The Avatars Series: Books 1-3

by Blackwood, Lisa

  Gregory agreed, ushering Lillian from the room.

  “Oh,” Gran called over her shoulder. “Take Gryton’s dagger and the piece of armour to the other Fae and see if you can come up with a way to track him.”

  Gregory huffed a second agreement.

  They left the room in silence. Lillian didn’t have to touch their mental link to know Gregory’s thoughts and emotions.

  His earlier rage had been replaced by a limp tail and drooping wings. He wouldn’t meet her gaze.

  She waited until they were far enough away that Gran and River wouldn’t overhear their words.

  “This isn’t your fault, Gregory.” She reached out and touched his arm.

  He pulled away from her touch. “Of course it is. I am the Protector, lord of the gargoyles. One such as Commander Gryton should never have been able to venture into this Realm without my knowing! I failed in my duty.”

  “How so?” she countered but didn’t give him the chance to answer. “I think it’s likely my hamadryad is behind this, at least in part. I told you she was hiding something from me.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying. The Sorceress would never side with evil.”

  “You’re being a hard-headed male. I’m not convinced the old rule book still applies in this lifetime. We’ve bent those old rules so badly I think we’re dealing with a whole new set.”

  Gregory grunted and hunched his shoulders as if that would change the course of their discussion. “They have not changed merely because I am foresworn.”

  Lillian stopped. Well then. So that was the deeper issue. She should have known.

  “Hmmm, if either of us is guilty of not upholding our duties, that would be me. Each knuckle headed, moronic decision which has nearly led to disaster has always originated with one of my ideas or actions. That we are still here is due entirely too benevolent gods.”

  “You may say it is so, but that does not make it true. I have allowed myself to be distracted far too many times. I will endeavour to do better.” He turned to her suddenly and wrapped his arms around her. “I will not fail you again, and I will never fail our child.”

  Lillian’s need to finish the conversation faded, but the knowledge that this present mess was not Gregory’s fault did not diminish.

  She would find out what her hamadryad was planning, but first they had to stop Commander Gryton from returning to the Magic Realm.

  She squeezed Gregory fiercely and then released him. “Come on. We’ve got a sample of Gryton’s blood on the daggers. Let’s see if we can use that to track the bastard. Then we’ll make him pay for attacking Shadowlight.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “Agh!” Anna cursed as she jerked awake. Three things became immediately apparent.

  She was alive.

  She’d been injured.

  And she sure as hell wasn’t on base.

  Oh, right. Gargoyles, magic, and other strange shit.

  “Hello,” said a voice from a chair to her left. She turned toward the sound and found her body didn’t want to move. Her one arm was wrapped in several inches of bandaging, which was why she had trouble moving it. She eventually turned far enough to meet the gaze of an older woman with a long braid.

  “Name’s Vivian, but everyone calls me Gran.” The woman shifted a seven-foot quarterstaff from her lap and rested it against the chair. She wiped her hands on a rag. At which point Anna realized the other woman had been cleaning and oiling the staff’s dark wood.

  She eyed the length of wood a second time. She hadn’t seen one in years, but her father had an obsession with antique weapons. That length of wood laying across the old woman’s lap was no walking stick.

  Something told her this was not a ‘Gran’ to pick a fight with.

  “The human is awake?” This voice came from the other side of the room, behind a curtained off section. A moment later, the curtain parted, and another woman came into view. This was the same delicate looking woman from the sword fight earlier. Though, her two swords were now absent—that had to be a good sign.

  She looked human. Both women did. However, the newcomer addressed Anna as ‘the human’, so she was likely the only Homo sapiens in the room.

  “Where is Shadowlight?”

  But her heightened senses already told her he was behind that screen. Or at least another gargoyle was. She’d never been close enough to any of the others to compare scents.

  Other instincts told her Shadowlight was behind that curtain.

  She tossed back her blankets to find she was wearing a long nightgown.

  “Easy,” Vivian cautioned and came to her feet.

