Within Gregory, his hope warred with despair. “I do not know what the future will bring, but this child is a miracle, and I hope we are blessed with many more such miracles over the years.”
Lillian cupped his cheek and would have said something more, but he placed his fingers on her lips.
“I don’t know if we will survive this war, and for the first time in my existence, I fear death. We have failed the Divine Ones twice now. First with Gryton and now with this child. I do not regret creating life with you. I should, but I don’t. However, I think our creators might see things differently than I do. After Gryton, they wiped one entire lifetime’s worth of memories. I don’t know if that was intended as a punishment or as a kindness so we wouldn’t have to exist knowing we’d broken our most sacred vows.” Gregory tilted his head back to the canopy above and wished he could see the stars through the leaves. “I fear this might be the last time we are reborn as the Avatars, like we are being given a second chance. I simply do not know.”
Lillian’s eyes widened, and her large deer-like ears flattened into her mane.
“You really think that the Divine Ones would punish us so severely for having a child?” Her one hand came to rest on her belly.
“No, not for that tiny innocent life.” Gregory shook his head. “I speak of Gryton. I think he is the mistake we are intended to rectify in this life. Though, I haven’t a clue if I’m supposed to save or destroy him. Though I would attempt to save my son—the Divine Ones would know that about my character.”
“What happens if we fail? They’d just strip us of our purpose as punishment?”
“Yes, but they wouldn’t see it as a punishment, my beloved. They would be granting us a reprieve from having our soul sundered each time they would have called upon their Avatars.”
Lillian’s eyes widened. “Then we must defeat the Battle Goddess once and for all. If we don’t, there might not be anyone powerful enough to stop her the next time. I will not leave my child to fight that battle.”
“I do not plan to,” Gregory said, “I just don’t want there to be any lies between us and Daryna has had the same fears as I.”
Lillian gripped his jaw and forced him to look directly at her. “Well, it’s good that I have enough passion for life to sustain you, me, and Daryna, then, isn’t it?”
A wave of magic rolled over her body and suddenly he was holding a dryad in his arms instead of a gargoyle. Drawing him forward, she pressed little kisses to his muzzle. Urgency swiftly rose within him, flooding his body, mind, and soul with the need for his mate. Lillian’s responses told him she felt the same. It fired his need to greater heights, but there was more to it than just physical release. This might be the last time they could enjoy each other’s bodies fully.
There was no telling how long Daryna would survive after they completed their rescue mission. When her body failed, Lillian would become the Sorceress, as was right. The survival of all three realms depended upon that merging. Why then did the thought of regaining his true Sorceress at the cost of losing his mate hurt so damn much? Sex was the only part of their relationship they’d lose.
And it wasn’t like they hadn’t abstained before. It was just sex.
“Gregory, when we come together it is never just sex. It is an accumulation of a hundred thousand lifetimes of our love.”
She was right, of course. Their soul always yearned to rejoin and heal itself, to be made whole. The act of physical love was as close as they could come while still caged in flesh, blood, and bone.
His eyes drifted shut as Lillian nipped her way down his neck, her lips and tongue caressing him in a way that melted his heart and fired his blood. By the great God and Goddess, he would miss this.
A deep rumbling purr escaped him, and Lillian chuckled.
If this was to be their last time, he would embrace his fierce joy and sorrow, wrapping Lillian in so much pleasure that she would remember this always. He sat up and grasped her around the waist, hoisting her into his lap.
“My beloved dryad, how do you want me, human or natural?”
Lillian continued to stroke him, her quick fingers making short work of his loincloth. “I don’t care. I just want you. Fierce, brave, beautiful you.”
Hmmm, fierce suited his mood this night. He pushed her onto her back and followed her down. Lillian yelped once in surprise, but she wasn’t harmed, the blanketing shadow magic cushioned her. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He’d retained enough wherewithal to know that in his present mood, if he kept his gargoyle form, she’d likely be sore tomorrow.
He closed his eyes and called on power, maintaining the image of his human form in his mind’s eye.
“I’m fond of wings,” Lillian whispered as she reached to stroke the sensitive membranes.
Gregory’s concentration shattered, the image of his human form melting away. Damn it.
“My emotions are too chaotic, I’m not sure if I’ll be as gentle as I should,” he admitted.
“How about a compromise?” Lillian grinned up at him, her thumbs stroking his jaw. “Half and half because kissing is fun, too.”
Ah. His human-gargoyle hybrid form. Somehow it seemed poetic to wear the shape he’d worn when they first kissed. He shifted to his half-human form and pounced. Lillian giggled, but he silenced the sound with his mouth.
She eagerly returned his rising passion, matching it and driving his own higher. Snatching her hands in one of his, he guided them above her head and pinned them there. Knowing Lillian’s giving nature in bed, if he didn’t restrain her, this would be over far sooner than he wanted.
“Not fair,” she said with a little pout.
He kissed her until she was breathless and the pout long forgotten. Using lips and teeth, he uncovered her breasts and lavished attention on each until she was purring his name. In time, she found other ways to distract him and freed her hands. Soon he lost the fight to hold back his rising passion and urged Lillian’s knees apart. Looking down at her, he met her gaze. Heat and desire reflected back at him.
