The Forever Queen (Pendragon Book 2)

by Nicola S. Dorrington

  I could only shrug back at her. “I don’t know exactly.”

  “You don’t know?” Her voice shot up an octave.

  We turned off the road onto a dirt track, winding our way up towards a densely wooded patch of land and I felt my own anxiety beginning to grow. The truth was I didn’t have any idea what we were about to face. I’d confronted numerous creatures of the old magic, and every one of those encounters had been downright terrifying. Even the griffin, who had no intention of harming me, had scared me to death. I thought of the cockatrice Lance had fought and shuddered.

  “Wyn?” I leant forward in my seat and his eyes flicked to meet mine in the mirror. “What are we up against here?”

  His eyes moved to Sam’s terrified face and then back to mine. “It’s probably better I don’t say. We can’t be a hundred percent sure, and I don’t want you- “

  A deafening roar interrupted him, shattering the previous still of the woods around us. Sam screamed as Wyn slammed on the brakes. I clamped one hand over her mouth.

  “Shush.”

  Wyn and Percy were already climbing out of the car. I lowered my hand.

  “Stay in the car. Don’t move, don’t make a sound.”

  “Cara,” she whispered, her voice taut with fear. “What the hell is going on?”

  I gave her a sad smile. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  I’d already seen it when I’d gotten in the car, so I reached over the back seat and my fingers found Excalibur’s hilt. It had been a while since I’d used it, but it felt so natural, like it was an extension of my own arm.

  Sam’s eyes were like saucers as I pulled it over the seat, but she didn’t say a word. I pressed one finger to my lips and slipped out of the car.

  I joined Wyn and Percy at the front. Both held their swords in their hands, eyes darting around the trees.

  “How’s your friend?” Wyn growled as I reached them.

  “Terrified,” I hissed back. “What do you expect? Why’d you let her come?”

  He rolled his eyes. “What was I supposed to do? Drag her bodily from the car in front of half your school? That’s the kind of attention we don’t need.”

  “And this is?”

  He looked down at me almost pityingly. “Cara, who the hell is going to believe her?”

  He had a point and I was still trying to think of a comeback when another roar reverberated around the forest. It was so loud that it seemed to echo and it was almost impossible to pinpoint where it was coming from.

  Off to our left the forest erupted. Birds shot from the trees, screaming in distress. Undergrowth rustled all around as every creature in the forest got out of the way. Something was coming. I could see a shadow far back and the trees shook. One crashed down, shaking the ground.

  I clenched my hands around Excalibur, my palms starting to sweat.

  “Wyn?”

  He glanced at Percy. “I think we were right.” Then he looked back down at me. “Are you ready to meet one of the original inhabitants of Albion?”

  The thing roared again and broke through the trees.

  I wanted to scream but the sound lodged in my throat. I choked out words instead. “What the hell is it?”

  It stood ten feet tall, maybe more, with skin like an elephant. A dirty animal skin of some description was wrapped around its waist. Tiny beady eyes glared out from under a heavy, overhanging brow. Its lower jaw jutted out, sprouting two thick yellow tusks. As it roared again I saw clumps of rotting meat caught in the rest of its teeth. Its arms were so long its knuckles almost touched the floor. One hand clenched a tree branch almost as big as I was, and in the other something white shone.

  I could hear Sam whimpering in the car and part of me wanted to join her. Part of me wanted to hide away and let this be someone else’s problem.

  But I wasn’t that person. Not anymore. When I’d claimed Excalibur as my own I’d accepted a certain responsibility that went with it – just as Arthur had when he’d pulled it from the stone so many years ago. I was the last Pendragon and Albion needed me.

  I tightened my grip on the hilt and stepped up beside Wyn and Percy.

  The creature saw my movement and focused those beady eyes on us. It dropped the sheep skull it was holding and lunged for us. The three of us scattered and it roared in frustration, not knowing who to follow.

