Claiming Excalibur Read online

  “You have come seeking the location of the Golden’s Blade, Excalibur,” the Dragon growled. His gray, cat-like eyes roamed over the lot of them. “And you’ve brought the Destined One with you.” He stepped closer, his leathery wings flaring slightly at his sides. “I’m honored, my lady. My name is Silzik and I am at your service.” His regal words softened his crackling voice.

  The magic at her hand pulsed and jumped in the marbled monster’s presence. “Th-Thank you,” she stammered, half frozen with terror and shock. She peeked at Arthur, who subtly nodded, giving her permission to lead this crazy exchange. “You said you know why we’re here.” She only dared to move a few inches from behind Galahad’s protection. “Can you help us find Excalibur so Arthur, King Arthur, can claim it again?”

  Silzik made a humming sound that rumbled over the ground. “I’d like nothing more than to help you, Destined One.” His ageless eyes slid to Dagg now hovering at Aliana’s side. “I can see the bond between you and the young DragonLord, and it gives me great pleasure to know my friend has found his purpose in this life. I can tell you Excalibur is very close. It’s here, in fact. As for the Golden King claiming it…well, I’m afraid only he can prove his worthiness to the Golden’s Blade.” The Dragon suddenly advanced, his head slithering low, his scaly lips pulling back to reveal teeth bigger than a Highlander’s broad sword and much sharper. “To do that, though, he must first get past me, and that I cannot allow.” The Dragon reared back and slammed one wicked claw into the ground, shaking the earth.

  The girls cried out. Aliana fell back into Lacy and the pair crumpled onto the shaking earth. Percy and Leo drew their swords, stepping in front of the girls as Owen helped them to their feet.

  “Get the bloody hell out of here!” Owen ordered the girls.

  Aliana glared at her cousin as Silzik swiped a wickedly sharp claw at the guys, forcing them to duck and roll out of the way.

  “No! We won’t leave you guys!” Aliana hissed, holding her hand over the pulsing ruby. She imagined her new bow in her hand, and in a sparkle of deep pink, the black weapon appeared in her hand. “We can help. Silzik said Excalibur is here!” Lacy drew her own sword.

  “Stay close!” Owen barked, leading them toward the guys.

  Lacy fell in at Percy’s side while Aliana went to Galahad and Arthur. She watched the Dragon attack her friends and realized that, while he was definitely trying to stop them, he didn’t seem to be trying to kill them. Surely a beast so old and powerful would be able to finish them off in seconds.

  “Silzik!” Aliana called, leveling her bow at the silver creature. She drew back and a pink bolt with a bright tip appeared. “We just want to find Excalibur! We don’t want to fight you.”

  He coughed a rough burst of laughter. “I see you’ve acquired the prophecy stone. The Fae queen must have great faith in you. But I have been charged with a duty by the same queen. The Golden’s Blade is mine to protect. If you want a chance of even seeing it, you must get past me first.” Silzik advanced like a serpent, his mouth opening as he swooped down as if intending to eat them.

  A hard body slammed into Aliana, taking her to the ground. The Dragon’s teeth flew over her and headed toward Leo on the Dragon’s other side. Owen rushed forward, hurling a knife at the distracted beast. Heart pounding, Aliana cried out for her friends as they dodged the sharpened teeth. A plan formed in her head. Galahad rolled off her and she got to her feet. Divide and conquer!

  Galahad and Arthur put themselves between her and Silzik when their opponent snapped back toward them. “Dagg, I’ve got an idea!”

  “What?” He roared out a large exhale of his fire. The larger Dragon slithered to the left toward the empty cave behind him, avoiding the attack. For a hot second, Aliana felt her guardian’s aching regret and sorrow at having to attack his clansman, an old friend. Silzik’s spiked tail crashed down, forcing Arthur and his team to scatter.

  “You and the guys need to distract him, split his attention, so Arthur, Lacy, and I can sneak past him and find Excalibur!” Aliana’s eyes met Galahad’s furious glare. He was now several yards away. For a moment she panicked, searching for signs that he was losing control. But he nodded once, as if reading her fears. He was still in control. She turned her mind back to Dagg. “Tell Percy and the others!” She grabbed Arthur’s arm. “We need to get to Lacy! We need to find Excalibur!”

