Ruby Morgan Box Set: Books 6-10

by LJ Rivers

  “A van,” I mused. “I only know of two vehicles in this town. Have you seen the guys driving it?”

  “Not yet.” Charlie winked. “Which was why we volunteered.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe you shouldn’t go. At least, not alone. I’ll come—”

  “There you are,” my grandfather said, approaching me with the old Sorcerer I had recognised earlier. “This here is Mererid, and she’s been eager to meet you.”

  “Oh, actually, I—” I turned to indicate Brendan and Charlie, but they were already several strides away. I motioned to leave when Mererid grabbed my hand and folded it in hers. The scar that cut through her skin from her temple and down her cheek rose into her wrinkles when her mouth opened.

  “I wish your mam a safe passage, and for her essence to live forever in Nimue’s embrace.”

  Llewellyn smiled. “I’ll get Lili. Reeve Yeats is about to speak, and she wouldn’t want to miss it.” He continued towards the balcony where my grandmother sat and left me alone with the Sorceress.

  “Daughter of Morgana, blood of my blood. It’s an honour to meet you. Again.”

  I stared at her, dumbfounded. “What did you say?”

  Her ink-black hair hung over one shoulder in a heavy braid to her waist, and her light grey eyes peered at me with unquestionable wisdom. “I recognise a kinsman when I see one. We might not be kin, precisely, but you have the fire in you. I see it clear as day.”

  “You see what exactly?”

  The old Sorceress studied me intently, then bowed her head an inch. “I see a brilliant Fae. And a magnificent Sorceress. I see my queen.”

  I started to step away, wanting to find my friends. “I’m sorry, Mererid, but I’m no one’s queen.”

  She slanted her head, and a burst of flame appeared in her irises. “I saw you with my Truesight, that day you were here with your father. You are the key. It will come to pass.”

  That gave me pause. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “You will.”

  I wanted to ask more, but the music died and applause erupted from the crowd. Reeve Yeats clomped onto the stage, waving his arms.

  “Could we talk more?” I asked Mererid. Or I meant to; the old Sorceress had vanished.

  Llewellyn came back, pushing the wheelchair with my grandmother in front of him. “Best get closer,” he said. “This is your mam’s Hanfod Chario, and you’ll want to take part in it.”

  I glanced back at the main house to look for Brendan and Charlie, but Llewellyn ushered me into the crowd and towards the stage. Jen nodded at me as the crowd parted to let us through, and finally, we stood as close as we could get.

  “Citizens of Perllanafal,” Reeve Yeats began. “The Morganas and I welcome you to their beloved Elaine’s Hanfod Chario. I knew this exceptional Fae well when she was young. She lived with us for fifteen years, and though she chose a different life, she was a valued member of our community. We remember her for her strength, her compassion, and her zest. She was a Fae who saw beauty in all and in everything.”

  I found my grandmother’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at me, tears brimming in her eyes—eyes I had looked at all my life because they were Mum’s, as much as they were hers.

  “When a Magical dies,” Yeats continued, “their essence—Hanfod—lives on, and we take comfort knowing that nothing is truly dead. Elaine placed her mark on this earth, and now Nimue will open her arms and welcome this daughter of Morgana back to her bosom. It is the way of Avalon, of our kind, and how we have celebrated each passing life in this world. May Nimue watch over her, and protect her, may She shine her light on Elaine and bring her peace.”

  His words faded as images of Mum and our lives together swam in my head. She was all the things the reeve had said, and so much more. She was my protector, my Mum, and my friend. All my best qualities came from her. In my mind’s eye, I saw her face, her bright and infectious smile, and the unmistakable intelligence in her eyes. Even when I was angry at her, she held a hand over me. She didn’t judge people for what they were, and she never pushed me away. Even at my worst. I saw how she treated her patients, and how they fell in love with her for the person she was and the care she gave them. I recalled her tending to the flowers in our garden with the utmost gentleness. Every life had meaning to her. She was all of that, yet she was also funny, and I remembered how she would make me laugh, the way we would dance together and make funny faces. She wasn’t vain, though she was beautiful. And she was the strongest person I had ever known. Smart, clever, and fierce. If I could be half of what she was, I would be a better person.

