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.”
Anna was familiar with some of humanity’s darkest hours, but when it was put that way…she winced.
“That is—” Taryin was cut off by Vaspara.
“Gryton let me look directly into his mind. The humans of the Mortal Realm have created weapons that can destroy millions of lives in a blink of an eye. Our Lady knows this. It honors her. That is why she will one day rule both realms. The humans have earned that honor. Anna and Shadowlight will lead the way.”
The blood witch glanced at Anna, her surprise melting away to be replaced by a glimmer of respect.
Anna’s stomach churned a little.
“That’s why,” Vaspara continued, her bored expression back in place, “if Shadowlight and Anna want the slaves, it is their right to claim them.”
“Very well,” Taryin agreed slowly.
Anna didn’t wait around for the powerful blood witch to change her mind and she planted her hand against Shadowlight’s back and applied enough pressure to get him moving. They were almost through the door when Vaspara glanced back at the soldier who had brought the family. “You will escort the slaves.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Once they turned the first corner, Vaspara relaxed enough to slow her stride. She cast another glance over her shoulder at the guard and then looked to Shadowlight. “That guard and many more like him used to serve your mother. It is within your right to reclaim them.”
Shadowlight’s answer was swift and short. “I claim them all.”
Vaspara nodded, “As the Rasoren wishes, so will it be done.”
“We’re going to become tyrants,” Anna told him without a hint of guilt or self-loathing.
“We make a good team,” he said, sounding so very proud.
Chapter 18
Feeling more than a little proud of himself, Shadowlight dropped to all fours and paced a circle around Anna and the family they’d rescued. These new ones, even the guard, were now part of his tribe, his to protect.
His magic stirred as his thoughts focused on what Vaspara had said. There were others, guards and servants alike, who rightfully fell within his ever-increasing sphere of protection. He would find them, claim them, and then one day free them once he and Anna found a way to escape. Until then, they needed allies.
With a new sense of purpose driving him, he continued to circle his new charges but now approached the two children.
“Hello,” he said, giving each a good lick. “I’m Shadowlight.”
Both children started in surprise. The girl squealed and laughed. The boy recoiled.
He was hurt by the boy's rejection. Everyone liked him. Why didn’t this boy?
“I won’t hurt you,” he offered. “You’re safe with Anna and I. Vaspara said your family served my parents.”
“We did.” The boy replied but kept looking to his parents who were talking with Anna and Vaspara.
Anna was busy interrogating their new servants, so the boy was on his own.
Now was as good of time as any to try to win over the boy and girl.
Before Shadowlight could vocalize his thoughts, the boy spoke. “We served River and Stalks the Darkness, but they abandoned us.” The boy glowered at Shadowlight. “Why should we trust you?”
Shadowlight was taken off-guard by the anger in the boy’s tone, but his gargoyle nature also told him it was deserved. His parents had abandoned these people when they’d fled to Earth to help Lillian and to keep him from becoming the Battle Goddess’s tool.
In the end, it hadn’t helped. He was among the enemy. But there were other victims here as well.
For the first time, he felt shame for what his parents had done to save him. They’d abandoned those loyal to them to face the Battle Goddess’s rage alone.
Anna was suddenly at his side, her fingers giving a reassuring scratch.
“What are your names?” She asked the two children.
It was the boy who answered. “I’m Brannan and my sister is Fayon.”
“Well, Brannan,” Anna said, her expression fierce. “I don’t leave friends behind. Shadowlight doesn’t either. I can’t promise to keep you safe from all dangers and I can’t promise you your freedom either, but I can promise we won’t willingly betray you or your family.”
The boy was surprised by Anna’s blunt words. Shadowlight could smell it.
“I thank you for the truth,” the boy said at last. “One doesn’t often hear it in this place.”
Anna nodded sharply, though her lips compressed in that way he’d come to understand was her expression for some dark emotion that she couldn’t vent, but he did catch her muttering about evil bitch goddesses enslaving children.
“Kid,” she said along the private link. “I know this makes our escape more difficult, but I’m still going to try to get us and these poor souls free of this place. Don’t ever allow the blood witch or her ‘lady’ to crush your hopes.”
“I won’t,” he promised.
Together they returned to their quarters where their new servants went to work stowing away all the supplies Gryton ordered for them. They hadn’t had much time in the last three days to sort it all, but that didn’t faze the servants.
