by Helen Savore
Moralynn and Adhomai didn’t seem to notice, caught up in their own trances. But they weren’t producing crystals, either.
“Jamie?” she asked as more of the spikes grew around him.
He bared his teeth like an animal, but he remained firmly planted against the ground.
“Ridge line!” he bellowed. “Half a kilometer from the top. There's a man-made passage which leads to a pocket that has air. Something is in there, and it’s not from a hiker littering.”
His eyes flew open, and he gasped.
“I’ll help,” Alexandrea said and grabbed his shoulders, tugging on him. She thought his arms had plunged into gentle earth, except now they were being held firmly in place.
Alexandrea stopped when she heard a whine. She looked around the mountainside before realizing it was Jamie. He was whimpering. “Drea?”
“Jamie, I’ll—” she began to say, but she wasn’t sure what to do.
Then Adhomai was beside her. She hadn’t noticed him rouse.
He knelt and drew a single finger across the crystallized earth. “I thought you might be capable of this.” He inscribed something on the area surrounding Jamie’s arms. “There, try now.”
Alexandrea and Jamie didn’t waste any time and yanked him out.
Jamie fell and massaged his left arm socket. “Damn, is that a kind of Smith over-extension mutilation? Or—” He shook his head.
Moralynn’s voice interrupted. “I believe I caught a sense of it. There’s a passage a bit farther up…” She paused. “What happened?”
Adhomai ran some of the crystal through his hands. “It is not quite what I expected, though it is intriguing.”
“What did he do?”
“Pressure on metamorphic rock creates new rock. This is very fine.”
Jamie coughed. “I found it.”
Alexandrea thumped his back a good few times until he waved her off. “It sounds like the same direction you got.”
“Strange.” Adhomai dropped the crystal and ground his boot into the soil. “Now that I know where to look, I sense a similar foundation.” He lifted a hand. “After you two ladies?”
Alexandrea’s breath caught. They were really going to find it this time.
And soon, she would summon the Phoenix.
Adhomai tapped the rock’s side.
Jamie hung back. “Do you need a hand?” he asked. Given the crystal incident he certainly should take it easy, but after getting an overwhelming sense of life energy captured in metal, he wanted to see this through. The memory of it still filled him with a strange peace. An echo of the Grail’s purpose? Or had he found something else entirely?
“This is precision, Jamie,” Adhomai enunciated his words. “We do not want to disturb whatever may be at the end of that passageway.”
Jamie stepped forth and felt the stone. “It’s at least fourteen meters from this point.”
Moralynn inclined her head. “Lead the way.”
Alexandrea gave him a quick smile.
He smiled back. There really hadn’t been time to revisit their relationship, but Drea didn’t seem angry. Everything was coming together. They’d have the Grail in moments, Moralynn would do what she needed to—they even had some help from the Llehfin now—and he and Drea would settle things.
Jamie began work on the rock, making slow, steady strokes to create concentric circles leveling the surface. His hands moved over, on top of, and through the earth to part it. It didn't disappear; it was as if he were digging but through much tougher, neater surfaces. No dirt was thrown around. He simply pushed it out of the way—outward and upward.
Alexandrea approached, taking a closer look, touching the surfaces he smoothed away. “That’s not a bad trick. When did you figure that out?”
Jamie gave her a sheepish glance, thinking about that frantic digging he’d done when Raebyn had trapped her. “You really don’t want to know.”
“What does that mean?”
He squeezed her hand. “Later, I promise.” He nudged her away when he released her. “Best to step back, I think I’m about to break through.”
It was strange to have all three watching him, instead of him watching them. He tried not to let it go to his head.
“I’ve found the chamber.”
Not much light entered the passage. Jamie fumbled for his phone, but Moralynn beat him to it. She snapped her fingers and little flames flew from her hands to hover in the air about the room.
Shelves covered the cavern walls, except for a rock pile to the far right. Old books and aging pages filled them. A few long plank tables crowded the small enclosure, giving way to more workspaces, holding taller items.
