Sword of Darkness Read online

  Seren was stunned as the very air around them shimmered from his powers. Even her hair stood on end as what appeared to be lightning shot from Kerrigan's fingertips to the gargoyles who were battering his invisible shield.

  The tree splintered into tiny pieces that rained through the air. The gargoyles went hurtling toward the ground. Kerrigan started to laugh, until he stumbled again. The lightning shot back into his body as he braced his hand against the stone sill.

  His face was even paler than before. His hands were shaking as he grimaced and turned to press his spine against the stone wall. He leaned his head back and laughed shakily. "That was a most idiotic expenditure of my powers, but it was worth it." His dark eyes were gleaming as he gave her a crooked smile. "Did you see them fall?"

  She shook her head at him. There was something about him that reminded her of a little boy who'd been punished for doing something he knew not to, and yet was proud of what he'd done. "It was quite lovely the way they hurtled through the air. And did it gain you anything?"

  "Nothing but satisfaction, and there is much to be said for that."

  She rolled her eyes. "Are you all right?"

  He drew a deep breath before he pushed himself away from the wall. "I'm not fallen or defeated yet."

  "Good. I hope you can continue to say that."

  He squeezed her hand and then stiffened as if he'd realized what he'd done and it somehow embarrassed him. He let go immediately.

  He glanced back out the window. "Pity I don't want to expend more energy. I'm sure I could take down a mandrake or two while I'm at it."

  She patted him on the shoulder as she would Robert in the shop whenever he was particularly proud of some accomplishment. "And I'm equally sure that they are grateful you don't."

  He rubbed his hand over his chest. "Remind me not to do that again, by the way."

  "Does it hurt?"

  "Only when I move…or breathe."

  "Then I would say not to breathe, but that could have consequences most dire."

  "No doubt. Now if you'll excuse me, I should like to go lie down for a bit."

  Seren was rather surprised by his words. "You would admit that to me?"

  Again he gave her that almost charming lopsided grin. "'Tis less damaging to my ego than passing out and less dangerous as well."

  "Then come," she said, reaching her hand out to him. "I shall lead you back to your room. Unless you wish to pop us there."

  He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. "Nay. We'll have to use our feet. I can't afford another blast to my powers right now."

  Seren didn't say a word as she led him through the castle, back to her chambers. She kept her hand in his arm while they made their way very slowly upstairs.

  "Where do you think Blaise has gotten off to?" she asked. "I haven't seen him at all."

  "Hiding most like. He won't come unless I summon him."

  "Why didn't you summon him to fight the gargoyles?"

  "There wasn't much he could do to fight them. Had he engaged them, he would have been harmed."

  Seren released him to open the door to his room as those words went through her. He'd thought of someone other than himself. She considered pointing it out to him, but then thought better of it. Kerrigan seemed to like thinking of himself as evil. But as she learned more of him, she saw less of the demon and more of the man. He wasn't the callous devil he presented to the world.

  There was a heart that still beat within him, and it gave her hope that he would be the father her child would need to protect it from Morgen and her plans.

  Without another word to her, Kerrigan went to lie upon the bed. That alone told her just how weak he must be. He wasn't the kind of person to show his weakness to anyone.

  She stood back as he reclined with one leg drawn up.

  "Is there anything I can get you, my lord?"

  "A Tylenol would be great."

  She frowned at his peculiar word. "A what?"

  "Nothing, little mouse. There is nothing else I need."

  "Then I shall leave you to the quiet."

  He didn't respond as he closed his eyes and settled back. But she had to admit that even while he rested, he made a fearsome sight with his black armor covering a body that was rife with strength.

  And she noted the way he kept both of his hands on his sword as if ready to attack anyone foolish enough to draw near it. Poor man that he couldn't even rest peacefully. No wonder he'd stabbed her when she'd neared him.

  How many times had Morgen or one of her men tried to take the sword from him so that they could replace him as king? She couldn't imagine having no friend or haven.

