Sorceress Hunting (A Gargoyle and Sorceress Tale Book 3) (16 page)

“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.”

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.

Shadowlight whined.

*****

Anna hardly dared to breathe as she made her way up
the stairs. Greenborrow led the way while she and Shadowlight hung back. The
young gargoyle was using his shadow magic to hide their presence, but it
wouldn’t hide them from another gargoyle.

In other words, if they met anyone getting up for a
piss, she really hoped it wasn’t a gargoyle.

The trip up to the second floor was uneventful.
Greenborrow led them down a long corridor, flanked by what she assumed were
bedrooms on either side. When they reached the end, he turned right onto
another short hall. This one ended at a brown wooden door. He produced a key,
unlocked the door, and opened it to reveal another set of stairs. These ones
obviously leading up to the attic and what was to be her new prison.

They made their slow way up the stairs, Greenborrow
pointing out the seventh and tenth treads to be the ‘blighted noise makers’.
Anna committed them both to memory. It was bound to come in handy later when
she planned her escape.

Unlike when she was trapped under the energy dome, she
now had a hope of escape.

Even if they erected other protections to keep her
here, she figured they couldn’t summon another dome. At least not without putting
up a sign the equivalent of a drive-in movie screen saying ‘come look what
we’ve hidden in the attic.’ She liked her new odds much better.

“What is a drive-in movie screen?” Shadowlight asked.

Oh. Shit.

“Something I should know?” Greenborrow asked.

Shadowlight explained, and the leshii’s broad
shoulders shook with silent laughter. At least he didn’t make enough sound to
give away their location.

She just reached the top of the stairs when a bright
silvery light seared her eyeballs and she raised her hand to cover her watering
eyes. When she was able to see through the floating spots obscuring her vision,
she located Greenborrow holding a small glowing ball of light.

Anna blinked while she took in the strange sight. The
leshii and the gargoyle had used magic before, but it was still all so new to
her she just had to stand and stare. Her mind kept looking for logical reasons
to explain the impossibilities that kept cropping up.

But she still hadn’t found any. She compressed her
lips and frowned. How the heck would she explain all this to her superiors?

“You’ll have your physical changes to act as proof for
some of your story,” Shadowlight added helpfully.

“I thought you said you couldn’t read my thoughts?
That I had to project them, kid?”

Shadowlight patted her shoulder. “With my magic
cloaking both of us, it’s the same as if I was touching you. Physical touch
strengthens our magical link.”

She hadn’t thought he’d tell her something she could
use to her advantage.

“Why did you just give me that information? I could
use it against you later. Kid, learn some basic survival skills.”

“I have. I now know how a human thinks.”

“We’re not all the same you know.”

“No? Ah well. I’ll learn what I can from you anyway.
Would you actually try to run away if you could? We’re linked through my magic.
I could track you before you got far.”

She sensed the young gargoyle’s hurt. He took it as a
personal failure that she wanted to escape instead of staying and being his
friend. He didn’t word it as such, but it was there in her mind. Poor kid was
starved for attention.

An unhappy twist of emotions churned within her. The
kid was so damn sincere about everything and she’d hurt his feelings. Damn it.
She shouldn’t care if she hurt his feelings. He was her captor. Guilt still
kicked her in the gut.

“Do you know what duty is?” she asked at last, after a
lengthy internal debate.

Shadowlight nodded his head. “All gargoyles are born
knowing it is our duty to serve the light, to protect those weaker than
ourselves.”

“Well, the same duty rules me too. I serve and protect
my people. It’s my duty to share what I’ve learned so they can better protect
themselves. It’s not that I wish to abandon you, kid. It’s that I have a duty
to my people first and foremost.”

Shadowlight butted her in the shoulder. “I’m your
‘people’ now too. I’ll help you keep the other humans safe.”

“You’re such an innocent.”

And she realized no matter what happened to her, she
couldn’t let the other humans ever get their hands on Shadowlight.

“See. Told you.” He sounded far too pleased with
himself, but she could only smile at his boldness. He was correct, he was one
of her ‘people’ now too, and she would protect him. Something within her
demanded it.

“Now children,” Greenborrow whispered. “We don’t have
time for group hugs. We need to get Anna settled in her quarters.

Anna nodded sharply and walked into the room. Inside
it was not exactly cramped, but not spacious either. She’d slept in worse. The
room was sparse, its only furnishings a narrow bed, night stand, lamp, and
dresser. That was about it. The walls were unfinished plywood, but the floor
was carpeted. It would help muffle noise, and Greenborrow had said the room was
sound-proofed.

Off to her left was a small bathroom.

“Is there anything else I can get you?” Greenborrow
asked. “Shadowlight doesn’t know a lot about humans, so he may not have stocked
your bag with useful items.”

“Razors and tampons would be nice since you’re
asking.” That reminded her of something, and she went over to her pack and
routed through it until she found the pregnancy test. “I certainly don’t need
this, but since Shadowlight said he took one of everything he found in his
sister’s vanity, someone might want to return this before she misses it and
starts asking questions you don’t want to answer.”

Greenborrow stared at the box she held out for all the
world like he was gobsmacked.

Shadowlight leaned in closer for a look. “I didn’t
know what that was, but she had several stuffed behind other items. I didn’t
think she’d miss it.”

Greenborrow jerked his gaze to Shadowlight. “She has
more than one?”

“Yes, several. Why, is that bad?”

“It doesn’t concern you, but thank you for letting me
know. I will see this gets to where it needs to go.” Greenborrow gave Anna an
old world bow. “Now I must be off, and our young gargoyle needs to go find his
bed before his parents find it empty. Dawn isn’t far off.”

Anna watched as they left, closing and locking the
door behind them. She was a prisoner for now, but she would get free and then
run to the nearest military personnel she could find. At least now she knew
where she was and which direction led to the rest of civilization.

All in all, it had been a harrowing couple of days,
but she’d survived and had gathered more intel in the last two days than the
whole science team had in three months leading up to this. She just had to find
a way to get it to her superiors without endangering Shadowlight. She didn’t
want to see the leshii come to harm either, but he was old and wise, and she
bet he could take care of himself just fine.