Ruby Morgan Box Set: Books 6-10

by LJ Rivers

  Brendan did a spit-take, painting the table with foamy ale. “Come on, Char. That’s not fair!”

  I sighed, but had to smile at her old Airplane! quote. “What do you think, Pullhelli?”

  “Rowan knows his way around the alleys of Nidra, both in and out of the shadows. And, as he said, there might be some valuable help to gather from it.”

  “You might want to stop by Vivana on your way,” Pullhelli said. “There aren’t many Fae left there, but they are all loyal to Avalon. Come to think of it, while you’re there, you could do a lot worse than to pay Lorekeeper Trevin a visit. He spent more than fifty years as an erudite in the royal libraries of Avalen.”

  “I’d love that,” Charlie said. “Lorekeeper Virgil speaks highly of Trevin, as do all the erudites in Avalen. I have a thing or two I’d like to ask him about ancient magic.”

  There was nothing about sending Charlie to Mynydd Dewin that appealed to me, but I had to see this from a strictly tactical point of view.

  “Very well. How long will the journey take, do you think?”

  “If they sail tomorrow morning,” Goff said, “they should hit land in three days, maybe four if the winds are low.”

  Rowan ticked off the numbers on his fingers. “Three days there, a few days talking to people, three days back, maybe four if we have to dodge some of Auberon’s ships along the coast.”

  I nodded reluctantly. “That leaves Jen, Pullhelli, Brendan, and myself. Is there a way to get us safely to Talani?”

  “Take my sloop,” Halwyn said. “Go around Avalon on the south side, to Pixilon. After that, it’s straight north to Gwyn Tala Port.”

  “That’s a week’s travel time, maybe more.” The old Sorcerer tapped the pommel of his staff against his chin in thought. “I concur, however. It’s the safest route at present.”

  I drew in a deep breath. “So, we’ll part ways in the morning, then. I can’t say I like it, but I guess it’s the only way forward. Any suggestions as to where and when we meet up again?”

  “What about Galahad’s castle in Pixilen?” Pullhelli said. “We could all go there.”

  “If Rowan and I are already up north, I think we will go directly to Talani instead of heading to Pixilen on our own.” Charlie pushed her glasses up on her nose. “So, we’ll catch up with the lot of you in Gwyntali.” She did a quick count on her fingers, too. “Let’s say sixteen—seventeen days or thereabouts?”

  I gasped. “That’s more than two weeks!”

  “They might prove the most important weeks in the history of the realm, My Queen,” Pullhelli said.

  He was right, of course. “It just feels like a lifetime,” I said. “But I agree. We’ll meet up in Gwyntali. Let’s get some shut-eye, all of us.” I stood, resting my fists on the table. “Then we go and make history.”

  According to Halwyn, we were well into the eleventh hour of the day when we left his farm. All of us were filled to the brim with a heavy breakfast, and our satchels and bags were stuffed with food and gear, our water skins topped up. Outside Halwyn’s gate, the ground looked like a medieval arsenal, which, in many ways, it was. There were swords, spears, daggers, shields and bows, and quivers with arrows. Rowan opted for two bows and threw them over his shoulder to join his own, and Charlie donned two of the quivers.

  “Are all these made by Goff?” Brendan asked.

  “Not the steel weaponry,” Halwyn replied. “Some of those are from the royal armoury, provided by Morgana, and some are, shall we say, borrowed from the northerners. Goff is particularly skilled at crossing the seas unnoticed.”

  Brendan weighed one of the swords in his hand. “I can see how that would come in handy. I think I’ll add this one to my belt, for backup.”

  Halwyn picked up a curved dagger. “And this on your back.”

  Brendan grinned. “For a peaceful cropkeeper, you have a warrior’s mindset.”

  The Goblin shrugged. “Live and learn, young swordmaster.” He turned to me. “My neighbour in the east says he’ll come to Gwyn Tala Port with more supplies as soon as he’s done preparing them.”

  “You think he could wait somewhere along the northern coast of Avalon instead?”

  “How so, My Queen?”

  “I don’t doubt his abilities to hide from the enemy ships, but there’s no point risking crossing the sea twice.”

