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A group was hurrying towards us from the opposite end, making their way around the corner of the arched cloisters.
I saw a flash of steel, and for a moment, my heart lurched and my hand tightened on my rapier.
Then I recognized the man holding the sword. “Galahad!”
His face was flinty as he rounded the corner, but as he caught sight of Lancelet and me, it filled with relief. Beads of sweat glistened on his skin. One side of his face was streaked with blood.
Beside him, her face flushed with anxiety, marched a petite girl holding a torch in one hand. The warm light reflected off her dark brown curls and rosy cheeks.
“Guinevere!” Lancelet leaped forward. For a moment, I thought she might actually embrace the young woman. But she skidded to a halt a few steps from the group.
I had no such qualms. I had not embraced him since I’d returned from Myntra, but now, I flung myself into Galahad's arms, knocking him back slightly.
“It's good to see you,” I said, my face muffled against his rough, wool tunic.
His free arm came tentatively around me, squeezing me tightly for a moment.
“And you, Morgan.”
I let go of him and stepped back.
Behind Galahad and Guinevere was a small group of people, their faces haggard. Some were soot-stained, others bloody. I scanned their faces but saw no one I recognized.
“Where are the others? Merlin? Tyre?” And then I had a terrible thought. “Javer? Have you seen Javer?”
Lancelet shot me a strange look as if she couldn’t believe I was concerned about the man.
Yes, I was concerned. But not for the reason she thought.
“We haven’t seen Tyre,” Guinevere said. “We saw Merlin briefly. She was with us, then she disappeared.” She rubbed a hand across her forehead.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Lancelet said bitterly. “Someone sold us out.”
“Some of them came in through the front gates,” Galahad said quietly. “Brazenly. But other groups entered through at least two of the tunnels. They were informed. They knew their way around. They weren’t trying to hide. They simply wanted to catch as many of us off guard as possible.”
Thank the Three that the temple complex was relatively huge. Arthur’s men were probably going around systematically. Based on the bodies lying behind us, they must have thought the corridor Lancelet and I had come through was already clear.
“Come back the way we came,” I said. “There’s no one behind us. We’ll get these people out through the passageway into the city and then...”
“And then?” Guinevere looked up at me with wide, owlish eyes.
“Then I’m coming back to search for Merlin.”
“I’ll stay with them,” Lancelet said swiftly.
She didn’t want to leave Guinevere’s side now that she had found her. I understood.
I nodded. “Fine. Galahad, are you badly hurt?”
He shook his head. “I’m armed, but none of the others are.”
It was strange to see him with a sword in his hand. But thank the Three his father had insisted on training him despite his temple aspirations. It had come in handy tonight.
We hurried back the way Lancelet and I had just come, with Galahad and Guinevere leading and Lancelet and me taking up places at the rear of the little cluster.
Guinevere gasped as we turned a corner and she caught sight of the bodies lying in the darkened hall leading up to the passage entrance. A woman in the group moaned, evidently seeing someone she recognized.
