Knight of Darkness

by Kinley MacGregor

  She felt him lifting the hem of her skirt so that he could skim his hand along her thigh. Her entire body heated in sweet expectation. But before he could touch her, the door to his room crashed open.

  Merewyn pulled back with a gasp to see Merlin and Nimue standing there. Black armor instantly appeared on Varian’s body as he released her.

  “What have you done?” Merlin demanded, his eyes blazing red.

  Varian knew better than to answer until Merlin explained his anger. “What?”

  “Morgen has an army marching across the moat, heading into the valley.”

  “What?”

  Merlin’s anger was only matched by Nimue’s as she stepped forward. “You heard him. Someone has betrayed us.”

  He felt Merewyn stiffen, and suddenly he knew what she’d traded for his life. He placed a comforting hand on her as he kept her behind him, away from the two who would kill her if they ever learned the truth.

  “I will deal with her,” Varian said.

  “How?”

  “She wants me, remember? I’ll take care of it.”

  Merlin curled his lip at him. “You damn well better.” The two of them vanished immediately.

  Varian stood and turned to help Merewyn to her feet. “Woman, what have you done?”

  Anger glared in her eyes.

  “It’s all right,” he tried to soothe her. He led her from the room to where Blaise and Beau were waiting. “I’m sending the three of you over to Avalon.”

  Blaise arched a brow at that. “What about you?”

  “I’ve got something to do.”

  Merewyn grabbed his arm and shook her head no.

  He covered her hand with his. “I have to. Merlin will kill you if he finds out what you’ve done, and I can’t risk Morgen or my mother capturing you again.” He gently pushed her toward Blaise. “Take her to Merlin and tell her that I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

  “And if you don’t make it back?”

  “I’ll make it back.”

  There was no denying the skepticism in Blaise’s gaze. But Varian didn’t have time for it. Before anyone else could protest, he shot all of them into the next realm.

  And then he laughed as he felt his powers coursing through him. Oh yeah. It was good to him. Good to be a Merlin…

  Now he had a bit of a debt to pay.

  Leaning his head back, he extended his arms and took a deep breath to channel the elements around him. Elemental power flowed through him like hot wine.

  “You can’t face her alone.”

  He jerked at the deep, heavily accented voice. Reaching for the hilt of his sword, he spun to find a lean man dressed all in brown leather, who wore a cowl pulled low over his head. He stood with his legs wide apart and his arms folded over his chest. He was dressed as an archer, complete with a quiver of arrows and carved longbow crossed over his back. And over his left shoulder he wore a thin, black leather baldric that held a plain, foot soldier’s sword.

  All Varian could see of the stranger’s face was his brown goatee and a bit of chiseled cheek. He had no idea of the man’s features or age, but something about him seemed ancient. Wise.

  Formidable.

  Which meant he was most likely foe. “Who the hell are you?”

  “I’m called Faran.”

  Varian frowned at the name that in Old English meant traveler. “What are you doing here?”

  A deep laugh rolled out from him. “Hiding from Emrys. He’d be rather peeved to find me here in his domain.”

  Varian narrowed his gaze as something in the stranger’s voice sounded eerily familiar. “Do I know you?”

  “Doubtful. I don’t even know myself most days.”

  What a strange individual. But that was neither here nor there. “Look, I don’t—”

  “Have time to deal with the likes of me. I know. You’re about to head off to commit suicide. God forbid I should intervene with that, huh?”

  Varian scowled at the playful note in the man’s voice. “Who are you?”

  “Like you, I’m just another hemorrhoid on Morgen’s ass. And if you’re going to irritate her, then I think I should join ranks with you.”

  Varian wasn’t sure if he could trust this man or not, but he strangely liked his outlook on life. “Why would you help me?”

  “Because you need it. Even a champion needs someone to lend him a hand from time to time. Trust me. That was the hardest lesson I had to learn in my life.”

