6. Will
Chapter six
Will
Just a teensy little sacrifice?
W e’d returned to our Airbnb to make a plan. Though, plan was a bit of a stretch.
“Glastonbury Tor used to be an island surrounded by magical mists,” I said, making the kitchen table we were crowded around look like a large map of the Tor and surrounding areas. “We have to make it one again.”
Otto, who’d gone and made himself another cup of tea, spewed said tea all over the table. He grimaced down at the table. “You mean we’d need to flood Glastonbury?”
I waved my hand over the table to gather up the spat tea and flicked the liquid at the kitchen sink. It splattered against the small window above the sink instead.
Sighing, I returned my attention to the map and tapped at the areas surrounding the Tor. “Only the fields at the Tor’s base. We don’t need to flood the city itself.”
“But there will still be people down there,” Dorothy argued. “Homes and farms and—”
My dad placed a hand on hers, looking thoughtful. “I’m pretty sure if we work together, we can keep the water contained and at a low level. That way, there will be minimal damage, and no one will be hurt.”
Dorothy still seemed unsure, her gaze flicking over the scattering of houses along the edges of the fields.
I took a deep breath and held out my hands. “We can make sure to set up protections around the edges of the fields to make sure the water doesn’t damage the homes. But someone can only enter Avalon by traveling through the magical, misty waters, so we need the water levels to rise enough to row a boat across.”
“Problem,” Otto interjected, adding more sugar to his tea. “We don’t have a boat!”
“Ooh! I know where a boat is!” Gerry said, his head popping up. He’d once again returned to his cat form and had sprawled out on the floor in another spot of sun. “One of the neighbors here has one sitting outside their home.”
“See?” I said, taking the bowl of sugar away from Otto after I watched him add a fifth spoonful of sugar to his tea. “Gerry knows where a boat is.”
Otto finished off his tea with a slight wince.
“You know, if you don’t like the tea, you don’t have to keep drinking it,” I pointed out.
He spluttered. “I like it! It’s just... I think I need more sugar or something.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“ So how are we flooding the fields?” Otto asked, moving to the kettle to heat up more water, just to be contradictory.
“Well,” I said, “the magic is already there. We just need the storm.”
“Oh! That reminds me.” Nana groaned as she stood. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” my dad called after her as she disappeared around the corner.
“Noneya!”
“Noneya?”
“Yeah, noneya business!”
Dad grumbled under his breath, something about pig farms and missing bodies.
“Okay, can we get back to my question please?” Otto asked, stirring his tea. “Because I don’t know about you, but I can barely summon the will to put on clean underwear every morning, let alone a massive, isolated storm so you can enter a mystical realm.”
I sighed because he was right. My spellwork was spotty at best, and disastrous chaos at worst. With my luck, I’d fuck up the spell so bad we’d be pulling another Noah’s ark in the poor town of Glastonbury.
“Well, do you know how to summon a storm?” I asked Gerry who’d found a crocheted strawberry somewhere and was batting it across the kitchen floor.
“Oh!” Gerry said around a mouthful of yarn. “I’ve flooded many places. Normally we’d offer a virgin sacrifice to the god or goddess of that world, and—”
“No sacrifices.”
Gerry pouted. “Just a teensy little sacrifice?”
I glared at him. “No.”
“Whatever,” he muttered.
“I suppose you could do it the more modern way,” Nana said, hobbling back into the kitchen holding a very large tome.
“Sans sacrifices?” I clarified.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
“Okay, so do you have a spell to summon a storm?”
“Not exactly.”
“Okay, then what’s with the book?”
“I don’t know of a storm summoning spell, but I do know of a ritual that might help us for this.” Licking her fingers, she flipped through the pages until she found the one she wanted. “Aha! Here it is. A linking spell.”
I squinted, skimming over the text. “This is a power-sharing spell.”
“Just a temporary one.” Nana dropped back into her seat. “We might not have a lot of power, but I think if everyone here combined their magic...”
She let her sentence hang in the air as we all glanced at each other.
“Then we won’t need to sacrifice any virgins to summon a storm,” I finished.
“Exactly,” Nana agreed. “We’d have enough oomph to summon a large enough storm all by ourselves.”
Otto snatched the book, looking pensive as he read over the spell several times. “We’d need to combine our blood for our magic to link. So the instructions say we’d need to cut our palms, hold hands, and recite the incantation backward. I’ve never used blood magic before, but I mean, I guess it could work.”
Dorothy nibbled her bottom lip, catching my dad’s eye. “Working together would probably help increase the chance of this working.”
“And we’re sure sacrifices are off the table?” Gerry asked.
I snatched the worse-for-wear strawberry away from him. “Definitely off.”
