Avalon Page 3

  "Blind faith is a treacherous path," Clara said as Lila walked by her cell.

  "Shut up, you old hag," Lila snarled and shot a bolt of Magic from her fingers at the Soothsayer.

  I waited until the outside door clanked shut before I spoke. "Are you alright?" I asked Clara.

  "I'm perfectly fine. She didn't hit me, and it's not me she's mad at anyway," she replied. Shuffling back to her bed, she sat down on its edge.

  "Do you think I was too hard on her?"

  "Maybe, but she needed to hear it. The love she has for her father is one-sided and the sooner she learns it the better."

  "I know. I never understood how she could love him so blindly when he tossed her around like a dirty dish rag."

  "Her father is all she has left in this world. In some way, she suffers from the same sort of loneliness that Violet does," Clara explained.

  "Violet?" I asked, furrowing my brow. How could Violet possibly have anything in common with Lila?

  "Yes. While Lila's heartbreak sits on the surface like an exposed nerve, Violet's runs deep like ocean waters. It gives her strength, but she must be careful not to lose herself to that loneliness."

  "I had no idea." I looked down, ashamed. I knew she struggled with her parent's deaths, especially after Bethany told her the truth, but I hadn't realized how much it still affected her on a daily basis.

  "She does a good job of hiding it, but if she is to fulfill her destiny she will have to face those demons head-on." Her brow raised as she leveled her gaze at me. "And she'll need you by her side whether she wants you there or not."

  "That's if I ever get out of here," I said, closing my eyes as I let my head fall forward against the bars.

  "Tread lightly with Miss Partridge and you might taste freedom sooner than you think," Clara noted.

  "You think I got through to her, then?" My eyes popped open and I eagerly awaited the Soothsayer's response.

  Her eyes danced back and forth as she ruminated on my words. "Soon she'll have to choose between her heart and her soul."

  "What does that mean?"

  "You'll find out soon enough." Clara cooed and turned away from me.

  I let out a heavy sigh and moved away from the bars. Soothsayers had their own language sometimes and it never did any good to dwell on their words.

  Sitting down on my mattress, I bit my lip and tried to piece everything together. I started by running down a mental list of the things I did know, beginning with the most pertinent. Aiden wanted Violet dead so she couldn't wake The Lady. Morgana would be brought back from the dead and supposedly there would be no stopping that. But how was she going to come back? And what was with all the ritualistic killings?

  Of course we knew why Aiden was searching for the tokens. If he could get to them before we did there would be no way of waking The Lady. He was a smart man to hedge his bets in case Violet did survive the multiple attacks on her life.

  I stood and began to pace the small cell. So where did all of this get me? Ritualistic killings, Morgana, the tokens, I chanted over and over in my head. As my feet shuffled back and forth on the concrete, I remembered something I'd told Violet: for every life saved, someone must die.

  My stomach felt hollow and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I was onto something. The deaths had to be linked in some way to Morgana, but how?

  The outer door slammed closed and I froze mid-thought. Footsteps slowly came down the stairs.

  "Ding, ding, ding," Ian's voice echoed down the hall. "Breakfast time." He stopped in front of my cell holding a tray of food. "I don't normally deliver meals to prisoners, but I thought I'd make an exception for you." He slid the bars open without deactivating the Magical barrier and stepped inside.

  I moved across the small space without a word to grab the tray from him.

  "Oops," Ian said. He smirked as he let the tray fall to the floor with a loud clang. A gooey substance, which I could only assume had been some sort of warm oats, splattered against my shoes and slowly spread across the floor like molasses. A bottle of water bounced once and then rolled over the smooth concrete, coming to a rest as it hit the bars to my right.

  "I guess I should have seen that coming," I said with a sigh as I looked at the mess on the floor.

  "Tell me what you said to Lila and I'll have one of the guards get you a fresh bowl."

  "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied and bent to pick up the water bottle. I knew I had gotten into her head, but I didn't think I'd have confirmation so quickly.

