Morgaine stood and took a step towards her mentor. “I told you I had learned a few things over the last five hundred years. And yet still you underestimated me.” She jabbed a finger at Merlin and he flinched. “You are the fool, Merlin. And now, you’re completely powerless.” She raised a hand, and a faint purple light glowed from her wrist to her fingertips.
“No,” Merlin gasped out, falling to his knees.
Morgaine turned her back on her mentor, the man who had taught her magic, and walked away. I got up off the floor and moved to follow her, but a flash of movement in the corner of my eye made me stop. Merlin had drawn a long blade from beneath his robes and lunged at me. An arrow from Gwyn’s bow now pierced him through the neck and he fell backwards, hands to his throat.
I couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing. The handle of the blade protruding from my chest, the dark red blood beginning to stain my skin. His aim had been faultless; he’d struck me directly in the centre of the mark.
The silence that had filled my head was suddenly broken by screaming as Morgaine fell to her knees beside me, pressing her hands to my chest either side of the knife. I tried to tell her to let me go, that it would be alright, but no words would come out. My eyes flickered closed and darkness crept in, threateningto swallow me whole. I felt the sharp sting as she pulled the blade from my chest, and the warmth of blood rushing from the wound. And then everything went quiet and I sank into a deep, wide nothingness.
23
MORGAINE
Ifelt the exact moment when it happened. The second that Stefano died, and I died with him. A sharp, sickening tug on the mark on the chest, and the snap that told me the bond was broken.
And then a moment later, the flood of adrenaline that made me inhale sharply. I was still alive. What was going on? Had Merlin’s magic somehow protected me from the consequences of the life force bond?
I pulled my tunic to the side, not sure what I expected to see, but whatever it was I hadn’t expected to find the mark still intact, but bone white where it had once been black.
My hands were still pressed to Stefano’s unmoving chest, now slick with his blood. I pulled them away, wiping them on my tunic. And then leapt back as Stefano’s chest rose and he took a long rattling breath.
“Stefano?” My hands flew to my mouth as his eyes fluttered open and he groaned, pushing up to lean on an elbow.
Tears flooded my eyes, threatening to spill over. “I thought you were dead.”
That infuriating smirk returned, and he rasped, “I didn’t know you cared, Morgaine.”
I let out a breathless laugh and threw my arms around him. “You didn’t have to die just to prove it.”
He hugged me back with one arm. “Why am I not dead? I felt it, the moment when my life ended. What happened?”
I sat back on my haunches and chewed my bottom lip. “I’m not sure, but the bond severed, I felt it snap. And our marks are now white. I think—” I hesitated. I hadn’t had time to figure out exactly what I thought, but one thing had occurred to me, and it felt right. “I think my immortality may have saved us both. I can’t feel it any longer, it’s gone. I think you gave your life and the bond took my eternal life to give you back yours.”
Stefano’s eyes were wide, as though he were seeing me for the first time. I felt vulnerable under his gaze, but I didn’t look away.
“Does that mean the green eyes are here to stay?”
I put a hand to my cheek. “Are they green, again?” He nodded and I shrugged, smiling shyly. “I guess we’ll find out.”
Someone cleared their throat, and I looked up to find Lady Gwyn-Marie standing over us, dressed in a red cloak, with a short bow in her hands. So that was where the arrow that had killed Merlin had come from.
“I think we need to have a talk about what happened here last night.” It was only then I realised the sun had risen and was pouring in through the open windows, a clear blue sky peeking out from behind wisps of white cloud.
Stefano and I looked at each other and nodded.
“I’ll have a servant bring us some breakfast,” Lady Gwyn said. She looked us up and down before adding, “And some clean clothes.”
Prince John had survivedthe fall from his window, but the injuries he’d sustained meant he was no longer able to rule. Lady Gwyn was appointed regent, and in his stead, she had listened to everything Stefano and I told her.
After listening to our story, she’d decided to banish us both forever. In her gratitude for helping to remove Merlin’s dark influence and restore Sherwood to peace, she had granted us our lives, as long as we left the Royal Forests and never returned.
“Lady Gwyn-Marie, if I may ask one final favour, as your former-betrothed?” Stefano had said, and whilst she had not appeared amused by his joke, she’d permitted him his final request. “A horse, milady. To carry us far away from here. That’s all I would ask of you, and we will promise to never return.”
She had paused for a long time before nodding. “I think we can accommodate that request, Lord di Reinalto.”
Stefano had asked for Gethin, a handsome black stallion—the horse I had first seen him riding all those weeks ago on the forest road. And now, here we were sitting astride that very same horse as we rode away from everything that had happened without looking back.
“Where will we go?” I asked him as I wrapped my arms around his waist and he kicked Gethin.
“I hear Avalon is nice this time of year,” he replied, and followed it up with a sneeze. I laughed and checked on Kipper, tucked safely inside my satchel.
We had returned to the Burrow briefly after being questioned. The rest of the rebels had been interrogated by Lady Gwyn and her guards, before being released without charge. Gwyn had agreed to hear what Robin, John and Will had to say and work together for a better future for every single resident of Sherwood and the Royal Forests.
I had spoken to Sal and Lavender, given them directions to another nearby coven where they could take refuge, andpromised to write to them once Stefano and I were settled somewhere safe. If they decided to stay in the Royal Forests, I would understand, but wherever I ended up, they would always be welcome.
Stefano’s solid form felt reassuring between my arms, strong and certain. After everything we’d been through together, he had chosen this. Chosenme. It gave me hope.
Kipper purred and nuzzled my hand.Home.
I smiled. Yes, I thought as I stroked his silken fur and watched the trees fly past us. Wherever we chose to go, if we were together, we would be home.
