Lost Daughters of Avalon: Awakening Series, #2

By Inklings Publishing and J. Lynn Else

After not hearing anything from their knights in Avalon for weeks, the horrible Questing Beast breaks through into the world and attacks Genie, Beth, Mei, and Whit. Their magic stirs to stop the monster, but Beth's attempts fail. Help from Avalon arrives just in time to remove the curse and reveal a woman inside the beast who claims to be Genie's biological mother.

The four friends learn their knights had gone missing, along with one of Avalon's queens, Viviane. An ancient evil runs amok in Avalon and the people blame the four friends, claiming they released Merlin to destroy their world. 

To clear their name and rescue their knights, the four friends must once again risk the dangers of Avalon. Genie, Beth, Mei, and Whit must pull together and learn to combine their powers of air, water, earth, and fire to rebalance the world they might have thrown into chaos. If they fail, the worlds of Avalon and Earth could destabilize and end life as they know it. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inklings Publishing
• Release date: Jan 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781944428341

Inklings Publishing

Inklings Publishing is a small press organized under a traditional publisher model.  Our goal is to create opportunities for authors to publish work, attend writing workshops and retreats at minimal expense to them, and build dynamic writing careers. We publish the books we would love to read!

Book preview

Chapter One

Genie

Little Falls roared. That is, as mightily as falls named little could roar. Overhead, the clouds trudged across the sky like billowing puffs from a slow-moving train.

Cool water swirled around my feet while my back rested on a smooth-topped stone. With one hand behind my head, I used my left to point eastward. That one, hanging over the rotting oak. See it? Witch’s hat.

Mei kicked water over at me. No way. It’s totally a sword.

That’s missing the grip of the hilt? I guffawed. Not likely.

She kicked up water again. In response, I leaned over to where she lay and squirted her with my Capri Sun pouch. She squealed.

Chill out, Beth said lazily. Seriously, you’re both wrong. That cloud outlines perfectly a Vulcan science vessel.

Mei replied, Nobody except you knows what that is, nerd.

Beth grabbed my juice pouch and squirted her. She squealed louder this time.

Whit’s voice was dreamy. My heart says it’s a cornucopia, and soon it’s going to drop blessings upon us!

She’d been that way since we returned from the land of Avalon over a month ago. I wished I still shared the feeling, but it’d been so long now that I wondered if we would ever see our friends again, the knights of Avalon’s round table. Lance, Wayn, Kaya, and Tristan. Tristan… Just his name brought a flutter to my heart and a flush to my cheeks. The way his fingers linked with mine, the way his green eyes softened when he glanced my way, the way his lips…

The knights had promised to visit. Yet… I guess I’d expected it would be a week after we returned. Not middle-of-July-and-we’re-still-waiting long.

I shut my eyes and let the sun wrap me in its warm, humid blanket, thinking of Tristan’s smile when we’d said goodbye. Did I dare think of him as my boyfriend?

A sudden noise, like a powerful bark, shattered my daydreaming. I sat upright, bumping shoulders with Mei. Whit and Beth were on their knees already, scanning the area.

Mei whispered, What the heck was that?

The summer afternoon thus far had drifted by as softly as the clouds overhead. My friends and I rested on the rock beds around Little Falls. A moderately wide stream that branched off from the Kettle River was the source of the waterfall. It fed into a shallow pool that was commonly a popular hangout on summer days—like today. We’d figured it was dumb luck the falls had been deserted this afternoon. But was there something more at work—

There it was again. A loud yelping. The sound echoed off the rocks surrounding Little Falls and pierced my eardrums. It was something strange—otherworldly.

Just then, the falls exploded. Water rained down on our heads. We all jumped to our feet and backpedaled away from the creature that emerged.

In the center of the water, a monster stood. It had a snake head, spotted cat-like body, and the hooves of a deer for feet. Its body was long, and its neck reached a full six feet above our heads. The exclamations of fear from my friends barely registered in my thoughts. All I could process was that I recognized the animal. As the creature turned its obsidian eyes at me, I smiled.

The shaking of my arm brought me back to the present. Whit’s round blue eyes met mine. What is it?

