Stone Cold Mage 2: Of Witches and Gargoyles Read online

  “Don’t tell anyone,” Aerona said, pushing herself up. “It’s important we make this work, so if it helps…”

  This time, the kiss wasn’t on my cheek, but on my lips. Her tongue met mine, hand moving down along my abs, to my hips, and then off to the side.

  Our lips parted and she smiled, nodded, and said, “There.”

  “There?”

  “I’ve heard, and found, that when your mind is focused on such things as I imagine it is now, you find sleep comes much easier.” Judging by the raging boner now pressing against my pants, I wasn’t so sure. Even worse when she said, “Why don’t you get comfortable,” and reached down, undoing my pants and pulling them off, eyes on mine the whole time.

  “You’re… a tease.”

  She giggled. “Only because what I’m saying is true.”

  “Thoughts like this will help?” I glanced down, noting that she’d rested her hand on my thigh, very close to my bulge.

  Her eyes followed mine, and she sighed. “I won’t pretend I’m not… curious. Interested? Sure, but… not ready.”

  “I understand.” Although, that didn’t mean my cock understood one bit. He was lonely, pissed. About to give me blue balls. Lying back, not sure if I should be annoyed or not, I closed my eyes and let my imagination run wild.

  First came the image of her there on me, cleavage begging me to seize her top and rip it off. Then I was grabbing her by her red hair in one hand, a horn in the other while I plowed her from behind. Going animal style on her, and she loved it, about to howl when…

  …A different sort of howl sounded. Distant, cold. I started, realizing darkness had taken me. Not the darkness of the room I had been in, but that of a cave. It smelled of dirt and stale water, and I could almost make out a sky above. No stars, but a sky.

  Her trick had worked—I was asleep! Well, asleep and therefore taken to this land of the others. This place that wasn’t Hell although you could have fooled me. I knelt at first, glancing around, looking for red eyes. After a moment, and when my eyes had become more accustomed to the dark, I started to notice areas where more ledges led up and up. I stood and moved toward the closest one.

  Pulling myself up and over, I took my time, not rising in case there was trouble. The ground here was hard like rock, but slick and, in places. rough. My gut kept telling me to be on the lookout for Glitonea or the Drow army that had attacked me last time, but so far there was no sign of either.

  If my runes were working on Glitonea, it made sense that she wouldn’t be able to use them to access this place again, or my subconscious. But since the Drow weren’t in sight, either, I had to wonder if she had controlled them in some way? Had shown them to me as an answer to the question of how she was making changes. Had them attack me… for what?

  Maybe she planned on bringing them back, them and all of the other vile creatures Rianne and the others had been fighting against long ago in Avalon. From what I had seen from her so far, that wouldn’t come as a surprise.

  And if so, I had to ensure that didn’t happen.

  Stepping up to the next ledge, I turned to look out over the valley of darkness, seeing wisps of what I had thought to be clouds, but were clearly not—they had more of a silver glow, and I swore I could see movement within, faces even.

  Chills ran up my spine.

  There had been a time when seeing visions like this would’ve caused me to curl up in a ball and puke my guts out. Was pissing one’s pants in fright a real thing? I didn’t know, but this kind of shit would’ve been right up there with the worst of it, I’m sure. In this case, however, part of me thought of it as a dream, of a strange world that I could simply pull myself out of if necessary. That helped. The fact that I had fought some pretty nasty enemies lately, with the help of Steph and the gargoyles, meant that even if I was stuck there, I could handle it.

  In sum, I was becoming quite the badass, and I knew it.

  Still, being cautious was likely the smart move, so when a rumbling sounded followed by a distant whistling sound, I pulled back into the shelter of the rocks. What had been wisps of silver before now filled the sky with a torrent of wailing and gnashing, hands reaching and fog swirling. Thick rain pelted the rocks and I huddled deeper into my hiding spot, wondering about the faces I could dimly make out above, through the sheets of rain. It splattered me and I was surprised to find that it was hot, filling the air with the scent of juniper.