While the two children attended to the fireplaces, stacking wood and kindling, their parents saw to the cl
othing and armor. The mother, Lanya, laid out clothing for the feast they’d only learned about a couple hours earlier. It was supposed to take place in a little over an hour, just before dawn. Shadowlight was still adjusting to the nocturnal routine here, but he was hungry again, so didn’t really care if supper and breakfast had been reversed.
Anna grumbled something about shift workers that he didn’t understand. While Lanya was seeing to their attire, her mate, Barrick was helping Anna understand all the leather straps and buckles of the armor she’d be expected to wear tomorrow, at least until Lanya overruled her husband and said she needed to get Anna and Shadowlight ready for tonight’s feast.
Shadowlight was the first to be chased into the bath by the domineering older woman, but he didn’t complain. She reminded him of his mother. Once Shadowlight was finished his bath, she soon cowed Anna into following orders as well.
While Anna was busy with her bath, he stood in his own room, looking over his clothing for the celebratory dinner. His new knee-length loincloth was black velvet, its edges lined with rubies and silver embroidery. Sighing, he picked it up and donned the clothing without complaint, although he didn’t like how the added weight of the jewels made the long skirt of the loincloth slap against his legs as he walked.
Fashion was foolish.
When he padded out of his room, Lanya was lying in wait, a large torque held in her hands. She explained that it would fit over his control collar, effectively hiding it. Next came wrist and armbands made of the same silver and rubies as his torque and loincloth.
She wasn’t done yet, though. There was a matching set of bands that clipped around his ankles and then she pulled out two silver cones and attached them to the tips of his horns. Every time he moved, the suspended ruby attached to each tip clicked against his horn.
He wrinkled his nose and stomped into Anna’s room to see what she would be forced to wear. A body-size mirror suspended from a hook in the wall caught his attention. He paced over to it and then sneered at his reflection in its silver surface.
Foolish vanity. He looked like an idiot.
Lanya followed him into Anna’s room, more grooming tools carried in her hands. “Perfect. Stay right there, I’ll finish up with you and move on to Anna as soon as she’s done her bath.”
Lanya stood behind him and then started to work his hair into braided sections.
Fifteen minutes later, Anna stuck her head in her room, and the servant was still working to tame his wild mane while he glowered at himself in the mirror.
Anna looked him over, a merry light in her eyes and then she started to laugh. At least until she’d dried her tears of mirth and got a good look at what she was to wear. All merriment vanished, and she sighed unhappily.
Shadowlight glanced at his reflection again. “I look stupid.”
“Think of it as a different type of armor,” Anna declared, “We’re the Battle Goddess’s new favorites and will one day be expected to rule over everyone else in that hall. This finery is to remind them of that.”
Shadowlight huffed. She might be right, but it didn’t mean he liked it.
“I still look foolish,” he complained.
“It will just be for an hour or so.”
∞∞∞
Anna stepped out from behind the dressing screen and stomped over to the mirror where she glowered at her formal dress in the reflection.
“Of all the fucked up—”
“I told you it was stupid.”
She glowered at the kid where he was napping at the foot of her bed. His tone dripped with an “I told you so” to Anna’s ear.
“It looks like something a villainess in a comic book would wear,” she growled as she twisted and turned to view it from different angles.
“You look lovely, my lady,” Lanya said in a soothing voice as she affixed a large, ruby encrusted silver pin into Anna’s hair to hold the braids in place. At least the servant hadn’t unbraided her cornrows. The woman had had that “I want to play with your hair” look on her face the entire time she helped Anna dress. If time wasn’t a factor, she was sure the servant would have been sculpting her hair into some outlandish style.
Glowering at her reflection, Anna looked away from her hair to scan the full outfit. A second appraisal didn’t improve it.
The top wasn’t too hideous. The dress’s bodice was rather plain and sleeveless. There was a black metal breastplate that went over it that had enough rubies encrusted on it to satisfy even the most jewel-hungry person.
The wide leather harness that had been dyed black to match the breastplate was more her style. At least its presence meant she would be wearing a sword. Any weapon was a good weapon.
The bottom of the outfit was where the evil comic book villainous vibe came in. The skirt was ankle-length burgundy velvet, a red so dark to be almost black, which was okay. However, she could have done without the slits up the sides that bared her legs when she walked.