  “What the hell is it?” I shouted again, ducking its swinging arm and taking shelter behind a tree.

  “Ogre.” Wyn darted off to its left, trying to get around it to me.

  I stared up at the thing as it swung between our voices, trying to decide which of us to kill first. This was no friendly Shrek. This thing was a monster. Its thick hide deflected Percy’s sword as he swung at it – it simply bellowed in rage and turned towards him.

  “What do we do?”

  “We have to kill it.” Wyn ducked between its legs before it even saw him and reached my side.

  “Kill it?”

  He sighed. “It’s content enough with sheep for now, but it’ll kill and eat a human just as happily. Most of them had been killed off even in my time. But you’d still get a rogue one that would come down out of the mountains looking for food. Can you imagine this thing in your town? In your school?”

  I gulped. Wyn was right. I knew he was right but it didn’t make it any easier. I wasn’t a natural killer.

  “How?” I asked at last.

  “Excalibur. It’s dragon-forged. It’s stronger than normal steel. But it still won’t pierce the hide easily, but they have weaker spots, vulnerable spots.”

  “Where?”

  Sam screamed and the ogre turned towards the car, advancing on it with lumbering steps that made the ground tremble. Sam shot across the back seat, cowering against the far door. The ogre’s club whistled out, slamming into the top of the car and denting the roof. A second swing into the side of the car nearly buckled the door.

  Percy darted out and swiped at the back of its legs, drawing a thin line of blood. The ogre roared again, more with frustration than pain, and spun towards him. He backed away quickly, trying to keep his footing on the uneven ground.

  “A little help?” He yelled as its club whistled bare inches from his ear.

  I darted out from behind the tree and swung Excalibur with all my strength. It hit the unprotected back of the ogre’s legs. It cut deeper than Percy’s sword, but not by much, only enough to enrage it further.

  But it drew its attention to me and it spun, growling. I ducked under its club and leapt backwards, drawing it foot by foot away from the car.

  I looked towards the car, just for a second, distracted by Sam’s terrified face pressed up against the window. It was only a second but it was enough that I almost didn’t see the ogre swing at me. I spun away but not quite quickly enough and the club caught me across the shoulder. Pain erupted as I felt bones crunch and a sickening pop as my shoulder dislocated.

  I staggered sideways, almost blacking out as three voices simultaneously screamed my name.

  Percy shoulder charged the ogre, but the thing barely flinched, batting Percy away like he was an irritating fly. He stuck a tree and dropped to the ground. I couldn’t tell if he was winded or unconscious.

  I didn’t have time to check on him as the ogre stomped towards me and I backed away until I hit a tree trunk.

  It wasn’t like they say, my life didn’t flash before my eyes, but Lance was suddenly in my head. It wasn’t that I was wishing for one last moment with him or anything romantic like that. My desperate fear left no room for romance. Instead I could almost hear his voice, repeating the lessons he’d taught me once in a forest glade centuries ago.

  Always have space to move. Never get cornered. But if you do, never give up.

  I ducked again as the club smashed into the tree overhead, showering me with leaves and bark.

  Holding my nerve I waited until the ogre lunged at me again and then I brought up my sword. Its own strength and momentum drove it onto
Excalibur, burying the sword to the hilt in its stomach.

  It fell forward, pinning me against the tree. My hands grew slippery with blood as I gasped for breath.

  The weight of it vanished as Wyn pulled it backwards off the sword. He grabbed me roughly by the shoulders, spinning me to face him, checking me for injuries. I bit back a scream as the pain in my shoulder intensified. He grimaced apologetically.

  “Hold still.”

  “What-“I screamed again as he wrenched my shoulder and arm, popping the joint back into the socket.

  “Sorry. But better I do it then you end up in the hospital trying to explain to a doctor how you dislocated your shoulder.”

  I glowered at him for a moment, rubbing my shoulder. It was still going to be horribly bruised, and it hurt like hell, but the worst of the pain was subsiding. I knew he was right but I wasn’t about to forgive him just yet.

