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Without further ado, Morgause swung into her Elvin saddle, and planted her feet in her stirrups. Thaney swung up onto her own horse, and smiled encouragingly at Molly. Her eyes rested on Excalibur briefly, and then she gave Molly a knowing look.

“May it be,” she whispered, her eyes shining with tears. This was the first time that Molly had ridden into battle with Excalibur. When her father had passed the first time around, she had placed him in the mystical crystal cave on Avalon with Excalibur. She didn’t know why she had Excalibur now, but she had to believe that everything happened for a reason. If she didn’t, she would go insane.

Molly didn’t have time for Thaney’s cryptic remarks. She was surprised to see that her father’s knights, the ones that could ride that is, were mounted, and ready.

“You need not ride into this battle with me, my lord knights,” she said, brushing her eyes over each eager face. They did not have magic on their side; they would be open and vulnerable to any form of mystical attack.

“With our respect, my lady,” Sir Aries said, coming forward on his horse. “We could do no less. You are our leader now, and you require the service of your knights. “

“I cannot be your leader,” she muttered, her ears blazing red. This was way out of her league now. She had never been prepared to follow in her father’s footsteps. She was a warrior witch…not a queen.

“Ah, but you can,” Sir Aristant, Bryn’s husband said, bringing his horse up alongside Aries’s horse. “His Grace named you as his successor, and his word is etched in stone as far as we are concerned. “

All of the other knights roared their agreement, and Molly’s heart flooded with goodwill.

They would be victorious. For they would not allow Broceliande to burn to the ground, they would prevail. It was a haven of goodness, and she would be damned if she let it be destroyed.

“To Broceliande,” she called out, as they all galloped toward the enchanted forest. Collin rode on her right, and she smiled over at him. The wild wind whipped through her hair. With him by her side, she could accomplish anything.

Molly was unprepared for the organized chaos erupting around her once they entered Broceliande. Her Lady Knights were still battling Lord Cardan’s followers, though they seemed to have the upper hand. Adria fought near Prince Branden, and he stabbed a dark rider before it could impale Adria. They were working as a team and they probably hadn’t even been introduced yet. It had stopped raining, and she knew that they needed to summon more rain LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 108

before Broceliande was completely destroyed. Smoke billowed through the air, making breathing difficult…especially since they were physically exerting themselves.

Faeries flew all around them armed with Elvin swords. A bolt of lightning struck down a yew tree, and pinned down one faerie. The faerie struggled to free herself. A vampire noticed her and was just about to sink his teeth into her neck. Molly let out a war cry and tore toward the vampire, as the rest of the Knights charged into the fray of battle.

Before the vampire could bite into the faerie, she summoned a fire bolt and struck him down. He blew up, and his dust fell around the faerie. Molly raised her hand and levitated the yew tree off of the faerie.

“Many thanks, Princess Mary,” she said, smiling at her. It was then that Molly recognized her.

“Lady Brigid,” she whispered, awe dripping into her voice. The faerie standing before her was one of the most respected faeries on Earth, and she was a member of Vivienne’s select Order.

“I won’t make the same mistake twice this night,” Brigid said, winking at Molly. Her colorful wings flared out behind her, and she rose high into the sky. Molly backed up, and nearly collided with Wind Spirit. She swung up onto his back in one swift movement. The trees were grouped tightly together, but they were in a vast clearing of the forest. This is where the Faerie Kingdom had been. Centuries of work had been destroyed. The faeries would either have to rebuild or leave Earth forever. Bitterness and hatred welled inside of her, as she struck down another dark rider.

A group of water faeries had gathered in the sky high above the canopy of the closely knitted trees, though Lady Vivienne was not among them. She watched as her father’s knights impaled the vampires and other dark creatures, and watched their stunned expressions as they found that they could not kill their opponent. Collin was about to be struck down when Molly moved in to help him.

“You must take their heads! Anyone that has not been given an Elvin wrought sword will be unable to kill them just by impaling them!” she called out, using her magic to project the sound of her voice.

