Page 69

I strap on my sword and grab Guin’s hand, pulling her from our bedroom and out of our little cottage. The moon is bright tonight, casting its light for us to follow. Galahad leads the way, checking behind him to make sure we can keep up. My muscles ache with every movement I make. I know I must keep going or else I will collapse and not be able to get back up.

Guin lifts my arm around her neck, taking some of my weight as she wraps her arm around my waist. We move swiftly together, hurrying down a sloped path to the lake. The heavy breathing racing from Guin’s chest tells me she is exerting herself. I am just about to pull my weight off her when she holds onto me tighter. “Don’t you dare let go of me. I got you, my love.”

A smile spreads across my face, her love filling me with strength. I grunt when a branch swats at my thigh, right over the wound. Pushing away the pain, I keep my pace alongside Guin. When we reach the lake, I have no idea what will happen. If itwill work. It has to work. We will be safe. But what of Arthur? I worry for him. We have had no word, not even an angry letter or an announcement about our betrayal. Nothing.

If Mordred has killed Arthur, I do not know if I can leave without avenging his death. I do not know if I can leave without knowing Arthur’s fate. He has sacrificed so much for Guin and me. And how do we repay him? We abandon him? That is what we have done. Abandoned our king. No. He wanted us to do this. He wanted us to be safe. He made me promise to keep Guin and Galahad safe. I will do just that. I will protect them for as long as I live.

My heart races at the sight of the lake. Vivienne is knee-deep in the water, chanting to the waves while Mairenn and Morgana wait to greet us. They hand Galahad a bag, which he secures across his shoulders. Guin sits me down on the boulder, her boulder. The same boulder she sat upon when I first laid eyes on her. So much has changed since that day.

“Will Mordred be able to cross the waters into Avalon?” Guin looks bewildered. She must know what we are about to attempt. We have spoken of this many times. Though she never wanted to imagine a time when this would be necessary, she must know.

Vivienne turns toward us, walking back to the shore as Morgana answers Guin’s question. “No boat can cross our waters. Only the ferry can bring folk to and from the island.”

“So we are safe here? We don’t have to leave?” Guin’s voice is calm with a hint of panic.

“You are safe here, Guinevere. But you are safer if you return home.” Vivienne pulls Guin into a hug. “I will miss you. All of you.”

“No. We can’t leave. What about Arthur? I didn’t get to say goodbye. I can’t just leave him, knowing I will never see him again. No.”

I push myself off the boulder and hobble over to my wife and mother. “We must. Arthur would want you to escape, to be safe. He has said as much to me and I will keep my promise. I will keep you safe.”

I wrap my arms around Guin, and soon Galahad’s arms embrace us, pulling in Vivienne. Two more pairs of arms join us, turning Guin’s sobs into a giggle. “Can we just stay in this group hug forever?”

Laughter breaks the deep silence of the moonlit night. With the laughter, I can hear the distant shouts of men on the other side of the lake, but I cannot see anything. They are close. Closer than I thought they would be. Mordred cannot know how to enter Avalon. The ferry is hidden, only known to those who know where it should be.

“Are you sure they will not be able to find you, mother?” I pull from our embrace and stare into her eyes. There is no fear there, only despair.

“Yes, Lancelot. I have seen it in a vision. They will wander around the outskirts of our lake for weeks and then give up and head to your castle. But Arthur will be there with his army. He will protect your people there and declare war on Mordred.”

“No.” Guin lets out a soft sob. “He can’t. That will lead to—”

“He knows. And he has accepted his fate.”

Galahad steps back from Vivienne. “How do you know all of this? From your vision?”

“Merlin wrote to me. King Bagdemagus had taken Mordred prisoner by the command of King Arthur. But Mordred escaped before his planned execution. It turns out he had gathered a small army over the years. King Arthur left Camelot immediately upon hearing of Mordred’s escape, Merlin with him. They should make it to Joyous Gard in a few days. Sir Gawain stayed behind to ensure Camelot remains protected. I would have told you sooner, but I only just received the letter this evening.”Vivienne looks out at the lake. “The lake is willing. I can feel its power. Take what you need from her, but nothing more, Galahad.”

I feel Guin shiver next to me. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her close to me as we follow Vivienne and Galahad to the lake. Vivienne kisses my brow with all the love of a mother. Our eyes meet for a brief moment before she moves to Guin.

“Vivienne, please tell Arthur not to go into battle against Mordred. It will be the death of him,” Guin begs.

“That is for Arthur to decide.” With delicate fingers, my mother lifts Guin’s chin up. “Think of home, Guinevere. Your father. Josh. All those you loved and lost. Hold them in your thoughts.”

I stiffen when Vivienne mentions Josh. A name I haven’t heard in ages. A name I never want to hear again. A name I hope Guin does not yearn for. Her face betrays no such yearning, but is shadowed with fear. I pull her toward Galahad, who is waiting for us in the water. When we reach him, I look at my mother one last time, offering her a reassuring smile.

Mairenn holds Morgana to her side, both of them holding back tears. How I will miss my family here, my home, all that I have known. But I have another family I need to protect now.

Guin, Galahad, and I wrap our arms around each other, keeping no distance for fear that we might get lost. Galahad squeezes us as he glows, a bright white light swimming out from his veins, swallowing us whole. I close my eyes and hold on to my family with every bit of strength I have. When I open them, the sun shines brightly in the sky. The lake is gone. The trees surrounding us look different.

I feel cold without the warm white light, even with the sun blazing down on me. Guin’s hair seems to float in the sunlight, shimmering like burnt copper. Galahad’s eyes are wide with shock, a trickle of blood flows from his nose.

I react quickly, catching him before he falls to the ground, ignoring the searing pain from my bruised and damaged body. Guin falls to her knees by his side. “What happened? Is he okay? Oh my god, please tell me he’s okay!”

Her hands rack over Galahad’s body, searching for wounds, punctures, any sign of injury. There is none. “I’m okay, mama. I’m okay.” Galahad’s voice is weak, but sounds confident.

“Did it work, Galahad?” I ask, wondering how we would even know.

“Mama, check your phone.”

“Right.” Guin pulls her bag from her shoulders, riffling through the interior until she finds what she is looking for. The mystical, shiny object that sings and plays music, holds images of people inside, and God knows what else. Her hands are shaking as she presses down on the button. The top lights up, exposing a crack on the side. She seems to fumble a bit with her hands on the light, then gasps.

“What is it?” Galahad and I ask in unison.

“There are bars. I have service.” Before she can explain what that means, her phone begins to vibrate and chirp, making the three of us jump back in fright. Instead of throwing the beastly object from her hands as I surely would, Guin places the phone to her ears. “Hello?”