Modern Magic 4

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Samantha woke up as her alarm went off, she was in bed just as she had before the dream. Everything was just as she left it, however she remembered that Mr. Archer had told her about the word that she would tell him from a dream. And she knew that the word was her mantle Emrys.

Picking up her phone she called Mr. Archer, as it rang she sat up and looked around the room. The envelope and paperwork was on the bed side table just where she left it. Her eyes searched the room as the phone on the other end picked up.

"Good Evening Samantha, is something wrong?" he asked her. Samantha realized it was after five in the evening and he was no longer in the office.

“Oh Mr. Archer I’m glad I got you but I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Samantha paused a moment, “But I have to tell you something that I’m supposed to, Emrys.”

Archer was quiet for a few minutes, "The knights will be here tomorrow afternoon. Have fun tonight and let Ryan know as well please."

“Yes sir.” She replied. Her heart thumped against her chest hard. Suddenly she heard the door bell ring. “Ryan is here.” She told Mr. Archer.

By the time she was dressed and downstairs Ryan and Briana were sitting down with some sandwiches from a local deli. "About time!" Briana said with a wide grin.

“Sorry I had to change before tonight’s events.” She gave a twirl in her above the knee black strapless dress. She remember she needed to tell Ryan her word as well like Mr. Archer told her to.

Briana whistled at her, "Not over dressed for pool are you?"

Ryan smiled and nodded to her.

“Nah! Just ready for a night on the town!” She blew a kiss to Briana and giggled. She would catch Ryan beside the car while Briana would get in.

They got their coats and walked out to the car, Samantha noticed was not the regular SUV. Instead Ryan had a newer Audi 4 door sedan. Briana smiled, "NO grocery getter tonight?" He chuckled, "Nope that is a company car, this one is mine."

Samantha grinned at their conversation but then busted into laughter almost falling over. She looked at the car a moment and then to Ryan. “We might be looked at kinda funny when we pull up like this, we have never had a driver before. So I hope the locals don’t think you are our pimp, Ryan.” She gave him a wink at her teasing.

"This car is too vanilla to be the car of a pimp." Ryan chuckled opening the door to let Samantha and Briana in. He then went around and got in and started the car pulling into traffic.

Samantha adjusted herself in the seat and buckled up. She smiled to Briana and gave her a nudge to look at Ryan. She mouthed he’s hot, go for it tonight.

Briana looked at her, "shut up, we barely know one another. Ryan pulled in at the parking deck and they stopped at the entrance to the building. They exited the car and went inside, Ryan paid for the table they were at and had the waitres come around.

“Let’s start this off right! How about a round of jack and coke?” Samantha said to the waitress. “Rack ‘em beautiful!” She told Briana next.

Briana started to rack up the balls leaving Samantha and Ryan waiting by the side of the table. There were several groups playing pool in the club, the nearest table was three away from them with a group of college guys. The waitress returned with the drikns and then hurried back to get the next round for the table.

Samantha picked her pool stick and chalked it. She returned to Ryan’s side alittle closer this time, “Ryan I’m suppose to tell you this. Emrys.” She leaned toward him close enough for only he to hear her then stepped back.

Ryan broke into a smile, "Theodore was right. Ryan Green, descendant of Sir Gawain at your service."

Samantha smiled back, her eyes met his and she instantly felt something she couldn’t place. Quickly she looked away and back down. “Thank you Ryan.” She whispered to him.

They played pool and talked well into the night, Ryan stopped drinking since he was driving. Briana was several in and very buzzed. She was being funny, but at the same time started to flirt with Ryan.

Samantha was just as buzzed or more than her friend. She laid down on the table to make her shot but missed the cue ball entirely. She gave a snorted laugh and looked up to a few people mainly guys watching her. She stood up and noticed her dress had slipped down a ways and was showing a tad bit more cleavage. Quickly she shimmed around in her dress to pull it up.

Ryan walked over and tapped her shoulder, "Perhaps it is time to call it a night?"

Samantha nodded but suddenly she wrapped Ryan in her arms and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you handsome!” She pulled away from him but only after giving him a wink. “Come on Bri, Ryan says I’ve had enough for today!” She began to walk away in the wrong direction and tripped and fell face first on the carpet.

Ryan hurried over and helped Samantha up, "I really think it's time to head home."

Briana was trying not to giggle and tried to stoop to help Samantha as well.

Samantha took Ryan’s help and got to her feet, “You know what? You’re right I have had plenty.” She smiled at him. Then she laid a hand gently on his cheek and looked adoringly at him then looked to Briana. “Come on Bri we are waiting on you ya know!”

As they got down to the parking garage Samantha bega to feel weird, and as they got Briana into the car the feeling got worse.

Samantha quieted down as she started feeling weird. She looked to Briana but only tried to smile and not tell her what was going on. Her eyes shifted to Ryan and she then looked down to her hands. The feeling waived through her rather strong.

Something told Samantha to make the suggestion to Briana to get some sleep in case this was her first brush with Modred and his people.

“You need to get some sleep, I have a big day planned for us tomorrow.” She smiled again to Briana.

Briana yawned and suddenly dozed off, Ryan pressed a button on his keys and his trunk popped open. Reaching in he pulled out a longsword, "Well, I had hoped they would stay away for a little while."

