17. Arthur
Chapter seventeen
Arthur
Do you trust me?
W hen we reached Salisbury, Nana Joanne parked the rental car in a spot along the side of the street by some shops. I was out of the car the moment it stopped, and Will cursed under his breath as he scrambled out after me.
I stared at everything, taking in every corner, every sign and person. Energy danced off of me, and I shifted impatiently as the rest of the group got out after Will.
The others talked about things to do, places to eat, and I struggled to pay attention.
But unlike the first time I’d found myself on a busy street, this time, I was prepared.
The raucous noise of chatter didn’t grate as much on my ears, the purr of cars didn’t cause my muscles to tense. It was still... a lot. But as I was beginning to get to know this new world, I found it wasn’t as overwhelming as it had first seemed to be.
Otto read from his phone a list of things that people recommended for others to do in Salisbury. “It says here that the Salisbury Cathedral is popular. They even have tours up to the tower for a view of the city and nearby water meadows.”
I perked up at that, wondering what in the world a water meadow was. “I like the sound of that.”
Otto paused with a frown as he read more about the cathedral. “It says here you have to walk over three hundred stairs to get to the top, though.”
“Over three hundred stairs?” Nana Joanne exclaimed, shaking her head of gray hair. “With this hip? Absolutely not. Besides, I need sustenance.”
My excitement drooped some, but I tried not to let it show. I wanted to move, needed to expel some of this energy built up inside of myself. So the thought of walking up a lot of steps actually sounded quite appealing to me. Besides, I wasn’t all that hungry at the moment, especially not after seeing my father’s remains at Stonehenge.
But I didn’t want to cause problems. If the others didn’t want to go, then I wouldn’t be sad.
While the group discussed some other, less-tempting options, I caught Dorothy watching me with kind, hazel eyes. She sent me a secret wink that I didn’t understand before turning her attention to Will. “Well, we could always split up,” she suggested, catching Will’s eye. “What do you think, honey?”
Will shifted from foot to foot, frowning slightly as if uncomfortable being put in charge. It reminded me of the first year after becoming king. It had been an adjustment going from being Sir Ector’s foster son to being King of Britain. To not feel awkward going from being called boy to king .
“Um, yeah. I guess that should be fine.” He peered down the street, then back to the group. “Those who want food can eat while the rest of us tour the cathedral?”
As it turned out, only Will, Otto, and I wanted to tour the Salisbury Cathedral, and Will scowled at Otto when he changed his mind and decided he no longer wanted to see the cathedral and would hang back with the others to grab food.
But I wasn’t going to complain about getting the opportunity to spend more alone time with Will. I’d spent so much time in my head thinking about him, wondering about him, so I wouldn’t pass up the chance to ask him all my questions.
With the promise to meet up in a couple of hours, Will and I headed off toward the cathedral. As we walked through the town, though, I started up my questions for him, making his eyes twinkle with amusement.
What was his favorite color? Green.
What was his least favorite color? Millennial pink.
What was his favorite food? BBQ chicken pizza.
What was a food he disliked? Black licorice.
Where did he live? Utah.
What did Utah look like? A desert with mountains and red-rock canyons.
What was his house like? Cramped but cozy.
Did he have any animals? Only if Gerry counted.
Did he like horses? Yes, but he was wary of their teeth.
Was he actually loaded? Yes.
Did he want to be a sugar daddy? Hell no.
Why did he start painting? They were like a journal of his visions, and it helped him to remember what he’d Seen.
If he could only save one painting, which one would it be and why?
That last one had Will blushing, and instead of answering, he pointed out an upcoming bridge.
The bridge arched over a small river, and Will laughed as I leaned so far over its side that I almost fell. We paused to take a picture on his phone, and it made me somewhat sad I didn’t have pictures like these from my time before.
I kept blinking in the photos, and Will had to retake them several times before he managed to get one where my eyes weren’t closed. When he held it up for me to see, I couldn’t help but smile. Will was grinning at the camera, his dimples on display and his blue eyes bright with amusement. I was staring at the camera, looking confused with a small smile.
We took several more pictures as we continued on, and now that I had the hang of it, I made sure to keep my eyes open, even when they started to water.
