“Tessa.” He caught her gaze with his. “I am resigned—nay accepting—of your presence at my side. You have proved your worth. I do not doubt your courage. I no longer even question the reasons behind your inclusion in this venture. But I am unused to dealing with a woman as,” he shook his head in disbelief, “as I would another man. ’Twill take some time to accustom myself to the idea. I beg your patience with me.”
She stared for a long moment.
Galahad smiled. “What? No quick retort? No biting lash of your tongue? I can scarce believe at long last I have silenced the Lady Tessa.”
“Neither can I,” she said, struggling to digest his apparent change of heart. She must have impressed the hell out of him with that archery business. “It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong.”
“Oh?” He lifted a dark brow. “When was I wrong?”
The fire crackled and snapped and sparks escaped into the night.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk again.” Tessa sat staring into the camp fire, wondering just how stiff she’d be in the morning. Right now her body ached from her scalp to her toenails. There was a lot more to riding a horse than she’d suspected. A lot more pain anyway. She pulled the meager blanket around her shoulders tighter. The coverlet was thin and scratchy and apparently all she’d get in terms of a bed. “You really think it’s a good idea? Sleeping in a cave like this?”
Galahad stirred the flames with a long stick. He’d settled on the opposite side of the campfire, about as far away from her as he could get. Ever since they’d stopped for the night, and he’d helped her off her horse, holding her a bit longer than was probably necessary and a bit shorter than she would have liked, he’d kept his distance. Was he scared of her? Or himself?
“A cave is easy shelter to be made use of. We will not be this lucky every night.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing back there?” She glanced at the darkness that seemed to stretch forever. They sat with their backs to the chill wall, the opening of the cave on one hand, its yawning depths on the other. Creepy. Very, very creepy.
“’Twas no sign of bears or wolves.” He tossed a short, fat branch on the fire. “There is little else to be of concern.”
“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my,” she murmured. He ignored her, apparently caught up in his own thoughts. Too bad. She needed to get her mind off of what might have lived in this cave once and what could still come back. “So,” she groped for a topic of conversation, “worked out the riddle yet?”
He glanced at her sharply. “Nay. Have you?”
“Nope. I told you, I’m terrible at riddles.”
He sighed. “’Tis not my greatest skill either.”
“Maybe we can figure it out together?”
“Aye.” He stared at her from across the fire. Was it the reflection of the flames that burned in his eyes? His voice rang with intensity. “Together.”
“Aye,” she said softly. Exactly what did together mean? What did he want it to mean? What did she? She shook her head mentally, pushed away the images of together that crowded her mind and tried to concentrate on Merlin’s puzzle. “I really wish I’d written that damn riddle down somewhere. I can’t remember exactly—”
“When the peril is naught save illusion, when the infidel comes to the fold, when the offering can be no greater, then the truth shall be revealed and that which each man seeks—” Galahad’s dark gaze bored into hers. His deep tones echoed in the cave, “—shall be his.”
“Wow.” She wanted to melt into a small puddle. Why did he have to look at her that way? Why did he have to sound so good? And why did she want so much more? She struggled to pull herself together. “I mean, that was fantastic. I don’t believe it. We only heard the riddle once. How did you do that?”
He shrugged. “’Tis an odd quirk of my nature. I have but to hear a thing a single time and it lingers in the back of my memory always. ’Tis both a great annoyance and a great value.”
“I’ll bet. Can you do it with visual images too? Things you see, I mean?”
“Would that I could.” He shook his head in obvious regret. What sight couldn’t he remember?
“I was right, you’re a human tape recorder.” She eyed him suspiciously. “When I said you weren’t paying attention to my conversation today, I was right about that too, wasn’t I?”
For the first time since they’d stopped for the night, he grinned. “I would not admit such a thing even if it were true. I am no fool, my lady.”
“I didn’t think so.” She laughed. “I’ll let you off the hook on this one. Now, back to the puzzle of the day. Any ideas how this thing is supposed to work?”
“Within the words of the riddle are the challenges we must meet and best in our path to the Grail. Once we have succeeded, the Grail shall be within our reach.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“’Twill not be easy.”
“No kidding. What I don’t get about all this, though,” she leaned forward, “if we don’t understand exactly what the challenges are, how do we find them?”
“We do not find them, they find us.”
“What?”
“’Tis an odd circumstance for you, my lady, and I know not how to explain.” His brow furrowed in thought. “’Tis no ordinary journey we have undertaken. A quest of this nature is ruled as much by forces we cannot see as by those we can.”
“Those we can’t see? Like what?”
He raised a casual shoulder as if the answer was obvious. Maybe in his world it was. “Forces of magic. Of the darkness of men. Of our own souls.”
“This sounds better and better all the time. Lions and tigers and bears are beginning to sound tame compared to this.” She studied him for a moment and hoped she was wrong. “Have you ever been on a quest like this before?”
“Not like this.” His voice was quiet. “No.”
“Just what I wanted to hear.” She sighed. “Even with this riddle, there isn’t much to go on. We’ve been riding all day but how do you even know what direction to head? I mean, do we just take off and wait for things to happen to us?”
