AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Alligator,” Lina corrected her, laughing. “And we’re perfectly normal. You’re the newcomer, remember.”
Gwen supposed that was fair. “All right, Bert-the-pumpkin-headed-scarecrow-who-runs-a-revolutionary-spy-ring. Where is Grinn, then?”
“Holed up in the mountain in the center of the island, deep in the caves. It’s a dormant volcano, and word on the street is he’s trying to make it a lot less dormant.”
She shut her eyes. Yeah, that sounded a lot like Grinn. “Great.”
“Hop on. We’ll take you there.”
She supposed she couldn’t argue with the help. She climbed onto the cart and sat next to Lina, Eod flopping between the two of them. She frowned down at her lap as Bert flicked the reins, and the horse began to walk, pulling the cart behind it.
“What is it?” Mirkon asked.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get there. When I find Grinn and Mordred, if I’m not too late. I don’t think I can convince them to stop.”
“Nobody believed that the Iron Crystal would ever be broken,” Bert said from the front of the cart. “Everyone believed that the magic of Avalon would be trapped forever. But you proved that wrong. You’ll fix this. I know it.”
“I wish I had half your confidence.” Gwen smiled, if half-heartedly.
“You’ll see. I’m never wrong.”
Lina leaned over toward her. “He’s often wrong,” she whispered loudly.
“I heard that,” Bert retorted.
“But, okay, sure—follow this to its logical conclusion. If I manage to stop either Mordred or Grinn, one of them probably…doesn’t walk away from this. I don’t know how else this gets resolved.” Gwen cringed. She couldn’t stand the idea of either of them dying, for very different reasons.
She loved Mordred.
And part of her cared deeply about her grumpy old cat, even if he did turn out to be an asshole demon. All right, she always knew he was an asshole. The demon part was the new troublesome bit.
“Okay, and?” Mirkon blinked his one eye. “What’s the problem with that?”
“It’s complicated. Anyway?—”
“Ah.” Lina leaned back on the railing of the cart. “I see.”
“What?” Gwen turned her attention to the alligator woman. “You see what?”
“You have a thing for the demon.”
“No!” She made a face. “I do not have a thing for the demon!”
Lina cackled. “Then it’s Mordred, huh? You go for the tall, dark, and gloomy type. Well, everyone has their flaws.” She crossed her feet at the ankles in front of her. “Can’t hold that against you. I married an overweight cyclops.”
“I am not overweight.” Mirkon huffed. “I’m just a little fluffy. And you like it.”
“Way more than I need to know.” Gwen put her hands over her face. “And fine. I won’t deny I have feelings for Mordred. No point in lying about it.”
“No one’s perfect.” Lina shrugged. “So, the demon dies. What’s the problem?”
Gwen stared off into the woods for a long moment, debating how to explain it. With a sad sigh, she decided to just tell them the whole story, from the very beginning. Her finding the poor, sick stray cat when she was young. Taking care of it for a decade only for it to drag her through a portal and make her believe her home had burned to the ground. Her fall into Avalon as a false elemental. Her fall into love with Mordred. The destruction of the Crystal, Lancelot’s death—her being human again, and then now a wizard.
“Witch,” Lina corrected again.
“I’m sorry, what?” Gwen blinked.
“In Avalon, magic users who are men are called wizards. Women are witches. And no, they’re not all crones and hags like the stories of old. You’re a witch now.” Lina smiled. “And that means we have a chance of winning.” Her expression fell. “Not that I’m not sorry about all you’ve been through.”