“Then I suh- pose , if you really wanted to do this, I would help.”
“Then it’s settled,” Nana said, waving everyone closer and pointing to the map still displayed on the table. “Now, Will, the key to this is picturing exactly what you want the storm to do. I’m talking saltwater or freshwater, wind velocity, cloud density—”
“I get it.”
Using a knife we found in the kitchen, with little painted strawberries embellished on the handle, we all went around and made small nicks in our palms, just enough to draw blood. Once we were finished, we shifted closer and clasped our hands to form a circle.
Nana grabbed mine and my dad’s hands while Otto grabbed my other and one of Gerry’s paws, leaving Dorothy to hold onto Gerry and my dad.
Nerves started to prick at my senses as I stared down at the table, and I wondered if this really was the best idea.
“You thought about how deep you want the water?” Nana stage-whispered.
“No.”
“Great,” she muttered. “That’s just great, Willie.”
After another deep breath, I asked, “Everyone ready?”
With their murmured agreements, we read off the incantation backward together:
Doolb ruo hguorht Hself depsalc htiw Cigam ruo erahs ew Sdne noitcennoc ruo litnu
The moment we finished, a trail of fire blazed up my right arm, and Nana made a sound of surprise as it spread from me to her, linking us together.
After our next recitation, that kindling blaze spread from the two of us to my dad and to Otto. On and on we spoke the words until all of us were connected together by a web of flames.
And... I could sense them all, and based on their reactions, they could too.
There was a thread, my dad’s, feeling of love and maybe a bit of naivety. Another, Dorothy’s, soft and nurturing. Otto’s power was strong and cautious. Nana’s pulled a little weaker than the rest, but hers was bold and immovable. Gerry’s was different, perhaps because of where he originated, but his dark magic burned , playful and curious.
Closing my eyes, I felt for my magic, urging it to my fingertips. I felt for my connection to the earth, then to the heavens. Tingles raced up and down my skin in response, and I shivered as a breeze whipped through the now open kitchen window. I pictured the map of Glastonbury Tor and envisioned water rising from the marshes surrounding the area, of the clear sky filling with rain clouds.
My ears buzzed with power, my own, Gerry’s, and my family’s connected through our linked hands. My pulse thundered, and my brain clouded with magic, making it hard to focus. It almost hurt, our combined magic, and—
Tink, tink, tink ...
My eyes opened.
Tink, tink, tink ...
Jumping to my feet, I released my family and rushed to the window facing the backyard to watch rain sprinkle the glass. Above, the previously sunny sky now bloomed with foreboding storm clouds. More and more clouds converged as we watched, heavy with rain as they moved our way.
I laughed, shoving out the back door to stand in the small garden area, the others following in disbelief.
Within minutes the rain picked up, dripping down my face, and we watched as the sky continued to darken.
“I can’t believe that worked,” Nana murmured, staring down at her hands. “I guess I’ve still got some magic left in these old bones after all.”
Gerry grumbled from the safety of the covered patio, scowling at the water splattering across the perimeter of the cement.
Otto grinned as the storm intensified by the second. “So now what?”
“Now,” I said, listening to the city of Glastonbury where alarms began blaring, “we let the storm come.”
Sirens rang through the air as the city started its evacuation. Already, the fields at the base of Glastonbury Tor were flooding with water as the clouds weeped torrents of rain upon the city and farms around us.
My dad and Dorothy had gotten back a short time ago from going around the border we’d decided upon for where the flooding needed to stop. They’d drawn runes upon some rocks that would keep the water from causing damage to the properties they were placed on. We’d also added some antidetection spells on the Airbnb, because if we were about to steal back King Arthur, then we’d need this place hidden from searching eyes.
And even though it wasn’t a permanent solution, since we knew Morgana could probably eventually track us down here if we stayed too long, it would have to do for now.
While they’d been out, Gerry and Nana had been more than happy to help “fetch” the boat, ignoring me when I told them we’d have to return it once we were finished traveling to Avalon.
After returning to our Airbnb to retrieve our gear, we drove to a location nearby the Tor where we could prepare.
We chose a location just outside the Chalice Well Gardens, and as we parked our stolen truck and fishing boat—since Gerry had assured me we’d needed to steal, I mean borrow , both—on the road, I couldn’t help the nerves gathering in my gut.
Because the grounds were flooding quickly now, as the storm overhead gathered around the Tor. Pretty soon, water lapped the ground near where we were parked, and even as I watched, fog danced along the surface of the gathering water. It really did look like a lake now, reminding me of the vision of the nine fairy queens transporting Arthur through the mists.
The time to act was coming up, and fuck I was nervous.