Will laughed at some of the expressions I made, and even though I didn’t understand what was so funny, I enjoyed making him laugh. To see the joy in his eyes.
It made me all tingly inside. Something I hadn’t felt in far too long.
The cathedral was impossible to miss as we neared it, standing tall and proud. I was amazed by its architecture. Carved stone made up its outside, and there were several tall, arching windows to allow in the sunlight. The grounds were green and lush, and a few people lounged on the grass.
After purchasing a tour, Will and I stood with some others while we waited for the tour guide to arrive.
He was a welcoming, older man with gentle eyes who guided us through the hall that led to a massive, domed room. Windows loomed all around us, their tinted panels casting all sorts of colors across the room as the sun shined through them. The craftsmanship that must have led to such glorious architecture was unfathomable, and I stood in awe as I gazed around, not even listening to the guide.
We were then led outside to the covered walkways surrounding a large yard within the walls of the cathedral. We toured the grounds, listening to the history of each spot and what its purpose was. Will took pictures on his phone, and I was once again grateful for modern technology. Because I wanted to remember everything about this place, and the phone would allow me to look back at every incredible site.
I devoured every little detail I could, studying each stained glass window, every area of worship for various saints and figures of history, every groove in the stones. By the time we’d made it up several flights of stairs to tour the tower, the rest of the group kept sending me annoyed looks. Apparently, they just wanted to get through the tour and I was slowing them down.
After apologizing, I tried to be quicker in my perusal, though there wasn’t nearly as much to see on the way to the tower. When we reached the door leading to the overlook, I pushed forward with excitement, and Will laughed as he followed me out. The overlook was narrow and guarded by a stone railing. And when I got my first glimpse of the view from all the way up here, I was stunned speechless.
I could see leagues out. The rest of Salisbury seemed so small from this height, and even the people walking around the cathedral grounds appeared like little insects.
I turned to smile at Will, only to startle when I found him already watching me.
His eyes were the brightest blue, putting the sky beyond us to shame. His lips were tilted up in a small smile, and his dimples peeked out. The sun peered from the clouds, warming his face and glinting off his dark hair.
My heart stopped beating. My lungs stopped breathing. My eyes stopped blinking.
Because I knew this moment.
“ Will ,” I said, voice thick and serious. But I didn’t know what else to say. Because how did I tell him that I’d Seen this moment, among others, and had treasured and savored it all these years.
That I’d Seen him and had needed to know who he was. This beautiful boy with raven hair and ocean eyes who haunted my dreams with my name on his tongue.
He cocked his head at me, amusement in his gaze. “Arthur?”
My lips trembled as they spread in a wide smile, and a feeling of contentment and rightness rolled through me. And for the first time since coming back, I felt some key part of myself click into place.
Will leaned his hip against the ledge, eyeing my grin curiously. “Why are you smiling like that?”
And I laughed, shaking my head. “Nothing. I’m just... happy. Being here with you.”
Will’s gaze softened, and he reached for my hand. Little tingles raced over my skin at the contact. “I’m happy being here with you too.”
On our way back down from the tower, Will and I walked close together, our arms brushing. Each point of contact sent my nerves into a frenzy until Will was all I could see, all I could feel, all I could focus on.
And based on the way he kept stumbling around, tripping over grooves in wood or stone, because his eyes kept straying to me and distracting him, I thought he might just feel the same way as I.
At the rear of the group, Will and I hung back. When we reached an area overlooking the font, we let the rest of the tour leave us behind so we could look down at the people milling about the cathedral. I was watching a little kid trying to escape his mother when I felt Will freeze beside me.
When I glanced at him, I found him staring across at one of the stained glass windows.
“Will?” I asked, confused.
When he didn’t respond, I reached for him. But the moment my hand touched his, the world around me altered.
The stained glass Will stared at began to shift, the pieces depicting something else entirely. At first, I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I thought it was two angels hiding in the shadows. But as I stared, the glass pieces moved again, and I realized the glass image wasn’t of angels. Couldn’t be. Because though they had birdlike wings, they stared down at us from the windows with menace in their eyes.
Then almost as fast, the stained glass returned to normal, and the sounds of muffled chatter filtered into my ears.
