Page 98 of To Charm a Dark Prince

The other option was failure. And failure was death or imprisonment. Success meant freedom for everyone trapped inside. For Lancelot. For the return of beauty and magic to Avalon. Her eyes were stinging. Her breathing felt short and shallow. She couldn’t suck enough air into her lungs.

But she couldn’t fail!

Merlin was yelling at her. She couldn’t hear him over the ringing in her head that was drowning everything out. Even the rush of the fire that was erupting from her hands.

The world pitched around her.

No, no, no!

She pushed everything she had into the flame. Tried as hard as she could. Shutting her eyes, she screamed as she forced all of her might into destroying the Crystal.

Her knees buckled. She fell to the ground hard, pressing her palms into the cold stone. Her fire had gone out.

Merlin was silent.

She pressed back until she was kneeling, sitting on her ankles, and looked up. Maybe she had succeeded, and—

The Crystal hung in place.

Undamaged.

Tears stung her eyes. “I just need a second to try again. Let me catch my breath. I’ll—”

Someone behind her was applauding. Slowly. Mockingly.

Her heart sank into her stomach.

“I fear it was not enough, firefly.”

TWENTY-NINE

Gwen shot up to her feet so fast she nearly fell back over again. Mordred was standing in the jamb, leaning heavily on the molten remains of one of the doors. The heat from the still-cooling metal didn’t bother him. He didn’t look great, but he was awake.

And awake meant trouble.

Shit, shit, shit!

Merlin was nowhere to be seen. The coward must have hidden. She squared her shoulders and faced her inevitable fate. “Mordred, I—”

“No. No excuses. No lies. You wished to free Lancelot and all the rest. You have deemed my rule too harsh to continue.” He laughed quietly, a tired and cynical sound. He rubbed his hand over his face. He still looked half-drugged. “If you only understood what you seek to unleash on this world.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She was shaking. Absolutely trembling like a leaf. “I failed. And now you’ll kill me or shove me in there with all the rest, won’t you?”

He grimaced in disgust. “I should. By all the Ancients in the eternal void, I should.” Rage seemed to overcome him, and his armor appeared over his body as he rammed his fist into the remains of the iron door, denting it. “Why would you notlisten?”he roared. “Why would you not heed my words!”

She squeaked and took a step back as he came at her with more speed than she expected him to. She almost slipped and tumbled into the pool of glowing shards behind her. As she glanced down to make sure she didn’t misstep, Mordred had plenty of time to snatch her by the shoulders and yank her forward.

This was when she died. This was when it all ended.

Tears stung her eyes, and she didn’t bother to wipe them away as they ran down her cheeks.

“You could have been…wecould have been…” He snarled. “Tell me, was it all a lie? Did you feel nothing?”

“No! I just—It—I’m sorry.” She cringed. “I—I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t want to betray you. I just…I couldn’t. I couldn’t not try. This is wrong.” Letting out a shaking breath, she braced herself for the inevitable. “Just do it.” She shut her eyes. “I’m so sorry. Just please make it quick.”

“You wish to see what Avalon once was? Very well, Gwendolyn Wright. I shall grant your wish.” Mordred’s tone was cold and cruel.

Looking up to him, she furrowed her brow, not understanding.

---