Legendary Page 29

  Control.

  Her friends needed her.

  Mordrid would kill them all if she gave in to his dark magic.

  Merlin and Dagg had already given her the tools to fight this evil! She focused on the magic that trapped her. It was burning cold, moving against her skin like a coiled snake. She wanted to fight against it, but she quelled the reaction. Instead she pulled the magic slowly into herself. The black power crawled through her veins like insects, but she kept absorbing it, little by little.

  Daggerhorne is almost free. Merlin’s thoughts pierced her calm.

  Good, she thought, keeping her concentration. One slip and Mordrid would know what she was doing. She couldn’t let that happen. The lives of the people she loved were at stake.

  Gripping the gray with her own magic, Aliana tugged and beckoned the darkness. There! She had it. The magic was hers! She loosened the bonds binding her, but kept up the appearance of being confined. She needed a plan to get Lacy to safety before she broke free.

  Dagg growled low behind her, but this time his rumble was strong and pain free. She looked back and saw the Dragon’s glowing, purple eyes through the cloud. He had control just like she did. She flicked her eyes to Lacy, hoping the Dragon would understand and get her friend to safety. Returning her attention to the raging battle only a few feet from her, she saw Morgana and Mordrid teamed against Merlin, but the Druid fought them back with a deadly ferocity. Arthur and his knights cut down more black knights, but they couldn’t seem to make any headway in the vicious battle. More spirits came as quickly as they fell.

  Lacy moaned behind Aliana, who turned meet her friend’s confused gaze. Aliana tilted her head toward Dagg, silently warning her friend to be ready. Lacy bit her lips, holding back a cry as she shifted her mangled arm. Praying Lacy would be all right, Aliana summoned her pink magic, pulling hard at the last of Mordrid’s control and releasing his bonds from around the three of them. A nearly soundless void wrapped around her, and the battle slowed before her eyes.

  “What?” Mordrid’s outraged cries of surprise were muffled, like she had cotton in her ears.

  Dagg shot out of his cloud prison like a demon from hell, attacking Mordrid and Morgana with an endless stream of Dragon fire. His devastating power burned their skin, consuming the evil duo, setting their clothes and bodies ablaze.

  Aliana’s feet hit the ground and she ran, grabbing Lacy’s uninjured hand as her friend struggled to get to her feet. They dashed toward the others. Aliana summoned her magic, pushing the black knights aside so she and Lacy could break through the enemy line. Galahad’s arms were there instantly, wrapping around her and Lacy, pulling the pair back behind the knights’ defensive line.

  “No!” Mordrid cried, extinguishing the Dragon fire. Morgana fell back to his side. Their clothes were covered in burn marks and ashes, and their skin bled and boiled with blisters.

  “I will make you pay!” Morgana shrieked as the black knights attacked in brutal force. Galahad released the girls, taking up his sword and rejoining the fight. The stream of spirits kept coming as the knights severed black heads one after another. Arthur’s men were beaten and bloodied, showing signs of fatigue. They couldn’t keep up the battle at this pace for much longer.

  The black magic crawled under Aliana’s skin again, starting to fight against her own bright magic. Her head pounded and she fell to her knees as the pain tried to rip her in two. She had to get rid of this poison. Her body shuddered again, pitching her forward, her hands and arms hitting the hard ground and digging into the soil. The magic of the earth element surrounded her, whispering, offering itself to her. Aliana knew what to do.

  Corralling the blackness with her pink magic, she forced the invading magic into the ground, giving the destructive power to the earth. Electric-charged vines shot out of the dirt, wrapping around and spearing through the black knights, ripping them apart, crushing their armor. The earth swallowed the foul decay that was left behind. With no physical object to return to, the black spirits wailed and vanished, leaving Morgana and Mordrid behind, bleeding and defeated. One of the spirits sailed by Aliana, brushing over her, but instead of darkness, she felt goodness, relief. The spirit almost seemed to be thanking her.

  She looked up at Mordrid. Her sight was blurred, but she could see the rage and astonishment in his sick, black gaze. “We’ll be back to finish this,” he promised her with a twisting smile that made her want to gag.

