Merlin's Kiss

by Stephanie Burke

  With a short bow, Tybo quit the tent, but not before shooting Dagon a look of disdain from under his lashes.

  "Oh, and Tybo," his voice halted the angry man storming for the exit from the tent. "Send me in a woman, someone I have not had before. I fear both my vanity and ego needs to be stroked. I'm sure you understand. I am just trying to give the people what they want!"

  "It is so hard to find good help these days," Dagon mused out loud as he settled back in his chair and watched the young man flee from the tent in righteous anger. "But I think, my friend, your usefulness has finally come to an end. And it is such a waste too! But then again, all pawns are expendable."

  * * * * *

  Something tiny and fluttery would not leave him alone!

  Kerian swatted at the thing and sleepily pulled his Brieana closer to his body. The feel of her soft flesh was a joy he thought never to experience, so was something to be savored. Besides, he thought as he buried his nose deeper into her soft warm neck, she smelled so good!

  But she felt even better, he decided as the tickle thing returned and tried to annoy him out of his slumber.

  Again he swatted at it and it disappeared, but now he was quickly drifting towards consciousness. He pulled his love tighter to him, as if holding her would return him to his blissful dream-state. He moved his head further down hoping to return to his twilight land, but something soft yet hard pressed into his face. It had to be her nipple.

  Opening one eye a bit, he saw that berry-colored nipple and couldn't resist taking it into his mouth, just for a little taste. It had been a long time, about two hours, and they probably wouldn't get another chance to laze like this for some time. So without guilt, he pulled her into his mouth and moaned at the sweet salty taste of her.

  Brieana shivered and wrapped both hands around his head, pulling him closer to her.

  Kerian sighed! This was true heaven! Her young and supple body was already arching towards him, her muscles tightening, her whimpers…

  The splash of cold water on his heated, naked body jerked him upright!

  "Schlack!" he bellowed as the freezing water dripped down his face, pulling his sodden hair across his eyes and into his mouth.

  "What the hell," he roared as he leapt to his feet and spat his hair free of his mouth. Paying no attention to his unclothed state he instantly scouted the area for the unlucky soul who dared interrupt him in his enjoyment of his mate.

  "I'm ready now!" a calm voice cackled from behind.

  Kerian turned incredulous eyes on the naked blue woman standing beside their pallet. His mouth opened and closed several times before any sound emerged from his suddenly closed throat.

  "Are you insane?" he roared, the heat of his anger quickly warming him as fast as the water chilled him.

  "Get laid on your own time, sport! We have business to attend to!" Her authoritative voice only angered him more.

  "And you might want to cover the family jewels, not that I mind the view. But for safety's sake, you understand."

  Kerian stood there in the midst of his sopping wet bedroll with a totally incredulous look upon his face.

  "What?" he all but screamed, his face screwed up into a mask of confusion as he tried to understand what the blue woman had said.

  Brieana's gurgling laughter filled the tense silence and drew all eyes towards her.

  "Good morrow, Lady," she giggling as she greeted the woman standing before her.

  Brieana had risen to a sitting position and pulled the end of one blanket up to cover her nudity. Although nudity did not bother her overmuch, she still felt she should be at least covered when dealing with an ancient creature such as The Lady of the Lake.

  "Quick, get dressed. There is much we need to discuss." The Lady tapped her foot with impatience as she observed a still confused Kerian and a giggling, happy Brieana.

  He loves her, she thought, a heavy feeling weighing her heart down. She looked back to Brieana, something akin to envy on her face before she could completely conceal it from the all-seeing eyes of the Woman of Legend.

  "But we are all wet, Lady." Brieana smiled in understanding at the woman. "It will take us quite some time to prepare ourselves."

  And it was true! The little wake-up splash had soaked Kerian and the bedroll, as well as plastered her black curls to her body. They would all need some time to dry out, and the Lady could use the time to compose herself. Brieana had not missed the look of sadness that had, for a moment, overtaken her features.

