Chapter 32
Jessie
What in the bloody hell were these idiots doing?
The resident cairn organized like they were ready to attack my and Gerard’s forces. They clustered in a sort of horde over the city, a structure that hadn’t done Gimerel any favors.
Gerard had only brought the bare minimum of his Guardians to save on travel expenses and to protect his cairn should another cairn think his absence was a good time to raid. Because of that, the resident cairn was on equal footing when it came to overall numbers.
When would these idiots learn that numbers were only part of the recipe, and they didn’t have anything else going for them?
“Fine, you want to fight?”
“Wh-at?” Tristan asked, having only heard my collection of syllables. I’d given up trying to communicate with words in my gargoyle form.
Magic pulsed, a drum beat for my people and Gerard’s. I sent it down to the city, as well, where Austin and the other shifters watched the training. They got the message immediately, stripping out of their regular clothing and shifting. Basajaunak came running to join the others.
A couple of Gerard’s people didn’t have a connection with me, and I extended it now. If they were confused what the new feeling was, they didn’t show it. They joined our group bond immediately, suddenly on the grid and ready for action.
And action they would get.
Evan hadn’t joined his Guardians for this, too new to the cairn to lead in the sky. The lead enforcer started forward, not giving us time to adjust.
Like we need it, I thought.
I sent a wave of magic up to Hollace, and he unleashed thunder into the sky.
I started forward, and then Tristan was above me, grabbing me and flying me faster.
The rest fell in behind as I felt Tristan’s desires and blasted them out magically, keeping our people together for the moment.
My drum beat of magic picked up the tempo, and my urgency let them know that I wanted this done as quickly as possible.
Patty had better be getting this on camera, because this time, I would splash it all over the gargoyle community.
I would not allow any more doubt about how explosive, dangerous, and effective my team was. Naysaying stopped now.
Another push of power, and Tristan’s excellent strategy went into effect.
Clusters of gargoyles spread out vertically, moving as a unit except for Gerard’s additions.
They didn’t expect the change, didn’t understand the directive because of it, and fell behind.
Given most of them had flown with us before, it didn’t take them long to figure it out and catch up.
I wiggled to be let go. Tristan threw me forward, ahead of the rest. I went straight at that lead enforcer, slower, clumsy in the air, but lethal.
They could talk all the crap they wanted about my flying, but I’d make sure they never wanted to go up against me.
I wouldn’t kill him, but I would get damn close.
He put out his hands and claws gleefully. His body sang with it. His wings snapped as he darted at me.
I hit him with a magical spell that hurt like the blazes before blasting everyone around him as well.
They all tilted and wobbled in the air and then I slammed into that lead enforcer, raking my claws down his front and peppering him with more spells.
He yowled, a strange high-pitched sound I had never heard a gargoyle make.
Gargoyles didn’t mess with each other’s wings, and so I left those alone lest someone accuse me of foul play.
I magically drilled holes in his limbs. Scratched him to hell with my claws, bit into his neck and ripped out a chunk.
He reciprocated but didn’t get far because Sebastian had helped me concoct a spell to protect me from physical damage. And help it did, immensely.
I bit his face. Slashed his middle with magic, hammered him with blunt spells, and exploded him away from me.
His body went careening downward, his wings fine but he didn’t have the presence of mind to use them.
“Damn it,” I grit out. Or tried, anyway.
A plea for Tristan’s help never materialized. He was there before I called, anticipating me.
“You did it!” I said without the smile I’d attempted.
He didn’t bother saying, “What?” this time. He was learning there, too.
His rush of power and force sent us quickly after the lead enforcer.
We neared, and I wiggled free, throwing a net under the falling gargoyle.
Tristan let me go and headed back to the fight.
I hovered in place, ripped away the net, put up another, and repeated the process until he was about ten feet from the ground.
Then I let him fall. Good enough for him, the wanker.
My ascent was slow, but I didn’t need to be close to do magic.
Wind ripped part of their force to the side, and Cyra chased after them, sending jets of fire at their limbs.
She enveloped a couple in weak flame, singeing their hair, and continued chasing when they tried to get away.