I blinked as I came back to myself, wondering if I’d just been sucked into Will’s vision.
And if I had, what had it meant?
“Arthur,” Will said, his voice slightly off. He stumbled slightly, and I caught him by his elbow to help steady him. He frowned at the glass that no longer displayed the image from the vision, then around the wide expanse of the cathedral before us.
He started tugging me by my shirt toward where our group had gone, but then he froze again, his vision going hazy. But just as quickly as it began, Will blinked, muttering a curse that I was sure was a no-no in such a sacred place.
Instead of moving toward the exit, Will retreated back toward the stairs leading higher up. I followed him, unsure what was happening. But when we came to the room filled with beams, the sense of danger pricked along my spine.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my hackles raising as that sense of alarm moved up my neck. My gaze scanned the room, searching for threats while Will yanked out his phone. He held it to his ear, but I still heard Otto’s voice come through it.
“Hey, what’s up?” Otto asked, and I heard the clatter of plates in the background.
“Otto, thank God. I need you to come pick us up. Now.”
“What? But I just ordered my food.”
“I don’t care,” Will growled. “You can eat later. Because the queens are here and—”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence before two figures stepped out from the darkness.
They wore matching black gowns, cut low in the front. The ends of the dresses bled into the shadows, and with each step, the fabric shimmered. Fire coiled in their palms, though it didn’t seem to bother them. As they crept closer, they brushed their palms along the beams, causing the wood to blacken and smoke.
They grinned at me, mirrors of each other. But though they shared matching facial features, one was so pale that she was nearly colorless, and the other’s skin and hair were a rich brown.
The twin fairy queens of Avalon.
“ Fuck ,” Will muttered, stuffing his phone in his pocket.
“Tricky, little sorcerer,” they said in unison.
The nearly translucent one on the left’s smile dropped. “We’ve been looking for you.”
“How did you find us?” Will asked.
Her darker twin eyed him with keen contemplation, and I shifted slightly in front of Will, drawing her attention off of him. “We knew you’d show up here eventually. All we had to do was wait.”
That probably meant they were watching the other potential places we needed to search. It would make retrieving the rest of the Treasures trickier, but it was still doable.
I’d never gotten to know the other fairy queens of Avalon well. Because Avalon was a land of magic, something I’d lacked. Besides Morgana, I’d only seen the rest of the queens a few times. Though, I couldn’t recall their names.
They stopped about 10 feet away, and it was then that I noticed subtle differences between the two.
The one on the left was slightly taller and had a small mole at the corner of her eye. The one on the right’s eyes were brighter with malicious intent, and one of her front teeth was slightly crooked.
Their flaws only made them that more enchanting, though, and they knew it. I’d heard the tales of the cruelty the queens had performed on the human men who fell for their charms.
Most of those men were now skeletons at the bottom of the Glass Lake in Avalon.
“I don’t even know your names,” Will said, clearly stalling. Because he’d told me before he knew the queens from a vision.
“I’m Thiten,” the one on the right said. “And this is my sister, Thiton.”
Will sent them a mocking, sympathetic frown. “Your parents gave you the same name? That’s just mean.”
Thiten glared at Will, and in the next second, she had her hand raised and shot a blast of flame at him.
My instincts kicked in from years of battle, and before the ball of fire hit him, I yanked Will out of its way.
The shot smashed into the wall behind us, creating a crater, and dust rose from it.
“I’m Thi ten ,” the one who shot at us snarled, then she pointed to her twin, “and she’s Thi ton . Our names are different, you little shit.”
Will scowled at her, speaking before I could cover his snarky mouth. “Jesus, chill. It’s not my fault your names sound, like, exactly the same.”
“Will, I really don’t think aggravating powerful fairy queens is the right tactic here,” I hissed in his ear as my heartbeat drummed faster.
With my panic, my grip on my beast loosened some, and flashes of red danced in my vision. Prickles of energy bit at my skin, the sensation growing and unpleasant.
“Well, do you have a better idea?” he asked, wincing slightly when a spark from my curse landed on his arm. “Arthur...”
“Enough of this,” Thiten said, raising both hands this time.
