Free With My Last Breath, Book Three by Cori Chaffee Page A

later.
    Merlin’s voice appeared in my mind just as clearly as if he was standing next to me and he released his hold on me. I stretched my shoulders as I shook my head, willing myself not to answer him in kind. As a mortal, I had never been able to return his silent messages to me. I couldn’t do it now as much as I might want to offer a sharp retort.
    Instead, I gathered my heavy skirts and retreated from the chapel to find my mother.
    She wasn’t going to be happy when she discovered that I had interfered. She didn’t want to see Arthur suffer either, but as she had already pointed out, interfering would cause changes and we had no idea what the consequences of that might be. I sighed.
    I descended the stairs and walked quietly past the Hall of Knights. As I passed the cavernous room, I glanced inside. Merlin had his back to me as he stared out an open window. The cool breeze blew through and pushed my hair off of my forehead.
    The knights were seated around the large roundtable. All of them leaned on the famed table wearing serious expressions.
    ‚The Saxons have dispatched mercenaries?' Arthur demanded incredulously.
    ‚How do we know that it wasn’t the Romans?'
    ‚We do not,' Merlin admitted from the window. ‚It could be either.'
    ‚What is important, your highness, is that we are being invaded by pervasive tactics. We have not faced this before,' Lucan spoke from across the table. ‚These intruders are acting as marauders from our own country, seeking to instigate riots among our own by pillaging and murdering to undermine the king’s competence in protecting the people. It must stop.'
    There were murmurings of agreement and I watched Lucan for a moment from the doorway. He was intense and focused as he assessed the threat to his country. His sense of honor was outweighed by nothing else. He was created to be a warrior.
    He glanced up and saw me watching and dipped his head in acknowledgement before he returned his attention to his peers. The simple act of his gaze meeting mine caused my heart to thrill. And with that, I remembered my purpose here, my sole purpose in life. I had to save him.
    Walking on, my thoughts were consumed with Lucan as I made my way to Guinevere’s quarters. I was determined to save him and I lived for seeing him.
    Whatever it took, I would find the sword. But first, I had to speak to Guinevere about Arthur.
    Opening her door quietly, I was immediately assailed by the scent of roses.
    Glancing around inside, I had to laugh. There were hundreds of them here. As usual, my mother had gone overboard. I inhaled the thick scent as I made my way to her massive, curtained bed.
    Courtney Cole 43
    With My Last Breath, Book Three
    And I froze in my tracks. Standing next to her bed, clad in a dark gown and veil, was Morgan le Fey . Eris. She was standing motionlessly over my mother, watching her as she slept. My heart practically stopped beating and I gasped.
    At the sound, Morgan’s head snapped around and she all but snarled. Before I could even react, she was gone from the room in a flash, disappearing in a blur of black through the doorway. Like a streak, I followed her, watching the spot of color slip around the corner of the hall. Using goddess speed, I followed her.
    My pursuit landed me at the doorway of a room in the bottom of the castle. At the very dregs, next to the dungeon, the door I was facing was plain and wooden, free of any embellishment whatsoever. Breathing quickly, I pushed the door open.
    Morgan faced me from across the room, standing over a shimmering mirror.
    ‚What are you?' she hissed. ‚You are not human.'
    ‚Why were you in the queen’s rooms?' I answered her question with a question.
    ‚You have no right to be there.'
    ‚I can feel that there is something different about you,' she replied. ‚And something different about her, as well. I will determine what it is.'
    ‚You cannot enter the queen’s chambers for a whim,' I sniffed. ‚That is not your