by test
“Collin, get behind me,” she whispered, trying to drag him behind her. Her heart was beating so rapidly that she knew it would jump out of her chest sooner or later.
“I will not hide behind you. Honestly, for once in your life, Molly, please acknowledge the fact that I don’t always require your protection. “ Huh. So, who was turning the tables now?
She’d never intimated that he required her protection before. Had she?
Molly snorted. Right at that precise moment, a dark blazing globe of fire began extending from Lady Vivienne’s fingertips.
“Not good,” she muttered, throwing herself against Collin as she hurtled them both to the ground.
The fireball arced straight over their heads and headed toward one of the leprechauns.
Molly looked up and watched, as the leprechaun tried to frantically dart out of its way, but it followed him as if it had been programmed just for him. Feeling her heart grow heavy with dread, she pushed herself off of the ground that was now dusted with sooty snow. Calling upon a hidden power that she had never tapped into, she formed an ice ball in her hand, and threw it high into the air, mentally guiding it toward the fireball. She could only pray it would connect with the fireball and effectively take it out.
Lachlan was trying to help the panicked leprechaun, but no matter how much magic they threw at the fireball, it wouldn’t stop its pursuit. Molly’s giant ice ball finally overtook the fireball and swallowed it up in one big gulp. As soon as she knew the leprechaun was safe, she began breathing again.
“Thank you, lass,” Lachlan called, beaming down at Molly.
“You dare to stand against the might of Queen Vivienne, the Great?” Lady Vivienne shouted, centering her rage on Molly.
Molly whirled around, and faced Lady Vivienne. No matter what happened she had to stand her ground. The strangest sensations filled her body, though she couldn’t explain them, LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 124
nor could she define them. Waves of powerful, mystical magic filtered through her system. She levitated herself off of the ground and stood against Lady Vivienne.
“I beseech you, Lady Vivienne, pray remember who you are. Remember what you are. “
She summoned a cloud of purple magic and directed it at Lady Vivienne. It swirled around her, and then engulfed her.
Lady Vivienne screamed, yet no matter how hard she tried to bat Molly’s magic away, it would not be deterred. Lady Vivienne’s black eyes rolled up inside of her head, and then after a few moments, she began to transform back into her old self.
Heartened by what she was seeing, Molly moved forward and Collin followed her. She had done it! She had brought Lady Vivienne back from the precipice of falling into the clutches of Lord Cardan. She had saved Lady Vivienne. Blessed be.
Branden and Adria came to stand next to them. She glanced over at Branden and noticed his furrowed brow. What in the world was he concerned about? There was nothing at all to fear.
The Dark Queen had been vanquished. Now the White Queen would return. Snow continued to fly around them though it had now turned the color of heavenly dark chocolate, and it had become so thick that she could barely see in front of her. Snowflakes landed on her eyelashes blurring her vision. She shivered, and Collin quickly slipped the Faerie cloak off and tucked it around her shoulders.
“My dearest friends,” Lady Vivienne said in her soft slightly accented voice. “You have saved me, and now I shall see that you are generously repaid. “
Branden had slipped behind Adria, and was slowly inching his way toward Collin.
“You are known to me, Prince Collin,” Lady Vivienne murmured, her eyes filling with recognition. “And you should be used as an example. “ She paused, and Molly began to scrutinize Lady Vivienne. Something felt off, something was not as it should be.
A sour smell filled her nostrils, and then, she recognized it. Lady Vivienne’s eternal glamour was still gone. She did not give off her usual light. Elves and faeries always illuminated the darkness and yet, Lady Vivienne seemed dull and diminished. Her heart stopped.
Collin.
Branden was now so close to Collin that his body had brushed up against his grandson’s body. Collin threw him a confused glance, and then Molly let out a terrified scream that seemed to make time standstill. For some reason, she could not move, as if someone had glued her feet to the ground. She had become helpless. Molly watched in unspeakable horror, as Lady Vivienne hurled a bolt of lightning at Collin. Branden stepped in front of Collin, collapsing beneath the lightning bolt as all color and life drained from his face. His eyes were open in stunned horror, and slowly his ragged breathing ceased.
Prince Branden Fairborn was dead. Killed by his distant cousin.
Lady Vivienne stared down at the fallen Elf with a smug smile tugging at the corners of her lips. A tear slipped down Molly’s cheek. Blood rushed in her ears, followed by a loud buzzing noise.
Molly and Adria sank to their knees next to Branden. Collin was on the ground, and had tenderly lifted Branden’s head into his lap. He was feeling for a pulse. Molly shook her head at him, knowing that he would not find one.
“Wake up,” Adria pleaded, tears streaming down her face. She gripped Branden’s shirt and tugged at it with all her might. “Please, wake up!”
“Shouldn’t I be gone? I mean if what the old nutter said was true, I shouldn’t even be here now, should I?” Collin demanded. Emotion flooded his eyes, and made Molly’s heart ache LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 125
for him. What could she say? She honestly didn’t know…though what he said did make sense.
In all likelihood, Collin should have disappeared into the fabric of time.
