by test
“To hell he is,” Arthur said, reaching for Excalibur.
“I second that motion,” Molly said sleepily, she let out a great yawn. With that, she finally succumbed to dreamland.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 65
Chapter Eight
Molly was in the middle of a fantastic dream that made her feel delicious inside. She was sailing on euphoria, that was for certain, and yet, something called to her, pulling her to the waking world. She mumbled some sort of insult, rolled over, and scrunched her pillow up beneath her head. She could feel the weight of someone sitting on her bed. Grumbling, she stirred. She tried to stretch her legs out but found the weight to be constrictive of her movements.
“What the bloody hell?” She flickered her eyes open briefly. “Whoever goes there should know that I don’t like to have my sleep disturbed! So go and bugger off, why don’t you!”
Her senses reached out and something tickled the back of her mind. She fought the suddenly overwhelming urge to sneeze. Why couldn’t she just float back to her wonderful dream? She could still feel and taste the sensations that had lingered in her dream. “Mmm…” she mumbled.
Stubborn to the very end, she clamped her eyelids shut, and tried to return to her wonderful dream. But it was not to be. Someone’s hand had settled itself on her shoulder. She tried shaking it off, and then groaned, when she finally rolled over, and blinked her eyes open.
“What are you doing in here?” she shrieked, bolting upright, and pulling the sheets up to her chin. She glared at Collin, and pushed his hand off of her shoulder. He put his hand back, and smiled crookedly at her; her heart softened just the teeniest bit, but he wouldn’t win her over that easily. Whether he had forgotten it or not, he was in the 6th century, and being in a young maiden’s bedroom was definitely frowned upon. If anyone caught him in here, her reputation would be sullied forever. She’d be damned if she’d be thrown into the ranks of the castle whores. Crinkling her nose, she sniffed at the air. A strange smell wafted over to her side of the room.
As her eyes adjusted to the glaring sunlight drifting through the stained-glass windows, she realized that Collin was not alone. In fact, she almost had enough people assembled in her bedchamber to have a bloody party. Didn’t anyone know the meaning of privacy anymore?
“Good morrow, Princess,” Lachlan chirped, from his perch on the window seat. “You look quite lovely, this morning. There’s a nice bit of color in your cheeks. “ He smiled that cheeky grin of his, and began to draw out his pesky Elvin forged pipe from his emerald coat.
“Light that, Lachlan, and I’ll introduce another way of smoking it to you,” she threatened, smiling sweetly, as another shape emerged from the shadows.
“My, my, aren’t we cranky this morning. One would think you’d gotten out on the wrong side of the bed…and yet you’re still in bed,” Merlin reflected, walking over to stand by the foot of her bed. As usual, Merlin looked radiantly resplendent in his faerie silk robes. His blue eyes were twinkling with some form of inside joke.
Lachlan stuck his tongue out at her. “One smoke, that’s all I ask, lass. You know the smoke won’t hurt you…it’s just a magical mixture of Elvin leaves. The smoke it gives off might even help you to feel better. It’s nothing like those horrid things the humans smoke. I tried one of them once, and thought me insides were burning. “ Lachlan snapped his fingers and had nearly lit the pipe when Molly shook her finger at him. The spark lost its sparkle.
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“Saints above, Molly! You could have burned me hand. I wish you would give me a warning before you use your magic. I thought you had seen reason. Honestly, sometimes talking to you is like talking to the behind of an ogre…though I wouldn’t suggest standing behind an ogre with a lit match, that’s just an accident waiting to happen. Why, I remember my friend Seamus found himself in that situation once, and he nearly blew himself to kingdom come when the ogre let out one big f…” Molly let out a loud snort. Lachlan clamped his mouth shut, and sighed.
