Crown and Key: Chapter 15
by Kerythand Ginafae
Crown and Key
By Sandra and William Johnson
Chapter Fifteen
“Tell me again. After all the trouble I went to in order to separate that gem from that blasted sword, you’re telling me it’s been restored?!” The shrieks of Morganna the Misbegotten echoed off the walls of the stone chamber that currently housed her minions.
“I just know it has something to do with that blasted He-Man!” Skeletor sneered, lightly pounding his fist on the stone altar that rested at the end of the chamber. Morganna whipped her head around at the sound. Ice formed in her eyes, and the temperature of the room seemed to drop at least ten degrees.
“Skeletor,” she simpered, “What did I tell you about touching my things?” She asked and lifted her right hand in frustration. As she did, Skeletor flew across the room and crashed into the wall behind him.
“Where did that come from?” he asked. “You’ve never been able to touch me before!”
Morganna simply smiled, her blue eyes shining with what in any other being would have been unshed tears, but in her eyes were a lethal weapon. “I guess it doesn’t matter if the sword is restored. As long as it and the ruby are on the same dimensional plane, my powers are starting to return.”
“And you’re memory?” the raspy voice of the Shadoweaver echoed down the hall as she glided into the room.
Morganna grimaced. “Only flashes.” She paused, a distant memory hovering in her mind and felt in her pocket. Her hands touched something cold, metallic and hard. “Why did I think I forgot my keys?” she muttered under her breath.
“No big!” she tossed gaily. “Where are these new recruits you’ve been bragging about?” She demanded, dropping into her throne, which stood in front of the altar.
“I don’t know what could be keeping them.” The Shadoweaver rasped. “They should have been here hours ago.”
“That’s why you shouldn’t attempt travel on the Ghost Roads unless you’ve been touched by the supernatural.” A strange voice with a heavy English accent spoke from the doorway. “Those breaches can be such nasty things. You never know, if you stray too far from the road, which level of Hell you’ll find yourself in.”
Without a word, Morganna whirled around to face the man. Rays of ice shot from her eyes, encasing the man from the waist down.
“Now, don’t get me wrong buddy, you’re kind of cute and all, but just what do you think you’re doing trespassing on my turf?” She demanded.
“I come in peace.” The man claimed holding his arms up in the air in a mock gesture of surrender. “For the most part that is. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ethan Rayne, Sorcerer extrordinare.”
Morganna smirked. “I know well who you are, mortal. But what in this pitiful world could ever make you think that a god like me would have any interest in those foolish Illuminati?
Ethan’s smirk matched her own. “Pissant time passers, they are. Something to keep me entertained until the real fun begins. Unfortunately for you, though, until someone activates your crown, you will not come into your full powers, still trapped in the body of a woman who could not even defeat the plans of one aging druid and his young pupil.”
Morganna’s face went white. “What do you know of Merlin? Does he still live?”
Ethan laughed hollowly. “My word, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a god tremble.”
With a wave of her hand, the ice rose from Ethan’s waist to his shoulders. “I could freeze you now and feel no regret for it tomorrow.” She simpered.
“Yes, but if you do you will never know the fate of Merlin and his student. You will never know how to retrieve your crown from under the very nose of the Slayer and her friends. Oh, and did I mention that the recruits you’ve summoned to help in your efforts against the Slayer and her band will never be released from here.” With a cock of his eyebrows, a purple bubble floated into the room. It glowed with an eerie bluish light. Peering inside, Skeletor could barely see the outlines of his would be allies, Katra and Beastman, frozen in time.
“Oh, a time bubble.” He laughed dryly. “I could shatter this thing in an instant.” Skeletor claimed, pointing his staff at the bubble and preparing to fire.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Ethan said.
“Why not?” Skeletor sneered.
“How do you know I haven’t tinkered with the spell? I’ve been known to do that from time to time.”
“You wouldn’t dare to tamper with ancient magics.” The Shadoweaver hissed. Ethan leveled his steely gaze on her glowing eye slits.
“Wouldn’t I?” he laughed. “My dear lady, I am the man who sold cursed Halloween costumes simply for sport. I branded the Slayer with the mark of a demon so he would take her life instead of mine. I sold the entire town candy that resorted them to the ripe old age of sixteen. I’m also the man who manipulated the aforementioned Illuminati into killing one of their own, an archeologist by the name of Croft; I believe his daughter has recently allied herself with the Slayer, a most potent combination I might add. And yes, I hold this information solely through the use of magic, and you still think I wouldn’t tamper with dark magics?”
Morganna stared at him inquisitively. “I like your style.” She said. Her eyes flashed fire and the ice melted, freeing the man and leaving him perfectly dry. “Okay, boy-toy. You’re in, for the time being. But if you screw up, it’s the ice-house for you. Got it?”
Ethan smiled, holding out his had to Morganna, who took it in hers, “I think I can live under those conditions.”
Morganna smiled sexily, her voice dropping to a seductive level, “Good, but one false mood, and your brain food”
Skeletor looked over at Shadoweaver and spoke so only the Horde Sorceress could hear, “Things are moving faster than we anticipated. She’s remembering more and more of her true nature, now she remembers her ability to absorb mental energy. If we don’t achieve our goals soon, we’ll have a full-fledged goddess on our hands, rather than some over ambitious human sorceress.”
Shadoweaver hissed, “I agree Skeletor. Perhaps the arrival of this sorcerer will allow us to distract her from remembering and focus her attention on retrieving the crown and eliminating our enemies.”
Skeletor smirked, “Yes. It would be nice to finally be rid of that pesky He-Man.”
and with that he threw back his head and cackled with mirth.
Morganna looked past Ethan Rayne to look at Skeletor, “What’s so funny bone head?”
“Nothing. Merely contemplating the destruction of our enemies, my lady.”
“Good. Now, Ethan here is going to tell us all about how we can get the crown from that pesky Buffy and her friends.”



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