Legend of the Stone

by Jenee Robinson

  “My apologies, Alexa, I will not make that mistake again,” he vows.

  He then starts to remove his clothes; I turn my back to him.

  “Percy, what are you doing?”

  He laughs. “I cannot sleep in wet clothing. Laying them in front of the fire will help them dry. I suspect it will be a while before this storm breaks.”

  His words make sense, but before I strip off my wet clothing I ask, “Are you decent?”

  Laughing again he replies, “Yes, Alexa. I only removed my top and trousers.”

  “Okay, turn facing away from me and I will do the same.” I replace my sword in its scabbard, then carefully set it on the floor.

  He walks up behind me. “Why don’t you allow me to help you?”

  His fingers skim over the hem of my shirt, tugging it off over my head, his hands skating over my breasts with a feather of a touch. Then in one fluid motion he jerks down my pants.

  “See, no harm done,” he whispers in my ear. I shudder with his breath on my neck.

  His strong arms surround me, lifting me from the ground with ease. He strides over to the makeshift bed, made up of a bunch of different blankets. Laying me gently on top, he pulls up one to cover me with.

  I watch him return to my clothes that are in a pile where he threw them. He approaches the fire and lays them flat to dry.

  As he makes his way back to me, I can’t help but watch his movements. My gaze travels over the enticing muscles of his broad shoulders and thick arms, down to the delicious v that disappears into his briefs. Knowing nothing can be done right now, I try not to let my eyes travel further. Failing miserably, I take in what is not so hidden under the wet fabric that clings to him. My breath begins coming in faster and my eyelids droop, my tongue darting out across my bottom lip.

  “Would you like me to remove them?” he asks, bringing me out of my naughty thoughts. My eyes snap up to meet his; they sparkle with desire and are full of heat. The hint of a smirk across his face gives me pause. It is so different from his usual bad tempered smile.

  With my reply lost in my throat, I pull back the blanket and pat the spot next to me. A look of disappointment is written on his face as he joins me. “Do not look at me like that, as much as I would love to devour every inch of you, I made a promise to all three of you to get to know each of you and take things slowly. My mind is sick with worry over Grey, and I do not want to regret any actions later because my head was not where it should be,” I explain.

  “I appreciate your honesty and respect your decision. I will not pressure you into doing anything, but I may offer,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders.

  “And I may take you up on that soon,” I tell him as I caress his cheek, “but not until I know that Grey is well. Now move your muscular body closer, this blanket is not doing much more than covering my body. Would you come keep me warm?”

  “It would be my pleasure,” he says, a gentle smile on his face. He situates himself on the pile of blankets, lying on his back, and reaches an arm out to pull me closer to him. Resting my head on his arm, I curl my leg over his thighs, while my hand creeps over his chest. Once I’m sure we have as much skin touching as possible I am content in this moment, it being just the two of us.

  The only sounds heard are the whiny of the horses, rain pounding on the ceiling, and the crackle of the fire.

  Twisting a little more on my side, I peer into Percy’s face, and his eyes open at my movement next to him.

  “Why are you staring at me?”

  “How long ago did your heart break?” I ask.

  “Does it matter?”

  “Maybe not, but I want to know how long you guarded your heart,” I admit.

  “Being I am twenty-eight now, close to seven years ago. I courted her for almost three, and the night I was going to propose is when my heart was broken and she confessed that she was seeing the blacksmith’s son for over half the time we were together. I felt like a fool. I didn’t even confront her. Taking my broken heart home, I packed my meager belongings and set out for the DeGore Farm, not looking back. I threw myself into training. Once Lance thought I was ready, he took me to the king and I was recruited to be one of his knights. What about you? Has anyone broken your heart?”

  “Not in the same sense as yours. My parents did when I found that they did not tell me my family legacy. My second parents and boss did when they kept their tattoos secret. I knew nothing about my family’s history. The night my parents were murdered my mother gave me her necklace and told me to run for my life. Not to stop or trust the guards that would follow. When I was cornered by Lance and his men, I did not have a weapon and it was dumb luck that my horse and I stumbled across the sword in the stone. With all my might I tugged on it until it was free and the knights before me were on their knees.”