He raised a scornful brow. “’Twould be a foolish thing to do.”
“Then how—”
“The king advised—”
“In that little chat you boys had without me?”
“Aye.” A firm note colored the word. “Have I not begged your forgiveness already?”
“Fine.” She huffed. “I won’t say another word about it.” Maybe.
“The king and I agreed the best way to proceed was to travel toward Glastonbury.”
“Where Joseph of Arimathea allegedly hid the Grail?”
“Aye. From there, we will see what information can be gathered and what new direction that may take us.” He paused. “You should know, as well, the king gave me this.” He pulled a small jeweled dagger from a sheath at his waist. She hadn’t even noticed it.
“Very stylish but it doesn’t look very effective.”
“’Tis a token from the queen.” He replaced the knife. “As much or more for luck than protection.”
“We’ll need it.” She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Lots of it. You know, none of this sounds very clear-cut.”
“’Tis yet another challenge.”
“You guys are really fond of saying that.” She shook her head. “I’d better memorize that riddle myself. Just in case. Let me have it.”
Galahad recited the lines over and over until she was fairly sure she had it down.
She gazed into the flames. “We need to make sense of this—the peril, the infidel, the offering.”…the peril, the infidel, the offering…The words repeated themselves over and over and over in her head like a mantra. The flames danced in rhythm with the words…the peril, the infidel, the offering…Her lids drooped, her eyes closed. Had she ever been so tired?
“Tessa?” Galahad’s low voice sounded beside her. He must have joined her. She wante
d to look but it was too much of an effort to open her eyes.
“Hmmmm…” She leaned toward his voice and found the solid warmth of his body beside her.
“Tessa?” Was that unease in his tone? Was he uncomfortable with her against him like this? She’d be willing to move. In a minute. As soon as she could open her eyes. She snuggled closer against him.
“You should lie down and try to sleep. ’Twill be another long day tomorrow.”
“Um-hum.” She was so tired. And he felt so wonderful. She was barely awake. He heaved a heavy sigh, his chest rising and falling beneath her head and his arm wrapped around her. Contentment flowed through her. This was so…right. Why?
Why not?
Sleep crept closer. All thoughts of perils and infidels and offerings faded, washed away by the solid heat and tender strength of the man who held her. At long last she surrendered to oblivion. His voice drifted through her dreams and warmed her soul as well with words not meant for her.
“Forgive me, my love. I did not know such a thing could happen twice in the same lifetime. Yet, once again, I am bewitched.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Tessa.”
Galahad’s voice echoed through her dreams. She shifted on the bed. He called her again and she reveled in the sound of her name on his lips.
“Tessa.” Still, his tone wasn’t at all like the caress of a lover. It was more in the attitude of an order or a command. And why was this bed so damned uncomfortable?
“Tessa!” His whisper rang hard and urgent against her ear, as irritating as a morning disc jockey on a radio alarm clock. Not a great way to wake up. Where was that snooze button?
Right. How could she have forgotten? Even asleep? Her eyes blinked open. There was no snooze button. No disc jockey. Worst of all—no bed. Just this damp, dark cave in the middle of nowhere.
She yawned and sat upright, pulling herself away from the warmth of his body. Nice. She’d apparently slept cuddled up next to him all night. Is that why he sounded so cranky? “Good morning to you, too, Sunshine.”
“Be still!” His voice rasped.
“Well, you don’t—”
“Shhhh!”
He didn’t look at her. His gaze focused on the entry to the cave. Slowly, he drew his arm from around her and got to his feet, keeping to a low crouch, his every move cautious and deliberate. He inched away from her and toward the meager assortment of saddlebags, provisions and miscellaneous items they’d brought with them, now resting on the other side of the still smoldering campfire.
“What in the hell are you doing?”
“Quiet!” His tone was hushed but intense. His gaze never shifted.
“What’s going on? What are you looking at?” she said in a fierce whisper.
He didn’t answer. Every line of his body was rigid with tension. A hard light glittered in his eyes and his jaw was set and unyielding. He looked every inch the experienced knight, the consummate warrior, ready to do battle. A shiver ran up her spine. Something was definitely wrong here.
She turned her gaze slowly to the mouth of the cave. Pale light lit the sky in advance of the first true rays of the sun. Smoke from the still smoldering fire floated lazily toward the ceiling of the cave. Another plume drifted by the entry. She glanced at Galahad. He reached their baggage and quietly drew his sword from its sheath. She still didn’t get it. The only things moving were the wisps of smoke from last night’s fires, here in the cave and outside. What did he see that she didn’t? What was going on? What—
She sucked in a sharp, hard breath.
They’d only built one fire.
Tessa scrambled to her feet, ignoring the screams of protest from every muscle in her body. “Galahad, what is it? Is there a forest fire or something? Is somebody else out there?”
“I am not yet certain.” His voice was soft but firm. “Get behind me, Tessa.”
“No problem. You’re the knight.” She scrambled around the remains of their campfire to his side and struggled to keep the panic from her voice. “Just for the fun of it, what do you think’s going on?”
