“That must have been painful.”
Rion’s eyes darkened. “It took me a year to make it to civilization.”
“How long have you been here?” Lucan asked.
“About three years.” Rion stared at Lucan as if he knew that was how long Lucan had been here, too. But he hadn’t said anything to indicate he knew Lucan wasn’t from Pendragon.
“Are there any other visitors here from your world?” Cael asked
“I’m not the only offworlder. Lucan comes—”
“Silence,” Lucan ordered, too late.
Cael stiffened beside him.
Rion’s gaze locked with Cael’s, his face sincere and honest, practically willing her to believe him. “Lucan’s not from Pendragon.”
Cael’s eyes widened in shock. “You weren’t born on this moon?”
“No.” There was no longer any point in denying the truth.
She raised her fist to her mouth and glared at him as if he had three heads. “You came here for the Grail.”
“Yes.”
Cael jerked away from Lucan. For a moment her irises went dragon dark. “You’re the enemy? You come from the Tribes for the Grail?”
Saddened that she would accuse him of belonging to such an evil race, Lucan shook his head. “I’m from Earth. And on my world, Arthur defeated the Tribes fifteen hundred years ago. Since then, the Tribes have been relegated to history.”
His truth may have registered with her, but her eyes flashed outrage as comprehension set in. “But you came from Earth to steal Pendragon’s Grail.”
Lucan spoke resolutely. “It’s not theft to take back what’s yours.”
“The Grail’s inside Avalon.” Cael stood ramrod straight. “By what right do you lay claim to my world’s heritage?”
“According to our legends, King Arthur was from Earth, and he left the Grail in Avalon. Our worlds share a history—”
“Now who’s making up outrageous stories?” Cael’s shock was evident in her trembling voice.
“Our three worlds are connected by history, honor, and the light,” Rion interceded. “Centuries ago, we all banded together on Earth to protect the Grail. Arthur believed it would be safest here and left it on Avalon. Now, if we fail to join together once again, the Tribes will defeat us.”
Cael’s eyes narrowed. “From which world did the Grail originally come?”
Rion shook his head. “There are myths across the galaxy with many worlds claiming this honor.”
“You’re saying other worlds besides Earth will contest ownership?” Cael asked tersely, in frustration.
“I believe you’re missing the point,” Lucan said, “that our three worlds once banded together to fight an ancient enemy—the Tribes.”
“Yes, my brother,” Rion stood and held out his hand.
Lucan went still. “Your story’s compelling, but why should I trust you?”
Rion simply smiled. “You must never speak of what I am about to do.”
Before Lucan or Cael agreed, Rion dragonshaped. One moment he was a man, then he morphed, his skin changing to scales, his legs thickening, his arms extending into giant wings.
Cael gasped. “I never gave him my blood. I swear it.”
Rion morphed back into human shape. “I was born a dragonshaper. On Honor, all my people are dragonshapers.”
“You don’t have scales on the insides of your arms,” Cael noted.
“My chromosomes are slightly different. I’m from another world.” Rion turned to Lucan. “The Tribes cannot dragonshape, but they seek to dominate us with their military superiority. We must all stand against them. Our dragon blood makes us allies. Brothers.” Again he held out his hand. “Together we must protect the Grail. If you’ll accept my help—”
“Glad to have it.” Lucan shook his hand.
“And I have your promise not to speak of what you just saw?” Rion pressed.
Lucan nodded. “You have my word.”
“Mine, too,” Cael agreed. “But why the need for secrecy?”
“We can’t risk changing the future.”
Lucan wasn’t certain he understood. But Rion was entitled to keep his secret.
“But who are the Tribes today?” Cael frowned at the men. She’d donned her authoritative mantle and sounded calm, but Lucan sensed her churning fury beneath her cool exterior.
Rion shrugged, his eyes bleak. “No one really knows. Once they claim a world, they destroy it. No one is left to tell the tales.”
