppose.” His expression turned more serious after a time. “While I do not like sending a soul back to the Spirit Realm before they’ve had a chance to learn something of value, my sister will make sure that many lives are cut short in the coming war.”

  Anna grunted. “Well. If the Divine Ones should ever get around to giving you a mate, she better be a healer to lighten your workload.”

  Death laughed with her then, and Anna realized her life couldn’t get much stranger. When Dray mastered his humor, he slowly climbed to his feet.

  “Rest Kyrsu. The council and I will see that Haven is ready to evacuate. When your Rasoren wakes, he will have the strength and knowledge to wake the rest of my army.”

  He turned and started away but paused at the base of a large set of stairs. “It was nice to talk with you, Anna Mackenzie. I look forward to the next opportunity.”

  Yeah, because having Death end a conversation with an ‘I hope to see you soon’ was always comforting.

  Still bemused by her exchange with Dray, she just shook her head and then pressed her muzzle gently against Obsidian’s stone cheek, giving him a loving little lick before tucking her head against her shoulder.

  She’d nap while the opportunity presented itself. There was no telling when the next chance would appear. Not with battle preparations to make and their impending return to Earth and all they’d left behind.

  Now the thought of a court-martial was the least of her worries.

  Chapter 54

  MASTER THAYN LED THE way, leaping over rocky terrain and the occasional fallen tree or low hanging branch. Knowing his extreme age, it was easy to forget he could kick all their asses. And, oh, how he liked to remind them of that fact.

  Obsidian ran full out to keep up with the elder, while Anna took up the rear. Though he was aware her slighter build allowed her to run faster, and she could outpace him if she chose.

  Especially now, since his body was still adjusting to the gift of added strength and magical power Lord Draydrak had entrusted to him.

  They’d used the time portal to return to Haven, and then made their flight to the mainland. Thayn led them farther north than Obsidian had ever traveled. They continued until the shimmering veil between the realms could be seen where it separated this small contained land from the rest of the realms.

  They’d come nearly to the edge of this spell world.

  Obsidian put on a burst of speed to lead them up the last short run to the summit. From this elevation, they could see much of the mainland below them and the curtain wall of the veil where it curved out toward the ocean.

  He looked south and east. If the day had been clear, he would have seen the island of Haven, a dark mass on the horizon. But it was too misty this morning.

  Yet when they crested the summit and peered down into the broad valley below, the mist from the ocean h
ad not yet rolled this far inland and he had a clear view of the valley floor.

  Hundreds of thousands of gargoyle statues lined the river.

  “Holy shit,” Anna whispered as she came to stand at his right shoulder.

  “Their dryad counterparts are also spelled to dormancy inside their hamadryads. If you looked to the surrounding slopes, you'd come to recognize the trees with sleeping dryads inside.”

  Thousands of the trees were leafless. But his magic confirmed they weren’t dead like they looked.

  “Hamadryads go dormant in regions where the winter snows lay deep,” Thayn explained for Anna’s benefit. “During that time, a dryad can choose to sleep away the cold months within her tree. Lord Dray simply extended that ability to last for a few hundred years. When they wake, neither dryad nor hamadryad will have suffered from the extra-long sleep.”

  Anna whistled long and loud, surprising Obsidian since he hadn’t known gargoyles could whistle.

  “That’s a damned lot of gargoyles. Is there enough food in the universe to feed that many?” Anna’s comment was in jest, but she raised a valid concern.

  “They will be hungry when they wake,” Thayn agreed. “But this far inland, there will be plenty of prey in the woods. However, we have also been adding to the stores for hundreds of years and have enough in reserve to feed the army for five years. Though I doubt the war will drag on that long.”

  While Thayn and Anna commented about the army’s strengths and weaknesses, Obsidian turned his attention inward, seeking the new wellspring of power Lord Draydrak had given him. It rose at his slight touch, eager to do his bidding, or perhaps to fulfill one of its purposes.

  Whatever the cause, the magic filled him, flooding his body with the intense power until his skin frosted over. Anna stepped nearer, offering her own strength if he needed it.

  “It won’t be needed this time, my Kyrsu.” He infused his words with an appreciation for her offer.

  Anna nodded and silently stepped back, giving him space to work.

  Power and instinct merged into one strong purpose, and without a hint of hesitation, he released the magic building inside him.