He held his sword before him and stepped in front of her, with his free arm pushing her firmly behind him. The man would make one impressive windbreak but right now she wanted to see what was up.
“Stay back.” He stepped forward, toward the sunlight.
“I don’t think so.” She matched his movement step for step, grabbed a fistful of his tunic and held on. “You’re not going anywhere without me. And there’s no way I’m staying in this cave by myself.”
“Tessa,” he growled.
“Forget it, Big Guy. We’re in this together. Not that I don’t appreciate the thought but—”
“Quiet!”
“Okay.” They stood staring for an endless moment. “What are we looking for?”
“I fear…” He paused as if afraid to say the words out loud and her heart hammered in her chest. “I fear ’tis a dragon.”
“A dragon?” Something that sounded like a cross between a snort and a laugh broke from her. She let go of his tunic. “You’re kidding.”
He kept his gaze on the mouth of the cave. His tone was level. “I do not jest about such things.”
“But a dragon? I’m sure. I don’t believe it.” She pulled her brows together and eyed him. He really meant it. “There are no such things as dragons.”
“Are you so certain?” he murmured.
“Yeah, I’m pretty confident about that one. This is ridiculous. Have you ever seen a dragon?”
“Nay.”
“Has anyone you know ever seen a dragon?”
“Nay. But there is much in this world I have not seen for myself or have proof of that I know in truth exists.”
“Trust me on this one—dragons are not on the list.” She stepped toward the cave entrance. He grabbed her arm and jerked her back beside him. “Hey!”
“Where are you going?” He glared down at her.
“I’m going to check this out.” She shook off his hand. “Are you coming?”
“’Twill get us both killed.”
“I don’t think so.” She started off again and once more he yanked her back. She heaved an exasperated sigh. “What now?”
He clenched his teeth and pinned her with an angry gaze. “If indeed you are correct and ’tis not a dragon then ’tis something as yet unknown. Do you grant me that much?”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Think of it then and stay behind me.”
She shook her head. “Nope.” Funny how her fear had vanished once she realized exactly what he was so worried about. “By your side but not behind you.”
“Very well,” he snapped. “We shall survive or perish together.”
She shrugged. “Works for me.”
He threw her a look that said without words what a pain he thought she was and started toward the front of the cave, each step measured and careful. They edged closer to the sunlight. The fear she’d thought was gone returned. He was right. Even if there were no dragons, there were lots of unpleasant people wandering around the Middle Ages. She groped for his free hand and found it. He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed and a tiny bit of confidence returned.
They inched toward the mouth of the cave. With every step she could see more of the surrounding countryside. Their overnight shelter was at the edge of a small clearing surrounded by forest.
“I see naught,” Galahad said quietly.
“Good.” Relief surged through her. “Me neither. Let’s check it out.” She started forward but he pulled her to his side.
“Take care, Tessa.”
Together they stepped over the boundary line between the shadows of the cave and the early morning light. A soft mist hung low to the ground casting a hint of magic over the setting. It was lovely and perfect. Almost too perfect. Tessa shivered. If there was the possibility of dragons, this would be the place for them.
“I don’t see anything.”
&
nbsp; “Then perhaps,” he said softly, “you do not know where to look.”
He stared at a point slightly off to her right. Her gaze followed his. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She started to tell him just that but a slight movement caught the corner of her eye. Slowly an image took shape. Disbelief meshed with terror and she couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. Whether just emerging from the fog and the trees or materializing out of thin air she wasn’t sure. The how didn’t matter. The what was overwhelming.
“By the bones of the saints.” Galahad crossed himself.
“Holy shit.” Tessa followed suit. She hadn’t been to church in years but if ever an occasion called for divine intervention, this was it.
It probably wouldn’t help.
The creature stood a good ten feet tall and looked suspiciously like a cross between a lizard and a bat. A very nasty lizard and a very big bat. Its skin was definitely reptilian, scaly in appearance, a greenish-gray color overall. It stood on well-muscled back legs, its white underbelly exposed, smaller front legs with clawlike hands or paws or whatever. All in all it bore a vague resemblance to a dinosaur. Except for the wings. Huge paper-thin appendages, they were folded close to the beast’s body. Tessa refused to consider just how big the wing span would be unfurled. And the head, much smaller proportionally than the head of the T-rex in Jurassic Park, looked a little like an alligator or some kind of bird of prey or…No. The only thing this looked like was exactly what was pictured in every fairy tale she’d ever read. Or every nightmare she’d ever had.
“’Tis indeed a dragon,” he said, awe in his voice.
“I admit it. I was wrong, you were right.” Her voice was barely more than a squeak. “My mistake. Sorry.”
“We will discuss your apology at another time.” He held his sword ready before him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Slay the beast.” His voice was grim and determined.
“Why?” She stared at the huge creature. Its eyes were slitted like a serpent’s and its head swayed back and forth slightly like a cobra watching a mouse. If the options here were fight or flight, flight had her vote. “Can’t we just go around it and get the hell out of here?”
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