Greenborrow swore again, pivoted, and then jerked the guard out of the path of the fire and then with an impressive heave, physically tossed him toward the safety of the hall. The soldier cleared the door without issue but hit the opposite wall with enough force Gryton wouldn’t be surprised if the male suffered a broken bone or two. The guard collapsed into an unmoving heap.
“Unless you want to die, out now,” the leshii roared to the others even as he was grabbing two more soldiers and shoving them toward the door.
To help them decide, Gryton sent another wave of magic racing toward them. The leshii and the four remaining soldiers dived through the door. Smiling, Gryton darted out of the cage and made for the back wall of the room. The entire chamber was ward-spelled, but his destructive magic was swift to burn away that protection, and then it was eating into the unknown substance of the wall itself.
The composition was some strange mix of pulverized native stone, minerals, and sand. It didn’t matter what it was. Even if it had been made from the death metal of this world, his power still would have worked upon it.
Under his hands, the material turned molten and oozed like lava bubbling down from a vent of an active volcano. When the hole was large enough, he stepped through and sprinted across the floor of the new room to the next wall.
Soon he was through the second wall and emerged into a dimly lit stairway.
As he raced up them, heading toward the surface, he called on another of his formidable powers. This one allowed him to touch the minds of mortals and direct their attention elsewhere.
It wasn’t foolproof. Some humans had a higher natural resistance to his power than others. And now that the alarm had already been raised, it made his task harder since they were actively searching for him, but he still managed to redirect any eyes that would have landed upon him.
It wasn’t as good as a gargoyle’s shadow magic, but it was still enough for him to make it out of the military camp.
While he had a head start, it wouldn’t last long. Already he could sense the humans mobilizing to give chase. Other fae would soon be on his trail, and his mind control magic didn’t work on them nearly as well.
Worse, he could feel the Null. She was awake now and already tracking him. For the moment, she was on foot, but she’d soon find another mode of travel. If she overtook him before he made it to his destination...
That couldn’t happen.
He briefly debated weaving a portal spell to get him to the glade faster, but that would alert Anna and Shadowlight and whatever other Legion gargoyles might be there. And then there was the Null.
Even now, over the distance between them, he could feel the slight tug on his power as she fed. But for now, it wasn’t enough to incapacitate him. That might change if he created a portal spell and she mistook it as an attempt to escape back to the Magic Realm. She was exhibiting some control over her ability. Now wasn’t the time to test how great it was.
He trusted that once he got to the maze and engaged the Legion gargoyles, she would divert her attention to the newcomers if she was even remotely intelligent.
And while the Null might be brash and uncultured, she wasn’t a fool. There was intelligence in her eyes that made her tongue even sharper. That same astuteness would allow her to guess his true purpose.
Gryton ran full out, cutting through a forested area that opened onto a street with manicured lawns. Small dwellings lined both sides of the road. It was early yet, the sun just clearing the horizon in the east. He only encountered a few humans. They weren’t soldiers and were more easily deceived.
He continued to run, his long strides covering the ground quickly. Soon he left the outskirts of the town behind. The surrounding land opened into fields with crops or grazing livestock. He cut through a field as he had the forest before, making a straight line toward his destination.
Not far behind, he could hear the roar of machines. But once he left the fields for forest once more, they wouldn’t be able to follow so easily over the uneven terrain.
While he’d been sure to keep his presence hidden from the gargoyles, they could sense the humans’ approach. If the humans tipped off the legion gargoyles, the intruders might hurry to complete their mission before Gryton could stop them. His power rose, testing his control at the thought.
He clamped down on his power.
Later, he promised it. You can destroy our enemies later.
And while he didn’t think Anna and Shadowlight would have changed so much that they would kill an unborn child, he couldn’t risk the chance Lord Death’s other legion servants might act.
He put on another burst of speed, inadvertently surprising a small herd of deer. The startled beasts didn’t distract him. Soon he reached the small laneway that led to the stone cottage and the other buildings belonging to his mother’s mortal family.
Chapter 17
Anna
WALKING UP TO THE HAMADRYAD’S last line of defenses, Anna placed her hand on the top edge of one of the standing stones ringing the tree. With a small tendril of magic, she pushed her intent at the ward spell.
I am no threat. I mean no harm.
Which was true. After confirming that Gryton was indeed a prisoner, they had then sought out and studied all the other fae who had once been allies. After observing each person with subtle magic, she and Obsidian had sensed nothing new. Everything seemed much as they remembered. If Gryton had influenced the others, it wasn’t obvious.
But he had visited the hamadryad more than once in the time they’d been here, the Avatars allowing him that much freedom. Which is why Thayn had sent them back here today. While Gryton may not have been able to influence any of the other fae or human soldiers, the eldest gargoyle had pointed out the fire elemental might be secretly influencing his unborn sister.
“I can’t believe we’ve been able to slink around with no one the wiser,” Anna admitted. “No one sensed us. Not even the Avatars.”
“They are less than they were,” Obsidian said in response to her thoughts. “Thayn was correct about that.”
“Still, I can’t believe they haven’t hunted us down yet. They know we’re here.”
