Claiming Excalibur Read online

  “It’s possible but Avalon isn’t a land of heroes,” Dagg answered.

  “The Isle is,” Merlin said with a heavy tone of foreboding.

  “The Isle?” Dawn asked.

  “The Isle of the Blessed,” Dagg clarified. “It’s Queen Titania’s realm and home to the Fae and those who have proven themselves worthy in life.”

  “Like heroes,” Percy stated.

  “The queen must have been involved in hiding Excalibur,” Galahad said, voicing Aliana’s thoughts.

  “Then we need to go to the Isle next,” Aliana said.

  “Before we go anywhere, there’s another matter we must address.” Merlin’s voice was even, but the grim look in his eyes and the way he looked at her, and then Arthur wasn’t a good sign. “It appears Mordrid and Morgana do indeed have an informant here.”

  Aliana bristled. The guys had told her their suspicions on the ride home. “Look, we don’t know Uncle Joe is in league with them!” Just because her godfather had acted strangely earlier and had one of her mother’s necklaces didn’t mean he was a traitor.

  “Ya gotta admit it was a damn odd coincidence he had the book we needed hidden, lied to you about where it was, and that you guys were attacked leaving his office,” Percy said.

  “Coincidence, not proof!” Dawn spoke harshly. Joe was just as good of a friend to her mother as he’d been to Aliana’s parents.

  “You know what they say about coincidences, lass.” Leo seemed reluctant to side against the girls.

  “They take a lot of planning,” Owen finished.

  Aliana’s temper sparked. She’d already lost too many people she cared about and been hurt by their secrets. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—stand the thought that the last father figure she had in her life could betray her. “None of you have any proof! Until you do, he’s innocent!”

  Galahad took her hand. “We may not know for sure, but it wouldn’t be smart or safe to go on blind faith alone.”

  “Galahad is right,” Arthur said. “But so is Aliana.” Aliana’s eyes shot to his, surprised. “We didn’t pass judgment on people in Camelot without a trial and proof of a crime. We’ll remain cautious and vigilant, but we won’t condemn a man without clear evidence first.”

  Aliana’s body relaxed, grateful that someone besides the girls was willing to see sense.

  “Then we should focus on trying to figure out our next move,” Galahad said, looking to Merlin. “Do you know anyone who may be able help us find the relics?”

  “Maybe,” the Druid said. “I’m still waiting to hear from my friend in Olympus about the Grail. He may have a few ideas or at least know whom we can talk to.”

  “Who’s your friend?” Dawn asked.

  “His name is Rothik. He teaches those who come to Olympus about their magic.”

  “Olympus was the home of the Greek gods, not a…school,” Lacy said, confusion furrowing her brows.

  “Perhaps now would be a good time for a history lesson on the seven realms,” Dagg suggested. He jumped from Aliana’s lap onto the coffee table where he could see all of them better.

  “Lovely idea,” Owen and Leo said together.

  The Dragon cleared his throat. “All the seven realms are derived from the mortal realm, without which they couldn’t exist. It’s the land that binds the other realms in reality. Because of those roots, it’s the only one to have gates leading to all the lands, and that makes it the only realm in which beings and creatures from all six other realms can survive,” Dagg said.

  “I don’t get it,” Dawn said.

  “It means,” Merlin said, “That a member of an Atlantian tribe couldn’t survive for long in, say, Tir Na Nog, which is a land of pure magic. An escaped person or creature from the Underworld couldn’t even enter Avalon or the Isle of the Blessed, but they could get a foothold in the mortal realm.”

  “I think I get it,” Lacy said. “But what about a human trying to go to one of the other realms?”

  “To even find a gate, a human would have to possess some kind of magic or a link to one of the other realms, be it his or her own magic passed down by blood or a very powerful magical object that acts as a conduit,” Merlin explained.

  “Is that why when we first traveled to Avalon it felt as if our blood was being burned away?” Galahad asked, sitting forward.

  “Yes,” Merlin said. “Once the Fae queen bound us to Arthur, it infused you and Lancelot with magic, making you able to enter any realm that contains similar magic.” Merlin looked around the room to all his brothers-in-arms and the girls. “I suspect that all the knights have some trace of the queen’s magic in them because of the prophecy.”

