Page 83 of Secrets of Avalon

Hawke's arms tighten around me, and a low growl rumbles through his chest. He won't touch you, Melinda. I won't let him he says through our bond. There's a fierceness in his words, a promise that I know he'll keep no matter what, but Julius still scares me.

“What is the meaning of this,” Darkwood snarls. “Why have we been pulled from our beds for an earth–” His words stop when his eyes land on the piece of the sword sticking out of the rock next to Hawke.

There’s something about the sword. Something that makes me want to touch it, but I keep my hands to myself and tucked against Hawke’s bare chest. So many people are arguing and yelling. Yelling about the earthquake. About the sword. About the queen no one can see but me. My magick stirs and I push hard. Siva help. I’m here Domina.

“This is your son’s fault, Theon,” Julius shouts.

“Just because he chose not to marry your daughter, doesn’t make this incident his fault,” Theon yells back.

“Why is the sword coming back?” A big Drakonii man touches the piece casually and gives it a gentle tug, as if he’s expecting it to just pop right out of the rock. “Why right now? Tonight? Something had to have triggered it.”

He looks straight at Hawke and I but doesn’t speak.

I look away, trying not to look back at the queen and the sword, and bury my face in Hawke’s chest. They know it was us. They know.

I know, sweet girl.

Kellan steps forward, blocking everyone’s view of me in Hawke’s arms.

Stay calm, Domina. You’re safe. Siva’s voice calms a little of the brewing panic in my chest. My magick is stirring again. I look at the sword again. At her.

And this time when I look at her she’s looking at me.

Holy shit. She can see me.

I tap Hawke’s arm, asking him to let me down. His response is to hold me tighter. It’s not going to work though, I need to get down.

I glance at the queen again and my stomach drops. Her face isn’t dark any more. Her eyes are iridescent. Both her hands are flat on the door and they’re glowing white. The need to touch that wall is overwhelming. She needs me. I don’t know how I know, but I know she does. And I should be terrified, but I’m not.

“Hawke, put me down. Please.” My magick swells and I push down hard. No. No. No. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Siva pushes too, but the magick keeps pushing like something is pulling it out of me.

Kellan turns to face me and Hawke. “Domina, breathe.”

“I c-can’t make it stop.” Hawke’s arms are trembling. The other knights are breathing hard, trying not to let it show, but I know I’m hurting them. Everyone is going to know soon that I’m dangerous. Everything that happened on Earth will happen here too.

All I do is cause pain to the people I care about.

One of Hawke’s arms falters and I slip halfway out of his arms. My feet touch the ground and I balance myself with a hand on the rock next to us. The rock holding Excalibur.

Hawke reaches to pick me back up but stops when the light fills the room and the whole of Excalibur lights up in front of us–at least a glowing outline of the whole sword along with the scars where the sword was originally broken. It’s so beautiful…

My magick sears through me like a hot poker and the outline of the queen’s cell door etches into the wall, glowing like it’s burning from the inside of the stone.

Silence descends on the entire room, then every single gaze settles on me.

Fuck.

"She's letting Aena out! Stop her!"

The words punch me in the gut, and panic claws at my throat. I yank on my hand, desperate to break free, but it's like I'm cemented to the rock. Shit. Shit. Shit. Hawke, I can't. My hand is stuck. Fear spreads like ice in my veins.

Let me try. Hawke's voice stays calm, but tension thrums through our bond. He tugs gently on my hand, his fingers warm and strong against my skin, but it's useless. It’s like my flesh has melted into the stone, and every pull sends searing pain shooting up my arm.

My magic pours out in a steady stream straight into the rock. It's a strange sensation, like my veins are emptying, my power draining away. The only silver lining is that it's not hurting anyone in the room, but that's little comfort when the lines of the door on the wall grow clearer with each passing second.

The room erupts in a kaleidoscope of colors, magic swirling and crashing like waves in a stormy sea. Heat presses against my skin like a physical weight, and sweat beads on my brow, trickling down my spine.

Hawke drops to his knees beside me, his head bowed, and the other knights quickly follow suit, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and pain. Half the room hits the floor, and I can’t do anything but stand here, my hand fused to this damn rock, like the biggest idiot in the universe.