Thiton followed her sister’s lead, and together, magic rose to their hands as they prepared to attack us.
Will sucked in a breath as his magic burst from his chest and down to his fingertips, and his eyebrows pinched in concentration. In the next moment, a stream of water careened into the room from the stairwell, forming a wall between us and the queens.
Their fire magic crashed into the barrier, sizzling out into steam.
They sent more balls of fire at the wall, each one evaporating more and more of our shield.
“Come on!” Will shouted as the water barrier trembled with the next hit.
Grabbing my hand, Will yanked me away from the queens. But the moment our backs were turned, a blaze of heat filled the room.
I tackled Will to the ground as the heat seared through his wall of water and slammed into us.
Pain licked up my back as the heat from the blast burned me, and I yelped as I curled tighter over Will.
When the heat retracted, I was panting. A force yanked me away from Will, and my burned back slammed into one of the wooden beams.
Thiten grinned cruelly at me as she padded over to me, and my beast snarled in my mind when she stepped too close.
She watched with delight as my gaze turned red, then shifted back. Her eyes roamed over the way my curse pricked over my arms and up my neck, stinging.
“What’s wrong, Artie boy?” she cooed, pinching my chin with her fingers. With her other hand, she dragged the tips of her fingers up my arm, almost seeming to delight in the way my curse nipped at her. “You don’t look so good. Are you feeling okay?”
Will was back on his feet now, but Thiton blocked his path to me.
When he met my gaze, I noted the fear in his blue eyes.
Thiten squeezed, her nails cutting into my skin, and I turned my attention back to her.
She sneered at me, leaning close to whisper in my ear. “Don’t worry, My King. We won’t kill you. Not yet. No, I think I’d like to have a little fun first.”
Will cursed as the sound of Thiton shooting another spell at him sounded, and the demon in me writhed restlessly with the need to attack these queens. These women who dared come after Will and me.
Thiten watched me struggle, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “So this is what we’re going to do, Arthur.” Still gripping my chin, she moved her other hand up to my forehead, and that gleam in her gaze only seemed to intensify. “You’re going to let that little beastie loose, and only after your teeth are wet with your little sorcerer’s lifeblood will we end you.”
My eyes widened in alarm, and I struggled more against the magic binding me to the beam. “No!”
But my shout ended on an agonized scream as Thiten worked some sort of spell, urging the demon from its cage.
In the next moment, my curse began crawling over my body, looking like dozens of tiny, red spiderwebs, and Thiten released me from her grasp with a cackle, and I crashed to the ground. She and her sister stepped back, revealing Will’s panting form where he lay sprawled on the floor, cradling a burned wrist.
The queens’ wicked grins were the last things we saw before they melted into the shadows once more.
My eyes blazed red, then cleared, locking onto him as the beast’s thoughts tried to override mine. I tried to fight it, but there was something wrong with me. Like I couldn’t keep my thoughts straight.
When Will’s gaze landed on me, saw the way my teeth grew and my body spouted fur, listened to the way my bones snapped and my cries turned to growls, true fear filled his eyes.
“Arthur?” he asked nervously. But his words couldn’t reach me now, and I struggled to remember what was happening and who I was.
Then everything tinted red once again.
We lunged at him, a roar falling from our chest. He barely had time to yank his foot out of the way before our jaws snapped closed where it had just been. As we pounced for him again, the man whipped up a wall of water to keep us at bay.
We growled in frustration as his magic kept us from reaching him, but then our ears twitched and our head swung around.
Voices sounded close by, and the scent of sweat and flesh wafted through an open doorway at the end of the room, which we vaguely knew would lead us back down to the main part of the cathedral.
Spinning around, we charged for the door, needing to rip and devour. We wanted to sink our teeth into hot flesh and wet our lips with blood.
But just before we reached the mouth of the stairwell, a wave of water formed inside the doorway and we smacked right into it. We yelped in pain before crashing to the floor with a grunt. We snarled as we rose again, turning to glower at the man who had his hands raised.
“Yeah, that’s right,” he muttered, inspecting his surroundings. “Focus on me.”
Shaking our head to orient ourselves, we spun back to growl at the man.
