Ruby Morgan Box Set: Books 6-10

by LJ Rivers

“But I am.”

  She shook her head. “I almost wish it were so, and I think you may have convinced yourself that it is the truth, but it simply cannot be.” She sat back on her throne. “You have proven yourself to be powerful. All that does, however, is tell me you are also a threat. Since your mind is lost, I must do what is merciful. My apologies to my Primes for making you all bear witness here today, only for my judgement to be the same as yours.”

  Fear ensnared me. She would have me killed.

  Pullhelli nodded at Diwella, and when the force field dropped, Taryn was by my side in a heartbeat.

  “Your Majesty.” I took a step forward, then paused before the spear of fire blazing in my path. It came from Pullhelli, who was holding his cane out in a protective posture. “There is more,” I said. “But the only way to show you is to touch you.”

  She waved her hand at Pullhelli, and the flames ceased at his command. “You must think me a fool. No, you may not touch me, but we must do this the proper way.”

  I scrambled for the right words, anything that would buy me enough time to convince her. The book that could have been William’s lay beside the throne, and I racked my brain to remember something. It couldn’t be just anything, since everything I knew about the Phoenix’s lives was from Earth. Except one.

  “Did Flynn write in that book?” I pointed. “I bet he was the last incarnation to write in it. At only seven, he already had the skills required to write.”

  Taryn had picked up my chain and was holding it up to my neck.

  Morgana held her palm out. “Wait.” Taryn paused, and she retrieved the book, flipping to the end. “Flynn … how did you know?”

  “I knew a man named William, and I know a baby girl named Willow. Both incarnations of the Phoenix. Would you mind showing me the book?”

  She shared a look with the lynx-creature, then shrugged and handed the book down to Taryn. “I don’t see why not? Don’t be disappointed, however, when there is nothing to see.”

  I forced back a smile as Taryn flipped the book open, then I searched the page and was relieved I understood the words.

  “... the child was mothered by a bear, while the father was a hawk. The combination was as strange as it is unheard of in this time. The bear clan insists that they have seen the girl change into a hawk, while her mother is adamant that the girl has only ever changed into a bear, and—”

  “How?” Morgana shot into the air, her wings fanning out. “How is it you can read these words?”

  “I don’t really know, I just can. The tears of a Phoenix. I’ve never known anyone else who could, apart from the Phoenix itself.”

  “There has been only one other I know of, but she rests in a watery tomb. Dead, yet alive.” She flew closer with an inquisitive expression, as if turning something over in her mind. “You may touch my hands.”

  I took a deep breath and reached out before she could change her mind. It was a power I had only used on a few occasions in my life because it left me exposed and vulnerable. But since words had not been enough, I had to show her the truth. Morgana’s palms slid beneath mine, and I closed my eyes, allowing the torrents of memories to pour out.

  Glimpses from my childhood swooped by, and I felt Morgana’s hands twitch at the sound of my mum’s voice, then her fingers stiffened at the image of Mum tucking me in, telling me a story about Avalon. I showed the queen how I grew into my powers. I showed her the night Mum and I made our wishes to the Lady of the Lake by the pond back home. Then I took her to London to introduce her to my friends.

  A wave of memories flooded my mind, and I carefully selected those I thought had more importance to the puzzle I was assembling. Hesitantly, I presented Morgana with the shadow that had followed me, and the times it had appeared to save me. When Auberon’s face entered my mind, Morgana jerked her hands but stayed connected. “Know this, then. I am your father, and I love you. One day, I hope you’ll find space in your heart to love me the same,” my father said. The image morphed into Auberon and me sitting on a beach in Perllanafal when Auberon told me more of his past, as well as my own. “... I set his beard on fire. He was so mad. My father took great pride in his beard …” His chuckle reverberated in my mind as it must have done in Morgana’s as well. I showed her everything, every dark secret, every moment of sorrow and times of joy.

