Page 135 of The Black Table
Kingston. At last, he speaks, and the change in tone, the chill that’s come back, the formality puts a crack in my heart.
I am such a fool.
“I’m showing her what she needs to see,” Kai says, and pulls me firmly in the other direction toward the dining room and the door to the fencing salle. “What she should have seen long ago.”
Callahan sucks in a breath. Lanz lunges forward.
“Kai—”
“No,” Kingston roars.
But it’s too late. Kai has me, pulls me away, through a door I’d barely even noticed before, downstairs.
Into blackness.
THIRTY-SIX
GWENNA
I can’t seewhere I’m going, can’t seeanything, like I’ve fallen into abyss.
Until I do see it, and I’m speechless.
A massive circular room, with high arched walls, flowing banners, no windows. It’s chilly, almost earthy smelling. We’re underground.
“What…” I say, voice trembling. “What is this place?”
Crossed blades and shields decorate the curving walls. At one edge is a seat, athrone, wide and spacious and a pearly sort of white, with a red velvet rope draped across its seat. And in the middle…
My heart plunges to my stomach.
La Tavola.
The table.
It’s huge, maybe twelve feet in diameter, wooden but dark, almost black, polished to a sheen, and with the crest of Caliburn inlaid in it.
None of it seems real. It’s like I’ve stumbled somewhere imaginary, somewhere fantastical, a movie set, or a museum, arecreation of how kings and princes used to live done up in a castle somewhere for tour groups.
I spin around to Kai.
“What—”
I’m cut off by the arrival of the other three. Callahan bangs through the door, Lanz practically jumping past him, and Kingston following, his face taut, but his eyes sharp.
“Kai,” he says, “don’t.”
“This is it, Gwenna,” Kai says, spreading his arms wide and walking backwards like a showman. “This is the big old secret, the whole kit and caboodle. You thought we were weird and reclusive before? Just keeping those vows for fun?” He laughs. “You had no idea.”
“How is this…” I’m blank. Unable to think. “What does this even?—”
“Kai,” Kingston says again, “stop.”
“What, am I making it worse?” Kai says, cocking his head at Kingston. “What difference does it make if they’re going to throw her in the slammer for property destruction or whatever?”
A choked sob escapes my throat, and Kai’s glance immediately softens on me.
“She didn’t do it,” he mutters. “All of you know that, and none of you…”
