Page 295 of Kingdoms of Night

Is that what the bitter smell was about? What was it about modern women and thinking they had to rescue themselves when there were perfectly good knights willing and eager to do it for them? He wasn’t letting Enid do this alone. He was going to fight this battle for her, whether she wanted him to or not.

“She should’ve come to me,” he said.

“My point exactly. So, now we can get Arthur and—"

“No.”

“No?”

“Arthur can’t know.”

“So let me get this straight; you’re asking me to lie? Hello pot, I’m kettle.”

“I don’t want anyone to know she tried to steal a sword of Camelot.”

“She didn’tsteala sword.”

Geraint focused on the inflection in Loren’s voice. He knew that the change of tone meant she was keeping something from him. He rubbed at the Takrut again.

“What are you doing?” Loren asked, eying his chest.

“Tell me the truth.”

“I gave her my sword to give to Gyges.”

“You what?”

Loren shrugged. “She believed that handing over your sword was like handing over your honor. I know you don’t believe I have any honor, and I know you cherish your wife, so I handed over my sword.”

Geraint could only stare at her.

“But she’s out there facing a master gamer alone, and I don’t agree with that part of her plan, so…”

Is that what he’d caught them arguing about? Was that the reason for the hushed whispers? Loren had been trying to stop Enid from doing something dangerous. Then at the first opportunity, she’d come to warn him about it.

Loren chucked her thumb toward the door. “We outtie or what?”

Geraint glanced at the door. Then back at Loren. He took a step… a step toward Loren and brought her into his arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered. His chest expanded as he squeezed her to him. There’d been an empty spot there for a week. It refilled as he hugged his friend close.

“Bros before hoes. Not that your wife is a hoe. You know what I’m trying to say.”

“Yes, I do.”

“And that whole do you thing—”

“Let’s never speak of that again.”

“Deal.”

And with that, they raced out the door.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Loren’s sword was heavy in Enid’s hands. She felt the magic hum. Not the swarm of angry bees she’d experienced when she’d tried to touch the unclaimed sword from earlier. The Galahad sword felt more like the flapping of a thousand butterfly wings: absolutely dazzling in their beauty, coupled with the ability to suck the air out of the onlooker, their wings targeted.

Enid was surprised the sword did not fight her. It remained calm in the wood of the walking stick it was encased in. It was her heart that beat out of control. The organ grew heavy with each step, making hear arms weary and her spirit low.

---