“I don’t understand…” Sam was saying, the frustration in her voice plain even in a whisper.
“What would you like me to do, Samantha? My duty to her comes first, above all other distractions.” Wyn hissed back, shaking his head.
“Distractions? Is that what I am?” Sam’s voice rose and Wyn shushed her.
“I don’t mean it like that. You know I don’t. But until this is all over she has to come first. She is my Queen. Not in the way the Order wants her to be, but in every way that matters to me. I owe her my loyalty and my service. She is the only reason I even exist right now.”
“But-“
He freed his arm from her grasp, slipping it around her waist instead and tugging her in close to him. He bent his head until his forehead was pressed against hers. “This is hard for me too. But I can’t let my feelings and emotions cloud my judgement right now. I can’t be worrying about you when I need to be focused on her. Though it’s damn hard. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you.”
His name was a breath on her lips as he drew her in for a deep lingering kiss.
I stepped back into the darkness of the room, feeling like voyeur, knowing I was trespassing on something private.
I’d had my suspicions for a while, but it seemed to go deeper than the mild flirtations and mutual attraction I had assumed. Did Wyn have real feelings for her?
I tried to ignore the sharp sting of jealousy as I burrowed under the covers. Why did they get to be together when Lance and I were separated by a seemingly impenetrable barrier? The jealousy was thrust aside by fear for Sam. Surely her and Wyn were as doomed for failure as Lance and I? In the end it could only end in pain. Wyn was never meant for this world.
When Sam came back to the room some time later I pretended to be asleep, trying not to listen to the quiet sound of her tears.
We rose with the dawn the next morning, much to Sam’s disgust, and checked out and left the B&B before it was even fully light.
The morning was cold and a thick mist lay around the base of the Tor. It rose above the town of Glastonbury, the ruined tower at its peak a black silhouette against the rising sun. It was easy to see why it had been called the Isle of Avalon, rising as it did out of the sea of mist, a lone hill amongst the lowlands.
It was more than just the chill of the cold morning air that lifted goose bumps on my arms. There was magic there, the whole vale seemed drenched in it. It was a little like Stonehenge. Enough people still believed in the myth of the Tor, and so the magic lingered, long after it had faded from the rest of the world.
As we set off towards the Chalice Well, Wyn fell into step beside me, his eyes fixed on the distant Tor.
“It used to be a wooden watchtower in my day.”
“You’ve been here before?” I tried not to think of what I had witnessed in the corridor the night before.
He shot me a half smile. “Once. A very long time ago. None of this was here though.” He gestured behind us towards the sprawl of Glastonbury itself. “This was all fens, wet and boggy and almost impossible to navigate. The Tor was the only high ground, the only dry land, for miles around. Arthur built the watchtower as one of the outposts of Camelot, before his influence and power spread to more of Albion.”
I tried to imagine it, but I couldn’t. Not without Arthur there to share his memories with me.
“Do you miss it? Those old days?”
Wyn grimaced. “Sometimes. It was easier to know where I stood. What my place was. This world confuses me sometimes. Like how Sam tells me off sometimes for opening the door for her. But at the same time, to be honest, not much has changed. I still have just one purpose in life. To protect and serve. Arthur back then, you now. I sometimes think it might be nice to find out who I could be in this world without the armour and the sword. Not Sir Gwain, Knight of Camelot, just Wyn.”
His voice trailed off and for a long moment he was silent. It was impossible to ignore the bitter twist to his mouth. I suddenly felt guilty. I’d never thought about what it was like for Wyn and Percy, tied to me and my fate by bonds they couldn’t escape, by a vow they couldn’t break. I hated that fate and destiny tried to force my path, but forgot that they were forced to take it right along with me. If he wasn’t bound to me he would be free to pursue whatever it was that existed between him and Sam.
I was still trying to think of right thing to say when Wyn pointed up ahead of us.
“Looks like we’re here.”
The staff were only just opening when we arrived, and they seemed a little surprised to see us so early, but they let us in once we’d brought our tickets and gave us a small map of the gardens.
The Well itself intrigued me, if nothing other than for the myths that surrounded it, but I knew we had a purpose, and we didn’t really have time for sightseeing.
Checking out the map we decided the best place to start looking was what was listed on the map as ‘The Meadow’. It promised stunning views of the Tor, which didn’t interest us, but it did seem likely we would find the tree at the point closest to the base of the Tor.
My fingers started tingling the moment we entered the gardens and the magic was strong enough I could almost taste it. So strong in fact that Excalibur, which was strapped at my hip, was all but humming with it.
“It has to be here.”
Wyn and Percy nodded and I told Sam about the power the place held.
“Or it’s the Chalice Well,” she said with a half shrug. “I mean, isn’t that supposed to have a lot of power too?”
I glanced behind us, in the direction of the Well, but knew at once it wasn’t what was calling me. Oh, it certainly had magic of its own, but nothing compared to what was ahead of us. I only hoped it was the tree.
We reached the edge of the meadow, and I had to admit, it was a glorious view of the Tor. The meadow sloped down the hill into a tiny valley and the slope of the Tor rose up on the other side. I could already see a few people making their way up the steep sides.
