by Sariah Skye
Rhys’s face became incredibly hopeful as he clapped excitedly. “You did? I thought they became incinerated in the transfer!”
“Nope, I had them all. And you can have them back, once we decide whether to trust you…or not,” Xander said, his tone dropping a couple of octaves, making him that much more intimidating.
Rhys’s expression fell, and he forced a smile. “Right. Of course.”
“Speaking of, one of the pages we found—one at Ava’s house—said something about killing?” Bash asked. “Doesn’t exactly bode well for you, claiming to be an ally.”
Rhys snorted in his wine glass and laughed wildly. Bash was impervious to his humor, though, and just glared. Rhys squirmed uncomfortably. “Sorry about that, it must have gotten torn up when I tried to come through. It said, really, ‘I am killing myself trying to get to you.’.”
I lifted a brow. “That explains it, then. But why didn’t you just write English?”
Rhys looked confused. “You mean it wasn’t? Sorry, things get confused up here,” he pointed to his head, “when you’re trapped in a weird vessel for years.” The guys all shook their heads in disbelief.
Mathias set his silverware on his plate to stare at Rhys. “Was that you at the club again today? There was a bunch of shaking, almost like a quake that freaked out the people passing by. Lasted for a while, but I didn’t see any portals or sky-cracks opening up.”
Rhys’ grin was shamefaced. “Yes, that was me. At least at first.”
“At first?” Xander repeated.
Rhys nodded. “Yes, I tried again at the—club you call it? Whatever that shithole is—”
“—Hey!” I protested with offense. “That shithole is my shithole. Only I can call it a shithole, thanks!”
He chuckled, wiggling a finger at me. “Oh, I think I’m going to like you, maiden of Avalon. Yes, yes indeed.”
All four guys grumbled and sat higher in their respective chairs, posturing defensively. Rhys just shrugged and turned back to his food as he spoke next. “I’m unaware of any quaking later on in the evening; I was already miles away, trying to perform the magic to get here. I can teleport but in this state? I can only do so in small increments. Took about two hours to get here,” he groused, stabbing at his pile of noodles with a scowl. “Fucking Morgaine…”
I cleared my throat uncomfortably. “So if it wasn’t you, who was it?”
“Demons, probably.”
Mathias growled lightly. “Right,” he said, in disbelief.
“So, do you think Lachlan knows this is what Avalon is? That we wouldn’t need to go anywhere, and summon the sword? Does he really know how?” Bash inquired, tapping his fingers on the countertop in concentration.
“That I don’t know. It’s possible one of the witches from Avalon was able to take the sword back that one time, wherever he was. It’s generally easier for them to make an appearance now wherever there is water if someone had managed to summon them somehow. Maybe he was genuinely hallucinating when the sword was taken; or maybe he’s just lying. Some vagrant probably stole it while he was drunk to sell for coin.” Rhys answered.
I glared. “Why would he lie about it?”
“Would you readily admit that you lost the most important sword in history, and no idea how to find it? And if he did hallucinate it— Lancelot always did love the ale —he wouldn’t know better that it wasn’t real.” Rhys shrugged.
“Yeah, but since we had no other clues to look for Excalibur, he point blank agreed that was the best place to start. He insisted that we should wait until Avie’s magic is contained though, and she knows how to channel it better. And her power,” Bash said shaking his head. “Something is not right.”
Rhys snorted disdainfully. “Your beloved Lancelot isn’t all that he seems. I have no idea where the sword really is, or if it even matters, but you need look no further than your own backyard to summon Excalibur, with Ava and the right spell.”
“That you happen to have, right?” Mathias supplied suspiciously.
“Certainly. After all I helped create Avalon.”
“You—” I began but stopped. Suddenly my dinner weighed heavy like a bowling ball in the pit of my stomach. “Does Lachlan know this? Really?”
“I don’t know, but he’s up to something, know that. Like, where is Morgaine? Are you really convinced she’d stay quiet all this time?” Rhys asked.
I exchanged a look with everyone and held up my hands in exasperation. “We just figured she was weak from the ritual. She is after all a witch, not a supe—right? She can’t take the power of Avalon or else it would kill her.”
