Excalibur Rises: Prequel Read online

  She stepped forward, so close that her skin tingled from the heat she felt radiating off him, and she looked up at him, resting her hands on his broad chest. “Are you in trouble?”

  He murmured, “I’m always in trouble.”

  Swiftly, before she knew what was happening, he leaned in, pulled her close, and kissed her. A wave of desire rippled through her. The kiss was long and deep and she leaned in further, responding to his touch. She could feel his hands on her back and then one hand in her hair, pulling her closer still. When he released her, she was breathless.

  “And now, for your present.” He held out the box to her. “I hope you like it.”

  “Giolladhe, you…”

  He rolled his eyes. “Just open it.”

  The box was small and plain, but when she opened it, she was speechless. She looked up at him, only to find him watching her intensely.

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it.” She felt her voice shake. Inside was a pendant made of silver and rose gold, woven into a complicated design that was an oval shape at the top, tapering to a point at its base, like an upside-down tear drop. Nestled in the top was large green stone with fleck of red. She pulled it from the box and held it by the chain under the light, where it swung gently. “It’s stunning. What is the stone?”

  “Dragon’s blood jasper.”

  Her hand visibly shook. “What!”

  He laughed. “Rare, I know.”

  “Are you insane? You cannot possibly give me this!” This was probably one of the rarest and most expensive gemstones that could be found in the four realms.

  “I’m not insane. What can I say, other than I want to do this. Call it fate, destiny, what have you. But you won’t talk me out of it. It’s yours now. He took it from her hand, and stepping behind her before she could protest, positioned it around her neck, clasping it into place. He turned her round so he could see her, his hands warm and strong upon her shoulders. “See. It’s beautiful. Just like you.”

  She gazed down at the jewel and felt a heat under her throat, and something else. A sense of unease. She looked up, holding his gaze. He was dangerous, she knew that, and untrustworthy. But he was charismatic, too.

  “Stay with me, Vivian. For just a few hours.” And then his lips were upon hers again, and all thoughts of past and future disappeared.

  Vivian sat next to Merlin on the soft sand at the edge of the lake. It was dark, and above them stars pricked the sky. She had lit a fire, and its bright flames crackled and sparked, small embers drifting like fireflies on the breeze. She had arranged to meet Merlin here, because she wanted privacy. The sanctuary lay behind them, and the yellow glow of the windows were a beacon in the dark.

  Merlin gazed at the sword which lay between them, its scabbard lying next to it. He picked it up, the firelight playing along its length, and once again Vivian marvelled at its beauty, her feelings tempered by a sadness she couldn’t express.

  Merlin’s words shook her from her reverie. “Vivian, you have outdone yourself. Or rather, he has.” He gazed at the sword speculatively. “Drawing it from a stone will be good, but I think we need something more.”

  “I will bring it to you, from beneath the lake. You will take it from me while the mists are heavy—you will see only my hand and the sword emerging from the waters. Make sure you have witnesses. This is to be the start of a legend, Merlin.” She could scarcely believe she had said it, but she wanted to do what she had discussed with Giolladhe so badly, for many reasons.

  Merlin looked at her silently for a moment. “That’s quite brilliant—I love it. Mysterious, magical, dramatic. How did you think of that?”

  She shrugged. “It was an idea I discussed with Giolladhe.”

  “And has the sword a name?”

  “Not yet. It is yours to give.”

  Merlin ran the flat of his free hand down the blade. “He said it will cut through anything?”

  “Anything and everything—the metals he used are so strong, and the magic so powerful. Nothing shall resist its blade.”

  Merlin nodded. “I will call it Excalibur.”

  Vivian looked puzzled. “What does that mean?”

  “Roughly speaking, in the common language of Britain, it means ‘to cleave through all.’” He smiled. “Its very name shall inspire fear and awe.”

  Vivian smiled, too. “Then the legend is indeed already beginning. I wish you luck, Merlin.”

  “Well worth the cost!” he declared. “Did he ask for more than we had?”