  Anna ignored the warning and stood up, grit her teeth, and stormed toward Shadowlight. Okay, it was more of a stumble than a storm.

  The delicate female made to block her.

  “River, I would suggest you allow her to see Shadowlight. I felt the shadows reverberate to her anxiety.”

  “The human mongrel is no match for me.”

  Mongrel?

  Seriously?

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “I am Shadowlight’s mother.”

  Anna managed to hide her surprise. Shadowlight had said his mother was a dryad. He’d explained the whole born of a tree thing. “You should be fired. You suck at motherhood. I’m Shadowlight’s new babysitter, or legal guardian, big sister or something—so get out of my way. Who in their right mind lets a child do the things he’s done?”

  If livid was a colour, mommy just turned it. The shadows shifted, and the curtains flowed apart like an unfelt breeze had just moved them. Another gargoyle appeared beside Shadowlight’s mother.

  Anna didn’t step back, foolish as it might be to provoke this eight and a half foot tall wall of solid muscle.

  She did, however, suck in a breath at her first look at an adult specimen. He bowed his muzzle down to sniff at her. She wasn’t intimidated by his size.

  Nah, not intimidated at all.

  She swallowed hard. “You’re dad?”

  His eyes narrowed, and then he nodded.

  “You suck too.”

  The big gargoyle laughed. “I cannot fault you for your reasoning. Neither River nor I have given our son the time he needs. We will do better.”

  River, yes, that was the mother’s name, she’d forgotten.

  The dryad began scolding in a foreign language. The gargoyle only rumbled back at her.

  While those two were arguing, Anna squeezed pass and found herself standing next to a massive bed with Shadowlight taking up a good amount of it.

  His wounds and burns were bandaged, so she couldn’t see how bad they were, but the number was concerning.

  Shadowlight shifted in his sleep, and his ears twitched as he came awake with a pained grunt. His eyes slowly blinked open and focused on her.

  “Hey, kid. How are you feeling?” Okay, it was a dumbass question to ask, but she had to say something to distract him from his parents’ bickering.

  “I hurt,” came his honest reply. His attention continued past her shoulder and riveted on something behind her. She had a good idea what.

  The parents were still arguing in another language. Whatever they said must have made sense to the kid because his ears drooped, and an expression of pain and fear crossed his features. Anna was damned sure it was an emotional pain, not a physical one that made Shadowlight look like he was going to weep.

  She was sorely tempted to go over to the world’s worst mom and box her ears. Instead, she stroked Shadowlight’s mane, tucking a few wild locks behind his large, deer-like ears.

  “You’ll heal, and I’m not going anywhere until you’re back on your feet.” She sat down on the side of the bed. “It’s going to be okay kid.”

  “No, it’s not. Mother wants you killed.” Shadowlight hauled himself up onto his forearms and then launched himself at her, his arms locking around her like a vice as he buried his muzzle against her side.

  He did cry then, his whole body shaking
with silent sobs.

  Anna glanced over at his parents, prepared to give them the most evil look she could muster only to see Gran rapping them both on the shoulder with her quarterstaff, and then she pointed at Shadowlight with the staff in case the dryad was too dense to figure out what the smack was for.

  Darkness, apparently possessing a thimble full of common sense, glided over to his son’s side, whispering in that dark, beautiful language. He bound up onto the bed and nuzzled his son gently.

  Shadowlight didn’t seem overjoyed and clamped onto Anna harder, digging in like a tick.

  “My son, forgive us, we will not harm the human, I promise.” Darkness said directly into Shadowlight’s thoughts.

  Anna figured she was hearing a private conversation because Shadowlight was linked to her at the moment.

  “Mother will. She promised to kill the human. I overheard her.”

  “She will see reason. We were just surprised to learn you healed a human in this way. That is all. Your mother loves you.”

  Anna barked out a loud laugh. She couldn’t help it. Mommy had a weird way of showing her love. Aloud she said, “Don’t worry kid. We adults will smooth things over. Besides, I’m still alive. Your mom had lots of time to do me some harm while I was out cold. She didn’t, which proves this is all just bluff and bluster.”

