by J. M. Briggs
“Thought we might get a lucky shot old Abomination,” Arthur’s voice taunted from the tree line. “But the old-fashioned way it is!”
Outside the noise changed and Alex could hear the sounds of sticks cracking and large beings moving through the vegetation at the edge of the forest. Rising to her knees, Alex spotted Morgana who was pressed against the wall with a hand extended, creating a shield over her and Bran.
“Jenny? Lance?” Alex called frantically, her mouth suddenly very dry.
“Yeah, we’re okay!” Jenny replied in a soft voice with a slight tremble to it. There was a pause and Alex heard muffled voices. “Aiden and Nicki too.”
“I can’t believe he brought firearms,” Morgana muttered angrily.
“Like he said a lucky shot is a lucky shot.” Bran climbed to his knees and looked at Alex. “Make them come inside or fight outside?”
“We’ll have more room outside,” Alex said.
Despite the lingering exhaustion and weight on her chest from the visions, the magic flashed through her. Alex felt it coiling in her chest and the heat racing down to her hand. That much was reassuring, and she stood up. Morgana nodded to her as she and Merlin shifted closer to the door. Their hands flashed and orbs of bright pulsing magic appeared. Alex barely had time to blink before they were thrown outside. There was a floosh as they collided with something and a wave of pressure came crashing back into the house. Outside Alex heard the car alarms activate before the noise sputtered out. Alex hoped that Arthur had been smart enough to make his magic mute the noise or that Merlin had done so. The police showing up at reports of gunfire was the last thing they needed.
Leaping out the door, Merlin swung his staff at something Alex couldn’t see and Morgana lashed out with her magic forming a whip of light. Moving outside, Alex flinched as she saw the damage to the front of Merlin’s house. The windows were shattered remnants and large chunks of the walls had been torn open. Parts of the driveway were smoldering and the smell of ozone was thick in the air. Several of the cars were now showing dents and had been knocked into each other. And by the cars were small faeries clamoring over them and larger ones moving around them.
Merlin moved in front of her, sending another wave of magic crashing forward. Morgana’s whip of light lashed out, striking a Redcap that was climbing up the porch. Rushing down the stairs, Merlin touched the first of the stone gargoyles beside the porch stairs. From her position, Alex couldn’t see everything, but a layer of green magic spilled over the stone and seeped into the statue. A moment later it was moving and gave a flap of its wings.
More faeries were closing in around them on the porch. Throwing her hand forward, Alex felt and saw a blast of lightning jump off her fingers and strike the first of the Sídhe descendants, sending it crashing back into the side of Lance’s truck. A flash of yellow in the corner of her eye as another Redcap was launched into the air reassured her of Bran’s presence. Another gargoyle flew into the air with an aura of green magic surrounding it and clawed at the nearest faery.
Magic was pulsing in the air and beneath Alex’s feet as she followed Merlin and Morgana down the steps. The pair of older mages kept ducking and twisting as they launched attack after attack. Fairies were being entangled in glowing shrubs as Merlin struck the ground with his staff and small volleys of silver bolts were pouring from the sky into the lines of fairies. There were flashes of red and blue at the side of the yard as Aiden and Nicki pushed their way forward.
Moving forward, Alex’s head felt foggy as streams of light kept appearing in the corner of her eye. She blasted two more Sídhe creatures and her fingers twitched uselessly for her iron dagger which she’d foolishly left in her bag. Letting her magic build in her hand, Alex slipped between Merlin and Morgana to the front. She saw the small Redcaps in their blood dyed hats giggling and rushing for her alongside the unfamiliar dark indistinct canine shapes. There were small Brownies like Timothy, green-skinned beings that moved clumsily on the land and dozens of small unfamiliar pixie-like creatures all moving towards her.
Alex pulled hard on her magic and felt the world around her ripple. Magic was spinning around her and a wave of vertigo hit, but Alex pushed it outward. Her dark silver magic exploded around her like an expanding cloud. Terrible shrieks filled her ears and Alex felt something snap over and over again in the air. She couldn’t breathe as the stray glittering strands of magic in the air floated in the corner of her eyes like cut threads.
