“His sister, Lillian. Shadowlight told me about her, and the Avatars.”
“Well then, hasn’t Shadowlight been an informative fellow.”
Shadowlight whined and thumped his tail on the ground.
“He was very forthcoming. He told me about his parents, the Avatars, and an evil demigod bitch who wants to rule all the known universe. Oh, he also told me the basic history of the Magic and Mortal Realms. That about sum it up? Or did he miss anything?”
“The Spirit Realm?” Greenborrow suggested.
“Oh, right, he mentioned that, too.”
“We were both in the Spirit Realm not long ago.” Shadowlight inched closer until his head was resting in her lap. “We may even have been friends there. Maybe that’s why our paths crossed in this Realm.” His eyes drifted closed. “Compared to us, Greenborrow has been away from the Spirit Realm for a long, long time.”
That confirmed Anna’s earlier assumptions about Greenborrow’s age.
“Anyone would seem old compared to you, young pup,” Greenborrow said. “Yes, I’m old and have seen many things. I was born long ago in the Magic Realm, before the Twins began their war.”
“What started the war? Shadowlight never said.” Anna wanted to know as much about those twins as possible because they sounded like bad news.
“Love.”
Anna arched an eyebrow and Shadowlight perked his ears as if that answer had surprised him.
“Yes, love. The Lady of Battles once had a consort, the Shieldbearer, but he became corrupted by greed and envy. He wanted the Lord of the Underworld’s power for himself. The Lady of Battles did not see, or turned a blind eye to that taint.”
Greenborrow took another drink from his flask. “Unfortunately the Shieldbearer may not have been the wisest creature to ever walk the universe. He challenged Lord Death. As you might imagine, he didn’t live long to regret his foolish mistake. The Lady of Battles took exception to her twin’s actions and the war grew up out of the bitterness between them.”
As much as the story was interesting, she wanted to know how something that happened forever ago applied to her current situation, but didn’t dare interrupt. Greenborrow seemed the type who liked to do things in his own time. He’d eventually get to how all this related to her.
“The Twins’ dispute drew the attention of the Divine Ones—and as punishment the twins were cast out of the Spirit Realm, forbidden to return until they saw reason. Lord Death did not know how to gain his twin’s forgiveness, so he has kept her focused on him for all these millennium so the Magic and Mortal Realm need not suffer the Lady of Battle’s rages more than needed.”
“Are you saying we have Death to thank for our continued existence? That’s so fucked up.”
“Not your existence, no, but for keeping his twin in check. They share a duality curse. While one is trapped within their temple in the Magic Realm, so too is the other.”
Shadowlight blinked open his eyes sleepily. “The Lord of the Underworld hasn’t left his temple in over ten thousand years, so the Battle Goddess is forced to remain in hers.”
“But her servants are not,” Greenborrow said. “And she still has many loyal servants and soldiers—an entire army’s worth.”
“Well, doesn’t she just sound like the charismatic, demigod, dictator type?”
“It gets worse—some of her worst nearly killed you.”
“The Riven.”
“Yes, they were one of her warped experiments that didn’t work out as she planned. They were too vicious and turned on her.”
“They are also the reason why we now know there are other beings on this planet as intelligent as us. For the record, I would have happily continued on in ignorance.”
“Wouldn’t we all love to live in peace and ignorance,” Greenborrow laughed. “Alas, that’s not what fate has in mind for us.”
“So, I take it the Lady of Battles is bad for earth even if she isn’t taking a direct interest in us mortals.”
“There is a war coming, and it will likely spill over into this realm.” Greenborrow’s expression was somber. “We all are very much in danger. For a long time, many of the Fae have simply hidden away, but that tactic is no longer viable.”
Anna held up her hand to stop the Fae’s words. She would have stood and paced but Shadowlight had fallen asleep with his head resting on her lap.
Poor kid had had a rough time of it.
Divine Ones, demigods, Avatars.
Well, fate certainly had been rolling out the worscase scenarios lately, so by that way of reasoning, the old goat was probably telling the truth.
She was going to have nightmares for a year.
“So you’re saying there is a whole host of less than benevolent beings out there capable of swatting this planet and the entire human race like a fly?”
“Hmmm, it would take considerable power and this is only one planet of many, and said being would have to have a really good reason to want to annihilate you, but yes, in theory, there are a few beings out in the wilds of the universe capable of such power.”
“They don’t cover this kind of thing in basic training.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know the Divine Ones love all creation, and have a number of safeguards to protect it.” The leshii gave the fire’s embers a stir and then checked on their dinners. “The Avatars are one such safeguard.”
Greenborrow removed one of the rabbits, transferring it to another stick before handing it to her so she wouldn’t burn her hands. Suddenly, she was far from hungry.
“Unfortunately, the Lady of Battles found a way to force the Sorceress—the female half of the Avatars to be born within her domain. There she remained until she called to her Gargoyle Protector—the male half of the Avatars.”
Anna nibbled on a part of a thigh, the meat was a little stringy, but her stomach reminded her it was starving. “Thank you for the scary history lesson,” she added around a mouthful of meat, “but that still doesn’t tell me about my present problem.” She waved her black nails at Greenborrow.
