23. Arthur
Chapter twenty-three
Arthur
Now what is pizza?
T he others dozed off and on after the sun rose, but I didn’t let myself fall asleep. I didn’t know if the danger had truly passed, if Gliton and Glitonea had been the only ones who’d tracked us to the cave, and I didn’t want to risk being unprepared in case one of the queens discovered us out here.
I couldn’t complain much, though.
Because I could think of much worse fates than having Will pressed close against my back, his arms wrapped around me, and his hands burrowed in the front of my shirt, even in sleep.
However, getting hard on the back of a creature I’d defeated 1,500 years prior while the family of the man I craved rode right behind him wasn’t ideal. But with Will’s fingers clutching low on my stomach, I couldn’t help it.
When land appeared in the distance, the tension in my shoulders eased some. I shook Will awake, pointing it out, and he straightened.
“What is that?”
“I think it’s an island.”
The others roused at the sound of our voices.
None of them had slept the best, it seemed, and Nana Joanne grumbled about Will owing her a massage after this.
But they all perked up when Will pointed out the isle up ahead.
Otto pulled his phone from his pocket with a grin. “Thank goodness for water-protection spells.” Pulling up a map on his phone, it showed a small dot, which I assumed was us, surrounded by blue. But there, just a short ways away, was a small mass of land.
“No fucking way,” Will breathed, staring down at the phone then up to the approaching coast.
“What is it?” Nana demanded.
“It’s the Isle of Man,” Otto explained to her.
“Isn’t that one of the—”
“The locations suggested for the Cauldron?” Will finished for her. “Yes.”
We let that settle around us as the Afanc continued on.
The Afanc waded into a horseshoe-shaped bay, choosing to avoid some boat docks we’d spotted along the way. The estuary was deserted as the creature crawled onto the empty beach, and with a groan, I dismounted.
I didn’t release the Halter, though, not trusting the Afanc not to turn on us.
Gerry rounded the Afanc, moving to press his nose against the creature’s, much to Will’s distress. But then he tossed some rancid-smelling fish at the Afanc, and the beast lunged for them, causing me to stumble.
Ugh, how long had Gerry been stashing those fish?
The Afanc chewed happily, its taste buds questionable, and Gerry cooed at it. “Can we keep it?”
“No!” we all said in unison.
Gerry pouted. “You guys never let me have any fun.” Then he turned back to the Afanc and patted its head. “Thanks for the ride, Fancy.”
“Fancy?” Will asked, unimpressed.
“Well, it was either that or Affy, and that didn’t have the same kind of ring to it, you know?”
Will pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we get rid of it, please? Before it eats one of us?”
Stepping forward, I began undoing the Halter while Gerry wailed his goodbyes at the creature who was... nuzzling into his palm.
If I didn’t know what a menace the Afanc could be, I would have felt worse for removing the Halter and letting the Afanc fade away. But in my time, it lived in a lake where it terrorized local farmlands and lured anyone who came too close to their death.
Will patted Gerry’s hunched back. “It will be okay. Are you hungry?”
At the mention of food, Gerry perked up, the Afanc forgotten. “Ooh, can we get pizza?”
Will returned the Halter back into the book as we trekked over the beach. “If it’s on the way to Castle Rushen.”
“Is that one of the spots you think might have a Treasure?” Gerry said, spotting a crab on the beach and looking about ready to eat it.
“Potentially. There’s a story of Merlin interring some giants in some hidden tunnels beneath the castle. If I’m right, then the Cauldron might be there.”
Gerry’s nose wrinkled. “That’s the one that boils meat, right?”
Will sighed. “Only if you’re courageous. Or something like that.”
“Boo, the Cauldron sounds boring,” Gerry complained with a pout. “I say we skip it.”
“We can’t just skip it because it’s not exciting to you.” Will glanced at Otto. “Do you know how far away we are from the castle?”
“It says the castle is about a half hour walk from here,” Otto said, ever the navigator.
“Good,” Nana Joanne said, stretching her hips back and forth. “I could use a bit of walking after all that sitting.”
We all stared at her.
She paused her stretching to frown back. “What?”
“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say you wanted to walk,” Vincent teased.
She scowled, and in the next moment, Vincent’s eyebrows went up in flames.
Hissing, he swatted the flames away.
This family really enjoyed hexing off each other’s eyebrows.
“Come on,” Will sighed, heading toward a road just off the edge of the beach. “Let’s get moving before we draw any attention.”
