A magnificent waterfall cascaded into a clear and sparkling lake. The sun hit the water and reflected into the sky in a million glittering prisms as the crash of the mighty waterfall fed it. At the top, rushing water spilled over large stone boulders covered in velvety green moss in a mad frenzy. A bone-handled sword was firmly embedded in one of the stones. It stood tall and proud, unmoved by the furious crashing of the water against it.
A sword in a stone. Deep within my belly, recognition grew, larger and larger until I pinpointed it and couldn’t deny it. I knew this place. I had been there before.
Camelot.
Courtney Cole 15
With My Last Breath, Book Three
Chapter Three
I sucked in my breath and Hecate’s eyes popped open, meeting mine.
"A sword in a stone," she repeated. "You know of it."
I could feel everyone’s eyes upon me as I nodded. "Yes. I’ve been there before.
Was I the only one who saw the vision?"
I scanned the circle and found the same blank look on everyone else’s face. I was the only one who had seen it. But I wasn’t the only one who had been there before. I squeezed my mother’s hand.
"You’ve been there, too. And Ares. And… Cadmus." I gulped. "I know where Zeus hid the sword. The question is… how do we get to it? It was removed long ago and according to legend, it has never been found again."
"Ah, Harmonia," Hecate clucked. "You know it is no legend. Camelot existed and you lived there. And the answer is clear. To get to it, you must return to where you know it is."
At my blank look, she sighed. "You must travel back to when you were there before."
My heart thrilled in my chest at the idea. Nothing else mattered except for the fact that Cadmus was there. Alive and well, with his heart still beating, his body still warm and strong. Somewhere, far from here, my soul mate was waiting for me. All I had to do was return to him. I clutched the bloodstone that hung motionlessly from my neck.
Throughout the ordeal of this past day, I hadn’t given my pendant much thought. But it still did contain great power. It was, after all, created from the blood of Zeus himself.
"How?" I whispered. "How do I get there?" The words stumbled out haltingly as I fingered the cool stone of my necklace. Electricity jolted through my fingers and I felt my eyes glaze over.
Hecate watched me, her face thoughtful.
"Harmonia, you realize of course, that you will be returning for a purpose. You will not be returning to stay. Do you understand?"
I almost didn’t hear her as my mind was flooded with images of the past. Once again, as it had done so many times before, my bloodstone was giving me glimpses of a past life. Cadmus had been a knight. A chivalrous, beautiful knight. Visions of his gleaming silver armor filled my mind, his smile beckoning me from beneath the visor of his helmet.
"Harmonia?" Aphrodite prompted. "Come back to us."
I shook the memories from my head and re-focused on my mother.
"Mother, Hecate is correct. Camelot existed and we were there. We must return there to retrieve the sword. It is the only way."
Courtney Cole 16
With My Last Breath, Book Three
Aphrodite nodded solemnly, perfectly willing to do anything required of her.
History had always portrayed her as superficial and flighty, but truly that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, she was dramatic and colorful, but she was thoughtful and strong, as well.
"Fine. We travel. Tell me, though, how do we get to the sword?" Ares’ voice boomed in the large, crystal room. The Amazons were all nodding. They were less concerned with our predicament once we got there and more focused on simply getting on with it, just as Ares was.
Hecate smiled at their impatience.
"Your warriors cannot accompany you," she told me gently. "Only the three of you. The Amazons were not there originally, so they cannot be there now."
She nodded her head toward the warriors and after a curt nod from Ortrera, they obligingly stepped from the circle.
"Father, if you need me, send for me," Ortrera said hesitantly. "It does not feel right to let you go alone."
Ares gazed at his warrior daughter. "You make me proud, Ortrera. Rest assured, all will be well."
"Watch over Cadmus, please, sister," I requested softly. Her eyes softened.
"You know that I will, Harmonia," she replied gently. "He will never be alone. He will be safe and sound when you return."
"In order to return, you must first leave," Hecate observed. "We are wasting time here. Hold hands again."
She crossed from her place and moved to me, placing her hands upon mine and looking into my eyes. Hers glimmered deep and blue, reflecting the flickering flame around us. It was mesmerizing.
"Harmonia, Cadmus is not well right now. His soul is lost and the only hope of saving him is Zeus’ sword. You must not become entrenched in your life in Camelot, because as all mortal lives, it is fleeting and temporary.
"And of course, as always, the Fates put you in a tragic position. Do not become fooled. You won’t like your ending there anymore than you enjoy your current situation here. You must recover the sword and bring it back here in order to save us all, Cadmus included."
I nodded. "I saw him in a dream. His eyes were so cold and empty…" my voice trailed off.
"He is empty," Hecate confirmed. "He is not in Hades, but the Wasteland where he is being held is almost worse, it is neither here, nor there, nor Hades. It’s just a land full of nothing, a place created by the Keres’ as a holding place for horrific souls. They keep them there until they need them, just as they needed Alexi. While Cadmus is there, he Courtney Cole 17
With My Last Breath, Book Three
knows how he should feel, but he can’t truly feel it. Feelings are gone from him, just like his soul. Do everything you can to set it right."
As if I could do anything else. This was my soul mate that we were talking about.
A thought suddenly occurred to me, freezing the breath on my lips.
"Hecate," I began hesitantly. "Cadmus’ soul. The Keres have taken it and they have also taken the Box of Souls back. Is his soul in the box? Will we need to find the box before Cadmus is saved by the sword?"
Hecate nodded. "I believe so. I can’t be certain, but it appears that way."
I found it suddenly hard to swallow. So, it wasn’t enough that the Keres had rendered Cadmus lifeless. My husband’s soul was somewhere out there in a box of murderous souls. My tongue felt like lead as I tried to speak. I licked my lips and tried again.