Page 53 of To Charm a Dark Prince

“Wait!”

But she didn’t. Gwen kicked the horse harder as the dog kept barking. Jumping over a fallen tree, she stopped at the edge of the clearing. It was Eod. He had his head low, his tail down, and his hair was all standing up as he growled, snarled, and barked at a black bear at the other edge of the small circle of grass.

The bear was none too pleased about the dog either. Without waiting to see how things would play out, Gwen kicked Nina in the sides. The horse brayed, but obeyed and ran between the bear and the dog.

Pulling the reins and kicking her in the sides at the same time, she hoped the horse got the cue. She did. Nina reared up on her hind legs, her front hooves pawing at the air in front of the bear. The black bear, deciding it wanted nothing to do with a horse, a human, and a snarling dog, took off in the other direction at a jog.

Letting out a puff of air, Gwen patted Nina’s neck. “Thanks, girl. You’ve definitely earned a few carrots for that.”

The horse snorted and stomped annoyedly.

“Yeah, fine. Carrots and an apple.” She slipped off the saddle, straightened her skirt, and headed over to Eod. “And what do you think you were doing? Oh, don’t look so damn proud of yourself.”

Eod was now sitting, his tail thumping happily on the ground, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.

“You had nothing to do with that.” She ruffled his ears. “You big idiot. Are you okay? You don’t look hurt.”

The dog hopped up to lick her face. No, he was perfectly fine.

“You’re still an idiot and I’m still frustrated.” She chuckled. “But I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Was that a bear?” Lancelot came to a stop at the edge of the clearing. “Did you just chase off a bear?”

“It was just a black bear on his own. They don’t like to mix it up unless they’ve got cubs. It’s fine.” She shrugged. It really was no big deal. “We don’t get them frequently at home, but they get into the barn looking for the goat food or bird seed occasionally.”

Lancelot shook his head. “And you say you are not fierce. I am afraid of the modern women of Earth.”

“Good. You should be. They’d kick your smarmy ass.” She climbed back up onto Nina and clicked her tongue. “We should probably head back before this fluffy doofus gets himself into any more trouble. C’mon, Eod.” She started back toward the path.

“Smarmy?” Lancelot rode behind her, letting her lead. “What does smarmy mean?”

“You. It means you. You’re smarmy.”

“Why do I get the distinct implication that it is not a good thing?”

She smiled, not letting him see it. She didn’t want to encourage him. “Because you might be smarmy, but you aren’t stupid.”

“Be still my heart, the lady flatters me.”

His deadpan sarcasm made her laugh. All right, maybe she could encourage him just a little.

Even if it did make things complicated.

More complicated than they already were, at any rate.

She sighed.

Even if she tried to defeat Mordred—how the hell was she supposed to try to pull that off? She didn’t want to betray him. It seemed like he’d had enough of that in his life.

But what other choice did she really have?

Wait to be put into the Crystal?

Or lure Mordred in, only to put a knife in his heart?

It should be an obvious pick.

She’d heard Mordred’s side and now Lancelot’s side—and part of her couldn’t help but sympathize more with the Knight in Silver. Especially now that she had seen just a fraction of the faded and dreary world of Avalon.

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