  Halwyn scratched his chin. “That is a valid point. There is a set of caves a few pancemiles east of Port of Pelles. We go there from time to time to harvest the Avalonian Rose.”

  “A rose that grows in a cave?”

  “A rose only in its name. It is a shell, shaped very much like the flower. We want what’s inside the shell.”

  I pursed my lips. “I see. There’s something magical inside, then?”

  “Oh, it’s magical, all right. The flesh in the shell’s muscle is delicious. A handful of those on top of my Seohl eel stew heightens the dish to divinity.” He smacked his lips and inhaled deeply through his nose.

  “Men,” Jen scoffed. “No matter where or when, they always have to make a huge show of their cooking.”

  “It sounds great, Halwyn,” I said. “When all this is over, you’ll have to invite me for a taste.”

  “With pleasure.”

  “For now, suffice it to say that Goff will go to the caves in about two and a half weeks. I’m sure I can find a way to alert him that we’re on our way across the sea.”

  “If he has to wait a few days, he can always smell the roses,” Jen added.

  Charlie stood quietly by, kicking the ground with the tip of her foot.

  “Come here, you,” I said.

  “Safe travels, Ru.” She threw her arms around me in a crushing hug. “Love you, queenie,” she whispered and kissed my cheek.

  “See you in a couple of weeks,” I whispered back. “Love you, sis.”

  There was no use trying to hide the tears as she and Rowan walked away with Goff on the east-bound path. I was so scared it would be the last time I saw her. And him, for that matter.

  “Come here, Red,” Jen said and pulled me close. “I told Rowan he had better return our angel safely, or I would make him regret it. He seemed to get the message.”

  I laughed a little. “He’d better.”

  “My Queen,” Taryn said and bowed quickly.

  “My Queen,” Alun repeated.

  “Go, find me an army,” I said.

  They both shifted into their winged alter egos, and took off. As they flew over the field northwest-bound, Llewelyn ambled through the gate and joined us.

  “I just wanted to say goodbye.”

  It took me a beat, but all things considered, he was my grandfather and I was preparing for war. This might be the last time I got to hug him. So I did. I wrapped my arms around him. He stood still for a moment before he returned the gesture, his body relaxing in the embrace.

  “Thank you for saving Brendan,” I said. “And for healing me. I hope you’re happy here, and that I’ll see you again soon.”

  “My child, it is I who must thank you. I do not deserve your affection, yet I’m glad to have it. Now, you be smart and stay safe, and when I see you again, because I will, I expect Avalon to be back in the hands of its rightful monarch.” He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. “You make me proud, Ruby.” He released me and turned back to the cottage.

  As he slipped inside, Brendan and Jen grabbed the remaining weapons and satchels.

  “Our turn,” Brendan said. “The sooner we get going, the sooner we meet them again.”

  We trotted down to the secluded bay where Halwyn’s boat lay moored. It was only a few hundred yards north of yesterday’s battleground.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said as Halwyn untied the rope securing his boat.

  “Where are you going?” Brendan asked.

  “The tide is low,” I replied. “I have an idea. Come, Kit!”

  My cat followed me, and soon we were back on the beach with the sentries’ hut. I thanked t
he Lady for the wind blowing towards Rhina’s Peak, as it took most of the stench away from me. Still, the heavy, rotting stink of burned corpses found its way to my nostrils, making me gag.

  I glanced at the large black pile that less than twenty-four hours earlier had been Auberon’s dead soldiers. Shaking myself back to the present, I knelt and cupped Kit’s face in my hands.

  “I want you to go to Avalon,” I cooed. “Be my eyes and ears. Can you do that?”

  Kit meowed, and I had no choice but to take it as a yes.

  “Be brave, little soldier,” I said.

  He rubbed against my legs for a few moments, before heading out on the dry land that connected Crochan Island to Avalon. I prayed to the Lady he would make it across before the tide filled the Seohl Strait.

  When I returned to the boat, Jen was the only one left on the shore.

  “What’s up?” I asked. “I could see your teeth from way over there.”