  Vivian hesitated, considering the personal cost she felt the entire encounter had placed upon her. She was unsure whether she had been played by a master seducer, or had been a willing participant keen to ignore all her doubts. He had drawn her into his secrets from the start. Why had he given her such a valuable necklace? He knew she would bring it to Avalon—a place where no one would find it. No. She knew exactly what she was doing that day—she was willingly seduced.

  All this passed through her mind in a flash, and she shook her head. “No, Merlin, he asked for nothing more. But I have a request of you.”

  He looked up, surprised. “You do?”

  She had been thinking of this ever since she had returned from Dragon’s Hollow. “When Arthur is near death, he is to be brought here.”

  He looked stunned. “Brought here! Why?”

  “The sword was made here, and it should return here, with him. A man who will become such a legend cannot just die, Merlin. We will place him to rest here, until he is needed again.”

  “You jest, surely. What can he possibly be needed for?”

  “Use it in the legend you weave. Say that he will return in Britain’s time of greatest need, to save them once more. But instead he will awake here, for when we need him.”

  “And how will he get here?”

  “You can summon us, using Excalibur. Ensure it is cast into the lake when Arthur is mortally wounded, and I and the other priestesses will bring him here.”

  Merlin looked aghast. “And why will you wake him? Does he not deserve to die with honour?”

  “He will die with honour - of a sort.” Vivian was surprised. Merlin was more upset at this suggestion than she expected.

  “Why?” he repeated.

  She sighed and gazed back into the fire. How could she explain the feeling she had? She wasn’t sure if it had come from her experience with Giolladhe or something else, but it had to happen. She looked at him again, resolute. “Because I say so.”

  Several expressions crossed Merlin’s face. Annoyance, fear, and finally sorrow. “How will he awake?”

  “When the time is right, I will arrange it.”

  “In that case, I insist that one of his kin must wake him.”

  “Why? What difference does that make?”

  ”Vivian! I insist. If he must awake here, he must not be alone. One of his kin must wake him.”

  “You are a sentimental old fool. He will not be alone!”

  “If you deny this request, I deny you him!”

  “And I keep the sword.”

  Merlin’s face had aged suddenly in the last few seconds, and he softened. “Please, he is like my son.”

  She hesitated and then nodded, sadness once again rising like a tide. She did not want to fight with Merlin. “Then his descendants will be marked, and I shall follow them all.”

  She reached into a bag at her side and pulled out herbs and a small cauldron. “Help me weave the spell Merlin. I promise I will keep him safe.”

  “And you will protect his kin too?”

  She closed her eyes for a brief moment. What was she committing herself to? She looked back into Merlin’s bright eyes and found she couldn’t deny him. “Yes. Whoever it will be.”

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading this short story. Vivian is one of my favourite characters, and I thought it would be fun to write my own take on the start of a legend.

  This is a prequel to my series Tom’s Arthu
rian Legacy. If you’d like to read more, you can download the first book called Tom’s Inheritance for FREE here. This is what it’s about.

  King Arthur, the Once and Future King, is destined to return, and Tom is destined to wake him.

  Tom thinks he’s just an ordinary teen, but then his grandfather disappears and things become weird. When he’s summoned to the Other by Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, he finds he has links to a past that he thought was myth. He has to wake King Arthur from his long sleep on Avalon.

  Caught between wanting to find his grandfather and wanting to wake King Arthur, he grows increasingly frustrated. With time stacked against him, he heads to Avalon, but the journey is harder and more dangerous than he expected.

  Will Tom have the strength to find Arthur and negotiate the dangers of the Other? One thing is certain. His life will never be the same again.

  Other books in the series are Twice Born and Galatine’s Curse.

  You can get a free short story called Jack’s Encounter, describing how Jack met Fahey – a longer version of the prologue in Tom’s Inheritance – by subscribing to my newsletter. By staying on my mailing list you’ll receive free excerpts of my new books, as well as short stories and news of giveaways, and have the chance to join my launch team. I’ll also be sharing information about other books in this genre you might enjoy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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