  Merlin and Dagg studied Dawn and Lacy closely.

  “I believe that you two may be connected to all of this somehow,” Dagg said with a reassuring smile. “You will both have your parts to play in this quest. But we don’t know what those roles are yet.”

  Both girls looked at each other for a long moment then turned to Aliana. “Guess you’re stuck with us then,” Dawn said. She had a slightly paler color to her skin than normal.

  At least, Aliana thought, I’m not the only one slightly freaked out by all this.

  “So what about the other realms?” Wade asked, drawing the conversation back on track.

  “The realm that is most similar to the mortal realm is Atlantis,” Dagg said, his ageless voice lightening. “Atlantis’s population is made up of dozens of different tribes. Their lands are vast and wild, untainted by any kind of modern influence and home to only a few distinct types of creatures.” Dagg’s eyes went to Galahad. “A certain type of Gargoyle being one of them.”

  Galahad frowned, his eyes going to Arthur and Merlin.

  “What’s the significance of a Gargoyle?” Dawn asked.

  Lancelot explained, “We’re trying to figure out where the Gargoyle that stole the Grail of Power may have taken it. From what Galahad described, we believe the creature may have been from Atlantis.”

  “Certain tribes worship items of great power like the Grail,” Merlin added.

  “What exactly does the Grail of Power do? Is it the Holy Grail?” Lacy asked.

  “It is the original Grail. Many historians and record keepers have transformed the story of it, but our Grail of Power is one that was created eons ago from the magic of all the realms by a very powerful Dragon. It has the power to restore what has been lost and to heal people on the verge of death. It even has the power to bring those who have died back to life.” Dagg’s words had all the girls and even a few of the guys gasping with eyes wide and unbelieving.

  “Does that…” Aliana started to ask, but Dagg cut her off.

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “It can only bring those who’ve recently died back to life. You have only hours after a person dies to have them drink from the Grail.”

  Aliana’s eyes dropped and her shoulders slumped. For a split second she’d had hope of seeing her parents again.

  “I am sorry, Aliana.” Galahad rested his lips close to her ear and squeezed her hand.

  “Which realm is next?” Owen asked, his eyes somber like Aliana’s. Everyone in the room had people they wished they could have back to see and hold again.

  “Olympus is a realm rooted in magic of all kinds,” Dagg continued. “In ancient times the twelve priests and priestesses who ruled there were considered gods by the people of the mortal realm, thus creating the mythos of the Greek, Roman, Celtic, and other cultures’ gods. Those twelve rulers knew the secrets of all the different magics. They were so in tuned with it that they could become the magic and create it from nothing. But they were greedy and vain and didn’t want to share the secret of their great power with others. After the war of the realms, most of them fell, taking the majority of their secrets with them forever. But the descendants of those priests and priestesses have taken their lesson and now teach many beings how to use their magic.”

  “So it’s a hybrid version of Hogwarts and Camp Half-Blood,�
�� Dawn joked. Lacy and Aliana laughed while Lancelot and Merlin scowled. Even Wade, Percy, Leo, and Owen grinned.

  Dagg rolled his purple eyes in exasperation and continued on. “Tir Na Nog is a land of pure magic, wild and untamed, which is why the clans of DragonKind make it their home. Yet Dragons are found in all the realms because of their ties to their power sources. There are few people with the raw power to survive Tir Na Nog without some kind of bond to a Dragon or other creature of that realm.”

  “I don’t think my brain can handle an explanation of what DragonKind is right now,” Aliana said, shaking her head. Dawn and Lacy shared her dazed look of information overload. “So I think we should table that one for another lesson.”

  “Fair enough,” Dagg said, chuckling. “The Underworld is exactly what all cultures think of it. It’s the land of the dead where all the restless and un-purged souls go, ruled by the Underlord. Fae, Elves, Sidhe, Druids, and humans alike can end up there if they prove unworthy of entering the Blessed afterlife. It’s a treacherous place of fire and brimstone of Biblical proportions, as you humans would say. The Underlord is one of the four greatest powers in existence.”

