by L. H. Nicole
“Do it,” he bit out.
Gritting her own teeth, she grabbed the arrow and yanked before she lost her nerve. More arrows flew at them as Lancelot’s howl of pain was muffled in his mouth. Aliana gripped more of her bubbly sparking magic and sent it into his body, healing the torn muscle and flesh.
“You’ll still be weak for a few minutes,” she said, panting. “But you will be well!”
“Thank y—” Lancelot shoved her to the left as he rolled right.
A burnt-blood-colored crack of magic smashed against Aliana’s shield. She looked at Gawain and the Fae, relieved when she saw they had dived to the side as well to avoid the blast.
“Viviane!” Aliana’s anger flared, her temper igniting. That stupid witch was the cause of all this.
The evil woman’s leering voice floated from a nearby cluster of trees. “We have been searching for you for quite some time, Aliana.” Viviane and ten other men on horseback filed out of the woods just as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon.
“Sorry, I had more important things to do,” she snapped back, getting to her feet and calling on her magic bow.
“Ah yes, your magic toy. I’m afraid it will do you no good this time.” She pushed back her long black hair over her shoulder.
“That’s what you think!” Aliana sighted down the witch and quickly released the strongest blast of arrow magic she had yet summoned.
Viviane threw back her cloak and raised her hand just as the blast was about to strike. The dark pink magic shattered into falling sparks and a flash of light.
Aliana’s eyes widened when she saw what the evil Sorceress held in her hand. The spearhead of the Spear of Hel. A fine tremor ran through her. How could one fraction of that spear stop her magic?
Lancelot got back to his feet, his chest heaving, looking a little unsteady as he grabbed his shield and drew his sword. “You will take her over our dead bodies!”
“That can be arranged, and incidentally my pleasure,” she assured him with a shrill laugh. She signaled the men to attack.
The men swarmed them. Gawain blocked a swinging axe with his shield while thrusting his sword up into the horse bearing the rider that attacked him. The horse whinnied in pain and fell, taking the man with it, crushing his leg under its weight.
Falorn batted away the slashing swords easily as he jumped toward the nearest tree. His feet touched the trunk briefly before he launched himself into three of the riders, knocking them from their mounts. He looked calm, but Aliana could almost feel his anger.
D’varin had already taken down two of their attackers with daggers lodged in their throats. He grabbed an arrow from his quiver, nocked it in a flash and sent it spiraling into the eye of another rider. A grim smirk appeared on the Fae’s face.
She looked at the remaining four attackers that surrounded them, her own panic spiraling.
Viviane raised the spearhead again, its magic pulsing out. Whips of fire shot down toward them. Aliana panicked, sweat pouring down her as she watched the fire race toward her. For a brief second she was back on that pier, watching her parents die, with Morgana’s magic fire trying to reach out and consume her too. The prize it had been denied, by her father and mother’s protection.
The thought of her parents snapped her out of her fear. At the last second she summoned her bubble shield, pushing it out to dome around them. The fire struck it full force, not dying out but circling around it like a terrifying pattern of wires and fiery lines.
The heat of the magic pushed against her shield. It was like she could feel the fire burning her skin. Aliana cried out, falling back on her arms, but her shield held.
“Aliana?” Gawain asked, kneeling next to her.
She looked at him with frantic eyes. “The fire, I can’t…the fire, it wants me…I can’t…I’m too scared.” The fire raged brighter, searing her skin.
She cried out again, red angry burn slashes forming on her arms. She started to panic and scramble back.
Gawain wrapped her in her arms, trying to calm her as Falorn helped D’varin.
“Control your fear, Aliana! You know what you must do. Open yourself to the fire element. Make this magic yours. As long as you do not keep control of your fear, the fire’s power will only grow.” She knew Dagg was right, but she was so scared. She felt the cool presence of her mother’s magic blossoming in her heart.
“I’ll try,” she whispered to him. She shut down their mental link and took a breath. Lancelot met her eyes and for the first time she saw something from him she never thought she would. Trust. He trusted her to save them.
Aliana focused on her shield and expanded her senses. The fire snapped and crackled, her fears surged but she fought them back. I am not afraid anymore! Morgana ruled that fire, but I’m strong enough now to fight back!
Sparks ignited inside her. Bright pink sparks of magic fire similar to Dagg’s purple magic fire. She concentrated, felt the warmth and comfort from the flames easing her fear and the searing hot pain that attacked her. She opened her eyes, her vision a haze of pink, like looking through colored lenses. The attacking fire wavered and snapped again before it burst into bright pink flares.
She did it! She had connected with the fire element! She turned her pink tinted gaze to Viviane.
She raised the spearhead again.
Aliana expanded her senses and gathered magic from all five elements. Earth, air, energy, water and fire.
A flash of fear appeared in Viviane’s eyes as she realized the depth of the power Aliana was calling. “You won’t succeed! Evil never wins!”
The ground vibrated with the thundering of horse hooves and a shrill warning of more danger. They needed to get out of here. With her newfound magic, Aliana visualized the six of them back in Camelot, in the throne room.
Power ripped through her like a dizzying white light. It was agonizing for a second before everything stopped.