That the Tribes were still their enemy seemed impossible, but Lucan had traveled too far and seen too much not to believe Rion. Right now Lucan was Earth’s only representative, and he could use an ally. Who better than Gerwain’s son, a descendent of one of Arthur’s most trusted knights? The military’s hostility and the murder accusations, plus the High Priestess herself being tortured, indicated that other offworlders might already be here. And the Tribe inscriptions on the paper from Brennon’s briefcase troubled him deeply. The Tribes… King Arthur’s ancient enemy had survived.
The Tribes wanted the Grail.
If Lucan succeeded, if he took the Grail to Earth, the Tribes might follow. It was a gamble, but he had no choice but to accept the risk.
CAEL SHOOK WITH an anger so fierce that it took every iota of her willpower not to shout, shake her fist and curse the Goddess. Lucan had deceived her. Used her. There was no telling how many things he’d lied about. She’d trusted him and betrayed her people. She felt like a fool. She felt as if her heart were breaking. But worst of all, in giving him her dragonblood, she’d created a most formidable enemy.
Holy Goddess! For the first time in her life, she wanted to roast someone alive. She stomped into the cave before she vented her anguish and pain.
But even as she fled down the passageway in a terrible temper, she knew she wasn’t prepared to kill the man who’d made love to her so skillfully. She didn’t want to kill him, but she did want revenge. She wanted him to fail. She wanted to make certain he never took the Grail to Earth. She wanted him to hurt as he’d hurt her.
Her thoughts weren’t appropriate for a spiritual leader, but she was human, too. And what he’d done was despicable.
How easily she’d fallen into his trap. She should have been more suspicious. No wonder he hadn’t known their customs and their religion. No wonder he hadn’t feared her. He wasn’t from her world—but an enemy who’d come to Pendragon to steal their greatest treasure.
“I’m sorry I lied.” Lucan had followed her into the cave, but in her anger she hadn’t noticed until he spoke.
He wasn’t lying: she could feel his remorse coming off him in waves and spun around to face him. “You’re sorry you got caught.”
“That, too.” He nodded, his eyes calm and steady.
“Do you even have a sister?” she snarled.
“Yes. And on my world there are billions more like her. We’re all sterile.”
She gasped. No wonder he hadn’t gotten her pregnant—thank the Goddess. All she needed was to bear this traitor’s baby. At least she’d be spared that dishonor.
His face was somber. “Without the Grail, my people will become extinct.”
“Why? What happened?”
“By the time we realized free radicals from pollution had damaged our bodies, it was too late to reverse the problem. If I take the Grail home, Marisa can have a baby. Many women will have babies. My people will not die.”
When she said nothing, he continued in a quiet and reasonable tone. “The Grail is our last hope. Without the Grail’s healing properties, all my people will be dead within two generations. Out of desperation, I came here hoping the Grail would cure us.”
She nailed him with a hard look. “And your promise to Jaylon, was that, too, a lie?”
“Of—”
“How could you look into that dying boy’s eyes and steal his only chance to live?”
“I—”
“You’re contemptible.”
“That’s enough.” Lucan
sharpened his voice, his eyes furious. “Before I leave with the Grail, I will return to Jaylon’s bedside. I don’t break my promises.”
She fisted her hands on her hips. “Like I’m going to believe that after how you twist your words? Jaylon isn’t the only Dragonian dying of an incurable—”
“On Earth, my entire race is dying. Our need is far greater.”
“That’s your opinion.”
“According to Rion, if Earth dies, then Pendragon and other worlds will fall to the Tribes.”
“Thieves always justify their need to take what is not theirs.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you angry about my mission, or because I didn’t tell you the truth?”
Goddess help her. She didn’t know. She’d never been so confused. She hadn’t ever expected to meet a man she could love. She’d certainly never dreamed that man would be an alien. Or that they’d work at cross-purposes.
She glared at him. “I don’t owe you any explanations.”
He held out a hand palm up, then slowly let it drop to his side. “When I could, I told you the truth. I do share mental communication with my twin. She did suffer two miscarriages. I am a linguist who specializes in ancient languages.”
