Air: Merlin's Chalice (The Children of Avalon Book 1) by Meredith Bond Page A
Authors: Meredith Bond
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the others. Careful to keep hold of the same branch, I moved toward the center.
The branch split and intertwined with other limbs from other trees, like long, reaching fingers. At last, I came to the heart of the knot, where sat a stone, white goblet. Branches blended with the veins in the stone, as if the cup had grown from them like a leaf. But when I reached out for it, I found that the branches were merely cradling the chalice within their gentle claws.
It took both my hands to lift the large cup from its pedestal of branches. It weighed down my arms, and I had to be careful not to spill the fresh, sweet–smelling water that filled it. I couldn’t resist—I tilted the chalice and took a sip.
A burst of sweetness exploded in my mouth, as if I had bitten into the first fruit of summer. I was filled with a heavenly bliss, all of my senses alive to the taste, the smell, the feel of the water in my mouth. Closing my eyes, I let the taste and the feeling of joy wash over me—and suddenly I was flying free, floating in the water, hampered only by the luminescent walls of the goblet all around me. The sides were so far apart I could stretch out my whole body and not reach from one end to the other.
Floating in this blissful chalice, the water gently supporting me, lapping deliciously over my body, I had no fears. All my worries were gone. I was in the right place; I was doing the right thing. I had a purpose, and it was to be here.
I twisted and laughed, joyful beyond anything I had ever felt before. But even as I did so, the water turned freezing cold. Icy fingers poked into my sides, my arms, my legs.
My happiness ripped away as I was engulfed. I cried out but choked on ice–cold water.
I awoke from my dream, coughing and drowning in truth. Tumbling and turning, I flailed my legs and arms, frantically trying to find air. My feet struck something hard—the rocky river bottom. I pushed off with all my might, managing for a moment to get my head above the raging current.
I gasped in a single breath, but didn’t have time for another before liquid hands pulled me down once more. The weight of the water sat on my chest, pressing me to the bottom. I tried to move, but it was too much. The water held me fast against the floor of the river.
No, I would not submit!
I fought against the river once more, clawing my way up, twisting and turning to escape. I reached the surface and stole another quick, gasping breath. I had to find a way out, something to grab on to. A rock, a branch, there had to be something. I tried to look around, but the water’s strong grip pulled me under again, pressing me down, this time pulling me along as it rushed downstream. I would surely drown if I didn’t do something fast. Blackness closed in on me as I ran out of air again. For a moment I shut my eyes and stopped struggling.
No, I would not give up. Out . I had to escape from the icy fingers of this water. When my feet touched the bottom, I pushed off again. Rejecting the smothering water, I reached out for the sky with all my might. With all my heart. With all my will.
Once more, I pushed the water down with my arms, reaching up again. I pushed down and then reached up. Again and again, until it was no longer my own arms I saw in front of me but…wings?
I had wings!
And I was no longer in the water. I turned my head to one side and looked down. The raging river was far below me. I was high in the sky. But the river seemed to be growing bigger, coming closer. I turned my head back up into the air and pumped down once again with my wings. Again, I rose up into the air. I was flying!
I laughed at the wind in my face. Never had I been so light, so free. The air fluttered through my feathers as I stretched out my wings to glide along on the current.
But the river caught my eye once more. Something dark fought against the water. Sir Dagonet! Fear clogged my throat.
I banked my wings and headed straight toward the old man. He was
The branch split and intertwined with other limbs from other trees, like long, reaching fingers. At last, I came to the heart of the knot, where sat a stone, white goblet. Branches blended with the veins in the stone, as if the cup had grown from them like a leaf. But when I reached out for it, I found that the branches were merely cradling the chalice within their gentle claws.
It took both my hands to lift the large cup from its pedestal of branches. It weighed down my arms, and I had to be careful not to spill the fresh, sweet–smelling water that filled it. I couldn’t resist—I tilted the chalice and took a sip.
A burst of sweetness exploded in my mouth, as if I had bitten into the first fruit of summer. I was filled with a heavenly bliss, all of my senses alive to the taste, the smell, the feel of the water in my mouth. Closing my eyes, I let the taste and the feeling of joy wash over me—and suddenly I was flying free, floating in the water, hampered only by the luminescent walls of the goblet all around me. The sides were so far apart I could stretch out my whole body and not reach from one end to the other.
Floating in this blissful chalice, the water gently supporting me, lapping deliciously over my body, I had no fears. All my worries were gone. I was in the right place; I was doing the right thing. I had a purpose, and it was to be here.
I twisted and laughed, joyful beyond anything I had ever felt before. But even as I did so, the water turned freezing cold. Icy fingers poked into my sides, my arms, my legs.
My happiness ripped away as I was engulfed. I cried out but choked on ice–cold water.
I awoke from my dream, coughing and drowning in truth. Tumbling and turning, I flailed my legs and arms, frantically trying to find air. My feet struck something hard—the rocky river bottom. I pushed off with all my might, managing for a moment to get my head above the raging current.
I gasped in a single breath, but didn’t have time for another before liquid hands pulled me down once more. The weight of the water sat on my chest, pressing me to the bottom. I tried to move, but it was too much. The water held me fast against the floor of the river.
No, I would not submit!
I fought against the river once more, clawing my way up, twisting and turning to escape. I reached the surface and stole another quick, gasping breath. I had to find a way out, something to grab on to. A rock, a branch, there had to be something. I tried to look around, but the water’s strong grip pulled me under again, pressing me down, this time pulling me along as it rushed downstream. I would surely drown if I didn’t do something fast. Blackness closed in on me as I ran out of air again. For a moment I shut my eyes and stopped struggling.
No, I would not give up. Out . I had to escape from the icy fingers of this water. When my feet touched the bottom, I pushed off again. Rejecting the smothering water, I reached out for the sky with all my might. With all my heart. With all my will.
Once more, I pushed the water down with my arms, reaching up again. I pushed down and then reached up. Again and again, until it was no longer my own arms I saw in front of me but…wings?
I had wings!
And I was no longer in the water. I turned my head to one side and looked down. The raging river was far below me. I was high in the sky. But the river seemed to be growing bigger, coming closer. I turned my head back up into the air and pumped down once again with my wings. Again, I rose up into the air. I was flying!
I laughed at the wind in my face. Never had I been so light, so free. The air fluttered through my feathers as I stretched out my wings to glide along on the current.
But the river caught my eye once more. Something dark fought against the water. Sir Dagonet! Fear clogged my throat.
I banked my wings and headed straight toward the old man. He was
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