Truly, I would have to learn to choose my words more carefully while I was a guest here. Since my comment about her grooming Mordred for Arthur's death, I had found myself locked in my new room for days. Or was it hours? It was becoming hard to keep track of time here. The cushioned bed was much too soft, so I slept on the floor in a heap of blankets. Meals began to magically appear in my room eventually, and I caved almost immediately, digging into the conjured platters.

  To my surprise, the crippling madness brought on by the lack of Tyrfing had subsided to some degree. No longer was my mind flooded with the regrets of my past and slowly I was gaining more control of myself. I had been hesitant to call upon my own magic in this place though. Would the great enchantress sense it if I were to simply slip into the cracks of the stones as a shadow and disappear? Would she pursue?

  I decided to test my theory, slowly at first, by darkening the room; absorbing some of the light and letting the shadows in the corner of the gloomy room grow deeper. My eyes shifted to the door, anticipating an attack, but I heard nothing. I suppose that meant nothing though, as gauging Morganna's magical prowess was nearly impossible; after all, she was able to tear Tyrfing from me and chuck it into a valley without even flinching. Separating something so deeply rooted inside of me and linked to the Vault was a terrifying feat. And I had been rightfully terrified.

  But no more.

  With my patience dwindling, I could no longer remain a prisoner in this castle. I could not rely on her for soothing balms and comfort. I moved toward the growing shadow in the corner of the room and closed my eyes. I melded in with it, feeling it slip around me, embracing me as I became one with darkness, and then slipped under the heavy wooden door. There was no backlash, so I continued.

  Down the hall, I travelled following the magical torch lights and stayed in the shadows they produced. She was hiding something in that room, adorned as it was with all of the things that had made Arthur who he was, or at least what he was remembered for. But there was something sinister here, behind her manic episodes and secrets. I followed the lights all the way back to the throne room and slid under the door. Or at least I attempted to. I should have anticipated the door would be warded.

  A burst of magical energy knocked me back, and right out of my shadow form. I landed ever so gracefully on my ass, outside of the door. If she didn't know I was out, now she did.

  "My dear Chase, I was wondering how long it would take you to finally stop sulking in your room. I was beginning to fear you were mad at me." Morganna ruffled my hair, appearing behind me, seemingly out of nowhere.

  "Honestly, I believed I had been confined. The door wouldn't open and last we had spoken, you blasted me with magic that left me unconscious." I swatted at her hand and I felt her nails dig into my scalp.

  "I was angry then. I got over it." She danced around me like a child in a meadow of flowers, her dress spinning out around her. She motioned with her hand, and suddenly I was standing again. Her effortless use of magic was a display a power.

  "So, like I was saying last time, before you got mouthy..." She said, a wicked grin spreading on her face. "My brother's legacy may have been changed over time, but his power was undeniable. I want to restore this castle, this kingdom, to its former glory. All the world will remember Camelot and fear the reign of Morgan le Fay. For this, I intend to resurrect my brother. However, the damage done by Mordred's blade was more than mortal. It left a magical wound, tearing Arthur's poor weak soul to pieces. He will require another and I want you to retrieve it for me."

  I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of where this was headed. The whole plan sounded insane. She giggled and placed both of her hands on my shoulders, her face close enough to mine that I could smell her perfumes. I could feel the warmth of her breath on my skin. Alarm bells went off in my head, as there was more than a hint of magic in her attempted seduction. I backed away.

  "I will need your help, Chase Morgan. As Mordred isn't around anymore to do what needs to be done, you are the next best option. Perhaps, the better option, as this situation is quite close to you." She stroked my cheek gently but grabbed my chin viciously in the same motion. I tried to recoil, but she held me tightly, her nails grazing my flesh.

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  "I need you to fight and kill your best friend so that I might collect his soul." She purred in my ear, her tongue tracing my lobe.

  "I don't have any friends."

  "Aw, even still you protect him, despite his eagerness to be rid of you and your..." She chuckled and smiled coyly. "...problems. And since I have taken care of your sword problem, there is no reason for him or the Order of Vigilance to be involved any longer. You owe them nothing. You no longer need to be watched. You are unshackled." Her purring move became a hiss.

