by Kimbra Swain
“Yes,” he replied.
“Let’s play with the swamp monster,” I grinned.
Shifting to my uber queen form.
“Uber queen form?” Grace asked reading over my shoulder.
“Yeah. You like? I asked.
“No, Levi. Are you typing everything I say or typing your own story?” she asked.
“I’m just making it exciting,” I replied, taunting her just a little bit.
“Did you type the part earlier where I said I was going to knock you into next week?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Good. Type it again for right now,” she smirked. “And get that uber shit out of there.”
“Okay,” I groaned.
Shifting to my winter queen form, the glowing tattoos crossed my body in swirls. My dress shifted to the black mourning dress, and I called out to the creature in the swamp.
“Melusine, I am Grace Ann Bryant, Queen of the Exiles, Daughter of Oberon, come forth,” I called out into the darkness. The water stilled without a ripple. The moon was hidden by thick clouds, and the shadows cast upon shadow.
“You know her name?” Levi whispered.
“Apparently. It’s like I only remembered it just now,” I said.
“Like everything else,” he muttered. “She’s moving closer.”
“Melusine, I command thee as an inhabitant of my realm to speak to me!” I yelled.
The black sheet of glass didn’t move, but the katydids and frogs ceased their song.
“She is there,” Levi said. He was afraid. I could feel it in him. I didn’t have time to explain to him who she was, but I knew now that she wouldn’t hurt me despite what happened to my trailer. She wasn’t after me that day. It was much clearer now that I knew about the ORCs.
“Melusine, I’m not going to ask again. Get your water serpent ass out here,” I yelled.
“I don’t think serpents have asses,” Levi quipped, using humor to mask his fear.
“Shush,” I said as the water rippled. I stepped to the edge. Levi lunged toward me to grab my arm.
“What are you doing?” he said with panic in his eyes. “I’ve pulled you out of there once.”
“And if I need you to do it again, you will,” I countered.
He huffed, then released my arm. “Just don’t. Please.”
The water exploded before us showering us in a thick mist of swamp water. A large serpent raised out of the water, but her head and torso were all woman from her navel to her bare breasts to her head. Her lower body was covered in scales with tiny suction cups on the bottom side like an octopus. She had fins along the back of her body down to a tail shaped like a mermaid which slapped the water.
“You don’t own me, little Queen,” she said towering above us.
“Holy crap,” Levi said.
She rose higher and higher out of the water looking down at us from nearly 10 feet.
“Not technically, but this is my town. I could make you leave,” I said.
“I guard the waters. I cannot leave,” she protested.
“What are you guarding?” I asked. I knew, but I asked anyway. I was in a very provocative mood tonight.
“To be a Queen, you seem to be ignorant,” she said as she slithered back and forth on her tenti-tail. If she wasn’t half fish snake, she would be beautiful. Perhaps that was my folly. It didn’t matter that she had a weird bottom end. She was beautiful nonetheless. I changed my approach. “You weren’t always like this, were you?”
She paused batting her eyelids in confusion. “I can change,” she said.
“Show me,” I said.
“Please,” Levi prompted.
“Stop doing that,” I replied to him. “Please.”
Her tail shifted, splitting in two to become two tails. She raised up on the ends then took two steps. A radiant young woman stood before us. Cascading yellow hair, bright green eyes, and milky smooth skin. It was green, but it was smooth nonetheless. Levi cleared his throat, shifting his feet nervously behind me.
“Don’t act like you’ve never seen a naked woman,” I said.
“They weren’t half-snake, half-fish, half-women either,” he replied.
“That’s too many halves. What are they teaching our kids in school these days?” I said.
“Grace!” he scolded.
I swung around on him, and he was already backing away from me with his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. My bad,” he said. Chicken.
“He’s cute,” she said.
“He’s mine,” I said quickly.
“What?!”
“Shush,” I said.
“No, no, no, no. What did you just say?”
“Levi Rearden, I swear to the goddess if I knew your middle name I’d use it right now,” I said in frustration. The fish woman watched us exchange looks without speaking.
“You should know my name, Grace,” he said.
“You’ve never told me,” I said.
“You never asked,” he replied.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Not now,” he replied.
“Levi!”
He waved my attention back to Melusine who tilted her head trying to figure out what was going on between us.
“We are connected. I can hear him in my head,” I said.
“Oh! I see. Forgive me for insinuating something about your mate,” she said.
Levi laughed.
“Shut up!” I said. Melusine took a step backward. “Oh, no. Not you, honey. That man back there can be distracting.”
“You have no idea,” he said.
I took a deep breath determined to ignore him. “I’m sorry. Now, can you tell me what you’re guarding?” I asked.
“The grand-daughter of the Queen of Summer requested that I guard these waters because she heard that the invasion from the exiles would be made through the mists into Avalon. This is the outskirts of the mists,” she said.
“No, honey. This is just Alabama,” I said.
“Is that near Avalon?’ she asked.
“Close enough,” I replied.