  Knowing she needed to see it all, I reluctantly dug up the memory that tortured me the most. The one of Mum on top of the London Eye. At that moment, I bared my soul to the stranger holding my hands. Tears streamed freely down my cheeks, and my lips quivered, the taste of salt lacing my tongue. Together, we watched the bear holding Mum, and then the burst of blinding light that swallowed the darkness above. Finally, regretfully, I relived the moment when Mum was pushed from the capsule to catapult downwards, and how my force fields had whirled past her. Both of them, before she hit the surface and vanished.

  My knees threatened to buckle under my weight, and my heart was on the verge of tearing apart once more. So I took Morgana to my grandparents’ farm. I showed her Lili, and how she, too, had used light. Hesitantly, I brought the queen with me to the cave on Bardsey Island. I heard her suck in a breath when my father’s fire met mine in a furious battle to keep him away from the portal. Finally, she got to see how I had failed, and we watched Auberon stride into the blue veil and disappear.

  I severed the connection and slumped to the floor, sobbing into my hands. A set of fingers brushed underneath my eyes, and I glanced up to find Morgana staring at me. Her eyes glittered with tears, and her cheeks were wet with them. She bent down and cupped my face in her warm hands, and I warily got to my feet.

  “My blood,” Morgana whispered. “None of what you have shown me is yours to bear. Everything bad that has happened in your young life is on my shoulders, and mine alone. I swear to you that I will spend the rest of my days trying to make amends, though I know nothing will ever restore what I broke.”

  “It’s not on you,” I said. “You weren’t even there.”

  “Precisely. My dear Ruby.” A ghostly smile touched her lips. “At least Auberon was right about one thing.”

  “What?”

  “Why, Princess, isn’t it obvious?”

  I bit my lip. “You don’t hate me? I’m not just a Morgana, I’m—”

  “Also a Merlin,” she whispered. “Though it might be best to keep that between you and me for the time being—and Miranar of course, but he won’t say a thing.” She gave the wolf Prime a sideways glance. While his ears pricked up an inch, he didn’t move a muscle. “Perhaps your bravery will prove me wrong. Perhaps Fae and Sorcerers can still produce a mixed child who does not submit to the darker pull of their power.” She grabbed my hand and led me to the platform to stand by her throne.

  All eyes were on us. Taryn stood behind Evelyne again, and Yven sat by Miranar’s feet. The Primes looked at me with a blend of curiosity, excitement, and perhaps even fear. But it didn’t matter what they thought. All that mattered was Morgana’s judgement.

  Her melodic voice resonated in the large room. “I was mistaken. You are all my witnesses here today, so let it be known far and wide.” She pushed me in front of her and opened her arms. “I give you my heiress, Princess Ruby of Avalon.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The silence after Morgana’s declaration had been deafening, though no one protested. Once the queen had spoken, it was so. The Primes didn’t appear happy about the turn of events, apart from maybe Pullhelli, who I spotted unsuccessfully concealing a smile.

  When Morgana had sent them all on their way, apart from Taryn, to spread the word, she turned to me.

  “You must be exhausted.”

  I wrung my hands. “Actually, do you think you could let my cat out of the cage now? I have never confined him, and he likes to run free.”

  She gestured at one of the Junipers to do as I had asked. The moment the cage door slid open, Kit leapt outside and scurried up the platform.

  Morgana’s lynx-cre
ature blocked his path, sneering at him.

  “Nefari,” Morgana called. “He’s a friend.”

  The creature, Nefari, circled Kit one more time before allowing my cat to pass. Kit growled, gave Morgana an appraising stare, then skipped into my outstretched arms.

  “What a strange creature,” Morgana said. “What is he to you?”

  “He’s my cat, a pet. I suppose he’s sort of like my watchdog, only he’s not a dog.” I shifted Kit around in my arms, surprised at his increased weight.

  “He does remind me a little of my Nefari. What can he do?”

  I frowned. “What do you mean? Like roll around? I haven’t really trained him, since he’s a cat, and all.”

  “No, I mean, what powers does he have?”

  “Powers?” I chortled, then quickly stopped. I had long suspected that Kit was no ordinary cat, and though he had never displayed any extraordinary powers, we did share a special bond. “I’m not sure. I thought maybe it was an extension of my powers, but lately, I’ve been able to see things through his eyes. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  Morgana smiled. “It makes all sense. Nefari and I sometimes share minds. I can see everything she sees if I so wish.”

