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All eyes went to the Knight in Gold.
“As someone who served beside them both for the better part of two millennia—and as a man who prides himself upon his honor—I cannot say that Mordred’s actions were out of line. Unfortunate as the situation might have been…Lancelot’s death was not murder.”
Gwen smiled at the knight, relief filling her. It wasn’t unanimous. That meant that Mordred would live! Right? Right?
“Very well. The matter of Lancelot’s death is dismissed,” Zoe said with a nod. There were unhappy murmurs in the crowd, but nobody spoke up. “Now,” she continued, “is the matter of the Iron Crystal. All those who wish to find Mordred guilty of the wrongful imprisonment of the elementals of Avalon, say aye.”
The room responded at once. Including Bors, Percival, Tristan, and Gawain. Galahad said nothing.
“All those against?”
Silence. Zoe looked up at Galahad, who simply shook his head no. He was clearly recusing himself. Which was as good as saying yes, in the end.
Fuck.
Fuck!
Zoe shut her eyes. “Then it is decided. Mordred, you are hereby found guilty.”
“No!” Gwen clenched her fists. “You can’t do this—you can’t—he was trying to save this island. What about all the innocent villagers and the normal people of this island that you elementals had been terrorizing? What about all their murders?”
Zoe’s eyes creased in sadness. “They are not elementals. Therefore, they are not held to the same code. Their deaths are…unfortunate, but not illegal.”
“Oh, that’s fucking rich.” Gwen stepped forward again. “What a bunch of power-mad, childish hypocrites! You treat everybody else like they’re garbage, and you treat each other like you’re angry toddlers fighting over a bucket of toys. Galahad—Galahad, you can’t be serious. You can’t let this happen.”
The Knight in Gold frowned. “One crime does not condone another. The deaths he was trying to prevent, however noble his efforts, came at too high a cost.”
Mordred shut his eyes.
Zoe shook her head. “Forgive me, Gwendolyn. I understand your strife—and I do not disagree. But the laws of our people have existed long before?—”
“Your laws are shit!” Gwen couldn’t take it.
Mordred chuckled. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her back again. “It is all right, Gwendolyn. This is expected.”
“Fuck that, no.” She was fuming. And her hands were smoldering. She had to take a breath to keep from exploding into fire again. At least I kept the metal clothes. At least I won’t really be reliving my naked prom nightmare.
Mordred kissed the top of her head.
She was shaking, she was so angry. She didn’t know how he could be so calm about it.
“Is this how people become murderers?” she murmured to Mordred. “Because I’m about to test the theory.”
“Shush, my firefly.” He kissed the top of her head again, gently wrapping his arm around her.
“By the laws of our people, as…valid or not they may be,” Zoe’s voice cracked with sadness. “I find you, Mordred, the Prince in Iron, guilty of wrongful imprisonment of the elementals of Avalon.” Zoe shut her eyes. “And the sentence for your crime, is death.”
TWENTY
Gwen’s heart fell into her stomach. She knew that was likely what they were going to say, but it didn’t feel real. This couldn’t be happening—this could not be happening! She whirled toward Mordred, eyes wide and in a panic. She grabbed his arm. “We have to?—”
But Mordred was smiling.
It was an expression she rarely saw him wear when she was around. It was one of those moments that made her realize that her Mordred was not the one that most people were accustomed to dealing with. That version—the one that was staring at Zoe as though he was imagining exactly how she would look with her limbs pulled off—that most of Avalon was familiar with.
“Interesting. Is that so?” He chuckled. “Then I have no need to spare all your lives. Consider them forfeit.”
“Wait—wait—” Gwen stepped in between Mordred and Zoe. The Prince in Iron was about to go on a bloody rampage, whether or not the Gossamer Lady could drop him quickly enough. There was no telling how many of the elementals he could kill before she managed to stop him. And she’d be left either trying to protect Mordred or to stop him. And she had no idea what she would do. She had no interest in finding out. “Stop. Just give me a second.”
