Microsoft Word - LadyPendragon (39 page)

“Aye, he is not, I grant you that. But he could easily kill you without a second thought,”

Molly murmured, earning hearty laughs from the entire dragon clan.

“Ah, but did not Puck tell you everything concerning our curse?”

Molly turned to Puck, and he smiled sheepishly at her, and waved. “I may have failed to tell you about a crucial bit. I really should have been more thorough…but even faeries are expected to make mistakes, aren’t they?”

Molly rolled her eyes, and grimly turned back to Redfaeme.

“My kind cannot be killed. Lady Pendragon, you are immortal but not in the sense that we are. We cannot be killed, not even with a death strike to our heart. Our hearts shall never stop beating. So though my heart has been broken for a long time, it will never cease to beat.

This has been my burden for all these years. I will never be at rest. “

Molly tried swallowing past the thick lump lodged in her throat.

She was going to clobber her dear Uncle Merlin the next time she saw him. That is if there was a next time. For either one of them.

“You need not worry. You are not in jeopardy. I have already given you safe passage out of our domain. Tell me, Lady Pendragon, what is your birth name?”

“Mary,” she murmured, as his great dragon jaw twitched.

“My mother’s name was Mary. “ He began pacing across the great arena. “You have still not enlightened me as to why you entered our inner sanctum. What sort of desperate peril are you in? I trust that you require my assistance, as I doubt that Merlin would betray my trust for anything but a dire situation. “

“A great dark wizard known as Lord Cardan is on the loose. He is destroying everything and anything in his path. He will not stop until nothing is left of my world. “ Molly’s voice was flat, though it was filled with agony. “He has already taken Lord Merlin out of commission. And he has destroyed my father. I can’t let him destroy the world of the humans. If I do…all will be lost. “

“Was your father a Pendragon?”

“He is the one that is the true wielder of Excalibur. “

“Then I shall do whatever I can for you. You have the allegiance of Clan Rowan. But you will hand over Lady Thaney to me. “

“I cannot. She is the daughter of my father’s eldest sister. “ She hoped that Redfaeme would think that Thaney was a Pendragon as well. His cunning eyes met Molly’s gaze.

LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 166

“Is she a Pendragon?”

Molly wanted to deceive him, but she knew he would smell her lies.

“No. “ Her voice became flat and stale.

“I see your point. Your loyalty to your family is an honor to behold. But I will take her no matter what you say. “

“Might I have some say in the matter?” Thaney asked, boldly stepping forward.

“Nay, you are a bitch,” Rosemary spat out. “You only deserve the most agonizing of deaths. “

Redfaeme raised one eyebrow, and grinned. He was baring his teeth at them, and a shudder ran through Molly. He could tear Thaney to pieces. In one swift chomp, he could have her between those pearly whites. Collin rested his hand on her shoulder, and she knew that he was probably envisioning the same scenario.

“You may have your say. But I cannot tell you that it will make much difference,”

Redfaeme relented.

He moved toward her, and eyed her greedily. “I could gobble you right up. But then I don’t have a penchant for human flesh, as I was one at one point in time. However, the taste of a woman is not beyond my palette. “

Molly cringed, and noticed that Thaney still stood stoically in front of them. Her white gown, and white fur-lined cloak billowed out around her, as a new gust of wind tore through the arena.

“You did not tell me that she was a witch,” Redfaeme stuttered, backing away slightly.

Rain poured in buckets around them. In a flurry of movement, Thaney rose high up into the air.

“My lady companions are both witches, as am I. “ Molly grinned, and wanted to clap her hands together in reaction to the grand performance that Thaney was displaying.

Molly gasped, as did the others, when Thaney began changing form. She morphed, and shed her human skin as she grew into a large form of a dragon. A pure white dragon.

“I am the White Dragon Lady of Rowan,” she proclaimed. The world fell out from beneath Molly.

This was definitely something she hadn’t expected even in her wildest dreams.

LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 167

“Blimey. That was certainly out of the blue,” Lachlan quipped, voicing Molly’s thoughts aloud. “Saints be, I can honestly say that I don’t particularly like what can happen the second time around. “ For once, Molly could agree wholeheartedly with him.