My dad and Dorothy hovered close together near the rear of the truck, rain ponchos covering their bodies to help fight off the storm as they fumbled around with the first aid kit on the small boat, chattering about everything and nothing.
Nana and Gerry’s laughter sounded from the cab of the truck, and I didn’t even want to think about what they were talking about. It couldn’t be anything good.
“You realize this is probably the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, right?” Otto asked, tossing me a wet suit from one of the bags we’d brought.
I caught the rolled-up neoprene before it dropped to the road. The moon had been swallowed up by tempestuous clouds, raindrops pinged off the surface of the lake, and the cool air hummed around us with a sense of awareness. It was colder tonight than it had been during the day. In the distance, several heavy clouds roamed the sky, heading toward us at a rapid pace with the promise of even more rain. A rumble of thunder sounded, and I shivered.
Wasn’t there some sort of rule about not swimming if there was a chance of lightning? Because I really didn’t want that. Lightning fucking hurt.
Glaring at him, I stripped out of my shirt, pants, and shoes and started tugging on the wet suit over the ridiculously small Speedo I’d been forced to borrow from my dad, something I tried not to think about. The rubbery material was tight and thick, and I doubted it was going to keep me all that warm once I entered the water.
I really hoped there weren’t any fish in there. Surely not since we’d made this lake, right?
“Probably. But there’s no going back now.”
Otto paused ruffling through one of the duffle bags to send me an incredulous look. “Um, actually, there is. We could most definitely leave. Like, right now.”
“Otto,” I said with a sigh, glancing at the almost inky-looking surface of the lake. “He’s down there. He’s been down there for 1,500 years. You and I both know I can’t leave him down there any longer.”
My birthmark throbbed as if in agreement, and my ring, now dangling on a chain against my sternum, hummed. Then, as if on cue, a soft pulse rippled the lake’s surface as if to emphasize my point.
Grumbling, Otto retrieved some more scuba equipment from the bag. “Whatever. But just remember that when this all goes to shit, I told you this was a bad idea.”
Not bothering to respond to him, I took the gear and finished fitting it to myself. After double-checking my oxygen tank was full and functioning, I snapped my goggles to my face and tugged on my flippers.
It was a good thing I had my scuba license, or else I didn’t know how I would have been able to do this. It wasn’t like I could call in professionals for this sort of thing.
The storm was growing angrier with every passing minute, and the goose bumps covering my body almost seemed to intensify. The wind whisked my mop of hair into my face, each strand slapping my skin like a whip. A boom rocked the air, setting my teeth on edge.
I really hoped this wouldn’t take me too long so we could avoid the worst of the storm.
Just as I had the thought, several lightning bolts struck the road around us, and I cried out as I lurched back to avoid the lashes of electricity as they pelted the ground at our feet.
I didn’t quite make it, though.
Asphalt scraped my palms, and my skin twitched as electricity skittered over my body like angry ants, causing my muscles to violently tremble. I barely managed to let out a moan of pain because lightning really fucking hurt.
Somewhere off to the side, Otto was groaning. When I finally took control of my basic bodily functions enough to turn my head, I found him sprawled out on his back about 10 feet away.
“Y-you ok-kay?” I asked between chattering teeth. I tried to force myself to my knees, but every muscle in my body wouldn’t stop spasming.
“Never b-better,” he managed to get out, his body struggling just as much as mine. If it wasn’t for the magic in our veins, I was sure we’d have been dead by now.
The sky roared above us, and I peered up as the droplets of rain sprayed down faster onto my face.
I met Otto’s worried gaze, no words needing to be spoken. I needed to hurry.
“Will? Otto?” my dad asked, rushing over and helping Otto stand. “Are you boys okay?”
“Just the dandiest dandelions who ever dandied a dandy.” With shaking limbs, I pushed myself to my feet. Another pulse from the lake urged me forward as my ring seemed to vibrate. “I need to go.”
But before I could do anything else, my dad was there, pausing me with a hand on my shoulder. A frown curved down his lips. “Promise me, Will. Promise you’ll be careful.”
I blanketed his hand with mine. “I promise.”
He smiled then, but it was a strained thing.
Scooping up the headlamp from where Otto had dropped it, I quickly but clumsily tugged it on. Otto was grumbling to himself, now sitting on his ass and rubbing the back of his head and glaring up at the sky.
Geared up, I allowed myself a second to be scared as I gazed out at the ominous waters, to question if I really wanted to do this. But when a growl came from the clouds above us, I shoved all fears away and stumbled for the water.
Slowly, I waded into the shallows of our man-made lake, ignoring the bite of cold as it enveloped my ankles, then my calves. Peeking over my shoulder, I waved at Otto. “Wish me luck!”
