“Alright, we’re all packed,” I announce as I step into our little kitchen. My wife is standing at the counter, carefully arranging fruits and cheese in a huge woven basket. Three others just like it sit to her right. Ha, with how much food she makes anyone would think we were going questing for months, not on a three day ride to Camelot.
“Oh, good.” Abyda smiles briefly at me over her shoulder. “Just let me finish this up and then we can — oh, and remind me to take the trash out before we go.” She tilts her head, presumably to indicate the half-full trash can sitting near her left knee.
A wave of affection washes over me and I press myself up against her back, resting my hands on her waist and my forehead on the top of her head. “I’ve really missed you, lily,” I murmur into her hair.
“Missed me?” she echoes, with a hint of what sounds like rather confused laughter. “You’ve been outside for five minutes.”
“Hm.” That’s… right, that was a strange thing to say.
It’s true, though, I miss her. I chuckle, ignoring that incongruous thought. “Guess I’m getting sentimental in my old age.” Abyda hums and leans against me.
“Oh, Morgan?” I take a step back as she gently pulls away and turns to face me. “Do you know where your sister is?”
My shoulders tense and as a faint panic creeps into the back of my mind. “Morgause?” Morgause, she’s — I have to save her, she’s-
“What? No.” Abyda tilts her head. “Elaine. You know, the one who lives with us? Who’s supposed to be leaving with us in a minute?”
“Oh!” Right, of course. I shove the panic away. “Um, no, I haven’t. I didn’t realize I was on herding duty.” I grin as Abyda gives me a flat look. “Have you checked her room?”
“Of course. I-”
“Aunt El?” Ywain strolls into the kitchen, nibbling on an apple core. “She left a bit ago. Said she was going to check the lake before we left.” He leans on the counter and I take the opportunity to stare at our child. He looks about thirteen, fourteen. His dark curly hair falls loosely around his shoulders, contrasting his mother’s low bun.
“‘Check the lake’?” Abyda repeats as she turns away from me. I notice Ywain’s
surpassed her in height. His skin is several shades lighter than hers, too, but they have the same big brown eyes. “What, does she think it’s going to run away?”
Ywain shrugs and drops what’s left of his apple into the trash can. “I’ve learned not to ask for her thought process. It never clears anything up.”
Abyda sighs and I chuckle. “Go dump that out, Ywain, and see if you can find El while you’re at it,” I suggest, reaching around Abyda to tug at one of his curls. He swats my arm away, grinning.
“Got it.” Ywain easily lifts the bin up to his chest. “We’ll meet you at the boat?”
“Mhm.” I turn to smirk at my wife as he walks out of the room. “Your mother and I need to carry about eight wagons’ worth of food out there, so there’s a possibility you’ll have to wait for us.”
Abyda rolls her eyes. “You’ll thank me when we get lost in the middle of the woods and need extra.”
I laugh as we each pick up two of the baskets. Funny, they aren’t heavy at all. “Glad to hear you have complete confidence in my navigation skills.” The corners of her lips turn up, and I cannot resist the urge to lean over and press a quick kiss to her cheek. Her skin is warm on my lips, and then she’s gone.
* * *
The first thing I notice when I wake up is that I’m very cold, which is a strange thing for me to notice because I’m always cold - comes with being a living embodiment of shadows and darkness and all that.
Well that was an oddly… realistic dream, I muse as I roll over and reach for my wife. My hand touches cool air, and then the soft mattress. Where’s…
Oh. Right. I’m suddenly wide awake. Abyda’s dead. She’s been dead for hundreds of years. I roll back onto my back and stare at the ceiling. The information is far from new, but it still feels like an iron sword through my heart. Ywain and Elaine are long gone too.
I’m alone.
No, no, not alone, I remind myself. I still have Morgause and…
Shit, Morgause. She’s in Arthur’s body and I have to reconstruct hers before she gets caught and somehow convince her not to wage war against humanity and keep Blaise from finding out and and andand-
I sit up and rub at my chest, as if that will loosen the knot that’s nestled deep under my skin. I want so badly to be back in that warm kitchen with my wife that it hurts.
Well that’s not going to happen, Morgan. I look at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand. 3:52 a.m., whatever. I know I won’t get back to sleep before morning proper, so I figure I might as well start the day. I can work on Morgause’s body while the others are asleep.
I slide off the bed, take a deep breath, and leave behind my mundane fantasy for this insane reality.