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

by Lisa Blackwood

  “I never would have allowed harm to come to the draklings. They are too valuable.”

  “But Taryin has proven she can’t be trusted, that if she thinks she can serve you better, she’ll go ahead and do it. Sorac knew this, and his firedrake’s instincts were too powerful to ignore.”

  “I can see your way of thinking,” The Battle Goddess admitted. “But he and Vaspara were duty-bound to come to me and tell me these things themselves.”

  “They would never question you openly. Not after River’s betrayal and then how Gryton aided Anna and Shadowlight. Both captains feared you would assume they harbored the same traitorous thoughts and have them killed.”

  The Battle Goddess’s expression darkened. “I do not forgive them, and if they make so much as one misstep, I’ll kill them both and their draklings, too.”

  “You could set the djinn to guard the draklings when I’m needed elsewhere and Taryin isn’t using him for one of her spells. As long as you control the draklings, you control their parents. And the djinn would be more than capable of preventing either of the parents from escaping with the little ones.”

  The Lady of Battles nodded, deep in thought, her gaze unfocused. “You can tell your mentors the good news while I speak with Taryin about what we shall use to ensure Vaspara and Sorac’s future loyalty.”

  “Of course. What other rules do you wish to enact?”

  “They are never to be allowed outside with the draklings. Only one parent at a time can be with them. Sorac and Vaspara are never to see each other again. I’ll leave you to oversee those details. And if either of the traitors escapes with their draklings, it will be you I kill very, very slowly.”

  “And rightly so for such a failure, my Goddess.” Bervicta bowed deeply a second time.

  After she was dismissed, she marched away to see to the Lady’s orders. It didn’t occur until later that she hadn’t mentioned one highly important detail. She hadn’t said that the Djinn could likely feed and raise the draklings all on his own.

  And the Battle Goddess hadn’t detected the omission.

  Bervicta decided the Divine Ones must have smiled upon her for the first time in her existence.

  Chapter 33

  Erika

  THE NEXT MORNING ERIKA was up early, hoping to get a little extra time in the mess before going on duty, when Sergeant Maracle appeared at her shoulder. She was learning the names and histories of the other members of the units tasked with babysitting Gryton. The close-mouthed sniper had a dry wit that she liked.

  “The Avatars need you.”

  Looking down at her uneaten breakfast and the full cup of coffee, she muttered darkly, “Of course they do.”

  “I didn’t catch that?” But his smirk told her otherwise.

  “Just said I’d come at once.”

  “Good. We’re to meet up with the rest of the team and go collect the prisoner and then report back to the maze.”

  Erika followed Sergeant Maracle until they reached Gryton’s location.

  As usual, the fire elemental looked relaxed and unconcerned with being imprisoned in his clear-walled cage. Though she knew inwardly, he wasn’t as calm as he pretended. To judge by his current emotional feedback, she gathered he would have been pacing while he waited for her to arrive if there had been room in his cage.

  “Took you long enough,” he drawled when she walked over.

  He unfolded himself with a show of masculine grace. Today he was again wearing the fae style of clothing, his lower half covered by the flowing silk-like pants the sidhe had given him, though he hadn’t yet donned the long tunic.

  He glanced behind her, his gaze tracking through the still-open door and out into the hall. After a slight hesitation, he reached down and pulled on the tunic. He was still belting it in place when she grinned suddenly.

  “Ah. The sexiness was totally for Anna. Lucky for you, we’re meeting them in the glade. Otherwise, big nasty would likely have tried to take another swing at you. Then I’d have sucked you both dry, and it would be nothing but bruised pride and bleeding egos for the next twenty-four hours. Aren’t you lucky it was just me?”

  “The luckiest.”

  His dry tone had her laughing before she could stop herself.

  “You know what this is about, Tin Man?”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “Oh, you prefer Hot Stuff. Works for me.”

  He glowered and she ignored. “Oh, come on. Did anyone mention what this morning’s early roll-call is about?”

  “No one ever talks to me.”

  She arched a brow.

  “No one but you,” he clarified. “I’m unaware what today’s training may be.”

  “Well, let’s go find out.”

  She nodded at the leshii and the three guards positioned inside the chamber. Soon Gryton was unchained, and she was escorting him out of HQ.

  A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR later, Erika found herself back in the glade, standing with the others looking at the statue of a gargoyle. She’d been told this was River’s mate and Obsidian and Lillian’s father.

  “I shouldn’t be here,” Gryton said, his tone guarded.

  “Why? Because you nearly killed him and if they wake him, he will probably try to return the favor?”

  Gryton snorted. “I’m not afraid of him. But if he attacks me, I will defend myself. And if I kill him, what then? My mother and Obsidian will be furious and out for my blood. And then Anna and Gregory will join in their partner’s causes.”

  “Think you forgot about River. She seems pretty badass for a dryad.”

  He just continued to glower at her.

  “Oh, don’t worry. If it turns into open season on Gryton, I’ll make sure you aren’t killed. I hear that will be terrible for Earth.”

  “I don’t need your protection.”

  “What you think has zero influence on me fulfilling my assignment.”

  Gryton continued to look unimpressed, but Erika didn’t care.