I hurried after him while the others followed, and made sure that Excalibur was firmly in its sheath and thus hidden from prying eyes.
While we walked side by side, Will cast me a small smile. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Yes. A little tired, but I’ll be fine once we get some rest.”
“Did you sleep at all?”
“No,” I admitted, watching as a small car shot past us on the road. “I didn’t want to risk the Afanc turning on us in our sleep.”
Will nodded, gazing back at the others as they stumbled along after us. “Maybe we should take the day off and check out the castle tomorrow.”
But I caught his hand, making him look at me. “I’m tired, but I’ll be fine until tonight. We don’t need to change our plans, all right?”
“You’re sure?”
I nodded. “I’m sure. Now what is pizza?”
Gerry popped his head between us, his eyes bright.
While we walked down the road, Gerry described in unnecessary detail the beauty that was pizza. Apparently, it was a magical flatbread traditionally topped with tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, and meat. But there were many variations. Including dessert pizzas, which caught my interest especially, and Gerry described one with a chocolate base and sliced strawberries for toppings.
Otto directed us to a nearby restaurant, and we crowded into the little space. And after my first bite of something called Hawaiian pizza, I had to agree with Gerry. Pizza. Was. Magical.
Will let me try some of his, a slice of pepperoni, but it failed in comparison to mine. I mean, maybe if he added some pineapple to his it would be better.
“You know, pineapple on pizza is quite the controversial topic,” he said, smirking at me when I pulled some pineapple off my pizza to add to the slice he’d given me.
“Really?”
“Yep. There are lots of people who hate fruit on their pizza.”
My jaw dropped. “Why?”
And he laughed.
After finishing our lunch, I made sure to let the cook behind the counter know that the pizza was the best thing I’d ever eaten, and she’d blushed bright red with an awkward thanks. Will had dragged me out of the restaurant after that.
We continued on, and I felt much brighter knowing the modern world had pizza, Reese’s, and tie-dye. With a skip to my step, we walked until we came upon the castle.
It surprised me to find it surrounded by so many buildings, almost like the town had been built around it over time. Which, I supposed, it had.
We entered through two, parted, wooden doors that opened up to a stone pathway. At the end was a gate where we purchased tickets to enter the castle. Excalibur was a comforting weight at my side as we passed by several large groups of strangers, and I brushed my fingers over the rune on it and the sheath that made them invisible. Because even though I knew they were still there, I felt awfully vulnerable without being able to see them.
Will, like always, paid for all of us, and it made me wonder what had happened to my own money. Since Camelot had been leveled, did that mean I no longer had any money to my name?
I wasn’t fond of that thought.
After exiting the gate, we caught our first full view of the castle’s entrance. Several stacked, narrow windows lined its exterior wall, and a green courtyard circled the castle.
There were large metal logs Will told me were called cannons, which supposedly shot heavy, metal balls out like Nana Joanne’s gun.
There were far more weapons in these times, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
Instead of venturing out to the courtyard, we crossed over a small bridge someone must have built in more recent years and passed beneath two metal gates meant to trap intruders. Three, small holes opened up in the ceiling between the portcullises, I learned they were called, allowing people in the castle to kill you through various methods, including molten oil.
We’d barely begun looking around the ground floor when Will’s behavior shifted. Like the other locations we’d discovered Treasures, Will’s eyes took on a dazed look, almost as if drugged. His pulse picked up to a rapid pace, visible in his neck, and he started moving almost like he was in a trance.
The others picked up on the changes in his demeanor as well, and we sent each other knowing looks as we trailed after Will.
When we came upon a room where fake figures of men had been arranged, Will paused.
One of the fake men had an arrow poised to loose through a thin window while the other two men worked together to open a trapdoor.
And when I glanced at Will, his hazy eyes were locked on the hatch. But with all the people around, I knew it wouldn’t be possible to slip through it unnoticed.
A small family came up behind us, and two little boys peered around us to get a look into the room, once again proving we couldn’t sneak in right now.
As more and more people came to have a look into the room with the trapdoor, which apparently led down to where the dungeon used to be, we decided to walk around the castle and circle back so we wouldn’t draw unwanted attention by hovering in one place too long.
“We need a plan,” Otto said, sidling up beside Will and me as we meandered.
Will eyed the groups of people milling around, admiring the castle, then his gaze fell on Gerry. “Up for another distraction?”
Gerry grinned, making his sharp teeth more pronounced. “What sort of distraction were you thinking?”
