Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 45 ~

THE FIRST SIGN OF violence the Vernal Court was faced with came from Titania's men, not the Unseelies. There was something so anguished about their fight, a hesitance, even, like they didn't want to be there. For so long, they'd been safe, awaiting anything, not engaging until their hands were forced. And finally, they had been. It was the most reluctant battle Giselle had ever seen.

Very few made it past the walls of the palace, but a handful did, the most powerful of the army. Selene took them on with impressive valor, but Giselle had no time to ogle the might of the love of her life. Instead, she fought beside her mother, reaching the limits of their glamour to fight off the intruders and help their army to keep more from coming. Selene and the High Guards took on the physical battles, while Giselle and her mother weakened their enemies, played with their heads. The Vernal Court was known for their particular fondness of tricks.

The battle did not last long, but it still stretched Giselle thin, and she could see Selene's movements getting sloppier, more aggressive as exhaustion overtook her. Giselle cowered behind a wall and set all her focus on Selene, on sending her what little strength she had, told the Lady to be her hands as she fought against the Seelies with her potent magic.

She could hear the struggle clearly, and she felt the strain tugging at her body, and for the first time since this all began, she feared they would lose. Giselle could sense the will of the Seelie Queen, strong and unyielding, but in a single moment, like a rope pulled too tight, that will was shattered.

A splitting pain shot through her chest, shot through everyone that wasn't Selene, though when she turned around the corner to watch the Lady, she could see her clutching her chest, a contemplative look on her face.

It hurt, enough to cloud the corners of her vision. Was this what Morgana felt when Atla died? She knew what it was, she could feel it. She could feel the fall of Titania as everyone else did, and she thought it might kill her. But all at once, like she'd been caught by warm arms an inch before she hit the ground, the pain ceased, leaving her breathless.

Giselle glanced across the room at her mother, who'd been brought to her knees, and they shared a look.

"What was that?" she asked.

Her mother shook her head. "I've no idea. Titania is dead... but we still have a Queen. That's all I know."

Questions filled her head, and a crease formed between her brows. "Where's our psychic?" she asked, pushing herself onto her shaky feet. "I need to speak with her."

* * *

Kit had heard the cry of banshees before, far too many times. As Mab cried out in agony and grief for her fallen sister, he realized who had given those banshees a voice.

They all felt it, that feeling in their chests when Titania died. It was a strong feeling, like relief, or maybe emptiness. He didn't know. For Kit, though, it was gone faster than it arrived, swallowed up by the torment eating away at him as Morgana's body grew stiffer and the blood stopped flowing. He didn't think there was any hope for him.

How wrong he was.

The world shifted beneath his knees, and the rain got colder, heavier as it washed the steps of blood. He could feel something bursting to life in his own chest, and Morgana's body was bathed in light. It was so sudden and so bright, Kit thought it couldn't be true. But the Unseelie's eyes flew open, white and glowing with a heavenly absence of any color. He almost had to look away, but he couldn't. He wouldn't.

"It hurts," Morgana choked out, mouth open as he floundered for air. "Kristofer, it hurts. It hurts, it hurts, I can't breathe, it hurts--"

"Hey," Kit murmured, pulling him up into a sitting position. "Hey, Morgana, you're okay. You're alright. Take a deep breath, I'm right here."