  I marvelled at the creature by her side. “What is she?”

  “Nefari is my Faeguard.”

  I stroked Kit’s elongated fur, deep in thought.

  A Faeguard?

  “I’ve never heard of it. Then again, there’s plenty in this world I’ve never seen or heard of.”

  She nodded. “Faeguards act as a Fae’s protector. They usually come to us at a young age. Not all Fae will acquire one, however, and not all guardlings become Faeguards. The only way to obtain their lifelong loyalty is through an act of profound kindness and care. The guardlings live in households all over Avalon, but they also live in the wild. Some will never find their Kindred Fae, while others find more than one during their lifetime. I once saved Nefari from a pride of lions when out on a ride through Avalen Forest. The lions attacked my unicorn and me when I tried to intervene, but I could not let them have Nefari. Some Changelings have no control over their animals, and lions are among those to watch out for.” She tunnelled her fingers through Nefari’s midnight-black fur. “She was such a tiny thing back then.”

  I snorted. It was hard to imagine Nefari ever having been anything but enormous. “Then what happened?”

  “I had no problems defeating the lions, but poor Nefari got injured in the process. So, I brought her home and nursed her back to health. And now she takes care of me as much as I take care of her. In fact, she was the one who first alerted me to your … cat. I saw him through Nefari’s eyes.”

  “His name is Kit.”

  “Princess Ruby and her Kit.” She sighed.

  I cringed at her use of the royal title. While it seemed it was now one I truly held, and one I had been called more times than I liked to recall, it didn’t sit well with me.

  “I shall have my maids prepare Princess Elaine’s old room for you, seeing as she will never have need of it again.” Morgana swiftly smoothed away a tear which had escaped her eye. “While we have much to talk about, you must rest. We can talk more in the morning about how we are to find your grandparents.”

  Hugging Kit to me, I hesitated to speak. There was more I had to ask of her before I could take my leave, and I wasn’t sure how she would feel about it. “I mean no disrespect, but I did not come here alone. I cannot go to bed not knowing what has become of my friends.”

  “Ah, I see. I felt your devotion to them in the memories you showed me. Even for the Don Hekals. I cannot say I have not been smitten by those from your world myself a time or two.” She snapped her fingers. “Commander Taryn.”

  “Yes, My Queen?” Taryn bowed.

  “Make sure her friends are brought into the castle and given rooms in the east wing. They are to be cared for as royal guests. Nothing less will be tolerable. There are three wolves, and two Don Hekals.”

  “I know the ones. It will be done.” Taryn turned on his heel and walked out.

  “There.” Morgana beamed. “I’ll have Cherise show you to your chamber. Once you have all rested, you will get to see your friends again. You have my word that they will not want for anything.”

  Reluctantly, I allowed the maid to take me to what was once Morgana’s daughter’s chamber. Cherise put a plate of fruits and a pitcher of water by my bed, then left the room. It was immense. And like everything else in this castle, it was elaborately decorated and inviting. Marble floors hugged my feet as I slipped out of my sneakers and socks. I draped my jeans over a chair by a desk made from dark red wood, and grabbed the floor-length nightgown from the bed. I studied the garment. It was more like an actual dress than something I would ever consider sleeping in, so I placed it next to my jeans and kept my Pink T-shirt on, pacing beside the bed for a while with Kit playing catch with my feet. My clothes were full of dirt and grime, and my T-shirt would likely stain the pristine bedspreads, so after deliberating, I changed into the nightgown after all.

  The fabric brushed against my skin as I slipped under the covers, sinking into the king-sized mattress. Kit hopped onto the bed and curled up on one of the giant pillows next to me. The moment my head hit the pillow, my eyes finally drifted shut.

  “Princess,” someone said, rousing me from my slumber.

  My eyelids fluttered open, and I glanced up at a familiar face. My heart leapt into my chest. “Brendan!” I flung myself at him, and his strong arms held me tight. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Where else would I be?”