“What are you talking about?” Adria demanded, between sobs. Tears streamed down her face. Her eyes had become bloodshot. Molly wanted to die along with Branden. She was the one responsible for all of this misery. Lachlan had by now made his way over to them.
“Move out of me way, if you please…leprechaun coming through,” he muttered, pulling leprechaun dust out of the pouch that he wore at his side. Lachlan had become serious in his intent. His jovial eyes lacked their normal luster.
“I could not have killed Prince Branden. Killing a creature of the sacred lands is a sin that even I cannot atone for. “ Lady Vivienne’s voice lost all of its cruelty and malice. Instead, it was softly pleading and filled with heartbreak. “What have I done?” Lady Vivienne stared down at her hands in revulsion. “I shall not let Lord Cardan’s dark powers overtake me, I shall fight it!” Her voice became louder and more determined. Molly listened to it all, but could not seem to take her eyes away from Branden’s face.
She did not know what to do. Her loved ones were dying all around her and no matter what she did, the grim reaper would not go away. Her heart was about to give out; she knew that it wasn’t able to deal with such extraordinary pain in such a small amount of time.
Lady Vivienne no longer mattered. Molly would kill her for what she had just done. She had tried to willfully murder Collin, but Branden had gotten in her way. The woman needed to be stopped before she took more innocent lives.
“Lachlan, what are you doing? We must find a way to take Branden’s body back to Ardara, the Elves there may know of some way to…” Molly forced the words out of her mouth even though her entire being bucked against it.
“Have ye forgotten everything that Lord Merlin ever taught ye? There are ways to trick evil. Many ways, that only the purest of souls are ever able to master. “ Lachlan sprinkled his leprechaun dust on Branden, and then waited while he began whistling. “Molly, you’d better thank your lucky rainbow that I came along with you. It seems I was meant to run into you when I was running away from Morganna,” he continued, whistling his heartbreaking Irish Ballad.
“Lachlan, I do not understand you. I can’t fathom how you can stand there so unaffected by what has just transpired. Get control of yourself, man! Branden has died; this is no time for the whistling of an Irish Ballad.
“
“Ye need to listen to me, lass, and take in the words that I say. “ Lachlan jumped up into the air, and dived toward Branden’s still body.
Just as he was about to connect with Branden’s dead body, the body simply vanished.
“I reckoned that would happen. Ah, I’m almost too good. “ Lachlan gave her a smug grin, and sat cross-legged on the ground, with his arms folded arrogantly in front of him.
“Lachlan, you are speaking gibberish again,” Molly pointed out.
“The ancient trick did exactly what Branden wanted it to do. It snapped Lady Vivienne out of her brainwashed haze. He’s a clever one, he is. He has my undying admiration for that little trick…I used to think I was the king of all tricks, but I’ll have to stand down from my throne. “
“Then where is Branden?” Adria demanded, searching the grounds around the lake for him.
“Oh, he’s somewhere around here. Elves can’t be killed easily, especially when they are Elves from Ardara. I’ve seen Ardarian Elves cheat death on more than one occasion. And every single time, they think of a different way of showing off. He’s more than likely hovering around LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 126
us invisible. They have a knack for becoming invisible. Ye wouldn’t even be able to hear them breathing, or feel their presence. Like I said, they are very powerful creatures. “
Lady Vivienne let out a startled gasp mixed with disbelief and outrage. Molly and the others stared up at her, and watched as silvery glowing Elvin rope twined around her midsection, and then wrapped itself around her hands and her feet. Lady Vivienne wouldn’t be able to wreak any more havoc. Elvin rope was impenetrable. No one, but another elf, could untie her. Well, now Molly knew where Branden was. She watched as two feet, followed by a set of green-garbed legs appeared, and then in a flash of light, the rest of Branden’s body followed.
“You scared me out of my wits,” Adria shouted. Branden grinned.
“Thanks for the concern, love,” he said, tugging on the rope that held Lady Vivienne captive. “Come along, Lady Vivienne. Until I know for certain that you still don’t harbor any misbegotten feelings passed onto you by Lord Cardan, I’ll keep you safely tied up. “
“As you should, Prince Branden,” Vivienne relented. “I would have it no other way. “
“Where are you taking Lady Vivienne?” Molly asked, curiously inspecting the woman.
She seemed to have truly turned back into her old self, but Molly had been duped once, and she would not fall for the same trick twice.
“Back to Tintagel, if it meets your approval,” Branden replied. The rope magically lengthened as he levitated Lady Vivienne up onto his horse. He swung up behind her, and reached for the reigns.
“Aye, of course it does,” Molly murmured, not quite believing what had conspired that night. She needed to get back to Tintagel, and take a long hot bath.
“We shall bid you a goodnight now,” Lady Bell said, staring up in concern at Lady Vivienne. “I do not think she truly meant to do any of the wicked things she did. “
“Nay, I do not think she did,” Molly agreed. Lady Bell smiled at her.
“There is a great battle brewing. Our seers tell us that many losses will be suffered.