  Arthur studied her, his eyes widening slightly as he seemed to grasp her plan. Galahad and Owen nocked arrows, firing them at the large Dragon’s eyes and scaly neck.

  “Fools!” Silzik roared. “Those twigs cannot penetrate my hide!” Way more agile than a monster his size should be, he swiveled around, his tale and spiked body colliding with Percy, Leo, and Lacy.

  The three hurtled through the air and crashed into the ground just feet from Aliana and Arthur. She rushed forward, helping Lacy. Hissing her plan to her friend, Aliana met Arthur’s eyes, waiting for his sign that he was ready to move. The king nodded, and she drew another arrow. “Maybe my arrows will make more of an impact.” She aimed directly between the Dragon’s eyes and loosed the magic arrow. It exploded with a storm of pink sparks upon collision, and Silzik roared in pain, falling back.

  Grabbing Lacy’s hand, Aliana followed Arthur as he rushed past the monster. Silzik struck out wildly at the knights, his tale and claws thrashing. Like she’s hoped, he was too angry and distracted to notice the escaping trio. They ran deeper into the dank cave until it became hard to see. Raising her gauntlet hand in the air, Aliana summoned balls of magical light to guide them. The thick air smelled like sulfur and mold.

  “Where now?” Lacy asked, glancing back at the sound of the battle still raging behind them.

  “They’ll be okay,” Arthur said. “Now that they don’t need to keep an eye on you two, they can really start fighting.”

  Aliana gulped and nodded. She was worried for Galahad and Owen and the others, but she couldn’t think about that now. “Looks like there’s only one place for us to go.” She pointed the tip of her bow forward.

  “Then we shouldn’t delay.” Arthur held his sword at the ready. Lacy mimicked his stance as they went deeper into the cave. They practically ran through the tunnel with the bubbly lights bouncing ahead of them as the air thinned and cooled.

  “Jeez, how far back does this thing go?” Lacy demanded of the cave.

  Aliana shook her head, her eyes widening as the light ahead of them split into two different directions and stilled. “What?” The three of them skidded to a stop. The tunnel branched and they had to choose which corridor to follow. Each option looked as horrible as the other. If not for her magical lights, Aliana knew she’d probably have been in a ball on the floor, panicking at the endless blackness. “Which way?”

  Arthur sheathed his sword, and closed his eyes.

  “What are you doing, kingie?” Lacy asked.

  He held up his hand for silence, listening for…Aliana couldn’t even imagine what. “This way!” he said, darting to the right. The lights followed his command.

  With a shrug, Aliana and Lacy hurried after him. They heard a new sound—the sound of flowing water and crackling fire. Bright light burst to life ahead of them. All three of them skidded to a stop as the tunnel opened to a large cavern. The ground was covered with lush, green grass that should’ve been impossible this deep in a mountainside. In the center of the room was a black stone with veins the color of Chinese jade. In the center of the stone was a tall sword. Its muted gold handle was tipped with a smooth, round disk stamped with the image of a Dragon. The wide hilt was decorated with precious gems in hues of green, blue, white, and red.

  “Excalibur!” Arthur said. He immediately moved to step into the cavern, but an uneasy feeling made Aliana reach out and stop him.

  “Something’s not right,” she murmured, taking a look around the wide-open space. Pure magic pulsed around her, beating at her like butterfly wings. To the right of the stone was a spinning whip of golden fire circling a
nother Excalibur. Aliana gasped, and so did the others when they followed her gaze. Another power tugged at her from the left, and when she turned, she saw a lapping pool of crystal blue water. Beneath the serene, liquid surface was a glittering version of Excalibur.

  “No!” Arthur moaned. “How can there be three?”

  “‘Waiting in cold darkness for him to claim. If he proves cunning, true, and brave,’” Aliana murmured. “‘Coiled in Dragon flame and earthen frame. Hidden in many truths only he can see.’” Aliana looked between the three swords and Arthur. “Only you can find the true Excalibur.”

  When they stepped into the room, the power grew stronger, and the rolling feel of earth magic glided beneath their feet. But it felt wrong, dangerous. “Look out!” Aliana threw herself into Arthur just as the earth split. It formed into hands that reached up and snatched her and Lacy in nearly bone-crushing grips. The girls cried in pain, and Arthur drew his sword to attack.

  “Don’t!” Aliana wheezed, feeling the magic coil more tightly around her. But it made no move toward Arthur. “The magic is focused on keeping us from helping you. You need to figure out which is the real Excalibur!”

  Arthur hesitated, his sword flicking in his hand. Aliana could see the conflict in his molten gold eyes, the war between his wish to free them and his desire to claim his rightful sword. His lips tightened and he growled in frustration.

  “We’re okay,” Lacy assured him, coughing on the dust in the air. “You have to do this for us and for the knights!”

  Arthur clenched his hands, his eyes dropping before he sheathed his weapon and turned to the swords. Unrelenting determination hardened his features. This was the King Arthur they needed right now.

  He took a step toward the stone, carefully examining the gorgeous sword protruding out of it. Then he turned to study the Excalibur surrounded by fire. Next he turned his attention to the Excalibur under water. “I’ve already claimed Excalibur once from the stone.” He looked back at the fire blade. “Leo and Owen said the poem could be referring to the sword’s creation by the Golden Dragon.” He took a step toward the fire-guarded weapon. “But that’s not the start of my story.”

  Aliana watched him walk to the water’s edge, and she felt magic whooshing up to the surface. A giant geyser formed, taking the shape of a woman very similar to Deidre. The blade remained at her feet on the bottom of the magical pool. The earth magic tightened, and the girls couldn’t hold back their cries of agony as the pressure threatened to crush their bones.

  “Aliana, Lacy!” Arthur rushed back to them.

  “Don’t!” Aliana’s voice was a whisper. The king’s face contorted with indecision.

  “I don’t know which is the real Excalibur!” he yelled. “They all look the same, and all of them are tied to my history with the sword! What if I’m not worthy and choose the wrong one?”

  “Stop it, Arthur. You’re the Warrior King!” Aliana shouted back.

  Arthur’s jaw tightened, his golden gaze focusing on the sword in the stone before moving to the one at the liquid Nymph’s feet. A loud crash came from the tunnels, and a deafening howl filled the air.

  “Oh no!” Lacy frantically writhed against the earthen fist that held her.

  Heavy footfalls rushed toward them. Aliana forced herself to relax so that she could gather her magic and that of the ruby. If she and Lacy could get free, they could help Arthur. But the ancient force sensed her intentions and squeezed her with another wave of unbearable power. She screamed. Hot tears seared her cheeks as she fought against the agony.

  “Aliana!” voices cried out, but she couldn’t tell to whom they belonged through the fog of pain. Through hazy eyes, she watched in numb horror as the fire surrounding the sword slithered around the cavern to block the guys from entering. But they were too fast and lunged inside just before the fire sealed the entrance. Chaos raged as the guys tried to free her and Lacy. Vines shot out of the ground and restrained the knights, forcing them to the ground. Their swords scattered uselessly.

  Arthur moved to help his brother knights, but they shouted at him to claim Excalibur. The king’s handsome face hardened, fury blazing in his gold-brown eyes. He turned from the stone sword and went to the magic Nymph, but the fire shot away from the walls and coiled around the liquid spirit.

  “You can do this, Arthur.” Aliana hoped her smothered voice was loud enough to be heard. “You’re the only one worthy of wielding Excalibur!”

  Arthur threw down the Elvish sword and stepped into the pool, not fighting back as the fire lashed out. Aliana watched, terrified, but then she saw the fire didn’t hurt him. Wading through the angry magic, Arthur stopped before the non-corporeal Nymph and kneeled before her. Everything stopped.

  “Nimuah, Lady of Avalon, guardian of Excalibur.” He looked up at the enchantress. “I am here to claim what is rightfully mine.”

  The ghostly figure smiled, her hand reaching out to Arthur’s right shoulder. “You are worthy.” The ethereal voice had only been a whisper, but that whisper felt like it could’ve reverberated through the entire mountain. The magic slowly crushing Aliana and the others vanished. She and Lacy fell to the ground, and the guys scrambled to their sides, but none of them looked away from their king kneeling at the feet of Nimuah.

  The watery Nymph burst into thousands of diamond-like droplets. Everyone gasped when the tip of Excalibur broke the water’s surface, slicing out of its magical prison. A dainty, pearl and silk hand emerged, gripping the hilt of the legendary weapon. King Arthur reached out, claiming Excalibur, and rose to his full, regal height.