  "There is so much power inside of you, even without that wretched blade, that you could single-handedly dismantle the Progenitors themselves. With me by your side of course." She moved around me as she spoke, finally settling on clinging to my arm. "Just think about it. Imagine how much we could achieve together. Especially with the Order out of the way. We could do anything we wanted. Our bloodline would be free to rule as we pleased."

  "I'm sure you could do all of that without me." I humored her. Her violet eyes stared up at me, shadowed by her messy raven hair. Her mischievous smile led me to believe she wouldn't take no for an answer.

  "First, you'll challenge Anders Pendragon, the last living descendant of my brother, to a single combat duel. I will cast a ritual circle, binding the two of you inside, so that only one of you may leave. You'll defeat him in said combat and I will retrieve his soul from his corpse, forever trapped inside the ritual. Once I have that, I'll be able to bring my brother back and the three of us will dismantle the Order one miserable old demi-god at a time, until there is only us. Even the Gods will fear us." I could feel her nails dig into my arm, drawing blood. She's wasn't angry, but quivering with manic excitement.

  "Is this your sick version of playing house?" My head-thoughts become mouth-words faster than I could filter. I cried out in pain as he nails tore free flesh from my bicep.

  "Who are you to judge me? You are nothing! You should be honored I'd even think of including you, you ungrateful maggot!" A shimmering aura of blues and purples surrounded me and I felt myself lift from the ground. I strained against her magic, but it was too powerful. I would not be pushed around any longer and I sure as hell was not going to kill Anders.

  I called deep into myself as I sailed through the grand hallway, turning into darkness and slipping up into the shadows in the buttresses.

  "Clever boy! Do you really wish to challenge me to a battle of magic?" Morganna thrusted her hand up into the air and a concussive blast shook the roofing. I slipped around from beam to beam and eventually slid down the wall behind her. If she could tell where I was, she made no indication. I silently dropped down behind her and when I reformed, I instinctually called out to Tyrfing.

  Suddenly, I was armored and holding a different blade. I could feel the black plate mail before I even realized it was there. My vision was limited to the slit of a helmet visor. The blade in my hand was light and unfamiliar but surged with magical energy.

  Morganna squealed with excitement as she spun around to face me. "Yes, that's it! Accept who you truly are!"

  "I'm not joining you. Either I leave here, and you never seek me out again, or one of us has to die." I growled from inside my helmet. The metallic echo drove me nuts, so I simply threw it off. It clanged against the ground and then disappeared with a shadowy glimmer, my hair spilling out around the neck of my black plate.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but I hurled a ball of shimmering black energy into her chest and charged in behind it. She stared down in shock as my true Artifact, Clarent, the blade that slew King Arthur, pierced her stomach and shot out her back.

  To my surprise, she laughed playfully and grabbed ahold of my shoulders, sliding further down the blade, to the hilt. She kissed me on the lips, a deep, sickening kiss, before exploding into a burst of purple butterflies.

  "You're courageous, I'll give you that." Her voice echoed throughout the grand hallway. "But how many men do you think have tried to end my life by running me through with their blades?"

  "Fight me, witch!" I shouted, spinning about. I channeled another ball of dark energy in my palm and swung my sword around in circles, swatting at the swarm of magical insects.

  "As you wish, child." Her voice was cold and shrill then. "If you see yourself the hero, then play the part properly."

  Morganna reappeared at the other end of the hall. She raised both her arms in the air, channeling more magical energy into herself than I had ever seen manifested at one time. The room vibrated with the pulse of magic. Dust and debris fell from every pillar and buttress.

  I steadied myself, planting my feet, spinning Clarent nervously in my hand. I tried to summon my own magic, but the force of her arcane exertion dwindled any attempt I could make. She plunged that magical energy into herself, filling her body with an abundance of power that would have ruptured a lesser caster from the inside. And with that power, her body began to shift and transform.

  I stared in horror, as her slender body morphed into a massive, hideous black dragon. I had faced down horrors, the likes of which would rattle even the strongest Order agents. Never before had I seen a dragon, neverminded one so large and deadly, its razor-fanged maw oozing with purple energy.

  She lumbered forward, and before I could react, she loosed a torrent of black and purple Hellfire, scorching through my plate armor and searing me right down to the bone.