by LH Nicole
“Merlin, stop it!” Aliana heard Wade shout in the distance. Other angry voices barked commands.
The fire closed in, and a flame darted around her hand. She screamed in pain and pain. The magical flame burned her from the inside out. Hot tears escaped down her cheeks as she desperately grabbed at her earth magic and smothered the flame.
“Destroy it now, Merlin!” Arthur command furiously.
Strong arms wrapped around her shaking body, pulling her tightly against a hard chest. Protective sparks wrapped around her like a blanket as the solid arms threatened to crush her with their force. A ragged sob escaped her throat when the shock of cool air surrounded her.
She wrapped her quivering arms around the knight protecting her, using what little strength she had left to cling to him.
“Aliana, are you all right?” Galahad’s low voice asked. He loosened his hold slightly, his right hand circling her sweaty neck. Their bright silver sparks rushed through her body, helping to soothe away the fear and shock. More tears escaped along with a shuddering sob.
New pairs of reassuring hands touched her. Turning her face from Galahad’s neck, she saw Lacy and Dawn’s worried expressions.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Wade screamed at Merlin.
Aliana turned her head to the other side to see Lance and Percy holding back a raging Wade. Leo blocked a fuming Owen while Arthur stood defensively between her and Merlin.
“I did nothing!” Merlin said. “She lost control. Her wild magic fed the fire, making it too powerful for me to extinguish on my own.”
“Bollocks!” Owen shouted over Leo.
Aliana studied Merlin, wanting to hit him for using a power he knew she couldn’t handle. She was surprised when she noticed the pale tint to his usually tan skin and the dark circles under his eyes. They were signs that he’d used too much magic at once.
“Enough, all of you!” Arthur’s voice thundered, and everyone immediately stilled.
Dagg’s clawed paws touched Aliana’s leg, his amethyst eyes alight with fading magic. He must have helped Merlin put out the magical fire. Taking a breath, willing her body to stop shaking, Aliana slowly unwound herself from Galahad and wiped away her tears. She looked up into his shockingly blue eyes. “I’m okay now.”
Nodding, he helped her to her feet, not taking his hands from her body. Dawn lifted Dagg so he could wrap himself around Aliana’s shoulders. As soon as the Dragon’s warm, scaly body circled her neck, she let her shields drop just enough for him to take away her lingering fright.
Arthur laid his hand on her shoulder. “Let Lacy and Dawn take you inside,” he ordered kindly, his hand lingering against her skin as he nodded to the girls.
Her best friends gathered at her side, but Galahad was reluctant to release her.
“Please, Galahad,” Aliana pleaded. “I’ll be okay after a shower.”
His arms slowly relaxed and fell away. She gave him a smile before looking to Arthur. Concern was clear in the king’s golden brown eyes. She nodded her thanks to him as Dawn and Lacy surrounded her and led her to the house. Wade and Owen were still breathing harshly, but they looked relieved when she passed them. She glanced back at Merlin, who now looked even more exhausted and even slightly worried.
Ten minutes later, Aliana was in her bathroom standing under the warm water of her shower, washing away the sweat, grime, and remnants of terror from her skin and hair.
How could everything have gone so wrong? she wondered.
“You let your fear overrule your hard won control,” Dagg’s voice whispered into her mind.
Aliana looked around the bathroom, afraid the Dragon had gotten in.
“I’m in your room with Lacy and Dawn,” he assured her.
“Did you have to help Merlin put out the fire?”
“Yes.” His voice was solemn as he answered her. “I know you won’t like this but I won’t lie to you. Your fear fed the magic as it tried to connect with you. I know something has happened to make you fear fire so, but you’ll have to face that fear and conquer it or this could happen again.”
He didn’t need to add that she could also get any one of them killed.
Closing off her mind, Aliana finished showering and dried herself before pulling on an old pair of denim shorts, a tank top, and a checkered button-down. As she braided her wet locks, she noticed a red mark marring her wrist. After tying off the braid, she pushed her sleeve up and studied the thin, angry mark. It was from the fire that had wrapped around her in an attempt to bond with her. Starting to hyperventilate, Aliana reached into her magic reserves and called up a small amount of pink sparkles. Holding her hand over the burn mark, she willed her power to heal it, to fade it completely from her body.