Realizing he had our attention, he dashed down the narrow, wooden walkway for the opposite doorway, which led up toward the tower, and we gave chase immediately.
The sounds of laughter followed after us from the shadows, but we were too lost in the hunt to focus on anything else.
When he made it to the door at the far end of the room, he blasted it open with his magic, not even slowing as its wooden remains showered around us. We charged through the gaping doorway after him, seeing him race up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. Its wooden structure creaked as he raced round and round and round again. Our claws carved grooves into the steps as we bounded up them, and the staircase groaned and shook as we rushed after him, hot on his heels.
The man charged up yet another staircase, this one stone, and we listened to the slap, slap, slap of his shoes against the steps.
But he was slowing now, and we grinned, knowing our hunt was coming to a close.
When the man rushed up one final, wooden staircase, his curses and labored breaths reaching our ears, he staggered into the tower room. We snapped our teeth at him as we ascended to the final floor, the room dimmer than the others. Posts supported the spire, and we wove around them as the man stumbled backward, his gaze frantically darting around. Then he rushed for the door leading to a small overlook, and we snarled in victory. Because we had him trapped, and by the sound of his racing heart, he knew it.
Just as he yanked open the door, we lunged for him, our weight colliding with his back.
He yelped as he was shoved forward through the doorway, his face slamming into the ornate ledge of the overlook. Before he could get up, our canines sank into his shoulder.
Wet heat slid over our tongue, the sweet taste of copper coating our mouth.
But before we could rip, a pulse of electricity zapped us in the face.
We yelped, releasing him. We shook our head back and forth, trying to shake off the lingering static. But when we glowered back at him, he winced as blood seeped from between his fingers clutching his shoulder.
Somewhere deep within, we knew we didn’t want this. Didn’t want to hurt this man who had helped us.
“Arthur,” he forced out, scooting backward. But there was nowhere to go. We’d trapped him, and now, we planned to feast on his flesh. “Arthur, you need to snap out of this.”
The only answer we gave in response was a low growl as we continued to prowl closer, our lips curled back into a victorious snarl.
“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” he said, and little wisps of magic sparked at his fingertips. We didn’t fear his magic, though. We knew how it felt, the tingles it sent down our spine when it brushed against us.
We paused at that thought, and for a moment, my mind cleared as the predator hesitated.
The man carried on, coughing slightly. “I was shown visions of you. Before we ever met. I saw what happened at Camlann. The men you killed.”
We didn’t want to think about that, and the beast snarled in warning.
The beast. The beast, not me.
The magic man kept going, his blue eyes wet with tears. We didn’t like it when he cried. It hurt us, hurt our chest when he did. “I felt your rage,” he said, and we stopped listening. For a single blink, my vision cleared and my thoughts returned to my own. In the next, the fiend was back. “I felt your pain and your sorrow. I felt it all, Arthur.
“I know you’re angry right now. That the curse is fighting you to stay in control. But I promised you something last night.” He sucked in a pained breath. “I promised I wouldn’t let you break. So don’t make me a liar, Arthur. Remember who you are and what’s worth fighting for.”
His voice calmed us, clearing our head from the fog. And I could feel it. Myself. Even if it was a small part.
So with every blink, I fought to shove the demon back.
My head shook as the brute and I struggled for dominance. But then a warm hand cupped our face, and that tranquil feeling bled into us, cooling every angry thought.
The beast hummed at the touch, its fight leaving it. I didn’t have a chance to ponder why before it was retreating enough to allow me to take back control, and I seized it without another thought.
When I blinked again, my vision returned to normal, the sky once again blue, not red. My body had shifted back to its human form, but my clothes were torn and burned and barely hanging onto my body.
“Oh, thank fuck.”
I jolted at the sound of that voice, of his voice.
Will.
He was just where he’d been before, his back pressed against the railing, his breathing ragged.
His white shirt painted with dirt and blood. His blood.
No .
My hands trembled as I gripped his upper arms, and Will met my distressed gaze. His eyes were full of wary hope, like he was worried I’d lose control of the demon once more. But the beast simply sprawled out, content in its cage for once.
“Forgive me,” I murmured, closing my eyes and pressing my forehead against his chest. My body shook with trembles.
