Page 86 of Their Trials

“What do you mean I'm the final hope?” I squeaked, my fear at that thought, at the responsibility that would be placed on my shoulders. I wasn't the person they needed. They needed someone more. Someone better.

She faced me, her spine steeling as she approached me, her confidence returning. “The land is dying, child. It's only a matter of time before Avalon is no more. The magics that we once knew are no match, slowly draining and becoming weaker.”

“But what does that have to do with me?”

“The Queens of old are tied to Avalonia. They provide the needed balance, ensuring that all on these lands are able to thrive. Titania is twisting this balance in a way that we have not been able to determine. She's draining the land and Avalonia of their magics, and without that magic, both will die.”

“Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you think I am the only hope of fixing this. Surely, someone else would be better suited for this task. Someone who could actually access their magic.”

She gasped. “That's why he locked them away.” She rushed toward me, her hand landing on my chest, her magic probing me again before she started laughing wildly.

I watched as the once confident Lady who controlled everything about our meeting devolved into madness, her uncontrollable laughter causing tears to leak from her eyes, her hands wrapped around her middle as she gasped for air.

“Oh, Jonathan, you brilliant man,” she wheezed out, finally starting to get a hold of herself as I eyed her warily, afraid I had broken her somehow.

“Don't you see, child, he locked your magic away and sent you to Earth for more than just protection. He sent you there to keep your magic safe and bound it so it couldn't be drained even upon your return. He knew that you would eventually grow strong enough to break the locks and that when you finally did, you'd be the match to the Queen's strength that our people desperately need. He was just the distraction.”

Dumbfounded, I sorted through her words, everything falling into place. The men had told me over and over that I was stronger than they'd seen in a long time, but I hadn't believed them. The way my magic reacted to anyone trying to meddle with the lock, protecting my magic until I was ready. My jaw dropped at the realization that the thing I had been trying to fix since arriving in Avalon was the very thing keeping me safe.

The Lady giggled at my reaction, clapping her hands in excitement. “I've been waiting for the time to finally come, praying for someone to take a stand. When that time comes, call on me, and I will help in any way I can.”

“That's great and all, but that doesn't help me now. I need to complete the trials before I have any chance of changing anything. That is if I'm even selected as Queen,” I protested. I had thought being Queen was bad enough, and now here I was, being cast as the savior of fae kind. Surely, there was someone far better suited for the job than me. She had to be mistaken.

“That's easy, child.” She grinned at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I'll simply remove the spell on your necklace. The one which has been draining you considerably of the access to your Consorts' magic.”

She raised a hand to touch the necklace, her magic surging around us. I snatched her hand before she could make contact. “Wait!”

She tilted her head in puzzlement, her brows furrowing in question. “Surely, you'd much rather be rid of such a trinket.”

I laughed maliciously, anger at the Queen for sabotaging me in such a way leaking into my words. “Trust me, I would absolutely love to have this monstrosity off me, but the Queen gifted it to me. If I were to return to Court without it, I'd be tipping my hand. She'd know that I was no longer under her spell and that I was onto her machinations. I can't afford to give so much away just yet. Especially, if I don't have full access to my magic.”

“Hmm....Good point.” The Lady turned and began pacing, trying to think through our new dilemma.

“Will it still drain me if I remove it? Or does it only work when I'm wearing it?” I asked her, trying to puzzle through the best way to proceed.

She came over, her magic caressing my neck where the piece of jewelry lay flush against my skin. “From best I can tell, the necklace must remain against your skin to drain. I can sense that the magic is being channeled to an external source. Most spells of this kind ensure that the magic becomes stored in the necklace, however this is acting as simply a conduit.”

“So, she'll know when I take it off? The drain will be interrupted if I'm not wearing it?”

“That's my understanding of it, although this is such a complicated spell. I'm quite gifted in enchantments, and yet this is of the same level, if not more intricate than something that I would ever weave together.” She leaned in to study the necklace more closely.

“There are layers here, each with their own triggers. If I were to simply interrupt the flow or break the spell, she's woven in a sort of magical backlash that could wind up killing either myself or you.”

“Well fuck. I'm screwed then,” I said out loud. My dilemma clear. I had to keep suffering the drain or risk tipping my hand. Or I could risk tampering with the spells and killing one or both of us. Either choice sucked.

“Such a succinct way of putting it, but yes, you are indeed screwed, as you would say,” the Lady said.

I tilted my head back, squeezing my eyes shut and clenching my jaw with a deep inhale, straining to find my patience and calm. I needed to think clearly if I was going to get out of this mess. Resigned to my fate for the time being, I changed the subject. “Any other ideas on what boon I could receive? Apparently, everything I've asked for has been impossible.”

“For now. It's impossible for now,” the Lady corrected. I barely resisted rolling my eyes in annoyance. I agreed, but I needed something to give the Bitch Queen. I couldn't return empty handed.

As if sensing my annoyance, she continued, “I may just have something for you. It's one of the last pieces I enchanted. While not as powerful as Excalibur, this one is a little more discreet and may prove more useful for one such as yourself.”

She flitted across the room, disappearing into an alcove where thumps and grunts of effort carried through the air to me. Curiosity got the best of me, and I followed her, stopping when I turned the corner to find her in what I could best describe as a vault. The power from this room pulsed against my skin as I stood in the doorway, watching the Lady rifle through the items strewn haphazardly all around. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for their resting places, simply resting on the available surfaces, everything from weapons of every imaginable type, books, mirrors and combs, and cups. There were so many items, I didn't know where to look first.

“Aha!” the Lady exclaimed, popping her head out of a pile that almost swallowed her whole. She beamed at me broadly, holding a long item that was iridescently black. “Here it is.”

She held the item out to me, revealing a black dagger in its sheath. Intricate carvings of knots and vines weaved across the sheath and hilt, gleaming in purples, greens, and blues as the light reflected off the onyx metal. Unable to resist such beauty, I held out a finger about to trace the lines, only just stopping myself. “It's yours,” she told me, pushing it toward me again.

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