It was hard to keep my elation in check. All I could think of was Avalon. Danger did not register at all. It’s the Questing Beast.

Beth asked, The what?

From King Arthur’s time.

Mei’s eyes sparkled as she asked me, What does that mean?

It means we’re going on another adventure.

Another quest. A chance to return to the magical island where men and women from King Arthur’s time still lived. A place that separated from Earth after Arthur’s death, taking most of the world’s magic with it. Where legends like Viviane, Morgana, and Guinevere taught us magic and helped us rescue Beth from Merlin, the true villain of King Arthur’s story. Avalon… a piece of my heart that had been missing since returning to the mundane of Earth.

The creature howled. As the sound reverberated and rattled throughout my bones, magic tingled in its wake as if awakening from a long nap. I wiggled my buzzing fingers and knew magic was finding its way to Earth again. The Questing Beast had brought with it something more powerful, an awakening of our land. Magic thrummed under my feet as it coursed through veins deep beneath the mud and clay that squelched between my toes.

Today was going to be interesting.

Smiling, I said, For this adventure, ladies, let’s rescue ourselves.

Mei whooped. Who’s ready to start takin’ names?

What do we do? Whit yelped, much less excited than Mei and me.

On hooved feet, the beast pawed the rocky waterbed while glaring at us.

Focus on a shield! I yelled quickly. The magic, it’s everywhere. Pull it toward you.

Whit and Mei wiggled their fingers in front of their eyes. The beast charged toward us.

Beth cried out. Do it NOW!

Throwing our hands up, light burst forth from three sets. It grew into a transparent barrier between us and the beast. Only Beth’s hands remained normal-looking.

What’s going on? Beth snapped, eyes hard and staring at her fingers.

Pinpricks of color filled the air as the beast plowed into our invisible shield. With a crash, it fell backward. The ground shook when it landed.

Mei, Whit, and I continued to feed the barrier with our magic while the creature rolled onto its hind legs. Eyes narrowed, it began to scratch at our forcefield with its front hooves. In a couple spots, flakes of color fell to the ground. The tip of a hoof started to poke through.

Mei called, Beth, we need you!

She yelled back, I don’t know what’s wrong. My magic isn’t working!

My gaze swept over Beth’s panicked face. You can do this.

Whit added, We have to focus on the same thing. Her forehead beaded with sweat.

The beast had now scratched out a small hole, its hoof beginning to fit through. Soon it would be big enough for its serpent head. It grunted while tearing our magic apart.

My arms began to sag, my muscles weakening, as I tried to pour all my strength into the barrier. "Just think wall. Use it to focus your magic."

Beth’s lips tightened into a sharp line as she shook out her hands. Then, closing her eyes, she straightened out her arms, palms facing the wall. Still nothing happened.

Whit screamed. A piece of our spell shot away from the barrier and smacked her leg. She stumbled and fell, breaking her connection.

Mei dropped down beside her, also disconnecting her magic. Whit, are you okay?

With no one left, I let go. The light of the wall dimmed, as I turned toward Beth. Trust me. We can do this together.

The beast’s forked tongue licked the air, testing the space where the wall had once been.

Beth didn’t look convinced. I snatched her hand and folded it between mine. Her fingers were ice cold.

In a great gust, the beast let out a loud bark, disintegrating the last vestiges of our barrier into glass-like shards. We all covered our faces and twisted away as residual magic peppered our backs and arms.

Even after all we’d been through and all our accomplishments, despite everything we’d overcome, including defeating Merlin together, Beth had lost her confidence, Whit was hurt, and this crazy-ugly beast was attacking us. Why? What was it doing here?

My heart dropped to my stomach. If a ginormous beast such as this could escape through a portal to Earth, something was wrong. The knights were supposed to be hunting down Merlin’s creatures. They hadn’t returned. And now this? Nausea crept up my throat as my mind conjured a different reason why Tristan and the others hadn’t returned.

Something was wrong in Avalon.

Urgency pumped through my veins. I could feel it prickling in my lungs as I breathed and running through my arms and legs with each dash of blood. My heart was in a race to save those I cared about. Tiny flecks of light leaked from my fingertips. I raised my arms and pointed at the creature, releasing my fear and frustration.

