Page 94 of Lady of the Lake

“Why are you lurking in the shadows outside the tower?” I ask, pulling away at last.

“I told you. Tana said you were coming. Darius went to wait for you by the docks, just in case.”

“In case of what, exactly?”

Her expression darkens. “Because I can’t let you go across the courtyard. The Iron Legion will be patrolling there. We have to take a secret way.”

A chill ripples over me. “They’ll arrest me?”

She slides her arm into mine and leads me away from the courtyard. “Whatever you’re imagining, it’s probably worse. Let’s go.” She takes a few steps, then shoots me a quizzical expression. “I have to ask. Why are you half-naked and covered in blood?”

“I had a bad day.” I sigh. “What’s happening here, Serana?”

“Sir Kay died two days ago,” she whispers, “and with Wrythe in charge, none of the demi-Fey are safe anymore.”

I’m exhausted,but apparently, the only way to get into the room without alerting the Iron Legion is to climb in from the outside. I squeeze between the window and the wall, gripping a gargoyle so I don’t plummet to my death.

I find that the best thing, really, for a post-breakup emotional spiral is a near-death experience.

As soon as I shimmy through the window into my old room, Tana jumps me and pulls me into a hug. “Aw,” she says, squeezing me tightly, “the tea leaves weren’t joking. They did say you’d be filthy. Why are you covered in blood?”

“Most of it isn’t mine, but it’s been a long fucking day. I don’t suppose you have food?”

“Give me a second,” says Tana. “I’ll get you something.”

I strip out of my dirty clothes and go into the bathroom to wash, using a towel and warm water to clean the blood and mud off my aching body.

“What happened today?” Tana calls through the open door.

“Got into a bit of a fight.” My thoughts flick back to Talan, and a lump rises in my throat. “Let’s just say I can’t go back into Brocéliande any time soon. Or like, ever.”

I rinse and towel off, then pull on leggings and a T-shirt. I feel almost normal again, like I’ve slipped back into my old life and body.

I return to the bedroom, and Tana hands me a cup of tea. Serena sets out a plate full of stilton and bread on the table next to my bed.

“What happened to Sir Kay?” I ask, sipping the tea.

“He got sick,” Tana says. “He had a really bad flu, then pneumonia. At least, that’s what we’re told.”

“Wrythe worked him to death,” says Serana, “or worse. Near the end, Wrythe was the only person who went to see him. There’s no telling what happened in those final hours.”

And by the time Sir Kay died, the moth was already gone. Even Mordred wouldn’t know what happened to him.

Darius squeezes through the window, startling me. His face breaks into a large smile when he sees me. Running across the room, he gives me a big hug, nearly knocking my mug of tea out of my hand. “You survived the salmon!”

He releases me, and I set the mug on the table and scoot back on my bed. “I missed you all, but what the fuck is happening here? Why does everything feel sooff?”

Darius plops down on Tana’s bed. “The past few weeks have been a nightmare. Wrythe and his lackeys have taken control of every fucking thing in Avalon Tower. The new cadets are required to have biweekly lessons about the glory of the Pendragon legacy. We’re now heavily censored and aren’t allowed to say anything critical of Camelot’s history, and anyone who suggests we should collaborate with Fey allies will be suspended. Probably arrested. I don’t know how long we have before they start arresting demi-Fey for no reason.”

Serana sighs. “And now, all the demi-Fey have to go through a three-month human loyalty program before we’re allowed back in the field.”

My eyes widen. “I don’t think we can stay here.”

“Last week, Pendragons marched into the archives and systematically destroyed most of the documents relating to demi-Fey accomplishments, training records, everything,” Tana says. “Also, anything Wrythe deemed disloyal or critical of Pendragons.”

The blood drains from my face. I imagine Amon as they destroyed his beloved archives, and my throat tightens. “What about Raphael and Nivene? Didn’t they stop it?”

“Raphael is hardly around anymore. He’s coordinating our war efforts,” Serana says sharply. “But he might be the only reason the demi-Fey are even still here. Also, he stopped Tana’s arrest when she made a prediction they didn’t like.”

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