The forest had vanished, replaced with the warmth of the main hall of Camelot. Opening her eyes she saw the questioning gazes of Arthur, the queen, the knights and Guinevere. They descended all at once.
Aliana sagged back into Gawain. There went all her recovered strength.
Everyone started asking questions at the same time, but it was Galahad’s voice she heard over all the rest.
“What happened?”
Aliana sat up from Gawain’s hold. “Good news, I got the map. Bad news, Viviane attacked us on the way back and Lancelot got hurt.”
Everyone looked at the olive-skinned knight standing with his wife’s arms around him.
“She healed me,” he said, his pale green eyes filled with gratitude. “Then brought us all home before their reinforcements could get to us.”
Falorn and D’varin helped Aliana to her feet. “They have also learned to use the magic of the spear pieces.” The Fae commander shook his head. “We need to find them before tonight’s harvest moon.”
Dagg wrapped himself around her shoulders, his power filling her, helping to fight off the magic backlash having a go at Aliana’s body. “Where’s Merlin? Is he back yet?”
“In the library with Delphina.” Aliana met Arthur’s pale gold brown gaze. So many emotions were there, clear for her to see even through the mask he wore like a shield. She looked away. She couldn’t do this right now.
With the Fae warrior’s help Aliana sank into a chair at the round table covered with maps and other random pieces of research.
Owaine sat next to her. “You said you got the map, what about the task you didn’t know of?”
She leaned back against the hard wood back of the chair. “I don’t know. But I’ve started to wonder if it doesn’t have something to do with the Spear of Hel.”
Her stomach growled loudly. Heat flared on her neck and cheek as the guys cracked small smiles. They probably hadn’t had much occasion to smile since she’d been gone. “I don’t suppose anyone has anything to eat?”
“I’ll get you something.” Guin left the ha
ll quickly.
“Any luck finding where Mordrid, Morgana and Viviane are going to be tonight?” She looked to Galahad, who was standing next to Arthur.
“We’ve narrowed it down.” He pointed to six small stones all placed on the largest area of the map.
“Merlin is trying to find more on the spear, maybe find another indicator that could help us find where they are keeping it.” Arthur leaned his hands on the table.
“If we don’t find the location soon it’ll be too late for Camelot.” Galahad straightened.
Aliana swallowed the dryness in her throat and looked out the dark window. “It’s barely dawn, why are you all awake?”
“None of us will sleep until we know where our enemy is hiding,” Percival said.
“And we are closing in on their location,” Leyon added, laying a supportive hand on the giant knight’s shoulder.
Lancelot took a seat across from Aliana. “After you returned from the Underworld you said you thought you might be able to help find them. What did you mean?”
All the others followed suit, taking their places around the table.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about magic, it’s that it’s strongest at a grid point. It’s one of the first things Me—I was taught about magic.” Aliana scolded herself for the near slip.
D’varin spoke up, “The map you created when we were traveling to the Underworld portal, that showed all the magical grid points, did it not, my lady?”
“Yeah.” She looked at the Fae. “Go get Merlin. Let’s see if he agrees and can help narrow the location.”
The Fae bowed to her, Gawain rising to accompany him. Guin returned as they left, carrying a plate filled with fruits, cooked vegetables and a decent sized piece of bread in her hands. Several servants followed her carrying more plates.
“All of us are going to need nourishment if our plans work and we find the location where they are held up,” Guin said, taking her seat. Aliana and Dagg dug into the delicious food immediately.
The guys continued to talk strategy as they ate. Aliana listened but took the time to really study them all. Gawain said she’d been gone a month; judging by the ragged, tired looks on all of the guys, it hadn’t been a good one.
“What’s happened while I was gone?” she asked Guin quietly so as not to interrupt the guy’s planning.
The dark eyed woman dropped her gaze. “Several villages have been sacked, crops burned. Mordrid and Morgana have spread terror throughout Camelot and even into the other kingdoms of Albion.”
Aliana’s heart fell. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, none of what has happened is.”
“I know, but I can’t help feeling guilty. How have you been? The others?” Guin seemed to realize right away she was talking about Sophvira.
“As well as can be expected given the circumstances.” She sighed, looking at her husband. “Galahad has had the hardest time, but he won’t admit it.”
Aliana looked at the white knight, really looked. She could see and even feel his exhaustion but she also saw his ruthless determination and his fears. Her heart broke for him all over again. “I wish I could make his pain go away.”
Guin’s soft hand covered Aliana’s. “You need to stop blaming yourself for everything. I’ve seen Arthur wearing the same looks. All the knights have at one point or another. I’ll tell you what I always tell them. No matter the circumstances, no one is responsible for the actions of another. Only for their own actions.”
Part of Aliana knew she was right but that didn’t make it any easier.
Merlin burst into the chamber with D’varin and Gawain hot on his heels. “I’ve found it!” he declared, placing an opened book in front of Arthur.
She recognized it right away. It was the artifact book they had found in the secret library room! “They need the power of a grid point, right?” She was right! Excitement poured through her muscles.
The Druid grinned, a cunning glint in his sky blue eyes. “And I know how to find one.”