Lights shaped like fireflies funneled out from my hands and rebuilt the wall. The creature paused, head cocked to the side, as the barrier re-formed like stacks of Legos, one brick at a time. Transfixed by the fluttering lights, the beast stared.

As the wall reached the creature’s head, the beast seemed to realize its chance to attack was rapidly declining, so it charged again. This time when the creature struck, my wall struck back. The Questing Beast fell into the water.

Stepping forward, I pushed the wall into the beast. My heart pummeled my ribs and fear took my emotions into overdrive. My friends were in danger. Tristan, was he in danger too? Sweat beaded across my forehead as I continued to push the beast backward. It scrambled to its feet, tripping over itself as I pushed it back. Back. Just as the Questing Beast was pressed into the falling water, with nowhere else to go, a horn blared from behind it.

The sound came from the top of the falls. Two knights stood, one with his sword pointed toward the beast. Another was looking toward us with a familiar glare—Val.

How was Val here when Tristan wasn’t? Could she be the reason why Tristan hadn’t returned to see me?

Feelings of hot, jealous anger spiked from my chest, causing my wall to flash with white light. The beast cringed, blinking against the flaring magic.

We’ve found her! The sword-pointing knight shouted. Nimue, come quick. She’s here!

A tall woman with ground-length brown hair and a cream-colored dress that swirled around her legs stepped between the knights. Her feet were bare. Meeting the gaze of the beast, her lips began to move rapidly, but the words didn’t cross the distance between us. As she walked closer to the edge of the falls, her arms rose in the air.

The beast reared up in response to the newcomers. The tall woman’s eyes flashed, and suddenly the beast froze. Magic radiated out from her arms and wrapped around the creature. Threads of gold circled the beast over and over until the thing was completely encased.

In my shock, the magic barrier dropped. Heaviness filled my arms, and they fell to my side like two bricks.

Mei helped Whit to her feet and broke our stunned silence. Somebody call the cavalry?

Beth’s head hung low. I’m sorry, guys. I don’t understand what happened.

Whit spoke up quickly, It’s okay. Everything happened so fast, it was hard to focus. She shook out her injured leg and took a few steps around us.

Dropping a hand on Beth’s shoulder, I said, You learned magic with Mordred, alone. The three of us have had to combine our magic a couple times in Avalon. Don’t worry. We’ll practice together.

Beth grimaced, clearly not eased by any of our words. While in Avalon, she’d fallen under Merlin’s spell and turned against us for a short time. She’d been manipulated, and I knew that fact still weighed heavily on her. Had she forgotten that in the end, she fought with us and helped defeat the power-obsessed Merlin?

How did you do that? Beth asked quietly.

I shrugged as a smile crept across my lips. I thought of you guys.

A cry of pain that lanced the air. Floating between us and the newcomers was a giant sphere encasing the Questing Beast. Like molten metal, colors of gold and silver swirled along the surface. The shape shrank. Another cry ripped the air.

My gut twisted at the sound. What is she doing?

A restraining hand gripped my arm. Val. The close proximity between us startled me, and I flinched.

It’s okay, she said calmly, the anger from her earlier gaze evaporated.

My eyebrows rose is disbelief. Morgana had given me a warning about Val before we left Avalon, saying that Val was in love with Tristan and his attention toward me had created a rift. Today, however, looking at Val, she appeared different. She didn’t clasp my arm because of jealousy. Something important was happening that was beyond our quibbles. Reluctantly, I relaxed my shoulders and nodded.

The sphere now resembled a human-sized Easter egg. Nimue dropped her arms and stopped her words. The other knight jogged over to the egg, which was sitting upright on a rock bed. The sorceress followed close behind.

Leaning over, the tall woman used her pointer finger to tap the egg’s outer shell. In an instant, the golden casing dissolved. A woman lay curled up in the fetal position on the ground. She was naked and shivering. Blonde hair swept down her back and partially cocooned her torso.

Whit asked softly, Where’d the monster go?