“Oh, well. You and your usurpers’ plot has been discovered. You will enter Avalon through these waters, and although I am sorry, I will have to kill you should you try,” she said.
“I won’t try,” I replied. It was the truth. Up until now, I didn’t realize the significance of the waters. Robin had created a portal like the hedge maze and the church into the Otherworld through the swamp that devoured my trailer. “Is my trailer still down there?”
“It is, but I don’t think it is salvageable,” she said.
I thought of all the things I lost when the trailer went down, however, none of them were as important as my family. That was really the day I lost Dylan. We rushed headlong into the situation without thinking about the consequences. That’s what I was doing in provoking the Lady of the Lake, but if Brockton was calling for the hunt, he would be calling it through these mists. A portal created by Robin. His current wife.
“The important things are still with me,” I said. “Look. We got off on the wrong foot. I received some distressing news about the thinning of the veil, and I must speak with the Nimue as soon as possible. Do you have a way to contact her?”
“Yes, I do, but you promise that it is an emergency?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Very well. Wait here,” she said as she stepped back from me. She flipped backward shifting into the fish-snake woman and swam off into the deep.
I put my hands on my hips and turned to Levi. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“I dunno,” he shrugged.
“What is your middle name?” I asked.
“We aren’t having this discussion now,” he smiled.
Wanker. Fine. I could play dirty too. I shifted the black dress to the revealing silver one that I favored. It was sequined trailer trashy. Four-inch heels and a look to kill, I stalked toward Levi who raised an eyebrow but didn’t budge. I
traced a long nail up the guitar tattoo, and he groaned.
“Grace,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Tell me your middle name,” I said.
He narrowed his eyes at me, and I felt a shift in him. The seduction held no power, but he stepped toward me. I almost stumbled on the heels as I moved to make room between us. He continued to step until I reached the edge of the water.
“Not. Right. Now,” he said defiantly.
If the water hadn’t parted, I would have…
“Would have what?” I asked, interrupting her narrative.
“Done something,” she said.
“Oh! I’m scared,” I mocked.
“Type, bard boy,” she said, pointing at the laptop.
“Bard man. Thank you very much. Don’t make me prove it to you,” I replied.
To that, she grinned. “May I continue?”
“Of course,” I said hovering my hands over the keyboard.
“Tell me how you would prove it,” she said.
“Not now, Grace,” I said, wiggling my suspended fingers.
She rolled her eyes, then continued the story.
A female cleared her throat behind me.
“Oh, Nimue, sorry. Just having a little discussion with my bard,” I said, turning to face her. Levi stood right behind me, and I swore he breathed down my neck just to make me wobble.
“Did I interrupt something?” she asked.
“Nothing important,” I replied.
I expected Levi to comment, instead, he put his hand on my bare back. This dress was a bad idea.
“You summoned me?” she continued.
“I did,” I said trying to gather my thoughts. “It seems as though my Uncle prepares to call for the hunt. However, I was under the impression, along with my knights, that the hunt required a king which he is not, and Excalibur, which I assume he also does not have. The last time I saw my Father’s sword, you had it.”
She waved her hand, and Excalibur rose up from the depths of the swamp. “This sword?” she asked.
“Yes, my father’s sword,” I replied. I could hear the power in the hum of the blade.
“Are you taking your Father’s throne?” she asked.
“I am going to boot my Uncle from the Otherworld before he destroys it,” I said.
She waved her hand again, and the sword sank into the depths. She walked out of the water, and Levi pulled me back as she approached us. “I asked you a question, and like the impertenent child you have always been, you do not answer me!”
Levi pulled harder. “No, we stand our ground,” I said.
I felt him shifting power, then two glowing portal rings appeared. Astor and Troy stepped through one. Tennyson and Jenny stepped through the other. A roar rolled through the town as a giant winged shadow approached us. Luther landed down in all of his fiery glory between the other knights.
“An interesting show of force. Why do you call for backup, Bard?” she asked Levi.
“Loyalty in all battles,” Levi replied.
The last to arrive, Finley, blinked in by our side in full armor with his sword raised. Nimue raised her eyebrow at him. “Finley, have you no objection to your sister ruling?”
“None,” he replied.
“Shouldn’t it be your throne as the male heir?” she asked.
“Male. Female. It doesn’t matter. She is the right one for the job,” he said.
“She cannot possibly wield your Father’s sword,” Nimue said. “All of you stand behind her despite her deficiencies?”
I watched her eyes cross behind Levi and I. I was sure by her look that everyone behind us gave her the nod of approval. It was time to make my move.
“You’re right. I cannot wield Excalibur,” I said. “But Levi can.”
“No!”
“Yes,” I replied softly.
“You have to rule. I don’t want to rule. I’m here to support you,” he argued.
“Ah, let’s see how this goes,” Nimue smiled. She knew I was talking to him. I turned my back on her to face Levi.
“The best thing you can do for me right now is to take up that sword. Not because I’m trying to prevent it from ending up with my uncle, but because I think you deserve it. The sword is not about ruling. It’s about leading. You have shown that you know a few things about that during the time I wasn’t paying attention, but I believe in you,” I said.