Obsidian shrugged. “We don’t mean them harm. Perhaps they sense that.”
“Perhaps.” Anna shrugged. “Everything seems much as it was when we left.”
“True,” Obsidian agreed after a long pause. “And yet I see things I didn’t see as a child. The Mother’s Sorceress and the Gargoyle Protector now compromise in a way Thayn says they never did until this life.”
Predictably, her Rasoren sighed when she flicked an ear to convey her doubt.
While Obsidian and Thayn might think the worst of them, if it hadn’t been for the Sorceress, Anna never would have reunited with Shadowlight.
“Still, they are less than they were,” Obsidian continued. “It is possible that extends to more than just their power.”
Anna read his next thought before it was fully formed.
“You think Gryton’s birth also changed them, changed their personalities?”
“It is possible. To be certain of their motives, we will need to study them more. But we have another task to complete first.” Obsidian glanced up at the hamadryad.
Anna followed the direction of his gaze until she was tilting her head back to stare up at the tall tree.
Approaching the hamadryad, Anna discovered three more very nasty defensive spells.
She chuckled. “I’d say the only thing the Avatars are guilty of is wisely protecting their daughter from the likes of the Battle Goddess’s minions.”
Huffing his disagreement, Obsidian still joined her by the hamadryad’s wide trunk.
Closing her eyes, Anna placed her hands upon the tree, careful not to think even a slightly aggressive thought. After a moment, Obsidian mirrored her, and together they examined the developing fetus within.
“Her soul is beautiful. And she’s already so strong,” Obsidian said with a hint of pride in his ton
e.
Anna nodded. “I sense nothing of darkness within her.”
“Nor I.”
“She’s pure. I don’t think Gryton was trying to influence her during his visits. Not that Lillian and Gregory would allow him to, anyway. I’m sure they still don’t trust Gryton.”
“She feels the same as I remember as a child.” Obsidian grinned suddenly. “I was strong enough even back then to sense it.”
“Did you want some alone time to stroke your ego in private?”
“Would that not defeat the purpose?” He bumped his muzzle against hers before sighing. “We should be going.”
Anna agreed, and together they moved out away from the trunk, Obsidian a step ahead of her. She was just stepping clear of the boughs when she was suddenly shoved back into the tree branches by a blow from Obsidian’s powerful tail.
While she was still momentarily stunned, the wind knocked out of her by the mighty blow, a ball of fire magic screamed through the air where she’d stood only a moment ago.
After scrambling to her feet, she darted around the tree trunk to get a bead on their attackers and to locate Obsidian. Using their link to guide her, she swiftly spotted her Rasoren sheltering behind one of the standing stones ringing the tree. Seeing that Obsidian was out of the line of fire, she began scanning for the threat.
From her vantage point, she could just make out a tall, familiar form in full armor standing in the maze’s shadowy south exit
“It’s Gryton,” she sent along their link.
“Can you create a distraction? I’m pinned down here. If I call battle magic, he’ll sense it even through my shield and know where I am. But, interestingly, he isn’t attacking you even though the branches’ movement gave away your location.”
“On it.”
Reaching out with her mind, she weaponized the shadows nearest to the commander’s position and sent them flying toward him. The little bits of shadow magic weren’t a real threat to the armor-clad opponent, but it gave Obsidian the time he needed to leap across the expanse of open ground and reach the hamadryad’s shadows. He crouched next to her.
Still uncertain of Gryton’s motives, Anna swiftly erected a shield in front of the hamadryad to protect it and the child the tree carried.
“We need to take the fight out of the glade. This is too great a risk to the unborn child.” Obsidian’s worry for his future niece flowed along their mental link.
Gryton stalked forward, his long strides eating up the distance. It also made him a damn tempting target.
“He wants to draw us out,” Obsidian said, his surprise cascading down the link. “I think he’s concerned for the tree and the child. That’s why he didn’t attack again once we were within the tree’s canopy.”
Anna narrowed her eyes as she peered around the tree’s trunk again. With his elemental magic snapping around his armor and his molten gaze glowing through the slit in his visor, he looked mightily pissed off, but Obsidian was correct. Gryton wasn’t attacking.
“Get away from my sister, gargoyle! Your shadow magic will not save you.”
Anna ducked under a large branch, moving with Obsidian as they kept the trunk between them and Gryton. “Guess that confirms that theory. He’s holding off his attack until he’s flushed us out.”
“We need to go before the Avatars arrive,” Obsidian said, reluctance at fleeing a fight echoing in his thoughts.
“Good point. Time to retreat.” As much as she’d like to pin Tin Man to the ground and punch him for a day or two, they needed to move.
“Get ready to run. You go first. I’ll cover your retreat.”
If Anna hadn’t been in Obsidian’s head, she wouldn’t have agreed. But her Rasoren was correct. Gryton knew they were gargoyles, but he couldn’t know it was them. But that would change if he saw a female gargoyle scampering away.
“We’ll need another distraction first,” Obsidian said, even as he called on his shadow magic.
The shadows under the hamadryad shivered, rising from the ground like a mist. Anna was just adding her own power when another familiar figure arrived at the maze’s west entrance.