Chapter Two

Genie

There never was a monster, just a curse. Val shook her head along with her words.

Nimue conjured a cape and wrapped it around the naked woman’s body. The woman was thin and pale. It was hard to reconcile the monster with such a fragile-looking person.

Mei put her hands on her hips. Where’d she come from?

Beth asked, Yeah, who is that?

The beast-turned-woman looked up. Nimue? she rasped, reaching a hand toward the sorceress.

Welcome back, Elaine. Nimue took the woman’s hand and pulled her to a stand. Elaine’s legs wobbled as she straightened.

The unfamiliar knight stood transfixed, gazing at Elaine affectionately. Then he jerked forward and wrapped his arms around the woman. Elaine! His body trembled in the embrace.

Val’s face was soft as she watched the knight and the woman. Elaine is King Pellinore’s daughter.

Mei’s brow crinkled. Who?

How could this be? My breath hitched as I processed this information. "King Pellinore’s daughter was turned into the Questing Beast? I read it was a princess who was cursed after being visited by a devil."

Val’s forehead crinkled. Didn’t you learn anything from your time in Avalon and the truth behind the legends of Earth? More like visited by Merlin. Elaine spurned his son’s affections. In turn, Merlin cursed her.

Mei rubbed the back of her neck. Well that sucks.

Whit asked, Who’s the wizard lady?

Val’s word was clipped. Nimue.

I crossed my arms. Thanks, Val. Got that part.

Val’s eyebrows dipped, her lids narrowing as she spared me a glance. Someone you can trust. Now excuse me. Val brushed past me and walked over to Elaine.

Beth filled the vacated space beside me. So is that knight King Pellinore?

I shrugged. Don’t know.

Val bowed slightly. Her strong voice echoed around us. Lady Elaine of Listenoise, I am Val, descendant of Percival, your brother. I am here to escort you back to Avalon, where you can either live among us or pass into the heavenly fields.

Elaine stared at the unfamiliar knight and spoke for the first time. Her high voice shook with each word, as if she was learning how to enunciate. Lamorak, is our brother Percival in Avalon?

I sucked in a breath. Lamorak—another knight of the Round Table. If this is the actual knight, not a descendant with the same name. Some historians considered Lamorak of the Round Table to be one of Arthur’s most skilled knights just after Lancelot and Tristan. I’d not met any original knights during our last quest. Were other original Round Table members living in Avalon? Could this finally be one of them? The possibility made my head swim with excitement.

Lamorak shook his head at Elaine’s question. Val here carries on his legacy and his sword. He has gone to be with our father, mother, and his own family. Val is your niece.

Elaine blinked rapidly and wiped a few tears from her eyes. In response, Lamorak gently squeezed her shoulder. I know he was your favorite brother, but that is only because you didn’t spend enough time with your older, wiser sibling.

It was the original! It took all of my willpower not to rush him and spoil their family reunion. There were so many questions. What was King Arthur really like? What was the color of his eyes and hair? What was the famous round table made of? The questions spun so fast my head began to pound.

Elaine nodded. Her blue eyes were pale and unfocused for a moment as she looked at the crowd around her. When her eyes landed on the four of us, she paused. She scoured us with her gaze, up and down, burning our images into her brain. It was an odd feeling to be so obviously inspected. Beth and Mei crossed their arms, chins raised. I could almost feel the snappy retort that must have been tickling Mei’s lips. When she was displeased or offended, she let you know.

Before her sass was released, I stepped forward. My name is Genie. These are my friends, Beth, Mei, and Whit. We live in… I thought about what Tristan and the others had called Earth. … in the first world.

Elaine’s expression crinkled. She most likely had no idea what had happened when Viviane, aka the Lady of the Lake, had separated Avalon from Earth’s realm to protect it from the corruption that had overtaken the hearts of humanity.

Val squeezed her aunt’s hand. There is much to discuss. But we’re together now.

Head flicking between Val and Lamorak, Elaine said, My younger brother has passed into the afterlife, but my older has not. How many years has it been?

Nimue stepped forward. Her voice was low and rich. Elaine, these things are best discussed with Lady Viviane. Will you take my hand? I will open a gateway back to Avalon.

