Sorceress Rising (A Gargoyle and Sorceress Tale Book 2) by Lisa Blackwood

nervous circle around Lillian. Soldiers scattered out of the
pooka’s path, cursing the black pony.
    Only Captain
Andrews, the woman who had led the second unit, laughed at the pooka’s antics.
She cooed to the pony in a gentle voice, approaching him with a calm manner.
She pulled a carrot from one back pocket and after glancing at Lillian for
permission, offered it to the pooka.
    Where the
heck had the soldier pulled a carrot from , Lillian
wondered?
    The pooka pinned
his ears and glared at the offering disdainfully.
    “Oh, come on. I
know you want it deep down in your little black heart.”
    The pooka
sniffed for a moment and then snaked his head toward her. Lillian thought he
was going for fingers, but he surprised her by only snapping up the carrot.
    “Well,” Captain
Andrews chuckled, not put off by the show of bad manners, “I see your big grey
companion is the nicer of the duo.”
    Lillian realized
she must be talking about the unicorn—who had taken on the glamour of a dappled
grey gelding. “You found my grandmother’s other escape artist?”
    “Yes, he’s a
sweet boy. I wondered whom he belonged to. Your grandmother—she’s the owner of
the spa?”
    “Yes.” Lillian
wasn’t in the most talkative mood. She was tired, dirty, bug-eaten, and hungry,
but even so, she liked the woman. Anyone who liked a pooka must have a big,
compassionate heart.
    “I saw him
running loose at the edge of the forest near the crossroads about two kilometers
down. A group of us herded him down this way where others had constructed a
temporary pen to hold him. It’s just around the bend, butted up against the
forest. I acquired some carrots from the market to entice my new friend into
the enclosure. Thought he might be more relaxed away from all the lights and
noise of HQ.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I grew up with
horses. Parents have a ranch just north of Calgary.”
    The other
soldiers parted company with Lillian and Captain Andrews, heading toward the
main gate. Lillian, with a bit more than a mote of surprise, realized she
wasn’t going to get detained for ‘trespassing’ on her own property like she’d
half expected.
    “I’ll help you
get your boys past the barricades and checkpoints.” Perhaps seeing Lillian’s
surprise, the woman laughed openly, then clarified. “I’m not aiding and
abetting. Major Resnick’s orders were to get you to civilization and then set
you on your way.”
    “Thanks,”
Lillian said, not knowing what else to say, so stayed with the truth. “I could
use the help with the horses. They belong to Gran. I just help out from time to
time.”
    “No problem.
Come on,” she jerked her chin in the direction she wanted Lillian to go.
    Lillian led the
pooka down the mostly deserted road. Gregory kept pace in the forest running
alongside. She was more than happy he hadn’t decided to pad down the center of
the road, certain her constant staring would give him away.
    They retrieved
the unicorn without incident, and made it through all the barricades and
checkpoints. When Lillian parted company with the other woman, she released a
loud sigh, not quite believing they’d made it out of enemy territory. As she
continued home, leading the two horses and Gregory trailing behind, she half
expected to hear shouts of alarm and sounds of pursuit. She still didn’t relax
until she walked up the long lane to her cottage. Never had its rough stone
walls looked so welcoming.
    Then Lillian
noticed Gran on the porch. Pacing.
    “I’ve been
worried sick. Why didn’t you send word?”
    Dammit, Lillian
cursed in the safety of her own mind.
    By her
grandmother’s tone, she hadn’t avoided an interrogation after all.

C hapter Ten
     
    Several body
lengths above the siren’s head, a small boat, its metal hull silhouetted
against the sky, rocked gently upon the waves. A small anchor held it in place.
    She eyed it.
Debating whether she should drag the boat out into deeper water or risk
capturing the humans this