“That won’t be a problem tomorrow.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Lancelot will be executed at sunrise for his crime.”
“Arthur, no!” Guinevere ran towards me, her emerald eyes gushing with tears. “Please don’t do this—please, I love him.”
“You should be happy that your head will not join his in the dirt.” I pushed her away.
LANCELOT’S DEATH DID more than simply end his life. It soured my soul. When I took his head, Excalibur turned on me. It fell from my hand and sank into the stone . No matter how much I tried, I could not pull it free again. The sword had been my protector since the day I pulled it from the stone and I felt a sickness inside of me when it left me. I had no choice but to leave it there. I was forced to go to Camlann without my legendary sword and when I faced Mordred on the battlefield, I knew it would cost me my life. His magic was strong, but my determination was stronger—it would be my downfall. No matter how many times he struck me down, I refused to give up. I kept fighting until there was nothing left. Mordred died at my hand, but he ran a spear through my ribs before he drew his last breath. We were victorious, but I was mortally wounded. I was taken back to Camelot where I lay in my bed for weeks battling fever and infection. I knew my life would soon be over and I would join my ancestors in the afterlife. That was how my story should have ended, but it wasn’t the end I received.
“Death is coming for you, my love.” I knew the voice belonged to Guinevere even before I saw her emerald eyes staring at me.
“Yes.” I let out a sigh and winced from the pain. “My end is coming.”
“No.” She laughed. “Death is coming for you, but I made a deal to save your life.”
“What?” I turned my head towards her. “What do you mean?”
“You will not die today—or tomorrow—or ever. You will live your life in eternal torment for what you did to Lancelot.” She sat down on the edge of my bed. “You became a beast the day you swung Excalibur in anger and executed my beloved—that is the only fate you will ever know.”
“Just let me die.” I let out a sigh and turned away from her. “I don’t need your words to know I will suffer an eternity of torment for what I have done.”
“Your body will not die, but everything you love will. This castle, your legacy—they will be erased from history. I made a deal with the devil himself and the power—it is unlike anything you can imagine.” She laughed and when I looked back to her I saw her body erupt in a green glow.
Chapter 18: Anabelle
“The witch is Guinevere?” My eyes were wide with shock as Arthur told us his story.
“Yes.” He nodded. “The witch is my wife, or what is left of her. I don’t think the woman I loved still exists. Our love was broken long before she laid with Lancelot. Maybe it was never more than lust for the girl I thought I cared about. Obviously, she didn’t feel the same way I did. She desperately wanted to give me an heir, but I think that was more out of duty than love.”
“That explains a lot.” Shane let out a long sigh. “She’s been searching for love. My brother and I are here because we murdered someone she loved.”
“Me too...” Boone shook his head in agreement.
“And I didn’t want to be that man, which is how I ended up here.” Gill rubbed his fingers across his eyes as if he was contemplating what was said.
“The only thing in this world powerful enough to defeat that kind of magic is Excalibur. Her power far exceeds that of Mordred and I’m not even sure Merlin would have been a match for her without some assistance.” Arthur sighed deeply. “My decision to swing Excalibur in the name of vengeance instead of glory severed my tie with the sword and without it, there no way to defeat the witch.”
“So we’re trapped in this curse...” Alexander blinked a couple of times. “There’s no way out.”
“Maybe the deal she struck has her locked in a curse as well.” Randall shrugged as sadness swept over his face. “She’s sought loved for thousands of years...”
“Even if she found it,” Arthur looked around the room, “she wouldn’t be able to keep it. She would outlive anyone she fell in love with.”
“Maybe she has...” I looked at Arthur and nodded. “I’m sure some of the beasts that you killed and some that took their own lives played similar roles in her grief. Somewhere in there though—she had to have found something or else the castle would be overflowing with beasts.”
“Perhaps.” Arthur shrugged. “I don’t claim to know the answer, I only know what I have seen in the mirrors.”
“Mirrors?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Merlin’s mirrors. He used them to watch the world—the past, present and future all at the same time. I was forced to watch everyone I knew die through them. When she cast the curse, she sent Camelot here and the people that remained were cast to the wind. In time, Camelot became nothing more than a legend.” Arthur sighed and shook his head. “Just like me.”
WE WERE ONCE AGAIN trapped in the castle with little hope of leaving. Even if I was able to leave on my own at that point, I had no idea if the wolves would come for me. Seeing them also made me worry about my father. He had left the castle, but I had no idea if he made it home. I assumed he had based on what I had heard about men coming to the area and searching, but there was no guarantee they were actually searching for me. My ankle was sore for several days, but the six original men took care of me. They bathed me, massaged me, and helped me get around without putting support on it. Even in th
e midst of the curse and the loss of our one plan, we seemed to find a way to persevere.
The newest addition to our group seemed to be distant and didn’t spend much time with us after he saved us. He returned to the northern wing, but he didn’t conceal the entrance behind the false wall like he had before he revealed himself. He would join us for meals sometimes, but he never ate. It seemed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders anytime he entered a room. The one way to defeat the witch was the very thing he used to create her. I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling with that burden hanging on him. After a couple of weeks, I was mobile again and walking around the castle. I had a plan to try and bring Arthur back from the brink of his despair—if it worked for the others, then maybe I could help him find the man behind the beast as well.
“Wow, you really kept the best stuff hidden away.” I walked into his room in the north wing of the castle which was filled with lavish jewels, gold, and weapons.
“It was a necessity, I’m afraid.” He turned towards me as I entered the room. “Some of the beasts that came let their greed get the best of them. They would accept my hospitality and then try to steal from me. They could have it for all I cared, but the curse killed them before they could get far.”