  She cleared her throat. “Were I you, I wouldn’t worry about Stalks the Darkness. It’s my understanding that this is a stretch, anyway. He might be too weak and need years more of rest before he’ll wake. At least that’s what I read in the file on the way over here.”

  “With the Avatars, Thayn, and the new Rasoren and Kyrsu combining their magic, the impossible is going to become much more possible.”

  Over the next hour, Gryton’s words looked more and more like the truth.

  It just didn’t happen as Erika had envisioned. Instead of feeding the magic to Darkness directly, they wanted to funnel all magic through her first.

  At her skeptical look, Lillian clarified. “The magic each of us gives off is different. Think of it like the variances that cause different blood types. As the Avatars of the Divine Ones, Gregory and I can call upon and wield all forms of magic. But with other fae races, their magic is most often dictated by what element their species is strong in. Gargoyles and dryads sired by gargoyles have compatible magic because they’re genetically related and can both control the elements of earth and air.”

  Erika understood the basics and nodded for Lillian to continue.

  “Because Nulls absorb all types of magic and then later purify and release it, we can filter our various types of magic through you. What you give off is a neutral, or universal, type of power. That will make it easier for Darkness to consume the magic and heal. His body won’t have to first convert it into something useable.”

  “I’ll just take you at your word. Tell me what you want me to do.” Erika glanced to the side where Major Resnick was standing. The rest of his team was spread out around the glade accompanied by several scientists.

  He nodded even though he’d already instructed her to aid the magic wielders in whatever way they needed.

  Lillian gestured everyone closer to Stalks the Darkness. “All you have to do is stand there close to him. We will feed you power one at a time, and once your body has processed enough of it, you will naturall
y radiate the purified magic back into this world.”

  On a scale of one to ten, trying to wake a statue was only about a two on the scale of weird shit she’d seen since arriving, so she just stood there as Lillian closed her eyes and summoned a wave of power.

  Like all magic, it rushed into Erika but generated only a tingle in response. Once the Sorceress was satisfied that she’d shared enough power, Gregory stepped up and did the same, followed by River, Thayn, and then Anna and Obsidian.

  They all donated a great deal of magic. But she was certain River had donated more than she could safely give because the dryad woman was nearly swaying on her feet afterward. The others noticed, and Obsidian supported his mother gently.

  As each of the other gargoyles surrendered their magic to Erika, they then went over to Darkness and began painting symbols upon his stone skin with their own blood. Watching intently, Erika spotted the exact moment some of the purified magic reached the statue, causing the symbols to flare up and glow.

  A shadow fell across Erika, and she looked up to see Gryton standing before her.

  “I might not be a gargoyle, but my magic is second only to the Avatars’ in strength, and they say my magic will aid them in healing Darkness.”

  He’d barely finished the last word when fire burst to life above his palms. Even his eyes shimmered with a molten glow as he watched her. Then he made a violent motion like he was pitching a ball and launched the first volley of his fiery power at her.

  She instinctively winced even though his power did no more harm than the other magics she’d absorbed.

  “You totally don’t care about helping Darkness. You just wanted an excuse to toss fireballs at me, you jerk.”

  He gave her a secretive little smile and launched an even bigger fireball at her.

  She gave Gryton the finger when Major Resnick wasn’t looking. However, Thayn didn’t miss any of the exchange and stalked over to stand off to one side. He glanced first at Erika and then Gryton and then back again before breaking out in laughter.

  “Keep that up younglings, and we’ll have enough magic to wake Darkness ten times over.”

  Thayn’s words caught Gregory’s attention, and he growled something low at Gryton.

  The fire elemental just shrugged and then asked in the most placid of tones, “Am I not doing as I was instructed?”

  Gregory hissed, “You’re not supposed to enjoy it!”

  Gryton shrugged and made a dismissive grunt that sounded suspiciously like his gargoyle father.

  “I think I’m seeing some family traits,” Erika offered, only to have both males turn their glowers at her.

  Erika ignored them and watched as Lillian finished up the healing spell she’d been performing on Darkness. After a moment, she stepped away from the statue. “Now, we wait.”

  River stepped in closer to the statue until she could rest her hands upon his shoulders. After a minute like that, she leaned her full weight against the statue and pressed her face into his stone neck.

  Erika wasn’t sure if the other woman was crying, but she was certain that River was trying to reach her mate along a mental link. While she didn’t know the gargoyle at all and knew River only slightly better, she felt sorry for the pair. It was clear the ordinarily cold and distant dryad loved the gargoyle.

  When the Sorceress came to stand next to her, Erika decided now was as good a time as any to ask one question that had been bothering her. “Earlier, when you were talking about the various elemental magics and the species aligned with those elements, I noticed you didn’t mention Gryton. He’s a fire elemental, obviously. But what species is he? It wasn’t mentioned in any of the reports. And I haven’t been able to find a reference to it in any of Gryton’s memories.”

  Lillian looked over at Gregory, and a wordless conversation ensued for some moments. Then, at last, she turned back to Erika. “Gregory and I don’t remember our last life together, but Gryton is an elemental dragon and from snippets of his memories, we know we both wore dragon forms when we begot him.”

