Legendary (41 page)

Authors: L. H. Nicole

BOOK: Legendary

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“I know what they think, but their digs turned up nothing. I still believe it was along the boundary between Essex and Suffolk.”

“Your digs didn’t turn up anything either,” Joe reminded him. Her father’s face tightened as he set down the books. He’d never forgotten Aliana’s fall into the hidden chamber.

Changing the topic, he opened the top book on his stack. “A student brought this to me today.” He flipped through the pages. Handing the book to his friend, Allen pointed to an article. “He seems to think this poem is referring to Excalibur and its true resting place.”

Her godfather laughed. “So now your student wants to propose a new location of the mythical sword?”

Allen smiled ruefully. “I’m just glad that he’s interested enough to suggest it.”

Studying the old book, Aliana caught sight of a small red emblem on the cracked spine. It looked like a shield with a Dragon taking flight.

The Pendragon Crest!

She rushed forward, trying to see the pages, but she couldn’t move from her spot next to the windows. “Papa, what book is that?” she asked. But he couldn’t hear her.

The dream started to fade, and Aliana struggled to hold on to it. She wanted more time with her father, but he soon drifted away, the sound of his rich laughter ringing in her ears.

Gasping, Aliana shot awake. Arms tightened around her when she tried to sit up.

“What’s wrong?” Galahad’s sleep-thick voice rolled over her.

Gazing out the window, she saw the red and pink sky colored by the setting sun. She was in Merlin’s home, not her father’s office.

“Aliana?” Dagg asked from the pillow next to her. She hadn’t even realized the little Dragon was in the room with them.

Looking up at Galahad, she breathed out, “I think I know how to find Excalibur!”

Epilogue

“H
OW
C
AN
Y
OU
S
MILE
at a time like this?” Morgana demanded, storming into Mordrid’s private chamber. She glared down at her smug cousin, who lazily reclined in an overstuffed chair.

The dark wizard spared a glance at his seething ally before turning back to the mirror he had been studying.

“They are going to try to find Excalibur next.” Mordrid guffawed. “They still have no idea what that bitch Titania has done. Or that my little spy can get past the new protection spells Merlin laid.”

“What has Titania done?” Morgana leaned against the chair, her confused eyes meeting Mordrid’s in the mirror.

“You haven’t figured it out? You followed the bitch queen for half a century before she returned to Avalon.” He tsked at her in mock chastisement.

His self-aggrandizing gloating grated against the witch’s nerves. She glowered, hating it when Mordrid realized something she didn’t. “I know much about her, and I don’t need reminding of all the men she bedded in those five hundred years.” Morgana choked back a gag.

“Jealous? Surely Merlin also had many lovers during his banishment. How many did you have?” Mordrid deflected Morgana’s hand when she tried to slap him.

“Curse you, cousin! Just tell me,” she raged, hazel eyes flashing a dark blue as her magic rose like a viper.

“Have you never wondered why the queen broke Oberon’s laws and saved that waste of a pretender king?” Mordrid spat.

Morgana sneered, rolling her eyes. “She hates us. She knows you can destroy her and take Avalon.”

“But what else?” Mordrid asked, raising his eyebrow.

Morgana looked away, thinking. Queen Titania was a power hungry woman. Not only did she rule the Isle of the Blessed, but when she had taken Lord Oberon as her husband, she had gained Avalon as part of her dominion. Camelot was a jewel she had always coveted, but it wasn’t part of the magical realms. She could never have it.

The sorceress’s eyes widened, realizing what Mordrid was implying. “She wants one of her blood to sit on Camelot’s throne.”

“Precisely,” Mordrid sneered. “What’s the surest way to accomplish that?”

“The Destined One.” Morgana laughed at the irony.

Mordrid turned back to his mirror, and a vision of Aliana from the party weeks ago appeared. Titania would get what she wanted, but Aliana would be at his side, not Arthur’s. She would be his once he killed King Arthur and his blasted Knights of the Round Table.

Mordrid smiled, thinking of when he would have Aliana for himself. He turned to Morgana. “Tell your puppet they’re coming right to him,” he ordered, dismissing the sorceress.

Morgana’s smile was ice cold as she nodded to him. She had a trap to set. One that would break the spirit of the Destined One even more than the death of her parents had begun to.

She couldn’t hold back her cackle. “This will be fun.”

Acknowledgments

I owe a big thanks to my editor, Beverly, who worked tirelessly on this project for me and helped make
Legendary
the best it could be! Also big thanks to Jennifer for being a champion for me and my first series. We are having a very fun ride. And, of course, major thanks and gratitude to Omnific for taking a chance on me and my story

I also want to say thanks to all the authors who have given me such excellent advice and encouragement since I started this part of my life. Finally, a big thanks to my parents for supporting me and all my crazy adventures through the years—and those still to come. I love you!

About the Author

LH Nicole is a seasoned pastry chef in our nation’s capitol and a lifelong fairy tale (Disney and Grimm) lover. She believes in love at first sight, is addicted to eighties and nineties cartoons, and anything that can capture her ADD-way-too-overactive imagination. Joan Lowery Nixon and L.J. Smith were the first authors she became addicted to, and they inspired her to steal away whenever she could to read and write. You can keep up with LH and all her news and adventures on:

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/LHNicoleAuthor

Tumblr:
LHNicoleLegendary.tumblr.com

Blogger:
LHNicoleAuthor.blogspot.com

Legendary Saga website:
LHNicoleauthor.com

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