“Hey,” he said, wincing slightly. “It’s okay. It’s over now.”
“Is it though?” When Will flinched, my eyes fell to where I gripped him, so close to his injured shoulder. I withdrew my hands immediately, realizing I’d just hurt him further.
Will’s phone vibrated, but he didn’t take his gaze off of me. But I couldn’t meet his eyes, and I brought my knees up and rested my head on them. Blood smeared my chin and jaw, the taste of Will’s blood still lingering on my tongue.
“Hey, Arthur?”
“Yes?”
“You did it.” He licked his lips. “I know it might not feel like a win, but you took back control today. That’s a really big improvement.”
My gaze flicked to his shoulder. “It doesn’t feel like much of a win.”
“Sometimes the small wins are just as important as the big ones.”
“Well, isn’t this touching?”
I lunged to my feet at the sound of Thiten’s voice, but Will remained on the ground, still too weak to stand. To do much more than lean his back against the balustrade.
The twin queens were perched on a stone spire beside us, their gazes sharp and malicious. As we watched, licks of flame curled between their fingers as they readied their magic. Apparently, they weren’t done playing with us.
“Do you have any magic left?” I asked Will quietly, not daring to take my focus off of the two queens.
“Some,” he said quietly. “Not enough to take both of them on, though.”
Still, when Thiten released a ball of flame at us, Will raised his hands and the small balcony thundered as it transformed. I closed my eyes as the fireball shot straight for us, but when all that hit me was a quick pulse of heat, I risked a peek.
The stones of the balcony had been rearranged to form a curved wall, protecting Will and me from the queen’s fire power.
Will was sweating profusely now, and his skin looked ashen and sickly. Blood continued to leak from the wound in his shoulder, and the burn on his forearm was blistered and an angry red.
Despair filled me when I realized that this was it. I didn’t see a way of escaping this now.
“Arthur, help me up,” Will groaned, but when I didn’t immediately comply, he scowled at me. “ Now . I think I have an idea.”
He was so bossy sometimes. I think he forgot just who was the king here.
Taking the risk, I quickly helped Will to his feet. He barely managed to stand, and I had to support his weight.
The sound of the queens throwing more flames at the stone filled the air, and Will leaned close.
“Do you trust me?” he whispered into my ear, and a tremor raced down my spine at the way his breath tickled my skin.
I almost forgot the danger we were in. Almost.
He pulled back enough to look me in the eyes. I searched his, flicking back and forth as I found my answer.
Finally, I gave him the barest of nods. “Yes, Will. I do.”
He released a breath in relief like he’d been worried I’d say no. But after everything he’d done to save and protect me, I found I did trust him.
“Good,” he said. But then he dipped his chin toward the ledge. “Now, when I say jump, jump .”
I stared at him, sure I’d heard him wrong. “Jump... off?”
But he wasn’t listening any longer, his attention back on the fairy queens. They pelted his stone shield with more and more magic, and Will’s muscles tensed with each new hit like it physically hurt him. He couldn’t keep them back much longer, and the look he sent me next confirmed he knew that.
“Ready?” he croaked, reaching his hand back toward me.
I grabbed his searching fingers and gave them a tight squeeze. “No.”
“Good. Now, jump !”
So we jumped.
Magic flared from Will’s chest as he shot a blast of electric power toward the cathedral, causing a bolt of lightning to strike the tower. A massive explosion sounded next, followed by Thiten and Thiton’s screams, and fiery heat chased after us as we fell.
My insides squirmed, my heart galloped, and my breath caught in my lungs. I locked Will’s hand in mine, refusing to let go as we plummeted toward the ground.
And just as I thought it was the end and we were about to die, a gust of wind swept under our bodies.
I breathed out a sigh of relief as Will focused the air current beneath us, carrying us carefully to the earth.
The moment we landed, though, Will collapsed, his hand falling from mine.
I reached for him, barely managing to catch him before he hit the grass. His eyelids drooped with exhaustion, and he moaned as I picked him up into my arms.
My heart was still beating rapidly, and when Will rested his head against my chest, it only managed to pump harder.
People gathered along the grass to witness the horrific scene behind us. A couple even gaped at us, making me realize they’d seen Will use magic. Others watched as the cathedral’s tower collapsed, raining down debris.
