Sorceress Rising (A Gargoyle and Sorceress Tale Book 2) by Lisa Blackwood Read Free Book Online Page A

their mistake.
    The siren sensed
it took the humans days to stop the leak, far longer than it should have. A
year passed, the ocean defused the toxins, and the humans’ clean up continued.
Yet she could still taste the legacy of disaster.
    Her tail flicked
with agitation and her mind filled with thoughts of hate and revenge, but she
forced herself to calm as she faced the dolphin matriarch.
    The dolphins
were fond of the land-bound humans for some reason she’d never been able to
comprehend.
    “Where can I
find knowledgeable humans? Ones with water and land wisdom?”
    “You seek
searchers and studiers?” The matriarch chirped.
    Tethys nodded at
the female’s question. “Yes, I require those with knowledge so I might learn
from them.”
    “Friendly
ones that like us. We show you.”
    The dolphin
darted off, angling toward the far distant shore. The siren and the rest of the
pod followed.
    As they travel
just under the blue mirror, the young male who had first approached her bumped
her again. In a burst of juvenile enthusiasm, the youngling broke the surface
and arched through the air.
    With barely a
splash, he dove back in, and with three powerful tail flips he was back at her
side, nudging her to play. Subduing her anger at the humans, she opened her
heart to the dolphins’ joy of life. Arching her back and swishing her tail in
rapid, strong strokes she clipped the young male with her tail as she darted
toward the surface.
    Chirping wildly,
the male gave chase. Seconds later, they broke the surface together, curving
through the air before they fell back into the cool embrace of Mother Ocean.
    The rest of the
pod joined in the fun of surf dancing, leaping and twisting into the air. When
they tired of the game, they hunted schools of fish. All the while, the dolphin
matriarch guided her family under Tethys’ watchful eye.

C hapter Six
     
    From her
position under a giant grandfather of a sycamore, Lillian watched Gregory pace
out an invisible circle, an area roughly the size of his outstretched wings.
Periodically, he glanced up from his study of the ground and eyed the
surrounding trees with a simmering intensity. After two more circles of the
area, he returned to Lillian’s side.
    “This location
will do. Here the land’s magic is stronger than anywhere else we’re likely to
find within three day’s flight.”
    “Whoa! The use
of ‘we’ and ‘flight’ together in the same sentence is strictly prohibited.”
    His head cocked
to the side. “You have always loved flying with me. I will help you overcome
your irrational fear.”
    To cover up the
rush of terror his words inspired, she tossed her hands up in surrender and
then turned and stomped back to the shelter of the sycamore. The gooseflesh
standing at attention all along her arms testified to the fact she wasn’t fond
of riding gargoyle-back. Not to mention her hardy dislike of anything that
combined speed and heights. The mere thought of flying while perched
precariously upon Gregory’s back was the culmination of some unholy nightmare,
only one she hoped to postpone indefinitely. “Good thing this spot will work,
because there’s no way you can just go for a ‘little three day flight’ without
finding yourself on the nightly news or the permanent guest in some
super-secret government institution.”
    Gregory turned
his back on her and mantled his wings. Less than ten seconds later she felt him
call magic. Whirls and eddies of cool air swirled around her ankles, raising
more gooseflesh along her legs to match what was already gracing her arms. She
held her position with her denim-covered butt firmly parked against the tree’s
trunk. If Gregory was going to cavalierly dismiss her concerns, she’d show him
she could be just as stubborn.
    It didn’t matter
what he was doing.
    She wasn’t
curious in the least.
    Not one bit.
    A deep rumbling
laugh filled the night. “You’re a terrible liar, beloved. However, you are more
than welcome to watch,