She needed to secure him and drain enough power that he wasn’t a threat to himself or anyone else. Once that was done, she and the others could go find the two new gargoyles. While it was embarrassing that she hadn’t immediately realized the male and female weren’t the Avatars, and they’d then got her gun, she’d also learned she might be immune to physical assault.
She’d dwell on that later. For now, she needed to reach Gryton. Thanks to the soul binding, she knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. He was battling more than one magic-user and enraged by that forced distraction. He’d much rather be chasing the two intruders she’d just encountered.
Erika couldn’t even blame Gryton. He’d detected the intruders before anyone else. Regrettably, everyone else thought he’d broken out of his cage in a bid to escape. When really all he’d been trying to do was protect the tree fetus.
Her soul-link to the fire elemental opened wide, and she was suddenly in his head.
“Stand down,” she shouted into his mind, hoping he would somehow hear her. “Stand down now!”
“I can’t.”
Shit, it worked.
“Why can’t you stand down?”
“The simple fact that everyone is trying to kill me.” Magic pulsed between them stronger than before, and suddenly she was both running through the maze’s confusing corridors and standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
What the hell?
Gryton stood inside the ring of stones encircling the tree, his back to the hamadryad as he fed power into the protective dome of magic surrounding the immediate area. On the other side of the circle, at least four dozen soldiers were firing at the dome, trying to breach it. They weren’t alone. At least seven of the fae were also targeting the dome with magical attacks.
“You’re fucking kidding me?”
“I don’t know what fornication with baby goats has to do with anything, but as you can see, I’m unable to stand down without the hamadryad and my unborn sister coming to harm.”
She rolled her eyes. “All you have to do is say two simple words.”
“And what would those two words be?”
“I surrender.”
When he snorted with humor, she knew he’d have been enjoying all this if not for the two gargoyles getting farther away by the minute.
“You still don’t know me. I never surrender.”
Actually, she knew that about him.
The connection between them snapped, or Gryton closed it off. But suddenly she was entirely in her own head again and couldn’t see what was happening in the center of the glade.
“Shit,” she cursed at the green walls of the maze. “I really hate labyrinths!”
AFTER LONGER THAN SHE wanted to admit, she stumbled across one of the maze’s exits. She just burst out into the glade when Gregory and Lillian arrived, galloping through some kind of a magic portal that shimmered in the air on the opposite side of the clearing from Erika’s position.
Lillian was yelling for everyone to stop. At least that’s what Erika thought she was shouting. Too bad no one could hear the Sorceress over the noise of gunfire and the explosive hiss of magic strikes.
The other woman must have realized the same thing for she raised her arms wide and power began rising up out of the ground.
Erika was damn sure the Sorceress was about to attack the soldiers and fae targeting Gryton and her tree.
“How do I get myself into such shitty situations?” Erika asked herself and then squared her shoulders.
With a savage grin, she started to run again, envisioning sucking up all the magic in the glade.
To her surprise, it wasn't just spells that fell apart and dissolved, bullets fell out of the air. Even the dome protecting the tree collapsed, revealing Gryton, his magic still rising into the air, snapping and flickering like a bonfire in a stiff breeze.
As Erika sprinted past the two startled Avatars, she shouted over her shoulder, “He wasn’t trying to escape.”
Gryton’s magic dwindled at her approach. When she was ten strides away, he hissed out something unintelligible and slowly collapsed to his knees. A well-placed shove sent him face-first into the dirt. Then with her knee pressed into his lower back, she held him down and reached in her pocket for a zip tie.
“What are you doing?” The grass muffled his question.
“Securing the prisoner.”
“You know I wasn’t trying to escape!”
“Yep. That’s why I just risked my ass to get to you before you got steamrolled by your gargoyle father. Pretty sure he had something nasty planned.” She shoved his face into the ground again as she pushed herself up. “You’re welcome.”
Another muffled curse reached her but whatever else he might have said was drowned out by the roar of approaching helicopters.
“My sister is still in danger,” Gryton managed to say after turning on his side. “Your ability has gone into battle mode. You’re draining every speck of power in your immediate vicinity.”
She glanced around and noticed the nearest fae looked like they were on day three of a bender. Even the Avatars looked under the weather, their great wellspring of power dwindling. Then she remembered the reason Gryton was protecting the hamadryad tree.
“Crap.” She didn’t want to be responsible for the death of the tree fetus.
Grabbing Gryton under the arms, she started dragging him away from the tree. He was almost too hot to the touch but swiftly cooled under her hands.
“I’m still feeding off you, aren’t I?”
“Yes.” His answer was more of a grunt than a word.
“Good. Better you than little sis. You deserve it for this stunt.”
His growl became more pronounced. “You most illogical and dimwitted of creatures! On the way here, you admitted you knew why I broke free. You didn’t even blame me.”
“Yeah.” She nodded, not that he could see it. “But that was before I realized all this could have been avoided if you’d just told someone your concerns instead of acting like a firebrand.”
“Firebrand?” He swore in another foreign language. “I told the leshii. He didn’t listen.”