  Again he had the strangest sensation of familiarity. He tried to peer under the cowl, but the man stepped back and lowered his head. “We have to move quickly to head them off. Right now, Morgen doesn’t know Nimue and Merlin are alive, but if her envoy makes it past Sagremor, she will.”

  “How can she not know?”

  “Good question. Wish I had an answer for it. I don’t know why her informant withheld that bit. Maybe to play both sides, or maybe the informant felt like he owed Merlin something.”

  A shiver went down his spine at what Faran was telling him. Did he know the informant was a she or was the man testing him to see if he knew the answer? “Do you know who the informant is?”

  “The real question, Varian, is do you?”

  “How do you know me?”

  He gave a light laugh. “I make it a point to know all of Morgen’s hemorrhoids by name. Gives me something to do on a Sunday night rather than watch bad TV reruns.”

  Varian scowled. “You’re not going to answer a straight question, are you?”

  “Lesson two, there’s no such thing as a straight question—just as there’s no such thing as a simple answer. The more simple it seems on the surface, the more complicated it is on the bottom. Now are we going to turn back the tide of unholy goons or should we stand here philosophizing until they come knocking on the door?”

  “Let’s go turn them back.” He gestured toward the door. “After you.”

  Faran laughed. “Good man. Trust no one at your back.”

  “Lesson three?”

  “No, I came out of the womb with that one already in place.”

  “And yet you’re trusting me?”

  Faran’s answer came as a bright flash. One moment they were inside the cottage and in the next they were on the bridge where Sagremor had confronted Varian only days before.

  Varian noted that he wasn’t at Faran’s back. He was at his side. Shaking his head, he pulled his sword. “How long…”

  He didn’t even get to finish the question before the small band of Adoni broke through the woods.

  Varian cursed. “Where’s Sagremor?”

  “He can’t manifest until they touch the bridge. Besides, we don’t want him here if we can help it. His mist will only blind us from our targets.”

  Good point.

  The Adoni split apart, literally. In a bright flash of light, the four men became eight, then sixteen, then thirty-two. It was a good trick that came from a spell of Morgen’s, and it was one she’d used to her advantage against the knights of the Round Table at Camlann.

  This was going to get ugly.

  Faran pulled the longbow from his back and nocked two arrows into place. “They’ll think you’re still bound, so we have a slight advantage.”

  “‘Slight’ being the key word, right?”

  Faran laughed.

  “Have we missed the action?”

  Varian jerked around to find Merrick, Derrick, and Erik. “What are you doing here?”

  “Merlin sent out a call to everyone to get ready in case we’re invaded. We figured you’d be here to hold the line.”

  “Is anyone else coming?” Faran asked.

  Derrick shook his head. “Merlin’s counting on Varian to win; otherwise, Merlin’s going to blast him.”

  “Into pieces,” Merrick added.

  “Oh goodie.” Varian left every ounce of his sarcasm in his voice.

  “Varian duFey!” a dark-haired Adoni shouted. “Surrender to us, and no one will be harmed.”

  V
arian snorted. “I daresay I would be harmed in that action.”

  “But your companions will go free.”

  “Screw them. If they can’t beat your rotten asses, they deserve to die.”

  “Hey!” Merrick snapped. “I resent that.”

  Derrick pulled his sword. “Yeah, but it’s true.”

  Varian frowned at Derrick’s actions. “I thought you were a lover and not a fighter.”

  “Yeah well, sometimes you have to fight for love, or in this case, life. They come across this bridge, and there won’t be enough left of me to seduce anyone.”

  He had a point.

  Varian summoned his magick as he watched the Adoni pull their swords and mount their assault.

  Faran let fly his arrows. Like the Adoni, they split apart as soon as they left the bow and formed a dozen arrows that took out seven of the Adoni. Five of them dissolved, proving that they weren’t real, while two hit the ground and rolled in agony. Erik howled in victory.

  Varian sent out a blast while Faran reached for more arrows. Unfortunately, that blast was ineffectual against Morgen’s magick.