Arthur stepped out of the trees and Alex felt a jolt in her chest as their eyes met. She hadn’t been prepared for it and the memory of Scáthbás striking him as a boy shoved its way forward despite her best efforts. Thankfully it was followed by the memory of dying in the snow while he collected her blood, and Alex felt her resolve steel.
“Hello, Arthur.”
“Hello, Sweetheart.” Arthur gave her a boyish grin “Miss me?”
32
Arthur Returns
Her mouth was dry. Alex just stared at Arthur. She was distantly aware of the others fighting the faeries, but whether they’d been ordered to or Arthur’s presence frightened them the fae creatures were staying back from the pair of them. Then Arthur moved forward and waved his hand, sending a wave of dark gray magic out through the area. It was close to the color of Alex’s own magic, and she felt an uncomfortable twist in her stomach. For a moment she wondered if it was a good or a bad thing that Arthur wasn’t forcing the color of his magic to change. As he came closer and the intensity of the sparks grew it was enough to help her move again.
Alex threw her magic forward. Pressure rolled over her, hitting her chest as their magics collided. The sparks of her magic flowed over Arthur’s and he grabbed one of the nearby Sídhe descendants, hauling them in front of him. Guilt crashed over Alex as she watched the creature scream and begin to dissolve. The image of the slaves chained in the hold of the ship and their empty eyes flashed in her mind.
Arthur wasn’t affected. As the creature vanished in a swirl of dust Alex had to dodge a dark bolt of magic racing at her. She rolled across the pavement of the driveway, her hands scraping against the ground. Leaping back to her feet, Alex tossed her head to get a strand of blonde hair out of her face and glared at Arthur.
“Can’t say I’ve missed this ridiculous little town.” Arthur’s hand rested on the hilt of a sword strapped to his hip and leg. The hilt was silver with black wrapped around the guard. Not Cathanáil then.
Arthur’s sudden shift from offensive to calm set her on edge. Her shoulders tensed and despite the urge to look around Alex kept her eyes on him. She had to trust the others to watch her back. Behind her, she could feel a rush of heat and heard a floosh; probably from a fireball. Arthur’s gaze shifted to something behind her, but Alex didn’t look away from him.
“I see that Aiden is still alive,” Arthur observed. “And Bran is walking quite well for a former cripple.” He wasn’t surprised: that confirmed a lot to Alex and she remained silent as his eyes returned to her. “Nothing to say dearest?”
“Where is the Iron Chain?” Alex fought to keep her expression neutral.
Arthur just smirked at her and a wave of nausea rolled through Alex. It wasn’t as easy or simple as she’d hoped it would be. The phone calls had been hard enough, but now he was here in the flesh and there was a faint quiver in her body. Alex raised her chin and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Where is the Iron Chain Arthur?” Alex asked again. “I’m not here to play games with you.”
“Well, I suppose I should congratulate you on finally learning about it.” Arthur chuckled and shrugged lazily. “Took you long enough. Honestly, what’s the point of your immortal keepers if they don’t stay up to date on your lives?” Arthur gave her a nasty grin. “After all, even my mother learned of it and found it.”
“It does answer a lot of lingering questions.” Alex eyed the nearest of the faery creatures. Redcaps, by the looks of them, who were eyeing her hungrily, but still keeping their distanc
e. “Like why I had a Connection with you and no one else did. It had nothing to do with you being Medraut in another life or any past family member bullshit like that. I was just reacting to my own magic.”
“Very good Alex,” Arthur said. He was grinning, but there was a spark of suspicion in his eyes. Alex felt a flash of pleasure at his confusion but wondered how long it would take him to realize that she’d used visions to learn that. “But really, sweetheart, I’m not going to reveal its location or the plan.”
“I suppose not.”
Suddenly Alex was at a loss of what to do. In the stories and movies, this was the part where they were supposed to fight, but she felt only a sense of weight in her feet. He was staring at her too, even as the sounds of the others fighting echoed around them. Alex knew that the others could be in trouble, but she couldn’t help but think of a quote that cautioned against the first move.
