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A hand gripped my wrist.
I looked up into Merlin’s cool gray eyes.
“He’s gone, Morgan. We’ve done all we can.”
I nodded. Unable to speak.
“He knew we were here. All of us. He knew you were here. He wasn’t alone. He passed in love,” she said gently, looking between me and Kasie.
I nodded again, numbly. Kasie gave a sharp jerk of her head, then turned back to her table and began to gather up her things.
“He seemed... important,” I mumbled.
“Every life is important,” Merlin agreed.
“No, I mean...”
She squeezed my wrist again. “I know what you mean.” She sighed. “He was important. Not only because he was a very good spy but because he meant a great deal to Galahad. They were acolytes together. Then, when Arthur forbade their progression, well...” She gave me a significant look, and I nodded.
“After that, Christen found employment in the castle, working in the kitchens. But he was still well-known to everyone here. The perfect go-between. He was sharp-witted, funny, and fast...” She trailed off.
Not fast enough, was the implication.
Kasie was slipping towards the door. I waited until Merlin had gone and embraced the healer, said goodnight, and closed the door again.
“What happened, Merlin? How was he caught?”
“As Galahad said, he was trying to eavesdrop at the meeting tonight.” She hesitated. “There is... a passage we use. Leading between the castle and the temple. Underground.”
“The one my uncle used to get Guinevere out, I presume?”
“One of them. This city is ancient, Morgan. Not even your uncle or I presume to know all of its secrets.”
I nodded.
“When Christen was late,” the priestess continued, “Galahad went looking for him. He found him lying near the end of the passage. He’d managed to somehow get that far. He’d been attacked.”
“By this Fenyx?”
“Fenyx is Arthur’s Lord General. His most powerful commander and a court favorite.” Her lips thinned. “For the moment at least. But Fenyx would not have attacked a mere spy alone. If he had his suspicions about Christen, he would simply have sent his men to look after it for him.”
“Yet Christen got away...”
Merlin nodded. “He managed to tell Galahad he had killed the ones who attacked him. I only pray he was right.”
I raised my brow. “If he’s wrong?”
“We’ve been lucky so far. Our spies, though young, have been relatively discreet. They have been loyal.” She rubbed her temples. “We must hope that Christen was right. That the men who attacked him died as well.” She looked at me. “This is where your uncle comes in handy.”
“How so?”
“We’ve sent him word about what’s occurred. On his end, he’ll be cleaning up the mess.” She frowned. “Quite literally. Looking for loose ends, too. If he believes there is a threat, he’ll warn us.”
“In which case?” I said sharply. “Then what?”
“Then we flee,” she said simply. “We have sustained a small resistance in Camelot for months, Morgan. The temple has been our base. But it may not last much longer. Arthur is convinced his greatest foes now lie close to home. His fury knows no bounds within Camelot. He holds nothing back.”
I bit my lip. “And Galahad? He and Christen?”
