Page 9 of To Charm a Dark Prince

And he didn’t give her anything more than that. She wanted to kick him, but that was mean—he was still a cat, even if he was an asshole cat. “Want to tell me where we are then?”

“Only if you promise not to have one of your ‘panic attacks.’ We don’t have time for you to weep into a paper bag.”

Yeah, now she really wanted to kick him. Rolling her eyes, she let out a long breath. “I’ll do my best. Where are we? Hell?”

“No. We are somewhere far worse than the hells.” His fur on his back rose up again. “Somewhere far more dangerous, far more destructive. And far more chaotic.”

Where could be worse than hell? Somewhere she’d probably never heard of, she supposed. “Does this super-nasty place have a name, or are you just going to keep being obtuse?”

He paused for a long moment as if debating not answering. Finally, just when she was going to ask again, he replied with all the joy of a lead balloon.

“Welcome to Avalon, Gwendolyn.”

THREE

Mordred stared down into the charred crater that must have been the site of the “meteor” impact. He knew it was not a natural phenomenon. He could sense it in the air around him.

This was the work of magic.

Brushing a strand of his long hair out of his face, he pulled the hood of his black cloak over his head to obscure his features. He did not wish either of the knights who had joined him to see his expression.

He did not want them to see his fear. Or his rage.

He knew this magic that simmered in the air—the feeling of it. This was the shard that had escaped not so long ago. It had returned…

And now he needed to find it. “Where is the nearest village?”

“There are four within walking distance. Do you think whatever caused this…got up and walked away?” Galahad asked, clearly confused.

“Yes. I do.”On four or two legs is what I still do not yet know.“Mount up. We will have to search them one at a time.”

His Knight in Silver, Lancelot, sighed heavily from where he stood by one tree, leaning against it with his arms folded over his plate armor. “Must we? It was a rock that fell from the stars. It happens.”

“No. It wasnot.” Mordred turned on his heel, heading back toward the direction of his dragon. His cloak whirled around him as he moved, the panels resembling jagged blades.

“You are being paranoid,” Lancelot argued. “We should go b—”

Mordred stormed up to him and snapped his clawed gauntlet around the other man’s neck. He hefted the other man easily up off his feet, sliding him up the tree and pinning him there. Lancelot gagged and grabbed hold of his arm—but it did no good.

Mordred resisted the urge to dig his claws into the man’s flesh and rip out his throat. “Do not speak to me of paranoia, knight.” He grimaced. “Or perhaps you should. You know plenty of what inspires it in me.” He dropped the man to the ground.

Lancelot kept his footing, to his credit, and coughed. “I meant no insult—”

Mordred did not bother replying. Yes. Lancelot very muchdid.But it was not new. And they had critical work to do.

Magic had escaped Avalon and now it had returned.

Whoever or whatever it was who had disappeared through that portal ten years ago had come back, and Mordred knew better than to think they would seek peace. No, the odds were good that their mystery escapee would seek revenge—the downfall of all that Mordred had worked to achieve. And what would inevitably follow…would be the ruination of all Avalon.

And it was up to him to stop it before it was too late.

* * *

Gwen knew Merlin had just told her not to have a panic attack. But it wasn’t like it was something she could control. She felt dizzy for a moment before she made herself focus on breathing again.

“Wait. Wait—wait—wait. Avalon?Avalon,Avalon?” Maybe she really had died. Maybe this was just her fucked-up version of an afterlife, or her dying brain going through some random synapsis bullshit. “Like, King Arthur’s Avalon?” She tried to focus on the legends. She had loved the stories growing up—the history that mixed with myth that had become the backbone of an entire civilization’s culture.

“Don’t be ridiculous. This place was here long before he reigned, and it’s existed for thousands of years since he died.” Merlin jogged ahead, as if trying to disassociate himself from her ignorance by sheer distance.

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