Breathing in slowly, Alex focused on the sounds around them. It was all she could to stay still as every movement on the gravel, every cry of pain from she hoped the faeries and anyone’s voice just made her want to jump. Arthur calmly watched her with narrowed eyes. Behind him, Alex could see more dark shapes moving in the trees, and she wondered just how large a force he’d assembled outside of Ravenslake.
Dark magic flashed around Arthur’s hand for only a split second before he shoved it at her. Alex threw her hands up and felt a wave of magic wash up her wrists and palms. Dark silver sparks flew into the air and caught the sudden onslaught. The bolt twisted amongst the sparks of her magic and Alex turned her eyes back to Arthur. He ducked to the side, glaring at her before sending a volley of small bolts flying through the air.
Pulling on Arthur’s magic, Alex felt it rush to her outstretched fingers as the small bolts turned to wisps midair and reformed in her own palm and felt some of it seep into her skin. It was a disquieting sensation and she barely held back a shudder. Arthur didn’t say anything in response to his attack being stopped, and Alex could feel the magic vibrating against her skin. In the corner of her eye, she saw one of the faeries leaping towards Morgana and quickly released Arthur’s appropriated magic as a bolt.
Arthur didn’t say anything; his face remained a calm mask as he merely nodded to himself. Magic spun around his hands, but rather than throwing it towards her, he blasted it out to the right. It arced through the air, spinning past her. There was a loud crash from the house and Alex swung back to look towards it. Part of the porch was beginning to collapse as two of the support beams were broken in two.
Faeries were rushing towards the house as a mob, their voices high-pitched and almost frantic. She could see Aiden and Nicki throwing magic at them. Shards of ice rained down, followed by beams of tightly concentrated fire that fried those at the back. Some fell back and deviated to fight Nicki and Aiden, others vanished when the damage became too much and still others kept moving towards the open front door.
Two figures came running out of the house, avoiding the collapsed section, and Alex’s chest constricted as she saw the look of fear on Jenny’s face. A pair of Redcaps were right behind Lance and Jenny, giggling as they lunged for their legs. Moving near the cars, Jenny climbed up on the hood of Morgana’s red car and lifted the sword Merlin had given her up. Lance twisted away from the first Redcap, only to swing back around on his heel and bring the iron sword down sharply on its back. It howled and collapsed to the ground, part of its skin beginning to dissolve. A guilty, but determined look took over Lance’s face and he swung the sword down again.
A jolt of alarm rushed up Alex’s spine. Spinning back around, Alex found Arthur with his sword drawn advancing on her. Their eyes met and she cursed herself for ever turning her back on him. She needed to be smarter than that, but her internal scolding was cut off by Arthur casting another spell. The air around her began to spin faster and faster, pulling the oxygen out of her lungs. Fear surged through Alex, but she opened her hands and pulled on the magic. The dark magic sparked in the air, she heard Arthur curse and the small storm he’d created around her broke apart.
More creatures were moving out of the trees. There were so many different shapes and colors that Alex’s eyes were starting to hurt. Some, like the descendants of the Sídhe, looked almost human while others had an obvious otherworldly quality. Some walked like humans, others on all fours and a couple even seemed to float just above the ground. They were closing in around her and the others. Keeping an eye on Arthur as he began to shout orders to his little army, Alex released a chain of lightning through the air into a group of faeries. It wasn’t powerful enough to destroy them, but three collapsed with muted screams.
In the corner of her eye, Alex saw Merlin move. Flashes of light from Aiden’s fireballs were illuminating his face, and the low green glow of his own magic made him look more like a vengeful spirit than a man. The symbols on his staff were glowing brightly and he raised it above his head. Alex shivered as she felt and saw shimmers of magic spinning into the top of the staff. Then Merlin crashed it down against the ground. Magic rolled over the yard and the ground trembled. Spikes of earth shot up from the ground as Merlin brought his staff down sharply onto the grass of his lawn. A large hole opened beneath a group of the faeries and closed up a moment later. The desire to shout at Merlin welled up in Alex’s chest before common sense caught up with her. What else were they supposed to do?