  The sudden applause tore me back to the present as Reeve Yeats exited the stage and the musicians came back on. A line of people gathered around us, and one by one they came up to my grandparents, then to me. They all said the same words the reeve and Mererid had used. I nodded and went through the motions until Osian stood in front of me.

  “I wish your mam a safe passage, and for her essence to live forever in Nimue’s embrace.” He kept hold of my hand and narrowed his gaze at me. “So, who exactly did you say your father is?”

  “I didn’t. Not to you.” Why was he asking that now? I stomped on the urge to send him flying.

  “Is he here?”

  I pulled my arm back. “He died years ago. His name was Dennis Rivers.”

  “Was he a Sorcerer?”

  “No, he was human.” The words came out a little too loud and too sharp, and the surrounding people raised their heads and stared at me.

  “Donnal?” Osian snarled and raised his voice. “Your mam, a Morgana, mated with a donnal?”

  “Yes.”

  Llewellyn gave Osian a stern look. “This isn’t the place, young man.”

  Osian shrugged and moved on. Meanwhile, murmurs ensued among the crowd, and I caught the word Donnal being repeated throughout.

  The next person in line, a Jumper who was holding Lili’s hand, was glowering at me. He inclined his head to Lili and jumped into the crowd without another word. A Goblin couple was next. They shook their heads at me, and the woman tutted to Llewellyn. “Such a shame. Your name used to mean something.”

  “Cari,” Llewellyn said with a warning in his voice. “We cannot blame the daughter for her mam’s sins.”

  “Then might we blame the father of her mam?”

  He scowled and crossed his arms. “Each of us is responsible for ourselves.”

  The Goblin man shook a finger at him. “Now, Llew, that is not our way. We are all responsible for our own. Your granddaughter does not belong here.” He gave Lili a quick glance. “And perhaps, nor do you. Not anymore. Just look at your wife.”

  “Hey,” I said. “If you have nothing nice to say, then you should keep quiet and move on. Lili just lost her only daughter. Show some respect.”

  “Respect?” someone shouted. “What do you know of respect, halfling?”

  The murmurs grew louder and angrier. Two Sorcerers in the crowd had fire licking across their arms, and some of the wolves howled. I spotted Jen growling at the same wolf she had spoken to earlier. They both bared their teeth at one another. Inside me, my own fire simmered close to the surface, ready for anything. I would fight if it came to that, but I was also acutely aware that I was vastly outnumbered by hundreds of Pure Mags. If they wanted to rip me and my grandparents apart, they would.

  A familiar tingle stirred on my skin, and shadows moved around me, whispering and calling for me. A chill crept into my bones, and my breath hitched. The crowd stilled, mouths agape, eyes fixed on a spot behind me. I clenched my fists and turned to the stage.

  My father had arrived.

  Chapter Eighteen

  My father stepped out of the shadows, his maroon gown and cape grabbing at the wind. His dark hair, streaked with silver, rustled around his chiselled face, and fire blazed in his eyes. On his head he wore a blue stone crown studded with jewels. It appeared to be made from whatever the chalice had been. He truly looked like the p
rince who would be king, and the thought sent icy shivers to my very core. He was mesmerising, there was no denying it, and he claimed the attention of everyone present. In his right hand, Excalibur glinted in the swirl of blue flames surrounding the blade.

  I crossed my arms and met his gaze. He raised his eyebrows at me, then took a step forward and swung Excalibur in an arc above his head. An audible gasp ensued from the spectators. Next to me, Lili clutched onto Llewellyn’s arm with more strength than I had seen her use since my arrival. My grandfather, on the other hand, stared at Auberon with a look of wonderment and admiration. I could see why, though unlike the rest of the townspeople, I knew Auberon’s true nature.

  “I am Prince Auberon, Son of Merlin,” my father proclaimed, “the rightful King of Gwyn Fanon.”

  People were falling to their knees and bowing their heads to my father. The anger had evaporated and was replaced by an air of pure awe. The Goblin couple kneeled next to my grandparents, and the old woman glared at me.