  She grinned more widely. “Pullhelli said something about how you’re sought after.”

  “Yes, I guess that’s right.”

  “That gave me an idea,” the grinning wolf Shifter said. “Jump on board, and I’ll show you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “I think you look fierce.” Jen put the scissors away, then puffed up my new hairdo with her fingertips. The wind swept over my exposed skin, and I clasped a hand behind my bare neck. We were far out into the open waters, keeping a safe distance to the Avalonian shores.

  “Really?” I turned to Brendan. “How do I look?”

  He flashed me a smile. “I’m not gonna lie, I’ll miss your long hair.”

  I felt my lips turn down in a frown.

  “But,” Brendan said, “I’m kind of digging this new babe. You look a little like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.”

  “You had such a crush on her.”

  He wiggled his brows and scooted closer on the thwart. “Exactly.”

  Pullhelli crossed his arms, his body swaying with the rise and fall of the lapping waves against the sides of the boat. “The red is still a problem.” His lips quirked up. “But since you have no wings, and we’re heading into Pixie territory, Wadyan left me with just the thing.”

  Half an hour later, my hair was supposedly a bright purple, courtesy of some blueish root from Halwyn’s crops. While I couldn’t see it myself, Jen and Brendan both gave me supportive words, and a fair few giggles.

  “Not really an inconspicuous colour, though, is it?” I puffed out a breath, touching the short ends of my hair.

  “Where we’re going, you’ll fit right in.” Pullhelli smiled.

  “What about you? Isn’t your face pretty recognisable, too?”

  “I’m an old man, My Queen. All I need to do is dress in different robes and hide my staff, and no one will pay me any mind.” He brought out a folded cloth. “We’ll need to hoist this flag before entering the Pixie’s waters. It will send the right message.”

  “Which is?”

  “That we are traders, and nothing more. Halwyn’s made some adjustments to the robes of the dead Sorcerers for us to wear. It should work well enough. We’ll make sure we dock during the darkest awrs, and as long as we keep our heads down, we’ll avoid detection.”

  I hoped my great-uncle was right, because I wasn’t feeling all that confident. “If not, it would be a terrible loss of great hair,” I joked, though my heart wasn’t quite in it.

  “It’ll grow back,” Jen said. She leaned sideways at the railing, twirling her golden locks between her fingers. “You know, if it makes you feel better, you can cut mine.”

  “Really?”

  Her bright laugh filled the night. “Uh-uh, no way.”

  I slapped her on her shoulder.

  Collecting herself, she picked up the scissors again. “Actually, Ru, though I’ve got amazing hair, I think I can rock the pixie-cut.” She handed me the scissors. “It’ll be fun. I’ll even dye my hair just like yours.”

  “Not a bad idea,” Pullhelli said. “Lady Jeannine’s fair looks have not gone unnoticed either.”

  She smirked and did a hair toss, batting her eyes at me. “Well, now I just have to do it, then.”

  Waving the scissors in front of my face, I crossed my legs on the thwart. “I’m going to ask you one final time. You’re sure?”

  “Abso-friggin-lutely.”

  An hour or so later, Jen and I turned to the men like a couple of giddy children. “So?”

  Brendan held his palms out. “What did you do to my friend and girlfriend? Jen, wherever you are, did you eat Red?”

  “B!”

  He snickered. “Kidding. You look almost like twins. Except Jen’s hair turned out more blue than purple.”

  “Jeannine is a little tall to pass for a Pixie,” the old Sorcerer mused.

  “Now you tell me.” Jen threw her hands up.

  “No, it’s, how do you say? Oh Kay. All species have their abnormalities.”

  Jen crossed her legs, giving him the stink-eye. “I’m an abnormality?”

  “Oh, uhm, no, you’re a wonderful example of a wolf.”

  “Better get some bigger oars.” Brendan put a hand on the old Sorcerer’s shoulder.

  “Bigger oars?”

  “To row this sinking boat a little faster.”

  “Sinking?” Pullhelli turned around with a bewildered look on his face, glancing over the railing while leaning on his staff.

  “It’s a joke.” Brendan patted his back. “We’re fine.”