“Don’t die!” he called back, flipping me off.
Once I was deep enough where the boat wouldn’t get stuck, I pulled myself into it. And then promptly rolled over the other side and back into the water.
Otto’s laughter met my ears as I resurfaced, and I refused to look at him as I tried climbing back in again. This time, though, I actually managed to stay in the boat.
“Okay,” I said, wiping my dripping hair off of my mask. “Off to a great start.”
Snatching up the oars, I started rowing out toward the mists now obscuring the Tor from view. I only hesitated a moment once the fog snuck up around my boat, licking at the wood in little wisps. Because I knew this was it. After this, everything would change.
So just before I was swallowed up by the fogbank, I peered over my shoulder.
My family all stood along the water’s edge, watching me with varying looks of concern. Even Gerry seemed stressed, pacing on the ground before them, his tail jerking sporadically.
But then it enveloped me completely, obscuring them from view. The cloud brought down the temperature of the already nippy weather further, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose in response. But just as I wondered if this was stupid and if I should turn around, my ring pulsed slowly against my chest, as if urging me forward again.
So I inhaled slowly, trying to calm my nerves, and rowed deeper into the mists.
It was eerie, not being able to see where I was heading. Even when I peered over the edge of the boat, I wasn’t able to see the water through the swirls of fog.
And that’s when I felt it.
Pressure. So much fucking pressure that I felt like that kid from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory being stuffed through a tiny pipe. An intense ringing started in my ears, and it felt as if every hair on my body was standing on end. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it definitely wasn’t comfortable. Like my body needed to adjust to a different altitude and wasn’t able to acclimate yet.
But then there was a pop , like when your ears equalized on a plane, and I knew I’d finally made it into the pocket realm.
“Well,” I said to myself as the visibility began to increase, “here goes nothing.”
Blisters began to form on my palms as I rowed farther, and then I finally caught my first glimpse of Avalon.
The fogbank opened up to a wide lake. At its edge was a massive, sloping hill, reminding me somewhat of the hill leading to Glastobury Tor. But instead of a tower, a gothic-styled castle loomed over the lands. Under the shroud of rain and clouds, the citadel looked dark and menacing. A large, iron gate protected its entrance, and a fortified wall ran all around. Homes dotted the hill, and though it was hard to see through the blur of rain and from a distance, I thought I could make out the occasional figure walking on the pathways.
The air was charged with tempestuous magic, and it was like it was calling me forward. Almost as if it wanted me to stay.
But there was something... off. I’d heard all about Avalon. At least what the legends said about it, and this place didn’t exactly match the descriptions from Arthurian tales.
I expected vibrancy and lands full of lush, green agriculture under a starry sky.
Instead, it was impossible to see the sky through the rain clouds blotting it out, casting the night in drizzling gloom. If it weren’t for the occasional glimpse of firelight in the homes farther out, and the occasional flash of lightning, I doubted I’d be able to see anything at all.
There were apple trees similar to the ones from our neighborhood back home everywhere, especially bordering the castle wall, but none were growing blossoms or apples. In fact, after a sweep of my gaze over the landscape, I realized that this land of legends was... dead. Despite the rain, the tall grass was dried and leeched of color, the trees were withered and naked, and the lands were stripped and barren.
What happened here?
But I didn’t get the chance to ponder more about it because a voice said, “It has been many moons since someone has crossed these borders.”
The boat wobbled as I jumped in my seat, and I whipped my head around in search of the voice. Floating in the water a few feet to my left was a woman. Her dark, wet hair melted into the lake, and a silver diadem swept it away from her forehead. Keen eyes surveyed me from a pretty face, and I could just make out the hint of scales beneath the water.
A tail. She had a tail!
I gripped my oars tighter in my hands.
The woman tilted her head. “What is your name?”
“Will Towers.”
“Will Towers,” she echoed, tasting my name on her tongue. Then she grinned, though it wasn’t very pretty. Too many teeth. “Do you know who I am?”
“I might have a guess.”
She laughed, the sound so light with just the slightest rasp. “I’m Viviane.”
“I deduced as much.”
The Lady of the Lake slowly began to circle my boat, her tail briefly cutting through the glassy lake surface, and I had the distinct impression of a shark circling its prey. “Why are you here, Will?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
She grinned another flash of pointed teeth. “I might have a guess.”
“You don’t want me to take him.”
She looked genuinely confused. “Why would you think that?”
“Why would you try to stop me otherwise?”
“Who said I was stopping you?”
“Aren’t you?”
Her dark eyes remained fixed on me, and I finally realized what was so off. The water didn’t move. No ripples from raindrops or waves from the sway of my boat, just complete, utter stillness.
