canyon, landing more gracefully than Aliana would’ve thought possible on such rocky terrain.
Galahad leaned into her, swinging his leg back and dismounting oh so perfectly before holding his hands out for Aliana.
“Umm, shouldn’t you go see if the area is clear or something?” She tried to sound casual, but really she didn’t want him to laugh at her while she attempted to get off Belle.
“I scouted from the air. We are perfectly alone here,” he assured her. Aliana stalled, trying to think of some other way to distract him, but he grew impatient. “We need to hurry. The sooner we awaken the king, the sooner we can get back to the Lady of the Lake and fulfill the prophecy.”
Aliana waved him off. “Lecture, lecture, that’s all you do.”
Galahad’s jaw tightened as he continued to stare at her.
“Fine,” she huffed. Leaning back, she carefully slid her leg over Belle, making a point to ignore Galahad, but he had other ideas. Like earlier, he grabbed Aliana about the waist, lowering her to the ground, tucking her close to his body the whole way.
Blushing, she glanced down and stepped away, bumping into Belle. The Pegasus tilted her head as if to say “excuse you.”
“Thanks for bringing us here, Belle.” Aliana ran her hands over her soft feathers before petting her neck.
Galahad placed a warm hand on the small of Aliana’s back, ushering her forward. With a final bray, Belle trotted away and leaped back into the night sky.
“We must be careful through here,” Dagg warned, circling Aliana. “The magic guarding this pass is stronger than any I have felt in a very long time.”
“Perhaps Queen Titania added another layer of protection after I was captured. Guarding this pass was one of our duties.”
Aliana looked at Galahad, confused. “Our? I thought you were the only one here with Arthur.”
For a moment his face went blank, his eyes lost focus, and for a brief second, Aliana saw great sorrow in those eyes. “No.”
Aliana’s stomach dropped at the despair and pain in that one word. Something terrible must have happened to hurt him so badly.
“Stay close,” he told her, his face still blank. He led the way with Dagg flying at Aliana’s side. Something didn’t feel right about this place. It was like she could feel the cold fingers of danger trying to worm their way inside of her.
“Stay close to me,” Galahad reminded her again.
Her knight was several feet ahead of her already and Dagg was quickly catching up to him. She kept a careful eye on the jagged pieces of rock beneath her, afraid they might shift or that she might slip and break her ankle. That would just suck. Looking up, she saw that Galahad was even farther away than before, but he didn’t seem to notice. She took another step forward, slipping and knocking into the stone wall with a painful gasp. “Son of a monkey!”
“Lady Aliana, are you all right?” Galahad glanced back, and his eyes widened as if just now realizing how far apart they were.
Something banged against the cliff wall, rolling down the ledge. Aliana watched, terrified, as a boulder the size of a yoga ball crashed directly in front of Galahad and Dagg.
“Run, my lady!” Galahad yelled as two more boulders came crashing down. He was forced to jump back to keep from getting crushed. Aliana cried out as another huge rock shattered behind her, sending shards flying like shrapnel. She threw her arms over her head, frozen with fear.
7
She is going to get killed! The magic barring my path to her is too strong. I will never be able to penetrate it. Only four beings in Avalon have enough power to create this kind of barrier. If any of them have set against us, we are doomed. Curse this magic! She is my charge.
I have to protect her!
~Daggerhorne
“M OVE , A LIANA! ” D AGG O RDERED as boulders, large and small, continued to fall, blocking a very pissed off Galahad from coming to her aid. Recovering from her shock, Aliana took several running
Galahad leaned into her, swinging his leg back and dismounting oh so perfectly before holding his hands out for Aliana.
“Umm, shouldn’t you go see if the area is clear or something?” She tried to sound casual, but really she didn’t want him to laugh at her while she attempted to get off Belle.
“I scouted from the air. We are perfectly alone here,” he assured her. Aliana stalled, trying to think of some other way to distract him, but he grew impatient. “We need to hurry. The sooner we awaken the king, the sooner we can get back to the Lady of the Lake and fulfill the prophecy.”
Aliana waved him off. “Lecture, lecture, that’s all you do.”
Galahad’s jaw tightened as he continued to stare at her.
“Fine,” she huffed. Leaning back, she carefully slid her leg over Belle, making a point to ignore Galahad, but he had other ideas. Like earlier, he grabbed Aliana about the waist, lowering her to the ground, tucking her close to his body the whole way.
Blushing, she glanced down and stepped away, bumping into Belle. The Pegasus tilted her head as if to say “excuse you.”
“Thanks for bringing us here, Belle.” Aliana ran her hands over her soft feathers before petting her neck.
Galahad placed a warm hand on the small of Aliana’s back, ushering her forward. With a final bray, Belle trotted away and leaped back into the night sky.
“We must be careful through here,” Dagg warned, circling Aliana. “The magic guarding this pass is stronger than any I have felt in a very long time.”
“Perhaps Queen Titania added another layer of protection after I was captured. Guarding this pass was one of our duties.”
Aliana looked at Galahad, confused. “Our? I thought you were the only one here with Arthur.”
For a moment his face went blank, his eyes lost focus, and for a brief second, Aliana saw great sorrow in those eyes. “No.”
Aliana’s stomach dropped at the despair and pain in that one word. Something terrible must have happened to hurt him so badly.
“Stay close,” he told her, his face still blank. He led the way with Dagg flying at Aliana’s side. Something didn’t feel right about this place. It was like she could feel the cold fingers of danger trying to worm their way inside of her.
“Stay close to me,” Galahad reminded her again.
Her knight was several feet ahead of her already and Dagg was quickly catching up to him. She kept a careful eye on the jagged pieces of rock beneath her, afraid they might shift or that she might slip and break her ankle. That would just suck. Looking up, she saw that Galahad was even farther away than before, but he didn’t seem to notice. She took another step forward, slipping and knocking into the stone wall with a painful gasp. “Son of a monkey!”
“Lady Aliana, are you all right?” Galahad glanced back, and his eyes widened as if just now realizing how far apart they were.
Something banged against the cliff wall, rolling down the ledge. Aliana watched, terrified, as a boulder the size of a yoga ball crashed directly in front of Galahad and Dagg.
“Run, my lady!” Galahad yelled as two more boulders came crashing down. He was forced to jump back to keep from getting crushed. Aliana cried out as another huge rock shattered behind her, sending shards flying like shrapnel. She threw her arms over her head, frozen with fear.
7
She is going to get killed! The magic barring my path to her is too strong. I will never be able to penetrate it. Only four beings in Avalon have enough power to create this kind of barrier. If any of them have set against us, we are doomed. Curse this magic! She is my charge.
I have to protect her!
~Daggerhorne
“M OVE , A LIANA! ” D AGG O RDERED as boulders, large and small, continued to fall, blocking a very pissed off Galahad from coming to her aid. Recovering from her shock, Aliana took several running
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