Page 41 of The White Knight

“I’m sure I look worse than how I feel.” I wrap my legs around him and let him inside me. He’s gentle this time. Last night, both of us could not be gentle with each other. We were both a bit singed from my emotional breakdown. Now, our bodies comfort each other, taking away the last traces of agony our souls have bared out in the open.

A sigh of release escapes our mouths in unison as we lie next to each other after making love. Opening my eyes a second time, I give Lance a quick peck on the nose, then roll out of bed. “Where are you off to in a hurry?”

“I want to see what Galahad is up to with Merlin and Vivienne.”

“But my mother said not to bother them. They need Galahad to be clear of mind. No distractions.”

“I will not be a distraction. Galahad has a sound head on his shoulders. I will not be a bother to him. I need to see him. I miss him.”

“If you are going, so am I.” Lance hops out of bed to help me tie up my dress, then pulls on his own clothes. “For a year, Merlinlived on my land, teaching, testing, training my son. Galahad said they were meditating, reading, and researching. But here, in Avalon, something feels different. It reminds me of what I felt when I came here to meet you. You had awoken something. Perhaps it was the magic of the lake. I think, perhaps, Galahad has done the same. Has Galahad been here before?”

A chill races down my spine at Lance’s words. I had felt that same something when we arrived here a week ago. The same feeling I had when I brought Galahad here as a wee baby. “Yes. Only once before. After Galahad was born, I wanted to return to Joyous Gard. We came here on the way.”

Lance pulls me into his warm body as I shiver. “Let’s go.”

He turns away from me, taking his warmth with him. A hand pulls me through the door and into the small living area. Arthur sits at a table, perusing through all the documents we’ve been writing for the past few days. As we rush through, Arthur asks with a slanted eyebrow, “Where are you going in such a rush?”

“To see what Galahad gets up to with his training,” I state.

I fear Arthur will stop us. He always respected the privacy that Merlin had requested and extended his word to me. I was never to interrupt. “May I come with you?”

“Oh.” I squeeze Lance’s hand, and he nods his consent. “Yes, of course.”

“They have been working him too hard these past few days. Do you know where they will be?”

“The lake,” Lance and I say in unison. Another shiver runs down my spine.

The three of us make haste to the shores I have come to know intimately. Where I first opened my eyes as Guinevere, a queen to be, and where I met the love of my life. There is a strange, unknown magic that lives in the waters surrounding Avalon. Vivienne and Morgana have said this to me many times. I hopethey aren’t using Galahad to unlock this magic. Perhaps it is unknown for a reason.

As we approach the shore through the concealed path in the trees, a flash of white light blinds us, making us fall back into each other. When I catch my bearings, I don’t hesitate. I sprint for the lake—Arthur and Lancelot yelling my name. Nothing will stop me, even if they catch up with me.

Vivienne and Merlin are at the lake’s edge, careful not to touch the glowing water. And Galahad, he is standing waist-deep in the water, looking out into the lake, Excalibur in his hands. The vision stuns me. A moment later, Lance and Arthur flank me, reaching out for my hands, but I run. I push against the shallow waves of water with each step, shouting my son’s name. He cannot hear me. “Galahad, don’t let it take you away. Listen to my voice. Galahad!”

When I reach out to touch him, a brighter burst of light blasts into the air, but I keep my aim on his shoulder. He turns toward me at my touch; his green eyes have turned a bright blue. The shock nearly knocks me off my feet. Instead, I launch myself into him, surrounding myself in the orb of white light that pulses from his body.

Chapter 26

Lancelot

“Guin!” I shout. Shedisappeared in the white light with our son. “Galahad!” Running into the water, I continue shouting into the still, muted air, calling for my wife and son. I dive into the water, hoping they may be underneath. All I see are murky waves of sunlight and a scattering of fish. As I reach the surface, I scream once more. My voice melts into the emptiness around me as a panic I have never known threatens to consume me.

Merlin catches my eyes as I make my way out of the water. I am furious. I have lost the two things in my life that make me whole. And Merlin is standing there with the shadow of a smirk on his face. He glances at Arthur who is motionless. I do not think he has even drawn a breath since Guin and Galahad disappeared into the orb of light.

“What did you do, Merlin?” I stalk toward the wizard; his confidence never wavers as I reach for my dagger.

“Lancelot, no!” Vivienne shouts.

Merlin is faster than he looks. He draws his hands from behind his robe, throwing me back into the water with an invisible force. I yell in frustration, stabbing the ground with theblade in my hand. “What the fuck did you do?” I use a word I hear Guin speak when she is angry. It feels fitting. I quite like how the word molds the anger in my voice.

Finally, Arthur moves, the shock of our loss unfreezing his mind. “Yes, Merlin, what did you do?” Anger sparks behind his eyes, blazing a fire I have never seen before in him.

Merlin must have seen it too. His smirk and confidence wither away into the old man. “Your Highness, I did nothing. Our queen and prince are quite safe. They should be making their way here any minute now. I told them to stay far away from the scene.”

“Do not speak in riddles, Merlin. Tell me what just happened.” Arthur sounds calm, but his eyes are wild. If he feels what I am, I know I must look just as terrifyingly frightful.

I look toward my mother. She is in shock, holding back her tears. She is innocent of whatever scheme Merlin has organized. But I must know that she did not play a part in this. “Vivienne, mother, do you know what happened?”

She comes to me at the lake’s edge, helping me out of the muck. “No, my son. Whatever just happened, I did not know…” Vivienne turns to Merlin. She is just as angry at his deceit. But there is something in her eyes that shows me she might know more than she is letting on.

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