“What happened to this place?” I asked when she didn’t respond. “I thought it was supposed to be, I don’t know, like paradise.”
Still, she didn’t look away. “It was, once.”
“But?”
Viviane’s gaze hardened. “But Morgana’s grief and anger now drains the land, leeching it of life.”
“You know, I’ve heard a little TLC does wonders for nature. Maybe a little sunshine too.”
Her lip curled. “I have not seen the sun in nearly 1,500 years. None of us here have. And our crops and lands have suffered greatly because of it.”
Right. Touchy subject. Got it.
“So... why don’t you do something about it? The whole Morgana-casting-the-entirety-of-Avalon-into-eternal-night thing?”
“Who says I’m not?”
My lips pursed as she continued to circle me, eyeing me critically. I didn’t dare take my eyes off her, even when something pulsed beneath us. Even when the ring against my sternum started to vibrate once more. I wondered if since it used to belong to Merlin, it could sense his magic down there, cocooning Arthur in stone.
Viviane watched it all, taking note of every detail.
“He’s dangerous,” she said after a moment when the pulse came again, though the water still showed no signs of life.
Gripping my necklace to stop its vibrations, I set my jaw. “I know. But I can handle him.”
“Perhaps.”
And I was done with whatever this was. “Look, what do you want?”
“I want many things,” she said. “I want my lands back. My home. I want to see the creatures and beings here thrive again. To free them so they might see the sun and sky once more.” Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Viviane inched closer to my boat. “You asked me why I don’t do anything to stop Morgana, as if that’s something I’m capable of. It is not. My magic is tied to Avalon.”
I almost dared another look at the dying lands.
“But perhaps, you will do as I cannot and end Morgana’s reign. Perhaps, she or the others will kill you just as they did the rest of your kin.” Her hands gripped the edge of my boat now. “So Will Towers, I will make you the same deal I made those who came before you,” she said, watching me intently, “If you manage to find him, I will not stop you from taking Arthur.”
I didn’t miss how she didn’t say she’d help me either. “Okay, but what’s the catch?”
“In return, I will require a favor from you at a later date.”
Ha. Of course that was what she wanted. “Why would I make a deal with you when I can just look for him myself?”
“Because I am the Lady of the Lake,” she said, her voice sharp as a blade, and the water around my boat rippled violently. Viviane’s eyes began to glow as my boat began to spin, rotating faster and faster and faster until a whirlpool formed. Her grip never faltering.
“Stop!”
She ignored me. “I am its protector, and I have been tasked with removing any and all threats. Like those who have come to unleash a dangerous, cursed king. So, Will, if you attempt to steal Arthur Pendragon from the waters I have sworn to protect without my permission, I will ensure you never find your way back to the surface.”
“Duly noted!” I called over the rush of wind.
“Do we have a deal?”
And damn it all to Hell! “Yes, you maniac! We have a deal,” I shouted, my heart racing as my boat tipped even more, revealing the now disturbed bottom of the lake...
Where countless skeletons lay freshly revealed at its bottom.
What had she said earlier? The same deal she’d made to those who came here before me?
But I didn’t get the chance to fret anymore about it because her hand was suddenly grabbing mine. I yelped, trying to yank it away from her cold, almost slimy feeling fingers. Unfortunately for me, she was a lot stronger than she looked.
My hand and wrist burned . Holy fuck it burned! I thought I might have been screaming, but if I was, it was lost to the roaring vortex of wind and water.
Almost instantly, the waters calmed, the whirlpool ceased, and the lake’s surface returned to its unnatural stillness.
Viviane released her hold on the boat and my hand, floating several paces away. “You better hurry then. Before the others find out you’re here.”
Then she was gone, disappearing beneath the surface of the lake.
I braced myself just in case she was pulling some big prank and planned to capsize me. But when nothing happened after several minutes, I wondered if she really was gone.
I studied my wrist again, touching the swirl of blue water circling it and winding up to my hand as it quickly faded into my skin without leaving a single trace. I started to wonder if I had just made a grave mistake before shaking away those thoughts.
It was too late to have regrets now.
Huffing, I attached myself to the boat, hoping the bottom wasn’t more than one hundred and fifty feet. Otherwise, I didn’t have enough rope.
With one last glance toward the castle, I inserted my mouth piece and slipped into the water.
It was fucking freezing, and I felt my balls attempt to crawl up into my body. Even as I slipped farther into the lake, it was like my body couldn’t acclimate to this cold.
Beneath the lake’s surface, it was too dim to see. I flicked on my light as I slowly and carefully descended into the vast darkness. Even with the light on my head, I could barely view more than a few feet ahead of me.