“From Earth.”
“From Earth,” he nodded. “What I didn’t tell you is that my people are sterile. If I do take home the Grail, I’m fairly certain the Tribes will follow. But I have no choice. And now, even if we find the Grail, it may take me so long to get home, I’ll be too late.”
At his bitter words, her gaze narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“My spaceship isn’t large enough to hold a dragon.”
No wonder he’d struggled with his dragonblood. She’d never understood his conflict—until now. Perhaps she had stopped him from leaving with the Grail, after all.
“Then you’ll have to stay on Pendragon—where the Grail can be of great use.”
“I can’t give up. It’s true that if I stop on other worlds to change shape, I will add years to an already long journey. By the time I return, my sister and everyone else may be too old to have children. But while there’s still a chance, I must try. I was hoping you would want to come with me.”
With him?
Rion ducked into the cave and cleared his throat. “There is more at stake here than the survival of Lucan’s people. Every knight sworn to King Arthur came from a different world. If Earth falls, all of us fall. Not just Pen-dragon and Honor. There are twelve worlds in Arthur’s alliance.”
“Why is Earth the key?” Lucan asked.
“I don’t know. But we can’t fight among ourselves. We can’t let the Tribes rise again.”
Cael stared at Rion, horror churning her gut. “You can’t know this.”
“My father saw it. So did my father’s father and his before that. So did I.”
“Do all your visions come true?” Cael asked, her empathic ability telling her the warrior in him was conflicted, but whether it was about his abilities or his mission, she couldn’t be sure.
“It’s complicated, my lady. The flashes come true… unless we act and change the future. We should leave for Avalon as soon as possible. The cavity beneath the obelisk is widening. Avalon has sunk a full inch in the last two days. Besides, I don’t trust Sir Quentin.”
“You think he’s of the Tribes, too?” Cael asked.
“It’s possible. Quentin and General Brennon have grown close, and they are up to no good. And Quentin’s claiming he can bring down the inner shield with a dyno blast.”
Cael frowned. “Even I know that a dyno blast set off inside Avalon will weaken the ground.”
Lucan added, “Quentin might be setting a trap for us, threatening to blow up Avalon if we don’t return to help him bring down the inner shield.”
“Rion’s right,” Cael said. “We need to head straight for Avalon. But bear in mind, we may be arrested for murder.”
Although they’d reached an agreement, Cael remained angry and uneasy. Feeling as if she were swimming upstream against a raging current and had lost her footing, she struggled for balance. Cael didn’t trust either man. For all she knew, Rion and Lucan both came from Earth, and this legend Rion spoke of was yet another lie. Earlier, she’d sensed Rion’s truthfulness, but after Lucan’s betrayal, how could she trust her empathic abilities?
Worse than not trusting either man, she no longer trusted her own judgment. To think the High Priestess could have a real relationship with a man went against every law the Elders had taught her. Dragonian society had good reasons for the laws they’d enacted and honed for thousands of years. For her to hope she knew best was arrogant, and now she was paying for her arrogance.
She didn’t want to think about Lucan’s suggestion that she accompany him to Earth. She was the only High Priestess on Avalon. Her world might already be under attack from the Tribes. With General Brennon and Sir Quentin and maybe some of the Elders already under enemy influence, she couldn’t even consider leaving Pendragon.
The Grail is made from metal that fell to Earth from a falling star and tis forged in the blood of a land where the ring stones were first raised.
—MERLIN
20
Lucan barely recognized Cael as the warm, friendly, and compassionate woman he’d come to know. Since learning he was from Earth, she’d wrapped herself in High Priestess formality, building a wall between them that he couldn’t breach. Right now he was giving her space, giving her time to heal from the wounds he’d caused, hoping she wouldn’t have permanent scars.
