Arthur could smell the apples.The Isle of Apples.He turned back for an instant to smile at Mordred, his oldest son with Morgan. He thought of Micajah and Camelee, born of his beloved Guinevere, and his baby, Kestral, born of his second wife, Cynthia, who died long ago. He would find his children.
He stepped through the rift. First, he would go home and use magic to find his Guin.
The sight before his eyes changed in an instant. He stared at rolling hills of emerald green as far as the eye could see. Apple orchards lined the valleys, filling his vision with small red dots, and his nostrils with the comforting scent of apples. The sounds of waterfalls and birds singing were like music to his ears. He dragged in a deep breath. Home for many years.
“Where are your sisters?” he asked. “I wish to thank whoever was dearAunt Eleanorfor hiding my children through time with the brooch.”
“I don’t know who she was but I do know that they will be happy to see you. You are like a brother to us. Well,” she corrected, “to almost all of us.”
“Then please tell me, Viv, how will Guin receive her memories? Will it be instant as it is for some of us or slow, over time? I wish to know when it will be safe to reveal myself to her.”
“We must find her first, Arthur.”
“Yes,” he chuckled. “Of course, you are right. Patience is a virtue I have trouble with.”
“We will find her,” she assured him.
“We will find her,” he echoed at her side. When he saw his horse, he knew everything was going to be all right Now that Morgan was being locked away again, they were safe.
It seemed as if they rode a short distance when the City of Glass came into view, the multi-faceted glass turrets of the palace puncturing the clouds.
Avalon. His heart longed to go to it.
“Arthur!”
He turned and pulled his horse around. It was Merlin. He’d been leading Morgan bound in golden vapers. They were bringing her to justice, to a prison from which she could not escape.
“She broke the spell and got away. I think—”
She got away? No! Oh, no! He’d hidden himself for almost half a century from her. He’d given up everything, his wife, his children, his best friends, to keep them safe from her.
She got away?
Almost instantly, his expression went dark. He had to find them all. Today! “Rally the men and lead us to her, Merlin!”
His oldest friend, whose memories of his past were as freshly restored as everyone else’s, hit the bottom end of his new walking stick.
Gawaine and the others who were here rode through the mists and stopped when they came to him.
“We are at your service, our king,” Sir Gawaine bowed.
“Morgan is free. My family is in danger. All of you are in danger.”
Gawaine looked at Lucan and Kay and the others and nodded. “On our lives, we will find her,” the burly knight declared.
“She might go after one of my children. You know where Michael and Kestrel are. Find Camelee.”
“Aye, Sire.”
Alone with Viviane again, Arthur looked at the glass city. “Help me find Guin now, Viv. It must be now before Morgan finds her.”
Chapter Seventeen
It was Christmasday. Everyone hurried to and fro, from the kitchen to the hall with various platters of food, but Genevra had to sit. The laces of her dyed gown were too tight. She felt faint as memories came rushing back to her. It had been happening since last night. Scattered though they were, she had no idea where these memories came from but could only guess they were from her lost years. But they made no sense.
Had Camelee and Hild’s disappearance pushed her memories to the surface? Oh, where was Camelee? Had she run off with the child? What about Frida? Had someone taken them? Who? Where was Alric? He was also missing. Why take those people in particular? Was this a message to the chief?
He—