  I leaned back, looking him over. Smudges of dirt covered his cheeks. “Oh, I dunno, in a dark dungeon where the walls are covered with electric snakes.”

  “Yeah.” He raked a hand through his untidy hair. “That I could have done without. At least the food was pretty good. Seems your queen likes everyone to be fed properly. Even prisoners.”

  “My Queen.” I tasted the word. “It’s just so weird.”

  “Tell me about it. The centaur who let me out told me there was a new princess in town. Not in those words, but you can imagine my surprise. When a young Fae named Yven showed me to a room, I was able to make him tell me where your chamber was. He seemed a little—” He whistled and made a circular motion around his temple with his index finger.

  I squeezed him tight. “I’m just happy you’re here. For a while there, I thought we were all goners.”

  “You had me worried sick, you know that?” He gently tugged a strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t know what I would do if—”

  “Shush.” I put a finger to his lips. “I’m fine. One of the guards gave me a hard time, and I hurt my shoulder, but Morgana healed me. Even before I managed to convince her of who I am.”

  Kit sauntered over the duvet and nestled between us.

  “Hey kitty-cat,” Brendan said, scratching Kit behind the ears. My cat purred with delight, and I could no longer help myself. I curved my arm around Brendan’s neck and pulled him to me, planting a hard kiss on his lips. The kiss softened as his lips moved with mine, telling me all I needed to know.

  The doors swung open, and I reluctantly broke the kiss to peer over Brendan’s shoulder.

  “Rise and shine, Princess Ruby,” a woman Fae chirped. The same Fae who had shown me to my room last night. Cherise paused in the middle of the room and pointed her finger at Brendan. She had a subtle beauty about her, and a few freckles adorned her apple-cheeks. Her raspberry-coloured hair was meticulously constructed in loops of varying sizes around her head, and two simple cuff bracelets clinked against each other when she waved her hand.

  “Cherise,” I mumbled.

  “It’s the sixth awr,” she said. “The queen says it’s time for the morning meal. Your friends are all waiting for you in Princess Elaine’s courtyard. Well, except for that one.” Her eyes narrowed at my boyfriend.

  I bolted upright. “Take us there.”

  Her features
softened, and she giggled. “Not so fast, Princess. First, we must make you presentable. And your … whatever he is … needs to leave and do the same. We cannot have our princess on the arm of … that.” She gestured to Brendan in broad strokes of her arms, her pink wings bristling while she did so.

  I tilted my body sideways and noticed the three other Fae women in the room with us. “What exactly does that mean? Presentable.”

  She picked up my jeans and wrinkled her nose. “First, you’ll need a bath. I have already prepared the tub. Then we’ll fit your new garments and discard these rags.” Turning, she pointed at Brendan again. “Hildy, would you make sure to have the Primes’ tailors come to the princess’ escort’s quarters for a fitting? And do give him a bath while you’re at it. And send Berlomis here for Princess Ruby’s fitting.” She blew out a quick breath. “I suppose the morning meal might have been too optimistic. Tell Her Majesty that we will not have Princess Ruby ready until the second meal.”

  “Yes, Cherise.” Hildy curtsied and waved a hand for Brendan to follow.

  He gave me a peck on the cheek. “Catch you later, milady.” He winked at Cherise, who had her hands on her hips, then slipped out the door after Hildy.

  “Milady?” Cherise cocked an eyebrow. “Who does he think you are? A noble? It’s not my place, but someone ought to teach that man how to address royalty.”

  Before I could utter a single syllable, Cherise ushered me into an adjoining room where water steamed in a copper bathtub in the centre. One of the Fae women grabbed my nightgown and pulled it up and over my head. It happened so fast I didn’t react until I was standing there in nothing but what nature had given me. I covered my most private parts and couldn’t get into the tub quickly enough.

  The scalding water didn’t bother me one bit. I always ran hot. And while it felt weird having three strangers standing around while I took a bath—four, once Hildy returned—I realised this was how it was done here. One of the women, Freydana, washed my hair while Hildy took to cleaning my feet. It tickled, and my feet twitched every so often, much to her blatant annoyance.