Two men stepped out from one of the darker corners and blocked the exit of the parking garage. Both were dressed in black suits, with white shirts and wore black leather gimp masks. Neither made a move towards them, but it was obvious they were talking to one another.

Samantha looked to Ryan and then took a step and then was next to him. Fear was trying to find a way into her mind but she didn’t allow it. Her eyes went to the men dressed in suits. “Can I help you?” She asked them.

One of the men moved in a strange way, "Greetings Emrys." Samantha knew the voice was Mordred, but it was not the man who was in front of her. "I must say you are a vast improvement over the last one. I offer you the chance to cease this ongoing war between us, think of what we could accomplish together."

Samantha smiled, “I was told you would try this. So save your breath I won’t give you my power. There is nothing you can say or do that will ever change my mind.”

Mordred nodded, "Pity." The other man took a few steps forward and drew a sword as well. Ryan took a step forward and prepared himself for battle.

Samantha took a quick step and was in the middle of both Ryan and the suited man. “There will be no blood shed today.” She put her hand up in front of her. She didn’t want Ryan to fight or get hurt on her behalf. Maybe her feeling were clouding her judgement but she didn’t know.

Both men looked confused but began to move closer, Ryan grabbed a hold of Samantha and put her behind him. "This is what they do Emrys." he explained. The two men chuckled as they moved closer, while the knights would not fight two versus one they had no such issue.

“How do I help you?!” She asked quickly as the men were get rather close and it began to bother her.

The leading man stopped and grabbed his shoulder as Samantha heard a silenced gunshot. Both men looked past Emrys and Ryan to the figure on the next level with the gun, then decided to take their leave while the odds were not in their favor now.

Samantha had grabbed ahold of Ryan and was hugging onto him when then gunshot was heard. She turned in the direction it was fired. “Who is that? Another knight?”

"Knights don't use guns." Ryan said quickly escorting her to the car. Just as he opened the door a motorcycle came roaring past them out the exit.

Samantha tensed as the sound of the motorcycle roared past her. “Ryan who is that?” She asked sitting down quickly in the car.

He got into the car and quickly got them moving into traffic, "I have no idea. I couldn't even tell you anything close to what we saw."

“But what if they are friendly. They weren’t aiming at us or we would have been dead.” She told him leaving forward up next to him. Her drunk had officially worn off.

"All I know is that things were a little too hairy back there. When that happens we get Emrys to safety then worry about everything else later." Ryan said turning down Samantha's street and pulling up in front of the brownstone. "You head in and turn off the alarm and I will bring Briana up." he suggested.

Samantha nodded and headed inside and turned off the alarm quickly. She turned and watched Ryan bring in Briana.

Ryan was supporting her as he walked her into the house, Briana was limp still asleep from Samantha's first real spell.

“Did I put her to sleep?” Samantha asked as Ryan took her to the room and laid her down. “Do I need to wake her?” She asked hurriedly.

Ryan smiled laying Briana down on her bed, "She should sleep until morning. You should be proud of your first spell."

A smile crept over her lips and she looked at Ryan, “I am like totally stoked!” She gave an excited jitter but in a silenced way.

Ryan smiled and shook his head, "Considering those dark knights were offering you the choice to join or die, you seem rather happy."

Samantha approached Ryan and looked into his eyes, “They didn’t win did they? If all they are gonna do is ask for my powers every time then we have nothing to worry about.” She told him.

Ryan shook his head, "Why do you think I carry a sword, this time it was civil. The next time I don't think we will be so lucky."

“Has anyone ever tried to kill Modred?” She asked him.

"The previous Galahad came close, it was when Theo was a very young man and he never truly told anyone what happened that night." Ryan explained. Samantha began to wonder how many knights there were left to fight alongside her.

“Ryan…” Samantha looked down then back up very slowly. “How many knights are left?”

Ryan motioned her out of the room so Briana could sleep, when they were in the kitchen he took a seat. "There were over three hundred and now only nine...err I'm sorry eight." Ryan said.

Samantha closed her eyes when she heard his say the number. “Are you serious? What happened to them all? Killed my Modred? Or old age?” Samantha began to question.

Ryan chuckled, "Some were corrupted and some died without descendants the rest had descendants who carried on serving Emrys."

“I’ll be honest, corruption scares me deeply but I don’t want him to win either.” Samantha traced the counter with her finger for a moment not looking up at Ryan.

"I've never seen anyone who he corrupted." Ryan said. "It hasn't happened in some time Roger James's grandfather descendant of Galahad was the last. You'll meet the remaining knights tomorrow, Bors will explain better than I ever could."

“Thanks for providing protection tonight, Ryan.” Samantha said as she looked up from the counter to him. “I’m glad you’re here with us and not someone else we don’t know.”

"Well, I agree it is nice being around people closer in age. I enjoyed when I got to escort Theo places, most of the time I was running errands with Sireen." Ryan said.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you tonight if I did.” Samantha gave a chuckle.

Ryan smiled, "Not in the least. But, I need to get going." he stood up and started towards the door. "I will be back in the morning to drive you and Briana back over to the firm for your meeting."

Samantha hurried across the large room to Ryan, “Wait,” She came close to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you again.” She blushed but looked away quickly.

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Modern Magic 6