“Beautiful,” Moralynn said as she approached a statue of brilliant red and yellow depicting a phoenix bursting from its fiery nest. “This most assuredly does not belong hidden below the ground.”
Alexandrea hummed and poked around the cavern.
Jamie worked to focus his senses when Moralynn spoke again.
“This cannot be.” Moralynn held a scabbard aloft. She ran her free hand along the length, hovering at the metal bands and caressing the gems. “This was thought to be lost to the ages, recovered by Oberon’s people, perhaps.”
“I thought we were looking for a cup, or a plate, or a dish?” He scratched his brow. “You guys really aren’t consistent on the description.”
Alexandrea ran a hand along the surface. “What is it?”
“You should know from your stories, Alexandrea. This is Arthur’s scabbard. The one that bound Excalibur to him, the scabbard that protected and watched over him, until…”
Adhomai fixed his gaze on it. “When in regalia rejoined?”
Moralynn continued to marvel at its sight. “How could we have missed so much for so long?”
Jamie grimaced. This was not his thing, item worship. Would the Llehfin expect him to fall in love with foci?
If he ran across more hammers like Gasperion’s they might not need to try hard.
He shook his head, casting off sweat. Though this was a cavern, it wasn't a cool one, but what could you expect within the catacombs of a volcano? Now to find the foci they actually were searching for. From far away he’d gotten a direction and a bit of a view nearby. Now that he was here, it ought to be simple. He reached out a hand, intending to pull it. If it was even in this mess.
He spun around to Moralynn. The scabbard jerked but did not fly.
She frowned, but Alexandrea glared at him.
“Sorry!” He held up his hands. Was that the only thing here? Could Viviane be right that there was something here and yet be wrong about what the something was? No, it didn’t feel like what he had sensed. Now that he got a glimpse of its foci energy, he could appreciate the scabbard more. Still, it was different. He just didn’t have the vocabulary to explain how yet.
Jamie wandered along the edge of the room, getting farther from Moralynn and the scabbard, making his way to the rock pile. Since they were in a carved-out chamber, he’d just assumed it was part of the structure, but the closer he got, he saw the stones had gaps and weren’t so close or compressed to not be able to move.
He placed his hands on the stone, but had a hard time looking beyond. Too many senses to keep track of. He closed his eyes and hoped he didn’t grow crystal this time. He reached out with his consciousness, and though he couldn’t see anything, he felt something move.
“I think it’s back here, guys.”
Adhomai ran straight for the rockfall.
“What are you doing? Man, let me burrow carefully.” Jamie reached for him, but he'd already reached the rocks and blasted through.
“At last!” Adhomai yelled.
The ceiling collapsed, raining down on them.
Jamie was on the edge, so he fell away from the rubble, but Adhomai was truly caught.
After the rumbling stopped, Jamie shifted rock and fixed himself enough to spring up. He swung around.
“Don’t come any closer,” he said
to Drea and Moralynn. “Let me try to handle this.”
He didn’t want to have to deal with anyone if he screwed up fixing this. Moralynn could handle herself, and yes, Drea could, too, but he just didn’t want her to get hurt in the first place. She was the most sensible of them all, so probably didn’t need his warning.
Jamie brushed himself off as the dust cleared and he jumped into the new divide. He could barely see Adhomai within the pile of rock. Focusing his senses again to life energies, he could tell he was alive, but it was bad.
“Adhomai, you idiot!” Jamie shifted and vaporized rock.
“Quick,” Adhomai groaned. “I shall not… cannot…” he mumbled. His remaining eye moved wildly within his smashed skull. The rest of his body had not fared well, either—he had multiple fractures, and his spine was probably broken, too. Without intervention, he would never move again.
“I can help.” Jamie knelt and threw out Moralynn’s advice about not needing to touch or see the injury. He reached, carefully feeling along Adhomai’s body for the worst of the damage.
“Jamie?” The eye roved towards him. “No time. Do not diagnose, heal it all.”