  “Ah.” Pullhelli shook his head. “Your Don Hekal humour sometimes bemuses me.”

  Laughing, I scooted closer to Jen and made room for Brendan to sit. There wasn’t much to do on the boat but think, talk, and fish, but at least we had some kind of plan. Hopefully, our creative disguises would keep us safe for a time.

  The next few days went by in a sort of daze. The misty weather had been a blessing, and we had not encountered any trouble, but I was itching to put my feet back on solid ground. Though I had more or less mastered my fear of the water, being surrounded by it day and night had not eased my nerves. Perhaps it was a good thing, a kind of exposure therapy, and maybe, someday soon, I could free myself of that fear once and for all.

  We had been on the boat for nearly a week when I saw them. “Lights!” Scrambling to my feet, I pointed at the horizon.

  “Pixilen.” Pullhelli sighed. “It’s been a while since my last visit.”

  I clasped Jen’s hand as we stared at the growing lights from the lanterns of Pixilen port.

  “Thank you,” Jen whispered.

  “For what,” I asked.

  “For giving me the adventure of a lifetime.” She pulled me onto her lap. “No matter what happens, I chose to be here, and I’m grateful for it.”

  Pullhelli had been right. We docked in the dead of night and the few people out and about hardly paid us a glance. As we entered the city, I kept staring at our surroundings. In Avalen, most houses were built with stone; here it was mostly one-storey homes built with white and red wood. Smoke drifted from the many chimneys to create a grey blanket of clouds overhead.

  “Avert your eyes,” Pullhelli whispered as we passed by a tavern. Four black-clad Sorcerers stood outside, their gazes piercing as they surveyed everyone who journeyed in or out—or passed by.

  We ventured close to the opposite side of the street, keeping a steady pace. One of the Sorcerers looked at us for a moment and started to step into the street when the door to the tavern swung open. Two Pixies sauntered outside. One of them tripped on the threshold, stumbling into the group of Sorcerers. The one in the street turned away from us to deal with the commotion behind him, and we picked up the pace a little.

  We turned a corner, and passed several more black-clad soldiers. After what I estimated had to be close to an hour, we entered onto a dirt road. There were less buildings here, and barren fields that stretched out on either side of the road.

  “How far is this place?” Brendan asked. “We’ve
been walking for awrs.”

  “A slight exaggeration,” Pullhelli mumbled. “Besides, we’re here.”

  We journeyed over a hill, looking into the valley below where a quaint castle sat in the middle. Its spears spiralled into the darkness above, torches lighting up the white stone.

  The group of us sighed in unison and started to move down the hill. The four towers were lit by lanterns, and I noticed a few figures moving about.

  “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” I said under my breath.

  “Halt! Not one step further,” a voice commanded behind us.

  I jumped, then turned to the point of an arrow and raised my arms above my head. Had I cut my hair only to be caught before we had even begun?

  My boyfriend let out an audible breath. “Cynthia,” he exclaimed.

  “Swordmaster?”

  The arrow lowered, and I let my hands fall to my sides.

  My boyfriend shot ahead of me and threw his arms around the gorgeous archeress. “You’re alive.”

  She welcomed his hug. “I thought you were dead.” Cynthia kept one arm around him, her cheek smashed together with his.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling Brendan back to my side. He gave me a sideways look that I ignored.

  Cynthia straightened and narrowed her gaze at me. “Who?”

  I raised my chin, and the archeress fell to one knee.

  “My Queen?”

  I inclined my head.

  “My Queen! I thought, well, I thought you had returned to the Land of Eternal Sand.”

  “Yeah, well, I decided to stay. So, why are you here and not in Avalen?” Or dead.

  She straightened and slipped the arrow into her quiver. “I was stationed here after King Auberon divided his archers to protect the reeves’ homes. I’m meant to report back about Lord Galahad’s every move … but I’m not. Nothing important, that is. Auberon is not my king.”

  “Of course not,” Brendan said, and I wanted to wipe the grin off his face. Why was he so thrilled to see this woman? They’re friends, Ru, my inner voice told me, but the devil on my shoulder was shouting over it.