  Feeling for him, Seren left the room. She wasn't sure where Blaise had gone to, but she wanted another word with the specter of Lancelot.

  It didn't take her long to return to his crypt. The torches had burned down to a light so low that she could scarce see. It was so cold now that her breath formed a small cloud around her head. She heard the scurrying of mice in the darkness, but nothing else. Only the pounding of her own heart.

  "Lancelot?" she called. "Are you here?"

  "Behind you."

  She turned to face him.

  He shimmered faintly between this world and his own. His rugged face held an ethereal beauty that was almost feminine. Yet he exuded masculine power and intensity. "Are you ready to leave here?"

  "Nay," she said honestly. "I have spoken to Lord Kerrigan and he has told me that you are the one who spoke falsely."

  Shock registered on his face. "Me? How so?"

  "You said that he fed on the blood of children. He doesn't."

  He tsked at her. "How do you know he isn't the liar then?"

  "I believe him and what he had to say about it," she said with conviction. "But I want to know why it is that you lied."

  "And I still say that I am not the liar, my lady. Have you seen Kerrigan feed yet?"

  Seren hesitated. "Nay, not exactly, but he placed his hand to my chest to show me how he draws his strength from the living."

  "And did he draw that strength from you?"

  "I felt the tingle of it."

  "But he didn't feed, did he?"

  Seren folded her arms over her chest as she moved away from him and considered his words.

  Lancelot moved to block her retreat. "I am on your side in this matter, Seren. Kerrigan is a powerful demon who can command the elements as he did to attack the gargoyles. Is it not possible he used such a trick with you?"

  Aye, it was possible, and she knew it. Still, she believed Kerrigan. "Why are you making me doubt him?"

  "Because he is evil to the marrow of his bones, and evil will never do what is right. Your only hope to survive this is to trust me. Steal his sword and scabbard, and I will take you from here to a place where no one will ever be able to harm you or your babe again."

  Seren stared at him as his words chased themselves around in her mind. How good he made it sound. How tempting.

  "You know something, Lancelot?"

  He arched an expectant brow.

  "I don't trust you. You've done nothing yet to help me. You tell me to grab his sword and then you'll help. If you're really good and he isn't, then you'll help me without condition. Until you do, I think I shall trust myself and myself alone. Because in this, I am the only one who truly has my best interest at heart, and that is the only thing I don't doubt. God save you."

  And with those words spoken, she turned about and started for the door.

  "Seren, wait."

  She hesitated at his call. "Aye?"

  His shimmering eyes pierced her with anger. "Go, throw your lot in with your devil, and when he devours you and your child, remember that you were offered a chance to save both your lives."

  His words set off her anger. How dare he say such. "Have no fear. I will bear full responsibility for everything." She headed out of the chapel.

  Seren didn't know if what she did was right, but she hoped it was. As she'd s
aid, she had no one else to trust. Her instincts had always been keen. She could always tell an honest client from a dishonest one. It was one of the things Master Rufus valued most about her.

  Kerrigan wasn't as evil as he appeared. She truly felt that he was as Blaise had said. When given kindness, Kerrigan did respond to it. He would protect her and he would love this baby. She knew it.

  As she started up the stairs, Lancelot appeared before her, blocking her way. She drew up short while he continued to glare as if he couldn't bear the sight of her.

  "You're a feebleminded woman."

  "I beg your pardon!" But before she could say anything more, a strange haze engulfed her. Seren tried to move, only to find that she couldn't.

  "Had you obeyed me, we might have let you live in blissful ignorance of what befell your lover. Oh, well. Now you will deliver that sword to me and we will kill Kerrigan together. Now go."

  Something inside Seren rebelled at his words, but even so she found herself on the stairs again.

  "Kill Kerrigan." The command repeated itself over and over in her mind until she could hear nothing else.