  Taking a breath, I continue. “Lance took off his armor and came to me unarmed. That is when I felt a tug of desire to be near him. That, along with the fact that I was the heir to the throne and a Pendragon, was almost too much. I was sure I had lost my footing on the rock, hitting my head on the way down. How could my life be changed in an instant? All because of a sword lodged in a stone?”

  He takes a moment before he answers. “Growing up with Lance, he and I never took much stock in his father's stories. That is, until the day we were taken to meet the other knights and their sons. They held a celebration and a tattooing ceremony that night, charging us as the next generation to swear to search and restore the rightful Pendragon to the throne. Lance and I laughed about it later, until we were sent out on missions to find the king’s niece. She was his twin sister’s daughter, the only one to survive the attack that night. We were to bring her home to him, where she was to pledge her fealty or suffer the same fate as her parents.” He lies quiet for a moment, the rain no longer pounding on the roof; he stands and pulls on his clothes.

  Holding mine up he urges, “Come Alexa, let us continue on to the farm. The storm has passed, it is safe to ride.”

  As I lift the blanket, I do not hide my body from him this time. He takes in a sharp breath as I stand. A smile parts my lips, holding in a laugh. It pleases me that he has the same reaction to me as I did to him.

  As I near him, he readjusts his pants.

  Cocking an eyebrow I ask with a laugh, “You need some help?”

  A grin tips his lips up. “I would love some, but we do not have the time. Our first time together will not be rushed. I plan to go slow and make you beg for more.”

  “So sure of yourself, aren’t you? I have a feeling that you will be the one begging me.” I wink as I take my clothes from him.

  Pulling them on fast, I pick up my sword belt from the floor, securing it to my waist once again. Percy grabs my hand, pulls me close to the fire, and he kicks sand on the flames until the room goes dark. Waiting just a moment, he lets our eyes adjust to the darkness and leads us back to our horses.

  Feeling our way in the dark, Percy helps me up into my saddle then hands me the reins. I wait until I hear his click at his horse; I then do it to mine. She finds the open door with ease, and we travel at a slow trot in the moonlight. Any other time this would be like a romantic ride, but Grey is weighing heavily in the back of my mind.

  Is the injury real? Why is it that I felt the pain of being shot with an arrow and his name whispered in the wind? Can this be part of the soulmate bond? There is so much I do not know. I feel as if my life is spinning out of my control. Reminding myself to breathe, I concentrate on my heartbeat as it matches my horse’s.

  My eyes start to droop the longer we ride. I am about to call out to Percy, when I see lights in the distance. He calls back to me, “Let’s increase our speed, we are almost home.”

  I spur my horse onward; she picks up speed as I whisper to her that we are almost done and she will get the rest she deserves soon. Percy and I stop at the front door of the DeGore house, we dismount at the same time and Percy grabs my reins.

  “Go,” is all he says.<
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  As my hand reaches for the handle, the door is flung inward. I am face to face with Lance.

  He throws his arms around me. “Thank goodness, we have all been worried. It’s Grey, come inside quick.”

  Lance leads me in and straight into the room I once shared with my sister. Lying in the middle of the bed, his color ashen, is my beautiful, blond Grey. Tiffany is on the closer side, turning a rag on his forehead. Merina is working her magic on his bare shoulder. It is the exact spot that the pain radiates in mine.

  Merina glances at the doorway, her eyes wide when she realizes I am back, and she places a rag over his wound.

  “Alexa, I’m so sorry. It was a trap. He stepped in front of me as the archer let an arrow fly. I almost faded us out in time, but an arrow struck Grey as I reached out to him. I have been doing everything I know to fix him, but nothing is working. Since you are here, I’m going to fade back to our parents and consult them.”