Collective oohs and ahhs sounded, and I spotted Gerry preening as people shifted closer to get a better look at him.
He’d shifted into his smallest form for this, looking like the fluffiest kitten I’d ever seen. People gathered to stare at him with adoration, cooing words of love and praise down at the demon who was soaking up every word like a sponge.
While everyone seemed distracted, our group quickly slipped down the small ladder under the trapdoor, managing to climb down without being noticed.
The room we entered was small and dark, and Will and the others pulled out their phones to shine lights around the space.
The stone room smelled of damp and earth, and the taste of metal coated my tongue.
While we waited for Gerry to sneak away and find his way down here, we moved around the room, searching for Merlin’s mark. Since I didn’t have a phone, I kept close to Will’s side.
Gerry appeared a moment later and shifted back into his human form. Completely naked.
I tried to avert my eyes. I really did. But I felt lost to a stare down with his penises.
I didn’t even know someone could have more than one.
Will shoved Gerry’s clothes at him, and I caught Gerry flashing Otto a wink as he yanked on his clothes.
“I think I found it!” Dorothy called, pointing to a spot in the far corner of the room where three connected swirls had been scratched deep into the wall.
Will rushed over to the mark, and we waited with anticipation as he reached for it. The moment Will touched the symbol, a groan resounded off the walls of the prison. We watched as the stones making up the wall tumbled away, revealing a deep staircase that led to a hidden tunnel beyond, with little balls of light casting a soft glow like in Merlin’s Cave.
Will quickly retrieved The Thirteen Treasures of Britain containing the ones we’d found so far, and after some debate, he pulled out the Halter, my Mantle, the Knife, and the Whetstone. Vincent claimed the Knife and the Whetstone, Nana Joanne the Halter, and Dorothy my Mantle.
Will, much to my discomfort and displeasure, pushed to enter first, claiming the passage needed to sense his blood like the cave had.
And when he stepped into the tunnel without any repercussions we followed along. Because we needed the Cauldron, and if this was the only way to retrieve it, then I’d brave it.
We followed the dim corridor left and right, and by the time it opened up into a large cavern, we’d delved deep below the castle.
And when we peered into the large, towering chamber, we spotted a raised dais in the center of the room with the Cauldron sitting atop it.
The Cauldron was large enough that our whole group could have squeezed inside it. The Treasure glinted as if coated in pearl, and it almost seemed to beckon me closer. Steam rose from the massive pot and the bubbling hiss of liquid came from within.
With a rush of excitement I took a step forward toward it, but Will stopped me with a hand to my chest.
His breaths were coming rapidly, and his gaze darted around the room with an odd sense of fear. But then I took in what I’d missed, too distracted by the Cauldron’s call.
Surrounding the dais were just shy of 20, towering statues of giants. Though they must have been hundreds of years old, the stone figures looked pristine. Realistic.
But the thing that made dread fill my heart was the expressions on the giants’ faces.
Rage.
“Arthur,” Will whispered, refusing to take another step into the room. “Did Merlin do this?”
But I didn’t have an answer for him. Or maybe I just didn’t want to answer. Because if I went with my gut, then this was my old adviser’s doing and it was likely these giants were placed under the same spell as I had been.
“Holy shit,” Otto said, squeezing in beside Will and me. “Are those actual giants?”
“They are indeed,” a raspy voice said behind us.
We jumped, spinning around to face the intruder.
I couldn’t remember her name, but I recognized her clearly.
The elderly fairy queen waved a hand around at the statues. “Look familiar, demon king?”
“Don’t call him that,” Will growled.
The queen eyed him curiously, moving to walk leisurely among the statues. “Why not? He is both a demon and a king, is he not?”
“He has a demon living inside his skin, but that does not make Arthur a demon himself.”
She seemed to mull his words over while Gerry muttered something about Will being speciesist. “Perhaps you are right. But what is a demon if not someone who is wicked and destructive? And your king has done very wicked, destructive things.”
“What do you want, Tyronoe?” Will asked, helping me remember her name.
“You know why I’m here, sorcerer. You must be aware I cannot allow you to leave with the Cauldron.”
“Hate to break it to you, but that’s what the other queens who tried to stop us thought too.”
“I’m aware you and your companions slaughtered five of my sister queens. But do not make the mistake of believing me foolish like them,” she said, a spark of anger igniting in her eyes. “I have lived many millenia, more than even your ancestor Merlin.” Magic swirled in her palms, and Will and his family did the same, readying for an attack. “Shall I show you my power?”