Elaine reached toward her but stopped. Hesitantly, she looked around at us again. She fixed her eyes on me. My face flushed. This was getting annoying.

Elaine, come, Nimue urged.

Instead, Elaine walked over to me. Her eyes flicked across my face. Was she counting my moles or something? There weren’t many there, just an obvious one on the side of my nose. What else was she staring at?

She asked, You said your name was Genie?

Yes.

That’s not right.

Huh… odd thing to say. Well, my full name is Gene Kelly Eques. But everyone calls me Genie.

She shook her head as she walked a circle around me. Her steps were jerky, almost like a toddler learning to walk.

Briskly coming to my defense, Mei asked, What are you doing?

Despite my friend’s sharp tone, Elaine only had eyes for me. You look familiar.

Tucking a stray lock of brown hair behind my ear, I responded, Not possible. I’ve never seen you.

Your face… I know it!

"You did just attack us—when you were the Questing Beast, that is."

Elaine’s head shook back and forth. No. Before Merlin cast his spell, I knew you. You were much younger.

I stepped back as she leaned into my personal space. As calmly as I could, I responded, Lady Elaine, I was born over a thousand years after King Arthur. You don’t know me.

Elaine grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands to her chest. Her eyes widened as they glazed over. I remember. But… how can this be? You were taken!

The others surrounded us. Softly, Nimue came up beside Elaine. The sorceress’s lips moved rapidly and silently. Once she touched Elaine’s arm, the grip on me slackened.

Elaine’s eyes rolled back as her body lost its grip on consciousness. Lamorak was ready to catch her as she fell back. Eyes fluttering shut, she slowly whispered, My daughter…

Checking the reaction of my friends, I asked, You guys hear that? Did she just call me her daughter?

It looks like you are coming with us, Nimue said. She released a long exhale. We seem to have an unnecessary complication.

I repeated, Did she just call me her daughter?

No. Lamorak’s baritone left no room for argument.

Val spoke up, She’s probably disoriented. When we return to Avalon, she will recover. These girls do not need to return with us.

There was the Val I’d come to know. Brash and dismissive.

Nimue tilted her head to the side, quietly assessing us. She met my eyes, studied my face intensely. All this scrutiny brought another rush of heat to my cheeks.

I said, Val’s right. My mother isn’t Elaine. I was born at Mercy Hospital. I have pictures and a video to prove it. She’s clearly confused.

Shaking her head, Nimue’s voice became cold. As a queen of Avalon, I do not make requests. It is time you four return to Avalon. Immediately.

Excitement swept through me, filling my body with a rush of air like a balloon ready to pop. We were going back.

Wait, Whit interjected. We can’t just walk away from our lives. My parents are expecting me home in a few hours.

Reality. Crap. What would our parents think if we just disappeared?

Nimue’s eyes narrowed at her words.

It’s a fair point. Mei added, When people disappear from the world, generally it makes others freak out.

Just ask my mom, Beth said. I was missing for a day before Viviane sent a doppelganger to take my place. I heard Mom positively spazzed at her too. So what’s your plan for this?

Val leaned toward Nimue. They speak true. We should discuss at the round table.

Lamorak snapped, I need to get Elaine to a healer. Can we come back for the girls later?

Well, Val’s snappiness was clearly a family trait. The swirling excitement about meeting Lamorak was quickly being derailed.

Nimue’s hands circled through the air. As they moved, her fingers outlined a growing portal set in the middle of the falls. It opened like the jaws of the Questing Beast. In no time, Avalon was just a few steps away. The beautiful trees, the bright colors, the promise of adventure appeared like cool rain on a humid day.

Return here tomorrow morning, Nimue said. Is that enough time to create a cover story?

Whit asked, How long are we going to be gone?

Nimue dropped her arms. As Lamorak carried Elaine through the portal, Nimue rolled her shoulders. If you can come up with a plan for one night, our magic will help with the rest. In your family’s minds, my spell will account for the days you are away from Earth beyond the first night. You’ll just need to say the inciting words in front of the people you wish to affect.

Beth responded, That’s something we can work with.

