gargoyle and sorceress 05 - sorceress enranged

by Lisa Blackwood

  Today, she’d been assigned Captains Sorac and Bervicta as her instructors and Shadowlight had been ordered to follow Captain Honnan and Vaspara. Gryton had left to attend to other duties and Anna was happy enough to see his back.

  While she might not be familiar with the mating habits of fire elementals, she was pretty damn sure that was interest she’d seen in Gryton’s gaze a few times over the last three days.

  That complication could be a curse but also a possible blessing. If she played him right, it might make Shadowlight’s stay here a little less dangerous. Gryton’s protection couldn’t harm the kid.

  She’d seen enough of this world to know she and Shadowlight were walking a metaphysical tightrope over a pit with no safety net and monsters waiting below to eat them. They needed allies, but pickings were slim.

  Her mental list was broken down into parts: List A contained the names of mentors who were somewhat more personable. List B included the names of those most likely to pick the meat from her bones.

  Captain Sorac and Vaspara had already made Anna’s short list of potential allies. Sour-faced Bervicta, too, might get added, but Shadowlight’s other instructor, the incubus named Honnan, nope, not making the list.

  If she had to take one for the team with Gryton — that was one thing, but she wasn’t going to get passed around if she could help it.

  There might be others from the captains she could cultivate, but thus far, they were otherwise busy dealing with preparations for waking the army. Whatever that meant.

  “You and the gargoyle will report back here same time tomorrow,” Captain Sorac informed her. “Bring your armor. We’ll be using honed weapons.”

  Anna nodded at Sorac, keeping her gaze on him, but she could sense Shadowlight approaching on her six. He’d been released by his instructors. Good.

  “Captain Vaspara will see you to your next training session.” Sorac dismissed them and turned to his next students. They wore green tunics, which she’d learned was the next level up from blue.

  Anna might have watched them fight to see how they measured up to her training, but Captain Honnan arrived to transfer his command of Shadowlight’s collar to Vaspara.

  When she’d first witnessed the transferring of control, she’d been a bit surprised. She’d assumed that any of the mentors could command Shadowlight, but that wasn’t the case. Only one captain at a time could hold command over Shadowlight besides Gryton.

  At the time, Anna had stored that bit of news away for later. She still wasn’t quite sure how she would use it, but there was always the possibility that once she and Shadowlight were farther along in their training, their enemies might let their guard down. If she was later able to get the upper hand and overpower one of the captains, she might be able to force them to surrender control of the command collar. If it came to dying by her hand or releasing Shadowlight, her target might surrender. She’d just have to pick a captain who loved their own ass more than their goddess.

  Patience was key. Once she’d familiarized herself with the fortress and the captains, she’d learn their every weakness.

  Once Honnan finished transferring control of the collar to Captain Vaspara, she started away with a barked command to follow.

  Shadowlight hurried to catch up but glanced back at Anna to be sure she was following. She nodded to the kid in reassurance and lengthened her stride to catch up.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Captain Vaspara led them back inside the city-like fortress. Anna would have preferred to remain outside, and by the way Shadowlight’s ears drooped, she knew he would as well.

  They walked for another twenty minutes and made their way down deeper and darker stone passageways until Anna feared they were headed back to the dungeon. If that happened, it would be disastrous for their chance at escape.

  They turned down another side corridor, entering an unfamiliar area. Not even Gryton’s second tour had led them here. The floor was still covered with thick rugs and the walls had fine tapestries to insulate against the chill of the stone, so, at least, this wasn’t another wing of the dungeons. Anna’s fists slowly relaxed.

  The hallway forked ahead and Captain Vaspara turned down the left branch. Torches still lined the walls and these carpets and tapestries were just as pristine as the ones in the hall they’d just left, but something here made sweat trickle down her spine and stood the hair on the back of her neck on end.

  An unclean presence pushed against her skin and scraped along her mental shields, and more telling, her gargoyle senses flared a warning.