There were quite a few trees around the edges of the meadow, but I could already see that the likelihood of finding a tree with blossom, let alone fruit was going to be slim. It was simply too early in the year, and the winter cold had lingered on longer than usual, keeping many of the trees from budding earlier.
Wyn touched my arm and pointed towards the bottom of the meadow, where right against the fence was a small apple tree. I think I expected something bigger – after all, it had supposedly been there for thousands of years.
“I don’t think it’s the specific tree,” Wyn muttered as though reading my thoughts. “I think it’s the presence of the Tor and the magic here, the thin barrier between this world and Avalon that gives it its magic.”
I nodded and there was no denying it had magic. I could feel it pulsing against my skin, almost in time with the blood pumping through my veins.
We worked our way slowly down the slope, keeping our eyes open for approaching tourists. As we reached the tree my heart sank. The leaves had only just started to unfurl, but there wasn’t a single blossom to be found.
“Damn it!” I spun away in frustration. “I knew this was pointless.”
I knew the others didn’t want to make me feel worse but I could tell they agreed with me. We’d come all this way for nothing. We wouldn’t find the Silver Bough here. This wasn’t my way to bring back Lance.
The magic of the tree still throbbed against me, calling to the magic in my blood. I wondered if the people who ran the place realised what they had in their garden. This was the true treasure. A small, slightly scrawny, unassuming apple tree.
I turned back towards it and pressed my palm against the trunk, just wanting, for a moment, to be closer to the magic. I let my eyes slip closed.
Sam’s gasp brought me back to myself and I glanced around at her. She wasn’t looking at me, she was looking over my head. So were Wyn and Percy.
Slowly, I tipped my head back. There, on the branch right over my head, a d
elicate apple blossom was unfurling. I watched, mesmerised as a second one followed it. The delicate pink and white flowers opened up one after the other, first two, and then soon the whole branch was blooming.
Only moments later the first blossoms began to drop and I could see the tiny fruit swelling behind them. It was like watching a time lapse nature documentary, when you could see the plants actually growing.
It took less than three minutes for the first apples to ripen, and there right next to them were still perfect blossoms.
I raised my hand ready to try to break off the branch and then stopped. Somehow it didn’t feel right to just take it. I reached back and pressed my palm back against the trunk.
“Is it for me? Can I take it?” I whispered the words, barely more than a breath of air, but I felt the magic surge against me, surrounding me. Looking up I saw the bark half way down the branch start to crack and I reached up to that point. A small twist and a tiny cracking noise and I held the branch in my hand. It still held two perfect apples and a cluster of blossoms.
Our big problem then was how to get the branch back out of the gardens. Sam and I discussed different ways to hide it, but neither of us was carrying a big enough bag. Our own fault really; I’d never really had faith that we would find the Bough.
Wyn leant against the fence until we’d finished talking and then glanced over at the slight drop on the other side. “Give me the branch. I’ll meet you at the top.”
I wondered for a second what he meant, then he nodded at the Tor. I sighed and handed it over. Seconds later Wyn leapt over the fence and disappeared into the trees beyond.
Percy, Sam and I left the way we’d come. If anyone noticed that four of us had come in and only three were leaving no one mentioned it.
A ten minute walk brought us to the gates at the base of the Tor and we quickly set off up the hill.
The views were incredible. By the time we reached the top we could see the country spreading away for miles in every direction. It was breath taking. The sun had come out and the day was turning hot, so we found ourselves a spot on the grass just below the peak and sat waiting for Wyn.
He showed up twenty minutes later with a few scratches on his forearms, but the branch tucked securely inside his jacket. He threw himself onto the grass next to Sam and held it out to me.
I couldn’t ignore the excitement in his and Percy’s eyes. I knew they wanted Lance back as much as I did. Not that I was about to open a gateway into Avalon right there in the middle of the day when the Tor was swarming with tourists.
For a long moment we all sat in silence, gazing out over Glastonbury and beyond. It was Sam who finally broke the silence.
“Are you really going to use it?”
I glanced round at her in surprise. Hadn’t that been the point all along? “Of course, why wouldn’t I?” I know it came out sharper than I meant.
She bit her lip. “I was just thinking. Do you think the tree would do it again?”
For some reason I knew the answer was no. The magic was there, but it would only provide once. Even magic had limitations. “Probably not.”
“Only-“ She hesitated, looking at me nervously. Wyn touched her arm gently and she took a deep breath before ploughing on. “Only, I was thinking. You told us Collins said it could only be used once. One passageway. Into or out of Avalon.”
I nodded. “So?”
“So you can bring Lance here. Or-“
I tensed. I wasn’t sure there could be an ‘or’. I wanted Lance back, more than I’d wanted anything before.
“Or, you could use it to send the dragon back to Avalon.” Sam said the words as quickly as possible and flinched back as though worried I’d lash out at her.
I let out my breath in a whoosh and turned away. The truth was, I’d been thinking the same thing, though I’d been trying not to. I didn’t want to kill the dragon. In fact I wasn’t sure I would be able to even if I did want to. But it couldn’t be left to roam this world. It was too dangerous. The only other option was to send it back to Avalon, where the Fair Folk had wanted it in the first place. The last of its kind, protected for ever.
