Midnight End

2

When I approached the stone wall that stood guard around my lush prison, crushing desperation was a heavy boulder on my chest. I had sworn I would escape but had no idea how to do it. Even if Merlin had not bound my magic with iron cuffs, the powerful ward placed upon the stone wall would still have been problematic. As it was, I had little hope of finding a way out. Merlin had been careful to ensure no tools were available in the house that might aid me in getting the cuffs off my wrists. The iron was not terribly thick, less than a quarter inch, but they were well-fitted, solid bands, about an inch wide. Unlike a jewelry cuff that might have a break where the wearer could slide the cuff on and off, these were solid all the way around. They looked like they had been forged on my body. I had no idea how I would get them off. I dropped my gaze to the rocky ground and zeroed in on a large stone. Picking it up, I launched the rock with all my might at the deplorable wall. I put all my hate and frustration, my longing and pain into throw after throw as I pummeled the wall with rocks. “I doubt that’s going to help,” came a gravelly voice behind me. I had lost myself in my frustrations so thoroughly that I failed to hear him approach. Yet another mistake. Oversights and missteps had become my new M.O. “There’s little that will help, unless you’d like to remove these cuffs from my wrists.” I paused just long enough to aim a murderous look his direction. He had managed to locate clothing, but still had his bare feet exposed. Even his damn feet were sexy. As expected, he shook his head. “No way in hell.” I launched another rock, this time envisioning his ruggedly handsome face as my target. The stone shattered against the wall, and I enjoyed a small sense of satisfaction. Seemingly oblivious to my boiling temper, the man took another step closer. “You and I got off on the wrong foot—let’s start over. My name is Knight,” he offered graciously with an exaggerated bow. My first thought was, who the f**k cares. However, I reminded myself not to let my anger blind me. It wouldn’t hurt me to talk to the man. He might be of help or at least a good source of information. Continuing my target practice, I threw another rock. “And who exactly are you, Knight?” His head c****d to the side in the precise fashion as a dog, and I snickered under my breath as he spoke. “I’m not entirely sure who I was, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve been Merlin’s eyes and ears.” I paused and turned back in surprise. “You don’t know who you are?” “No, I don’t know who I was. I don’t remember anything before my time with the Red Caps.” His voice lowered a fraction on the last words as he forced them out with palpable distaste. “You were a wolf the whole time you were with the Red Caps?” “Yes.” “So maybe you’ve always been a wolf. Maybe that’s who you were.” He arched a brow. “I may not have remembered who I was, but I recalled other things. I always knew I wasn’t originally a wolf; I just can’t remember the details.” “Well then, do you know who I am?” Beneath the heavy beard, his lips pulled back in a lazy smile. “You’re Morgan Le Fay, Morgana, Lady of the Lake—enchantress and sorceress extraordinaire.” I lifted my chin in approval. If he’d heard the stories about me, it might give him a healthy dose of respect. Respect was power. I was happy to garner any power I could in the situation. “And what had you planned to do here before your miraculous metamorphosis? Spy on me? Track my every movement and report back to Merlin?” “You make it sound criminal. I was just going to make sure you didn’t need anything and be here to keep you company.” He peered up at me innocently from under his thick lashes. It was the very look that coined the term “puppy-dog eyes.” No doubt he had become well-versed in using the look to get what he wanted as a dog. I crossed my arms over my chest, not buying one word he said. “So, you were here to keep me from escaping.” “Yes, if that was your plan. This place isn’t exactly an eyesore—is it so terrible to be here?” “You know why I need to leave,” I ground out. “There’s no way you can find the cauldron—it hasn’t been seen by anyone in our lifetime or long before. The Hunt and countless others have spent centuries looking without success. Why waste your time?” “You were never meant to know my plans.” His unwelcome input about my life ignited my anger. “I suggest you forget what you heard,” I warned, stepping closer. “Plus, if no one can find it, what does it matter to you or Merlin if I waste my time searching?” Knight slowly began to walk a circle around me, and I pivoted to keep him in my sights. “Why do you want the cauldron?” he asked, his amber eyes narrowed. “I hear you have a monumental grudge against Queen Guin, but my understanding is the cauldron brings life, not takes it.” Wanting to show Benji that maneuvering didn’t faze me, I held my ground as he continued to edge around behind me. “I’m not telling you why I want the cauldron, and now that I know who you are, you’re not going to trick the information out of me. If the cauldron is only capable of life and healing, why would it matter to you and Merlin if I found it?” “Because we know you, know what you’re capable of. There’s no way your reasons are purely benevolent.” I glanced at him behind me. “You know me, do you? Aside from my grudge against Guin, what else have you heard about me?” As expected, he spouted an exhaustive list of my exploits. “You were Merlin’s apprentice as a teen after your mother was killed by Merlin’s twin sister, Mab. At Court, you were known to trick men into sleeping with you and even got yourself banished for your role in the death of your half-brother, Arthur. You have attempted to kill Queen Guin on more than one occasion. Most recently, you lead a rebellion of Unseelie against the Seelie Court and caused the deaths of dozens of humans in the process. In order to achieve your rebellion, you sent a young man by the name of Ronan to infiltrate the Wild Hunt and provide you with information. And as your coup de gras, you killed the Erlking Alberich with your bare hands. Have I left anything out?”