When the time comes, you may be assured that we water faeries shall be there to support you in your fight against Lord Cardan. But for now, may the grace of the Goddess be with you. “ Lady Bell lifted her hand in farewell, and then vanished, as did the other water faeries.
“Let’s get a move on, back to Tintagel. “ Her words sounded hollow, and her eyes were fighting back stinging tears. She swung up onto Wind Spirit, and kept her eye closely trained on Collin. She didn’t want to let him out of her sight. Far too much depended upon him surviving.
“Are you okay?” Collin asked her for what seemed to be the thousandth time.
“Aye,” she whispered, looking away. For the moment, she couldn’t meet his penetrating gaze. His eyes would bore into her, and be able to tell that she was not telling the truth. For possessing no magic of any kind, Collin was far too perceptive for his own good.
She nudged Wind Spirit with her heels and they tore away from the Lake toward home.
Tintagel. Tintagel harbored its own magic. Some said that it was enchanted, and they would actually be speaking the God’s honest truth. She knew for a fact that Tintagel was filled with Faerie magic. For it had been enchanted by Merlin himself.
Though they had too many people to support, since Lachlan didn’t seem in any hurry to send his army back to Ireland, they would simply have to make do with what they had.
Tintagel would no doubt magically grow to hold the many inhabitants it would soon be accommodating. She just prayed that no mortal would notice how it had managed to hold so many people.
As they rode into the castle courtyard, Molly could hear cackles of delight, and some sort of chanting. Unless her ears betrayed her, she could have sworn that they chanted, “Kill the LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 127
whore! Kill the whore!” Whatever were they going on about? She swallowed. Foreboding yet again plagued her being. Why couldn’t she just have some time to relax?
Confusion slowly turned to clarity. Someone was preparing a stake and heaping wood around it. Her stomach churned as she tried to grasp the situation. Who was planning such a barbaric act?
Several women dragged Gwen to the stake by her hair. Molly winced and dropped down from Wind Spirit. She had known that nothing good would come of switching Gwen and Elyzabel, and now it looked as if everything was about to explode right in her face.
A scantily clad Lancelot came rushing out of the castle, with his sword brandished in his right hand, though he was limping. It didn’t take Molly long to figure out why the enraged mob was calling Gwen a whore. The only good that had come out of Elyzabel’s lust for Lancelot was the fact that he was now awake. No one had thought to rouse him the way Elyzabel had. The only mistake she made was to seduce Lancelot while inhabiting Gwen’s body.
Wonderful. This was just what she needed. The randy knight seducing the King’s wife.
Great. She wouldn’t be getting Gwen, or rather Elyzabel, out of this one very easily. The hour was late; why hadn’t people retired to their own beds?
Molly’s legs nearly gave way beneath her, when she finally recognized the woman in front of the mob. She seemed to be the instigator.
“Gwen,” Molly muttered. Okay, now she was definitely going to wring Gwen’s pretty little neck.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 128
Chapter Seventeen
Molly dashed toward Gwen, for she still thought of her as being Gwen even though her spirit now inhabited Lady Elyzabel’s body.
“What do you think you are doing?” she hissed, gripping Gwen’s wrist, and pulling her toward her. Gwen widened her eyes innocently. “Oh, don’t you dare play that trick with me…I know you, Gwen. I know you concocted this whole damn thing. In this matter, you are about as innocent as a London whore. “
“Language, Molly. What would your father think?”
“He would bloody well think that you were off your bloody rocker. Didn’t you hear about his ban on burnings at the stake? You are breaking one of his most sacred rules! You really need to get a grip, Gwen!”
“I am burning the whore. I went in to see how Lancelot was faring, and I found the rutting pig and my cousin in a most shocking position. I will not tolerate such sin in my household! It is not to be borne! She has sullied my body!” Gwen’s voice was tinged with vehemence, and even Molly was shocked by the strength of it. Gwen’s intolerance permeated the air, and had riled the mob into a fervor that would not be easily quenched.
“Elyzabel,” she said, using the name that Gwen was now for all intents and purposes known as. “Release Gwen, and cease this madness at once. You have stirred the passions of the crowd. I’ve had enough…you talk the crowd down or I’m going to do something you won’t like.” Molly’s throat went dry as they thrust E
lyzabel up against the wooden post and began tying her up. She had precious little time to spare. “Listen to me, Gwen. I’m not open to stalling while Elyzabel starts cooking,” she said, lowering her voice so that no one would be able to overhear.
“You do not tell me what to do,” Gwen hissed, her blue eyes filling with a maniacal gleam; that shocked Molly straight down to her toes. “I am your stepmother…I am the one in authority here!”
“I will not allow you to do this, Gwen. You may be my stepmother, but I am my own woman…you have no authority over me anymore. In case no one has taken the liberty to inform you, my father is dead. And with his passing that makes me…” Molly nearly choked on the tears, but couldn’t quite keep her feelings of satisfaction toned down when she noticed Gwen become quite pale. She couldn’t say that made her the High Queen of Britain. She just couldn’t.
