Page 87 of The Sword & the Stone

“Arthur, are you—” Galahad started, but the moment of relief was shattered as the giant let out another earth-shaking roar. The sound reverberated through the canyon, sending loose rocks tumbling down the cliff faces.

Arthur's sword suddenly blazed to life, the blade glowing with an otherworldly light. Her newly formed wings lifted her effortlessly from the ground. She pulled it from its sheath, staring at it with eyes that matched the blade.

For just a moment, it was like staring into the face of an old god.

"The box," Arthur called out, her voice steady despite the chaos around us. "I need to get to that box!"

Without a word, we moved as one, heeding our queen’s command. I took to the air alongside my brothers while Arthur flew in the opposite direction, towards the cliff. Every instinct inside of me told me to go after her. To follow her and leave the giant to the others. But she was my queen, and I was her knight, and I would follow her into the dark no matter what she asked.

Gawain's magic coalesced around his hands as he sent a barrage of razor-sharp ice shards towards the giant's face. The behemoth bellowed in pain and rage, swatting at the air with massive stone hands. He sent the shards spraying right back at us, and we dodged them, just barely.

Percival's shadows writhed and twisted, forming into solid tendrils that wrapped around the giant's legs, attempting to slow its movements. Galahad's magic caused vines and roots to burst from the canyon walls, tangling around its torso. He could only control earthen magic for so long. Merlin’s golden whips lashed at the giant’s face, and each blow was like the crack of thunder, but he managed to chip off pieces of rock one by one as the giant roared.

As we kept the giant distracted, Arthur streaked toward the narrow ledge, her dragonfly-like wings a blur of golden motion. She landed gracefully, snatching up the pulsing box and shoving it into her satchel in one fluid movement.

Her eyes blazed as she launched herself directly at the rampaging giant. I screamed her name, but she didn’t hear me. My breath caught as Arthur soared through the air, dodging the giant's flailing limbs. She landed on its head, her wings folding against her back as she found her footing.

The giant roared in confusion, its massive hands coming up to swat at the tiny figure perched atop its skull. But Arthur was quicker. She raised Excalibur high, the sword's glow intensifyinguntil it the sword's radiance rivaled the sun itself. The giant's hands were inches from crushing her, its roar shaking the walls of the canyon.

But instead of striking the behemoth with a death blow, Arthur plunged Excalibur only partway into the thickest part of its skull and held tightly.

Arthur's voice rang out, clear and commanding, speaking words in a language I hadn't heard in centuries. The ancient tongue of the druids. It was the language of the Old Religion, and it flowed from her lips, each syllable resonating with power.

"Elara lunara, silvenor thalas, ancira melodis!"she shouted, her voice sounding as if she was speaking with a hundred voices at once, each layer on top of the next. She no longer sounded like Arthur Pendragon, but rather a goddess of old.

I command you to sleep, ancient one…

Chapter Thirty-Two

GAWAIN

The moment Arthur'sfeet touched the ground, I was moving. My heart pounded as I raced towards her, desperate to close the distance between us. She stood there, breathless and radiant.

I reached her in an instant, my hands cupping her face as I crushed my lips to hers. The kiss was desperate, filled with all the fear and longing that swept through me as I watched her fall. As I screamed her name. As I thought I was going to lose her forever.

Her lips were soft and warm against mine. My fingers sank into her wild chestnut curls, cradling the back of her head as I deepened the kiss. Arthur's hands fisted in my tunic, pulling me closer as she responded with just as much desperation. The beat of her heart raced against my chest and I thanked the fucking gods it was still allowed to beat.

"I'm sorry," I murmured against her lips, pressing soft kisses to the corner of her mouth, her cheek, her jaw. "Arthur, I'm so fucking sorry. I was a fool because I was scared. I'm sorry."

I fell to my knees before her, my arms wrapping around her waist as I pressed my forehead against her stomach. Her new wings shimmered behind her. "Forgive me," I pleaded, my voice raw and broken. "I was a fucking coward. I would never let you return to Camelot without me. Not in a million lifetimes, my queen.”

As I spoke, I realized every word was the naked truth. It didn’t matter how much I missed Avalon, or how I craved to be among our own kind again. Because my fear of never returning home again paled in comparison to the terror of never looking into Arthur’s eyes.

Arthur knelt, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She cupped my face in her hands, her fingers gently sinking into my beard. The touch sent shivers down my spine. "Gawain," she whispered, her voice thick. "I shouldn't have tried to make you choose between your home and me. That wasn't fair."

She leaned in, pressing her forehead against mine until her warm breath was on my lips. I breathed in the intoxicating scent of her skin, like wildflowers and magic. "Avalon is your home," Arthur continued softly. "I had no right to ask you to give that up. Not after you've waited centuries to return. I can’t believe how selfish I was."

I shook my head, my hands coming up to cradle her face. "Youare my home now. Avalon...it's a dream, a memory. But you?You’rereal, and I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. For a moment, the world around us seemed to still, the rumbling of the canyon fading away as we stared at each other. I held my breath, terrified I'd gone too far, said too much.

Then Arthur's lips crashed against mine, hungry and desperate. Her fingers tangled in my hair as she pressed herself closer. I groaned, pulling her flush against me as I deepened the kiss, pouring every ounce of longing and regret into it.

When we finally broke apart, gasping for air, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright. "I love you too, you stubborn ass," she whispered, a smile tugging at her lips as she pushed on my chest.

Merlin rushed over, concern etched on his face as he helped Arthur to her feet. Her legs wobbled unsteadily, the adrenaline clearly wearing off. With a wave of his hand, golden light shimmered around Arthur as he helped her onto a waiting Elhorn that Galahad led over to us.

I stood, brushing the dust off my knees as Tristan clapped me on the shoulder. I met his eyes, my gaze bouncing to the fresh mating mark, almost expecting him to hit me for declaring my love to his mate. But Tristan smiled at me and nodded, and it was all the approval I needed.

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