“Yeah, my car is a mile west,” I said nodding my head in that direction.
“Good, you two need to get the hell out of here. Go back to campus and go to the place.” He gave me a knowing look.
“I’m still going to the meeting?” I asked.
“Oh, hell yeah, and you’re bringing that with you.” Agent Rogers replied pointing to Excalibur.
Over the year, we had grown close. He was not only my combat instructor but my friend. The Legacy of Hercules was a fair and just knight. I once asked him why he went by his human surname. He told me it was because it reminds him of who we are protecting. Humans. It actually shocked me to realize that I hardly ever thought about them even though they were such an integral part of the Code. From then on, I always took Agent Rogers’ lessons and teaching seriously. He was a man of honor, and I trusted him with my life.
“Right, let’s go,” I said, leaning against Ivy but was able to walk.
We meandered through the forest back to my car in less than half an hour. After a brief debate on who should drive, I turned on the car and sped onto the highway. Excalibur lay on the back seat.
“Ryker, what’s happening?” Ivy whispered to me. In all this I hadn’t thought of how Ivy would take the situation. She had no idea about the knights or anything else.
“I’ll explain later. Do you trust me?” I asked, reaching my hand out. She gave me a long look and then set her hand in mine.
“Of course I do.” She replied simply.
“Hey,” She said after a moment, squeezing my hand so I would look at her. “Thanks for following me tonight.”
“I was just going with the flow.” I shrugged, giving her a wide smile. I had heard her and Owen use that phrase to describe their inclinations from the universe. She let out a laugh. There was a conversation that needed to take place between us, I knew that, but it could also wait.
Pulling into the school campus, I raced down the little roads until we eventually parked behind the greenhouse. Owen was standing in there, waiting for me, like the bro he was.
“Dude, guys, what the hell happened?” He asked, his eyes running over my battered body and torn clothes.
“Later,” I said glancing down at my watch. It was almost time.
Opening my trunk, I produced three light blue cloaks with the black sigil of the knight sown on the back of them. It was the same as my tattoo. I explained to both of them to keep their hoods up and their heads down. If they don’t draw attention to themselves, no one will notice as most of the knights in the country are attending this meeting. There’s going to be so many people there, it should be easy for them to blend in.
After donning our cloaks, I shut the trunk and started to walk towards the meeting place. It took me a moment to realize Owen and Ivy weren’t following. They just stood there, staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Aren’t you going to grab Excalibur?” Ivy asked. She gazed up at me with those big, pretty emerald eyes.
“Don’t worry about her, she can take care of herself.” I waved off. It was true. I had spent the last month getting to know my lady-weapon. She also told me what she did, which was a list of useful and powerful magic’s.
I grabbed Ivy’s hand and led her down the stone path built into the grass leading into the forest. It was so old and overgrown, only someone who knew what they were looking for could follow it. Owen walked on my other side. He felt different, and I peered over at him. I gave him a curious nod. A wide, mischievous grin formed on his face.
“You have your entrance, I have mine.” He laughed. I had no idea what that meant, but I also knew there was little chance of stopping him.
As we walked deeper into the woods, a large round building came into view. It was the Knights Temple, a meeting place for all the knights in the area. Other shadow figures were coming through the woods, making their way towards the entrance of the building. I signaled for silence, as their voices or what they said could tip off a listening knight in the distance.
We walked into the entrance. There was only one room in the large building. Rounded walls were lined with wooden bleachers. At the center was an open space. At the head of the room was where the elected Chairman of the Knights of Virginia sat. He kept order to the meetings and was the leader of the group. Legacy Pericles was already seated on the Chairman’s bench. A steady hand grabbed my arm and tugged me onto the bleachers. Agent Rogers sat in a cloak. I had no idea how he beat me there.
“Follow my lead.” He said giving me a stern look. I nodded. “And keep those two under control.” He then hiked his thumb towards Ivy and Owen, who were sitting in the seats above us. Their faces were close together as they were whispering to each other.
The room filled, not a seat was empty, and there was even a few who had to stand in front of the doors. So many knights came that the room no longer echoed. We started the meeting by reciting the Knights Code with our right hands raised. Chairman Pericles then began to discuss the background and the importance of the vote. It was evident by the way he spoke which side he was on.
“And so remember, we can be led by a boy, or we can be led by men.” He finished. That felt nice.
“But your wrong Chairman.” Rogers stood and walked down the bleachers to stand in the open part in the middle. The three of us followed him, I lowered my cloak hood.
“I am not wrong Agent Rogers, I told you last month and I’m going to tell you again that we don’t need a boy who can’t even control his own sword as our king.” Pericles snarled through his puckered lips. The room then erupted into arguments. Shoves turned into punches, and soon the entire room had digressed into a brawl.
I took a step forward and raised my hand above my head.
“Come here, sweetheart,” I said, barely over a whisper. I felt the pull like a magnet was in my palm.