After lifting her hand, she saw that the mark was gone and sighed heavily. Strangely, Aliana didn’t feel any lingering weakness from her use of magic. Only a small sliver of fright remained. Taking a breath, she opened the bathroom door, letting the steam escape as she stepped into her room. Dawn and Lacy looked up from her white rug where they sat with Galahad. The three immediately got to their feet, but Galahad reached her first, taking one of her hands in his and bringing it to his lips to brush it with a tender kiss.
His face had relaxed from earlier, but worry and angry concern still lingered in his eyes. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m better.” She hugged him, loving the feel of his arms holding her tight. He smelled like soap and winter spices. He must have just taken his own shower.
She stepped out of his arms and wrapped hers around both of her friends. They hugged each other fiercely.
“Things are a disaster downstairs.” Lacy finally pulled back, lifting Dagg into her arms. The little Dragon seemed to be eating up all the attention he was getting from the girls.
“Arthur had to literally order Wade and Owen to back off Merlin.” Dawn glanced over her shoulder at Galahad with a mix of reproach and satisfaction.
“What?” Aliana asked, looking between the two of them. Galahad shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Apparently Romeo here decked Merlin just after we went inside.”
Aliana gasped, turning to Galahad. “You didn’t!”
His silence was mutinous. How could he have slugged his friend and brother?
“Um, I think we should go check on the others,” Lacy whispered, grabbing Dawn’s arm. The two girls made their way out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Galahad gripped her waist. “He used a dangerous magic against you that he knows you’re not ready to handle.” He sounded as livid as he’d been earlier, maybe even more so.
“That doesn’t mean you should hit him!” Aliana tried to push his hands off her waist, but he refused to let go. Instead he pulled her against his body.
“He was out of place.”
“That’s not for you to decide! Even Arthur didn’t let you interfere.”
The knight’s expression hardened; his lips pressed tightly together. Aliana cupped his face, rubbing soft circles at the corners of his mouth with her thumbs.
“You didn’t see the look of utter terror on your face when that fire touched you. You weren’t the one who had to stand back helpless as you screamed.” He spoke between clenched teeth, a torrent of emotions coloring his voice.
“Oh, Galahad,” she breathed, distraught that she had caused him such pain. She didn’t want anyone hurting because of her, not even Merlin. The Druid should’ve realized it was a bad idea to use fire against her, but Dagg was right—her loss of control had made everything worse. But how could she fight against something that terrorized her so much?
One of Galahad’s hands wrapped around her braid, and he brought his lips down on hers. Aliana relaxed into his tense body and kissed him back, trying to assure him—and herself—that she was okay. He lightened the kiss after a frenzied moment and pulled back.
“I can’t handle seeing you hurt,” he confessed in a rough voice. “The thought of it blinds me with rage.”
“I understand, Galahad.” She rose onto her tiptoes to rest her forehead against his. “But I can’t stand the thought of being the reason for hostility between you and any of the others.” She realized how much more control she needed to learn. She’d never be able to connect with fire magic, but she needed to learn how to fight against it.
Galahad sighed as some of the tension released from his body.
“Please promise me you won’t hit any of our friends again.”
His blue eyes bored into her green ones for what felt like half an infinity before he nodded, submitting to her request. Stretching up, she kissed him to say thanks. His lips followed hers when she retreated, and he claimed another kiss.
“We need to go downstairs,” Aliana said. “I’m starving. We didn’t have lunch earlier.”
With their hands laced together, they left her room and made their way downstairs. They found Dawn, Leo, Owen, and Wade lounging in the living room. Dawn held Dagg against her KEEP CALM AND HAIL THE HERO T-shirt. Wade and Owen rushed to Aliana, taking turns hugging her tightly.
“You had us so worried, Lia,” Wade said as he released her.