  I had to have come to this specific location for a reason, so I turned, scouring the darkness for anything that might hint at why. Heavy fog, dark gray in this world, seeped through the openings between jagged stone cliffs and my surroundings.

  The cave was intimidating, the darkness threatening to suffocate me, but I had to get away from the chaos outside. As I went farther back, there was something compelling me to go in that direction. Something other than wanting to avoid the rain and the possibility of being spotted by whatever was in that torrent of spirits. Like when you feel someone watching you and you turn to see who it is, that’s what I felt but magnified. It was like they were pushing at me with a magical connection, trying to get me to see them.

  When I searched, the reason for that sensation made sense. Deep in the cave, where the gloom wouldn’t show any footing, I came across a point where the darkness appeared to move, then noticed a section that was maybe less black than the rest. Not a reflection or opening in the cave, but something moving. It only took a moment to realize that it was the silhouette of a person.

  “Do I know you?” I asked, voice shaky. My experience here so far led me to believe it would be one of those red-eyed sinewy creatures, but a gut feeling told me this was different, told me I might even have some sort of connection to this being.

  Darkness gave way and what sounded like a sigh of relief followed. The figure moved deeper into the caves, and I followed, slowly able to make out more and more of it. A dress trailing behind, I thought at first, then saw that no, it was a robe. A man—a sorcerer of sorts? He turned and now I could make out his eyes, his nose.

  The face was coming more into focus, one I was starting to recognize.

  He beckoned me forward and I turned from him to see that we had reached a place where water rippled, light from somewhere in there reflecting off it and hitting the ceiling.

  “Gone,” a voice seemed to say, as if carried on the wind.

  I looked at the figure and it indicated the water, so I stepped forward. There was a form in there, at the bottom. Lifeless, a face—one I recognized. I couldn’t recall his name, but knew him from the days of Avalon. Then it came back to me.

  “Riland…?” I asked the figure beside me, the name rising up in me like a ship from the fog. “Can it be…?”

  As he turned to me, his face became clear, eyes full of wonder, he materialized more right before my eyes. “Yes, that… Riland. That was me, once. It is again.”

  “How?” I asked. “Weren’t you… I mean, I thought we saw you die.”

  He considered this, then nodded. “That might be true. I think that magical creatures… most of us don’t die out there, exactly. I’m not sure if that all changed with the separation of Avalon, or how it came to be. But this is where we are for now.”

  “But he… he seems dead.”

  Riland looked at his companion in the pool, and nodded. “Dark magic took him, in here. Death is a complicated mistress. Is this her, or one of her sisters?”

  I didn’t fully understand what he was saying, but nodded, watching as he continued to become clearer to my eyes.

  “There’s a way to go back,” I said. “At least, I believe that’s what I’m here for, and I intend to return.”

  He stared at me blankly.

  “There must be, right?” Gesturing at myself, I let it sink in. If I had managed to go to that place, it stood to reason there might be a way for them to leave it.

  Realization dawned on his face, and he nodded. “It could be possible. I don’t know.”

  “Well, le
t’s try something.” I held out my hand. He reached out, clasping it in his own. His touch was cold and sent a slight shock up my arm. A light formed where our hands touched, then pulsed up through both of our arms before filling us. It faded, but I felt its presence, and assumed he did as well.

  “A bond,” he said.

  I nodded. “Maybe you will be able to come with me, or I’ll be able to pull you out once we’re on the other side.”

  Like the wraith knights, I thought, hoping it would be more than that. Time would tell, but in a way that’s what made sense. Maybe I could change it, though?

  Another thought hit me, as I stared at Riland. His eyes, expression and all, were clear. Not just somewhat clear, but as if we were now completely on the same plane. Only, his eyes had a steely blue to them that they’d never had before.

  “How do I know you’re the same man?” I asked.

  “I’m not. But if you want to know how you can trust me, how you can be sure I’ll be there for you when the time comes, all I can say is I will be there to prove myself. I will have vengeance for what they did to Rianne and the others.”

