"Ares…"
He flew to my side in a blur of motion.
"They will pay," the god of war promised me firmly, knowing what I was trying to ask him. "I will make sure of it."
I nodded, tampering the bloodthirsty feelings back down. I didn’t care what their motives were at this point- whether the Keres were selfless or selfish. They had no right to use Cadmus as leverage. I would personally stand over them as Ares’ gouged their eyes out and fed them to the ravens.
"Let’s go," I whispered, holding tightly to my father’s strong arm. "Let us just go. I must help Cadmus."
We rejoined hands and I gripped my bloodstone, feeling the familiar electric pulse as Hecate once again chanted. My limbs grew weak and images flitted in and out of my mind like puzzle pieces. The energy threw my head back and everything went black as a sensation almost too much to bear overwhelmed me. We were suddenly spinning as we rocketed through the blackness of time at incredible speed before everything halted with an abrupt jolt.
Time travel was exquisite and confusing at once. Our souls were thrust into our previous bodies with no aplomb whatsoever. It took a moment to adjust.
I could hear the noisy racket and clanging dinnerware before I even opened my eyes. As my lashes fluttered open, I found myself in the midst of an elaborate banquet in the center of a massive dining hall. I glanced down at myself and discovered that I was clothed in medieval clothing, a long sweeping red velvet dress with an empire waist, corded in elaborate golden strands. The odd thing was that I vividly remembered this dress. It had been one of my favorites. It looked striking with my long dark hair.
Aphrodite was seated next to me, dressed similarly, although as Queen Guinevere, she was wearing a simple crown. She was attired in blue, with a heavy matching Courtney Cole 18
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sapphire necklace and earrings. Her silver goddess eyes were gone, replaced by sparkling dark ones. As my eyes flew around the room, memories from this life returned to me, rapidly fitting themselves into my consciousness as though they had been there all along.
I remembered being here as though it was yesterday and even though I had been through this process before in ancient Alexandria, I couldn’t get used to the overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Once here, my memories from my present life became muted and distant, as though I looked at them from a dream. My new reality became the one I was immersed in. I was going to have to consciously remind myself of my purpose.
King Arthur himself sat at the head of the banquet table. He ate in between talking with boisterous laughs and wild hand gestures. He was a huge personality. When he entered a room, he owned it. His dark blonde curls fell casually against his neck, his eyes cornflower blue. He was a handsome man, kind and strong.
My father, Ares was seated next to him in Lancelot’s chair. As the King’s champion, Lancelot was always near the King. I found him holding my gaze and I stared into his dark eyes. He looked to my mother and waggled his eyebrows and I swallowed a laugh. One thing about my father, he was always able to joke… that is, until it was time to kill someone.
All around us, members of King Arthur’s court laughed and danced and ate.
Pheasant, curried sweet potato, roast pig and vegetables lined every table and sweet mead flowed freely in heavy mugs. Thick tapestries covered the stone walls, insulating the interior from the dampness of the outdoors, while the floors were scuffed by the heavy chairs lining each table.
I was so entranced with studying my surroundings that I momentarily forgot to look for Cadmus until his husky whisper resounded in my ear.
"Would you like to walk with me, my love?"
I spun in my chair, my jaw dropping at the sight of him. He wore a flowing white shirt and snug linen trousers and his smile lit up the room. His dark hair and eyes were the same as they were in every life, and I ached to reach my hand out and touch his tanned face.
"Lucan."
His name somehow formed on my tongue as though it had been there all along.
But then I was at a loss for something to say. I couldn’t tell him anything that was on my mind. As far as he knew, he was Sir Lucan, a Knight from King Arthur’s roundtable and I was Heleyne, a lady –in-waiting to Queen Guinevere. If I said anything to the contrary, he would think I had been bewitched, a fate considered worse than death here.
"Yes?" he waited flirtatiously. He studied my face.
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"You were going to say, ‘Yes, Lucan, my handsome amazing Knight, I would love to walk with you?" he prompted then grinned and I couldn’t help but smile. It was so good to see Cadmus alive and well. His cockiness was a trait that he retained in every single life.
"Okay," I nodded. "I’ll walk with you."
"Your enthusiasm is contagious, my lady," he mumbled as he helped me rise from my chair. I beamed at him and rephrased.
"Sir Lucan, I am most excited to walk with you, I assure you. You are the strongest and most handsome knight in all of the land. What woman would not be excited with your mere presence?"
He laughed as he grasped my elbow, leaning in to whisper into my ear.
"You’re a cheeky thing," he said, before gently guiding me through the crowded room. As we passed through the heavy double doors and into the damp stone hallways, the flute playing grew muted, as did the din of voices.
The heavy stone bricks of the palace kept the interior cool and after night fell, it actually became quite chilly. I shivered and leaned into Lucan’s warm body as we walked. I felt him grin as he tightened his arm around my shoulders.
The green crest of Arthur Pendragon hung clearly in the massive entry hall for everyone to see and for most, it was a welcome sight. Arthur had truly given Camelot hope and had quickly become a beloved king. He was a kind, just man who had given the country something that they had previously lacked- a fair ruler. The prior king, Arthur’s biological father Uther, had ruled with fear.
Lucan dipped his head again, his lips brushing against my ear.
"I thought about you today, my lady, when I was supposed to be jousting."
The thought of his mind wandering while long sharp objects were trying to knock him off his horse alarmed me.
"Luc, you’ve got to be careful! I have no wish to see you injured," I chided and as I did, I once again felt as though I had never left this place, as though I had been in Camelot all along. It was so easy to pick up where I had left off and I saw now why Hecate had felt it necessary to issue a warning.