He’s dancing around the facts. “I want them in here,” I snap.
“As do I,” Gwyneth agrees.
The All Knowing groans and distinctive male shouts of surprise echo down the passage before the four knights lie at my feet in a heap of male yumminess.
Nash jumps up first and helps Malachi up, revealing Hart, who scrambles to his feet. That leaves Theo at the bottom of theknight pile I’m jealous I’m not a part of. They turn to take in the vast room that seems to be endless in every direction.
“This is astonishing,” Nash says.
“Thank you,” the All Knowing answers, making the knights jump as Gwyneth and I chuckle.
“I think he likes to be flattered,” I offer. “Let’s get down to business.”
“Indeed. You are?—”
“I need—” I say at the same time as the All Knowing.
“Apologies. You go first,” I say. Everyone knows you should make allowances for your elders, and this dude is old.
“No, please continue.”
Fine. “I have been accidentally made into the Lady of the Lake.”
“There are no accidents,” he counters.
Hart snorts. “Have you met Daphne?”
“There are no accidents where the narratives are concerned,” the All Knowing corrects.
“So Daphne was always meant to become the Lady?” Nash asks as he tries to catch a flying book.
“Correct.”
We blink at the library as we wrestle with that information. I bite my lip. “Okay, I need to know how to change my fate. The knights need to claim Excalibur, but I also need to not die.”
“Yes, you slayed the false king and the dragon in one breath. One must marvel at your ability to course correct the narrative he dared to breach like an imbecile, all while struggling to remain upright for more than a turn,” the All Knowing says.
“And now the throne is empty,” Nash replies. “But we refuse to deal Daphne her fate.”
The All Knowing chuckles. It’s a rusty sound, like it’s not happened in many, many annuses. “Fate rarely is what you believe.”
“Here we go with the cryptic messages,” Gwyneth says.
“If you wish to alter destiny, however, you must seek out the brothers.”
“I already have more than I can handle,” I say with a glance at the four knights.
Theo winks at me. “You handle us fine, pretty mouse.”
“Not those brothers,” the All Knowing says with a sigh. “Thebrothers.”
I search my mind for any sign of what he means bythebrothers, but come up empty.
“The Grimms,” the All Knowing adds.
Gwyneth shrugs while Nash shakes his head.
“We are drawing a blank. Are they part of a lesser-known narrative?”