  “You don’t know,” I said, and at his look of curiosity, sighed. “They are alive. Some of them, at least.”

  “I get the feeling you don’t mean here, but…”

  “In my world, yes. Ebrill, Kordelia, and Aerona are with me. We are searching for others, and believe we will have luck. Me coming here, for example, was a lead that came about because of Rianne and a plot involving one of the Nine.”

  “Rianne is out there, too?”

  “In Avalon.” I let that sink in. “It’s been restored.”

  He stumbled back, releasing my hand finally, although the link between us remained. It was like I could sense his shock, feel the emotions battling within him.

  “Then, you are here… for me?” he asked.

  I frowned, then nodded. “It’s possible. You, and maybe others?”

  “Come,” he said, motioning for me to follow. He turned down a path that led back out to another side of the mountain. Here, the rain had either stopped or never reached, the torrent of spirits replaced by a slower stream of mist again. As I followed him, I was able to see more of this world than I had before. Our connection had changed my sight, so that where before I had seen only wisps like clouds and spirits, now there were dark fairies fluttering along. That made me wonder what the storm I had seen might have been—an army preparing for an attack? In here, or upon our world, was the question.

  In the hills, I could make out more of those sinewy creatures like the one I had first encountered when visiting this land. The ground was slick rock, so I had to watch my footing, moving slowly.

  We descended through the hill and to an exit that was like a Roman archway, emerging into an arena for battle. Indeed, we were at the edge of a large opening, where the rocks around could very well have been stands.

  “Back,” he said, motioning me to stay back against the wall, and he did the same. Myriad fairies flew by then, accompanied by witches and other magical beings, the ground shaking as others ran past on foot as well.

  “What is it?” I asked, fearing the answer.

  He didn’t have one, though. Not a solid one. “Movement lately, that’s all I know. For years, we barely existed, vaguely aware of a world around us, and now… activity. Something has changed.”

  Indeed, it had. I had brought the Liahona to my time. Everything was changing.

  “I understand,” I replied, then turned to him and said, “Let’s return.”

  “How?”

  I frowned, realizing that I wasn’t sure of the answer. Glancing around, I found an area in the rocks that pulled back from the main wall, and focused there. Sure enough, I was able to create a portal. Maybe it wasn’t necessary and all I’d have to do was focus on being home or click my heels together three times. Whatever, I liked the idea of portals.

  “Together,” I said, motioning him to join me at my side.

  We stepped into the portal, but as his body vanished and I was halfway in, I heard a whisper, almost like… my name? I turned to the surrounding darkness, cautious but curious.

  Eyes like narrow slits, beady and black, staring at me. The figure emerged from the darkness, enough for me to make out a nude silhouette of a female. Petite, light showing enough to highlight perky breasts the size of small melons, and with her black hair tied up in two little Princess Leia buns.

  She crouched, scurried off to the ledge to my left, assessing me, and then held out a hand. For all I knew, this could be one of the enemy. She could have seen what I was trying with Riland, and was there to stop my plan from working.

  I glanced around, shook my head, and allowed the portal to take me.

  12

  Back in bed, I hadn’t yet decided what to tell them of the dream. At first, I turned, looking for Riland, even muttered his name.

  “You saw Riland?” Aerona asked, sitting up next to me, curious. The others entered as if on cue, and I groaned, trying to clear my head of the fog.

  “In a sense, yes.”

  “Then what?” Ebrill asked.

  I frowned, confusion causing my irritation to rise. “He’s not here?”

  “No,” Steph said, and came over, a hand on my shoulder.

  “We connected,” I said. “And I don’t mean in some weird way—I mean, a connection based on magic, so I thought maybe he’d be able to come with me. And when he stepped into the portal, he vanished. It made sense that he would have come through.”

  “I don’t see him,” Ebrill said, voice breaking. “But sure would like to.”