  "We don't have time!" the Lady insisted, again placing her priorities in order. She would not use the time this woman had graciously granted her to pull her feelings under control. They did not have the luxury of spare moments to waste.

  With a wave of her hand, the water that soaked them and their possessions bubbled and floated in the air before them. They watched in awe as the clear droplets coalesced into one large clear blob, leaving behind clean dry cloth and flesh. Even the drops that speckled their faces and hair were whisked away, leaving them both bone-dry and strangely tingling. With a negligent wave of her arm, she sent the water mass flowing back into her lake, where in seconds, it dissipated and melded back with its mother waters.

  "Now you are clean and dry. You have no excuses. I will give you a moment to gather yourselves, then we must deal with business!"

  She turned on her heel and stalked towards her watery home, a look of deep contemplation on her face.

  "Laid?" Brieana asked Kerian as he curiously patted his dry hair and body.

  "Family jewels?" he returned, a grin pulling at his face.

  Brieana was held captive by his smile. Just now she realized she rarely saw him release his emotions in any way, and his smile was a sight to behold. She caught her breath with the joy of discovery and could not help but smile back.

  "I think the term is obvious, my love," she giggled. "But hens lay. How do people propose to do that act?"

  "I don't think she was speaking of eggs," Kerian muttered. He gazed into her bright green eyes and felt a contentment he had never quite felt before. He could die now a happy man, all because of knowing this incredible woman who smiled and laughed with him.

  "We need to get dressed," he said, finally turning away from her. If he watched her for too long in her natural state, he might again be tempted to join her on the bedroll and risk another watery summoning.

  "You are correct, Kerian," she sighed. She watched with an avid gaze as he bent over to retrieve fresh clothing from his bags. He really did have a nice ass.

  "The Lady's magical waters have left me feeling cleaner than I have since we started this quest."

  Brieana chattered as she reached for her own pack and pulled out a fresh tunic, this one the exact green of her eyes. Within moments, they were both dressed and waiting for what the Lady had to say.

  Kerian was now dressed in a creamy white vest and a light brown pair of leggings. The color not only made his skin glow and his eyes appear more intense, it also showed to his advantage his incredible strength and musculature. Brieana had a hard time keeping her hands to herself and not exploring the body that fate had bequeathed to her.

  "Shall we?" Kerian invited, waving a hand before him, indicating Brieana should precede him. "Let us not keep the good Lady waiting."

  Together they hurried down towards the small beach and the Lady's blue waters. She was standing at the edge, anticipating their arrival.

  "Took you long enough," she muttered, impatience marking her features. "I thought I would have to come and fetch you two, just to keep you from humping all over the place like a pair of dogs in heat!"

  "Dogs?" Kerian asked, one platinum eyebrow going up.

  "Humping?" Brieana asked, her whole face reflecting a puzzled look as she tried to figure out what on earth the Lady was speaking of.

  "Never mind!" she exclaimed as she looked towards heaven for answers she was sure she would not receive. "This is wasting time."

  "Do you not feel the need to clothe your
self?" Brieana asked. "Not that you are offending me, but I would feel a bit better seeking mystical advice from someone whose breasts were not jiggling with every step."

  "What?" the woman shrieked as she turned a frosty look on Brieana. "Oh never mind! I will never understand humans! It's not as if you don't have the same equipment that I do, honey!"

  "Huh?" Brieana turned a questioning look on Kerian who merely shrugged as if to say, 'you're on your own with this one.’

  "Oh, never mind!" the Lady huffed again and with a wave of her hand, a white frothy foam floated up on the water's surface. With another elaborate movement of her arm, the white froth floated from the waters of the lake to converge upon her body. Within seconds, a large white band encircled her chest, hiding her breasts from view, while a similar skirt appeared around her waist, sinking low to cover the bare essentials but leaving a long length of bare blue leg and thigh.

  Brieana thought the new clothing of air and bubbles to be more revealing and suggestive than her nakedness, but she figured she had pressed her luck enough for one day.