  Aliana leaned forward and asked, “Is this Underlord like Hades or the devil?”

  Dagg sighed and nodded. “He’s known by many different names in hundreds of cultures.” The Dragon paused. “He’s also amenable to someone who offers him a good deal. But there’s nothing I know of in any realm that he would want.”

  Aliana sat back again and gulped. He sounded terrifying, but he also sounded like Titania, in a way. He was a schemer—out to do what favored his own interests. Maybe they could find a way to get him on their side.

  Owen shifted like an anxious child. “Which realm is next?” the Brit asked.

  Dagg answered, “Avalon, ruled by King Oberon.”

  8

  I can’t help thinking of my clan’s elder, Silzik. His knowledge of the realms and their treasures is unparalleled. He may be our best hope for finding where Excalibur rests on the Isle. But finding him won’t be easy. I’ll need to return home to Tir Na Nog for information. The other Dragons won’t be pleased by my return though. They’ve always believed me an abomination because of my circumstances. They consider being tied to a human—especially at the doing of a Fae—the same as being a discarded thing. Silzik was the only one to ever show me real acceptance.

  ~Dagg

  ALIANA RECALLED AVALON’S ROLLING GREEN VALLEY filled with stunning flowers and the crystal clear lake where the Lady of the Lake guarded the gate to Avalon. She also remembered the dark Sidhe creatures and the stale, cold, and terrifying feel of them and their keep, the place that had held both Galahad and Dagg prisoner for hundreds of years.

  “Avalon is often confused with the Isle of the Blessed because of the king’s union with the Fae queen and also because, like the Isle, Avalon is a refuge for many magical races and creatures. It’s second only to Tir Na Nog. The Red Wind forest is so named because it’s home to the largest colony of Fire Birds in all the seven realms.”

  Lacy gasped, nearly jumping out of her seat in excitement. “You mean a Phoenix? They’re real?”

  “Not only that, but the Red Wind forest, which covers eighty percent of Avalon, is also the only place where you’ll find Elves. The Elven race carries with them several powerful magical traits. King Oberon gives them safe shelter because their power makes his land stronger.”

  “So he and Avalon are like a power syphon?” Wade asked, rubbing his hand on his cheek.

  Merlin nodded. “Before my banishment from Avalon, I could also draw on its great power no matter where I was in the realms.”

  Merlin rarely mentioned his punishment for betraying his vow and leaving Arthur and his brother knights in Avalon. Aliana studied him. His eyes were downcast and his lips drawn tight. If Lancelot was hurting so badly, was it possible Merlin was as well? Arthur, Galahad, and the others clearly had no problem accepting Merlin’s story about why he’d left Avalon—to search out Morgana and keep her from freeing Mordrid. What right did she have to think otherwise?

  But the nagging suspicion that there was more to his story refused to leave. Maybe one of the reasons Merlin believed her Uncle Joe could be a traitor was because he didn’t want to feel like the only one. She’d just have to find a better time, away from everyone else, to try to get the full answer.

  “How did Titania and Oberon come to marry?” Lacy asked, pulling Aliana’s wayward thoughts back to the conversation.

  “Both their realms derive their power from the races and magical creatures that inhabit their lands. The other realms do not. The two monarchs decided that binding their land together by union would be the surest defense against the stronger realms and rulers,” Dagg explained. “It was an affair many tried to stop for fear of how strong the united realms might become, but the king and queen persisted, and that’s how their realms have prospered for so long.

  “The Isle of the Blessed, like its opposite realm, the Underworld, has been called many things—the Elysian Fields, Valhalla, and the like. The only humans the Fae queen deems worthy to live there are those who’ve proven themselves in the mortal realm. She allows only the strongest and most powerful to live in her lands. The majority of her populace are Fae, Nymphs, and the beings most closely related to them: Pixies and Sprites.”

  “What’s next, the Goblin King and Peter Pan?” Dawn asked.

  Merlin sighed. “Getting back to the original topic, it seems the Isle is our next step.”

  “Before we leave we need to narrow down where Excalibur may be on the Isle,” Arthur said.

