Stone Guardian (34 page)

Fallon gave her a slit-eyed glare as she removed her sword from its sheathe. “That wasn’t directed at me, was it?”

“If the heavy-ass sword fits.”

“Ten seconds.”

Terak walked to the barrier behind only Fallon. Fallon gave a quick glance towards him. “Well Gargoyle, let’s do this.”

The barrier opened.

The door opened, and Garof walked into the room, followed by two human men. Their eyes were lowered so no clue if they were red or not, but based on their demeanor they didn’t seem much above garden variety whipping boys.

Taneasha was crying in the corner. She stood, only to moments later fall on her face before the vampire. “Master, please,” she begged.

The doors of both cages were opened. The vampire crouched down in front of Taneasha, taking her chin in his hand. “Hush, girl. Think of the glorious part you will play in the ascension of the Necromancers to their true position in a reborn Magic Realm. Your death will have so much more meaning than a child like you deserves.” He motioned to his followers. “Grab the child. I will transport the null.”

The men each grabbed one of Taneasha’s arms and dragged her out of the cell. Her crying was muffled.

Garof turned to Larissa. “I have no need to drag you, do I?”

“No.” Larissa stood, walking toward the vampire. “No, I would prefer you didn’t. I am capable of walking myself.”

“Good. I prefer when things are kept dignified, do you agree?”

“Yes, I do.”

They walked for several minutes until they came to a room where two stone altars were laid out next to each other, about ten feet apart with a fire pit between them. Floating above the fire was an ornate dagger and a large red stone, both items she had grabbed from the vault.

Taneasha was already chained to the altar on the left. Garof grabbed her upper arm, but Larissa pulled it away. “I said I wouldn’t make a scene. Don’t touch me.” She walked to the other altar.

Manacles. The stupid bastards were going to chain her down. Larissa bit the inside of her cheek to keep the relief that pulsed through her from showing on her face. The cuffs were older but in good condition. They also glowed red, which meant they were enchanted.

Which meant the vampires probably placed most of their trust in the magic of the chains and not the physical strength of the chains themselves. That seemed to be the theme of the day.

And there were no manacles for the feet, which meant she had a chance of making at least step one of her plan succeeding.

Too bad step two was not formulated yet.

Larissa laid on the alter and put her arms up. Garof shackled her. “I am impressed, human. It is rare to see such a display.”

“Hate to break it to you, but compliments from you don’t really do it for me, so I wouldn’t bother.”

The vampire inclined his head. “As you wish.” He stood between the two altars and motioned for the two followers to kneel at the foot. “Start the casting.”

Not even a minute from when the two men began to speak, a shrill scream sounded through the room. The two acolytes stopped their chanting, only to have Garof say, “Do not stop no matter what!”

Another human in a robe ran up to Garof. “Master, we are being attacked.”

Garof stepped away, though not before Larissa saw his lips form a snarl. As he walked from the room, she heard him say, “No matter what, they must be delayed until the spell can be completed.” Two sets of footsteps, so the human man followed him out.

There was no one standing around the room, so the only bad guys left in the room were the two chanting.

No time like the present. The cuffs were tight but nothing compared to what her brothers put her through. She freed her hands with barely a scrape.

The chanting was rising in rhythm, and the cave walls started to not so much shake as
undulate.
Both the dagger and the jewel were glowing, the dagger red and the stone blue.

The noise outside the cavern was growing as well, echoes of multitudes of footsteps intermixed with the clanging of metal on metal and screams which abruptly stopped.

And then came the call, “
Meyja!”

Terak!
He was here, yes, he was here, and no way was she going to be some sort of sacrifice for these idiot vampires. She had a gargoyle waiting who she was going to kiss until her lips fell off and then mate him and live wherever they could be together – her world, his world, or a world they would create on their own.

Dumb and Dumber down there were oblivious to everything outside their chants. And in front of her, right beside the fire pit, was a decent sized and solid-looking cauldron.