“Lachlan, if I let you smoke your pipe, its beguiling scent would have the entire castle in an uproar. You know full well that the smell of an Elvin pipe has troubling effects on humans. “
“Aye. Well…to be fair, I had not given that a thought. Humans. They can be an annoying lot, can’t they? But then, I imagine they can’t help themselves. I mean if I had to live a life without me magic…I’d go stark raving mad that’s what I’d do. “ Lachlan nodded his head and began whistling a carefree tune. Molly narrowed her eyes as Lachlan conjured three miniature rainbows. He conjured one more and put one in each corner of her room. “There.
That’s better. Don’t know how you can live in such dreariness. You really need to liven this place up. Now I know why I live in the magical realms. Everything here is so very…grey, and no one ever smiles. “ She’d had about enough of listening to Lachlan. The dead headache she had made it difficult for her to put up with Lachlan’s shenanigans. Actually, she had a hard time putting up with Lachlan when she felt as right as rain.
She flared her nostrils and sat forward. With one last heavy shrug she dislodged Collin’s hand from her shoulder. She shivered as she felt the loss of his soft touch. A frown touched the edges of her mouth. Why did he have to affect her in such a troubling way? Hormones. If only there was a magic spell to take away the all-consuming effects of raging hormones. Raging?
Hell, hers were running away from her. They were definitely beyond raging.
“Don’t get me started, Merlin. I have more than just a few grievances to take up with you!” she murmured, flinging her covers back. She thought better of it, when she noticed Collin’s interested stare, and pulled the covers back up to her chin. Besides, even though the massive fireplace had a crackling fire burning in it, she was still cold, and the English dampness was seeping into her very bones. She could do with a good cup of hot strong tea right now. Her nostrils flared again as Merlin’s reminder carried through to her. She’d have to forego a cup of traditional English tea until she could return to the future. Of course, she might be able to haggle some sort of an agreement between her and Merlin. In every faerie realm, they made cups of tea that could rival a cup of English Tea any given day. If she could convince Merlin to bring some supplies to her from one of the Faerie Realms, then she’d be set. She flinched beneath Merlin’s penetrating stare. Why did he have to look at her as if he was reading her deepest, darkest secrets? Did he know of her slight affection for Collin?
“Yes, you could say that you have some grievances to take up with me, but don’t even get me started on all of the little mistakes you have been making. “ His eyes flared with indignation. Instead of being put off by Merlin’s showy display, she became even more riled up.
“In case you had forgotten what you did to that black shifting dragon, I’ll give you a reminder. I had to clean up that mess of yours that you made the other day. And when you make a mess, Molly, you make one humdinger!” Merlin pointed out. He took a deep cleansing breath and thoughtfully rubbed his beard. “I had the most difficult time, erasing everyone’s memory. It’s a good thing I had some faerie forgetting dust. Because if I hadn’t…well let’s just say my job would have been much more complicated. I hadn’t known that humans could be such a stubborn lot. If they get one thing in their head it takes a ruddy miracle to make that thing LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 67
go away. As it is, Arthur and I are still making excuses for the dreams that people keep having.
I fear that some of Arthur’s subjects will start to believe that they are losing their minds. Magic was once commonplace in this world, but even now it is slipping away into obscurity. People no longer believe in magic, so therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult to use it in the open!
You must learn to behave and watch your actions, Molly. In the 21st Century, if you had a wee bit of a slip up, people were less liable to notice. But here, why magic will stick out like a sore thumb to the non-believers!
”
At the mention of dreams, Molly’s heartbeat quickened, while sweat beaded across her brow. She listened to Merlin giving her a talking to, and yet…her mind was wandering. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Collin staring at her. Suddenly, heat licked at her cheeks. She sighed. Placing her cool hand up to her cheek she tried to pretend that Collin wasn’t there. But pretending that Collin wasn’t standing beside her was like pretending that faeries couldn’t fly.