At least Lucan and Rion had talked Cael into bypassing the authorities and sneaking into the laboratory building at night. If not for Cael’s knowledge of a secret underground administrative tunnel, fortunately untouched by the flames, they’d never have made it inside the building undetected. After they’d helped themselves to supplies from the research team’s storage unit and assembled a bag of flashlights, picks, and other gear, they were back at the main entrance of Avalon.
The structure’s exterior, massive and dark, looked exactly as Lucan remembered—except the front doors stood wide open and the building sat lower in the ground.
“Don’t turn on the light until we’re deeper inside,” Lucan instructed.
“We’re not idiots,” Cael muttered.
Aware she was still nursing hurt feelings, he kept his tone gentle. “You’re also not accustomed to sneaking around.”
Cael stiffened. “I may not be a thief and a spy, but you don’t need to tell me—”
“Please.” Lucan cut her off. “Hush. I hear something.”
“Me, too.” Rion agreed, his presence helping to diffuse the awkward tension between Cael and Lucan. “It sounds like… wings beating the air.”
“It’s Merlin.” With a look of impatience, Cael strode forward into the dark chamber.
Sure enough, Merlin was there. But how had he flown all the way from the mountains? Surely a bird couldn’t keep up with a skimmer. And how had he found them? Perhaps he was attuned to Cael through some kind of internal radar.
Lucan pulled a flashlight from his belt and resettled his heavy pack. He carried an empty duffel for the Grail, pickaxes and shovels, and minor explosives, brushes, and trowels. He had no idea how far into the structure they would have to go before they encountered the next shield.
“Hurry,” Cael said, walking quickly. “We have only eight hours before Quentin’s team returns to work and discovers us.”
“I’m surprised they’re not working ’round the clock,” Lucan said.
“They stopped out of exhaustion and frustration,” Rion explained, “and they were out of options. Quentin thought a rest might result in new ideas.”
Cael had packed food and drink, but she’d been extremely quiet until now, letting Rion and Lucan make the plans. Lucan was glad to hear her speaking up again. He missed her voice: he missed her common sense. Most of all he regretted he’d hurt her so badly.
Shining his light on the in
terior walls, looking for more ancient glyphs, Lucan expected sophisticated building materials, because whoever had constructed Avalon’s shield had a high level of technology at their disposal. But the passageway reminded him of corridors inside Egyptian pyramids, dark and solid stone. The floor ran level for as far as his flashlight could reach.
“How’s our air?” Lucan asked.
Rion raised his wrist meter to his flashlight. “We’re fine. But I don’t understand why. I haven’t seen a ventilation system.”
“There isn’t one.” Lucan shined his light along the ceiling, noting joints so tight a piece of paper wouldn’t fit between the cracks. Talk about precision building. Whoever had constructed Avalon had been master craftsmen, and ghosts of the past had his imagination firing.
Had King Arthur and his trusted knights once walked through this same corridor? Had the counselor Merlin been at their side, giving sage advice?
“Quentin must have aired out this corridor,” Cael remarked, her voice once again level.
Lucan would rather have an angry Cael with him than no Cael. She was so good at teamwork and possessed keen powers of observation. He longed to hold her and share his thoughts. Now that his secret was out, he wanted to tell her about Earth. Tell her how much she meant to him.
Rion stepped next to Lucan. “Rumors in the city are running rampant that Quentin’s new team has experienced several deaths.”
“Avalon may be booby-trapped.” Lucan moved ahead, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Ancient builders often added death traps to guard their prizes. At the pyramids in Egypt, the builders used many lethal traps to prevent thieves from stealing gold and jewels. Since the Grail was one of the most famous and valuable treasures in the galaxy, and since Avalon had likely been constructed to safeguard the Grail from the Tribes, it made sense that booby traps might be inside. “Don’t touch the walls. And don’t step on anything suspicious.”
“Suspicious how?” Cael asked.
“A loose stone. Or a hole in the rock that doesn’t look natural. Anything that doesn’t belong.”
Cael fingered her necklace. “Maybe coming here at night wasn’t such a good idea.”
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