“But Galahad taught the git some manners.” Owen smiled at Galahad while Aliana glared at both of them.
“He shouldn’t have hit Merlin!” She squeezed Galahad’s hand and glared at Owen. “And you shouldn’t be encouraging him!”
Wade and Owen’s looks of shock were almost funny. Dawn raised a brow at Aliana, who scoffed.
“I am glad you’re better, lass,” Leo said, his big hand touching her shoulder briefly in support. Together they all made their way to the kitchen where Wade had brought out the extension for the already large table.
“What would you like to drink?” Sabine asked, flying out from the pantry with an arm full of rolls.
“What are you doing here?” Aliana asked, surprised and delighted to see the Pixie leader.
“I thought it would be better and safer for everyone if Sabine and the others came with us,” Merlin said as he walked into the kitchen with Arthur and Lancelot by his side.
Aliana took a calming breath, squeezing Galahad’s hand when she felt him tense. “I’m glad you did. I was worried Mordrid might break through your protection again and hurt them.”
Merlin nodded and his eyes swung to Galahad. After a tense moment, both men nodded and the tension that had threatened to choke the room vanished.
“Now that we’re all here, I think it’s dinner time,” Arthur said, smiling at Aliana.
“So, is everyone cool?” Lacy asked when she and Percy walked in through the back door.
“We’re good,” Aliana said, noticing the newly-formed hickey nearly hidden by Lacy’s pink baby-doll tee. She bit back a smile, looking at Dawn, who winked back.
Dinner passed in a comfortable blur as they ate and relaxed, discussing ideas about how to find Excalibur and the Grail of Power. As everyone started to go their own way, Dawn pulled Lacy and Aliana out the back door into the humid Carolina evening air.
Lacy tugged back on Dawn’s arm. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere private.” Dawn dropped her hold on them and wrung her hands together. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you earlier. My mom told me that Josh has been released from probation and he’s somehow managed to get a custodial job at the university. He’s also enrolled in a few classes.”
Aliana’s vision tunneled as the horrible news about her near rapist ex-boyfriend pierced her. “The guys can’t find out!” She threw up an extra layer of shields over her mind to block Dagg from feeling her distress. “How did he even get considered for the job?”
Dawn shrugged. “Mom tried to stop the school from hiring him, but by the time she found out, there was nothing she could do.”
Aliana turned away, looking at the ground, then back to Dawn. “You haven’t told Wade everything have you?”
“No, of course not!” Dawn answered.
“But you can’t hide this from them forever,” Lacy said. “Aren’t you even going to tell Galahad?”
Aliana’s stomach revolted. If she could, she’d lock away the horrible memory of her ex-boyfriend drugging her and nearly raping her at a high school party two years earlier. It happened just ten days before her parents’ deaths. Shivers ran through her as she struggled to push the image of her ex pinning her against a chipped brick wall, twisting her arm hard enough to almost break it.
“Hey,” Dawn whispered, rubbing her hand up and down Aliana’s arm.
Fortunately, Dawn and Lacy had gotten worried and come looking for her. They’d arrived in time to see Josh backhand their friend and stopped him. They took Aliana home as fast as they could, telling Wade that she was drunk. If Wade knew what Josh had tried to do, he’d kill him. So would Galahad.
“Aliana?” Dawn asked.
“Fine, I’m fine,” she said in a choppy voice.
Light from the kitchen spilled out into the dim yard. Percy’s silhouetted figure leaned against the doorway. “Ya coming back in soon, darlin’?”
Lacy took Aliana and Dawn’s hands in hers. “If we stay out here too long, they’ll get suspicious and come snooping.”
The girls nodded and headed toward the giant knight. Galahad and Wade came up behind him. When the girls stepped inside, Wade asked, “What were you doing out there?”
“Girl talk.” Dawn patted Wade’s arm, ignoring his scowl.
With jet lag finally catching up, they all headed to their rooms. “I’ll be up in a minute,” Aliana said to the girls after she’d kissed Galahad good night outside his door.