Never had she been quieter than she was at that moment, not even when she had been taking pictures of Christopher getting to second base on their sofa with his high-school girlfriend.

A couple of conks later, both the men were unconscious on the floor. If they got brain damage, oh well.

Taneasha rattled her chains, her eyes pleading when Larissa looked at her. “Please Miss Miller, don’t leave me here. I’m so sorry. I never thought anything like this would happen. They said they wanted to talk to you about helping with a spell. I’m so sorry.”

Maybe she was. And Larissa understood how this could happen with a girl as shy and sensitive as Taneasha was. That didn’t change the fact this was Taneasha’s fault and there would be consequences for this decision. “I’m going to free you and get us out of here. Everything else can wait until we’re safe.”

Acolyte number one had the key, and Larissa freed the girl from the altar. Now, where to go? Terak’s voice had come from the main door, but also that was where the necromancer had gone. To run out there would be to run straight into them.

Looking around the cave, there was one small side cave behind the altars. It could lead anywhere, or it could lead nowhere at all, but it was the only other door. “We’re going through there. The front door would be too dangerous with that battle going on.”

Taneasha nodded, staying close to her.

“I need you stay a bit away from me.”

Taneasha looked at her with hurt eyes, but understanding dawned moments later when Larissa grabbed the stone and dagger. “I don’t know what these things would do to anyone not magically immune, and I don’t want to find out by watching what happens to you.”

Taneasha nodded, staying a small distance away as they ran through the doors.

Terak clawed through another orc, dismembering the beast before throwing the carcass to the side.

There were fewer enemies than expected. The earlier attack on the Guild must have taken most of their resources. The first wave made good progress as they tore through the underlings, but it was too soon to gloat over easy triumph – the necromancers still awaited them.

“Doing okay over there, Gargoyle?” Fallon’s voice floated above the cacophony. Her sword clanged as metal struck metal in her own battles.

He didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he threw his head back and yelled,
“Meyja!”

A blast of power hit Terak in the chest and threw him back into the wall, the stone jabbed into his body.

“Pity gargoyles are resistant to magic. That otherwise would have made a quite satisfying spectacle of carnage.” Garof’s voice penetrated the daze Terak was shaking off. He rose to see the damned vampire standing before him. “Originally created by Necromancers, at least that is what the myths say. My brethren did perhaps
too
good of a job.”

“Where’s my
mate
?”

“You should have taken me up on my offer. It would have worked out much better for you.”

The vampire raised his hand and cast another blasting spell, but Terak rolled out of the path and only dealt with the flying debris behind him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Terak saw Fallon finish with her fight and rush toward the vampire. The vampire saw it as well, for he waved his hand in Fallon’s direction and a wall of rock shot up between them and the rest of the fighting. “I’ll deal with Fallon later. I want to finish killing you first.”

Terak growled and lunged for the vampire, dropping them both to the ground. But the vampire twisted his body, using momentum and a strength Terak was not expecting to throw Terak into the opposite cave wall.

Terak regained his feet to see Garof already on his. “Don’t underestimate me, Gargoyle. You are indeed a warrior beyond compare, but I am Vampire. You are nothing to me.” The vampire stilled then, his head cocked to the side and his eyes wide in alarm.

Terak used the chance to run into the vampire again, slicing into his neck with claws extended.

Flesh parted, but no blood came out. Instead in a blink the skin knitted itself together again, and Garof punched Terak in the chest so hard Terak couldn’t breathe. The vampire kicked the side of his knee, and Terak fell before him. At that, Garof kicked Terak in the face and Terak crumpled into the ground. “As entertaining as this has been, Gargoyle, I believe I will finish this after the Magic Realm has been returned to us. You will be a quite fitting sacrifice.”