  He kicked me square in the stomach and I rolled onto my back, dropping the bottle.

  I sucked air through my teeth as pain shot through my body. I was still reeling from the injuries I'd received yesterday and without the ability to heal myself I knew the bruising and stiff muscles would only get worse.

  "No?" Ian sneered. "Well, that's alright." He kicked me again. "This is much more fun than chitchat." He lifted his leg again. Before he could land another blow, I reached out and grabbed his foot, spun on my knees and elbowed him in the groin.

  Ian stumbled backward, holding himself. "Son of a bitch," he cursed.

  Pushing myself to my feet, I leaned against the wall for support. "Why don't you just kill me? We both know you want to," I said.

  "Believe me, I would like nothing more." Ian panted, sucking down his pain as he stood across the cell from me with a wicked smile pulling at his lips.

  An invisible force gripped me by the throat and lifted me off of my feet. Ian walked toward me, his hand raised as if he was holding my neck.

  "How can you-" I struggled to get words past the invisible hand crushing my throat.

  "How can I use Magic when you can't?" His chest perked up like a bird strutting his feathers, "I'm immune to the tricks of your cage, Healer. Now tell me what you said to Lila or so help me I will snap your neck in two."

  I searched his empty eyes as I struggled to breathe. He meant it. He would kill me here and now regardless of Aiden's wishes. It was time to play nice.

  "Alright, I'll tell you," I choked out.

  Ian's head twisted to the side as if he was weighing his options. Then he released me.

  I coughed, rubbing my neck as I said, "I guess I still have some pull over Lila after all."

  "Who do you think you are, playing with her head?" Ian scolded.

  "Me?" I said, incredulous. "Aiden is the one lying to her. She thinks he's trying to save the Magical world by stopping Violet from waking The Lady."

  Ian smiled and massaged the stubble on his cheeks. "She is easily swayed, isn't she? So desperate to please her father."

  My breath started to return and I was able to inspect Ian's expression. "Does that mean you know what Aiden's really up to?" I asked with another light cough.

  "Of course." Ian's eyebrows came together on his forehead and he shrugged dismissively. "I'm his trusted number two."

  "And Lila? What is she?" I clenched my jaw. I may have despised what she'd done to Violet, but no one deserved to be treated like a pawn by their own family.

  "She's a means to an end. If it wasn't for me, he'd have gotten rid of her years ago." He drew his shoulders back and a proud expression adorned his features.

  "Wasn't for you..." I balked. How could he honestly think he was some kind of hero?

  "That's right. I’ve kept Lila safe. Which is more than you've done for Violet," Ian sneered.

  Through gritted teeth I said, "Leave her out of this."

  "Oh did I strike a nerve?" His lower lip protruded in a childish pout as he mocked me.

  My hands balled into fists at my side and I fought to keep control of my temper.

  "If you cared about her safety I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near her when she left the wedding," Ian said with a low chuckle.

  "The wedding?" I asked, confusion replacing my anger.

  "That's right." He took a step towards me. "You still don't know." His eyes darkened and a satisfied grin pulled at the corner of his
lips. "That was my handiwork you healed."

  Without actively telling myself to move, I found my fist flying at his face. He dodged out of the way, but the rage filling my heart propelled me forward. Violet's prone body covered in blood flashed across my eyes. Ian would pay for what he did to her. I swung again, this time connecting with his torso and knocking the air out of him. His shield flew up in front of me just as my knee was about to connect with his nose.

  Laughter escaped his throat as he rose to his full height. Fire burned in my chest. I wanted to kill him. As I watched him laugh, I made a promise to myself right then and there that one day I would be the one to end his life.

  "You're a sick son of a bitch, you know that?" I cursed, my chest heaving with each breath.

  "I've been called worse," Ian said. He shrugged and kept his shield in place. "As much fun as it's been watching you squirm, I want to know what you told Lila and I want to know now."

  "Screw you." I spat at his feet.