  Secretly, Anna did wonder why she’d awakened at all. They’d had lots of time to ‘take care of the human problem’ while Shadowlight was still unconscious. They could have blamed it on the injuries Tin Man had given her.

  But they hadn’t. Which made Anna wonder what they wanted from her.

  Shadowlight finally allowed himself to be consoled and went into his father’s embrace. River joined them both and Shadowlight returned his mother’s hug and leaned into her.

  Anna just held her place. She couldn’t go anywhere anyway, not with the kid’s tail wrapped around her waist like a boa constrictor.

  After ten or fifteen minutes, his tail relaxed its grip as his father laid the now sleeping youngster back on the bed. River tucked him in, and three sets of eyes firmly swung upon Anna.

  The one called Gran came over and looked down upon the young gargoyle, and checked his bandages a final time. When that was done to her satisfaction, she turned her gaze back to Anna.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Yeah, I gather.”

  *****

  The talk didn’t happen right away. Gran said she had to summon everyone, alert the acting council, and make a few preparations.

  A few preparations must have been code for go have a nap, we’ll be back in a few hours. Those few hours ranked up there as crappiest moments of all time.

  Darkness stood guard at the door, Anna sat on her bed and kept herself busy putting her newly washed hair back in cornrows, while River tended to her son when she wasn’t shooting death looks at Anna.

  At long last footsteps sounded in the corridor outside. Darkness exchanged a quiet word with the newcomer.

  It was the leshii, Greenborrow, followed by Gran, another big male gargoyle, and a woman she recognized as Vivian’s granddaughter.

  Gran zoned in on Anna. “We will take you before the council shortly to discuss your future, but first a few key players want to talk to you.”

  The granddaughter stepped out around Gran, covered the distance to Anna in two strides, and then held out her hand in the first normal, friendly gesture she’d seen in a while.

  “I’m Lillian. Welcome to the Twilight Zone. Just when you think things can’t get any stranger, they will.”

  Anna took Lillian’s hand and gave it a good pump. “Corporal Anna Mackenzie. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but well, the events leading up to this meeting have been anything but.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Lillian said. “But I do understand what you’re going through.”

  Anna highly doubted that.

  “I thought I was human until four months ago. Didn’t have a clue about magic or Fae or gargoyles. Went from thinking I was just your average twenty-year-old, to finding out I’m not human.”

  “There never was anything average about you,” Gran said.

  Anna raised an eyebrow, realizing something she hadn’t until then. “You’re Shadowlight’s sister. Somehow, I pictured you with horns.”

  Lillian laughed. “I do actually shift into a gargoyle upon occasion.”

  “Shapeshifting? Is there anything gargoyles can’t do?”

  “Subtle.” Gran and Lillian said in unison.

  “Yeah,” Anna said with a sharp nod, “I’ve never seen the kid do subtle either. Did you really take on five helos?” She pointed her question at Shadowlight’s dad and got a grunt in response.

  So, lethal, yes. Subtle, no.

  Small talk didn’t seem to run in the genetics either. Guess that made Shadowlight the odd one out of his family. That kid loved to talk.

  “You seem to genuinely care for my baby brother. We all saw the injuries you took trying to protect him from Gryton. The others didn’t expect that.”

  Anna frowned, feeling a little like her loyalties were being called out or tested, or something. “He’s a kid. What was I supposed to do? And he doesn’t want to harm anyone. I saw that right away. Well, maybe not right away. I wouldn’t have asked a kid to put me out of my misery after the Riven attack.” Anna swung back around on the parents. “However, I wouldn’t have expected to find an eight-year-old anywhere near that shit storm firefight with those vampire-Riven things.”

  Antagonizing the parents was probably foolish, but by dad’s admission of guilt, she had hope he might be able to reform. Mom was probably a lost cause.