  It spread through her, consuming her. Drowning out all arguments and all feelings. There was nothing inside her except a demanding blackness that held her in the tightest of grips…

  Aye, she must kill Kerrigan.

  Kerrigan lay on his side with his eyes closed as he tried to stay focused on the shield that was again being battered by Morgen's troops. A cold sweat covered him. What he really wanted to do was sleep, but he didn't dare.

  He'd pulled off all his armor and wore nothing but the tunic Seren had given him and a pair of breeches. Caliburn lay beside him, barely a hand's breadth away.

  As he heard someone enter the room, he reached for the sword to take it by the hilt. He rolled to his back to see Seren entering.

  He let go of Caliburn and relaxed. She was truly a vision as she drew near him. Even dressed as a lad, she was all woman, and she was the best thing he'd ever seen in his life. "I thought you were leaving me to rest."

  A tender smile softened her face and stole his breath. "I was thinking that I might be able to help you with that."

  He was about to ask her how when she placed her hand to his hip. All rational thought fled his mind.

  Her eyes were dark and hungry as she dipped her head toward his and captured his lips with her own. Kerrigan growled at how good she tasted. He'd never known anyone sweeter. He cupped her head in his hand as he pulled her back so that she could lie atop him.

  She nipped and tugged at his mouth with a boldness that surprised him. "My little mouse is hungry."

  She smiled at him before she whipped his tunic over his head and tossed it to the floor. And as she climbed onto the bed to straddle him, a tremor of suspicion went through him.

  She hadn't mentioned the tunic…

  No sooner had the thought gone through his head than she grabbed Caliburn from his side. Kerrigan rose as she launched herself from the bed. The leather scabbard slid across his bare stomach before it clattered to the floor. She retrieved it quickly and pulled the sword free of the scabbard.

  "What is this?" he demanded angrily.

  He saw the sword's power fill her eyes until they flickered like fire in the dim light of the room. Power surged through the room while the sword acclimated itself to her.

  Her eyes rolled back into her head as she shook all over. Lightning flashed, raising the hair on his body as it crackled.

  Kerrigan froze. He'd been evil when he found the sword. Seren was good. He had no idea what the power of Caliburn would do to her. Unlike Arthur's Excalibur, this sword had been created by the fey to channel the darker powers. It wasn't meant to be held by a decent human. It was meant to be controlled by a dark Merlin.

  "Seren," he said firmly, yet he took care to not frighten her in any manner. With that sword, she could kill him easily. "Look at me."

  More lightning flashed as her pale hair whipped around her shoulders as if caught in the midst of an invisible wind. Her face went from human to ghastly, then back again.

  "Seren, put the sword down. Slowly."

  "Nay," she said breathlessly. "It is part of me." She moved to swing it at him.

  Kerrigan held himself completely still. "If you swing that sword, Seren, you will kill me. Instantly. That's the power of it. I wear no enchanted armor to deflect the blade. It will cut through me like a scythe through wheat."

  Seren could see Kerrigan only through a blazing haze. His voice was distorted in her ears and sounded demonesque. She'd never felt anything like this. She was drunk on her own power, on the knowledge that no one could hurt her or her baby so long as she held this sword in her hands.

  She was all powerful. Not even Morgen could touch her now.

  Throwing her head back, she laughed at the victory. The entire world could be hers…Hers!

  No one could stop her.

  Ever!

  "Put. The. Sword. Down."

  "Nay," she snarled at him. She smiled evilly as she relished the battle to come. "Take it from me if you're able."

  He held his hands out in surrender. "I'm not able to take it from you, Seren, and I know it. You're going to have to look me in the eye and kill me. Me. The father of your child."

  Hissing, she angled the sword up shoulder high, grasped it in both hands, and started toward him.

  Kerrigan held his breath as he waited for the hot sensation of the blade plunging through him.

  It would be what he deserved.