As if it understood my struggle, my ring began to pulse with a warm glow. It floated in front of my body, and if it weren’t for the chain keeping it tethered to me, I had the feeling it would have left me behind. Instead, it remained hovering ahead of me and urging me in the right direction.
At least, I hoped it was the right direction.
Little fish zipped away whenever my light flashed in their vicinity, and I tried to ignore the irrational fear that there could be larger fish, with teeth, watching me as I sank and adjusted to the deeper depths. My ears popped repeatedly like they always did when I scuba dived, making my eardrums sting. My head felt uncomfortably full, and I remembered just why I’d never wanted to go scuba diving again.
Something brushed against my leg, but when I whipped my head around to check, there was nothing there. Peering into the gloom, I tried to see if I could make out anything, but all I could see were bits of lake algae floating in the light from my headlamp.
I suddenly got the image in my mind of an angler fish, luring in its prey with the dangling light over its head. Only, in this situation, I wasn’t the predator.
With nothing but the sound of bubbles and the lake’s darkness to keep me company, I tried to keep my panic soothed by singing my comfort songs in my head as I equalized over and over and over.
I didn’t know how long I’d been under the water, but as I hummed the chorus of All Star , the ring suddenly jerked to the side.
I let it guide me, my nerves and excitement ratcheting up as I continued on. And when my flippers scraped against the rocky bottom, the water shuddered as the echoes of thunder sounded even at this depth.
And that’s when something a mere 10 feet away glinted in my light.
As I swam closer, I saw it for what it was. A sword sticking out from a stone.
But I knew this wasn’t just a statue. And though moss and other tiny lake creatures had cloaked the stone, I knew what, who , was encased within.
The sword glowed when I gripped its handle, and I yanked it free as easily as if it had been thrust in butter, not solid rock.
The moment the sword was free, the lake rippled all around us, like a sonic boom.
I barely had time to seize hold of the stone so I wouldn’t be thrown back by the blast, the sword tucked haphazardly in the crook of my arm. Wave after wave thumped through the water like a heartbeat, and by the time everything stilled, it took my scrambled brain several moments to remember just what was going on.
And that’s when I realized I was grabbing onto something pliant, not hard and unyielding.
Jerking my head up, I caught my first glimpse of Arthur.
Well, sort of.
Algae and other muck still blanketed his body, covering him from view, but there, resting atop his chest, was a hand. The hand itself was made of stone, but the fingers I’d been grasping in my attempt not to float away, had transformed back to normal. Even as I watched, the stonelike skin of his hand began to change, the spell transmuting him to rock was retracting.
Quickly, I swiped away as much of the gunk off his face as I could, needing to see.
And there he was, a mix of flesh and stone.
He looked so much like my vision that my breath caught in my lungs as I stared down at his face. As the spell continued to dissipate, I brushed some more algae off his face, noting the frozen look of pain etched into his features. His hair, colorless and hard as ice, pooled around his shoulders.
Amazed, I reached out to see if his hair was returning back to normal when I noted a large gash on the side of his head. And though it wasn’t bleeding now, I worried with the spell coming undone that he’d need medical attention ASAP.
With numb fingers, I grappled with the extra respirator mask attached to my oxygen tank and stuffed it over Arthur’s face. It took several attempts, and there was some water that got stuck inside, but at least he’d have enough air when the spell wore off to allow his lungs to work.
Next, I wrapped my rope around his waist, knotting it three times to ensure it wouldn’t come undone. Then I snatched up Excalibur, from where I’d set it down so I could use both hands, and secured it haphazardly to my wet suit with a carabiner.
Hooking my arms under his armpits, I kicked off the ground. He was either super fucking heavy or I was just that weak, because no matter how hard I kicked, calling my inner merman and trying to swim, we sank right back to the bottom.
After six failed attempts, I called forth my magic, letting it cocoon my skin. And it felt... different. Not like before when every time I attempted to use my magic it was like keeping a hyper dog on the sidewalk. No, this was easier. Like I actually had some control over my magic for the first time in my life.
I urged it to propel us upward, and to my surprise, it did.
I still had to swim, but Arthur’s extra bulk no longer weighed me down.
I swam and swam, and I tried not to think about the fact that Arthur still wasn’t breathing, his skin still too cold, or how his head might start bleeding at any moment.
On and on we went with only my ring and the path of my bubbles to guide our path toward the surface.
I had to adjust to the pressure changes every now and again, making our ascent slower than I’d like. Especially with how... falsely tranquil everything was down here. I could still picture the lake bed covered in bones of those who’d attempted this before, and I refused to end up like that. I just couldn’t.
So even when my ears stung and my muscles burned from exertion, I pushed on.