Anna outright refused to wear the pile of leather straps that were supposed to be shoes. She still wore her boots. When she’d asked Lanya where the dress had come from, the servant informed her Commander Gryton had had it sent over with the other items.
Muttering unhappily, Anna went over to the chest at the end of the bed and dug out her daggers and sword. Once she strapped the leg sheaths in place, Anna decided the blades were her favorite part of the costume.
With Lanya’s help, she adjusted the sword’s harness to allow her skirt’s fabric to lay naturally.
“You look lovely,” Lanya said again. She took in Anna’s entire outfit, looking pleased with what she saw until she got to the boots. “Are you sure I can’t—”
“Yep. And if Gryton really wants the sandals worn, he can wear them himself.”
Anna tugged at the dress, but nothing made the slits go away.
“Can’t believe I let you dress me up like a dominatrix.”
“You look powerful, beautiful, and deadly. The others will think twice before challenging you and the young gargoyle.”
“What’s a dominatrix?” Shadowlight asked. Anna’s eyes cut across the room to where he was curled in a ball eavesdropping. His eyes were closed again, but he’d just proved he wasn’t sleeping.
“I’ll explain when you’re older,” Anna said with a roll of her eyes heavenward.
“Well, if you won’t surrender the boots, I think we are done.” Lanya folded her hands.
Shadowlight climbed to his feet, made a show of stretching, and then leaped down to pace across the floor in a stiff-legged gait that spoke of his annoyance.
“If you’d taken any longer to get ready, I would have perished from hunger,” he complained.
“Fine,” Anna huffed at the kid as she followed him out of the room. “We’ll go so you can eat your weight in food, but afterward I’m going to burn this dress.”
He turned and rolled his eyes at her. “It will just be for a couple of hours.”
Had the kid just tossed her own words back at her? Yes. Yes, he had.
She was pretty sure Shadowlight was transitioning from cute kid to obnoxious teenager in gargoyle years.
Chapter 19
Anna had only just exited her chambers when Commander Gryton called her. Her mood darkened further, and her annoyance grew as she turned towards his familiar voice. Upon seeing him, she drew in a surprised breath.
If not for his voice and general height, she might not have recognized Tin Man without his armor. She frowned as she studied him.
Of course, the fucker would have to be handsome. And it wasn’t just ‘oh he’s cute’ Nope. He was the type of man that females between the ages of thirteen and one hundred and three halted whatever they were doing to admire the superb specimen of pure masculine beauty.
His long, sleek black hair spilled over his shoulder and drew her eyes down to his powerful chest which narrowed to a trim waist. Years of combat and sword training had given him a toned body with lean muscle and tight abs. Tight and trim eve
rything.
His formalwear didn’t include a shirt, just wide bronze armbands, a matching belt, loose pants and body paint. At least she thought the symbol on his chest was painted with some metallic bronze paint, but then again, it could be a magic tattoo. Whatever it was, it drew the eye.
The fabric of his pants was lightweight. Perhaps a silk or linen mix of some sort. When he moved, the material shifted with him, giving glimpses of his muscular thighs and powerful calves.
Fortunately, Anna wasn’t about to be led around by her hormones or let them trick her into doing something foolish. She knew Gryton only looked out for his own ass, spectacular though it might be.
Still, it didn’t change her earlier determination to use any kind of weakness against him if it would further her goals to protect the kid from the evil of this place.
Gryton’s long strides brought him to her quickly. He wore sensible boots, Anna noted, not the stupid strappy sandals Lanya had kept shoving at her.
After a moment, her gaze left his boots and sought out his face. His amber-ringed brown eyes sparkled with humor as his gaze fixed on her feet. Soon a smile tilted the firm line of his lips into a curve.
The prick had a dimple. A. Freaking. Dimple.
Anna was proud she didn’t try to punch the smug look off his face.
When he halted before her, light rippled along the strange symbol stamped on his chest. Okay, so much for body paint, magic tattoo it was. It glowed bright, like embers from a campfire. Before she could stop herself, she shifted her weight and stepped back, only to realize what she was doing and then retook the lost ground.
Tin Man’s grin grew broader. Anna ignored the smugness and studied the strange, impossible-to-miss, glowing mark on his chest.
“What’s with the technicolor tat?”
Gryton arched his brow but must have understood her question, for he tapped a finger against it, making it glow brighter each time his finger struck skin.
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