“Just setting the stage.”
She looked down at Shadowlight, he was bound to be hungry. As she reached out to shake him awake Greenborrow shook his head. “Let the boy sleep. It is better he not hear what I have to say next.”
Anna froze with her teeth still sunk into her dinner. She rolled her eyes to meet the leshii’s gaze.
“I’ve told you a bit about the Battle Goddess, but very little about the Lord of the Underworld. He, too, has an army, every bit as fierce as his twin’s.” The leshii gestured at the young gargoyle. “All gargoyles call Lord Death their liege. That the male half of the Avatars always chooses to be born a gargoyle should tell you something of their valor and loyalty. No one ever thought a gargoyle could be swayed from the Light.”
“But one was, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation, I assume.”
“Yes, though it has yet to be determined how great the taint has spread.” Greenborrow looked thoughtful for a moment before he decided on what to say next. “For the Battle Goddess to capture the Sorceress she first needed a dryad and a gargoyle to conceive her. The dryad was easy enough apparently, for the Battle Goddess’s oldest confidant and loyal servant was one of that race. Capturing a gargoyle was another challenge, but one she managed.”
Anna flexed her new talons as a reminder.
“Oh, it will become clear in a moment,” said Greenborrow with a nod. “The Lady of Battles imprisoned the gargoyle with her loyal dryad. The gargoyle didn’t learn until much later the dryad wasn’t a fellow prisoner like he’d thought. I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.” The leshii sighed dejectedly.
“However, there was nothing the gargoyle could do. He’d already fallen in love with the dryad and given her a child. I imagine he hadn’t intended that to happen, for no creature of the Light would willingly beget young in the Battle Goddess’s domain.” Another shrug. “Darkness and I haven’t known
each other long. He’s yet to tell me the gritty little details.”
Anna nearly choked on a bit of rabbit. She’d heard Shadowlight call his father Darkness. She looked down upon the gargoyle child and everything snapped into place. The cryptic comment earlier about his parents wanting to help Lillian, but unwilling to leave Shadowlight behind enemy lines.
Well, fuck.
Shadowlight and his sister were created in part due to this Battle Goddess’s manipulations.
Greenborrow took a flask from an unseen pocket. “You see why the boy shouldn’t hear this?”
“Hell yeah.”
“I do not believe the boy is evil, but I certainly don’t trust his mother. She only betrayed the Lady of Battles because her love for her children was slightly stronger than her fanatical loyalty to her overlord.”
“How do you tell a kid his mother happily serves the Antichrist and is also a willing member of a terrorist organization?”
Greenborrow nodded. “He was likely created to be the equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction. Because I can guarantee you the Battle Goddess planned for Shadowlight’s birth as surely as his sister’s.”
Anger kindled in her stomach. She was familiar with human monsters, had seen enough of their work, but what kind of monster breeds for children specifically so she can use them to achieve her own twisted plans? A demigod, apparently.
Greenborrow took another sip from his flask and then handed it to her.
She took a big gulp and the alcohol burned all the way down. “Moonshine?”
Greenborrow laughed. “Only the best.”
He sobered and studied Shadowlight for a few minutes.
“I see no darkness upon him, even the unicorn and the pooka could detect no traps or taint within him. After what happened to Lillian, they know what to look for.” He looked up at her. “But Lillian’s demon seed remained dormant for twelve years before it aroused. Darkness swears there is no evil within his son and I believe him.”
“Believe or believed?” Anna stressed the past-tense.
“Shadowlight possesses the purest spirit I’ve ever seen and the unicorn concurs.”
Anna breathed out the lungful of air she’d been holding.
“But there is something clearly odd with his blood.”
“How so?” she asked guardedly and found an arm coming up to circle protectively over Shadowlight’s head while he slept.
Greenborrow waved at her. “You, dear. You’re the proof. You’re living, breathing proof something is not as it should be. His blood should have killed you or healed you, not changed you.”
“Maybe you’re overreacting. It’s only my nails after all.” She flexed her fingers to study the oddity in question.
“It’s not just your nails. Your eyes are solid black like a gargoyle’s and your ears are pointed.”
“Okay, so I can’t see my eyes, but I’d know if…,” she reached her ears, “were suddenly pointed.” Her seeking fingertips circled the lower lobe. It felt normal, and then on up to where the top curve should be yet wasn’t. “Fuck. Fuck it!”
“I think you may need to expand your vocabulary a little more. You seem overly fond of a certain word.”
Glowering, she demonstrated the depth of her vocabulary.
Greenborrow arched an eyebrow. “Or continue as you were. We can finish this later if you prefer.”
“Sorry.” She bit out and swallowed a few other choice words she’d had all lined up. “Go on.”
“Shadowlight may not even know your changes aren’t normal, or there might be some instinct or implanted memory from his mother’s bloodline that’s guiding him. Either way, I doubt he’s aware your changes signal a darker purpose.”