  Shadowlight’s lips curled back from his teeth. Although, he hadn’t loosed a growl yet.

  “You’re doing better,” she told him. “The less of an open book you are, the harder it will make you to read.”

  “I need to be better in every way if we want to survive.”

  Anna couldn’t fault the kid for his logic. It also applied to her now, too.

  Especially since her gargoyle nature would only grow with each blood exchange.

  So far, Anna hadn’t seen much difference in herself, but eventually, that would change as her new nature exerted more control. She pushed that worry away for later. They’d reached their destination, which was a stout, old wooden door.

  It opened a moment later and a guard emerged. Recognition lit his face at seeing Vaspara, but he didn’t speak, merely coming to attention and holding the door for them.

  Ah. Anna knew him now. He was the male she’d seen with Vaspara in the stable the first night Anna had ventured into this city in her ill-fated attempt to rescue Shadowlight. She mulled over the guard’s expression. It wasn’t sexual in nature. Something else then, almost like he wanted to tell Vaspara something but thought better of it.

  The mystery would have to wait. Anna followed Vaspara and Shadowlight into the chamber. It was lined with shelves full of various-sized pots. Unfortunately, all of them were labeled in a language she couldn’t read. The spell the Sorceress had woven over Anna to allow her to understand the spoken languages didn’t extend to their corresponding written forms.

  Anna studied the room. Drying herbs and tables filled with pots suggested this was a workroom. Possibly a healer’s or surgeon’s area. That might account for the coppery smell of blood.

  Captain Vaspara swore and then led them to an old ironbound door at the back of the room. She raised her gauntleted hand and rapped hard twice. A moment later a female voice called for them to enter.

  Vaspara glanced over her shoulder at them. “Don’t ever open this door without first gaining permission. If the blood witch is working on an active spell, breaching the door will break the ward spell sealing the room. The backlash of power such an event could unleash would have unfortunate effects for all.”

  Anna filed that bit of news away for later. As soon as Captain Vaspara pushed open the heavy door, the stink of blood intensified. Cursing again the succubus pushed further into the room.

  Anna slid past Shadowlight, wanting to be the first to face whatever was inside.

  The room was barren except for another large stone table with a body laid out. She’d just found the source of the blood scent. The deep cuts at wrist and groin were all too easy to see. The cause of this unfortunate bastard’s death was no mystery.

  “Kid, I’m sorry I couldn’t shield you from this.”

  “I’ve seen death before.”

  “You shouldn’t have.” Anna’s hand clutched into a fist, and she wished they could’ve kept their training weapons with them, but Captain Sorac always made sure the servants took them back to Anna and Shadowlight’s quarters after practice.

  Captain Vaspara scowled at the dead body but didn’t comment on it. “Gryton wants you to teach them battle magic, but you’ll need to assess their level of development to gauge how soon you’ll be able to start.”

  Taryin looked them over with a critical eye. “I look forward to the testing.”

  Vaspara snorted. “And that’s why Gryton also ordered me to wa
tch over them, so you don’t forget yourself and overstep your authority. They are not to be harmed.”

  “Of course,” Captain Taryin replied with a chilling smile directed at Shadowlight.

  Anna’s dread inched up another degree. Even Gryton didn’t trust this blood witch if he was making another of his captains stay and watch.

  “If you’ll turn over command of Shadowlight’s collar to me, I’ll begin now,” Taryin said.

  This time Vaspara barked out a short, humorless laugh. “No. I will see that he complies well enough for you to do your tests on them.”

  Taryin nodded placidly as if the other captain’s words did not insult her in the least. “Very well.”

  When she reached for Shadowlight, Anna stepped between them.

  “You can start with me.”

  “As you wish.” Captain Taryin pulled a small blade from a tether around her neck. At first, Anna had thought it was a pendant, but now she saw it was a ceremonial knife. The blade was no longer than Anna’s palm.

  Still, despite its diminutive size, it wasn’t very reassuring when Taryin brought it up close to her neck. There was a tug and a sawing motion and suddenly the captain was holding the end of one of Anna’s braids.