  And then just as the blade should have skewered him, Seren slammed her body into his, forcing him to take a step back. She threw one arm about his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. "Help me," she whispered in a small, agonized voice that sounded more like the woman he knew. "Take it from me, Kerrigan. I don't want it."

  "I can't," he said between clenched teeth as he held her against him. "No one can take the sword from the one hand that wields it. So long as it is free of the scabbard, I can't do anything. You have to let it go."

  She screamed out as she tore herself away from him. He could see how much pain she was in. The sword wasn't designed for her. She lacked the bloodline or magic to carry it. And if he didn't get it back, the sword would burn her alive.

  Summoning his own powers, he approached her slowly until he could pull her back against him. He held her to his chest and covered her soft, warm hands with his cold ones. She trembled against him. The scent of roses enveloped him as he leaned his head down to help steady her.

  His heart thundered as he sought to help her any way he could. "Reach down inside, Seren, and force your will onto the sword."

  She let out a cry of despair. "It wants me to kill you. I don't want to…"

  He gentled his voice as he spoke softly to her. "The sword serves you, not the other way around. Focus on what you want."

  "I want the pain to stop."

  "Then hand the sword to me."

  Kerrigan jerked his head up as he heard the last voice he expected. It was a voice he hadn't heard since the day he'd found Caliburn in the forest. And just as then, it was the same tall, dark-haired man who had tried to convince him to forsake Morgen and travel the road of the straight and narrow.

  It was a path he'd gladly refused.

  "Brea? Why are you here?" This was a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of powerful and ancient Celtic gods who were supposed to fight only on the side of good.

  The old god glared at him with hatred and malice. "I'm here to set things right. Caliburn should never have been used by you or your kind. It is a sword meant for the gods and Brighid is tired of seeing it misused."

  Brighid was the sister to the Lady of the Lake, the nymph who had forged King Arthur's sword, Excalibur. The two swords had been created together in order to bring balance so that no one Merlin would be the more powerful. Caliburn was the steel and Excalibur was the stone.

  One sword to rule and the other to destroy. One a sword of light and
the other a sword of darkness. It'd been a cruel twist of fate that Kerrigan had been the inheritor of Caliburn's power.

  Kerrigan glared at the god. "Caliburn is mine by right of birth and of conquest."

  Brea looked at Seren. He held his hand out to her. "You know what must be done, Seren. Return the sword to the side of good where it belongs."

  Seren cried out as she fought against the god's powers. "Good doesn't lie."

  Kerrigan didn't know who was more stunned by her words. He or Brea.

  The god frowned at her. "What?"

  She trembled visibly in his arms, but made no move to leave them. "You lied to me. You told me…" She leaned her head back against Kerrigan's shoulder. "Take your sword, my lord. I don't want it."

  The moment her words were spoken, her hands fell away, allowing Kerrigan to take it back.

  Brea cursed. "Imbecilic chit. Have you any idea what you've done?"

  Seren was whispering to herself. An instant later, she shot a lightning bolt of her own at the ancient god. "I will not kill for you or anyone else. Ever."

  Brea's face hardened. "Then you have damned the world of man to darkness. I hope you can live with that." He vanished.

  Kerrigan held the sword with the point against the floor as Seren turned to face him. Her eyes were once again the beautiful green shade that rendered him captivated. He saw the relief in her pale features and the fear.

  She ran her hands over her arms as if to warm herself. "How do you handle the sword's power?"

  "I get a lot of aches in my head from it."

  She gave a short laugh before she sobered. "It burns like fire. It felt like it was trying to devour me."

  He nodded. "Power consumes. Always."

  She looked down at her open hands, then clenched them shut as if she'd seen something in her palms that had frightened her. "I don't want that kind of power in my hands. Ever again. Only God should have the power of life and death over another."

  Kerrigan was completely baffled by this woman. Men killed to possess one tiny iota of what she'd had in her hands a moment ago. No one had ever taken this sword who hadn't fought to the death to keep it. No one.

  Until her.