“That’s true. But she didn’t actually take any power, Ava. It all went straight into you. Any power that went into her was fighting her.”
“So…you know where she is then?” Bash asked.
Rhys nodded nonchalantly. “Sure. Lachlan’s holding her on his property.”
“Say what now?” Mathias asked. Xander slammed his fork onto the counter, Bash nearly dropped his stunner, and Trystan nearly crushed the wine glass in his hand.
“He is—what?” he yelled angrily.
I blinked. “Why wouldn’t he tell us that? I’ve been so worried!”
Mathias placed a comforting palm on my shoulder and shook his head in disbelief. “Are you sure of this, Rhys?”
“Why would Lachlan do this?” Xander demanded.
“Because as I said, he’s hiding something. He needs her,” Rhys said, shoving his mouth full of food. “Besides me, she’s the only one that knows any possible spells to help him. Combine those spells with Ava, and well…there’s a lot he could do.”
Mathias reached over, and pushed Rhys’ forked hand down on the counter, and glared. His chest puffed up, and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to be scary or if he was truly losing control. Rhys swallowed, and smiled sheepishly.
“For what, does he need her for?” Mathias demanded.
“Because Morgaine, with Ava’s help, are the only ones that can help bring back Arthur.”
“Arthur lives? Truly?” Bash exclaimed in amazement.
“Oh yes. They’re just trapped in another realm. There’s just one catch; if Camelot is released into this world, it could create an unbalance, and cause irrevocable harm on this world unless it’s contained. Once upon a time—oh that’s catchy, it should be in a book!” Rhys laughed wildly at his own words, but no one else was amused. He coughed uncomfortably and continued. “Once, Camelot was another kingdom in Britain just like any other, except Arthur had a few advantages. That’s why there are traces of it in various places, but no exact location. Camelot became too powerful, and needed to be contained, so it was sent to another realm. Arthur wants to come back, I assume; and Lancelot wants to let him.”
“So…what? He knows this, and he wants to do it anyway?” I asked, feeling the sting of yet another betrayal stab at my heart.
“What would it do to this world? Do you know exactly?” Bash asked.
Rhys’s face was grim. “It’ll crush everything around it and for a hundred miles around. It’s no longer of this world; it’s effects would be devastating.”
“Shit…”
Mathias stood, slamming his palms on the counter, rattling the dishes and glasses. “Weapon up, boys. We’re going to pay a visit to our friend, Lachlan.”
Chapter Thirty
We all piled in Mathias’ Suburban; Bash with his laptop and mobile Wi-Fi in hopes of tracking Lachlan. No one had any idea where he lived; he’d always come here or met us elsewhere.
It all made sense now; why he was so adamant in us not going to Scotland to search for the sword, why he was avoiding having me meet Nadina. He was hiding something. Something big.
I sat in the middle row of seats, sandwiched between Trystan and Xander. Rhys was tethered in the third row in the back, hands and feet bound together with nylon rope. If he truly was Merlin, simple binds would do nothing to contain him; but he wasn’t struggling to leave or fight. For now, we were
cautiously trusting him.
“Hey,” Trystan spoke softly, threading his arm through the crook of my elbow. I rested my forehead on his shoulder and leaned my body against him. My left hand draped over his leg, the other in my lap. I didn’t notice my lip had been quivering until the lone tear escaped from my eye and dropped onto Trystan’s shoulder. “Avie, luv…I’m sure there’s a good explanation for why your father lied.”
I snorted, the sound vibrating against him. “Sure, like…he’s an asshole?”
Xander sighed loudly from the other side of me. He snaked an arm over my waist, tucking the other around my back as he leaned into me. He brushed his stubbled chin over my bare shoulder—I’d changed into a tank top, jeans, and sneakers before we left, just in case. “We’ll get your answers, beautiful girl. And if we’re not happy with them—”
“—We’ll beat his arse until it’s blue.” Trystan said, threateningly.
I chuckled lightly. I closed my eyes, trying to find my ease between them. My mother betrayed me. My absent father seemed like the savior, but now?
