Page 14 of Captivated
Chapter Five
Lance
Iclutched my queen in my arms and fought the urge to run. I’d carry her away to the furthest, most forlorn place in the Gibson Desert I could find. We’d hide from Arthur and the world at large. I’d keep her safe. No one would ever harm her again.
But even in my wildest fantasies, I knew it could never be.
Her Majesty Guinevere Findabair, the White Enchantress, had never fled from her duties. The queen of Camelot had many responsibilities. She cared for all the people in her house, whether it was this modern skyscraper or the fabled castle of old. She’d never abandon those under her care, even to keep herself safe.
Arthur knew that. Which was exactly how he’d been able to find and kill her over and over again.
“Put me down, Lance.”
I did so at once, even though it felt as though letting go of her tore my own skin off my body. These eyes had never seen her before, yet I would know her anywhere. She had the same lustrous mahogany hair, though she wore it in a single braid rather than coiled around her head. Her changeable hazel eyes saw everything laid bare at a glance.
Guinevere of old had been a small, delicate woman. This lifetime, she was taller, almost to my shoulder, and not nearly as ethereal though every bit as beautiful as I remembered. She wore a bright red dress with large white stripes and full skirt that swung about her knees. I’d never paid much attention to women’s fashion, but I hadn’t seen anyone dressed like this. It reminded me of a style worn in black-and-white movies decades ago.
The matching red heels she wore made her legs go on forever. Guinevere would have adored those shoes, too. She’d loved bright, unexpected colors. She’d never been allowed to wear—
My thoughts died off, my brain locking down.
White and red stripes.
Sir Lancelot du Lac’s coat of arms.
She paused, sensing the turbulent emotions tearing through me. Smiling over her shoulder, she took my hand and gave me a little tug until I started moving again.
“I’m Gwen in this lifetime.” She led us onto an elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. “This tower isn’t mine, but I hold it for my queen, Shara Isador, last daughter of Isis. She made me her sibling a few days ago, and that’s what broke Elaine’s hold on me.”
Hearing that name on my queen’s lips made my shoulders tense. As if Arthur wasn’t enough, Elaine was still alive too. Fucking great. No guesses where Arthur was headed this very moment. He’d regroup with Elaine and kill us when we went after Merlin. Again.
Bors cleared his throat roughly. “Is that why you couldn’t call us, my queen?”
“Yes. She made me swear never to call my Blood.” Squeezing my hand, she leaned against me, and it shamed me to realize she was trying to protect me. To make me feel better.
Because yeah, that woman’s name still made my stomach queasy, and I hadn’t even encountered her in this lifetime.
“I won’t let her have you,” Gwen whispered fiercely. “You’re mine, Lancelot du Lac. You’re my alpha. My Blood. My love. Nothing will take you from me this time. I swear it.”
“I love you more than my life, as you well know, my queen. But please, don’t make promises that we can’t keep.”
She straightened, her chin tipping up at a haughty angle that made pride roar in my heart. Her cheekbones were stark and proud, her lips lush but firm, her face so fucking regal. This was my queen. The queen of the ages. Forget King Arthur. The poems and idylls should have been dedicated to her. The Once and Always Queen of my heart.
“I fully intend to keep this promise, sir knight. I have many advantages in this lifetime that have never been available to us before. I’m older, for one. Elaine’s geas may have kept us apart, but it also kept us alive. I’ve dedicated that time to improving myself and my abilities as much as possible despite not having any Blood of my own. Now, I have a queen sibling who’s powerful enough to control this entire continent. With her help, I held off Arthur so that you could enter the circle. He didn’t kill you on sight. When has that ever happened before?”
“Never,” Mordred muttered darkly. “But we all know what his next step will be, and it’s an insurmountable obstacle.”
The elevator doors opened, and our queen started to step outside. Bors managed to slip past her first, while Mordred stepped up to block her exit. I expected her to be irritated at our interference, but she leaned back against me and slipped her arms around my waist.
“I forgot what it’s like to have protection. Thank you, my Blood.”
“Clear,” Bors called.
Only then did Mordred step aside, bowing as our queen passed. Bors stood several paces away, scanning back and forth between two doors, waiting for any threat to arise. She stepped to the door on the left, and he immediately took up position, waiting on her to unlock it so he could search the premises.
“This entire building is warded and protected by the Isador blood circle,” Gwen said. “Nothing could possibly harm me now.”
“Arthur was inside the circle,” I reminded her.