I gazed down at the branch in my hand and felt my eyes burn with tears.
“Cara?” Percy touched my hand and I glanced up at him. “Lance would understand.”
Was that true? Would he? Would he understand me sacrificing our being together for the dragon? I snorted to myself. Of course he would. Of all people Lancelot understood sacrifice. But did that mean I could do it?
“We still might find a way to open the gateways.” I knew Wyn was trying to reassure me, but I shook my head.
“No. I don’t think we will. I think if there was a way Merlin would have found it by now. I think the only way is if the spell sealing them wears of. And, well, part of me thinks they might be better off sealed.”
Wyn frowned at me.
“Oh come on. Every single bad thing that’s happened to me as been because something came through those damn gateways. This world and Avalon, they’re too different now. I think it might be better to keep them separate.”
Sam gazed at me in horror. “But you and Lance? What about you and Lance?”
I stood abruptly. I didn’t want to think about me and Lance. I couldn’t. Was I really going to do this? Was I going to give up the only chance I had of being with the person I loved?
“Let’s go. We have – things to do.” I didn’t look back as I set off down the hill. I didn’t need to see the pity in their eyes.
Chapter Twenty
For two nights after we returned from Glastonbury I felt Merlin tugging at me in my sleep, trying to pull me into a vision. I knew they wanted to know if we’d been successful in Glastonbury, if we had retrieved the Bough, but I resisted. I was getting better at controlling my visions, my abilities, and that included being able to keep Merlin out.
I made myself wake up each time I felt a vision start. I knew Lance would be wondering why, but the truth was, I couldn’t face him. Not now I’d made the decision. Seeing him would somehow make it harder. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stick to it.
Yet it was inevitable that I wouldn’t be able to resist forever and that night, after two nights of restless sleep, I was exhausted enough to sleep deep, deep enough that I couldn’t wake myself up when I felt Merlin’s magic pulling me into a vision.
I found myself, of all places, in the small clearing Lance and I called our own. Deep in the forest surrounding Camelot, it had been the first place he’d shown me in a vision, and the first place he’d taken me when Vivian had sent me spiralling back into the past.
It was special to us. It was where we’d fallen in love.
“Why here?” I heard him step up behind me but I refused to turn.
“Because you dream about it anyway.”
I shivered at the sound of his voice. Deep, with that faint Celtic lilt that I loved so much.
“Cariad, why won’t you look at me? What’s wrong?”
Strong arms encircled me, turning me resolutely towards him. I kept my head down, but he caught my chin in his fingers and tipped my face up.
“Cara-“ His voice broke off when he saw the tears spilling down my cheeks. “Cariad, what’s wrong?”
I finally lifted my eyes to his and it was like a blow to the stomach. How could I give him up? How could I willingly let him go? Without replying to him I pulled his head down and kissed him. Hard and fierce and desperate. He kissed me back but I could sense his complete bewilderment and eventually he freed himself and held me at arm’s length.
“Whilst I have no objection to kissing you, it’s a little disconcerting when you’re crying at the same time. Would you please tell me what’s wrong?”
I managed to get my breathing back under control and I took his hand, leading him to sit in the middle of the clearing. The trees blocked our view of Camelot, but somehow I knew it was down there, somewhere.
Lance stroked the back of my hand and I finally turned to
face him. His curly, dark hair was falling into his eyes, but the curls couldn’t completely hide the worried crease in the middle of his forehead. Somehow, I thought he already had an idea of what I was about to tell him.
“We have the Bough.”
His eyes widened with delight but when I only sighed heavily the excitement died.
“You don’t seem particularly happy about it.”
“Did Merlin tell you about the Bough?” I couldn’t look at him, and instead kept my eyes fixed on my fingers where I was plucking grass from the ground.
Lance smiled. “More than I told you, I admit. But only after we knew you’d gone to Glastonbury. He wanted to make sure you followed the trail yourself. A quest if you will. But after he told me everything…”
“And it was him? He was the first mortal to use the Bough? The druid from the myth?”
“Yes. He and Nimue fell in love, and she took him to Avalon. It’s the reason he’s immortal.”
I kept plucking at the grass. “Did he tell you it can only be used once? One way?”
“Not specifically, no. Cara, why is that a problem?”
I finally lifted my eyes to his. “Because I now have to make the hardest choice of my life. And I don’t want to.”
His blue eyes suddenly seemed darker. “I think perhaps you’ve already made your choice, Cariad.”
The tears started to fall again, but I made no effort to brush them away. “I can’t kill the dragon. Even if I wanted to, and I don’t. Me, Wyn and Percy are not enough to defeat it, and I don’t want to be responsible for making a whole species extinct. The only choice I have left is to send it back to Avalon.”
Lance sucked in a deep breath. “And to do that you need the Bough. Which will only open a pathway in one direction.” I knew he was trying to keep his voice steady, but I heard the hoarseness at the end, as he desperately tried to hold his emotions in.
“I don’t want to. God, I want to open the pathway right now and bring you to me. But-“
The Forever Queen (Pendragon Book 2) Page 17
