upload

“It’s flawless,” he shouted, sending a spray of spittle my way. “Granted, that ridiculous duel set things slightly off course, but the end result will be the same. Many years ago, our ancestors formed an eternal bond when Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone. The sword was forged by the cat wizard to rob me of my magic, but instead Arthur was the first person to succumb to its curse, meaning the three of us and our bloodlines were thusly tied for eternity.”

I cracked a smile.“Thusly, huh?”

“Enough!” Dash’s shout echoed across the distance, proving just how isolated we were on top of this mountain.

“Yes, I think I’ve heard enough,” Merlin ground out, still trapped in an awkward crouch position, thanks to the relatively small size of the cage. “You’re the imposter wizard, but I’m the real deal. The last in the most powerful magical line to ever grace this planet. Which means I can beat you, you big fake.”

True, he didn’t have much room to maneuver in the cage, but that didn’t stop Merlin from lightly kicking back his feet in his classic lightning summoner maneuver.

Nothing happened outside the cage.

But inside, Merlin let out a stuttering gasp and fell flat on his stomach.

Dash laughed evilly.“You think I wouldn’t lightning-proof that thing? It’s a magical cage. Anything you try to cast will only feed the cage and make it stronger. There’s no way out.”

Merlin panted as he rose and threw himself at the side of the cage.

Nothing, much to Dash’s amusement.

But I refused to accept defeat. Magic couldn’t free us, but I’d never had any of my own in the first place. We needed a non-magical solution, and I would find it.

Dash returned Excalibur to the cauldron and continued to work on his potion, doing what I had no idea. My eyes grew heavy as I watched him.

No!If I fell asleep, it would all be over.

“You never told us what you plan to do once you reforge that thing. Other than kill us, I mean.”

Dash ignored me.

“Yoo-hoo!” I called. “Earth to Dash, or Merlin, or whoever you are!”

The bearded wizard spun to face me.“I am many people in one. I am everyone, thus no one.”

“Uh-huh. So what about the rest of your plan? Don’t you want to share it with me?”

“Why? You’ll be dead anyway.” A small smile played at his lips. I’m glad the thought of my demise could bring his dark little heart a bit of joy because I would definitely not be the one dying today. Still, I had to play to his vanity to get him to keep talking.

“True, but I’m still curious,” I managed.

“Well, it’s still a bit early, but I see no reason why we can’t get things ready.” Dash returned to the cauldron and extracted the sword once more. He carried it over to me, stopping a few feet out of reach. Then returned to his cat form.

This was my chance to fight.

I kicked out but missed by a mile.

He ignored me as he raised a paw and extended his claws, then dragged them across his chest with a gasp of pain. Blood dripped to the ground, splashing onto the sword.

“With our three bloodlines combined, I will reforge Excalibur and use it to seal the portal between Nocturna and the human world, so none can ever rise against me again. And then I will rule as a god, the most powerful—the only—magical being left in the mundane universe. Happy?”

Dash leapt on top of the boulder to which I was chained and jumped down to my chest, staring me in the eye.

“And now it’s your turn to contribute. I’ll just be taking some of your blood now.”

“Like heck you will!” I raged and writhed but still couldn’t free myself.

Dash struck out with a paw and slashed me across the face. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as he made impact, and when I opened them again I found myself someplace entirely different.

20

I stared down at the cash register. It blinked the numbers$4.15 at me—the price of our thirty-ounce classic pumpkin spice latte, plus tax. In my hand, I clenched a crisp five-dollar bill.

Glancing up, I saw a customer waiting with one hand extended as he used the other to scroll through something on his cell phone.

Right. I must have really spaced out there for a second.

I made the correct change and handed it over.“Your drink will be ready soon,” I said with my best customer-facing smile, then walked over to Kelley who had already fired up the espresso machine and gotten to work on the order.

A thick fog crowded the edges of my mind. I hadn’t felt like this since I foolishly attempted to down twenty-one shots on my twenty-first birthday. I’d only made it to seven before I barfed all over my date for that night and forever gave up recreational drinking.

I didn’t remember drinking last night. In fact, I didn’t remember anything about last night at all… Or this morning, either. I just woke up, and I was here at work.

Huh.It seemed I really could do this job while sleeping. Next I’d have to try one hand tied behind my back.

“How has your day been so far?” the next customer asked me with a grin.