Still, I had them, I reminded myself. I briefly looked up, smiling at each of them. In just a month’s time, they’d proven more loyal, more patient, more everything than anyone in my life so far—besides Summer and Sierra.
Toilet travesties and all; they were mine.
I settled in tighter to Trystan, and let Xander wrap himself around me, feeling relatively safe and vaguely peaceful given the situation of precariously driving through the dark, Bash tracking my father’s cell phone signal to some point in the woods, far off the road.
“Think he has any idea you are here, Rhys?” I wondered aloud to our bound companion.
Rhys laughed mischievously. “No, it’s safe to say he has no idea I even still exist. I think he’s pretty sure I was killed, when the isle was stripped of her magic bare, and placed into that portal of a vessel.”
I grinned despite myself. “Good. How did you do that anyway? Fit the magic of an entire isle into a stupid clay pot?”
“It’s magic!” Rhys said in a sing-song tone, and I groaned. Obviously, we weren’t going to get a straight answer out of him about it right now.
“Are we getting close, Bash?” Mathias asked nervously, as the sound of a large branch smacked against the side of the white vehicle and made us jump. “We’re starting to run out of road.” He jerked the vehicle to avoid the sudden appearance of a large bush. I clutched both Trystan and Xander next to me to avoid being tossed about. Rhys, alone in the back did get tossed around, but he just giggled like a child every time we hit a bump. Trystan’s chest rumbled with irritation hearing it.
“Would ye shut up?” Trystan growled, when we turned a sharp corner.
I peered over my shoulder to see Rhys, appearing emotionally wounded. “Aww, it was fun. Like a rollercoaster.”
Trystan huffed, and mumbled, “Crazy bastard.”
“We should probably stop anyway,” Rhys said suddenly. “Lancelot probably has wards up everywhere. Not as good as yours of course,” he said directly to Bash.
In glow of his laptop, Bashed smirked smugly in the front seat. He didn’t acknowledge the compliment though, but said, “I’m not worried about it, there isn’t a ward in existence I can’t break.”
“Hmm…” Rhys just said indifferently.
“Still, this is about as far as we can go, Bash,” Mathias said, parking the vehicle in a small clearing, barely large enough for the car. Trees grew wild overhead, and scraggly bushes and small saplings struggled to grow through the thick foliage. “Whatever path this is, it’s too narrow for us. How does Lachlan get through here?”
“Simple. It’s an illusion,” Rhys said, waving his hands in front of him dramatically.
“These trees aren’t really there?” I asked.
“Just a guess,” he said with a shrug.
“If that’s true, we’re close then,” Mathias said, turning to Bash for confirmation. He nodded slowly, shut his laptop, and stored it under the seat. He lifted his phone higher; a map was illuminated on the screen with a blinking red dot.
“Yep. We’re close. I just hope he didn’t hear us,” Bash said.
“I hope he did. So he can have some warning before I whup his ass,” I groused, as we slowly slid out of the vehicle, careful to not make any additional noise.
“You’re spicy!” Rhys said, grinning playfully. “I like it!” He reached over and slapped at my shoulder. I threw him a proud grin over my shoulder, while Trystan and Xander sighed loudly.
Ooh, jealousy is fun! I thought to myself sarcastically.
Since we were confronting Lachlan, we didn’t anticipate the need for weapons because he wasn’t an enemy. Yet. However, Bash came armed with his small stunner, and a backpack full of various concoctions of unknown purpose; a few of which he shoved in his pants pockets, just in case.
“So,” Mathias asked, standing up tall and crossing his arms over his puffed-out chest. “Rhys, can you actually do magic yet? And get us in?”
Rhys casually opened his hand, and a shimmering ball of blue energy appeared there effortlessly. We all gasped in amazement as he extinguished it with no more than a snap of his fingers. “Yep, I think I’m good. Watch me as I break down this terribly difficult magic ward trying to block us out!” He took a dramatic step forward and made a whooshing sound as he stepped through the trees. Then he peeked his head out and smiled. “It’s called walking! You should try it!”
I stifled a snort, because the guys looked murderous.
“I’m going to kill him, Avie,” Trystan grumbled.
“Get in line…” Bash agreed sourly.
