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“But none of this is what she wanted. Merlin wanted me to spy for them, Draven. For the group. The Knights of the Round Table—” Then I had to explain the stupid name and listen to Draven’s slow, deep chuckle. A sound that filled me with much-needed warmth, like a hot cup of tea on a cool, autumn day.
When the rumbles had subsided, I pressed on. “But how can I be a spy now? I have no one to report to. Merlin is gone. The fellowship she created is broken. I don’t even know where Guinevere and Galahad have gone or if I’ll be able to find them. And Lancelet... She was caught. Arthur has her in the castle dungeons. I don’t even know if I can reach her there.”
“But you’ll try.”
I nodded. “Yes. I’ll try. Of course I will.” It was heartening to know that he had no doubt I would.
“Not everyone was captured or fled,” he reminded me. “You didn’t see Javer. Or that other man. The priest.”
“Tyre? No, you’re right.”
“And your uncle. He wasn’t in the temple at all. So he’s probably safe.”
“You’re right,” I acknowledged. “He had no reason to be there. Hopefully Arthur still has no idea he’s been involved.”
“Guinevere and Galahad can’t have gone far. They won’t have left the city. And what of Sir Ector and Dame Halyna?”
“I have no idea. They seemed to come and go. But it was clear they believed Arthur no longer trusted them.” The fact that they had gotten away with all that they had for so long was frankly miraculous. “I’ll seek them out tomorrow. Perhaps I can make contact.” I had a thought. “If anyone would know, my uncle would. I’ll go to him first.”
“Good. But be careful. Arthur is not as stupid as he seems, Morgan. If he brought you back to the castle, he may have had other reasons for doing so. He’ll be watching you. If you go straight to Caspar, there’s a chance he’ll find out and wonder why.”
“Good point.” Perhaps I should wait until my uncle came to me. I decided I would wait at least a day and see how long it took.
“Meanwhile, Merlin was right,” Draven continued. “There is much you could learn if you’re careful. Excalibur must be somewhere close to Arthur. Where is it, and what does he plan to do with it? Oh, I don’t mean go and ask him on your first day back. But play the game. You weren’t too bad at it before.”
“The game? The game of court, you mean?” I had grown up with the intrigue and the pretense. “I suppose the Rose Court will be child’s play compared to the Court of Umbral Flames.”
“My people might be more savage on the surface,” Draven agreed. “But yours have subtle thorns. This Fenyx for instance... I don’t like what you’ve told me about him.”
And I had left out the parts I thought Draven would like even less. About how Fenyx had stared and stared. And what Arthur had seemed to offer.
“You look fae now, Morgan. You’re sure to attract more attention than you did before, too,” he reminded me.
“Most people will shun me, if they didn’t already,” I said. “Especially if they aren’t sure whether Arthur truly has decided to favor me again.”
“They won’t know how to react. Use that to your advantage. Remember your strategy. The one Merlin...” He cleared his throat. “The one Merlin clearly wished you to use. You’ve done nothing wrong. Rather, you have been wronged by the High Priestess herself. Before she was justly executed”—I cringed, but knew he was right—“she confessed to everything, and you were witness to that. You are the victim here, only too happy to be back in the court where you belong.” He paused. “Perhaps you can try to take credit for getting Excalibur back to Arthur, too.”
“Sure. Once I find out exactly how he got it in the first place,” I said grimly.
“Right. But you were the one who opened Orcades’ prison and pulled the sword from the stone. Perhaps you can remind Arthur of that. Then give him a modified version of what happened afterwards.”
“You mean don’t mention how the half-fae rogue he sent to follow us became my lover and then tried to kill me? And how you had to save me and then take me back to your dark fae court? That part?”
“That part,” he said, his lips twitching.
“Are we really married?” My voice was low.
“We are. I wouldn’t tell your brother that either.”
“You don’t think Arthur would rejoice to have you as a brother-in-law?” I said sarcastically.
Draven moved his head, and when he spoke again, his breath was hot against my ear. “I’m confident that would be the quickest path to the dungeons, my little silver one.”
He had never called me that before. I felt a tingling sensation as his lips brushed against my skin, reminding me of everything that had come before, all that had been between us.
“I’m not little,” I protested.
“You’re smaller than me.” I heard the smile in his voice, and it was all I could do to keep from turning my head to look at that beautiful face.