  Besides, Anna wasn’t going to forget the mongrel comment any time soon.

  Darkness bowed his head slightly and then glanced over at his sleeping son. “We arrived in this Realm just before the Riven attacked the Coven lands. There were many Riven already here. I did not have a safe place to stash my son, so I kept him at my side.” Darkness fell silent and she thought he was done, but his glance tracked back to her. “My decision almost cost him his life. Then Commander Gryton nearly stole him away from me. If you had not intervened, he might very well have succeeded. Thank you for protecting my son where I have failed.”

  Anna was just about to mumble an awkward ‘you’re welcome’ when a delicate snort of disdain drew her attention back toward River.

  “The human wasn’t acting out of her great noble intentions. She did exactly as she was supposed to do when she saw Shadowlight was in danger.”

  What the hell did that mean?

  By the looks River was getting from the others in the room, Anna wasn’t the only one baffled by her remarks.

  Darkness’s expression turned thunderous while Lillian’s showed bafflement. Gregory, the other demi-god in the room just looked thoughtful as he studied Anna.

  Gran and Greenborrow both dragged chairs from the corner of the room and then sat down like they were about to watch an evening’s entertainment.

  “You know something about why our son’s blood is changing this human,” Darkness accused River. “What has that meddling Battle Goddess done to our son?”

  “She made him perfect,” River said, her voice softening as she explained. “My lady changed Shadowlight while he was still in my hamadryad.”

  My lady?

  Holy shit.

  Another piece of the puzzle slid into place. River was still loyal to her ‘goddess’ in some twisted fashion. Sure, she’d defected to save her children—maybe, but that didn’t mean she was friendly. Certainly not toward humans, and Anna wasn’t sure how much she cared about the other Fae either.

  Why, oh why, was this fanatic still free?

  River continued like the others in the room weren’t thinking of bars, locks, and sturdy walls. “When Shadowlight is mature, he will be able to convert other species into full blooded gargoyles. He will be their master.”

  “Sacrilege!” Darkness roared, making River stiffen.
/>
  Shadowlight jerked awake and jumped out of bed. Still half asleep, he took up a defensive stance next to Anna.

  She patted him on the head, ruffling his mane affectionately. “Easy, kid. Your dad’s just having a conversation with your mother. She said something that surprised everyone.”

  Shadowlight took her at her word and slowly stood up, sheathing his talons. He still wasn’t steady on his feet. She wasn’t the only one to notice.

  Lillian and Gregory came over to help steady the youngster. Then in a very undemi-god like fashion, Gregory licked at Shadowlight. The tender action reminded Anna of a mother dog grooming her pups. The young gargoyle seemed to crave the reassurance and leaned against the older one.

  “Why is everyone upset?” Shadowlight asked at last.

  Gregory huffed something, but it was Lillian who answered. “We just learned the Battle Goddess changed you, sweetheart. You’re different than other gargoyles. Apparently, when you’re mature, your blood will be able to convert others into full blooded gargoyles. It alarmed our father, but it doesn’t change how we feel. I’m different too because of the Battle Goddess’s manipulations.”

  “Oh,” Shadowlight mused. “That’s why my father’s memories didn’t explain about the changes I saw in Anna. Why would the Lady of Battles want to grow her brother’s army larger? She hates him.”

  Lillian planted a kiss on the top of Shadowlight’s head. “The converted gargoyles would look to you for leadership. I assume the Battle Goddess had planned to raise you as her own to ensure your loyalty.”

  Shadowlight whimpered. “I don’t want to lead an army, not for her.”

  “You won’t have too,” Gregory said. “We will not let her have you.”

  Anna decided she like the demigods. Who knew?

  When Shadowlight had first told her about the Avatars, she had mentally added them to her list of Big, Bad, and Scary. Now she decided she needed to move them to a new list. Big, Scary, but mostly benevolent.

  “So,” Anna mused while studying River, “if Shadowlight’s blood is supposed to create full-blooded gargoyles enslaved to his will, why am I not either?”