“She killed twenty-three of our men.” Vaspara’s lips compressed into a thin line.
He dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. “She was doing you a favor. The weak must be culled to strengthen the rest of the herd. Besides, your pride should be soothed knowing she isn’t really a human. She’s Shadowlight’s Kyrsu and will one day be his Second when he leads the Battle Goddess’s army.
Vaspara’s eyes widened, showing a rare bit of surprise.
“Yes,” Gryton said, guessing her thoughts. “The boy has already been busy.”
“But he is still years away from being mature. He shouldn’t even possess the ability or the drive yet.” Vaspara was now studying the kid with calculation in her eyes.
Anna tensed up and Gryton applied more pressure to the knife at her throat.
“I know the youngling doesn’t look like much.” He looked Shadowlight up and down. “Especially now as a human boy, but he is strong in magic and quite fierce.”
“As we discovered,” Vaspara said warily before turning back to study Anna in more detail. “This one will be Shadowlight’s second in command?”
“Yes,” Gryton tapped the flat of the blade against the smooth skin of Anna’s throat. “She’s already completely loyal to him. And he to her. We can use that to our advantage during their training.”
Vaspara looked doubtful but held her silence.
“I need to report what I’ve learned in the Mortal Realm. Take these two and make sure they don’t escape. I don’t have to tell you how displeased the Battle Goddess will be should her project get delayed again.”
Captain Vaspara snapped to attention. “Be assured I will not be caught unaware again.”
“Good,” Gryton removed the dagger from Anna’s throat. “Take them back to his cell. Keep them together for now. He’ll draw strength from her and be able to shift back to his true form sooner. Send a runner to notify me when that happens.”
Vaspara took hold of the human. “As you command.”
With that, Gryton turned and started toward the temple in the center of the fortress city. Unfortunately, reporting to the Battle Goddess would be far less enjoyable than hunting and tracking Shadowlight’s pet human had been.
Chapter 6
Less than a half-hour later, Anna found herself installed in her new cell. They tossed Shadowlight in with her a moment later and then slammed the door closed again. The room was dimly lit and smelled of must and mold.
Unfortunately, they’d strip-searched her and found every weapon she’d brought to the Magic Realm. Captain Vaspara was far too interested in the ward-spelled armaments and had instructed guards to bring all Anna’s gear to her workroom.
Anna listened to the stomp of retreating feet. When the footfalls disappeared altogether, she turned from the door and surveyed her cell. It didn’t take her gargoyle-enhanced vision long to adjust to the gloom, but it wasn’t the cell her gaze landed on.
Shadowlight stood a couple feet away, scanning their new cell. While he familiarized himself with his new home, Anna studied him. He still had long black hair held away from his face by two leather ties, and he was dressed as he had been before with the beaded loincloth his father and Gregory seem to prefer.
That’s where any sense of familiarity ended.
A teen stared back at her, his expression fierce, which seemed at odds with his narrow-shouldered frame. He was still tall, about her height, but for the first time, he honestly looked like a kid.
A strangely familiar kid. He almost looked like one of her brothers when they’d been that age. Yep. She wasn’t imagining it. Shadowlight had the long Mackenzie nose and the same exact skin tone.
“I touched your memories while we were linked and modeled my human body after the images I saw of your brothers.”
“You can see my memories?”
“Only when we are mentally linked.”
“Huh.”
Shadowlight looked uncertain. “If me looking like one of your brothers bothers you, I can take on a different likeness next time.” He made a face. “Though, I hope I don’t have to shift to human form too many times.”
“Normally I’d ask what was wrong with being human. But considering where we are, I think I’d choose a gargoyle form over a human one if I was given a choice.”
Talking helped her relax, but it didn’t improve their predicament much. She eyed the straw-covered floor and wondered what kind of vermin might be lurking in it.
The straw she’d seen used as bedding in the stables was undoubtedly fresher. She walked the perimeter of the cell, trailing her fingers along the wall, looking for she knew not what, certainly not a loose stone. They wouldn’t be that stupid.
As it turned out, the walls were in good condition. She sighed.
Though there was a trickle of water running down the groove in the back wall. She glanced up and spotted where it trickled in from. The crevice wasn’t any wider than her finger.
No escape there.
The small stream of water smelled fresh, but she wasn’t tempted to taste it. She’d need to be damn desperate before drinking mystery water here.
There was also a large round hole in the floor where the water escaped.
“The latrine?” Anna muttered to herself. “Nice.”
Shadowlight padded over to her. The poor kid was barefoot. At least the thugs had left her with a tank top, pants, and boots.
“The water is safe to drink. It’s all we will get. The hole in the floor is for waste.” Shadowlight glanced up at her with a silent question in his eyes.
“I’m truly sorry I couldn’t get you out of this hellhole, kid.” She switched to her mental link. “But we’re alive and in one piece. As long as we’re alive, we have a chance of gaining our freedom.”
“And I’m sorry I wasn’t able to shift back to gargoyle form and fly us to safety.” Guilt laced his words.
“Oh, kid. It’s not your fault. You were just out of resources.”