And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the water around me lightened.
The storm above Avalon raged, and lightning pelted the lake over and over and over. If this weren’t a magical storm, I was positive we would have been electrocuted by now.
I was so focused on hauling Arthur’s unconscious body upward toward those brief glimpses of the surface, and wondering where the boat was, that I stopped paying attention to our surroundings. But another bolt of lightning cracked against the lake’s surface, briefly illuminating the water beyond just my headlamp.
And that’s when I saw them.
Dozens of large fish at least four feet long circled us. With the lightning’s illumination, I could make out their dark green scales peppered with rows of pale dots leading down to their white bellies. They had a flatter looking mouth, almost like a duck bill, and their eyes remained focused on us.
Then the light retreated again, leaving us almost blind once more in the inky water.
My panic rose, and I swam harder, my grip on Arthur bruising.
But the surface was so close. Just a little bit—
Something sharp bit into my arm.
I cried out in pain, my wet suit doing little to keep their teeth from piercing my flesh. It took me several tries to shake the fish off of me. But then another latched onto my leg, and I struggled to swim with my and Arthur’s combined weight as the fish tugged mercilessly at my body.
Several attacked Arthur as well. Their mouths latched onto his calf, his upper arm.
Knowing my panic would only hinder me, I tried to calm myself as the assholes kept coming. I centered my thoughts on that warmth within, encouraging it to my fingertips until they glowed. Then I focused on the fish, praying to whoever was listening that this worked.
And I sent my unfocused magic blasting out of me.
There was little sound as I sent them flying away from us, only a muffled boom and lots and lots of bubbles.
I followed the bubbles up, up, up pushing past the pain in my body from the multitude of fish bites. Because we were so damn close! Just a few more feet and—
The water lit up with gold light just before thousands of invisible needles pricked at my skin. My mouth fell open, almost dropping my respirator, as every muscle in my body started to twitch and spasm, and I couldn’t think long enough to remember how to make my lungs move again.
If King Arthur hadn’t been attached to me with the rope, I would have dropped him.
But just as the pain began to recede, it was replaced by the twin sensations of something slippery slithering up my ankles and around my calves.
Darting my gaze down, I found one of the fairy queens mere feet below. Her copper hair drifted in long tendrils around her head, and green vines of ivy curled up from her reaching hands to coil around me. Gliten’s once pretty face held a cruel smile, and there was something off about her eyes. Instead of white, the sclera glowed a bright orange, and the shape... Her eyes had shifted closer to the sides of her face and were bulging out of their sockets. Outrageously plump lips opened to reveal rows of sharp teeth, and small orange scales glittered down her bare arms, along her throat, and over the contours of her face.
Now, I’d never been scared of goldfish before, but I thought that might not be the case after tonight.
Gliten reeled me in, dragging me, and subsequently Arthur, down closer and closer toward her. I still couldn’t move, paralyzed to watch as Gliten managed to haul us nearer. Those vines of hers slid higher up my legs, unperturbed by my muscle spasms.
“Sorry, little sorcerer. He is not yours to have,” she warbled, slowly sinking back toward the bottom of the lake.
The surface of the lake grew farther and farther away with each passing second, and I knew if I didn’t act now, Arthur and I would die.
Finally able to move, I grasped Excalibur’s hilt, slid the sword from the carabiner, and swung it down, severing the ivy connecting me to Gliten.
She screamed as though I’d cut her, cradling her hands to her chest. Rage burned in her bulbous eyes, and she lifted her hands again, those vines extending from her once more. They surged toward me, and it was all I could do to swipe Excalibur at them over and over. I didn’t know what I was doing, simply moving on pure instinct.
But every time the sword cut through Gliten’s ivy, the fairy queen cried out in pain. Her fury made her sloppy, though.
I let her bring me closer, and I only panicked a little at the rage in her expression.
This time, my magic scalded my skin, burning away the vegetation holding us. Gliten released a muffled scream but moved to grab at us again with her bare hands.
I didn’t even have time to think. My magic reacted as if on instinct, because all I could think was how much she looked like a fucking goldfish . And then, as her hand cuffed my wrist, my magic engulfed her.
And that’s how I transformed a legendary fairy queen into the creepiest looking goldfish known to mankind.
Seriously, the thing might have only been a few inches long with bulging eyes, but it had teeth like a piranha. Teeth that snapped at me in rage.
I screamed, though the sound was lost to the lake, and did the only thing that made sense.
I punched the fish in the face.
Gliten flipped upside down, officially KO’d, and I stared at her in shock. Because I didn’t know what to do now. Did I leave her and risk her attacking us again? Or did I take her with us and figure out what to do with her later?
