Page 66 of To Love a Dark Lord

Yeah, he made her want to scream. “If you’re an illusion, I’ve really got your personality pegged. Couldn’t I have dreamed up a slightly nicer version of you?”

He huffed. “You’re a moron, but you never were good at lying to yourself.”

“Thanks?” Why did she have to summon up the vision of the asshole demon? Now and then, she had to admit, he gave decent advice, even if he did it in the worst way possible. “Anyway. Mordred was losing his mind in the Crystal, so I went off to free him. In the process I managed to piss off Zoe and Galahad. Zoe wants to be queen because, apparently, she was the ruler here before Arthur arrived.”

Grinn waved a hand, indicating she needed to speed up.

God, she wanted to throw a rock at him. “I freed Mordred, but now he’s intent on murdering all the elementals on the island. Zoe almost killed him with Caliburn?—”

“I thought I destroyed that damnable sword.”

“You did. She brought it back.”

Grinn huffed. “Nothing ever stays dead around here.” He lay back down on the edge of the rocky cliff with a thwumf. “Except for me. Proof this island truly has a grudge.”

She picked up where she left off as though he hadn’t interrupted. “Zoe almost killed Mordred with Caliburn, and I had to make a deal with Avalon. I agreed to become queen if they saved him.”

He snorted. “Never mind. I’m glad I died, if this place wants you in charge.”

“I wish I knew if you were really here or not.” She frowned, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. “I’m sorry you died. I know it’s stupid, but I kind of miss you. I guess I can only hope you made it back to your family.”

“You’re right. You are stupid. But this isn’t news.”

Whatever. “Mordred betrayed me. This ring is enchanted.” She held up her hand, showing off the cursed item in question. “He knocked me out and trapped me here while he goes off and massacres everyone.”

“And you, predictably, want to stop him.” Grinn sighed in annoyance and rolled onto his side, not even caring enough to talk to her while upright. “Have you ever stopped to consider that he might be right?”

“Yeah. I have. And I still think he’s wrong.”

“Because a child knows better how to rule Avalon than a man who has lived here for over a thousand years.”

“I thought you hated him?”

“I can hate you both.”

She shook her head. “I clearly need therapy if my brain made you up.” She started walking away from him, not wanting to continue to stand there and be berated by the ghost of Grinn, whether he was in her head or not.

There was a rustle from behind her, and the ka-thud of a heavy animal landing beside her told her that Grinn wasn’t done mocking her.

“If you’re going to be an asshole, can you at least be a useful asshole and help me?”

“Cranky, aren’t you?”

“I’ve had a bad time of it lately. Honestly? Ever since you brought me to Avalon, things have been a shitshow. I love Mordred. I really do. But all my friends are dead, or gone, or probably about to die. And it’s all your fucking fault.”

“Would you trade it all to go home again?”

It took her a second to admit it out loud. With a heavy sigh, she replied, “No.”

“Then quit whining.”

Maybe she didn’t miss Grinn at all, now that she thought about it. Picking up a handful of pebbles from the riverbank, she started tossing them into the water idly as she walked. They went in silence for a while, Gwen having to glance over her shoulder occasionally to see if he was still with her.

“Why’re you following me?” She raised an eyebrow. “If you hate me so much.”

“What, I can’t amuse myself by watching your failures?” He smiled, revealing his fangs. “Call it for old times’ sake.”

She whipped a pebble at him. It bounced pointlessly off his fur. But it made her feel a little better. “If you’re going to be here, can you at least help me come up with a plan to wake me up?”

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