Shadowlight glanced down at his bare feet and wiggled his toes in the straw, then he glanced back up at her. “I’ll make Gryton pay for this one day.”
“That’s the attitude.” She patted him on the shoulder and then looked around the room. Her gaze naturally settled on the trickle of water. She leaned closer and looked up at the gap in the ceiling where the water entered.
“Is there another cell above this one?”
“No. I don’t think so. At least I’ve never heard the sound of another living creature up there.”
“Small blessings. No one is going to piss in our drinking water.”
Shadowlight made a face. “True.”
“There is something I’m curious about,” Anna said, as she leaned a hip against the stone wall and crossed her arms. “Earlier, when Gryton was talking to Vaspara he said I was your Kyrsu. What does that mean?”
“The Gargoyle Legion is led by a Rasoren, and his second in command is called his Kyrsu. They are the two highest positions in the Lord of the Underworld’s army. Normally the positions are held by a gargoyle father and son.” Shadowlight glanced down at his feet, looking unhappy. “But the Battle Goddess has taken that concept and twisted it, then applied those titles to us. We have not earned them.”
“Yeah, well, we’re already a great brother-sister team. If they want to call you a Rasoren and me a Kyrsu,” Anna shrugged, “they can. I’ve been called much worse than a Kyrsu in the past.”
Shadowlight yawned and then gave himself a little shake to force himself back to full alertness.
As Anna watched him, a rare maternal instinct kicked in. “You haven’t slept in a long time, have you?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t trust them.”
“I know this place is no five-star, but why don’t you make a bed out of the straw? I’ll take first watch.”
The poor kid was exhausted. He moved over to the corner of the cell closest to her and laid down. He was asleep within minutes.
Anna stood watch for a
while, then started to pace and worry. She would’ve done just about anything to get them out of this place, but presently that was beyond her power. Her pacing didn’t do anything to help either, so she settled for sitting next to him and trying to share some body heat.
When the kid wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his face against her side and started to cry in his sleep, Anna decided only the razing of the Battle Goddess’s kingdom would make up for exposing Shadowlight to what was likely to come.
Chapter 7
It was sometime in the middle of what Anna guessed to be afternoon on this planet when Shadowlight shifted back to his gargoyle form. He didn’t even wake. The poor kid must have been more exhausted than she’d realized.
She let him sleep until she heard a group approaching from farther down the hall. Anna grabbed Shadowlight’s shoulder and gave it a good shake.
His eyes snapped open and in less than three seconds he’d rolled to all fours, ready for battle with his tail lashing in threat.
“Easy,” Anna said as she got to her feet. She took two strides forward until she was standing at his shoulder. “There are times to fight and times to wait and see.”
Shadowlight flicked an ear in her direction and grunted an unhappy questioning sound before turning toward her.
“This is one of the wait-and-see moments, isn’t it?” The words were said in a calm, very adult tone, but she could see his agitation and smell the bitter taint of his fear.
“That’s right.” She patted his shoulder in reassurance. “You sure they didn’t hurt you before?”
Of course, they’d hurt him. What she needed to know was if the succubus had touched him. Her blood surged as rage ignited in her soul. She knew what she’d do if the demoness preyed on children. It was Anna’s turn to hold back a growl.
“They used magic to restrain me and pushed me around.” He paused and rubbed at his side. “Two of the guards kicked me after I killed four of their number, but Vaspara punished them. I’ve sustained no lasting damage.”
“Good. Don’t fight them in the future, though, unless I say.”
Shadowlight grunted again unhappily but merely nodded. “We’re a team, yes?”
“Yeah. We got this.” Or at least she hoped they would survive long enough to escape with their bodies, minds, and souls intact.
The noise outside the door drew nearer and then there came a rattle of the latch and a moment later the door banged open. Three bulky brutes, which would make the toughest linebackers piss themselves in fear, stormed into the small cell and forced her and Shadowlight back at spear point.
“Easy,” she reminded Shadowlight as they were backed against the wall.
Commander Gryton and Captain Vaspara marched in behind the brute squad. Anna glanced behind them, to the open door. Guards stood two rows thick. No escaping this time.
Gryton stepped forward and motioned for the brute squad to get out of his way.
“Anna, it’s nice to see you’ve talked some sense into the cub. Vaspara tells me he hasn’t been the most cooperative of prisoners.”
“No worries, Tin Man. I just told him to save his strength until he can inflict maximum damage.”
“I see,” Gryton said with a hint of humor coloring his tone. “But no matter, I have something here that will assure Shadowlight’s good behavior.”
Anna had been expecting this since Vaspara and Gryton’s conversation a few hours ago. And she also knew about the collar that had been used to enslave Shadowlight’s father as well as the one used to bind Gregory’s power for a short time.
Yeah. She’d been expecting collars. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t have preferred to avoid the unpleasant complication, though.
“Don’t fight them, Shadowlight. There are too many,” Anna said aloud and then added using their mental link, “Alive, we still have a chance at freedom. Dead, we don’t. Remember that, kid.”
“I’ll remember,” he whispered back along the link without any betraying expression on his face.
