Page 82 of Secrets of Avalon
Another guard pushes Ares' hand off the first guard's shoulder. "We have to announce the news."
Kellan moves out of their way, and my brothers and I follow suit. Once the guards pass, we quicken our pace up the stairs, a renewed sense of urgency propelling us forward.
Melinda's nervousness is growing, but I hold her tightly while we climb.
We emerge into a large, circular room dominated by an enormous table crafted from a massive tree stump. Five chairs, seemingly grown from the tree's tendrils, surround the table, each bearing the name of one of my brothers.
Across the room, a large rock protrudes from the stone wall hiding the door to the queen’s cell, and a jagged piece of Excalibur is embedded in it.
Wraith approaches the sword, his fingers grazing the broken metal blade in disbelief. "They were right."
Melinda Mayweather
I’m not even looking at the sword. I’m staring at the woman pacing in a small room behind the translucent stone wall. Her eyes are dilated, fully black and angry. She’s shouting in a language I don’t understand, but her pain and anger strikes like the wrath of winds in a category five hurricane.
I tap Hawke’s chest. “Put me down.”
“No.” He squeezes me tighter.
“Hawke. The queen, s-she’s angry.” I point at the woman behind the wall, but he doesn’t look the way I’m pointing.
“She’s behind the wall. You’re safe,” he says, his voice tired. “At least the castle isn’t continuing to shake.”
I stiffen in Hawke's arms, my breath catching in my throat as I stare at the wall. “She’s so angry.”
Hawke starts to say something, but Boaz beats him to it. "Her cell is hidden behind the wall, Lady Melinda. How do you know she's angry?" He takes a small step toward us, his brow furrowed. "No one can see her."
Hawke, I can see her. She's pacing behind the wall, and she's furious. My words echo through our mental connection, tinged with disbelief. Am I crazy?
No, just very powerful. Not crazy.
Hawke counters, side-stepping his friend, not allowing him to approach. He looks down at me in his arms. “Tell me what you see, sweet girl.”
“She’s pacing and her eyes… they’re black. None of you can see her?”
All six men shake their heads.
A wave of panic crashes over me. Why me? Why am I the only one?
“Don’t tell a single soul you can see her, Domina. No one. Is that clear?” Kellan orders, his eyes on the stairwell. “Others are coming.”
“What’s going on?” I look up at Hawke, and his anxiety is clawing its way through his chest to tango with mine.
“I don’t know, but Kellan is right. Don’t say a word about seeing the queen, my sweet girl.” Hawke presses a kiss to my forehead and moves with the other knights and Kellan to the edge of the room closer to the sword and the queen. We’re facing the stairwell when people start pouring into the room.
“You got here fast, son,” Theon Stormblood walks through first. Isolde gives me a soft smile before taking her place at her husband’s side.
Here I am, wearing nothing but a robe and my hair crazy from our earlier activities. Heat rises in my cheeks. What all these people must be thinking of me… Hawke, maybe you should put me down. I whisper through our bond, my embarrassment getting the better of me. I don't want to cause a scene.
Hawke’s lips brushing against my ear. I'm not letting you down. Not now, not ever. And you’re not causing a scene.
I nod and try not to look uncomfortable. My eyes wander to the wall again… the queen… the sword.
Behind the Hawke’s father the other royals I met last night file in along with a bunch of other really important-looking men. The last one through the door is Julius Darkwood himself. The council. That’s who the other people must be.
His eyes lock with mine, and I swear I can see the hatred and disgust burning in their depths.
I press closer to Hawke, my heart pounding violently in my chest.