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“I know little of modern technology, but the necklace I gave Igraine possessed powers to keep her hidden within a wide area. It was one way I kept my family safe.”
“Oooh,” Annie murmured, clearly impressed. “Your magic must have a cloaking effect. So cool!”
“This means it must be close, no?” Rui deduced. “Just how broad a radius does your magic reach, sorcerer?”
Merlin scanned the surrounding area—river, hills and forests on all sides. There was no human civilization for miles around.
“Within two or three miles in every direction,” he answered.
“That’s a lot of area to cover,” Wolfe said.
“Perhaps we should split up. Given that we are of your blood, Arthur and I should be able to sense the amulet as well as you would.”
“Perhaps,” Annie said, “but I have a bad feeling about this.”
She leaned into Merlin’s side, looking into his eyes.
“I don’t know about you, big Red, but I’ve had this feeling that we’re being watched ever since we arrived in Tweeddale. Not that I expect anyone from our enclave back home to swoop in and rescue us in case we run into trouble, but we’re completely on our own out here, with no way of sending information to anyone. I think we should stay together just in case. If there is a threat out here, it’d be easier for them to pick us off if we separate.”
“I agree,” Arthur inserted.
“I think someone wants us to find the amulet. Even planted the subconscious seed that led us here. I don’t trust it. Even if I believe we should recover it for our own purposes.”
To make him whole again. To set Lancelot free.
He met Lancelot’s gaze as he said the words and conjured the thoughts.
The knight looked back at him, his expression unreadable.
“What do you mean by ‘watching us’?” Wolfe asked Annie.
“I thought the amulet protected everything in its radius from external threats.”
It was Merlin who answered.
“The necklace is only as strong as my magic. If there is someone more powerful…”
“Wonderful,” Annie muttered, twisting her lips in sarcasm. “If that’s the case, even more reason for us to stick together.”
“Where should we start first?” Rui interjected.
“I may be a treasure dragon, but I think in this case, you would be best to lead the way, Merlin.”
With a nod, Merlin closed his eyes, concentrating on the piece of himself that he’d left behind so long ago.
When he opened them, he faced east, toward a thick, dark forest that loomed on top of rising hills.
“It’s in there.”
They followed Merlin’s lead at a brisk but careful pace, ever vigilant of potential danger. Merlin and Annie took the front, Arthur and Lancelot behind them, with Wolfe and Rui protected their rear.
It didn’t sit well with Arthur that he was their weakest link, and because of him, Lancelot as well. Hence, they were relegated to the middle position, sandwiched between more powerful warriors and sorcerers.
This was the right thing to do, despite the danger, Arthur knew. He could not be the cause of Lancelot’s weakness any longer. He refused to be.
Yet, with every step they took, Arthur’s heart grew heavier, and by extension, his legs and feet. It took conscious will to keep moving forward and not lag behind. For, he feared that being free of Lancelot meant potentially losing him as well.
Now that he’d finally allowed himself to feel…everything, especially after last night, just the thought of losing the knight made him break out in a cold sweat and debilitating shivers. It didn’t help that after what they’d done, Lancelot seemed more distant than ever.