“Fine.” While she continued to drag him farther from the tree, Gregory raced up to them and grabbed Gryton’s other arm, and together they quickly dragged the armor-clad prisoner to the edge of the maze.
She glanced up at the big gargoyle. “Am I far enough away from the tree?”
Gregory gazed across the three-hundred-foot expanse of ground. “For the moment you’re feeding on Gryton. It is safe.”
“Good. I meant no harm. I just needed to stop everyone from trying to kill Gryton.”
Erika glanced toward the tree again. The female Avatar was already there, sharing magic with the hamadryad.
“You said he wasn’t trying to escape?” the gargoyle said, drawing her attention back to him.
“He was protecting his unborn sister from the two intruders.”
“Intruders?” The gargoyle tensed, his body alert, ears and tail not moving so much as the smallest twitch. His eyes took on a distant, unfocused look for a few seconds before they sharpened once more upon her.
“I sense no intruders near, and none of the defenses were tampered with or triggered.”
“No idea about any of that, but Gryton wasn’t lying. I ran into two gargoyles on my way here. A big male and a slightly smaller female. Thought they were you and Lillian at first.”
Major Resnick marched up to them. “Did I hear you say intruders? Another female gargoyle? Full-blooded?”
“Looked that way to me.”
He turned his next question to Gregory. “Anna? But you said she’s months or years away from becoming a full-blooded gargoyle.”
“From what I could tell from studying her. However, there is no telling what the Battle Goddess or Lord Death may have done to her. More worrying is the fact I didn’t detect them.”
Erika glanced between Major Resnick and the gargoyle. She thought she
knew what the major was thinking. Her suspicions were confirmed a moment later when he tossed an accusation at Gregory.
“If you had allowed us to interrogate him as we wished, we would know Anna could shapeshift.”
“Gryton is too dangerous and cunning to be a candidate for your interrogations. He would have used the contact to influence you or your men with his gift.”
“So far, I don’t see you faring much better. He escaped his cage and made it all the way to the hamadryad.”
Resnick prodded Gryton with the toe of his boot. “Tell us what you know.”
Erika eased her foot off Gryton’s back and then rolled him over. He only glowered at them.
“I’ve answered all your questions truthfully. How is it my fault you don’t know what questions to ask?”
Gregory growled and showed his teeth. “Watch it, pup.”
Gryton only laughed. “I don’t fear you, father. The Sorceress won’t allow you to harm me as long as I don’t act out against the humans. If you noticed, I didn’t harm so much as one human in my escape. My only concern was for my unborn sister. I feared Anna and Shadowlight had been sent to scout for weaknesses and to terminate her. And if Lord Death wished to strike out against you, she’s your most vulnerable spot.”
Interestingly, the big gargoyle didn’t deny his words, though he looked like he was about to stare a hole in Gryton’s armor-clad chest.
Erika studied the fire elemental and noticed his scale armor was missing in a few places, patches of his pale skin showing. Frowning, she realized it was all the locations where she’d manhandled him while she’d been securing and dragging him over to the maze wall.
“Anna and Shadowlight wouldn’t attack in such a cowardly way,” Gregory said at last. “You have some other scheme. Tell me what it is.”
“They are greatly changed from the human and cub you knew. I should know. I helped with their training. They endured tutelage under the blood witch. Taryin could never break them. But Death? It’s said he can whisper the most seductive promises. No one can long resist his influence. And are gargoyles not compelled to serve him?” Gryton smiled, fangs flashing.
His grin faltered as his mother approached. Erika could sense him wanting to know about his sister’s condition.
“He wants to know how his sister is,” she offered helpfully, “but he’s too proud to ask.”
“She is fine.” The Sorceress’s expression had softened at Erika’s comment, but now it hardened again. “But what in the ever-loving fuck is going on?”
As father and son explained what they knew, Erika looked toward Major Resnick. “Orders, sir?”
“We need to get Gryton hidden. There are too many reporters. Plus, the locals are getting bolder in their expressions of doubt for our reason for still being here. We’ve already shot down three toy drones in the last week.” Resnick looked up at the sky, and his frown lines deepened. “The last thing we need seen on the six o’clock news is a man in medieval armor being chased by military personnel. As soon as Lillian and Gregory finish with Gryton, I want you and the rest of the teams on location to take him to Gran’s cottage. She has a secure ward-spelled room in the basement for just such an emergency. We’ll hold Gryton there until nightfall and then move him after the town folk are asleep.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And, Private.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I don’t care if you have to sit on him until the transfer, don’t allow him to escape. If the new base at Alpha Site were closer to completion, we’d move him there now, but not all the needed security measures are in place there yet. But for now, we’ll take him to Gran’s dungeon.”
‘Dungeon?’ Her new assignment was never dull, at least.
Gryton laughed, more bitter sarcasm than humor. “You haven’t seen anything yet, Mortal.”
After that ominous declaration, Major Resnick ignored Gryton and turned his attention to the Avatars, where they were still having a conversation about the intruders. Erika stood at attention a few feet away and waited for them to finish.
Eventually, Lillian broke away from Gregory and Resnick and approached Gryton. “Thank you for your concern for your sister. Even though your decision to act alone was in error, it was still done with good intentions.” The Sorceress patted Gryton affectionately on the shoulder.