  Morgana raised her arms and the two evil sorcerers disappeared in a whirlwind.

  Thanking the earth, Aliana released the element’s power. An arm wrapped around her as Lacy pulled her up, and Dagg wrapped himself around her shoulders, pushing his healing energy into her body.

  Sparks sizzled on her skin as Galahad cupped her face, his azure eyes frantically searching hers. “You brave, foolish girl. Don’t ever do that again!” He pulled her from Lacy’s hold, carefully cradling her in his arms. “What were you thinking?” he breathed against her ear, his arms tightening.

  “Take us home, Merlin,” Arthur ordered as everyone gathered around the couple.

  Merlin slashed his hand down like the stroke of a sword ripping the air, causing a golden portal to open. Aliana wrapped her arm around Galahad’s neck, bracing for the pain she’d felt when Mordrid had transported her earlier, but all she felt was a brush of cool energy soothing her abused skin. She turned her face into Galahad’s neck, inhaling his wintery, spicy scent. Their bond burned away the last of the creeping blackness. She didn’t even realize they were back at the house until Merlin started barking commands.

  “Sit them on the couches,” he ordered as Stella, Flora, and four other Pixies rushed into the room, bringing bottles of glittering powders.

  Galahad sat down with Aliana still in his arms, his heated eyes telling them all that he wouldn’t be separated from her. Her heart fluttered as his lips brushed her forehead.

  “Drink this, Aliana,” Flora said, her blue eyes big with worry and unshed tears.

  Aliana smiled at the Pixie, taking the cup. Drinking the sweet nectar, she looked to Lacy. Percy and Wade were hunched over her fierce friend as Stella and Merlin healed the blonde’s broken bones.

  “How did this happen?” Arthur asked, kneeling next to Aliana. His hand gently brushed sweat-clumped locks of hair from her face.

  “I was stupid,” Aliana admitted, her voice weak. “You were right all along, Galahad. That TreTale was meant to find me. It followed us from Avalon.” She looked up, fearing how angry Galahad, Arthur, and the others would be with her. She explained about her and Lacy’s plan to follow them into battle and how Mordrid had tricked them, taking them prisoner.

  All of the guys burst out in anger, demanding to know why the two of them would do something so stupid and reckless.

  “Why did all of you?” Aliana said, trying to push out of Galahad’s arms, but he refused to let her go. “I told y’all this was a trap!”

  “We knew that was a possibility, but we had to make this move!” Merlin growled.

  “You let your hatred and arrogance blind you,” Aliana spat at him.

  “Enough!” Arthur’s voice silenced them. “Aliana, you ignored our orders, placing yourself and your friend in unneeded danger.”

  Aliana reeled back. Arthur had never yelled at her before. “You clearly didn’t hear me. Mordrid’s TreTale had already gotten past Merlin’s shields. If we had stayed, Mordrid would have still gotten us.”

  “Fighting amongst ourselves won’t change what’s happened,” Leo said, standing next to the king. “We need to move past this and plan our next move.”

  “Leo is right,” Galahad said, standing with Aliana still cradled in his arms. “We won despite everything, thanks to Aliana’s magic. But we also learned that Morgana and Mordrid have a weakness.” Galahad looked down at her, his face pained. “And we learned more of Mordrid’s plan.”

  “We need to find another place to stay,” Wade murmured, his arm around his sister. “The soone
r the better.”

  “Merlin?” Arthur asked, turning to the fuming Druid.

  “I’ll arrange it,” Merlin vowed, leaving the room.

  “We all need to rest,” Arthur said, staring at Aliana. “Thank you for saving us.”

  “We weren’t trying to make things worse,” Lacy whispered.

  Before anyone else could speak, Galahad carried Aliana out of the library and up to her room, moving so fast that she didn’t have a chance to protest until he had them shut up in her room. “I can take it from here, Galahad,” she said when he set her on her feet.

  Instead of answering, he claimed her mouth in a kiss just this side of bruising. Whimpering, Aliana clung to him, desperate to forget her terror and the pain of the day. He held her tight, his hands wandering up and down her back and into her hair. He couldn’t seem to get enough, and neither could she.