  At last he smiled wryly. “Not the method I would have chosen. But I suppose it worked.”

  Percy came up on my other side, clutching his ribs. “Not bad, Princess. We’ll make a knight of you yet.”

  I snorted, huffing my fringe out of my eyes, and turning my gaze and attention back to the ogre. “Is it dead?”

  Percy prodded it with his sword. “Very.”

  “Cara?”

  I glanced up at Sam’s trembling voice. She climbed out of the car and stood looking in horror between me and the ogre.

  Forcing aside thoughts of the agony in my shoulder I crossed over to her, squeezing her shoulder with one hand.

  “Are you all right?” I saw her eyes move to my hand and I pulled it back quickly. It was slick with thick, oily black blood.

  “What. The. Actual. Hell?” She didn’t seem scared anymore. Just hopelessly confused. I expected that the expression on her face was one I’d worn a lot myself not that long ago.

  “You really want to know?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest but said nothing.

  Slowly, haltingly, I began to tell her. In fact I told her everything, starting from when my mum got sick and going from there. I told her about the dreams, and the visions, the truth about Anderson and his sister, and the day I first heard King Arthur in my head and thought I was finally going mad. I told her about the crazed flight from my house in the middle of the night, the wraiths on my trail, and the utter confusion of those early days.

  As the words tumbled from my mouth I felt a tightness around my chest begin to loosen. A tension I’d hardly even noticed began to disappear, a weight lifting off my shoulders. It felt good to finally tell someone.

  She didn’t say anything for a long time, just letting me ramble on, but when I paused for breath she frowned.

  “So that new guy at school – Lenny or whatever his name was – “

  “Lance,” I corrected. “Lancelot.” I hadn’t said his real name to anyone else before and it felt strange on my tongue. Strange but wonderful.

  She glanced over my shoulder to where the boys were trying to move the ogre.

  “And them?”

  They glanced up as though they felt her gaze on them.

  “Sir Percival.” Percy bowed at the sound of his real name. “And Sir Gwain.” Wyn winked at her before saluting her with his sword.

  She scrubbed one hand over her face. “All right. So this lake?” She asked going back to where I’d left off.

  I spoke more in those ten minutes than I had in a month. I told her everything, about Morgana and Merlin, the sword and the Round Table. About Morgana’s plan to break down the barriers between this world and Avalon and release all of the old magic back on this world. My voice nearly failed me when I relived the fight with Morgana at Stonehenge. I talked until my throat was raw.

  When it came to the end, to telling her about Lance and the sealing of the gateways I had to force the words past the lump in my throat. Because talking about it reminded me that I’d sworn to find a way to bring Lance back, and all this time later I still hadn’t figured it out.

  Finally the words dried up and I stood, trembling as I waited for her reaction.

  “Well- “ She paused and drew in a deep breath. “Well, I’d say that I don’t believe a word of it, but –“ she gestured helplessly towards the body of the ogre lying not ten feet away. “Strangely in a way, I’m not surprised.”

  “You what?”

  She laughed, though it sounded a little forced. “Oh, I don’t mean about the whole King Arthur thing. That’s a surprise. But I always knew you were different. And I don’t mean the way everyone else at school thought it. Even as kids I noticed it. How you seemed just slightly out of place. That you were a round peg in a square hole. And now it makes sense.”

  “You’re not freaking out?” I was still struggling with the fact she was taking it so calmly.

  She shrugged. “You want me to run around screaming?” She leant back against the car. “The only thing I’m struggling to comprehend is how you kept this all to yourself all this time.”

  “Who’d believe me if I told them? You wouldn’t. It’s only because you’ve seen it with your own eyes.”

  “So what now?”

  “First we need to deal with that.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder at the ogre. “Can you imagine the uproar if that thing was found?”