Draping himself over her, he folded his wings around them both. With her held in the protective cage of his arms, he nuzzled her jaw, kissing and nipping his way to her ear. “You mean everything to me.”
“You’re the only one I’ve ever loved.” Lillian nuzzled him in return.
Alone far out in the dark forest, their passions rose, peaked, and began rising anew. Hours passed before they finally collapsed and curled up together, deeply sated.
“Gregory. That felt too much like goodbye,” Lillian whispered afterward, sadness in her voice.
“Not goodbye. Never that. A memory to carry us through more difficult times.” Gregory reached out and brushed a lock of hair off Lillian’s sweaty cheek. “You have my promise that I will do all in my power to live for both you and our child. There is nothing I’d like more than to fulfill that future dream of yours. I, too, would like a big family.”
“Good, I’m going to bind you with that promise.” Sighing happily, Lillian lowered her head to his chest and allowed her fingers to slowly caress him. After a few minutes, her hand stilled in sleep. At last, he let sleep claim him, too.
Chapter 28
Last night in the forest, just before Lillian had fallen asleep in her mate’s arms, she’d concocted a plan. She wanted to give Gregory something that represented both their eternal love and their future dream of having a family, even if it was only for this one lifetime.
Unfortunately, there was no way Gregory wouldn’t notice if she just sneaked off to go shopping and it wasn’t like she had the magic skills needed to make what she wanted. But Daryna was the Mother’s Sorceress. She shouldn’t have a problem providing what Lillian needed. She just had to explain everything to Daryna without Gregory being the wiser.
She’d thought that part was going to be the problem. At least until the solution just let herself into their bedroom while Gregory was still in the shower.
“Daryna,” Lillian ca
lled softly and gestured her over to the far end of the room, putting as much space between them and the bathroom as possible. Though even a gargoyle’s exceptional hearing was at a disadvantage with the spray from the water drowning out most other noise. “Perfect timing. I have something I want to ask you while Gregory is occupied.”
Daryna’s eyebrow arched with unconcealed interest. “Why, I didn’t take you for the secret conspiracy type.”
Lillian rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing nefarious, just something I want to give to Gregory. You might even think it’s silly.”
“I will gladly help you make something for our beloved.” A smile spread across the Sorceress’s face. “Tell me more.”
Feeling somewhat awkward, Lillian explained what she wanted to do. “What do you think? Will Gregory think it’s a silly human custom?”
“I think it’s something that we Avatars would never think about doing, but I love the idea. Gregory will love it too.”
“I’ll love what?” Gregory asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another around his wet mane.
“It’s nothing much,” Lillian hedged, scrambling for something to say that wasn’t a lie or end up triggering his need to ferret out the truth.
“Then why don’t you tell me what it is.” A wicked grin flashed across his face.
“Lillian wants to give you a present if you must know,” Daryna snapped. “And she asked me to help.”
“A present?” Gregory prowled closer.
Daryna crossed her arms and glowered at him. “It’s a secret. We’re not telling you what it is, so stop pushing, you great lug.”
Gregory’s expression shifted to a pout and it was on the tip of Lillian’s tongue to tell him her plan when a loud knock sounded at the bedroom door.
“Lillian? Gregory?” Jason called through the door. “You better get out here.”
Daryna was closest and opened the door for Lillian’s older brother.
He stepped in and nodded to the Sorceress but was able to pick out Lillian with ease. “Your mother just awoke from her coma. Gran thinks it’s best she learn the news about Shadowlight from you or Daryna.”
“I’ll do it,” Daryna said before Lillian could respond. “It was my plan that Gryton deliver Shadowlight to Lord Death as proof of what his sister was doing and when that plan went awry, it was my fault that he ended up the Battle Goddess’s prisoner instead.”
“I’ll come, too,” Lillian said.
Gregory walked over to the bed where he’d left his beaded loincloth. He dropped his towels and began to dress.
“Oh, gawd, I’ll be in the car. I was supposed to give you a lift to HQ, but I might now be blind.” Jason said as he fled the room with a lot of dramatic groaning and bitching about naked gargoyle junk.
Gregory ignored the human and continued to dress. Daryna just rolled her eyes and then looked at Lillian. “You know, our gargoyle has never been modest, but I think he does this intentionally because the humans are so very silly about nudity.”
“I’ll be waiting in the car,” Lillian said and shook her head. She followed the sound of her brother’s muttering.
∞∞∞
Lillian stood in one of the lower levels of what used to be a community building but was now just called HQ. The office had been converted into a hospital room and she now leaned against the wall with Gregory while Daryna explained to River that her youngest child was now a prisoner of the Battle Goddess.
Her mother was on crutches, and while her hair had started to grow back, her body was still covered in terrible burns. Gregory had been working some healing magic, but even so, anyone with two eyes could see it was pure determination on the dryad’s part that she was on her feet at all.
“She has my Shadowlight?” River whispered in horror, her already pale complexion from being bedridden for over two months washed out farther. “Darkness and I gave up everything to see that he wouldn’t grow up there.”