  My mind clicked awake and I had to wonder how he played into all of this. “Who was he, to you? I mean, to the group?”

  “A soldier,” Kordelia said. “One of many.”

  Ebrill scoffed.

  “Nothing more.” Kordelia shot her a glare that said enough was enough.

  “Clearly, something’s not being said here,” I cut in.

  “Sounds like there was a romantic situation, if you ask me,” Steph said. “Don’t worry, Jericho here is a big man. He can handle it.”

  “It’s not so simple,” Ebrill explained. She glanced at Kordelia. “You want to tell him, or should I?”

  With a sigh, Kordelia leaned against the wall, arms crossed, jaw set.

  “Fine.” Ebrill opened her mouth to explain, but was cut off by Kordelia clearing her throat.

  “I’m getting to it,” Kordelia said. Then, after a deep breath said, “He was a complicated character. Riland… Nephew of Rianne, fell in love with the princess.”

  “Wait, the princess?” I eyed them to see if they were messing with me. “I thought—but didn’t he have a thing for Yenifer?”

  “She was twice his size,” Kordelia said with a scoff.

  “Excuse me?”

  Kordelia eyed me, grimaced, and said, “Not all are as accepting as you. Especially back then.”

  “But, I remember him acting a certain way toward her,” I protested.

  “It might have seemed like he was into her,” Ebrill cut in, “but I think you’re misinterpreting the looks. See, Yenifer had served as the princess’s royal guard for a time. Until the wars started and the princess reassigned her to Rianne.”

  “So, Riland saw Yenifer as his ticket to the princess’s heart,” I said, nodding.

  “Close.” Kordelia cut in, agitated. “Or, pretty much, yes. In a sense, he already had the key, but she had… given out multiple keys.”

  “I don’t… Ohhh.” I laughed, then turned to Kordelia. “You were one of them!”

  She nodded. “The princess and I, yes. Yenifer and I never really got along, and Riland hoped to leverage her reliance on Yenifer to sway the princess his way.”

  “This is some high school bullshit,” I said with a laugh. “Except, with princesses in school, I guess.”

  “At the time, we took it very seriously,” Kordelia snapped.

  “Sorry.” I held my hands up
in surrender. “Wait, but you and the princess… now?”

  Kordelia eyed me, then turned and left the room.

  “Shit. I didn’t mean to…” I turned to Aerona and Ebrill for help. “Did I mess this up?”

  “It would seem so,” Aerona said, and gave me a nod before jogging after Kordelia.

  Ebrill said, “I need to use the restroom, anyway. Take five, we’ll get everyone together in the dining room.”

  “Sure, I guess,” I replied, rubbing my head, still trying to get over the things I had seen in that other world, as well as the new information regarding the princess. “Wait, Ebrill?”

  She paused. “Yeah?”

  “This… princess?”

  “Dead, by my understanding.”

  “And why did Riland think Yenifer would help him? I mean, with the princess.”

  “Oh, that part.” Ebrill grinned. “They were bound. Magically connected in a way that few of us ever experience—not sexually, but they merged their powers together at one point. From then on, not only were each of their powers magnified when used around each other, but they seemed to be able to predict the other’s movements and more.

  I nodded, processing that, but then added, “Was the princess magical? I mean, if there was a place where magical beings went instead of really dying…?”

  “No. Sorry, but… not an ounce of magic in her.”

  Taking that in, I nodded to Steph and we went to the door while Ebrill headed for the bathroom. We took the long way, not bothering to rearrange the house or anything, and I noticed Steph eyeing me with curiosity. Finally, I pulled her into a guest room turned lookout, and held her hands.

  “I’ve been thinking, since I got back… And you can help me, maybe.”

  “With what?” she asked.

  “Riland. I want to bring him here like you do your wraith knights.”

  “I’m not sure it works that way,” she countered.

  “We formed a connection, kind of like what they said he had with Yenifer, I think. I mean, I don’t know. But if so, in turn he might be the key to finding her.”