With My Last Breath (Page 26)

"Does Arthur know of this place?" I asked as I looked around once more.

Condensation dripped in the corners, dropping annoyingly to the floor. Listening to that long enough would be enough to make someone crazy.

Merlin shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. His father certainly used it often enough.

Although Arthur may not personally authorize its use. I believe Kay is the one, as the castle steward, who oversees it now."

I froze in disbelief, thinking of Kay’s friendly smile.

"Kay knows of this place?" I breathed.

Merlin scoffed at me. "Heleyne, these men are knights. They are not lambs. They do what they do for the better of the kingdom. What do you think they should do with murderers? Slap them on the hands?"

"No," I muttered, unconsciously rubbing my stomach. "I suppose not. It just surprised me. Kay is so gentle."

"Yes," Merlin agreed. "He can be. And he can also be deadly. That is a good lesson for you, keeper."

"And that is?" I raised an eyebrow.

"People are not always what they seem. These knights are chivalrous and brave, but they all possess the ability to be deadly and cruel if need be. Even your beloved Lucan."

I hated that thought, but I knew it was the truth. It was the nature of a warrior.

"Why are we here?" I asked again.

"I just wanted you to see it," he said. "I wanted to remind you of that very thing.

That is all."

"Then, if we are finished here, I’d like to return upstairs."

He nodded and we were once again standing in the solar and I took a deep breath of fresh air.

"I’ll leave you to your hunting," he told me as he walked toward the door. "I hope you find what you are looking for."

After he left, I followed him to the door, making sure that he was indeed gone. The halls were empty, so I rushed back to the remaining chests, and hunted through the last three quickly.

There was nothing but banquet linens, tapestries and silverware. I slumped to the floor with a sigh. No sword. Where in this kingdom was it? My very existence depended on finding it.

Courtney Cole 68

With My Last Breath, Book Three

"Heleyne, I’ve been searching for you," Guinevere called as she padded softly through the door. "Merlin told me that I could find you in here. What are you doing?

He said you were searching for something."

Her arched eyebrow raised even further.

"I’ve searched through this castle, mother," I murmured. "I’ve even just been to the oubliette. There is nothing here." My shoulders slumped. "We’ve got to find it." I heard the desperation in my voice and I hated it, but I couldn’t rid myself of it.

My mother rubbed my shoulder comfortingly.

"We’ll find it, daughter," she replied softly. "Do not stress yourself so. You must try to remain calm for your child."

My hand fluttered to my belly. I had forgotten for a moment that a baby rested within me. I hadn’t yet felt it move, so it was easy to forget, but for the occasional bouts of nausea.

"Where shall we look next?" I asked. "How will we travel to Arthur’s parents’ land without someone wondering why?"

"We’ll sort it out," she replied absently, staring out the window as she spoke. I followed her gaze to find Arthur and his knights in the courtyard. Lancelot had just limped in to join them.

"What a fool!" Guinevere muttered. "Can he not just recognize that he is but a mortal right now?"

I watched him for a moment, observing how even though he limped, he moved just a little too fluidly for someone who had just sustained a near mortal wound.

"He has healed himself," I announced quietly. "Look at him. He moves about too easily. He healed his wound. Perhaps not fully, but enough that it no longer causes him pain."

My mother shook her head. "What a cheat," she grinned as she glanced back at me.

"What, daughter? You cannot help but admit his gall."

"It’s not gall, it is stupidity," I answered. "What if Arthur sends the old woman to check on his wound? And she will find it healed. Then what?"

"We’ll worry about that when the time comes," she answered without concern.

"I’m sure it will not be an issue. Instead of worrying yourself over such things, let us think about where next to search for the sword. That is enough to worry about."

I nodded and absently watched my father interact with the knights. He glowered at Mordred, but did not say anything to the knight who had tried to kill him. I had to give him credit for that. I knew that he wanted to run him through with his sword.

"Time passes us by," I whispered, palming my slowly growing belly. "And with every second, my love remains in the wastelands, cold and alone. Please… let us just find the sword and save him. In doing so, we will save us all."

Guinevere turned her gaze from the courtyard and agreed.

Courtney Cole 69

With My Last Breath, Book Three

Courtney Cole 70

With My Last Breath, Book Three

Chapter Twelve

The small brook feeding the courtyard bubbled soothingly, the sunlight reflecting off of the surface in multi-colored prisms. I sat on a nearby stone bench, alone with my thoughts, as Guinevere attended to the evening’s menu with the cook and Lucan hunted with the rest of the knights.

Around me, everything was quiet. The late-afternoon sun bathed the gardens in warm light, long ago drying off the light rain from the morning. The white roses next to me allowed their sweet scent to waft into the breeze and I inhaled it deeply. For the first time in quite a while, I was alone. And while I enjoyed it, the silence allowed the magnitude of everything that had happened lately to catch up with me.

How was everything going to work out? I couldn’t help but wonder. I had been marked as the Chosen One, but I didn’t feel very significant. I hadn’t even seen my own father’s injury coming. The strange thing was that my wrist hadn’t hurt even once since it happened. Apparently, it was something that the Fates had planned.

I turned my wrist over and examined my birthmark. The bird-like shape had lost its vibrant red coloring since I had left the Spiritlands and had once again faded to a natural light brown.

The Chosen One. I had the power to command the phoenix, something I had only recently remembered. Something that had saved my skin not too long ago. As the goddess of harmony and contentment, I was naturally inclined to fix issues, to smooth over problems.