  They all looked from one to another. Dagg was the first to break the silence. “There’s one who may be able to shed some light.”

  “Who?” Lancelot asked.

  “The oldest member of my DragonClan. He is both wise and magnanimous. There’s very little in the seven realms he doesn’t know about.”

  “Where is he?” Aliana asked.

  Dagg shook his angular head. “I’m not sure. I lost track of his location after my imprisonment. It could take me a day or two to locate him again and ask for the information we need.”

  “Where do we go to start?” Aliana felt a spark of excitement at the idea of traveling to another realm.

  “We don’t,” Dagg said. “I do. I’ll need to return to Tir Na Nog.”

  A heavy feeling settled in the pit of Aliana’s stomach.

  “You mean you’re leaving Aliana’s side?” Arthur asked, sounding as confused as Aliana felt. She’d never expected her Dragon guardian to leave her for any reason.

  “We’re fully bonded now,” Dagg explained, jumping into Aliana’s lap. She immediately closed her arms around his scaled body and stroked her hands over the leathery wings riddled with veins of silver. “That bond will allow me to return at a moment’s notice if she needs me.” He looked at Galahad then to Arthur and the others. “But I trust you all will keep her from getting into too much trouble before I return.”

  “Hey!” Aliana cried indignantly.

  “We’ll keep her safe and occupied, Lord Daggerhorne,” Galahad promised, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend with a hot look in his blue eyes.

  Dagg chuckled. “Yes, I believe so. I’ll return as soon as I know where to find him.”

  Merlin stood, followed by Arthur and Lancelot. “Then now is as good a time as any,” the Druid said.

  Aliana’s arms instinctively tightened around her scaly guardian. “Now?” She hoped she didn’t sound as panicked as she felt. “Shouldn’t we wait a day or so? Maybe your friend Rothik will get here soon and have our answers.”

  “Everything will be all right, Aliana,” Dagg assured her in her mind. “But it’s nice to know you’ll miss me.”

  Aliana scowled at the Dragon. “Shut it, fly boy.”

  Feeling anxious about Dagg leaving was unexpected. Through their bond, the Dragon was always with her, even when he wasn’t right next to her, so it shouldn’t bo
ther her for him to go to another realm. She was also surprised that she wasn’t more excited about the chance to feel like a normal girl for a while without her tagalong guardian.

  “How will you find a gate to Tir Na Nog?” she asked.

  “I don’t need one. Tir Na Nog is in my blood. Its wild magic is a part of me. I can create a tear between any realm and it whenever I need to.”

  “But that kind of magic must have a cost!” Aliana’s anxiety spiked. Using such strong magic always left her shaking and weak. It was only when Dagg made contact with her that she’d feel better. What if he was too weak to get back?

  “Relax, Aliana,” Galahad whispered against her ear.

  Dagg jumped from Aliana’s arms into the air. Galahad stood and took Aliana’s empty hands to pull her to her feet. Sparks danced up her arms, almost instantly soothing her panic.

  As the group moved outside, Dawn looped her arm through one of Aliana’s. “This is going to be so cool! Lacy told me about the magic portal she saw in England. I can’t wait to see this one!”

  Dagg flew up to Aliana, hovering before her. “I’ll return soon. You won’t even realize I’m gone.”

  She gave him a small smile. “I doubt that.”

  The Dragon smiled tenderly and told everyone to stand back. His entire body started to shimmer with silver and purple magic. His amethyst eyes lit up like spotlights. Holding out a claw, Dagg drew a sparkling circle in the air just large enough for him to fly through. The flaring magic opened to a mist-filled hole. A pair of molten purple orbs peeked through, seeming to evaluate Dagg. Lightning snapped across the portal, and Dagg smiled. He looked back at Aliana and nodded before zooming into the opening. The dimensional tear snapped shut with a resounding pop.

  “That was fun!” Owen chirped. “What’s next?”

  Wade answered first. “I need to go to my house for more clothes. We’ll clearly be staying here for a while.”

  “I’ll go with you, bro,” Lacy said.

  Dawn added, “And I should go see my mom again. Give her a little face time since I may not see her for a while.”