I rolled my eyes. “Come on guys. You can whip out your dicks and compare size later,” I kidded, lifting a brow at the notion. I motioned forward, following Rhys through the penetrable curtain of fake trees.
“Hmmph. There’s no competition,” I heard Mathias gripe behind me. I turned and grinned at him playfully over my shoulder.
“Is that so?”
He just shrugged with confident nonchalance.
“It’s not just length, Dude, that makes a big dick.” Xander said with a swagger, sauntering past Mathias, who glared at him.
“Enough, guys!” I warned, but internally I laughed.
With a couple of steps, we entered a clearing. In the darkness there was little more than a dark log cabin with a tall brick chimney, spewing out tufts of fireplace smoke. Lachlan’s beat up black truck hung out about nearby on a makeshift driveway.
“He’s definitely in there,” Bash said, glancing at his phone once more, before shoving it in his pocket.
“What do you want to do? Confront him about Morgaine? Just show up? He doesn’t think you have any idea where he lives, right so our appearance will be pretty surprising?” Mathias inquired.
I shrugged, slowly edging over to a small window. “Perhaps a little spying? I don’t really want to walk in on him if he’s…you know…” I grimaced, making an obscene gesture. Cringing in anticipation at what I could possibly see, I stood on my tiptoes and peered into the window, through a small crack in between a pair of gray curtains.
I wrinkled my nose at the sparse interior of a small living area, humble furniture including a rickety table, and a kitchenette with crude appliances. It seemed way too demure for the historically infamous man, who at one time resided in castles, and hobnobbed with kings.
Lachlan was leaning over the rickety, misshapen, strangely shiny wooden table; palms pressed on the surface. He appeared to be talking to himself, since there was no one else in the tiny room.
“Well, he seems to be alone,” Mathias said, peering over me as I lowered myself to my heels. “Not sure who he’s talking to, but…”
“He lives here?” Xander said incredulously, glancing through the window.
“More to the point, if he’s holding Morgaine here…where the hell is she?” Bash deliberated. “Unless someone was lying…” He threw a scathing glace at Rhys, who just smiled
widely.
“Oh, I promise…Lancelot is more than meets the eye. He’s got something up his sleeve, I promise!” Rhys insisted, pretended to search up an invisible sleeve on his arm; he was wearing a t-shirt with short sleeves, and he looked so ridiculous I had to laugh.
In fact, I laughed too loud, and my sharp giggle echoed throughout the clearing. We heard a muffled, “Who’s there? Nadina?” coming from inside the house.
I pushed the guys aside, feeling a newfound sense of defiance as I stomped like a petulant child to simple wooden door that led into the cabin. I rapped on the door forcefully. “Yeah, Dad—we know you’re here! Get the fuck out!”
Rhys released a peal of laughter. “Oh ho! I really like her if she’ll speak to Lancelot like that!”
I shot him a sidelong smirk. The guys remained stone faced as the door was flung open, and a befuddled Lachlan stood there eyeing us.
“How did—?” he began, but I cut him off.
“Save it, Dad. Did you really think you could hide from us? From Bash’s supernatural hacking skills? Please,” I rolled my eyes, and shoved my way past him, entering the humble home. “Seriously. You live here?” For a moment, I felt shameful being so angry, because this was really no place to live.
Lachlan sighed. “We need to be private, Ava. Surely you all can realize that,” he said, eyeballing everyone cautiously. That’s when he jumped back and raised an imaginary sword. “What the—how?? Merlin? Knave! You cannot trust him, he—”
Rhys casually meandered in, pushing past Trystan and Mathias, flicking his hand easily. Lachlan began yelling, but no sound came out. Once he realized what was happening, he quickly closed the short distance through the small room between him and Rhys, hands outstretched, ready to cause some damage.
In a blink, Rhys disappeared, and reappeared in the kitchen, grinning impishly. He flicked his hand again, scoffing. “Seriously, Lancelot. You cannot best me with simple combat. Don’t even try.”
Lachlan clenched his fists near his sides, and took a deep breath before speaking. “Ava, I’m not sure how you’ve found this guy, but he can’t be trusted. He just can’t.”