She reigned up beside Collin and winked at him. Summoning Anwyn, she tossed it to him, and the sword sang out to him as he caught it.

“I am surprised that Merlin did not arm you with an Elvin blade,” she called over the din of battle. She frowned and bit her lip. If Merlin had been teaching Collin for three years, he’d had plenty of time to outfit him with a new Elvin Blade.

“He said there was not one available for me at the moment. “ His voice was hoarse, and he coughed.

“With Anwyn, it will not matter where you strike the enemy. That is Elvin silver steel, it will vanquish the dark creatures as long as you draw their blood. “ Beaming at him, she turned away and watched as another dark rider came gunning straight at her.

Reacting entirely on reflex, she pulled out Excalibur and its hilt molded to her hand.

Steel clanged against steel and she made short work of the vampire. Perhaps being armed with Excalibur would not be as difficult as she believed. The sword seemed to be taking to her like a duck takes to water. It never allowed anyone else to command it, so she was surprised and delighted to discover that she could.

“We must save the sacred tree of Ceridwen,” a male faerie cried, fluttering his wings, he sped toward the tree. Fire was quickly racing toward it, and she could see the other water faeries LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 109

struggling to douse it with water. Thaney had risen high in the air, along with her mother, and they were conjuring up weather spells, to assist the exhausted faeries.

“My Light Bearers, come to me,” she said, replacing Excalibur in its scabbard. Adria flew over to her side. Molly raised her hands, and flew out of Wind Spirit’s saddle straight toward the sacred oak tree.

“Where is Merlin?” she asked. Looking to the side, she saw Adria trying to regulate her labored breathing.

“Over there,” Adria answered, pointing west toward the horizon.

In truth, Molly should have noticed Merlin before, had she not been so preoccupied. He was battling magnificently against a large figure garbed completely in black robes.

“Lord Cardan,” she spat out. The rest of her Light Bearers had assembled around her.

“What is your command?” Millicent asked, looking extremely fatigued.

“We shall form a protective circle around the tree of Ceridwen. We cannot allow it to burn to the ground. If it does…well, I shudder to think of the consequences. “

“Has Lady Vivienne arrived yet?” Ciara asked, voicing the question that everyone else harbored in their hearts. Ordinarily, the water faeries that were assembled high above them would have been able to bring the water from Lady Vivienne’s large lake, but for some reason they were unable to summon it. Instead, they had resorted to summoning water from the few clouds that still lingered in the dark sky. Things were beginning to look grim for them.

Silently, the nine mystical ladies of Avalon positioned themselves around the tree, forming an impenetrable circle. Their powerful united magic filled the sky with blinding light, giving the impression that it was midday, instead of nearly midnight. The witching hour. If they could hold off until midnight, their powers would intensify tenfold, and they would be able to win the battle.

Flames licked at their invisible circle that extended out from them.

“How long will we be able to keep this up?” Adria murmured, low enough so that no one else would overhear.

“I cannot say. How long has Merlin been battling Lord Cardan?”

“For the entire day. He must be weakening. “ Adria looked worried.

“We shall have faith in him. He shall prevail. “ Molly glanced down at Branden and Collin fighting back to back.

“That princely Elf is one fearsome warrior,” Adria said. Worry lines creased her forehead, and her green eyes were dulled by fatigue. “I feel as if I’ve met him before, but I can’t seem to place him. “

“Mayhap, you’ve met him in your dreams,” Molly murmured. “Speaking of dreams, I have a message to deliver to you. Your mother would like you to know that she loves you…and that she misses you. She also wanted me to tell you that you are not to blame for her death or your father’s. “

Adria’s jaw gaped open. “How do you know this?”

“Queen Celestia came to me in my healing dream. “ Adria’s eyes filled with fright.

“Are you all right now?”

“I’m as right as rain,” she answered. Adria let out a gust of relieved air.