  He took a step toward me, his hand raised and ready to strike.

  "Go ahead, kill me," I said. "I'm sure Aiden will be thrilled to hear you disobeyed his orders," I said, taking a huge leap of faith. Ian may have been certifiably crazy but I hoped he wasn't crazy enough to piss off Aiden.

  He hesitated, and I swear if he was an old Saturday morning cartoon smoke would have billowed out of his ears.

  A small stunning orb formed in the palm of his hand and before I could move out of the way it hit me square in the chest. I fell to the ground, my body stiff as it cracked against the concrete. I could only watch as Ian stormed out of my cell and everything went black.

  * * *

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  * * *

  I woke hours later, my body sore from laying on the cold, hard floor. Late afternoon sunlight drifted through the window high above me and a fresh tray of food had been placed on the bed.

  "Finally awake, I see," Clara observed.

  "How long was I out?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck as I stood up.

  The old Soothsayer looked up at her own window, making a rough estimate. "About six hours I'd guess."

  I picked up the bottle of water that had rolled away from me earlier and sat down next to the tray on the bed with a heavy sigh.

  "I told you not to push that one. He's crazier than a cat trapped in a box," Clara noted.

  A short laugh escaped my throat at the image her analogy presented. "I know, but finding out that he was the one who hurt Violet, sent me over the edge," I replied.

  "If you plan on getting out of here alive, you can't let your emotions control you." Clara's voice carried a motherly tone as she shook her head with disapproval.

  "That's easier said than done," I said, cracking the seal on the water bottle and taking a sip.

  "If we are to survive what is to come, you will have to learn to control your emotions and do what is necessary."

  I suddenly got the feeling she wasn't just talking about my anger issues with Ian. I moved to the bars and looked toward Clara's cell. She kept her back to me as she leaned against the bars of her own cell.

  "Things won't be the same as they were when I get back, will they?" I asked hesitantly.

  She turned to look at me. Her gray eyes bore into mine as her lips formed a hard line. "Every day you spend away from The Waker, the harder it will be when you return," she explained.

  I let my forehead rest against the cool bars as her words settled inside me. She was right, of course. Ian and I would have our day, but now was not the time. I needed to focus on getting out of here and getting back to Violet.

  "Alright, I'll get myself in check." With my eyes once more locked on hers, I gave Clara a solemn nod.

  She smiled and turned away again.

  My stomach gave a loud growl as I took another sip of water. I sat back down next to the tray and took a bite of the pasty. The flaky crust made a mess and the contents were lukewarm, but my stomach happily accepted the beef filling.

  The pasty wasn't much, but the water helped fill my stomach a bit. I was thankful they chose to feed me. If they were planning to kill me, there'd be no reason to waste food and drink.

  Stretching out on my cot I watched as shadows moved across the walls with the setting sun. As darkness crept in, I thought about my plan to escape and hated that it all hinged on Lila. But if there was another way out of this, I couldn't see it. She was my best chance, and Clara was right. I needed to play my cards right and stop ruffling Ian's feathers. Working him into a blind frenzy wasn't going to help me at all and I didn't want to give Lila any ammunition to turn on me.

  Day 3

  I woke with a feeling of unease in the pit of my stomach. The hair on the back of my neck prickled unnaturally and I dreaded what the day would bring. Sitting up, I brushed the sleep from my eyes and saw Lila standing motionless outside my cage.

  I groaned. She had on her wide-eyed innocent look I knew all too well. "Some men might be flattered by the wakeup call, but you know how I feel about talking before coffee."

  "That's why I brought you this." She wiggled a thermos as she unlocked the gate. "Come on." She coaxed me with a wave of her hand. "Let's go for a walk."

  I hesitated, not quite sure what she was up to. Glancing in the direction of Clara, she made one slow, barely perceptible nod. I stood as calmly as I could, the bruises screaming all over my body as my muscles stretched. I felt rigid from head to toe in a way I'd never experienced before. This must have been what it felt like to heal naturally. How awful, I thought.