With Will tucked safely into my arms, I hurried away, but I didn’t know where I was going.
I couldn’t keep carrying him like this, not just because my body was aching with exhaustion, but also because people were starting to pay us too much attention. Especially in our current disheveled state. I didn’t know if the lightning had killed the queens, but I couldn’t risk drawing too much attention and them finding us if they were still alive.
Something hot burned my stomach, and I glanced down to the Halter Will still had tied around his arm. It was pressed against my stomach through the scraps of my shirt, though it wasn’t hot enough to leave a mark.
I recalled what Will had said about the Treasure’s powers, that it was able to call any steed into it.
The Halter flared hot again, drawing my attention once more, like it was calling for me to use it.
Breathing heavily, I carefully set Will on the ground and unraveled it from his arm. It stayed warm as I held it, wondering if I could really use the magical artifact.
Closing my eyes, I thought of a white coat, speckled with gray. Of a long, sleek mane that drifted through the wind. Of four strong legs, stronger than any other I’d met. Of intelligent brown eyes that mirrored my soul.
Of the one mare I knew I could always count on.
A rush of air preceded a high-pitched whinny, and I blinked my eyes open in disbelief.
Llamrei stomped her left front hoof, and she shook her large head, which was confined in the Halter.
She was just as beautiful as the last time I’d laid eyes on her.
My vision clouded with tears as a little piece of my past returned to me, and a melancholy feeling filled my heart, knowing this was temporary.
Llamrei nuzzled into my palm, playfully nipping at my fingers and making me chuckle wetly.
“Aye, it’s good to see you too, old friend.”
With a gentle pat to her side, I released the Halter and retrieved Will’s unconscious form.
Blue irises peeked out from his slitted gaze as I hoisted us onto Llamrei’s back. With no saddle, we’d have to ride bareback. That would be tricky to do while keeping Will’s unconscious form from falling off.
Leaning in close to her ear, I whispered, “Ready for one last ride?”
In response, Llamrei reared up on her hind legs, shaking her mane in a lively display that had me rolling my eyes. She’d always been dramatic.
With a light tap to her side, Llamrei charged forward, and I tightened my hold on Will to make sure he was secured.
My legs squeezed against her sides as she raced through the city of Salisbury, causing quite a stir as people caught sight of her. I remembered my earlier thoughts about keeping hidden and out of sight, but there was nothing to do about it now.
The wind whipped through my hair as we darted through the streets, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, even when Will groaned and promptly threw up all over the three of us.
“Teeth,” he moaned, barely conscious. Then he made a gnashing motion with his own, which only made me laugh.
We galloped out of the main part of the city, and I closed my eyes briefly as I let myself picture I was in a different time.
Llamrei and me riding through the trees with Lancelot and Gawain giving chase after us on their steeds. The laughter that stirred the birds and small critters from the trees as we weaved through the forest.
The joy we felt before the weight of responsibility fell upon our shoulders.
Will’s pocket blared with noise as we rode, and I ignored it. But when it continued with no sign of stopping, I finally pulled Llamrei to a stop.
We were far from the city now, though I could still see hints of the cathedral’s tower, what was left of it, from far out here.
Stroking a hand down Llamrei’s neck, I carefully dismounted with Will. He grumbled as I set him down on a soft patch of grass and dug out his phone from his pocket. It was chiming with music, and I frowned down at the wretched thing as Otto’s face bobbed on the glass surface.
I prodded at the phone until Otto’s voice carried through.
“Will?” he shouted, making my ears, still sensitive from the explosion, ache. “Will, thank God! Are you okay?”
“He’s okay,” I grunted back, feeling very silly talking to the thing. “But he’s hurt. Are you able to find us?”
There was a pause before Otto answered. “Yeah, I can do that. What happened?”
“That’s a story for later. Hurry.”
I didn’t know how to make him go away, so even though his voice continued to squawk, I stuffed the phone back into Will’s pocket.
Now that the immediate threat was gone, I found shelter beneath the shade of a large tree. Horns of all manner trumpeted through the air as help arrived at the Cathedral. But from this distance, I could only make out the slightest trail of smoke in the sky from the tower.
