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“Do you want to stop recording?” a female, robotic voice asked.
Sebastian looked at the Alexa sitting on Arthur’s kitchen counter. Had it been recording them? His eyes found Noelle. Had she told Alexa to record them? Was this all about the story for her? Just the story. “You were recording us?”
“Who is this, Mordred?” Morgan spat, glaring at Noelle. “Get rid of her.”
Suddenly, Morgan was lifted off the ground and smashed hard into the wall. Arthur stood to his feet and wiped his bloody lip. “Bitch.”
“Arthur,” she said, rubbing her head and getting up. “You’ve changed.”
“That’s what the twenty-first century will do to you,” he told her and moved to stand over her.
They shared some words and accusations. Sebastian didn’t listen to them. His steady gaze was fixed on Noelle. “You can’t use any of it,” he told her softly.
“I know,” she said, looking away.
Without taking his eyes off her, he told Alexa to erase everything it had recorded.
“Was it all just about the story, then?” He had to know. Yet, would she tell him the truth? And if she did care only for the story, what would he do? No one had ever used him for anything before. He’d never cared enough to know for certain. She was different. What should he do?
“Sebastian.” Her voice fell upon his ears the way it had every night for the last two months, familiar and husky. “This is life-changing. Magic is real. King Arthur is real and alive and, so far, doing well. There’s a place called Avalon in another realm!” Tears filled her eyes. “It’s big.”
Without another word, he moved away from her. It was bigger than him. He glanced at his true parents. He hated being a part of them, of all this. He didn’t want thisbigstory taking precedence over him. He just wanted a new life, a fresh beginning.
But something brought him to Arthur. It was as if thishadto happen. Hehadto be here. Why? He had a choice to make. Stand with his father and defeat Morgan, or stand with his mother, as he had before, and defeat Arthur. What would happen after that? He didn’t remember any of it.
“Sebastian,” Noelle called, hurrying after him.
When she said nothing more, he turned back to her. She was there, frozen in her spot, unable to move.
His breath stilled. His blood boiled. Which one of them did this? They would regret it. He wouldn’t hold back any longer.
His heart raced as his other instincts took over. He had to help Noelle. He held out his hand and closed his eyes. He called up whatever it was that knew magic. He felt a wave of anger rising up in him. His eyes faded from green to gold. He broke the spell with a few words. He watched Noelle recover, rub her head, and cast him a terrified look. No time to coddle her now. He had to stop Morgan. He said some words and she was lifted and gently pushed against the wall.
“Sebastian, don’t let Mordred hurt Arthur,” Noelle called out to him before another, thinner barrier surrounded her like a glass window and her voice could no longer be heard.
Good timing since Morgan decided to hurl another spell at her.
Facing his mother, Mordred held up his hands to block the spell. He added more and her wrists and ankles became bound. He did the same to her knights.
A moment later though, she broke free. She stared at him, wide-eyed. “You’ve become much stronger, my son.”
“Leave her out of this,” he warned her. “And don’t call me your son.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his palm to stop her. “Test me and I will most assuredly kill you.”
“He has poisoned your mind against me,” she accused, pointing at Arthur.
“He could not poison me against someone I don’t even know,” Sebastian told her. “You are nothing to me.”
“I’m your mother!” she shouted and the walls shook. She swung her arm and Sebastian reeled backward.
He tried to stop himself, but she was too strong. His back hit the wall and knocked the wind out of him. He saw Noelle behind her barrier. What if he was killed and no one could free her? Noelle. Arthur had stayed hidden from Morgan for fifty years and gave up everyone he loved to protect them from this monster. He would not do the same, but how could he fight her? Where did the power he felt come from? The dark beast. Mordred. He had awakened.
He rose to his feet.
He didn’t care if Morgan was his mother, he wouldn’t let her hurt Noelle. “Morgan!” he shouted.
She turned to him, already chanting a spell. He held it back for as long as he could, while Arthur fought her, but he wasn’t used to fighting magic, and finally he looked at her and blinked. “Mother?”