“I would never harm you or my sister willingly, Mother.”
A few feet away, Gryton’s gargoyle father huffed softly as he pinned his ears. And while Erika wasn’t able to read the nuances of gargoyle expression, she was damn sure that was an expression of extreme skepticism.
Smart fellow.
Erika didn’t trust Gryton any further than she could toss his heavy, armor-covered ass.
Gregory wandered over and studied his son in silence for several minutes. At last, the gargoyle said what was on his mind. “I’m surprised you care for your sister as much as you do. Until recently, you didn’t care for anyone or anything besides yourself.”
Blunt but honest. Erika tipped her head to the gargoyle in admiration. Here was one unlikely to fall prey to Gryton’s manipulations. Erika turned her attention back to the fire elemental. As usual, he was too busy being stubbornly silent to speak the truth she’d glimpsed in his mind. A truth which might have cut him some slack.
“He’s honestly not working an angle. For once. He sees the unborn fetus as the only thing in the universe like him if even only a little. He feels a sense of kinship toward her.”
And he’ll likely make one badass big brother, she added silently.
Erika couldn’t place what had moved her to speak. Whatever it was, it would likely come back to bite her in the ass later. As things do.
“Insufferable Mortal! Stay out of my head!” Gryton snapped.
Suddenly the sorceress giggled with humor, surprising everyone. It made her seem much younger.
When she had herself under control, she looked Erika in the eye. “I think my mate is correct. You were put on this earth to force my son to learn to be humble. An emotion that is completely foreign to him.”
Erika shrugged.
Soon the big gargoyle cleared his throat. “I will leave my son in your capable hands, Major Resnick. If you’ll excuse us, we have two gargoyles to track down if they haven’t already used a portal spell to escape.”
One thing no one mentioned was that if the two intruders could make it past all the new defenses set in place, then there was nothing to suggest there were only two gargoyles.
They might be looking at an invasion.
Chapter 19
Obsidian
HE AND HIS KYRSU HAD holed up in a den they’d dug earlier. It was well away from any human patrols or the game trails the fae used for traveling through the forest. And while they’d waited for Thayn’s arrival, Obsidian’s magic had returned with no side effects that he could detect.
But even with time to think, he hadn’t been able to figure out what power the human had possessed that allowed her to drain others of magic.
“You?” he asked Anna, knowing she was touching his thoughts.
“Not a clue. But I don’t think she did any lasting harm.” Anna dropped to all fours and stalked over to bump shoulders with him before leaning in and giving the curve of one wing a reassuring little lick. As her tongue stroked along the sensitive skin, he purred his happiness.
Huffing softly, he nosed aside Anna’s thick mane so he could nuzzle the skin of her shoulder in return. It was during these moments that their link naturally opened wider, and they became as one mind. This time was no different.
Ah. Her grooming had a purpose. She was checking again for any residual foreign magic from a spell that might still be on his skin.
“I detect nothing, but a healer might. Must we really wait for Thayn?” She sounded unhappy. “We could return to the Magic Realm and be back here within a couple of hours.”
Obsidian snorted. “You’d leave him here alone?”
“Thayn can
look after himself. Besides, Truth is with him.”
“It’s not Thayn I’m worried about. It’s this world,” he added with a little chuckle.
Beside him, Anna started to laugh, her entire body shaking with her mirth. “Good point. There’s no way Truth has enough hutzpah to keep Thayn in check.”
“Truth doesn’t have enough ‘what’ to keep me in check?” Thayn’s voice came from somewhere just outside their den entrance.
Obsidian emerged from the den, but he didn’t immediately spot the elder.
“Shit!” Anna hissed along their link. “Did you feel him approaching? How the hell can he hide from us? We’re the Rasoren and Kyrsu. Thought we were supposed to be able to track all gargoyles’ locations? Eh?”
“With age comes great wisdom?” Obsidian hedged. Belatedly he felt shadow magic tingle along his senses as Thayn appeared before them.
His Kyrsu rolled her eyes. “We were distracted. That old rascal can smell distraction ten clicks away. Time to be proactive.”
Obsidian agreed. “Thayn, don’t bother with your pranks. We don’t have time. There is a more pressing matter to discuss.”
Thayn snorted and released his hold on his shadow magic, appearing at Obsidian’s shoulder.
“You’re no fun.” The eldest of the gargoyles continued to laugh at his disgruntled look.
“We just had our asses handed to us by a human soldier,” Anna piped up as she settled on a fallen tree trunk that doubled as a bench.
Thayn’s ears perked forward inquiringly, and Obsidian continued where Anna had left off. “We encountered a new threat. A human female. She fed on magic and was easily able to drain us. I couldn’t detect any of the spells she used to attack us.”
“She was also near impervious to physical attack,” Anna added. “It was like she just absorbed most of the blow without damage.”
Thayn looked thoughtful. He dropped to sit on the tree trunk bench beside Anna. Tail flicking slowly, ears twitching every few heartbeats, he muttered things to himself.
The Complete Gargoyle and Sorceress Boxset (Books 1-9) Page 167