He was right, Jamie realized. There was too much to fix his hands on. If this was an emergency victim, there would have been a team of surgeons operating. Jamie instead poured healing energy into the injured elf. Jamie had to push out thoughts of petty annoyances. Just because Adhomai rubbed him the wrong way didn’t mean he wasn’t helping. He kept a positive stream as bone began to knit and the bleeding stopped, and then another presence joined his.
“Moralynn?” Jamie glanced down the rock-strewn passage, but she hadn’t approached.
“No.” Adhomai maneuvered himself off the floor. “Oh, this gift, Jamie, I had not thought it would be so fine.”
Jamie stared at Adhomai and saw the curing energies gathering. No, fae did not heal. They had told him over and over it was a human ability. But it was just the two of them.
“How long could you…?”
“Not long at all, Jamie.” Adhomai flexed his arms as he stood. “It has been too long since there were chimeras, humans touched by the fae. The fae can bequeath their claim to the cycle of rebirth to them, so you get a fae with some spark of humanity, one who might be able to heal. Who cared, since their power was broken as well? Until you fixed me. My thanks, Jamie.”
Adhomai turned away from him and reached into the semi darkness, pulling out a glittering plate. He sighed.
“You see, James, I saw not Moralynn when I retrieved the plate, but my healing abilities unlocked as I held the Grail dish.” Adhomai twisted it in the air, and as more light filtered into the cavern, it caught the beams and shined back. “I thought it would be her, but no. You are even more interesting. Druid, Shaper, Smith.” He pushed him out towards the main chamber. “I wonder what other role you have to play in my ascension?”
45
Moralynn destroyed the passage. There was no need for caution anymore. The Grail was so close, she would not let it slip away.
She could not hear what the pair were saying. The boy was likely bothering Adhomai. She had to see.
The stone of the passage came apart, opening the space.
Dust surrounded Moralynn, but she ignored it, her arms were spread wide. Drea stood behind her. That was good. They would be able to conduct the ritual soon; she must not become injured.
Adhomai and Jamie stood there, amid a rock pile. She could not read the expressions on their faces. She was instead dazzled by the glittering plate in Adhomai’s grasp.
She flicked her wrists, grabbing a spark from the chain in her cuffs, and summoned a fire burst in each hand. She advanced on Adhomai.
“Shit!” Jamie dashed out of her path.
“You shall place in my hands.” The Grail plate, though it could shift forms, was just as she remembered it. One side was an impossible diamond. There was no single stone large enough, yet the surface acted as a single entity. The metal material beneath was a silvery steel alloy she did not recognize, but it made for a strong light surface.
Adhomai shifted the Grail plate under an arm and reached out with the other. “Give me the ashes and join me. We will bring a new age of peace and wonder to human and fae alike.”
“You told me Adhomai, in my hands. That is what you said.”
“I did.” Adhomai offered his own. “The ashes?”
How could he think she had those? It was another factor of the ritual to summon the Phoenix: the body of the previous Phoenix. Ashes were tasteful, but anything would do. Granted, such things were unnecessary with a Sparked, but given how much she had lost of her humanity, she did not count on it. The ashes may be lost to history, but she had the next best thing: another remainder of the former Phoenix. And she would not give that to anyone, including Adhomai.
She stepped closer but did not attack. Could she snatch it? Or distract him long enough for Alexandrea or the boy to do something? Those were reasonable approaches, but truly, she needed to know why.
“No, they are not yours. What do you mean to do with the Grail?”
Adhomai took a step back. “I told you, Moralynn. It is part of the regalia to be rejoined.”
Her fires dwindled, and her shoulders drooped. She whispered. “You think you are Arthur?”
“Of course. Does it not all make sense, Moralynn? I sense—no, I know. It took some time to puzzle it out, but winning the Equinox Trial was my chance to find out for sure. I saw my death at the Battle of Camlann, Moralynn, and that poor altruistic fool Galahad, too afraid to return my sword.” He reached with his hand again. “We both served the people in another life. Now, Moralynn, let us end this war.”