Hollace, too, pursued, raining down lightning.
I sent more spells as our people worked through Tristan’s battle design. Gargoyles up high dove downward, each group catching two or three of the larger Guardians and collectively ripping them apart. Those below came up, aiming for the soft bellies and ripping them open.
Anyone not targeted by the groups had to deal with me.
I tried to chase, obviously couldn’t keep up, and threw a wall of magic in front of them.
They slammed against it, not knowing to claw or that it was there at all.
Two knocked themselves out and fell. I caught them in nets and sent one of our Guardians to get Sebastian.
He could keep people from falling to their doom.
A Guardian raced toward me from the side, apparently thinking I needed eyes to know where the enemy was. My magic alerted me, and a spell nearly took off his arm.
Oops. That one got away from me.
“You should’ve killed him,” Ivy House said. “Pick one to make an example of.”
We didn’t need to bother.
The groups above and below went at an angle this time, all of them uniform, except for the few people of Gerard’s that were slow to catch on.
They picked off the last of the strong Guardians and split in half, twice as many groups in the sky now.
They started going for the smaller, weaker gargoyles in larger numbers, turning the sky into a washing machine of perfect synergy.
I hadn’t seen the battle at Gimerel, and in trainings, I was always doing something. For a moment, I hovered in complete wonder. Good lord, Tristan had created something sensational. Our people pulled it off perfectly.
Below, the shifters and basajaunak showed that they had organization as well, running through the city in their own groups, growling and snarling and making sure they were seen.
It wouldn’t be a good look to randomly attack the onlookers, though the basajaunak did grab up a few people and carry them around by their ankles.
Back at the battle, I dazzled someone with light, distracting him before I rammed into his side. I scratched and clawed and peppered him with spells, as well, just to share the wealth. The lead enforcer would have someone to commiserate with.
Two enemy gargoyles came to help their guy. I turned to hit them with a spell, but Tristan came out of nowhere, barreling into the side of one, his weight and velocity continuing to the second. Jasper grabbed me, and Ulric took my place before two more gargoyles flew in to help Tristan.
Cyra squawked as she zipped by in a colorful plume of fire, hard on the trail of a wide-eyed gargoyle. Lightning struck another gargoyle in the back to the far left. The gargoyle froze, folded his wings, and fell.
Sebastian’s ride flew him in, and the weird mage easily caught the plummeting gargoyle in a magical net before blasting another gargoyle to his right. Apparently, he hadn’t gotten the note to simply keep people from dying, rather than helping take them down. Oh, well.
In less than an hour, it was over. We hadn’t taken them all down, probably only about three-quarters, but the rest fled. With howls and yelps and every ounce of speed they clearly possessed, they took off for the city or the mountains.
I checked in with our people, healing those who’d gotten sliced up.
Most only had scratches and bruises. Tristan’s strategy had kept our people from the worst this cairn had to offer, despite some of the flying muscle they had.
I then offered the connection to their people, because in the end, we did need them.
We wanted them in the convocation, and the only way they could really experience being led by a female gargoyle was if they felt the differences I offered.
Tristan hovered in the air, beating his wings in victory. Gargoyles roared, many humming their wings along with him. Hollace let off waves of thunder, and Cyra turned and sent a stream of fire straight at me.
“Dang it, Cyra.” I met the fire with water.
It was easy because she wasn’t putting much power behind her magic, and then I sent a blast of wind to knock her off-course.
She went tumbling in a ball of flame, complete theatrics because I hadn’t put that much power into my return fire. She was helping me show off.
I looked for Tristan because I didn’t know what happened now. After training, we usually returned to base, me doing the equivalent of a new gym- goer limping out after their first session. That wouldn’t look great here, though. I’d ruin the image.
He swooped down for me, and I turned to make it easy. His giant clawed hands grabbed me around the waist, and I tucked in my wings. He brought me in and banked before heading higher into the sky.
“Nowww,” he said. “We tray-nn.”
Two hours later, yes, I did the flying equivalent of limping out of the gym. Tristan hadn’t gone any easier on us here than he usually did at Ivy House. Maybe less so.