Nimue closed her eyes and began chanting a long spell. Sweat broke out on my brow in worry. Did she want us to memorize all that? With a flick of the wrist, her words ended. Her eyelids split apart, and Nimue’s glossy, evergreen eyes scanned the four of us.

"Your inciting words will be eaque diuturna absentia. Repeat them for me."

My mouth formed the words carefully, lips pursing as they curled around the phrase. Then I did it again, with my friends echoing in a chorus around me.

After our fourth repeat, Mei asked, What’s it mean?

Prolonged absence spell.

Whit nodded. Makes sense. But what if we pronounce the words wrong?

Nimue interlocked her fingers. If you can’t master a few Latin words, then maybe you’re not worthy to return to Avalon.

Mei’s head cocked back, her jaw dropped. It was in her salty expression, something fierce was about to be unleashed.

Quickly, I said, You don’t need to worry about us. Besides, we did take care of that little Merlin problem you had.

Nimue turned her back to me as she alighted toward the portal.

Val shook her head. You four sure make memorable first impressions.

She followed Nimue through the portal. As it began to close, droplets cascaded through the center until it gathered its current and returned to a rushing waterfall. It was just another summer day again.

The four of us were silent for a moment until the excitement I’d been holding in burst forth. We’re going back!

Chapter Three

Genie

Rushing into the house like a gust of wind, I called out, Mom?

Her voice drifted from the laundry room. In here.

I walked through the kitchen and into the mud room / laundry area. Mom shoved a load of towels into the dryer and slammed the door shut.

Quietly, I recited the spell. Eaque diuturna absentia.

What, honey? The dryer nob clicked as she rotated it to the right setting.

So Whit’s parents invited me and Mei and Beth to their cabin on the lake. It’s short notice, but her mom shares their cabin with Whit’s uncle, and her uncle wanted to switch weekends. The family was going to invite us later in August, but since they have it now… well, they invited us now. Obviously. Like last year when she invited us. What do you think?

Mom straightened. She placed her hands on her lower back and stretched. A grimace crossed her face as she did. That’s a long explanation for a short question. What did the other moms say?

Whit just told us about it at Little Falls. But I’m sure they’re fine with it.

"Oh you’re sure, are you?" Mom gave me a sideways glance as she walked out of the mud room into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she pulled out the Brita pitcher.

"You let me go last summer. Please, Mom?"

She pulled out her tea kettle and poured water into it. After plugging it in, Mom faced me, leaning against the countertop. So you want to go on this spur-of-the-moment trip. Even though we’re going to your grandpa’s in a few days and you haven’t packed? Will you be back in time?

Crap. I’d forgotten. We were supposed to help Grandpa relocate back to his house on Grindstone Lake. During the colder months, Grandpa lived in Lawrence, Kansas, close to where he’d grown up. In the summer, he returned to Sandstone where he’d worked at the federal prison and raised my mom. It had become a family event moving Grandpa between homes. This year, with Grandpa pushing the date back week by week due to a lingering cold, we were already a month behind.

How was I going to swing this? Surely, Nimue could get us back home in time. It’s not like we were getting ready to battle an evil wizard. Really, we were only going because of Elaine’s insane notion I was related to her. And to visit Tristan. Can’t deny that’s the other reason I’m excited to go.

Of course! It’ll just be for the weekend. In fact, I’ll pack tonight for our Kansas trip so you’ll know I’m ready to go when we get back from Whit’s!

Mom was scooping teaspoons of tea into her basket steeper. She placed the basket into a pot painted like R2D2 while waiting for the water in the kettle to boil.

So, wait, is this the cabin where she goes snowboarding over winter break? Cause that’s too far away, Mom mentioned, fiddling with one of her earrings.

What? Oh, no. They visit her cousins near Welsh over break. This is different. By Grand Rapids. Just a couple hours away.

Her fingernails drummed on the linoleum countertop. I guess that would work. Just be sure you’re back before Tuesday afternoon. You know your dad is going to want to leave at six in the morning, and you need your sleep. I’m not going to suffer Grumpy Genie for the entire car ride.

Smiling