  "Better?" the Lady growled, turning to Brieana in her barely covered glory, a warning in her eyes.

  "Yes, much," she replied and let loose a little grin.

  "You are pushing it, sister!" the Lady snorted before her face calmed and she became serious.

  "I am entrusting you with a weapon of enormous potential for justice. Make no mistake, Brieana of Belfore, I do not give you this sword. I am just letting you possess it for a time. The magic of this sword chooses its own wielder, chooses for itself who it will bestow its mystical gifts upon. As of yet, you are not ready to utilize its power."

  "What?" Brieana cried, shock replacing the wonder on her face.

  "Are you deaf, girl?" The Lady cried out. "Or just dense? I said you are not ready! Maybe you will never be ready! That is not for me to say. But I tell you this now, Brieana of Belfore, before you can become this sword's master, you first must be tested by fire and deemed worthy. You have not done that as of yet. This sword will grant you nothing!"

  At her pronouncement, a look of utter disbelief crossed Brieana's face! What did this woman mean, not ready? Had she not spent countless years frozen in that stone prison? Had she not used the power of the torc and taken the drack's silent language as her own? Was it not she who read the mysteries of the past with Gren and survived a vicious water attack by none other than the Lady of the Lake herself? What more could she do? How else could she prove herself?

  "What?" she breathed in outrage. "What more must I do?"

  "I haven't the faintest idea!" The Lady spoke each word as if she were speaking to a lack-wit.

  Kerian remained silent for the Lady's pronouncement, but now he could remain silent no longer. Was it not foretold he would be her protector, her equal, and her mate? Then how could he now remain silent while the very foundation of her beliefs was being ripped asunder?

  "There must be some mistake, Lady." His voice rang out strong and clear. "Brieana had proven herself worthy several times over. What better person to possess this mysterious sword that is supposed to unite the clans? Surely she has fulfilled her quest and is now suitable to lead."

  "You question me, Kerian of Mirage?" The Lady's sharp angry eyes swerved to this man, another man who smelled of power, who was becoming an annoyance to her.

  "I question any who would make my mate suffer!"

  "I could kill you with one blink of my right eye, fool! How dare you interfere with what is taking place here today!" Her anger was livid and for another man, but directed to the handy one who stood before her.

  "I will interfere with any who would harm her!" He took a step forward, ignoring Brieana's startled gasp as he eased her a step behind him.

  "Proved herself a worthy bed mate?" she questioned slyly, wanting to see what this man would do, looking for any weakness in him, searching for his strengths.

  "Proved herself to be the keeper of my heart!" he returned, a cold anger heating in his eyes.

  "Going to attack me, little man?" she queried, almost anticipating a battle between the two of them. The waters of the lake boiled and rumbled with her displeasure. "Wanna fight me?"

  "No, I pity you!" he stated, an almost cold sympathy ringing in his voice. "How hard it must be for you to wait alone in this lake for a man who played you false. I don't want to fight you, Lady, I feel sorry for you."

  He turned towards Brieana, ushering her away from the disappointments found at this beautiful yet lonely lake.

  "Ahhhh!" With a loud shriek, the waters of the lake again billowed upwards and shot in angry bursts towards the sky.

  Kerian and Brieana both turned towards the lake, horror reflected in their eyes as they each mentally calculated a way to save the other from a watery death.

  As they watched, the Lady raised both hands into the air and the wall of roaring surging water rose higher, higher, so high it seemed to block out the very sun! An eerie fog came rolling in, enveloping the Lady in its white wall of mist, obscuring her every feature and making her movements a blur.

  The very ground shook beneath their feet as it seemed all the waters of the lake combined to create this giant living wall of liquid, an angry giant that would force the air from their lungs at the same time it filled them with liquid death.

  "I love you, Kerian," Brieana muttered, finally figuring there was no way to escape this death the Lady would visit upon them. "I regret nothing."

  Kerian took her hand in his, lending her strength to face the inevitable, strength to see her death coming and not shy away.