  She cried out as his hand rubbed across a bruise left by Mordrid.

  “I’ll kill him for touching you,” Galahad swore, his voice as full of rage as his gaze. “He will not have you.”

  “Galahad, you can’t let this get to you,” she whispered, worried by the hatred in his voice.

  His hands gripped her arms below her bruises, his thumb gently stroking over the bluish back marks. “No, Aliana. You don’t know what he’s capable of.” He rested his forehead against hers.

  Reluctantly, he stepped back. “You should take care of your wounds and rest. I’ll go get us some food.”

  “What about you?” she asked, taking his hands in hers.

  He brought their clasped hands to his lips, brushing feather light kisses across her fingers. “I will rest when you are taken care of.”

  Sighing, she nodded, kissing his cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. She heard the door shut softly. The sudden silence racked her almost as much as Mordrid’s magic had. All she was left with were her own tortured thoughts. Tears leaked from her eyes as she filled the large tub. Her friends had come close to losing today. Lacy could have easily been killed, and Mordrid’s sick obsession with Aliana had put Galahad’s life—all the knights’ lives—in danger. Sinking into the water, she let loose a sobbing scream. She had already lost her parents because of her own stupid actions, something she still couldn’t let herself think about. Today, she could have lost more people she loved. All because of her.

  “Aliana?” Jerking up, she brushed away her tears to see Flora walk into the bathroom. “I thought you might want some Pixie dust.” The tiny Pixie held out a vial of glittering magic.

  “Thanks,” Aliana said, her voice wobbling. “But can you give it to Lacy? She needs it more than me.”

  “Sure.” The Pixie nodded solemnly. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “No.” Aliana tried to give the Pixie a small smile, but she was pretty sure she failed.

  “Okay. Galahad is waiting out in the hall for you with some food.”

  “And the others?” Aliana asked, splashing water onto her face, trying to scrub away her tears and the haunting guilt.

  “Percy and Wade are with Lacy. The others are in the library.” With a nod, the Pixie left Aliana in the quiet of her bathroom.

  She got out of the tub. Toweling off, she slipped on her favorite yoga pants and T-shirt and twisted her wet locks into a tight braid. Taking a breath, she opened her door. Just like Flora had said, Galahad waited in the hall with half of a pizza and glasses of Pixie juice. Stepping back, Aliana motioned for him to come in. He’d changed out of his battle clothes into a T-shirt and jeans, and his hair was still damp from a shower.

  “Thanks,” she said, moving aside her laptop to make room on the small coffee table at the end of her bed. Galahad set the tray down, taking a seat on the floor at her side. “I’m sorry, Galahad.” She stared at the pizza, afraid to see the disappointment in his blue eyes.

  “I’m still upset. You placed yourself in danger!” He sighed in frustration. “But we were wrong too. We needed you with us—we would have lost today without you.”

  Aliana snapped her head up, thinking she had heard him wrong.

  His hand wrapped around the back of her neck, tracing small circles over her skin, and her anguish started to fade as their sparks flared. “Eat,” he commanded, his voice rough.

  Aliana’s stomach growled.

  Every now and then as they ate, Galahad would run his fingers down her arm or tuck an escaped piece of her hair behind her ear. With every touch, more sparks rushed through her, soothing her anxiety and tense muscles.

  “Please don’t ever scare me like that again, Aliana,” Galahad pleaded softly, pushing aside his plate. “I can’t stand the thought that Mordrid had you at his mercy.”

  “We knew this would be dangerous,” Aliana said. But until that day, she hadn’t realized how real the danger was. Beyond exhausted, emotionally and physically, Aliana took Galahad’s hand and pulled him onto her bed.

  “Aliana?” he asked, hesitating.

  She smiled, scooting toward the middle of the bed to give him more room. “I’m so tired, Galahad, but I’m afraid to go to sleep. Please just hold me.” It had taken every ounce of courage she had left to admit her fears and make the request.

  His eyes never left hers as he stretched out on her bed, leaning against the headboard and mountain of pillows. Aliana curled against his side, resting her head on his warm chest and wrapping one arm around his waist, then closing her eyes. The knight’s winter spice scent and strong arms wrapped around her, holding her in his warm, caring grasp.