“Where are you going?” Dawn asked as Lacy hugged Percy again before the giant retreated to his room downstairs.
“I need to talk to Arthur for a second.” After another quick kiss on Galahad’s cheek, she made her way to her parents’ old room and knocked on the door. “Arthur?”
The door opened, revealing Arthur with his shirt halfway unbuttoned, exposing his toned chest, abs, and creamy skin. “Everything all right?” He stepped back so she could enter.
Aliana was in love with Galahad, but she still appreciated the hotness of a half-naked Arthur. Even the few long white scars across his torso only added to his appeal. She blushed, and set her eyes roaming over the room that had once been filled with her mother’s jewelry, her papa’s clothing, and everything in between. “I wanted to talk to you about earlier.” She turned to face the king, who had finished re-buttoning his shirt.
He leaned against the door, a serious look stealing over his regal features. “We were all very troubled by what happened.”
Aliana’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
Arthur placed a finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. “It wasn’t your fault. I should have stepped in when I saw Merlin call the fire.”
Aliana swallowed, not really sure what she wanted to say. “Maybe,” she said finally. “But it wasn’t all Merlin’s fault.”
“Can you tell me what’s made you so afraid of fire?” the king asked, dropping his finger from her chin.
Aliana’s jaw clenched. She wasn’t ready to face the memories.
“I understand.” Arthur’s voice was sad. “But I hope one day you can trust me enough to tell me.”
How could she trust anyone with the guilty secret that haunted her when she couldn’t do anything but hate herself for it? “I need to learn better control. But I can’t face any more fire. Not yet.”
Sympathy washed over Arthur’s features. “I will speak to Merlin. Maybe he or Lord Daggerhorne will come up with an idea of how to help.”
Aliana smiled and nodded.
“But,” he added, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders. “You will have to face fire at some point. Right now we’re at a disadvantage none of us can afford.”
Aliana drew a sharp breath, surprised that he would voice this truth. They must all think her weak.
“It doesn’t make you weak, Aliana.” Arthur
was able to read her like few others could. “We all have things that can be used against us. Not admitting them and not trying to find a way around them is what makes someone weak.”
With a heavy sigh, she nodded. Arthur pulled her close and hugged her. Aliana wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him back, grateful beyond words to have Arthur as a friend. She pulled back, and felt his arms slowly let her go before opening the door so she could head up to her room.
“Good night, Arthur.” She gave him a peck on his cheek as she passed.
“Good night, my lady,” she heard him whisper as she walked toward the stairs.
5
I feel disloyal for the thought, but the rate at which Aliana’s magic is growing scares me. She’s starting to rely on it too much. A lot of us are. Even Lancelot, though I’m sure the British hard ass would rather kiss Mordrid than admit it. He nearly took my head off when I touched a jewelry box in his stash. I suspect it has some connection to his memories of Guinevere. We all feel Guin’s loss, and Lancelot understandably feels it more strongly, but at some point he’s got to get past that raw pain and move on.
~Wade
ALIANA CHANGED INTO HER PAJAMAS and looked around for Dagg, but the silver Dragon wasn’t there. “Dagg?” she asked, calling out to him with her mind.
“I’m with Merlin,” he answered her instantly. “Do you need me?”
“No. I was just surprised you weren’t up here.”
“I’ll be up shortly.”
Aliana glanced at her closet where the door to the hidden staircase was located. She smiled, thinking of her plan to surprise Galahad. “Take your time. I want to say good night to Galahad.”
“Again?” the Dragon asked, sounding amused.
“Shut it.” Aliana closed the connection and pushed her hanging clothes aside to open the paneled wall.
It had been years since she’d used it, yet it slid open as smoothly as ever. She crept down the stairs, being careful to avoid the squeaky parts of the wooden steps, and stopped at the door in Galahad’s closet. Silently, she eased it open and poked her head around to see Galahad lying on the bed. It was barely big enough for his tall frame. He wore nothing but a pair of sweat pants and stared at the ceiling with one arm resting behind his head.