  Better hair than a body part, Anna supposed, but adrenaline still coursed through her blood.

  Taryin set the hair aside in a bowl and then brought the tip of the blade down in a shallow cut along Anna’s left bicep. Then the blood witch held the bowl under Anna’s dripping arm. Once a few drops of blood had covered the braid, Taryin looked around. “Let’s go to the other room where my herbs are stored.”

  Yeah. Totally fine with that. Anna shoved Shadowlight through the open door to get him moving. He’d been staring between Anna and the dead body of the male. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the kid was concerned that the same thing might happen to her.

  Taryin went to the shelves and sorted through a half-dozen pots before she found the ones she wanted. Placing three pots on the nearest worktable, she pried off their lids and sprinkled fragments of dried herbs onto the hair and blood. Next, she reached for a pitcher of some dark, fermented liquid. Anna thought it was wine by its fruity and yeasty scent.

  Once the hair, herbs, and blood were covered in liquid, Taryin raised the bowl, closed her eyes, and began a chant.

  Fire flared and raced along the surface of the liquid, igniting like an extremely reactive accelerant. After ten seconds, Taryin’s chant changed in pitch, and a ball of fire and magic rose up out of the bowl. Five seconds later the flames burned entirely away, leaving a ball of tightly woven magic floating in the air.

  “Very nice,” the blood witch purred. “Oh, the spells I could create using your blood.”

  “The Battle Goddess will never let that happen. These two are more important than fuel for your spells,” Captain Vaspara said in a droll voice. “But if you still plan to test Shadowlight, get on with it. I need to find permanent slaves to serve as body servants for them and then acquire appropriate clothing for the feast.”

  That was the first time Anna was hearing about a feast.

  “Very well,” Taryin said, her expression unreadable. “I wouldn’t want to waste your valuable time.”

  Vaspara snorted disdainfully but didn’t vocalize her thoughts.

  Anna decided Vaspara had just taken top spot on the potential list of allies even though she was a succubus.

  The blood witch stepped closer to Shadowlight. She used her knife to cut a lock of his hair and then nicked him in the bicep. Anna didn’t like seeing the blade used on the kid any more than she liked having it used on herself.

  Oblivious to Anna’s glowers or merely uncaring, the blood witch continued with her task, and soon there was another flash of fire and magic, this one much larger than when Anna’s sample had ignited.

  “Unsurprising, but excellent all the same.” Taryin nodded to Vaspara. “I can start training the youngling in battle and blood magic tomorrow; the human will need at least two more blood exchanges before we start any meaningful training. But at least she won’t be hopeless.”

  “I’ll have them returned here tomorrow after their time in the practice ring.” Vaspara agreed.

  “Actually, keep them at the practice ring. There’s always plenty of blood spilled on the sands there, and if we exhaust that supply, then I’ll just take what is needed from some of the trainees.”

  Vaspara nodded as if bleeding random victims was everyday news. The succubus was just turning to leave when there was a sharp knock and the guard from earlier entered from the hall outside. He glanced at them and muttered an apology for the interruption but ushered in a man and woman. Two steps behind them, a girl and boy followed. All four had their hands tied and Anna’s stomach plummeted in horrified realization.

  “Captain Taryin, I’ve brought the slaves as you asked.”

  “I told you to wait until after I was finished with the Rasoren and his Kyrsu.”

  The guard apologized again and then swept into another deep bow. The move was both graceful and fast, but not so fast that Anna missed the moment when the guard’s gaze slid to her for a brief moment. But she had caught the look and recognized it for what it was, a glimmer of rebellion.

  Since this was the same guard who’d been leaving when they first entered, his arrival now, with the four slaves, wasn’t an accident. Anna was certain of that. He’d wanted to arrive with his prisoners while she and Shadowlight were still within the blood witch’s grim workshop.

  “Who are these people?” Anna asked. “And what does the blood witch want with them?” Oh, but she already knew, and Anna didn’t care what she had to barter, she was going to save the kids, at least.

  It was Captain Vaspara who answered. “They are all traitors to the Battle Goddess.”

  “The children, too? Surely they weren’t plotting against the demigoddess.”

  “They didn’t,” Vaspara said with a bored shrug. “Nor did their parents, not directly, but they tried to flee this city.”

  “And that’s enough to warrant death?” It likely was in this place, and if the parents were that desperate, it must have meant they thought their children were as good as dead if they stayed.

  “The male and his brother,” Vaspara pointed to the father and then jerked her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the dead guy back on the stone slab. “Both served Shadowlight’s parents as free servants. After Stalks the Darkness and River made their escape with Shadowlight, we later learned that Darkness had warned the brother about his escape plan. The human traitor then sought out his brother and family and convinced them to flee.”

  Beside her, Shadowlight stiffened and looked at the family. “You knew my parents?”

  None of them answered Shadowlight’s question, but Vaspara confirmed it. “Yes. They served them but are now traitors stripped of all rank and soon the blood witch will strip them of their lives.”

  Vaspara sounded bored, but she locked gazes with Anna like she was trying to convey something important that she didn’t want to say out loud. Anna’s mind whirled and then understanding struck.

  “Gryton said he’d return all the possessions belonging to Shadowlight’s parents to him in the coming days if we were biddable.” Anna paused to spear the blood witch with a challenging look. “We have held up our end of the bargain. These slaves now belong to Shadowlight, and this even saves Vaspara the need to hunt up servants for us.”

  Vaspara nodded, still pretending boredom. “That is true.”

  “They are traitors,” the blood witch snarled. “They deserve death.”

  “Hmm,” Anna said, looking around the room slowly before returning to the terrified prisoners. “I disagree. Sounds like the instigator is already dead in that room back there. These four merely had their hands forced.”

  “They still must be made an example of. I only follow the edicts set down by our Lady.”

  “Time for the bluff of all bluffs,” Anna sent to Shadowlight and
then drew herself up and faced down Taryin. “I was there when the demigoddess told Gryton to treat us with the honor our rank grants us. I order that the slaves be delivered to our quarters immediately.”

  The blood witch recoiled.

  “Ah, you didn’t think I’d figure that out so fast, did you? Or you thought I wouldn’t have the ambition to take what is rightfully ours.” Anna smiled coldly. “I’ve always been driven to rise up and conquer every challenge tossed at me. Shortly after I was attacked by the Riven, Shadowlight found me and gave me a choice, a quick, clean death or I could take his blood and fight to overcome the taint and if I survived, I would be tied to him for life.”

  Anna circled around the blood witch. Sensing her surprise, she latched onto it like a weakness. It might not be fear, but she could work with surprise.

  “I agreed to Shadowlight’s offer because I will always fight to win. I do not know how to surrender. Die or adapt. I’ve always adapted. I might not yet know a lot about magic, but that will change.”

  She reached out and grasped the still glowing ball of magic that floated above the table. Her talons lengthened, and she flexed her fingers, crushing the ball of magic and absorbing it into herself.

  Shadowlight prowled closer to Taryin now, too. “Gargoyles don’t surrender.”

  Anna nodded. “So, you see? We’ve looked around and studied how things work around here and we will now adapt. We will become what the Battle Goddess demands. But we won’t be the victims you expect.”

  “You are both children,” Taryin said, a hundred thoughts flashing behind her eyes.

  Anna laughed. “Then you are about to get your petite ass handed to you by a pair of the most ambitious and determined children you’ve ever met.”

  “I will not be spoken to in such a manner by a mere human!”

  “You are a fool, Taryin,” Captain Vaspara said. “There is nothing mere about the humans of her world. Gryton told me about their world. They have perfected the art of death. In a little over a hundred years, their wars claimed millions of lives. They are capable of breathtaking violence; their atrocities rival anything that we have ever done here in our realm.”