  “First, this is not your fault. You did not shoot the arrow. Secondly, yes, please ask our parents or just bring them here. Mom may want to see the wound herself. Third, I love you and I am grateful that no one else was hurt. Now go, be careful and return soon,” I reply.

  Once she has gone, I take her place and inspect the wound with my own eyes. A smile tips Grey's lips as I near him, and he tries to raise his hand to my cheek. When he winces in pain I lay my hand on his palm as I sit down next to him.

  "I am sorry it took me so long to get back to you," I tell him as I face him. "Can I look at your wound?"

  He weakly nods yes as I move closer. I remove the rag that Merina was covering it with, and I let out a gasp when I see it.

  It is no longer bleeding, but the sight is a ragged hole in his shoulder. There are green lines jutting out from the entrance, trailing down his arm and racing across his chest.

  I smile at him and kiss his forehead as I return the rag to its place. "I am going to speak to Lance and Beck for a moment, then I will be back at your side until you're sick of me."

  Squeezing his hand gently, I rise and exit the room, followed by Lance, Percy, and Beck.

  "That is no regular arrow tear, I have not seen anything like it," I tell them.

  "Merina believes it was a poison-tipped arrow,” Beck explains. “She has been doing all she can to remove, stop, or slow the progression, to no avail. Merina has not left his side since fading us here; she blames herself. She keeps muttering if she had reached him a second faster it would not have hit him."

  "When she returns, I will assure her that she did all in her power to get you all out of there. It is no one’s fault but the archer that shot him with it. There is no honor in using poison, and if I find the man that did it, he will answer to me. I am going back to sit with Grey until we figure out what our next step to fixing him is."

  When I walk back in, Tiffany is attending his wound, so I lie down on his other side.

  "Is this ok?" I ask Grey.

  He doesn't answer but does pull me closer.

  My head is lying on the crook of his arm. "I give you permission to kick me off the bed if I snore, but I'm not leaving your side again."

  His chest rumbles with a small laugh. "Snore all you want, I am grateful to finally get you into bed with me."

  I peer up at his face, his lips in a smile as he closes his eyes. His breathing eases a little as he falls asleep, and before I allow my eyes to shut I watch the rise and fall of his chest. The small movement gives me hope that he is fighting the poison attacking his body.

  After I fall asleep, I hear a whisper of my name. The voice is one I have not heard in years. As my eyes open, I am no longer lying next to Grey, but standing in the small one room house I ran from all those years ago.

  "Alexa dear, come let me look at you." My mother's voice makes my blood run cold.

  Turning toward where the fireplace was located, there she stands, looking the same as the last time I laid eyes on her.

  "Mother?" I question, my voice shaky.

  My steps carry me closer, but I stop short of her reach. "How is this possible? It has been fifteen years, why am I dreaming of you after all this time?"

  "Oh, my daughter, I am sorry for leaving you so soon. Your father and I thought we had more time with you, to tell you about my family history and your future. My brother was more resourceful than I had anticipated, finding us when he did. Enough of my regrets, if I'm here, you have done what no one else in our family has been able to do since Arthur."

  "Yes, I was able to pull the sword from the stone," I confirm.

  Tears well in her eyes. "I always knew you were special."

  "Why does your brother want us dead?" I ask.

  "With another Pendragon heir, he feared that you were the one Merlin foretold was coming. If you were, he would lose the crown he so coveted. He thought our deaths would prevent it from coming true," she explains.

  "I miss you, Mother. You and Father are never far from my thoughts. I am enjoying our chat, but I must return to Grey. He is a descendant of one of the original twelve knights and one of my soulmates," I tell her.

  As I say soulmates, her eyes grow wide. "One of them? Exactly how many do you have?"

  "Three? I have not met all of the twelve, but I have a tug to three that I have met. Is that normal for our family?"

  She begins to pace. "I have only heard of it once in the family, but it was years ago. It took me by surprise that you said soulmates. Tell me is Lance one of the three?"