  Lillian circled Gryton, her head tilted to study him. Gryton didn’t twitch under the scrutiny. If anything, he looked bored now that he wasn’t tossing fireballs.

  There was another gruff gargoyle huff, and then Gregory joined the conversation. “Gryton is still developing. No one yet knows what he will become when he reaches his full potential.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Gryton snapped and then turned on his heels and walked over to gaze upon Darkness.

  Gregory leaned down until his muzzle was nearly brushing Erika’s ear. “He’s only touchy because what I say is true. Only the Divine Ones know what he will become and what his purpose is.”

  “But you have a theory, don’t you?”

  Gregory gave her a big gargoyle grin. “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps? What kind of answer is that? It was a yes or no question!”

  He just shrugged again and then joined Gryton by the statue.

  Which, Erika was just noticing, was darkening from a grey tone to a rich ebony shade. Others had already seen the change and were moving closer to help.

  She moved back to a safer distance but remained close enough to monitor Gryton.

  But for once, he followed her lead, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the group clustered around the statue. He didn’t join her though, instead standing off to one side being his usual aloof-ass-self.

  Not long after Gryton had taken up his new position, there was a pained groan from the direction of the rest of the group. A moment later, the gargoyle started sliding sideways off the pedestal he’d been perching on. Gregory and Obsidian caught him before he toppled off onto the ground.

  “What happened?” He glanced around, his gaze landing on Thayn and widening before sliding to Lillian and Gregory next. A moment later he took in Anna in her gargoyle form and jerked in surprise. Next, his gaze traveled to Obsidian.

  Erika didn’t know if recognition would have shown in his expression or not, because his gaze traveled beyond Obsidian to land on Gryton, catching and holding Darkness’s full attention.

  “You!” Darkness’s snarl pierced the glade’s calm and birds erupted out of the hamadryad. The gargoyle continued to growl as he leaped into motion, shoving several of the others aside as he called upon his shadow magic.

  Erika knew she couldn’t drain Darkness without setting back his recovery. But she couldn’t let him attack Gryton either.

  Darting between the two, she hoped her Null’s abilities would absorb whatever opposing magics the two tossed at each other without actively beginning to feed.

  She braced for the attack, but it didn’t come. Lillian and Obsidian had placed restraining hands on Darkness’s arms.

  “Easy,” Lillian said in a soothing tone.

  “Father,” Obsidian added. “Much has happened since you were last awake. And as much as it pains me to say it, Gryton is now an ally, that is the truth.”

  Darkness looked absolutely shocked. Not that she could blame him. She’d likely react the same under the circumstances.

  Gryton cleared his throat and directed his words at Darkness. “You will be pleased to know that even though I am an ally, I am also a prisoner until I can prove my trustworthiness. It seems our situations are now reversed.”

  Darkness snorted, his lips curling away from his teeth. “If what you say is true, you at least will have been treated better than I ever was.”

  “You’d be surprised.” Gryton’s droll comment only earned another soft growl from Darkness.

  “My beloved, listen to your children.” River stepped in and hugged her mate. “They speak the truth. So much has happened.” She looked at Obsidian. “Our son is all grown up and is the Rasoren of the Gargoyle Legion.”

  That news shocked the gargoyle, for he twisted to gaze upon his son again. “Truly?”

  “Yes, father.”

  “How long have I been out?”

  “Only a few weeks here in this realm,
but for me, it has been almost fourteen years. There is much to tell.”

  “But Gryton?” His gaze narrowed again on the fire elemental.

  “The Null keeps Gryton under her watchful gaze,” River soothed.

  Erika nodded at Darkness. And while she wouldn’t have minded sticking around for the reunion to learn more of this strange family’s dynamic, Major Resnick was approaching.

  “You’re to report with the prisoner to the labs for your medicals.”

  “Our medicals, sir?”

  “Yes. They’ve been badgering me all week. I told them this afternoon is as good a time as any. Take Gryton and his security detail and report there at thirteen hundred hours. You should still have time to grab some grub first if you hurry.”

  “Yes, sir!” She snapped to attention and then turned to carry out his orders.

  Marching up to Gryton, she shoved him in the back.

  “Come on. You get to tour the mess. Can you do that glamour thing your mother mentioned before?” she waved her hands at his fae clothing, “To magically blend in or do we have to stop somewhere and force you into some fatigues first?”

  He made a disdainful expression. “I can adapt my clothing to look like anything.”

  “Perfect!” She gave him another friendly shove to get him moving. “I’m starved. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 34

  The Magic Realm

  Vaspara

  THE FIRST DAYS AFTER her capture, Vaspara never knew when death would come for her. But as each day passed, and she still drew breath, she began to think the harpy was capable of real miracles. Then twelve days in, the Battle Goddess named Bervicta as the new Commander, enraging Taryin beyond words, or so Bervicta told her.

  The harpy also convinced the Lady of Battles to allow Vaspara to feed the draklings and even visit with them for short times. She’d heard that Sorac was allowed to bring them kills he’d laced with his own magic. She allowed herself to hope she and Sorac might one day be able to appease the Battle Goddess and earn forgiveness.