  They both held their breaths as the water wall began to topple. It sounded like a roaring beast as it quivered and shivered in swirling shades of deepest blue to the lightest turquoise. The frothing head on the rippling waves seemed to reach out for them, a white frothy hand of death that extended from the center of the lake and stretched endless feet to the shore where they stood.

  Just when they closed their eyes, ready to meet their fate, the hand of water thinned out, became clearer, smaller less intimidating. Their eyes popped open to watch as, out of the center, a glittering object appeared. Twisting in its watery sheath, slowly the form of a sword took shape. Shining, even in the darkness of the water, it funneled its way to the surface and exploded in a sparkling array of droplets that reflected both the light of the hidden sun and the angry colors of the lake. Twirling and dancing, the sword spewed forth, like hot molten silver, to pause in mid air. As if seeking them, finally finding the thing it sought, it changed direction. With a loud whooshing sound, it embedded itself in the earth before a startled Brieana. Excalibur had chosen its future master, and all present were aware of this fact.

  "My God!" Brieana shouted with mingled fear and joy. This magical sword was hers, bequeathed by fate, chosen by chance! She would learn its secrets and use it to bring peace throughout this land. She was chosen. And by God, she would rule this land, master and tame it as was foretold. She knew she was the Woman of Legend and she had her destiny to fulfill!

  Chapter Twenty

  "Thought that I was gonna do you all in?"

  The haughty voice pulled Brieana and Kerian out of their dazed stupor.

  Brieana continued to stare at the quivering sword before her. Like a slave returning to its master, the sword dove directly for her, straight and true. The feeling of immense power she felt emanating from it was enough to scramble her mind and steal her breath.

  "Why?" Kerian finally managed to get through his tight throat. Fear and anger was replaced by confusion. He might have shown his formidable anger at the Lady, but instead the joy at being alive with his love was too strong of an emotion. It overcame whatever petty arguments he might have had. "Why are we still alive?"

  "As if death would trouble you, Warlord," she snorted. "If I wanted to make you suffer, I would take away your pretty little plaything there, but she has work to do."

  Her words slammed into him with the ring of truth. He would find life unbea
rable if anything should happen to his Brieana. His life had been desolate before, devoid of color and future promises, but she had managed to change all of that.

  "You make a very wise and strong enemy, Lady," he said, staring her straight in the eyes. "By what name should we remember you by?"

  "I am called Nemoae. And I can be a very useful friend, Kerian of Mirage."

  As much as she would have loved to blame all men for the failings of one, she knew deep within her heart this man valued this woman more than his life. He would never abandon her with sweet promises and tender lies. He was truly her other half, her soul mate. And the Lady envied the Woman of Legend in that moment. She wished nothing more than to have this type of all-consuming love in her life, but she knew she wished in vain.

  "Is it mine?" Brieana finally managed to pull herself out of the void of mindlessness, the call of ultimate power, it had tossed her into. "Is Excalibur mine?"

  She looked up at the Lady, knowing in her heart the sword was hers, just needing her to verify it, to validate her dreams.

  "I remember holding it before. I remember holding it in my hands before I knew what it was. It called to me then. It calls to me now." She gazed back on the sword that had filled her dreams and thoughts for a very long time.

  "It is yours," the Lady said, quite ungraciously. "It has always belonged to you. No one else can master it, and you still can't."

  That brought Brieana's eyes snapping back to the Lady.

  "What mean you, I can't?"

  "Haven't you listened to a single word I have said?" The Lady began to look seriously pissed.

  Behind her, the lake had returned to its natural peaceful state and the fog had dissipated, but at her angry words, the lake came to a slow boil.

  "You say I am not the one, yet the sword comes to me," she stated, again looking down at Excalibur.

  "You are no more ready for it than that fool Arthur."

  "Arthur?" her head snapped up at the name. "What about Arthur?"

  "The fool couldn't keep his cock in his leggings, that's what! He trusted the wrong man and thought too highly of himself. He never fully understood the ideals that he pilfered from you, I gather. The boy wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed."