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“As much as anybody ever is, yeah.”
He could not imagine how scared and confused her family must be. He did not ask. “And the dog?”
“Eod is great. Making friends. Currently asleep on my legs cutting off the circulation, probably.”
He smiled sadly. How he wished to be there with her. What precious few nights they had left to share together. “I would expect no less.”
“Are you okay?” She lifted her head to look up at him.
“I am fine.” He vanished one of his gauntlets, wishing to feel her skin against his fingers as he brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone, even if it was a phantom of a memory in a dream. “Do not worry over me.”
“You’re going to war. With Grinn. Of course I’m worried.”
He let a small, wicked smile creep over his features. “I could ease those worries of yours…”
“Ew! Dude, my dad’s like—right there—” She pointed.
“He is only a figment.”
“I’m not taking that chance.” She smacked his chest.
Laughing at the moment, his laughter stilled when she frowned. She poked at the shard in his chest. Ah. Yes. Right. That.
“What the—” She pulled the collar of his shirt aside, revealing the gem that was embedded in his chest. “Mordred? What?—”
“It is nothing for you to be concerned over. I am fine.” He tugged the fabric over the shard, hiding it once more.
“Nothing to—but that’s—how—why?” She shook her head. “Who did that to you?”
“I did. Please, do not trouble yourself over it.”
It was clear that his attempts to dissuade her did nothing. She straddled his lap—a distracting movement. He might have been tempted to follow through on that distraction if it were not for how she was glaring at him. “Don’t tell me not to ‘trouble myself.’ What do you mean, you did that to yourself? Why?”
He sighed. Leaning back on his elbows, mimicking her pose from before, he watched her idly. He would have to give her something. At least she could not meddle in his affairs from Earth. He knew she would stop at nothing to do so, were that not the case. “I must draw Grinn out from the caves in which he hides. I need to put bait in the trap.”
“And you made yourself bait?” She shook her head. “But I don’t get it.”
“The magic that fuels this shard in my chest is of two parts. Half my elemental gift, and half that which my mother imparted upon me. That half is not subject to my control over it once the power is spun. In other words, I may have made the lock, but I no longer own the key.”
“Who has the key?”
“The Gossamer Lady.” At Gwen’s blank expression, he continued, idly shrugging a shoulder. “She is one of the few with which I would trust my life. Not for my sake, mind you. But she will not break her promise and kill me, if only to spare her love the dishonor.”
Letting out a sigh, she covered her eyes with her hand. “This is so fucking dumb, Mordred. What does Galahad think about all this?”
“He despises every second of everything that has transpired as of late. It is how I know that it is a plan worth doing. Or at least in keeping with my character.” He chuckled and lay flat on his back. He had to admit that the idle sounds of the game being played were somehow comforting. Coupled with the warmth of the sun, it was quite pleasant.
“Can you undo it?” She tentatively touched the gem through his clothes.
“Yes. When the time comes.” He likely could not undo the magic fast enough if Zoe were to weaponize it against him—well, truly weaponize it—but he would not share that information with Gwendolyn. She did not need to know about the details.
“This is fucking dumb.”
“So you have said.” He urged her to lower herself down to him so that he could kiss her. She let him pull her close. But just as he was about to kiss her, she pulled her head back and fixed him with a glare. He blinked. “What?”
“Don’t get out of this conversation with cuddles.”
“I was not intending on cuddling you.”