  "And where might we be going?" I asked, twisting the lid off the thermos. I sniffed the coffee before taking a hesitant sip.

  "I'm not trying to poison you, if that's what you're wondering," Lila noted.

  A chuckle escaped my throat, "If you wanted to kill me, I'm sure it wouldn't be by poison." Walking through the threshold, I immediately felt my Magic rush to the surface and begin to heal the injuries all over my body. Including a dull headache that had formed behind my eyes while I'd slept. I let out an audible sigh. Not only did I feel like I was in peak physical shape again, but it was an enormous relief to have my Magic back.

  "You look better," Lila said, motioning for me to follow her.

  "I honestly don't know how people carry on without Magic."

  "It's just like anything else." She looked over her shoulder at me. "You don't know what you're missing until it's gone."

  "Is that your way of saying you miss me?" I asked, suppressing the urge to kill her right then and there. After everything she'd put Violet through, it was hard to grin and bear it, but I knew she was my best chance of getting out of here.

  "Don't flatter yourself." She glared at me sideways and laughed.

  As I followed her up the stairs and she opened the door, briny, fresh air brushed against my face. For the first time since we'd arrived, I took a deep breath of the crisp, clean air. The icy breeze chilled my exposed skin and the sky was still dark and gloomy, but I welcomed the change in scenery. It was unseasonably cold for August, which meant we must have been further north of the equator than Pismo. I scanned the area for some indication of where I was but still found nothing in eyesight that could give me any clue as to where in the world I might be.

  "Alright, out with it. You clearly have something on your mind," I said as Lila locked the double doors behind us.

  "Not here," she whispered, glancing from side to side and then moving toward the tree line.

  I followed after her, curious over what could be so secretive. Maybe I did get into her head and she wasn't completely a lost cause after all. She reached the edge of the tree line before I did and disappeared.

  "Lila," I yelled after her, but there was no answer.

  My flight instinct kicked in as I stepped over a fallen tree and into the forest. The canopy of leaves above me blocked out most of the sky and I searched all around, ready to make a run for it. I saw no one, Lila had disappeared, and this could be my only chance to escape. The only p
roblem was, I didn't know where I was and had no way of knowing who might help me and who would send me right back to my cell.

  Pushing on through the trees, I decided it was best to find out what Lila wanted and put my escape on the back burner until I knew more about where I was. I climbed over large rocks and fallen branches and made my way toward the sound of waves crashing against the shore. I did my best to stay casual, taking another sip of coffee and letting the hot liquid warm me from the inside out.

  The trees became thinner the more I walked and light started breaking through the leaves above. When I reached the edge of the forest, a small beach appeared. My shoes sunk into the sand and made a squishing sound as I moved toward the water. There Lila stood, her golden hair blowing wildly in the wind.

  Several small islands sprung out of the water in the distance. They appeared to be uninhabited. Trees and rocks covered every surface I could see. A pang of hopelessness stung at my heart and I knew we were all alone out here.

  "So where are we exactly?" I asked, sidling up to Lila.

  "Avalon," she said and smiled.

  "Is that right?" I looked out at the water.

  Avalon was the mystical island where King Arthur went to recover from the wounds Mordred inflicted on him during his final battle. It was said that once Arthur returned to his full strength, he would return to the throne and command all of England once again.

  "At least that's what my father calls it. Officially it's just an island off the coast of Scotland no one cares about," Lila added.

  "Scotland, huh?" If I could get to the mainland, escape would be easy. I had plenty of connections in the UK.

  "Yep. It's not my favorite place, but it is undeniably beautiful."

  I furrowed my brow, wondering how she was able to orb us here from the Pier as I studied her. In school, Lila had been gifted with spells and potions but physical Magic was never her strong suit. "When did you learn how to orb?" I asked.

  "I didn't." She shrugged and kept her eyes on the stormy gray water. She didn't elaborate. We may have shared everything at one point in time, but now we were both holding our cards close to the chest.