A small part of the roof directly overhead exploded int, sending some debris over the room. The crowd paused their brawl, the room illuminated by a bright red glow. Every eye turned to me as they realized that Excalibur was in my outstretched hand. Gasps and shouts started to sound, but then to my complete and utter surprise, Agent Rogers stood in front of me. He took out his ceremonial sword and held it out in front of me, kneeling on one knee. He was offering me fealty.
The room was silent as I lowered my arm and held Excalibur by my side. She must have really enjoyed the attention because she glowed so golden bright, I couldn’t look directly at the blade. Slowly, members of the room drew their swords, held it in their hands, and then knelt. The younger generation did it first, and then, slowly, the older generation joined in. I caught Pericles glaring at me, still standing at his bench. I locked eyes with him, my sword glowing brighter with shades of red mixing with the gold.
After a moment, he took out his sword and then offered it to me.
Moments like that do not often happen to a person. I always thought that I would feel wonderment or awe or some sort of surprise. Instead, I felt entitled. I was the heir to Pendragon Legacy, I held Excalibur, and she has pledged herself to me. No one else holds those qualifications to be King of Knights. It wasn’t just what I was born into, but also, I knew at that moment that I was a damn good knight. I deserved their allegiance because I always followed the Code, I always tried to be honorable, and I never did anything with malice. After seeing the power of a corrupted knight, I knew it was my mission to clean up the Order. It had been too long since there was a king to demand order, and I knew exactly whom I was starting with, Archibald Pericles.
Ultimately, the universe was thanking me for staying the course, and I would not waste the potential of the gift. Owen always seemed to understand his path, and Ivy too, but I always felt lost. That was when I realized that the universe did have a plan for me, I just could never see the clues before.
During the meeting, it was decided that they would take this notice up to the national council of knights. From there I will take part in an international coronation held in Washingt
on D.C. Agent Rogers pledged that he would keep me updated on that. I also didn’t miss the look in his dark eyes. Getting me international recognition and allegiance of all the knights in the world was not going to be a simple task. At the end of the meeting the room gave me their solemn oaths of fealty, and then they slowly departed. Turning, Ivy was standing behind me, a wide grin on her face and her eyes bright with happiness.
“That was the single most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.” She whispered up to me. I gave her a smile and then glanced around.
“Where’s Owen?” I asked. Ivy gave me a wide-eyed look.
“Oh, you know, around.” Ivy replied, “Come outside with me.” She tugged on my hand towards a side door. I followed her outside, and she pulled me against the side of the building, into a shadowy spot.
Turning to face me, she rested her hands on my shoulders, going up on her toes.
“May I kiss you?” She asked, her green eyes glimmered in the low light.
Instead of answering, I kissed her. Dropping Excalibur, I pressed her back against the wall of the building and I kissed her exactly how I had been daydreaming for the past year. It was a claim. I had won my sword that day, gained a kingdom, I might as well get my girl as well. I pulled away slowly admiring her green eyes glowing from underneath her heavy lids, and the way her red lips swelled.
“Go out with me?” I asked. Her eyes widened, and a smile spread across her pretty lips.
“What?” She giggled. I cupped my hands under face forcing her to look up at me.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so stupid. Go out with me?” I asked again. I wasn’t good with words, and she knew that. I never knew what to say or how to tell her how I feel.
“Okay then.” She smiled up at me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
It was the best day of my life. I had never understood how being so open to the energies would change my life so drastically, but it did. It was more of a mindset than an actual opening. Being open to the universe meant being open to opportunities, to opening the mind enough to understand an opponent’s perspective, and to also never take the ones we care about for granted. This was the day I became King and I hoped I would fit the challenge.
Chapter Six:
Ivy:
“How do you feel about that?” The therapist asked me. The school and MBI has a policy that whenever a situation involves a death, even of the enemy, we had to see a therapist for six weeks. Meredith, our quiet, mousy therapist, peered at me over her glasses.
“I mean, it was either him or me, Ryker made the decision to save me. It’s sad that Colonel Charlemagne put that decision on us, but that is the way it is sometimes.” I shrugged.
“And a romance kindled out of this?” She asked, writing something in her notebook. I tried to keep my patience. I understood therapy and the need for it. Both my parents are therapists, so basically, I had been in therapy my entire life. I had coping mechanisms and could understand cognitive theories and dividing situations from facts.
“No,” I replied for the thousandth time. Since Ryker and I decided we were going to give this thing a shot and damn the consequences, everyone has been curious about our relationship. Of course, he was the one who let the cat out of the bag, but I couldn’t blame him. Sticking close to the rules is who he is, and if I was going to be with him, I had to understand that.
“So, you and Cadet Pendragon have had romantic relations before this incident.” Meredith projected. I rolled my eyes.
“No.” I huffed, “I don’t see what this has to do with the incident.” Meredith leaned back in her dark brown armchair and removed her glasses, taking a moment to look me over.
“I hear you’ve never had a boyfriend, what made you decide that now was the time?” She then asked. Yes, I had to answer about a billion questions about my personal life to MBI when Ryker opened his big mouth, but he was worth it, so I’d endure.
“Where did you go to school?” I demanded. This was our first session; shouldn’t she be trust building? Or at least try to get to know me? She pointed up to the diploma hanging over her head, from UNC-Chapel Hill.