  “I actually meant in general, but you can’t bury it. It would take forever to dig a grave big enough.” She paused looking thoughtful. “There’s a small cave about half a mile from here. It’s not particularly big but it’ll be out of sight.”

  “How do you – “

  She laughed. “I used to spend summers up here. My grandparent’s farm isn’t far from here.”

  I’d forgotten that. She’d always complained bitterly about having to spend her summers on a ‘crappy, shitty farm’. But looking at the wistful look on her face I guessed that had been mostly for show. Her father had sold it when her grandparents passed away.

  Wyn came up beside us. “Where’s this cave?”

  She tipped her head back to look up at him. Sam was shorter than I was, and next to Wyn she looked particularly tiny. “It’s not hard to find. Just follow the track about a quarter of a mile then you’ll find a smaller game trail. Heading east. It’s up there.”

  “Do you want help?” I asked, watching as the two men strained to lift the ogre between them.

  Percy shook his head. “We’re good. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

  Half an hour later we were back on the road towards town. Sam had been quiet whilst we were waiting for the boys, trying to process everything I assumed, but just as we reached the busier roads she finally twisted in her seat to look at me.

  “So honestly, Cara, what are you going to do now? You said the gateways were sealed? How?”

  Wyn, Percy and I all shrugged.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning Sam stood waiting for me at the school gates. It was such an unexpected sight that I stumbled as I got out of the now even more beaten up 4x4; the left side passenger door could now only be opened by Wyn or Percy giving it a powerful yank. A few people were shooting her curious looks, but she ignored them all, giving Wyn a small smile when he wound down the window and winked at her from the front of the car.

  “I got this for you at the library,” she said without preamble when I reached her, shoving a heavy, leather bound book into my hands.

  I glanced down at the cover. ’Myths and Legends of Ancient Britain’. “I’m not sure this is going to help.”

  She turned and started walking towards the main doors. “It’s worth a try. I’ve marked the section on Fairy Circles. What?” She added when I stared at her.

  “Why are you helping?”

  She hugged her bag against her chest as we pushed past a couple of younger kids. “I don’t know really. Just trying to make up for the last few years I suppose. Plus, it’s kind of exciting really.”

  Before I could say anything a shoulder slammed into me and the book crashed to the ground.
I looked up at Anderson’s overly innocent face.

  “Eat shit and die, Anderson,” I muttered, stooping to pick up the book.

  He beat me to it, snatching it off the floor. He turned it over in his hands.

  “What’s this, Page?”

  “Nothing.” I tried to grab it back.

  He stepped out of reach and opened it to the marked pages. “Fairy circles? Are you telling me you’re seeing fairies now?” The smirk on his face widened. Baiting me was his favourite pastime outside of the rugby team. To be honest carrying around a book about fairies was like giving him an early Christmas present.

  Sam snorted beside me. “Don’t be a dick, Anderson.”

  His eyes flicked towards her. “I thought better of you, Sam. Hanging out with the psycho is not going to do you any favours.”

  Both of us lunged for the book, but again he stepped out of reach. A small crowd gathered and grew quickly. A confrontation between me and Anderson was always going to be a source of entertainment. He opened the book again and very slowly, and deliberately, tore a page out, crumpling it in one hand.

  I didn’t even realise I was doing it; my hand dropped to my hip, reaching for a sword hilt that wasn’t there. I swore under my breath. Even if I had Excalibur with me, what was I doing to do? Stab him?

  He smirked and tore another page out of the book.

  Something snapped and I lunged at him. As he stepped backwards I hooked my foot around his ankle and yanked. He hit the ground with a crash and I was on him. I wedged my forearm under his throat, pinning him down with my knees and drove my other fist into his stomach and then into his face. I felt his nose break under my fingers and he cried out. I pulled back to punch him again when hands grabbed me, yanking me up, pulling me backwards.

  I swore like a sailor, cursing and spitting out every bad word Lance had ever taught me. Most of them probably hadn’t been used in centuries.