“Your mother also said that you may visit her by way of the dreamscape. She wants you to visit her, if you are willing,” Molly murmured. Adria sighed.

“I’d always wondered…but I never gave into it. “

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“Give into it, Adria. She also wanted you to know that you should follow your heart…that it will take you to your destiny. “

Adria laughed hollowly, and then smiled wistfully at her. “If this is the end of all things, as we know it, I am happy that my last moments shall be fighting at your side. “

Molly nearly choked at Adria’s words. “This is not the end. It’s only the beginning. “

She smiled. With her words, a loud explosion was heard, and the flames grew more violent.

“The fire was started by a legion of goblins that Lord Cardan brought with him,” Adria said, answering Molly’s unasked question. She smiled as she thought of the bond that she and Adria shared.

“I see no goblins,” Molly called, over the sound of the fire burning.

“The faeries attacked them first. I never knew faeries could be so ferocious. I had only thought that elves were trained as warriors. “

“My mother is a faerie, and she’s a warrior, and what do you think I am?”

Adria sighed heavily. “I suppose you are right. But do you not think that the faeries look like avenging angels when in the midst of battle?”

“Aye, they do. “ Molly admitted. Just then, water began poured down in buckets from the conjured clouds. The water faeries and the weather witches had been victorious. The raindrops fell down as if they were tears from heaven. Molly had never been so happy to be drenched in all of her life.

“Light Bearers, disband,” she called out. The blessed water quickly extinguished the flames. It was not yet midnight, and yet fate had smiled down upon them. Fighting down the impulse to have her thoughts drawn back to her father, she flew up to where the water faeries were.

Morgause intercepted her, and began speaking in low tones.

“They are worried about Lady Vivienne; they say that her magic should have come to their defense. They do not know what this means…but I have an idea. “

Molly had to agree with the water faeries. Even she was disturbed by Lady Vivienne’s absence. Her eyes flickered down to the battle below. The vampires and other creatures of the dark were being badly overtaken. They hated water, and were being weakened by it. They would soon have a full victory. But the blow of her father’s death still affected Molly.

“There is Galahad, mayhap, he brings word,” Molly sounded excited, even though her heart was splitting in half.

She flew down toward Galahad, and noticed that the other water faeries were following her.

Galahad seemed saddened; tears gathered in his eyes. This greatly alarmed Molly, because the noble knight was usually the epitome of stoic composure.

“Where is Lady Vivienne?” her voice sounded bereft, and she knew that when he delivered his news, it would not be good.

“She is trapped. The River has turned to ice. Black ice. “ Molly staggered backward, as if Galahad had delivered a fatal blow. Anguished screams filled the air, as one jagged lightning bolt arced across the sky. Everyone was blinded for a moment, including Molly, but when her vision cleared, paralyzing fear invaded her body.

She watched immobilized, as Lord Cardan disappeared in a flash of black light. With blood spattering his white faerie robes, Merlin began to fall. If he hit the ground, the force of his impact would kill him.

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Everyone that could fly rushed to catch him, but they were too late. Merlin had vanished.

He was gone.

“No!” Molly cried out. This could not be. Without Merlin to guide her way, she was doomed.

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An uneasy silence enveloped the forest. The faeries gathered together, singing a mournful lament. Branden sat at the foot of an oak tree, and Collin sprawled out beside him.

Molly stood rooted to one spot beside the sacred tree of Ceridwen. She could not believe what her eyes had seen. She couldn’t have lost them both in one night. She still clutched Excalibur in her hand; it was the only thing giving her comfort. She kept searching the spot where Merlin had disappeared, silently wishing for him to reappear again. She heard footsteps coming up from behind her, and knew instinctively whom it was. She let out a gusty breath of air, and reluctantly placed Excalibur back into the leather scabbard that she had conjured.

Collin pulled her against him, and rested his chin on top of her head. “It isn’t over you know; we have to keep on fighting,” he murmured, sadness carrying into his voice.