Page 38 of An Unlikely Knight

Break these chains, undo the night.

Through endless time, through veil and mist,

Let not our bond be lost, dismissed.

By whispered vow and promise sworn,

Return, this knight, from where he was torn.

From shadows deep and silent grave,

Rise once more, be strong and brave.

By fate’s design and heart’s decree,

The knight’s return will come to be.”

An expectant heavy silence hung in the air, each person seeming reluctant to break whatever, if anything, happened from the spell.

Noting tears sliding down Erin’s face, Padriag took her hand in his.

All of a sudden something traveled through him, a spark of sorts. The hairs on his arms stood on end and there was a slight tingling at his nape. Whatever it was must have affected the others because everyone was looking at their arms. Still no one spoke as if not wishing to scare away whatever would happen next.

The lights in the room brightened and dimmed, then flashed before they went out, leaving the room lit only from the light from the corridor.

Tiny sparks of light floated in the air, twirling and flitting about like fireflies. Like stars in the sky, there had to be thousands of them.

Then, what looked to be something like a ribbon of light formed as the lights joined into long streamers and continued their odd motions, twisting in the air, circling over their heads.

His skin tingled, goosebumps formed on every inch of his body, it wasn’t unpleasant, but more as if warmth filled him. When everyone turned to look at Padriag, he lifted his arms noting that the little lights covered his skin.

A strange surge of energy shot through his body, and he jerked back onto the chair, barely hearing the exclamations of surprise from the others.

Then, just as gently as the lights came, they floated upward and vanished.

“Are you alright?” Erin asked, her hand pressed to his upper chest. “Can you talk? Breathe?”

Padriag nodded, although honestly not sure how he felt.

Pushing back from the table, he stood, feeling strong and renewed.

“I think whatever that was gave me strength. I feel great.”

Liam’s lips curved. “You are ready to face all that will come your way.”

Giving his friend a droll look, Padriag crossed his arms. “Look Obi One, stop talking in riddles. Just tell me the truth. That Meliot is about to unleash holy hell on me.”

Tristan and Niall looked between him and Liam. Tristan let out a huff. “Liam, what do you know?”

“Nothing more. Like I said, he will face trials, and his release will be harder fought than any of ours.”

Tammie gave Liam an exasperated look. “Can you at least give specifics of what he needs to prepare for?”

“I will speak to Padriag alone. What I have to say is only for him to hear,” Liam replied.

The familiar tug from the alter-world urged his return. “Let’s talk, then,” Padriag remarked. “But I want Tristan and Niall to be present.”

He slid a look to Erin. “I expect them to fill you in on whatever they deem pertinent.”