Chapter Thirteen—The Spear #3
“In a way you are, love,” Lucas said and put an arm around her shoulder. “Balor tried to suspend us in Time, but I reached the Spear first and it sent us here.”
Merlin shook his head. “It was the Shield, boy. I magicked it when I gave it to Galahad. It found its way home. Apparently,” he said, as he sighed, “with two uninvited guests.”
“You never did adopt courtly manners,” Lucas observed dryly.
“Hmph,” Merlin said again. “Didn’t have to. You and Bedwyr and Gawain took the honors there.”
“Wait,” Sara said and stared at Lucas. “Are you telling me you lived during King Arthur’s time?”
Merlin cackled. “You don’t know who this is, do you?”
“Never mind!” Lucas frowned at Merlin, then turned back to Sara. “I’m Lucas Ramsey now. I’ve lived many lives. I was at the Round Table. I was with the Templars.”
She reached for the edge of the chair by the table and sank down onto it. “First you’re a werewolf—”
“And keep that wolf leashed in here,” Merlin snapped. “You know it always upsets Sophie.”
Sara wasn’t even going to ask. And then she ducked as silent wings whirred by her and an owl perched on the mage’s shoulder, blinking at her with round eyes.
“The wolf’s been permanently tamed,” Lucas said and grinned at Sara. Then he looked back at Merlin. “Since you obviously prefer your solitude, perhaps you’d be so kind as to send us back through the portal? I’ve some unfinished business with Balor.”
“The devil’s own spawn. He’s the one that got my boy killed.” Merlin spat. “But I can’t send you back. Not now.”
Sara hoped her voice didn’t tremble too much. “Why not?”
“Because the portal opens only once a year. You’ll have to wait until next Beltane before I can send you through.”
“A year from now,” Lucas said grimly. “Balor has the means to find the other Hallows. I can’t let that happen.”
The magician raised a scruffy eyebrow. “Even I can’t manage Time. Any fellow knights still running around that you can press into service?”
“I don’t think so,” Lucas said. “There’s a vampire—”
Sara groaned. “Wolf man. Now vampires? Am I going to wake up in restraints in a psycho ward somewhere?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You really aren’t losing your mind.”
A crystal ball materialized on the table in front of Merlin, and Sara jumped.
The old man reached up and plucked a hair from her head.
It would have hurt except the incense that just appeared beside the ball took her mind off it.
If she wasn’t already mad—and she wasn’t convinced—she certainly would be in a short time.
The mage drew her hair through the smoke and then laid it on the crystal ball, which he then peered into, muttering something Sara couldn’t understand.
Right now, she didn’t even want to. “Just as I thought,” he finally said.
“There is another immortal in your world.” He swept his hand over the ball. “Look.”
Lucas bent over her shoulder. Sara leaned forward. “Oh, no,” she said.
Michael looked back at her. A white light glowed around him and in his hand was a fiery Sword.
Sara closed her eyes and Lucas gently rubbed her shoulders. “I should have known,” he said.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked again. She half-expected to see wings sprout off her friend. “What is he? An archangel?” She could remember a number of times when Michael had definitely not acted angelic. Unless there were serious problems with everyone’s concept of Heaven.
“That’s probably what the Christos people call him,” Merlin said with a sniff. “He’s an Avenger. For the Cosmos.”
“Of course. For the Cosmos.” Sara didn’t want to know any more. Not now.
“I’ll explain later, sweetheart,” Lucas said and turned to Merlin. “We need to get a message through to him.” He indicated the vellum wrapped around the Spear and bound by a leather thong. “It provides the next clue.”
Merlin glared at him. “Don’t ask me to—”
“You know she’s the only one who can move between the worlds, Merlin. You have to take the curse off Nimue.”
“Nimue?” Sara asked weakly.
Merlin glowered. “I still haven’t forgiven her for locking me in that tree.”
Lucas threw up his hands. “Arthur went over that with both of you!”
“Nimue,” Sara repeated. “The Lady of the Lake?”
Merlin snorted. “She wishes. No, that was Vivian. Nim was always too flighty.”
“Nim,” Sara said and looked at Lucas as understanding dawned. “Not my Nim?”
“Afraid so, love,” Lucas said with a grin.
“Of course,” she said. “Why would that surprise me?”
He brushed back a stray strand of her hair. “Apparently, you have some special powers, for Nimue to have chosen to work with you. Or maybe she knew I would come along some day.”
Sara took a deep breath. “About that. Who, exactly, are you anyway?”
Merlin snorted. “Meet Lancelot.”
Sara stared. “Lancelot? But you loved Gwenhwyfar—”
“Not in the way you think,” he answered. “I’m the man who’s going to love you for eternity.”
“But all the books say—”
“The books have it all wrong.” He sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, I think I have Time to listen,” she answered and reached up to put her arms around his neck. “Start explaining.”