“I know,” Daryna whispered. “And I am sorry. You have my word that we’ll get him back.”
Lillian wasn’t sure if her mother could be trusted, but she did feel sympathy for the poor woman. To learn her mate was dead, or the next thing to it, would be a great enough blow after waking from a coma. Then to learn that her youngest child had been stolen away? Those two losses would cripple those with lesser fortitude. River was tough, though, and Lillian could see the rage rising within her now. Her weakened body did not lessen the fire of her spirit.
“Your word? Your word means nothing!” River slapped Daryna’s consoling hands away. “This is all your fault!”
Gregory stepped between them and gently pushed Daryna behind him while he spoke to the dryad in soft tones. “We will get him back. I promise you that.”
Stepping forward, Lillian joined them. “At least my little brother isn’t alone. Anna is there with him. She refused to stand down and went against orders to attempt a rescue.”
Lillian sat down on the edge of the bed and urged the surprised River to sit next to her.
“The human was the only one who went?”
“Yes,” Lillian answered. “She loves Shadowlight like a little brother. And while she knew the odds were bad, she chose to go anyway.”
“A human?” River whispered. “Only the human was brave enough to go.”
“Yes.”
River’s expression hardened. “Then Shadowlight picked well. She is a worthy Kyrsu. When we get them back, I will tell her as much.”
Lillian hugged the stranger who was her mother. “We will get them back.”
“Yes, we will,” River’s nostrils flared. “Just don’t expect either of them to still be the same.”
Her mother had just given voice to one of Lillian’s greatest fears. At the words, even the age-old Avatars looked a touch more worried than they had before.
Drawing in a deep shaking breath, Lillian vowed that no matter what had happened to Anna and Shadowlight, or what they had become, she would still stand by them. Surely, they couldn’t be worse than Gryton, not after only a few weeks’ exposure to the Battle Goddess.
Lillian prayed that was true.
Chapter 29
Thick autumn dew sparkled brightly on the hamadryad’s soft needles. The sun hadn’t been up long enough to burn it away yet, and the glade had that damp, earthy smell that always reminded Lillian of home. Later in the day, as the sun warmed the fallen leaves, the scent would change to a sweeter, richer essence.
But she wouldn’t see that today. Shortly, she would step inside the hamadryad and feel as its bark closed in around her. Well, she wouldn’t actually feel the bark closing, since she’d already be drifting to sleep, but it would still happen.
And then her tree would take something precious from her.
Touching the round curve of her belly, she told herself she would have had to do this in the next few days anyway. A dryad only carried the fetus for three months before giving it to her tree to gestate for the remaining years.
Giving the fetus to the tree a few days early wouldn’t harm her baby, but it would allow Lillian to go with Gregory. There was no way she would let Gregory venture into the Magic Realm by himself.
She took a step closer to her tree, her chin high and shoulders square.
“Once you’re inside the tree, you will sleep. You won’t feel anything until the tree releases you and you wake fully recovered.” Daryna said.
Recovered? Since when was being pregnant an illness? But she knew what Daryna meant. Lillian would emerge fit and ready for battle.
“The Sorceress is correct,” River agreed, surprising Lillian. River and Daryna had only just met an hour ago but had already developed a strong dislike to each other.
Gregory’s hands settled on her shoulders. “Take as much time to prepare as you need.”
“I’m ready.” Lillian untied the belt of her robe and Gregory mantled his wings around her.
Stepping forward, she raised her arms a
way from her body, caressing the hamadryad’s branches as she called on the earthy power of a dryad.
Her senses expanded out in all directions and even into the ground. Below her feet, magic pulsed with a steady slow rhythm, a slow, barely heard pulse. It was the heart song of the planet. Humans might not realize it, or even stop to think about it, but Earth was a living entity as much as she or Gregory, or any one of the fae and military personnel she sensed nearby. When she called on her dryad magic, she felt a true connection with the Earth.
She reveled in the power of the vast forest all around, until she felt calm and as unmoving as the land. Stable. Firm. Fixed in place.
When she brushed at the hamadryad’s branches a second time, they shifted, moving out of the way so that she could reach the thick trunk.
Sensing what she needed, or perhaps feeling the life inside Lillian, the tree shifted and shook as a fissure formed a foot above her head. The crack continued all the way down the trunk until it hit the root base. Widening farther, red, fibrous tissue pulled back exposing a dark cavern inside. Lillian drew in a deep breath and stepped inside.
Already the tree sang to her. A deep, slow melody wrapped around her and her consciousness started to recede. As the tree cradled her, she sang of ancient times and the slow turning of the seasons, telling how everything unfolded for a reason and that all would be well with her child.
The last thing she remembered was Gregory’s thoughts in her mind. “Sleep well, my beloved mate. Know that I will stand guard and never leave your side.”
∞∞∞
The earth turned, the sun journeyed across the sky, and the forest whispered its knowledge into her mind. She was aware, and yet she wasn’t Lillian. She was hamadryad and all the worries and cares that haunted her dryad form did not concern her in the least.
All would be well. Even now her gargoyle mate stood guard and fed her magic-laced blood as was right and proper.
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