  “Bow to your king,” she hissed.

  “Uhm, no!” My father would never see me bow to him. The Goblin pursed her lips but kept her head down.

  On stage, my father raised his chin and pointed at me with his blade—Arthur’s blade. “Ruby is my daughter,” Auberon bellowed, his voice carrying across the field, dripping with power. It was as if the entire ground shuddered under the weight of it. Well, now that cat was out of the bag. “She is the most powerful of our kind to walk this earth or any other, and you will treat her with the respect your princess deserves.” He took a moment to swing Excalibur back to his side and sheathed the immense sword in an elegant motion. “You bow to me, and you bow to her.”

  I looked around. People were nodding and angling towards me. Some held their palms up, and I swore I heard crying. This was nuts.

  “Now,” Auberon said. “I have come here because I loved Ruby’s mother, Elaine Morgana. One of yours. A Pure Morgana and a fierce Fae. I wish to say my farewell.”

  Loved? I almost rolled my eyes and scoffed. He had never loved anyone but himself, except, in his own way, me.

  “Prince Auberon,” someone cried out, and a choir of voices followed, chanting his name.

  I dragged my palm over my face. He had made my mum’s Essencebearing about him rather than her. Typical behaviour. Then again, his words had likely saved me from a full out brawl with the neighbours, all the hundreds of them.

  “Elaine gave us all our long-awaited princess,” Auberon continued. “And with her comes the promise of salvation. I have long searched for a way back to our world, to my beloved Gwyn Fanon, and now I believe I have found it. You were once cast out, but I will bring you home. Follow me, and we shall once again walk on Magical soil in our own world. Leave this wretched Earth behind and join me.”

  He raised his arms and fire burst from him, encapsulating my father in flames. They spun around him in an inferno of growing flames. They twisted and melted into each other and started to form patterns, as if weaving an image of flaming veins and petals. Finally, the flames settled around Auberon in the shape of the Avalonian trinity symbol.

  “I know where the portal is, and I know how to open it.” He grabbed the flaming spear in the middle of the symbol in a swift motion, and the rest of the fire evaporated. “And I have the key.” He closed his hand around the spear and the fire surged into his palm before it vanished.

  People got to their feet, and a ripple of applause moved like a thunderclap across the field.

  “He’s insane,” Jen whispered in my ear. I jumped, then leaned back in her welcoming arms.

  “He says he has the key,” I said under my breath. “You think he’s telling the truth?”

  “Who knows with him?”

  “Do you think Gemma is here?”

  Jen huffed. “I can’t smell her, though there are several foxes and a ton of different scents, so I could be wrong.”

  I clutched her hands. “She won’t be far, I don’t think.”

  “If she is, I’ll deal with her.”

  The reeve climbed back on stage and kneeled next to my father. “Prince Auberon,” he said as the applause died down. “Praise Nimue and her son! All our sacrifices have borne fruit. I am the reeve of Perllanafal, and I’m honoured to be in your grace.”

  Auberon put a hand on Yeats’ shoulder. “You have made me proud, Satyr. I could use someone with your determination and patience in my service once I return to my throne.”

  Yeats broke into a wide grin and horns sprouted from his head, growing in a curve, spiralling slightly into those of a large goat. His goatee expanded from his chin, down his throat, and his ears morphed, becoming pointier and bigger than before. I squinted and looked at his eyes, which were now blood-red. I had seen a creature like this before, in Willow’s story. She—or rather he, as the story was that of a young boy—had been taken by a Satyr on a Unicorn, more than fifteen hundred years earlier. It was enough to make anyone’s brain spin.

  The present-day Satyr stood proud, most likely wondering what position he would get in my father’s court. “Will you feast with us, Your Highness?”

  “I will.” Auberon gestured to the crowd. “Be merry and celebrate, for soon we will return home.”

  The two men exited the stage, and the reeve guided Auberon into the crowd, who no longer had any interest in me or my grandparents.

  “He is your father?” Lili asked in a shaky voice.