She extinguished her fire, and the cavern fell into dim light. “You could not be more wrong, Galahad. You were the altruistic fool. My once friend.” And maybe more. “Why have you done this?”
Alexandrea gasped.
She had never told Alexandrea. Perhaps she should have. It was a different life, and though she thought she saw hints of his former nobility, she knew personality did not translate to the next life. She had charged Alexandrea to mind Adhomai, but it should not have mattered. Moralynn had let hope blind her. Though a different person, she did not imagine he could possibly come to this?
Jamie nudged Alexandrea. “What, you’re following this? Shouldn’t we be stepping in?”
“No.” Alexandrea waved him off. “That’s why she trusted him.”
Adhomai shook his head. “No. I am Arthur reborn.”
Moralynn advanced on him. This was her mistake, and therefore her responsibility. “I cannot let you carry on.”
Adhomai held the Grail between them. “You should have welcomed me, Moralynn. As I was once known as Phoenix Herald, you could have heralded my return.”
Sadness, disappointment, disillusionment. It was in her sight, the key to solving her problems, facilitating her revenge on Oberon for her family, and yet she had to work to care. Adhomai had been an echo of her youth, something familiar after centuries alone. To see him wrapped in this delusion, and betraying her, hurt.
“Do not do this, Adhomai.”
She reached towards the Grail, but he pulled it aside. She marched up to his face. “I do not know who has put you on this path, but it will only come to pain, Adhomai. You are not Arthur. I know this. There is still time.”
A wind funnel surrounded Adhomai, and he sidestepped around her. “It is already done. This is more than us, Moralynn. If you had supported me, I could have eased your return to grace.” He slapped a crag of the rockfall near him and lifted his hand quickly. “I knew we would come to a volcano, if not quite where. So I triggered a signal to draw my allies. Raebyn supports my quest for the regalia.”
Moralynn stomped her foot, and the cavern shook. She took it as a good sign—she was impacting things, and the mountain was not at nature’s whim yet. Magma put them on the clock. She would use what time she had.
“All those words at Dinas Bran, Harl
ech, Avalon? He bloody well knew, but taunted us with claiming to want me to admit it?”
“He still wishes you would. Supporting us would be easier.”
She leapt at him and did not care that the wind buffered her. “You know what the Phoenix means to me. You do not believe I would stand down?”
“For your king, yes.” He strode towards the entrance.
Alexandrea motioned, and the surrounding air retreated. Moralynn resisted the urge to gag, reminding her body she did not need air.
Alexandrea’s push failed. The wind hit Adhomai’s recirculating shield and exploded, bursting in all directions, much of it back in Alexandrea’s face.
“Drea!” Jamie ran to her. Moralynn hesitated, but she knew he would take care of her. She could not let the Grail get away.
She ran and found Adhomai paused at the edge of the cavern entrance, paying no attention to her.
Moralynn barreled into him and they both flew out. She lost her hold on him, and did not risk the time to do more than reach him. When they both sailed into the air, she rotated around. The head of Mount Etna was not the calm from when they arrived earlier. A storm brewed, and lightning arced out of the clouds. They were not near the top but still too close.
Then the ground hit her, and she rolled in the volcanic dirt, toppling over and over again until she fell into a boot.
“This is what I have always wanted,” said a familiar voice. “Now if only you would lick it, too.”
All weakness drained from Moralynn. She would not lay on the ground before this one. “Raebyn.”
He smirked. “Fancy seeing you here, Moralynn.”
There was another thud, but Moralynn did not look away. She stared Raebyn down, the pair of them statues to the inevitable.
Adhomai yelled as he trudged up the slope. “Only you? Where is everyone else?”
Raebyn nodded to him. “You have it? Then we are done with games, and I have proven I can handle Moralynn all by myself.”
She laughed and looked to Adhomai, too. If Raebyn believed Adhomai to be the lost heir, he would not have dared come alone. “Your ally, but he does not know your grand aspirations?”