32
Lady Varaness has been more help than I had thought she would. I knew her before the Sidhe captured me. I had considered her a friend, though a young one. I knew she had a young girl’s feelings for me, back then. But even in that time, I knew my heart was meant for another. I feared that my spurning her feelings back then would be held against me now. I was wrong. Just before Dawn foolishly decided to go off and enact her plan without our support, Varaness had pledged her army to our war against Mordrid, and said she would speak to Oberon about his coming to our side as well.
~Galahad
ALIANA TUGGED AT THE BOOT STRINGS again before tying them off. Queen Igraine had insisted that she take time to wash up and change. She was wearing a pair of thick leggings tucked into fabric wrapped around her ankles. She stood up, securing her belt to hold the fur-lined collar of her vest closed over the layers of wool shirts she had on underneath.
Merlin was sure that with them working together, they could narrow down the search for Morgana and Merlin’s hideout. The knights and Camelot’s army would then ride out to face the evil triad before they could get their hands on real power with the reformed spear.
There was one thing still bothering her. When they faced Mordrid, when Morgana had betrayed them, she had known instantly that Mordrid wasn’t as strong now as he was in her time. “Why?”
“We can worry about that later,” Dagg whispered into her mind. “The king just summoned everyone to the Round Table again. He and Merlin want to go over the final plan of attack.”
“I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
The growing strength of her bond with Dagg was as amazing as it was helpful. He had gone with Merlin while she cleaned up, yet they had been able to stay in perfect contact with each other the whole time.
She looked down at her ruby glove. It felt good not to hide her magic anymore. There was a rightness to having her power free. She could tell the others had been itching to know more about it. Leyon and Lancelot had even asked her about it, but Queen Igraine had shut them down faster than a cop manning a roadblock.
Igraine had declared after her return that for Aliana to reveal any more would put everyone in grave danger. So despite all wanting to know, none had asked again.
Aliana opened her door, looking around the room. She had a feeling this would be the last time she’d set foot in here. Closing the door, she went to Sophvira’s door.
How had she not felt the poison magic of that bracelet? No, that wasn’t right, she had felt a wrongness, a sludge-like feeling, but brushed it off. If she hadn’t been distracted by Galahad and Arthur…
Her hand reached out and touched the cool wood. Even the door felt dead.
You’re being overdramatic, Lia! Lacy and Dawn would have told her the same thing if they were here. She missed them, everyone, so much.
“Aliana?”
She jumped, spinning around so quick she knocked her shoulder against the stone door frame. “Galahad?”
The knight’s amazing blue eyes were filled with sadness and worry.
Letting out a breath, Aliana ran her hand through her hair. “You’ve got to stop using those sneaky ninja skills of yours on me.”
His brow pinched. “I don’t understand.”
Oh my stars, help me. “Never mind, is everything okay?”
He shrugged silently.
Heated tingles flashed up her spine to her cheeks. He was looking at her like…like she was someone special. Still backed against the wall Galahad took another step closer. It was torture waiting for him to say something. They hadn’t been alone since before Vira died.
Aliana’s guilt came crashing back like a tsunami wave. How could he even stand to be around her?
“I haven’t been able to ask,” he said, his voice pitched low. “How have you been? You…we all have been through a lot these last few weeks.”
“I feel like I should be the one asking you that.” She knew the pain of his loss
. She could all but taste it.
His eyes shifted away from her. “I am a little better now that you’ve returned.” His eyes found their way back to hers. They were so open, so searing. “You may not want to hear or believe this, but I feel calmer, more in control of…what I’m feeling, when you are near me.”
Aliana swallowed the dry lump in her throat, her heart thundering in her ears. What was she supposed to say to that? She couldn’t do this, to either of them.
She changed the subject instead. “I thought you’d be down with the others.”
He shifted back a fraction. “I was, but I needed a break.”
“When did Merlin get back?”
“Just days before you.” Galahad rubbed the back of his neck roughly. “I don’t think he’s slept since his return. He’s taken to keeping to himself far more than he has ever done. Morgana’s betrayal has changed him greatly.”
“He lost his souls mate.” Aliana could imagine what that felt like, after what her Galahad had done. “She sacrificed herself for him. Merlin would be a monster if that didn’t affect him.”
Her words clicked home the secret she had been trying to figure out since she first met the Druid.
Merlin had never been able to catch up to Morgana in all the centuries he wandered the realms. Just like Titania’s refusal to let Lancelot die and escape the haunting memories of Guinevere, the Fae had kept Merlin separate from his fallen souls mate. She not only robbed him of his greatest magical source of power, his blood link to Avalon, but also to his love. But that still didn’t explain the small vial she had seen him drinking from, and why, in her time, Merlin seemed so much stronger at times than others.
She deserved to be smacked, she should have realized this right away, when she arrived in Camelot!
“Aliana?” Galahad’s cautious call drew her from her realization.
“What?”
“I asked if you were ready to return to the Round Table. Merlin should have some answers by now.”
She hesitated, looked to Sophvira’s dead door. “I’ll be down in just a minute.” She needed to at least say good bye to the girl.