Commander Gryton’s gaze slid sideways to meet hers. He grinned. “See, we're already starting to get along.”
“I’m compliant. Don’t get that confused with willing.”
“Another truth,” Gryton said with that infuriating tone in his voice.
His tone was already getting old. Anna glowered at Tin Man.
“Shadowlight first,” Gryton said as he held up the collar.
The gargoyle snarled in warning.
“Oh. Perhaps I’ll get you to do this instead.” Gryton was now holding the collar out towards Anna.
“Fuck you.”
“I might let you some other time; however, I need the gargoyle collared before I take you both before the Lady of Battles.”
“I’m not putting a collar around a child’s neck.”
“Your stubbornness won’t aid you here.” Gryton’s lips thinned. “Guards, subdue the cub by any means necessary.”
When the guards moved to act, something uncontrollable and foreign rose up within her. She knocked the spear’s tip away from her throat and lunged at Gryton before the guards could react.
His face was the only part visible. She took advantage of that and raked his face with her talon-tipped fingers. She’d been going for his eyes, but he’d jerked his head to the side enough to save his vision. Her talons left score marks on the side of his ornate helmet.
It wasn’t enough to sate the rage uncoiling in her chest and she struck again, landing a blow to his armor-clad midsection. The impact raced up her arm and the punch likely hurt her more than it did him, but his hiss of anger was still rewarding.
Guards rushed Anna and she snarled and fought, but a blow from an unseen assailant knocked her clear off her feet and into the wall behind her. Stunned, she slid to the floor, but the rage was driving her back to her feet to meet the attackers closing in again.
A louder snarl half deafened her. Moments later her own attackers were knocked aside, and Shadowlight was blocking her view of the rest of the cell. The kid was unharmed, and reason slowly asserted itself upon the rage and drove it back, deeper inside. Anna gave herself a shake and looked around, somewhat startled to see the guards, as well as Commander Gryton and Captain Vaspara, had drawn back.
Jeez, Anna thought as she pressed her hand to her throbbing temple. What the fuck was that?
“Stand down, Shadowlight. We can’t win this fight.”
Shadowlight’s expression when he looked over his shoulder was doubtful, but he didn’t fight and allowed himself to be forced back against the wall.
Anna brushed straw from her uniform but didn’t make any more hostile moves.
I’m a terrible role model, she admitted to herself.
“I won’t fight the collar,” Shadowlight announced. “Just don’t hurt Anna again.”
Damn it all to hell. The kid was trying to protect her. But Anna only stood with her hands fisted and watched while Gryton affixed the collar to Shadowlight’s neck. Fighting would have only gotten them both killed or maimed.
Gryton’s hands fell away from the collar. Then he stood back, seeming to admire his work. Anna decided that he would wear a collar one day before she killed him so he would get a taste of what his victims felt.
“Well done, youngling,” Gryton said with an affectionate pat to Shadowlight’s shoulder.
The kid growled in answer, but Gryton ignored him and turned his attention to Anna. He motioned her forward and that’s when she noticed he held a bracelet, not a collar.
What the hell? Typically, the prisoner wore the collar and one of the hostiles wore the command bracelet.
“What? I don’t get a collar?”
“No,” Gryton said simply. “You aren’t as dangerous as a full-blooded gargoyle, and you won’t leave Shadowlight behind, so as long as he remains with us, you’re not leaving us either. And this way, if you shift to gargoyle unexpectedly, we don’t risk having a collar decapitate you. The bracelet is designed to be more malleable than a
collar and will expand with you as you shift for the first time.”
The bracelet snapped around her wrist.
“This will force the gargoyle to behave. If he acts out or displeases us,” Gryton gave another of his chilling smiles, “you will be the one to take his punishment. The collar’s main purpose is to prevent him from flying away the first chance he gets. However, it allows me to issue him commands, and I promise, if you act out, it will be the youngling who suffers.”
“Only a short-dicked fuck, too insecure in his own manhood would think up that bullshit and inflict it on an innocent kid.”
Gryton stepped forward until they were toe to toe. His gaze broke away from her to drift down her body, stopping at the usual places a pig frequently paused to admire. When he reached her feet, he reversed course and eventually made it back to her eyes.
“I assure you, I’m most confident in my manhood, but if you require a demonstration...”
Anna grunted. “I thought I might die of old age before you finally finished your ogling.”
Shadowlight growled and Gryton merely laughed. “Don’t interrupt your elders, child. We are having a conversation.”
“Were,” Anna said.
“Were?” Gryton’s one eyebrow arched up in question.
“It’s done now. The next thing on your agenda was presenting us to your evil overlord, I believe.”
Gryton burst out laughing. “Yes, human mutt, I was going to take you before our goddess. I would suggest you keep your tongue firmly behind your teeth or else the Lady of Battles will remove it. She is entirely without a sense of humor.”
“Seems to be a rare commodity around here,” Anna said as she glanced around the cell, faking indifference.
“Yes. It gets beaten out of the sensible ones.” Gryton turned to the guards, and they moved aside to allow him to pass. He paused long enough to glance back at Shadowlight. “Come.”
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