Magic poured from her with a scream, blasting to every corner of the room. Our party flew through the air before slamming into the walls of the cavern.
Tyronoe’s laughter continued to echo around the room, long after she’d disappeared.
“What in the world was that?” Vincent groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. He’d dropped his Treasures and had to pick them back up.
“I don’t know,” Will admitted, slowly getting back to his feet.
Nana Joanne remained on the ground, though, and I watched as she clutched her leg in her hands with a pained wince.
But before we could rush to her aid, the chamber filled with howls of angry pain.
We whipped around, finding the stone statues now fully fleshed giants.
“Get the Cauldron!” Otto shouted, his eyes wide with terror.
The nearest giant to Will and me, nearly a perch tall, grinned down at us with a decayed smile. His yellowed eyes gleamed with madness. He spoke in a series of grunts and clipped tones, and the other giants in the room grinned as they set their sights upon us. And even though we couldn’t speak Giant, the wicked glint in their expressions said enough.
“Run!” I shouted, gripping Will’s arm and hauling him out of the way just as one of the giants smashed a massive club down on the spot we’d been standing.
Chaos ensued as each and every one of us dove to dodge their strikes.
Dorothy, who’d lost my Mantle when Tyronoe had sent us sailing, moved to pick it up but found her path blocked by a smirking behemoth. She ducked out of the way when it swung a large axe at her.
Grabbing my fallen Mantle off the ground, I rushed for Nana Joanne who, though standing, cried out when she attempted to take a step on her injured leg. I turned the Mantle around so the Cath Palug’s fur was on the outside and draped it over her shoulders. In the next moment, she disappeared from view with the Mantle’s power.
“Don’t move,” I instructed in a rushed whisper before turning back to the chaos behind us.
Will was holding up well, blasting them with bolts of lightning or harsh gusts of wind. But when one fell back from his attack, another appeared to take his place, and I knew none of us would be able to hold them back for long. There were too many of them.
One giant managed to knock Otto off his feet, sending him crashing into the far wall with a sickening crack. Gerry charged the giant with a war cry and leapt at him with flaming hands. The giant yelped as Gerry burned his flesh, and he attempted to knock the demon back with his spear. Except Gerry scaled his body, and with a snarl, he grabbed the giant’s face.
The colossus stumbled back onto the dais with a cry of pain, punching and swatting at Gerry to make him stop. But Gerry held on through every blow.
Wet splats sounded as something fell to the floor, and when Gerry released his head, I realized he’d carved out the giant’s eyes with his own nails.
I watched as the being wailed, cupping his hands over the space where his eyes should have been. He stumbled, unable to see, and Gerry kicked out, knocking him back into the Cauldron.
The giant screamed as he sank beneath the boiling liquid.
Vincent spun to avoid the hands of one with dark, matted hair who tried to grab him. Holding the Whetstone in one hand, he swiped the blade of the Knife across it, a determined expression on his face. When the giant came at him again, Vincent threw the Knife. And with the help of Vincent’s magic, its aim hit true.
The giant gasped as the Knife pierced his heart, and he toppled over with a snarl on his lips even as the life left his eyes.
Dorothy shot spell after spell at them, chanting under her breath and conjuring vines and ropes in an attempt to bind their limbs. But any time she managed to ensnare them, they quickly broke free.
I rushed to Will’s side when a giant made it past his defenses, charging for him. Pulling Excalibur free, I made it just in time to block an enormous club from knocking into Will.
Excalibur sang as it cut through the wood, slicing it in half with ease. The giant stared at his worthless weapon, and with a scream of fury, he dropped it and lunged forward with his hands.
My beast paced at the back of my mind, the death in the room making it antsy with bloodlust.
Set me free , it snarled when the towering being landed a punch to my stomach.
I choked, and a pained pressure lingered in my stomach as I bent forward. When he moved to attack again, Will lunged before me, magic curling all the way down his arms and gathering at his fingers. His eyes glowed an unnatural blue, and that pretty mouth twisted in a furious snarl. His hair floated up around him, and his clothes sparked with little currents of electricity.
When his fist collided with Will’s chest, the giant stilled. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his mouth parted in an endless, silent scream as Will electrocuted him.
After several moments, Will released him from his magical hold, and the gargantuan body collapsed in a heap.
Will’s power retreated, and when he blinked down at the giant, a horrified look crossed his eyes for a moment. But the giant’s chest slowly moved, proving he still lived.