“Why does talking about Ryker make you uncomfortable?” She then asked.
“It doesn’t, I just know where this is going,” I replied.
“And where is it going?” She asked.
“Look,” I was losing my patience now. “I am here because it is MBI protocol that all personnel involved with death gets a psychological assessment. I am fine.” I tried to make her understand. Meredith wrote something in her notebook.
“No nightmares?” She asked. That was laughable. I spent every night in the love shack – as Owen calls it – having a great time with Ryker.
“No.” I shook my head. She then gave me a long look.
“But you don’t dream like other people, do you?” She then pushed. I felt my jaw clench. Since it came out that Colonel Charlemagne was part of this mysterious, nefarious cult that seemed to be on a mission to kill me, the guys and I decided that we should be as tight-lipped as possible about my abilities.
“Why does that matter?” I asked.
“Experiences, even in dreams, can weigh heavily on the psyche.” She explained. I gave her a tight-lipped look, showing her that I wasn’t going to say anything more. She released a deep breath and then set her notebook on the small round table next to her chair. She took a moment to carefully place her pen and reading classes on top of the book. Then she turned to me, resting her elbows on her knees.
“Ivy, I understand that you have been through an ordeal and that everyone takes these experiences differently. I also understand that you are probably the most mentally healthy person to come into my office.” She gave me a small smile. “But that doesn’t mean that maintenance isn’t needed, especially after an experience that you just went through.” She wanted me to talk to her, but I couldn’t.
“Are you having difficulty trusting new people?” She then asked.
“Why do you ask?” I asked, contemplating where she was going.
“Well, it says here in your file that you’re an open book, that you told the agents basically your life story when you applied to MBIA. So why are you not wanting to talk to me?” She was right. Before, I had been a fountain of information to anyone I thought was an authority. Now that I wasn’t sure who was part of the cult and who wasn’t, I tred more carefully.
“May I see your left arm?” I then asked.
During the autopsy, it came out that the cult probably uses tattoos to identify each other and promote allegiance. They found a runic tattoo in the center of the Colonel’s forearm. I had seen similar placing from when we encountered the cult in the storage facility over a year ago. Meredith held her arm out to me, and I pushed the sleeve of her hunter green sweater up to her elbow. It was bare.
“Why did you want to look at my arm?” She asked then.
“I wanted to make sure you didn’t have a cult-affiliated tattoo on you,” I replied. Meredith nodded her head. I glanced down at the cream-colored couch cushion next to me. I realized what she was getting at, and I didn’t want to admit it.
“I see what you’re saying,” I said, picking at a loose thread in the cushion. “Not all trauma comes out as nightmares or violent fits, sometimes it simply just shifts the person's perception. My perception has shifted to see enemies everywhere because of the realization that someone ranked so high and so involved in government and the Order could be a bad guy. My father started calling it Insurgent Syndrome.” My father specialized in PTSD in war veterans.
“I have read Dr. Hudson’s paper on that.” She nodded. “What do you think it means?” Meredith then asked.
“I mean, I read the paper too.” I let out a chuckle. “It’s the phenomena of insurgents infiltrating supposedly safe areas or cities to, like, shank a random Marine or pull out an AK and start shooting up a market square. These veterans come back feeling like they’re never safe because they have constantly had to assess every person they had laid
their eyes on while they were deployed. They never know if a person is just an innocent citizen seeking refuge, or if they’re suddenly going to detonate a bomb that they have strapped to their chest.” I explained.
“And do you believe that every person you encounter has a bomb strapped to their chest?” She asked. She let her question hang in the air as I contemplated the answer. I wanted to say no, that she was grabbing at straws and that I was fine. . . But I also knew that I would be lying.
“Alright, let’s just not talk about Ryker, okay?” I conceded.
“For now,” She compromised, leaning back in her chair and setting her notebook on her leg again. Once again, I wished my Grams would come back. She would have never stood for any of this.
Twenty minutes later I walked out of her office to find Owen and Ryker in the waiting room. This was our first session with the doctor after Ryker had killed Colonel Charlemagne five days ago. Owen went first, then me, and now it was Ryker’s turn. As I walked out, they both stood, giving me worried looks.
Was I really acting so differently?
Ryker gave my hand a squeeze as he walked past me and into the office. I sat with Owen in the waiting room. We had decided to schedule our sessions back-to-back, that way we would be there for each other. My phone buzzed, yet another text message from my mother. Since I told her what happened, she checks in with me every hour. I told her that it was healthier to keep my regular schedule, but I also knew that she worried.
“What she say to you?” Owen asked after a moment.
“She thinks I have trauma, especially when it comes to trusting strangers,” I mumbled.
“Well of course you do. A secret cult with members high up the food chain is after you for some reason. You can’t trust anyone.” Owen huffed. “That’s not trauma, that’s just common sense.”
“There’s a difference between being cautious around people and being paranoid.” I pointed out. Owen pressed his lips together, looking at me with those light blue Emrys eyes.
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