  Faran let fly more arrows. They embedded into the Adoni, but those who weren’t hit merely split apart into even more attackers.

  Varian cursed.

  “We’ll have to burn the bridge,” Faran said as he launched more arrows.

  Varian was completely aghast. “What?”

  Faran lowered the bow, and even though Varian couldn’t see Faran’s face, he could tell the man was giving him a penetrating glare. “Morgen won the last battle fought here. Let’s keep history from repeating itself. Burn her to the ground.”

  “What about Sagremor?”

  “It’ll free his soul. It’s the best thing for him.”

  Merrick frowned. “What about the forest? No one will be able to cross into the valley. When Morgen banishes her lovers, they’ll be trapped with the Sylphs.”

  Faran showed no mercy there. “When you bed with the devil, you should expect to suffer in hell.”

  “As one of those people in hell, I resent that.”

  “Resent later,” Faran snapped. “Right now we’re about to be overrun.” He fired more arrows, then took off running toward the Adoni.

  Merrick’s gaze bored into Varian. “You’re not really going to burn it, are you?”

  “We have to protect Merlin and the others. You guys cross to the back, and I’ll take care of it from the front.” Varian turned to leave and the instant he did, a bad feeling went through him.

  Two seconds later, he knew what had caused it.

  Merrick raised his sword and lunged. He angled the blade so that it slid up beneath Varian’s hauberk.

  Varian hissed as the sword stroke laid open his back. His ears buzzing, he could hear Erik cheering his brother on.

  “What are you doing?” Derrick demanded.

  Merrick twisted the blade and shoved it even deeper into Varian’s body. “We’re getting back into Morgen’s good graces. All we have to do is deliver him to her and she’ll give Erik back his body and we can go free.”

  Varian wanted to call out and warn Faran, who was already engaging the Adoni, but the wound had collapsed his lung. All he could manage was a short, sharp breath as he tasted his own blood. So much for trusting anyone at his back…

  “Morgen!” Merrick called out. “We’re—” His words broke off as Derrick struck him hard.

  Varian was thrown forward as Merrick’s fall jerked the sword out of his body.

  Derrick head-butted his brother before he came to Varian’s side and put Varian’s arm around his shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you off the bridge so we can burn it.”

  Erik ran at Derrick and bit him. Derrick kicked his brother back. “I’m not betraying you, you idiot. I’m saving your life.”

  Still, Erik screamed, while Derrick helped Varian off the ground. Faran was doing a remarkable job, but not even he could hold back the multiplying Adoni.

  As they reached the edge of the bridge, Merrick shoved Derrick forward. Derrick let go, and Varian slid to the ground. He was too injured even to stand. All he could feel was the excruciating pain and a strange numbness.

  “Give us him.”

  “No.”

  Merrick attacked.

  Derrick grabbed him in a headlock. “Fire the bridge.”

  Varian could barely focus on the bridge as his sight dimmed. He cursed as he coughed up blood. Even so, he forced himself to summon his magick. His body charging, he sent a blast straight at the wood. It immediately ignited.

  The fire spread over the bridge like waves over a shore. And as it burned, he saw the image of Sagremor. The knight stood in the center with his sword drawn. He stared at the flames as if he couldn’t believe it, then, with a peaceful look on his face, he saluted Varian with the sword before he vanished into the smoke.

  Still the brothers fought.

  Varian heard someone approaching him. He rolled over, trying to get to his feet to fight them off.

  He struggled for his sword. Looking up, he glimpsed…

  No, it couldn’t be.

  And the next thing he knew, everything went black.

  Chapter 18

  Varian came awake slowly. He waited for the pain to return, but it didn’t. Instead, he felt a gentle hand in his hair and smelled the scent of rosemary and lavender.

  Opening his eyes, he didn’t see the grayness of the forest or hear the sounds of battle. He saw sunlight spilling in through an open window. And he was lying on the floor in Aquila Penmerlin’s chambers.

  “Feeling better?” Merlin asked as she stared at him with her head cocked.