Greenborrow reached out and took her hand, pressing at the base of each nail bed and watched as the talon flexed out until it was fully extended. “These differences are why you and our young friend are in danger. While the other Fae may not know if Shadowlight serves the Battle Goddess, the possibility alone will be enough for some them to act and eradicate that risk.”
“Then why am I alive? Why tell me all this? Surely you could have just killed us before we were even aware.” She was on the verge of shaking Shadowlight awake. Maybe together they could overpower the leshii.
“Just because the Battle Goddess has plans for our young gargoyle here, and you now by association, doesn’t make either of you instantly evil. As I recall, the Battle Goddess had plans for Lillian and Gregory as well. So far, they are doing a good job of foiling her plans. I hope you and Shadowlight will continue the tradition. ” He shrugged. “Or you and he may bring about the destruction of all, but either way, it’s bound to be an interesting few years.”
Anna gaped at the old reprobate, speechless for the first time.
“Wake Shadowlight, or his meal is going to get overdone.”
Still too flummoxed to think, she gave Shadowlight’s shoulder a shake. It took two more times before the kid stirred.
“It’s dinner time.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Shadowlight startled awake, but was still quick to accept the hot meat Anna handed him. He’d eaten his kills raw before, but found he liked them cooked better. He devoured his portion and looked around for more. A spurt of guilt assaulted him when both Anna and Greenborrow offered him half of theirs.
Anna gave her offering a little shake. “Take it. You’re three times the size of us and still growing. You need it.”
He took what they offered.
After his belly was full, his brain kicked in, and he realized he’d drifted off to sleep while their dinner had cooked. A wave of hot embarrassment swamped his body. So much for staying alert and keeping watch.
Wanting to at least sound more like an adult than a fat pup who had overslept, he asked, “What plan of action have we devised?”
Anna laughed, and he realized she could read his actual intent.
“The kid wants to know what he missed while he napped.” She ruffled his mane affectionately. He didn’t like that she’d embarrassed him in front of Greenborrow, but he did rather like the scratch behind his ears. He leaned into her fingers and forgave her earlier laugh at his expense.
“We talked some boring old history and then some adult conversation you’ll get to hear about in a few years,” Greenborrow winked at him.
Shadowlight’s curiosity spiraled up another three notches.
He rolled his eyes up at Anna.
“He told me about my new eyes and ears. Also a bit about gargoyle history, the other Fae, and why they won’t view a human—even with gargoyle blood running in my veins—as a friend. That’s about as far as we got.”
Oh, good. He hadn’t missed much then.
“I’ll help you hide her,” Greenborrow said as he picked up his knife and started carving his piece of wood. “You can’t keep her out in the open like she’s part of a zoo exhibit.”
Shadowlight felt his ears wilt, so he forced both them and his spine to straighten. “It was the best I was able to find given the time I had.”
“I’m not criticizing you, just saying it’s time to find a better lair. I just happen to know a good one.”
*****
Shadowlight stared doubtfully at the large, three-story home Gran called the Cottage. He’d been inside it before, had in fact slept an afternoon away inside one of the second floor bedrooms the day after the battle with the Riven. His parents had shared the room with him, likely to be certain he didn’t wander off and get caught by the human soldiers who had been sniffing around.
“I don’t think this is a good plan,” Anna whispered close to his ear.
He was inclined to agree. Turning his questioning look to Greenborrow, Shadowlight used his tail to tap the leshii’s shoulder.
“Oh, ye of little faith.” Greenborrow gestured at the home. “It’s a great place to hide. The entire top floor is an attic, but there is a hidden room in the northeast corner with fully functional facilities. I’ve stayed there
a time or two before. It’s a Fae safe house, designed to be sound proof as well.”
“Safe house? Really?” Anna questioned.
“During the Wild Hunt the occasional young hothead gets hurt and we need a safe place to stash them so they can mend where no human will find them. We have other such places throughout our territories. Though this one is the closest.” He shrugged. “It’s empty at the moment, and since Shadowlight’s parents will likely wish to stay close to Lillian and Gregory, our young gargoyle will have the run of the place. It certainly shouldn’t be too difficult to sneak food. Besides, gargoyles all eat like horses. No one will be surprised if a young, growing gargoyle takes some back to his room for later.”
“It might work,” Shadowlight admitted.
“Good. Let’s see if we can get our human friend up there without anyone knowing.”
“Don’t gargoyles have a super sense of smell? At least Shadowlight does. Aren’t I in danger of getting tracked down by scent?”
“We’ll have to use a spell to cloak your scent as we travel through the house, but once you’re situated in your new quarters, you should be fine. None of the gargoyles go up in the attic. If it was the middle of winter with all the windows closed, we might have had to try somewhere else. However, this is the best we can do for the short term.”
Greenborrow glanced toward the east. “We need to do this now. It will be dawn in another hour and a half. Then others will start to stir and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the one who has to explain to Gregory why we’re sneaking a human into his territory without his knowledge.”
Anna made a small, unhappy sound. “He’s one of those Avatars, right? Let’s not run into a demigod.”
“I’ll make introductions if we are so unfortunate,” Greenborrow added cheerfully.
Sorceress Hunting (A Gargoyle and Sorceress Tale Book 3) Page 14