Another had his back to me as he fought against Otto, and while he was distracted, I took a running leap with my sword raised. My blade pierced straight through the giant’s back as I brought Excalibur down, and he stumbled, reaching for me with dirty fingers.
He stopped moving, and I only had a moment to brace myself before he toppled to the ground with me in tow.
Otto was breathing heavily, his wide, fearful eyes locking onto mine. “Thanks.”
I nodded, but when I moved to stand, Otto cried out in warning. I tried to turn, but I was too late.
A club smacked into my side, and then I was soaring through the air.
I heard Will shout my name, but there wasn’t anything he could do for me as I slammed into the stone wall of the cavern.
I stared with unfocused eyes as my head throbbed . Distantly, I registered the blurry form stomping toward me, but it was all I could do to keep my eyes open.
I was picked up by my shirt until I was face-to-face with the giant who’d launched me with his club. He grinned, chuckling slightly as he opened his jaws as if preparing to eat me, and I was hit with the most foul-smelling stench as his breath wafted over me.
But before he could take a bite, a mighty roar bellowed through the cavern. In the next moment, a massive creature knocked into the giant holding me, forcing him to let go.
Tumbling to the floor, I landed with an oomph as all the air was knocked out of my already sore chest.
And when I turned to see what had just saved my life, I stilled, finding a giant cat tearing into the screaming giant.
Blood splattered its fur, adding a splash of color to its black and white coat. Its long ears twitched as it ripped out the giant’s throat, silencing him.
But there, around its neck, was a familiar, leather Halter.
The Cath Palug. One of these crazy fools had set the Cath Palug loose!
Wait, not crazy. What had Dorothy said? Mentally unwell?
Once finished with its prey, the Cath Palug twisted around in search of its next victim.
Dorothy was fending off a giant in a long tunic, soiled with dirt and excrement. He kept swiping at her with his long meaty fists, but Dorothy managed to avoid him. She was bleeding from her temple, and she shot little sparks of flame at the giant in a weak attempt to keep him at bay.
But then the Cath Palug was there, its long claws sinking deep into the giant’s side as it knocked him over.
There was a cry of victory as the giant thudded to the cavern floor. Then a figure appeared atop the Cath’s back, coming from seemingly nowhere and crowing down at the goliath, asking if he “wanted another helping of whoop-ass?”
And I realized the Cath Palug wasn’t free like I’d thought.
For holding onto the Halter was Nana Joanne.
She tossed my Mantle at me with dramatic flair, and I snatched the bloodied article of clothing with surprise.
When she winked at me while the Cath Palug wrenched the giant apart with tooth and claw, I gaped.
Gerry whooped with glee as the Cath Palug tore through the remaining adversaries, including the one Will had electrocuted, staining the walls with blood.
The rest of us crowded together near the entrance to the cavern, watching in awed horror.
Vincent hugged Otto to his chest, swiping blood off his son’s lip where it had split. Dorothy brushed a comforting hand down Otto and Will’s arms, but her eyes were on the carnage taking place before us.
Will’s eyes were wet with unshed tears as the Cath Palug finished off the last giant.
When it prowled closer to us, snarling with a bloodied mouth, I fought the urge to back up.
Nana Joanne grinned from her perch, looking mighty proud of herself.
“You’re welcome,” she said, patting the beast’s head, and it purred.
Unbelievable. This family kept trying to domesticate the creatures normal people knew to stay clear of.
“And you told me not to move,” she tutted at me.
“You were injured,” I pointed out, jutting my chin toward her leg.
“Injured. Not useless.”
“Touché,” I said, looking to Will to make sure I’d used the word correctly, and he nodded with a small smile.
Weaving through the massacre, Will approached the Cauldron. He grimaced when he looked inside. “There are chunks of meat in it.”
“I dare you to try it,” Otto taunted.
“There’s nothing in this world you could offer to make me eat that meat.”
“Eat that meat!” Gerry crowed, orange eyes flashing with excitement. “Eat that meat!”
Before Will could stop them, Otto and his dad joined in, chanting along with Gerry.
Will flipped them off. “You guys are disgusting.” Ignoring the others, Will pulled out The Thirteen Treasure of Britain and closed his eyes, whispering arcane words. The Cauldron faded from view, and with a flash of light, it transferred to the page.
He returned to our sides after, and when Vincent and I offered our Treasures, he shook his head. “I really need a nap.”