Shocked gasps rang out through the yawning coliseum. Redfaeme was completely unmoving, and a stunned silence followed the surprised gasps. A chill ran up and down Molly’s back, and she shivered.

Never before in her entire life had she seen such an astonishing sight. Her breath lodged in her throat, and she was momentarily at a complete loss for words. Her own cousin was a dragon shifter.

“I know that witches can shape change, but isn’t this a bit odd for such a young and inexperienced one? It almost seems as if she is a natural dragon shifter…she did that in an effortless manner,” Branden muttered. Puck snorted.

“’Tis her gift, my Prince. “ Puck declared, throwing an impatient glance Branden’s way.

“Why perchance, do you think that Merlin was so keen to take her beneath his guiding wing?”

“Because she is a dragon lady,” Molly muttered, groaning aloud, and wanting desperately to smack her forehead.

“But she doesn’t look like a dragon lady. At least that is, not in human form,” Collin argued, staring with interest up at Thaney.

“Dragon Lady in this time does not hold the connotation that you are thinking of. It simply means that she was born to share both shapes. She can change back and forth at will.

Thus, she does not need to be trained in the way of shape changing or shape shifting. It is an innate gift. I’d suspect that she even used to do it unconsciously when she was a child. It certainly would explain why Morgause seems so protective of her. She must have had to keep one hell of a close eye on her…if Lot had ever discovered Thaney’s gift, there’s no telling what he might have done. “ Molly shuddered.

“What do you suggest we do, Molly?” Adria piped in, standing shoulder to shoulder with Branden.

“I suggest we wait, and see what’s going to happen. If they get really mad, then we quickly hightail it out of here. But this time, we take a magical exit. “

“No enchantment shall work in this environment. It is well protected against any form of sorcery, good or evil. “ Puck’s voice was really beginning to grate on Molly’s nerves. “The only reason Thaney was able to shape change was because she did not need to draw on her magic. It is quite simply a genetic mutation. “

“I beg your pardon?” Adria asked. She was seemingly the only one distracted by such a modern term. Which meant that Branden either traveled through time as Puck was wont to do, or Elves were far more advanced than Molly had ever suspected.

“Now, I truly do need a pint. I have one hell of a headache,” Lachlan muttered. “I don’t even know if my lucky rainbow can get us out of this fix. “

“Count me in as well on that pint,” Collin agreed, earning a reproachful glare from Molly.

LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 168

The silence ended suddenly, when Redfaeme thumped his massive tail. His wings soared out, and he flew into the air.

“It cannot be. “ Voices murmured throughout the clan. “The prophecy has come to fruition. “

“What prophecy?” Molly demanded, turning to Puck. This little faerie trickster had held out on them long enough! “Puck, start talking, before I start giving you a what for! Since we can’t use magic, you and I are on an even playing ground. How do you think you’d fare with a fat lip?”

He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a cheeky grin. “Hold onto your horses, Mary.

All will be revealed in good time. I think I might have left out another part concerning the Rowan Dragon Clan. “

“
Might have?
Puck, I’m this close to giving you a black eye to match the fat lip you’ll have, oh, in about five seconds!” Molly drawled out. She had just about enough of him. Soon, she’d give into temptation and throttle the life out of him.

“Well, since you asked me so nicely. I’m thinking that manners aren’t exactly your strong suit. Your father’s guiding hand sort of made you a bit uncouth,” he said, giving her an endearing smile.

“
Uncouth?
Puck, that thin ice you are treading on has a hairline fracture in it. Soon, you’ll plummet right through it!”

Puck gave her a great sigh, and rolled his eyes heavenward. “The White Dragon Lady of Rowan is said to be the key to unlocking the curse. But the prophecy fails to say how she is to be the key. These seers sometimes get it all muddled, when they fall into their fits,” Puck explained, tapping his temple. “Sometimes, they go right batty with all of their knowledge. “ He bugged his eyes out.

“You shall have my clan’s assistance, Lady Pendragon,” Redfaeme rumbled. “Though there is a price to this agreement. “

“Name it,” Molly called out, acting before she thought through what he had said.