Llamrei grazed upon the grass, munching contentedly as we waited for the others to find us. I knew I’d have to release her from the Halter’s magic soon, and panic started up at the thought of losing her.
I attempted to push the thought aside, but as I glanced down at Will, my panic only increased. Because today had been too close. I’d almost killed him because of my actions.
He slept soundly, though, blissfully unaware of my tumultuous thoughts. How lucky it must be to slumber unencumbered by nightmares.
Dust speckled his hair, and dirt smudged the side of his face. That scowl, which so very often adorned his visage, was gone with the aid of sleep, and I grinned as I brushed away the mark on his cheek.
I was just beginning to wonder where the others were when I heard from up ahead the most atrocious squealing sound.
Their vehicle protested as it slid around the corner, leaving black trails on the road. I jerked in alarm when it came to a screaming halt a fingerbreadth away from Llamrei’s muzzle. But she didn’t even flinch as she continued to munch on a couple of wild flowers.
“Hop in!” Nana called, and I had half a mind to run in the opposite direction, wondering if Will and I would be better off riding Llamrei instead of climbing into the car. But I knew we couldn’t do that.
Moving to press my face to Llamrei’s, I closed my eyes and forced back the tears threatening to leak. Because I didn’t want her to go. Didn’t want to lose this piece of my past.
Llamrei stopped eating, and nuzzled into my neck before releasing a sharp huff. I laughed, though my heart wasn’t in it.
When I met her eyes, there was a knowing glint there. I swallowed down my selfishness to keep her here, knowing she couldn’t.
“It’s time to rest now,” I whispered, only loud enough for her keen hearing to pick up. “Thank you, for always being there when I needed you. I never got to tell you how much you meant to me. I’ve missed you so much.”
Llamrei snorted, huffing slightly into my face like she couldn’t believe I was doing this right now. But then she bowed her head to mine, and that one gesture said everything she couldn’t.
She’d missed me too.
And as one traitorous tear leaked from my eye, I removed the Halter.
Llamrei disappeared in a soft glow, leaving nothing but her happy whinny drifting away on the wind.
Stuffing the Treasure into my pocket, I swallowed down the lump of grief in my throat and hurried to grab Will who was attempting to sit up. He whined when I lifted him into my arms, and I really hoped he didn’t throw up again.
Dorothy hurried to open the door for us, her dark brows lowered in concern as she shifted into the middle of the car to allow us room. It took some maneuvering, but I was able to slip into the back seat without releasing Will.
But Otto’s eyes widened in alarm at Will’s barely conscious form and his bloodied shoulder. “I thought you said he was okay?”
When he tried to reach for Will, I growled, and he dropped his hand immediately. “He is. He used too much magic at once to help us escape. Once he rests and has a healing tonic, he should be fine.”
At least, I hoped so. I knew with Merlin and Morgana, they needed rest after expending too much magic.
Otto didn’t appear appeased by that, but as Nana Joanne started off down the road once more, he held his tongue. We were quiet as we drove, and I watched a tiny arrow on their magical map show our progression to keep my thoughts occupied.
Honestly, magic was everywhere now.
But today had been a tough one, and no matter how I tried, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from drifting back to its earlier events. And not just with the queens.
Because while I didn’t care for my father, the fact that he hadn’t cared for me stung at times. No one liked to feel unwanted, especially from someone who was supposed to love you unconditionally. And seeing him today had only stirred those feelings of inadequacy and neglect.
Though, I had to remember that while Uther Pendragon might have created me, Sir Ector made me the man I’d been. A good man that helped and protected others, before he made decisions that led to so much pain and death; but, a man that I hoped to be once again.
Besides, at the end of the day, who was a father but someone who gave care and protection to someone they raised. To me, that made Sir Ector my father. He’d been the one to feed me, clothe me, bathe me. He’d been the one to teach me right from wrong and that honesty and kindness were some of the most important principles any man, woman, or child could have.
He’d been the one to show me that love was the most important attribute of all.
So as we drove and drove with no clear destination, I gazed around this car full of people who would gladly protect the man in my arms in the name of love, and I couldn’t help but think that love really was the most important thing of all.