I chose the latter option.
Grimacing, I secured Excalibur to me once more and pinched Gliten by her orange tail. Then I grabbed Arthur by the rope around his waist and began to swim once more.
When I broke the surface, I immediately scanned around for the boat. It sat ghostly still along the lake’s surface maybe 40 feet away.
I swam with more urgency, absolutely exhausted when I finally reached the boat and threw Gliten’s unconscious fish body inside first.
It took every ounce of strength left in me to haul my geared self and Arthur into the boat, and my magic screamed in protest as I urged it to assist us.
I needed rest. Maybe a massage. And I decided the moment this whole quest was over with, I was booking myself a two-hour-long deep tissue session at the nearest spa.
After removing mine and Arthur’s masks, I positioned the still unconscious king at my feet and the fish queen in an old, opened, empty fish bait container I had filled with water. Once I’d shoved off the rest of my scuba gear, tossing it haphazardly in the small fishing boat, I situated myself on the seat. Rain pelted the lake, streaking through the mists as I rowed with trembling arms toward them. My freezing body chilled further as they engulfed us, causing my teeth to chatter.
A large splash sounded behind me, and I glanced back just in time to see Viviane watching my boat with a small grin.
Her grin was the last thing I saw before the curtain of water droplets blocked Avalon from view.
My arms shook and my blistered palms stung as I rowed us through the fog, desperate to reach the others and get medical attention. The bites on my body stung now that the adrenaline had faded some, but thankfully the cold from the mists helped mask some of the pain.
Arthur still hadn’t woken, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
But as quickly as my weary muscles could manage, I rowed us past the barrier to Avalon, hardly able to think through the pressure. But with a pop , the pressure ceased. And through the tendrils clinging to our boat, I could just make out the magic-made lake.
The fogbank faded behind us, and I scanned the surroundings for my family, desperate to reach them.
Shouts sounded to my right, and I whipped my head around to find my family jumping up and down just where I left them.
My magic sputtered as I tried to nudge it awake, and I propelled us across the water toward where they waited. Albeit, a bit jerkily.
When our stolen vessel jolted against the ground of our makeshift shore, I wanted to cry.
My dad and Otto rushed into the water to help me and Arthur out of the boat, and neither of them even bothered to ask about the goldfish now awake again and attempting to bite my fingers as I lifted her from the fish bait container.
“Will, are you all right?” Dorothy asked as I shuffled out of the water, dripping wet and stumbling. She helped me stand as I nearly collapsed from exhaustion onto the road.
Gliten managed to nip my thumb, and I shook her off and away from me, glaring at the evil fish as I cradled my thumb. “I’m fine.”
Dorothy frowned at the fish now flopping around and doing her best to reach me again. “Do I want to ask about the fish?”
“Just a little problem I ran into on our way back.”
But then Gerry was there, pouncing on Gliten.
To my horror, Gerry tossed Gliten into his mouth, chewing and swallowing the fairy fish and looking very pleased with himself.
“What?” he said, noticing my expression. “Solved the problem.” His nose wrinkled. “What kind of fish was that?”
“A fairy queen,” I said wanly.
The rest of the group looked moderately alarmed at that.
“I think I might be sick,” Otto said.
“Okay, well, you can be sick later,” I rasped, deciding to stress about Gliten’s death at another time. Kneeling beside Arthur, I pressed my fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse. My own started ratcheting up at his lack of heartbeat, and I wondered if Arthur needed a little kickstart. “Right now, I need you to back up.”
Rubbing my palms together, little sparks flared as I peered down at the king of stone made flesh once more.
“Will, maybe we should talk about thi—”
But my dad didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before I slammed my sparking palms against Arthur’s chest.
Electricity flashed, and before I could prepare myself, lightning struck from the sky.
My mouth opened in a silent scream as bolt after bolt slammed into me, fueling my magic. Arthur’s body jolted under my touch where we remained connected, and I couldn’t pull away.
It fucking hurt.
My body vibrated with so much power, too much power. And as the tendrils of electricity crawled over me like thousands of tiny fire ants, I watched as they extended to Arthur.
My family shouted nearby, but as the strikes kept coming, they couldn’t reach us safely.
After too many strikes to count, the lightning paused its assault, giving me a much needed reprieve. Still, my body hummed with a painful amount of magic.
Arthur’s body still lay limp beside me, and gritting my teeth so I didn’t accidentally bite my tongue, I urged more of the electricity clinging in the air into his body. Again and again, I sent electric shocks to his heart, checking after each time to see if his heart had started beating yet.
After the fourth try, though, I paused with my hands hovering over his chest. My magic fizzled out, and the storm roared in victory.
Because Arthur groaned.