“How many days have I missed?” she asked anxiously. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end when a low growl sounded at the side of her bed. “Avalbane!” she exclaimed. The large Irish wolfhound raised her head, and stared up at Molly with an adoring expression plastered across her face. “Why, I’d completely forgotten that Avalbane was still alive in this time,” she murmured, reaching her hand down to pat the top of her hound’s head. Love crept into her heart for the companion that had left her so many years ago. Avalbane had always been by her side through thick and thin.
Collin bent down and scratched Avalbane behind her ears and under her neck. The hound let out a low rumble that displayed her delight. Avalbane had fallen in battle about three years from now, if her memory served her right. Her loyal hound had been faithful to the very end.
“Traitor,” Molly said, glancing toward the window. “You could have at least pretended not to like him. I mean, give me a break! Why can’t anyone see that…” her voice trailed off, as Merlin raised his hand calling for her to be silent. Although, if Avalbane had taken a liking to Collin that meant he had to have a good heart. Avalbane wasn’t just any ordinary dog…she was also her familiar.
“You’ve been out for three days,” Merlin answered. He raised his arm and flourished it toward the wall. Mists circled through the room. In a few seconds, Merlin had conjured up a vision that started in a hazy swirling cloud and then filled the full length of the opposite wall. A pain stabbed into her heart. Her breath left her.
“In that time, two of your father’s holdings have been attacked. We suffered great losses.
If this continues, Arthur’s rule will begin to be doubted. Two of his knights suffered near fatal wounds. Praise to the powers above, we were able to reach them before they succumbed to the deathblows. Beatrice is proving herself an even more skilled healer than I. If the attacks grow in number, we will have to send for some more Elvin and Faerie Healers…Beatrice will collapse beneath much more strain. “ Merlin’s face flickered with an emotion that Molly couldn’t quite identify. His face softened when he spoke of Beatrice and his eyes filled with an emotion almost akin to love. Beatrice had to have made quite the impression on Merlin. Molly wondered what had been brewing between them in her absence. Her mouth went dry, and her heart skipped up into her throat. Could Merlin be falling in love? But then…Merlin was years older than Beatrice or was he? And wasn’t Merlin supposed to have a thing for Lady Vivienne? Hmm…maybe it wasn’t as serious as she thought.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 68
Then, her heart thudded back into her chest. Knights had been wounded…but that made no sense. None of Arthur’s Knights had been wounded in ambushes the first time around. What was happening? The timeline as she knew it had begun to crumble around her.
Fear clutched at Molly’s heart as she tried to absorb the information that Merlin had just provided her with. “What do you mean, which knights were hurt?” she asked, as she threw the covers aside, and searched for something to put on, besides her nightgown. But first, she would have to attend to some necessities before she went anywhere. She groaned as she thought of the plumbing facilities that the castle was equipped with, and nearly slapped her head in frustration.
When Merlin wasn’t looking…she just might conjure herself up a bathroom from the 21st century.
“Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain fell,” Collin whispered. Right at that moment, Lachlan began humming a soothing tune that, surprisingly enough, succeeded in calming Molly’s nearly shattered nerves.
“They will live, right?” she demanded. Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating. The blood had drained from her face. This timeline was spiraling out of control. What if someone died that wasn’t supposed to? Then what? She gave into her frustration and padded across the floor to her large chest filled with her day gowns. “Well,” she prompted. Lifting the heavy lid, she began rummaging inside for something that would catch her interest.
“Sir Lancelot is being attended by Morganna. His situation is the gravest. He hasn’t awakened at all, since Beatrice healed him. There are heated arguments ensuing as to whether or not he should be whisked away to the Isle of Avalon,” Merlin murmured. His voice fell to the barest of whispers. Molly gasped and whirled around. She stared at her mentor with wide eyes.
She pulled the dress she clutched in her hand up to her heart.
“It is that serious? Lancelot can’t die. He can’t! Merlin, we must do whatever it takes to save his life! I mean he isn’t supposed to die, is he?” Merlin shifted his weight to his other foot.