  There was no point denying it any longer. “Unfortunately, yes. Sorry I lied, but it’s not something I’m especially proud of, and I was worried about what you would think.”

  “Oh, my Lady. That explains so much.”

  Jen hugged me tighter. “I’ll see if I can sniff out the fox.” She let go and wandered off, leaving me to face my grandparents once more.

  Llewellyn retrieved his pipe from his inner pocket. “I can understand why you didn’t tell us, but I wish you had.” He held the pipe out to me. “You mind?”

  I flicked my fingers at it and sent out a tiny lick of flame.

  He smacked his lips on the tip of his pipe for a while, regarding me carefully. “This is an interesting development,” he said at last. “Very interesting. You do know what this means?”

  I grimaced. “What?”

  “You are not only of Morgana blood, but of Merlin blood too. And you wield sorcery just as well as you do your Fae magic.” He puckered his lips without taking a drag from his pipe, and it looked as if a light went on in his eyes. “That has to be it. Ruby! You’re how we will return.”

  “What ever are you on about, old fool?” Lili asked him.

  “You heard Prince Auberon. He said we could return home because he has the key. Only I don’t think he meant a literal key. I think he meant Ruby.”

  My grandmother raised a trembling hand. “Come here, Guinevere.”

  I kneeled next to her and folded my hands on the armrests of her wheelchair.

  “Remarkable,” she croaked. “I always thought old Llew had more imagination than sense, but now I see. You’ll save me, won’t you?”

  I choked up, wanting that to be true. “I—I don’t know.” I reached out and stroked her cheek. “I’ll try.”

  “Oh, annwyl, you give me hope.”

  “Perhaps we should sit down once everyone has left and try to figure this out?” Llewellyn asked me. “Perhaps your father would like to join us?”

  “Please!” I said. “I don’t want him to. He’s not the prince you believe him to be, and he and I are not on the best of terms. I’ll try to work this out with you, but not with him. Could we just try to enjoy the celebration for now? I promise we’ll talk after.”

  “Very well. I’ll see if I can speed things along, though as long as your father is here, it might take a while to get people off my land.”

  I gave them both a hug and went to look for Jen. She was standing with Rhys by Mari’s table. The bear Shifter tugged at his bushy beard while Jen helped herself to a generous piece of one of Ma
ri’s cakes.

  “Find her?” I asked Jen.

  “Nope,” she said with her mouth full. “Not yet. Got a little distracted by the smell over here. It’s divine.”

  Mari leaned over the table to me and handed me a cake, already spread with butter. “Here, I think you need a pick-me-up. I cannot believe your father showed up.”

  “And is still here,” Rhys grumbled. “Is what he’s saying true? Is there a way to go back?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think maybe there is.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Mari reached over and pulled him to her. “I don’t know if I wish to go. If everyone else leaves, then maybe we could build a different life for ourselves here. A better life.”

  He kissed the back of her hand. “Whatever you wish, fy cariad.”

  “Have either of you seen Brendan or Charlie?”

  Mari shook her head. “Not since I sent them to fetch the drinks. Come to think of it, that was a long while ago.”

  “There she is.” Reeve Yeats’ voice carried above the noise.

  I spun around and almost crashed into him. And my father by his side.

  “Hello, Princess,” Auberon said.

  “Father.”

  He nodded at the Wogans. “Rhys and Mari. Lovely to see you again. I apologise for my previous deception, though I’m sure you understand.”

  “We was unaware we had royalty in our house,” Rhys grumbled. “Had we known, we would have held a feast in your honour. We are humbled that you grace us with your presence.”

  Auberon put a hand on Excalibur’s hilt and inclined his head to Rhys while I resorted to giving my father my meanest glare. Unfortunately, that only seemed to amuse him, so I averted my eyes instead and crossed my arms.

  The reeve, on the other hand, spread his arms wide, and he was full on Satyr at this point, complete with horns and hooves, and furry from the waist down. “I am absolutely delighted about this development. Why in Nimue’s name did you not divulge that Prince Auberon is your father, instead of claiming that your father was human? It’s baffling.”