His emotions twisted and turned inside of him. Despite the sword training and becoming the next Protector of the Vale, he doubted himself.
“Listen to me, Levi. You told me in the bar that you were here for me in the moments where it was too much for me to handle. That sword is too much for me,” I said.
“Grace, that sword is legendary,” he said, pointing over my shoulder to the swamp behind me.
“It is. One day, there will be people all over the Otherworld, Shady Grove, and beyond that will talk about the Bard who took up the sword and became a King,” I said.
“She is right, Levi. I think it belongs with you,” Tennyson said.
“Indeed,” Astor echoed.
Levi stood silently as he searched through his thoughts and emotions. We had bantered and played, but I had turned the tables. His eyes finally met mine.
“She isn’t offering it to me,” he whispered.
I heard the waters shift behind me. I knew she had lifted the sword from the swamp once again.
“Let’s see if you’re worthy,” she said.
The waters sloshed behind me, and I twisted to see that she had flung the sword across the street. It hummed as it flew over us, then embedded itself in a large rock which sat beside the “Welcome to Shady Grove” sign. It gleamed in the darkness.
Knowing the histories written by Taliesin, I knew the sword in the stone wasn’t Excalibur, but the Lady in the Lake didn’t seem to care about the old traditions. In a way, I supposed she did. She wanted Levi to prove himself. I also knew the sword chose the wielder, not the other way around.
“Tennyson, pull the sword,” Nimue ordered.
“As you wish, Mother,” he said. I had forgotten that the Lady of the Lake had raised Lancelot.
He walked over to the sword. His own hung from a sheath at his side. He removed his expensive suit jacket and handed it to Jenny. She took it, then stepped away. Wrapping his tattooed hands around the hilt, he pulled. His muscles under his shirt flexed, but the sword did not move.
“I cannot pull it,” he grunted as he tugged one last time. He nodded to Levi, then stepped back.
“Astor, pull the sword,” Nimue ordered.
“I have no desire for the sword,” he said with a bow.
“Pretend you do,” she said urging him on. She was providing an object lesson for my bard. I knew he deserved it. I knew he was worthy or I would have never proposed it. She wanted him to see that none of these other knights deserved it. Even Virgin Astor.
Astor approached the sword. He bent his knees like a lumberjack that was in full swing with an ax while wrapping a red freckled paw around the hilt. He pulled with a grunt. His face turned the same color as his hair as he strained. The sword did not move.
“Would you like to try, Finley?” she asked. “Or either of you, wolf and ifrit?”
“No, my Lady,” Finley responded.
I saw Troy and Luther shake their heads.
“It is left up to you, Levi Rearden,” she said.
“Grace should try,” he said.
This was going to take more convincing. “What if I take it up? Huh? When the hunt comes, can you see me standing on a battlefield, more than likely right here with that thing in my hands?” I asked holding my hands up to him. “They would mow me over if that were my weapon of choice. I choose you as my weapon. To stand with me when the veil thins and the darkness pours through. You have been a light for me since the moment you walked into my life. With that sword, you will be a beacon for all of us.”
His emotions shifted again. When he looked up at me, I saw the
boldness in his eyes. I had convinced him. Almost.
“You go get that sword before I jerk a knot in your tail!” I said.
“Damn, Grace,” he grinned. His back straightened and his shoulders leveled. I saw the muscles in his arms flexing. He pulled no power into his tattoo. He played no song. He wanted to take the sword on his own, and suddenly I looked upon him as I had never allowed myself to do.
Up until this moment, I still saw that Levi who sat on my couch brooding because he’d been torn away from his witch girlfriend. A broken, confused boy. I had taken his devotion to me back then as a crush that would fade. However, it had grown into a friendship and a love that I had never expected.
My heart longed for the warm touch of Dylan, but it also saw the light that was the man that Levi had become. The Otherworld didn’t break him. He made the hard decisions from a pure heart and a desire to do the right thing. It was why he didn’t care about defying me when he was right, and I was wrong. He would protect this town no matter what Brockton threw at us. We would stand together to do it.
Back when he swore the blood oath to me, I didn’t hesitate to make us equals. Some of our closest friends knew about that oath, but the sword would show all of the supernatural realms that I stood with him.
I believed that if I tried to pull that sword, it would come to me. It was mine by right.
Nimue spoke softly behind me, “As the King’s daughter, yes, it would, but only if you accepted it as well. Your faith in him is unexpected.”
“Surprised me, too,” I whispered back.
Levi stood next to the stone with his eyes on the sword. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” I answered.
No stance or flexing required, Levi reached for the sword, and it jumped into his hand. A force of magic surged out of the ground beneath our feet rushing toward him. The glowing blue power ignited the sword like a shining beacon. His tattoo glowed with power as he stared at the sword in his hands. He turned toward me, holding it before him. His face was brightened by the light and magic swirled around his blue eyes. There would be no mistaking his power now. I just hoped he didn’t form an ego. Our house was only big enough for mine.