Obsidian huffed out a surprised grunt and stilled, frozen in shock at seeing his mother for the first time in over thirteen years.
A swirling mix of dryad and shadow magic surrounded River. “Get away from my daughter’s child, monster!”
“Shit!” Anna hissed, realizing Obsidian wasn’t ready to fight his own mother. She called more power, preparing to send a lance of energy at the ground a few feet in front of the dryad to unbalance River. A moment before she launched her attack, Anna realized she and Obsidian weren’t the targets.
Gryton was.
What the hell was going on? But then she knew. “Obsidian, she thinks Gryton is attacking the hamadryad. River doesn’t know we’re here. This is our chance to escape without being discovered. We need to move.”
“But...” His words were whispered barely above the rustle of the grass.
“I know,” Anna soothed. “But now isn’t the time to face her.”
Nodding jerkily, Obsidian moved at last. Though he paused and glanced over his shoulder at his mother longingly.
“They are allies even if they don’t want to be. They won’t kill each other. Your mother is a smart lady. Once she realizes there were gargoyles here, she’ll switch to hunting us instead of Gryton.”
Obsidian still hesitated.
“I’m sorry. But move your big ass.”
Obsidian grunted but redirected his shadow magic to cover their retreat. Anna did the same, and then she was running toward the maze’s north entrance. Obsidian raced just feet behind. Then they were once again safely within the labyrinth.
Obsidian nipped her in the flank, his teeth leaving a mark.
“What the hell was that for?” she barked at him.
“For saying I have a big ass.” His mirth flowed down their link.
She smacked him with the tip of her tail. He was still laughing when they reached the first branch of the maze. She continued to run, and Obsidian kept pace. Neither of them ran at top speed. The twisting corridors didn’t allow that.
She was just coming around another corner when she nearly collided with a human soldier she hadn’t sensed in their path.
Two things became immediately apparent.
The human could see them.
And the human soldier wasn’t human at all.
As Anna stood there, staring mutely, the soldier continued feeding on her magic.
“Avatars, what’s happening? Gryton sensed intruders with possible hostile intent. I was tracking him. Then got turned around in this maze. Not sure what’s going on now.”
“You’re draining our magic.” Obsidian’s tone was ominous enough to send a skittering down Anna’s spine in reaction.
The human snapped to attention.
“Shit. You’re not Gregory.” She sized up Obsidian and then pointed her gun at him. “On the ground!”
Anna leaped to the attack, her need to protect her Rasoren momentarily overpowering common sense. Lashing out, she knocked the gun away in a lightning-fast move. While the other woman was still surprised, Anna hit the soldier in the jaw with a powerful punch. The soldier stumbled back a few steps but didn’t go down.
More surprising, Anna’s fist had turned numb. The chill in her hand swiftly climbed her arm.
Eyes widening, she stared at the other woman.
That blow should have knocked the human soldier on her ass. Probably unconscious. But she just stood there looking as surprised as Anna felt.
“She feeds on all types of energy,” Obsidian said in sudden understanding. “She absorbed the force of your strike.”
While the soldier was still surprised, Obsidian jerked the gun from her grasp and then lashed out with his talons. The human blocked the strike with her arm. It was as if Obsidian had hit an invisible barrier instead of flesh.
“Good God. How do we fight something that can swallow m
agical and kinetic energy? My damned fist is still numb.” Then something occurred to Anna, and she darted farther away from the abomination. Obsidian followed; the gun still held in his hand.
They both glanced at the gun and then the stranger.
A look of understanding flashed across the soldier’s face. “Fuck it. I’m not staying to find out if I’m bulletproof.”
The soldier turned and dashed down a side corridor.
“Time to go.” Anna dropped to all fours. As she darted past Obsidian, she smacked him in the flank to get him moving. “I know you want to go after her and find out what she is, but as far as we know, she could be something created by Blood Witch Taryin and the Battle Goddess. If that’s the case, then we’re deep in enemy territory.”
While Anna had felt nothing overtly evil about the soldier, she couldn’t be confident whatever power allowed her to drain magic wouldn’t also dull their other senses.
“You’re right.” Unhappiness tinted his thoughts, but he followed close on Anna’s tail as they made their way out of the maze. Getting out proved much harder than sneaking in. Dozens of soldiers were now making their way through the maze. Anna and Obsidian had to swiftly backtrack down several side corridors and dead ends to keep out of the soldiers’ way. Neither of them trusted their shadow magic to hide them since they couldn’t be sure how greatly the female soldier’s strange power had weakened them.
They eventually made it out of the maze, but it wasn’t until they reached the shadows of the forest that Anna marginally relaxed. But the strange numbness in her one hand prevented her from relaxing completely.
“We need to get looked at by healers to discover what that woman did to us. And then we need to see Thayn and hope to hell he has some idea what she is and how to fight her.”
Obsidian nodded, his thoughts in complete agreement with hers.
Chapter 18
Erika
IF GRYTON HADN’T BROKEN out of his cage and wasn’t presently raging, Erika might have stayed to find out if she was bulletproof. But as far as her strange ability was concerned, Gryton was the greater danger at the moment. His power levels were rapidly reaching dangerous levels.
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 166