Molly shook her head. “Merlin, please, say anything to assuage my worries. “
“Molly, at this point our path is murky. The timeline is shifting. We must all pray that what needs to happen, will. “
“Surely, Lancelot will live. He never died the first time around…” Her voice trailed off.
The somber look on Merlin’s face drove a chill into her body. She sighed. “Morganna must be beside herself,” she rambled. Invisible fingers tightened their clutch on her heartstrings. She didn’t hold any sort of fervent love for Lancelot, but underneath all of his love frolicking, he was a good-hearted individual, with a true and untarnished soul. Even if he was susceptible to moments of selfish indifference. He would never purposefully hurt anyone and it stung Molly to realize that he had been struck down. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. She needed to sit down and collect herself. But she didn’t have the time.
“How did it happen?” she asked, her voice barely audible. Turning back around, she threw the green dress she had crumpled in her hand back into the chest, and bent over to pull out a long low bodice white silk gown. Then, she reached for a deep wide belt made of gold. She laid her garments out on the bed and motioned for them to turn their backs. Merlin promptly turned around, but Collin stared at her with a twinkle in his eyes before he obliged her. Lachlan had taken his leave and Molly wondered where he had gone off to. She would take great care in what she wore, for she suspected that her troublesome Aunt Morgause was still around just itching to wreak unwelcome havoc.
“Morganna’s diary mentioned Sir Lancelot’s only weakness, and not surprisingly, Lord Cardan used it. “ Merlin’s terse voice clearly conveyed his impatience. For the first time since LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 69
she’d known Merlin she heard his voice filled with raw-edged despair. Tossing a quick glance over her shoulder, she caught the closed shuttered look enveloping his features.
Molly just slipped her gown on and fastened her gold belt. Her mind whirled as she tried to discern what Lancelot’s weakness was. Even though she had been entrusted with the safety of the diaries, she had never invaded any one of her Light Bearers’ trust by reading their most intimate reflections. Lancelot always seemed to be in control of everything in his life. She couldn’t even imagine him having a weakness….
“Oh, come now,” Merlin seemed more than a bit irritated by her slow comprehension.
He turned back to stare Molly squarely in the eyes. “You have two parents that love you more than life itself, is it that hard for you to piece together?” he asked.
She gulped. At Merlin’s words her heart fell down into the pit of her stomach. If she’d just eaten she would have thrown everything back up. A sour taste filled her mouth, and she licked her lips.
“Galahad is Lancelot’s greatest weakness?” she asked tentatively. Merlin slowly nodded his head. Collin leaned lazily up against the wall and crossed his arms against his chest. Collin seemed to be keeping his
cool rather well, even though she now felt like a jumble of raw nerves.
Her breath quickened.
Molly moved past Merlin to her dressing table, and reached for her large jewelry box.
Reaching for a brush she tried to pull it through her knotted and tangled hair. She winced with every stroke. Her strokes were fueled by the desperation that now seeped through her body.
Stupid girl, you’ve gone and messed everything up.
“Molly, here, let me comb your hair, at this rate you’ll be bald by tomorrow. “ She stared up at Collin, and hesitated at his odd offer. Comb her hair? Who was he kidding? He was just looking for an excuse to touch her. But much as she hated to admit it, she didn’t really have the energy to fight Collin. Besides, being near him wasn’t the worst thing in the entire world.
Grudgingly, she handed her horsehair brush to him. He began running the brush through her hair and within minutes, she had been lulled by his gentle motions. Merlin cleared his throat. At the loud noise, she straightened her chair and rested her hands on her jewelry box. She caressed her hand over the Celtic Love Knot on the top of it. Briefly, her heart thought of Collin. Was he really her fairytale love that she’d always secretly yearned for? She opened the jewelry box and reached for something to control her unruly waves of thick copper hair. As if Collin could read her thoughts, he stuck his hand out for the band of gold studded with red rubies that she had selected. With deft fingers he fastened her thick hair beneath it. She smiled.