  Aliana smiled as pride and happiness swelled in her still aching chest. Her lingering pain stood no chance of dampening her excitement. He’d done it. Arthur had found his confidence and figured out the riddle, reclaiming what was always his. He’d saved them all.

  Arthur studied his sword, twirling it in his hand and smiling as he ran his other hand up the glistening blade.

  “You did it!” Aliana cheered from her spot on the ground. The others broke out in ovations of excitement and happiness.

  They all got to their feet, supporting each other as Arthur joined them. Pulling away from Galahad, Aliana flung herself into Arthur’s arms. He held her tightly with one arm, leaning his head against hers and brushing a kiss on her crown while he held up Excalibur.

  She stepped back and Lacy came over and hugged him too. All the guys crowded around, slapping the king on the back in congratulations. Sighing, Aliana leaned into Galahad. His fingers brushed over a long tear in her vest and shirt, and he pushed his fingers under the fabric. Sparks flooded her, and her skin rose into tiny bumps at the searing contact.

  “Where are you injured?” Galahad whispered.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m sore all over, but I’m kinda numb to it all. Are you all right?”

  He nodded. “I’m perfect now that I know you’re safe and in my care again.” Aliana turned her face up to his, and he brushed a kiss on her lips.

  A throat cleared, and Aliana turned to see a smirking Dagg. “I think it’s best we save that for later, until after we find our way out of here.”

  Aliana stepped away from her knight and held out her arms for Dagg. Her guardian rubbed his head affectionately against her cheek before winding himself across her shoulders.

  “I guess the king rose high for all to see,” Lacy said, snuggled in Percy’s large arms.

  Arthur and the guys chuckled as Leo picked up the discarded fire Elf sword and held it out to his king. The many jewels seemed muted and lifeless, lacking the brilliance Aliana had noticed whenever Arthur had held the weapon. She wondered if perhaps the Elves had created the sword just for him.

  “Keep that safe, my friend,” Arthur told the Scot. “It now belongs to Queen Titania.”

  Nodding, Leo strapped it to his waist. His katana was still secured across his back. They turned to leave the cavern, and Aliana summoned the bubbles of pink light again to lead them. “What happened to Si
lzik?” she asked, following her warriors. “Did you guys have to…kill him?”

  “No,” Leo said, looking back at her from his spot beside Arthur. “Part of the cave started to collapse and sunlight spilled in.”

  “As soon as the rays touched his scales, he transformed into a statue,” Owen cut in to explain. “He’s trapped in a rock prison.”

  Aliana felt her stomach turn. He’d only been there because the Fae queen had somehow convinced him to guard Excalibur. Silzik was only doing what he’d been ordered to do—and lord knows what would’ve happened to him if he’d defied those orders. Dagg shifted against her, feeling her sadness for his clansman. Dagg’s guilty pain filled her again. “Is there something we can do to free him?” she asked.

  “We can try,” Arthur said. “It wouldn’t be right to leave him trapped.”

  Aliana smiled, grateful that they were thinking the same thing once again. It was a few minutes before they reached the cave’s entrance, and when they got there, Aliana and Lacy gasped in revulsion. Silzik was curled into himself. His large wings flared like he was trying to protect himself from the sun. His scaly face was contorted in pain and anger.

  “Poor guy,” Lacy whispered, running her finger along the edge of his wing before turning to Dagg and asking, “What can we do?”

  Dagg studied his clansman, but it was Arthur who spoke first. “Excalibur was forged with Dragon magic; maybe it can set him free.” The king raised his reclaimed sword and touched the point to the Dragon’s nose. For a second nothing happened, and then Aliana felt a sweltering, magical flare. Golden webs spread from the sword’s tip. They covered the stone body in seconds, and then dissolved into the trapped beast.

  Between a blink and a gasped breath, the stone vanished and Silzik was flesh and blood again. The knights partially drew their swords, ready to fight if the giant Dragon attacked again.

  “That feels much better!” The huge Dragon stretched his curvy body, flaring his wings wide. His swimming silver eyes washed over the group standing before him, stopping on Arthur and Excalibur. “You’ve done it. You solved the riddle and proved yourself worthy. Again.”