Turning sharply, Alex nearly laughed as she caught sight of Timothy on the head of the nearest Sídhe descendent and pulling sharply on its long white hair. It shrieked and tried batting him away. The small Brownie stomped on the head, causing the hood to fall back the rest of the way revealing the Sídhe descendant’s pale face. Its eyes were dark and Alex pushed some of her magic outwards, letting it ripple around her.
“Help!” Timothy cried out, his voice barely audible. “They don’t mean to! Please!”
As another faerie turned to dust to the right as a shard of ice lodged in its chest and pierced its heart, Alex nodded. Pushing out more magic, Alex felt magic humming in the air around her, dancing across her skin and filling her lungs. Breathing out, she extended her senses and tried to clear her mind. She connected to the magic and willed it to become her eyes, uncertainty flaring in her chest.
Opening her eyes, unsure of when she’d closed them, Alex found herself surrounded by long glistening lines of magic. They were connected to all of the faeries, except for the Redcaps, and the lines stretched out into the distance vanishing from sight. Alex reached for the strands as the world became blurred and shadowy. Everything around her suddenly appeared to be under a filter, but she could clearly see the shimmering strands of magic around the faerie creatures. As one rushed towards her, Alex reached out and brushed against the strand.
Magic rushed up her arm and hit her chest, making her heart stutter for a painful moment. The thread of magic snapped and she saw a shape drop to the ground with a loud, pained sigh. More power slid into her body. She tugged at another one, calling the power of the Iron Chain back to her and away from the faery. Again and again, she grabbed at the threads and pulled.
“What are you doing?” Arthur demanded with a frantic note in his voice.
Sídhe descendants and faeries whose threads had been cut were pulling themselves to their feet. Some were running off into the woods and others were tackling their fellows and holding them down. Emotions were spinning through Alex too fast for her to process so she shoved them aside and just kept pulling on the magic. Long gleaming streams of magic were flowing towards her as more and more of the threads began to snap. It was building up too fast in her chest. A sharp pain was beginning to sink in and spread into her limbs. Biting her bottom lip, Alex pushed the new burst of magic out into her hand.
An orb of glowing magic flashing different colors gathered in Alex’s hand. Shifting her hand away from its surface, Alex kept reaching her hands towards the strands of magic glittering in the air. More and more sparks appeared in the air and flew into the expanding orb. The colo
r shifted to Alex’s own dark silver and cast a soft glow around the front yard. Arthur stepped back, eying the pulsing orb uncertainly.
Rather than flowing through her, the magic of the broken connections was sweeping straight into the expanding orb of magic. Her hand dropped away from the edge of the magic field and it expanded quickly into a shimmering pillar beside her. It kept growing, pulling in more and more magic without Alex even having to focus on it, still running on her intent to break the connections. With each new burst of magic, Alex could feel a shock in her chest as her magic was stretched out and then snapped back to her.
Yet the sensation was settling into her chest, tightening around her heart. Closing her eyes, Alex exhaled and tried to trace the lines of magic back to the Iron Chain, but they just stretched out of sight and no vision rushed to her. Instead, the threads kept snapping, faster and faster and more at a time as her magic rippled through the air. Unlike the wave of Merlin’s power, hers was a whisper and Alex opened her eyes to look around.
Arthur was shouting at the creatures running into the trees, waving his sword through the air like he was throwing a tantrum. Movement to the right caught her attention as Lance went down, clutching at his side as blood began to spill out. With a scream of rage, Jenny lashed out with her sword, the iron flashing in the lights of the house and colliding with the faery. It began to dissolve into dust and she swung at another. Wild swings kept them back, but they were closing in on her. More and more of the freed creatures were running into the hills, their fear overcoming anything else. Somehow a groan from Lance echoed through the area and all Alex could see was him on the ground, bleeding and more creatures advancing.