  I nod. "Indeed, he was the first one I felt the tug to, then Grey and Percy. We have not had much time to figure all of this out. We did decide to take it slow, but training and their job for the king comes first."

  "What happened to this Grey?" she asks.

  "He was shot with a poison-tipped arrow. Merina has not been able to cure him with her magic. I fear I will lose him, Mother."

  Shaking her head, she mutters to herself for a few moments. She stops her pacing and her gaze returns to mine.

  "You must seek out the Lady of the Lake, her magic rivals Merlin's at the height of his life. If she can not heal him, she will tell you where you must go or what you have to do to make him whole again."

  "Where can I find her?" I plead.

  "No one really knows. I suggest you go to Arthur's Camelot and pray to her at that lake. She is known for showing up for those who are in need of her assistance. Go tonight, do not delay and be careful, my daughter. Know that your father and I love you very much, and we are saddened we were not able to watch you grow into the beautiful woman before me," she tells me as her image starts to flicker and fade.

  A tear rolls down my cheek when she is gone, and as I wipe it away, I awaken with Grey's arm around me and Lance snoring in my ear.

  I unwrap myself from Grey and push on Lance trying to wake him.

  Groggily, he smiles at me, pulling my body closer to his. "What is it, beautiful?"

  "We need to go, are there any rested horses?" I ask.

  My question wakes him up. "For what? Grey has not been healed, he can not travel in his condition."

  Merina pops back into the room, and I jump up to see what news she brought.

  She shakes her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. I close the distance between us and wipe away her tears.

  "Do not fear, I had a dream with my mother in it. She told me to seek out the Lady of the Lake in Arthur's Camelot. Do you know where it is?" I ask her.

  When she shakes her head again, Beck speaks up. "I know where it is, about a half a day's ride northwest of here. We can hitch up the wagon, get Grey comfortable, and head there now."

  He leaves the room, Merina on his heels to help. Lance is sitting on the side of the bed, eyeing me. I sit on his lap and wrap my arms around him, and he places his hand on my hips.

  "Do you really think we can find this Lady of the Lake?" he asks.

  "Honestly, I do not know, but I will do whatever it takes to heal him. Just as I would if it was you or Percy. The three of you are
my heart, and I will be selfish and not give any of you up. Not even to death," I vow.

  He tips his head up and presses his lips to mine; it is a soft but passionate kiss. "That is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you. I will go help Beck with the wagon, and return for you two as soon as we are ready to leave."

  He gently places me on the bed as he stands. I watch him leave before I turn my attention back to Grey.

  I carefully lean over him and lift the rag; the green lines have extended farther than when I last checked on it. Feeling his forehead, I find that it is warmer than normal, so I take the rag to the water basin and soak it again, wringing it out before I replace it on his forehead.

  It is hard to see Grey like this. I can not help but think that this is my fault. He went on a mission to find me, and it was a trap. Does that mean that the king knows I'm here? Why would he injure one of his own?

  "I am sorry this happened to you, Grey, I should have told you to stay with me. If you had, we may not be in this position. I swear that I will protect all three of you with my life, even if that means I have to sacrifice myself for you to live."

  As the words leave my lips, Lance and Percy almost bust the door frame as they try to enter at the same time. Percy steps back and Lance steps through first.

  "The wagon is ready. Declan has added some supplies for the journey. Beck and Percy will drive the wagon; Merina, Grey, and I will be in the back with you. It looks as if it may storm again, so we need to hurry if you want to leave now," Lance says.

  I stand. "I am ready, let us leave right away."

  Percy scoops Grey up with ease, a little moan escaping Grey's lips at the movement. I follow them outside and climb into the wagon after Lance. Percy passes Grey up to Lance gracefully, then he takes his place at the front of the wagon. I stand at the front and hug him from behind, thanking him for helping with Grey. He turns in his seat and kisses my cheek in reply.

  Beck is already in his seat and watches our exchange. "If you hug me, I am not kissing you."

  I laugh. "Beck, I would never dream of it. You may be a good guy, but I do not like you that much."