  “Sleep, Aliana, I’ll protect you,” he whispered into her hair, kissing her lightly, his thumb moving back and forth over her skin.

  Surrendering to exhaustion and the comforting sparks of their bond, she slipped into a deep sleep.

  Aliana looked around the familiar college professor’s office. A large desk overflowing with piles of papers, colored files, and small artifacts took up most of the room. Two chairs faced her father’s desk and the wall of books behind it.

  When Aliana had turned fifteen, her parents had decided to give up their traveling lifestyle and settle down so Aliana could attend high school with her three best friends from home. They wanted her to experience school like any other teen. Allen Fagan had taken a prestigious teaching job at a private university just outside Charleston, South Carolina. Carrie Fagan had opened a private acting and dancing school for local children who dreamed of being famous someday.

  Aliana remembered all the times she and her mother would bring dinner to her father at his office when he had late classes or had simply lost track of time. Even though he rarely went on excursions anymore, he was constantly asked to lend his opinion and help with research. He was the best in his field.

  The office door opened and in walked a short, balding man wearing a charcoal blazer over a stained shirt and faded khakis. “Come now, Allen.” Her godfather, Joe Riley, groaned.

  Allen Fagan was not a tall man. He was of average height and build with dark chocolate hair and loving, gray eyes. His smile was big and friendly as he brushed past his oldest friend, carrying a stack of research books.

  “You can’t seriously think Camelot stood on the eastern shores of Britain. You know very well evidence has been found to support that it stood near Somerset,” Joe insisted, rubbing at his graying beard.

  “I know what they think, but their digs turned up nothing. I still believe it was along the boundary between Essex and Suffolk.”

  “Your digs didn’t turn up anything either,” Joe reminded him. Her father’s face tightened as he set down the books. He’d never forgotten Aliana’s fall into the hidden chamber.

  Changing the topic, he opened the top book on his stack. “A student brought this to me today.” He flipped through the pages. Handing the book to his friend, Allen pointed to an article. “He seems to think this poem is referring to Excalibur and its true resting place.”

  Her godfather laughed. “So now your student wants to propose a new location of the mythic
al sword?”

  Allen smiled ruefully. “I’m just glad that he’s interested enough to suggest it.”

  Studying the old book, Aliana caught sight of a small red emblem on the cracked spine. It looked like a shield with a Dragon taking flight.

  The Pendragon Crest!

  She rushed forward, trying to see the pages, but she couldn’t move from her spot next to the windows. “Papa, what book is that?” she asked. But he couldn’t hear her.

  The dream started to fade, and Aliana struggled to hold on to it. She wanted more time with her father, but he soon drifted away, the sound of his rich laughter ringing in her ears.

  Gasping, Aliana shot awake. Arms tightened around her when she tried to sit up.

  “What’s wrong?” Galahad’s sleep-thick voice rolled over her.

  Gazing out the window, she saw the red and pink sky colored by the setting sun. She was in Merlin’s home, not her father’s office.

  “Aliana?” Dagg asked from the pillow next to her. She hadn’t even realized the little Dragon was in the room with them.

  Looking up at Galahad, she breathed out, “I think I know how to find Excalibur!”

  Epilogue

  “HOW CAN YOU SMILE at a time like this?” Morgana demanded, storming into Mordrid’s private chamber. She glared down at her smug cousin, who lazily reclined in an overstuffed chair.

  The dark wizard spared a glance at his seething ally before turning back to the mirror he had been studying.

  “They are going to try to find Excalibur next.” Mordrid guffawed. “They still have no idea what that bitch Titania has done. Or that my little spy can get past the new protection spells Merlin laid.”

  “What has Titania done?” Morgana leaned against the chair, her confused eyes meeting Mordrid’s in the mirror.

  “You haven’t figured it out? You followed the bitch queen for half a century before she returned to Avalon.” He tsked at her in mock chastisement.

  His self-aggrandizing gloating grated against the witch’s nerves. She glowered, hating it when Mordrid realized something she didn’t. “I know much about her, and I don’t need reminding of all the men she bedded in those five hundred years.” Morgana choked back a gag.