Page 27 of The Sword & the Stone

Mordred’s eyes flicked to him, and her grin spread even wider. A sick feeling coiled in my belly. “Merlin. I’ve missed you in my bed.”

What—

No, no, no…

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, all the air rushing out of my lungs.

My eyes snapped to him, searching his face for any hint of denial, any sign that this was just a cruel lie. But Merlin wasn't looking at me. His gaze was locked on Mordred. There was a storm swirling in those blue eyes—anger, guilt, regret. And I knew, with a sickening certainty, that she was telling the truth.

"It was a long time ago," Merlin said finally through gritted teeth. "Before she was exiled. We were young and stupid. It was the biggest mistake I ever made."

I didn’t know what to believe. Every word out of his mouth was poisoned now. A potential lie. A calculated lie. Tears pricked at my eyes but I held them back with rage.

Mordred laughed, the sound grating against my raw nerves. "We were more than that. Drive us some credit, Merlin. We were glorious together; our magic intertwined, our bodies tangled in the sheets. Don't you remember?" Her eyes flicked to Arthur. “I always loved that little thing he did with his tongue?—”

“Enough!” Merlin growled, sending a spark of white hot magic her way. It missed.

I felt bile rise in my throat, hot and acrid. The thought of Merlin,myMerlin, in the arms of this viper? It made my skin crawl, made me want to scream and rage and cry all at once. She was enjoying this.

"Poor littleWart," she crooned, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she pouted her bottom lip. "So lost, so alone. Did you think Merlin didn’t know?" She shook her head, tutting softly. "He's always known who you really were—Uther's bastard daughter. He kept you close. Molded you into his perfect little pawn. And now he wants to fuck you too. It’s hilarious, really."

"Tell me she's lying.Tellme you didn't know."

Merlin's face was ashen, his eyes haunted. For a long, agonizing moment, he said nothing. And in that silence, I felt my world shatter.

"I suspected," he said finally, each word sounding like it was being dragged out of him. "But I never knew for sure. Don’t let her twist things, Arthur. It’s what she wants.”

I forced myself to take another deep breath, and ignore the churning mess of feelings to focus on the threat at hand. "I don't care who my father is. I’m not Uther's pawn, and I sure as hell am not yours, Mordred."

Mordred's eyes narrowed, her lips twisting into a sneer. "You're a fool, little sister. You could have had everything—power, glory, a kingdom at your dainty little feet. But you choose instead to align yourself with these pathetic relics of a bygone age and a street rat sorcerer."

She gestured dismissively at the knights, who had moved to form a protective barrier in front of me. Lancelot stood at the center, his sword leveled at Mordred's heart. Galahad and Tristan flanked him, weapons drawn and ready. Even Percival, still shaken from the events of the previous night, had placed himself firmly between me and the threat, shadows swirling around his clenched fists.

Merlin stood slightly apart, his hands crackling with barely restrained magic, his eyes never leaving Mordred's face. I noticed the tension radiating off him, the coiled readiness to strike at the slightest provocation.

Mordred let out a theatrical sigh. "Very well. You've clearly made your choice. I offered you a chance to join me and stay breathing. To claim your birthright by my side. But if you insist on being stubborn, I'll just have to take what I want by force."

Her eyes flicked down to the sword at my hip, a covetous hunger burning in their emerald depths. "Excalibur," she breathed, the name falling from her lips like a prayer and acurse. "The key to my kingdom. Wasted on an ignorant little whelp."

She took a step forward, her hand outstretched, fingers curling like claws. Shadows gathered around her, writhing and twisting like living things. I felt the darkness of her magic, cold and oily against my skin, seeking to worm its way inside me.

Mordred surged forward in the blink of an eye, moving faster than any human could. Instead of clashing with their swords and their magic, Mordred erupted into a cloud of hundreds of black crows and disappeared into the darkened forest.

I stared at the spot where Mordred had disappeared, my heart thundering. The crows' harsh caws still echoed in my ears.

"She's gone," Merlin said, his voice tight with tension. "For now. But she'll be back."

I turned to face him. "I don’t want to hear another word from your lying mouth, Merlin.”

The hurt in his eyes was almost enough to pierce through the haze of rage and betrayal that clouded my mind. Almost.

"Arthur, please," he said softly, reaching out a hand as if to touch me. I flinched away, unable to bear the thought of his skin on mine. Not now, not after learning of his past with Mordred.

"Don't," I snapped, my voice shaking. "Just—just don't."

I turned away from him, facing my knights instead. I forced myself to take a deep breath, to push down the roiling emotions and focus on what was important.

"We have to keep moving," I said, my voice sounding strange and distant to my own ears. "The Grail is our priority. Everything else..." I swallowed hard, not daring to look at Merlin. "Everything else can wait. With Mordred out there, we have to prioritize speed."

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