There was a thread of worry buried in the vampire’s tone, and hope pulsed through Terak’s muscles, granting strength and pushing him to his feet. If the vampire was worried, it meant his little human was well and was causing problems for the damned necromancers. Of course she was. His mate was more than a match for a legion of undead.

Garof was not quick enough this time to throw Terak when the gargoyle landed on his back. They wrestled as Terak landed blow after blow.

The blows had little effect and the vampire freed himself. He grabbed Terak by the throat and punched him in the chest several times. Terak’s bones fractured under the prolonged force, and his entire torso became a mass of pain.

Garof dropped him and grabbed a sword from the ground, an evil looking blade with serrated edges. “I’ve heard of the gargoyles formidable healing abilities, so I best end this now.” He raised the sword high…

…and
screamed
.

Garof’s arms reached behind his back. The vampire twisted to show an ornate dagger hilt protruding from his back. Larissa stood behind the vampire, her arm lowering from driving the blade into the undead. Terak reached for her, but his wounds were not healed enough yet that he could move much.

Larissa stepped back from the vampire as he fell to the ground. The wound was smoking, and his visible skin was starting to crackle and blacken.

The vampire was a repulsive sight. Larissa’s face held a sick horror as she observed him. “Larissa,” Terak called, to break through her fascination as much as for help.

It worked. The most beautiful smile lit her face and she began to move toward him.

Tremors rocked the mountain, knocking her to the ground, as well as a younger girl behind her that only now Terak noticed. The tremors stopped, and Laire’s voice magically echoed through the caverns the way a PA system would. “Attention all good guys. You did great because I’m getting readings the ceremony was stopped. But bad news anyway. This mountain is magically booby-trapped so that if the ceremony doesn’t go through, the mountain will implode on itself. We’re holding it together the best we can, but we suggest getting your tushies out here ASAP if not faster.”

Larissa turned to the girl behind her. “Run out now!” The girl did not have to be told twice and escaped, and though he would have told a child the same thing, a momentary shiver of loathing hit his gut on how easily the girl ran from those who had helped her and left them to their fates.

His bones were already knitting together, so he used his arms to push himself up. Since he could yell at Larissa to run all he desired and she would never leave, he needed to push past the pain and get them out of here.

He took a step forward and hit a shimmery blue wall. A force cage. Terak punched into it, but he could not get through. Larissa stood on the other side, her eyes wide in fright.

The vampire still lay on the ground, black smoke continuing to rise from his all-but-decomposed corpse. A rusty laugh escaped from a now lipless skull. “It was a good fight, Gargoyle. I think it only fitting we die together. It’s not a very strong cage. The weight of the mountain bearing down will pierce it, and you’ll be crushed to death. I’d say this battle is a draw.”

No, this couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be real. She had been the target, and now she was safe and sound. This was supposed to be the end of it. She was
not
supposed to see the male she loved trapped before her, waiting for a mountain to crush him to death.

“Leave me!” He was bloody and bleeding in the cage, his arm hanging at an odd angle. “This place will soon be destroyed. Go!”

He was trapped. She could travel through the force field, but there was nothing she could do to free him. This power that had necromancers hunting her was worthless when it mattered.

“
Meyja
-”

“What does that mean,” she interrupted, her eyes clear on his. “You swore you would tell me once this was over. What does it mean?”

His eyes were intense on hers. “It means beloved above all, even above the Clan.”

And if there was any question of what her choice would be – which there wasn’t – that decided her beyond any doubts. She pushed inside the force field.

His arms and wings came around her as if he could not help himself, even as he said, “
Meyja
, I don’t want you here. Think of your father, your brothers. They need you. I need you to live. I need you to leave.”

She snuggled into his embrace. “For once, I’m only going to think about what I want and not consider my family. I’m not going to ever leave you, Terak. If this is where it ends, I’ll face the end with you.”

He sunk to the floor, keeping her in his arms, kissing her face, her hair. “Love you,
Meyja
. I have always loved you. Forgive me for not telling you before this day.”