“You shall give me the White Dragon Lady, as my mate. “ Molly snorted, and held out Excalibur in an offensive stance. She was just about to voice what she thought about his damnable price, when Thaney spoke, breaking the eerie silence.

“I accept your price. “

“What did she say?” Collin whispered, dread tingeing his tone.

“Thaney, you cannot do this,” Molly argued, boldly stepping forward.

“Aye. I can, and I must. This is where my destiny will be fulfilled. “

“You can’t marry this…this beast. “ Molly stared up at Redfaeme with an expression of abhorrence on her face.

“I am not a beast. “ Redfaeme’s voice was cold and filled with danger. “My clan and I were once as human as you are. We were creatures of beauty. Not faerie, elf or human but something equally enchanting. We were the last of a pureblooded ancient race. Even the Pendragon blood that runs through your veins is not the same as the blood that ran through ours.

We will be returned to our human forms, and if I must mate with this half-creature to do so, then I will. “

“How selfless of you. Lord Redfaeme, you really are one hell of a piece of work,” Molly quipped while wishing that Thaney would transform back into her human form.

LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 169

“We shall have the public mating ritual, and then when it is done, we shall accompany you back to your kingdom,” Redfaeme murmured, his dark eyes glinting with what could only be described as insatiable lust.

Molly couldn’t quite digest what Redfaeme was saying. Her stomach began to churn.

Mating ritual? She couldn’t let Thaney get it on with that…. The thought was almost too much to take.

“My lord, I must protest,” Rosemary said, flapping her giant wings as she flew down to the arena.

“Your protestation has been heard but it has little effect. For the good of the clan, I must do this. “

Molly’s mind raced. She had to come up with some sort of compromise soon…before Thaney sacrificed herself to the fire-breathing dragon that stood in front of her.

“But my lord, she is our enemy. If you mate with her, you will bring ruination upon us all. As our enemy, she only deserves one fate!” Rosemary cried, staring up at Thaney with malice glinting in her eyes.

“She cannot be our enemy. Her outer appearance has no bearing on the flame that burns inside of her. We cannot judge her so quickly. I must have been mistaken in thinking she was Lady Thistle…this is not the first time that I have erred. But rest assured that I should take care to remain wary of her. If she is indeed Thistle, then I shall be ready for her betrayal. “

“Public mating ritual?” Collin whispered. “He must be stark raving mad. “

“Don’t ask,” Molly hissed. “I shudder to imagine it. “

“Don’t be so prudish,” Puck said. “They don’t actually have to do the deed, they only….

“

“Puck!” Molly said before he could finish his sentence. “
Look!”
She pointed toward Rosemary.

Everyone inhaled sharply at the graphic sight that unfolded before their eyes.

Rosemary was gunning for Thaney, and she had blown a huge fireball at her. The fire engulfed Thaney, and Molly could only scream out, and sink to her knees. She was utterly powerless. Her magic could not assist her to save her cousin from a fate too horrible for words.

She leaned on Excalibur, and kept her eyes riveted on the ground.

“Molly,” Collin murmured, patting her on the shoulder.

“I don’t want to look,” she said, her stomach churning. If she wasn’t careful she was going to throw up all over the place.

“You must,” Collin urged, trying to coax her to her feet. She leaned on his arm and allowed him to ease her to her feet. With growing trepidation she roved her eyes over the landscape to land on a pile of ashes.

“My God!” she cried, feeling her heart stop for the briefest of seconds. “Where is that bloody bitch, Rosemary? So I can’t use my magic, but I have Excalibur and I’ve slain many dragons before, without the assistance of magic!” Raising Excalibur, high in the air, she watched as the sunlight arced off its shiny blade. She had distanced herself from Thaney in the last three years, but she could still remember Thaney from her childhood. There had been many times when they had crossed paths for political reasons. Thaney had been a sweet natured quiet child and she had not deserved this horrible ending. Thaney would be avenged!

“She’s not there,” Collin murmured. “It was the most fantastical sight that I have ever beheld. She rose from the ashes as if she were a phoenix. “