  Varian frowned until he saw Merewyn and Blaise behind her. Merewyn offered him a smile, which he returned before he spoke to Blaise. “You healed me?”

  Blaise nodded. “Couldn’t leave you to bleed all over the floor. You were making an awful mess. Glad I don’t have to clean it up.”

  Merewyn rolled her eyes at the mandrake before she withdrew her hand.

  Varian frowned as he noted who was missing from their group. “Where’s Faran?”

  “Faran?” Blaise asked.

  “He had to leave,” Merlin explained.

  Blaise duplicated Varian’s scowl. “Who’s Faran?”

  “A friend.” Merlin stepped back as Varian rolled to his feet. “How are you feeling?”

  “I have to say I’m getting really tired of being stabbed and bespelled.”

  Merlin looked past him to where Merewyn was rising. “I have to say I think Merewyn is getting as sick of it as you are.”

  He could just imagine since the poor woman seemed to be the only one to tend him whenever he was down. But that didn’t explain what’d happened.

  If Merewyn hadn’t sold out their location to break his spell…

  The brothers?

  “Where are the triplets?” he asked Blaise.

  “Derrick is in the TV room fixated on Lost reruns. Merrick and Erik are cooling their heels downstairs in lockup.”

  They got off rather easy, and something in that went against his grain. “You should have turned them over to Emrys.”

  “I thought about it. But my father would have killed them, and Derrick would have felt guilty that he’d saved your life by sacrificing theirs. This way he gets to be a good guy with no regrets.”

  The mandrake was a lot wiser than he appeared. “Where’s Beau?”

  “Off with Garafyn, and that’s a mighty scary thought, huh? God help us if he picks up any of Garafyn’s personality. We’ll have to make gravel out of him.”

  Varian had to agree with that. Garafyn was an acquired taste—like drinking formaldehyde.

  Varian turned back toward Merlin. “Has Merewyn told you the good news?”

  “What news?”

  “She knows the identity of our traitor.”

  Merlin’s eyes widened. “Is she sure?”

  Merewyn nodded.

  “She knows him by sight,” Varian e
xplained. “But not by name.”

  “Then we will have to take care and keep her hidden until she can find him. If he sees her first, he’ll probably try to kill her.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  Blaise cleared his throat. “Well, while it’s amazingly fun to watch you two make goo-goo eyes at each other—and please note the sarcasm in my voice, I think I’m going to go bug Seren and Kerrigan for a bit. Check in on the baby and all that. See you later.” He vanished out of the room.

  Merlin laughed at his departure. “He’s so glad to have his powers back. What about you?”

  “You have to ask?”

  Merlin started away from them, then paused as if something painful went through her.

  Varian steadied her with his hand. “Are you all right?”

  Her face was terribly pale. “Morgen is summoning me.”

  “Summoning you how?”

  She held her hand out, and a small crystal globe flew from the table beside Varian, toward her. It hung in the air, spinning until an iridescent red light emanated from the center of it. The light cast a spooky glow all over them as it formed the face of Morgen.

  She stared at the three of them as if they were the lowest of life-forms. That was something amusing coming from the Queen Bitch.

  Morgen glared at Merlin. “You have something that belongs to me.”

  “I really don’t think so.”

  “Oh yes. You do.”

  “And what, pray tell do you lay claim to?”

  “Merewyn of Mercia.”

  Varian took Merewyn’s hand in his as he put himself between her and the globe. “Like hell.”

  “Watch your mouth, Varian,” Narishka snapped from the background. “I taught you better than that.”

  “Of course you did, mum, but I have two ladies here with me, and I don’t want to offend them with the language I learned from you.”

  An evil laugh rippled out of Morgen’s throat. “That’s no way to soften her up, Varian.” Her gaze went to Merlin. “The chit is our property. We demand her back.”

  Varian ground his teeth in anger. “Over my dead body.”

  “Those terms are acceptable to us.”

  Varian wanted to reach through the orb and kill them both. If only he could.