Camelot's Crow | ✓ [BOOK 3]

~ 3 ~

CHALICE LOOKED UP FROM their book with a furrowed brow when they heard their door fly open, and a breathless Kit burst into their room with damp hair and poorly buttoned pants. His eyes were wide, and he looked as though he'd just seen a ghost. Given the way things often went lately, it wasn't too far fetched to assume that he did see a ghost.

"What's wrong with you?" they asked, a worried lilt laced into their playful tone.

Kit didn't seem to catch on to their teasing, and their face stilled. This was serious. "I saw... there was a..." He could hardly spit a word out, so Chalice took a deep breath, motioning for Kit to follow along. He obeyed, taking a deep breath and letting it out carefully before he spoke again. "We've stayed here too long," he said. "We did what we came here to do. I'm worried that doing all this in the first place, finding the Grail, stopping Titania--I--"

Chalice snapped their book shut and they rose from their chair to place their hands on his shoulders. He was only an inch or two shorter than them, but the hopeless look in his eyes made him feel so much smaller. "Kit," they said. "Kit. Relax. We did the right thing for Faerie, and we all came out stronger for it, yeah? Now we're stronger, we have more power. And we've got allies."

He stared at them blankly, and they huffed.

"It means we have a better chance of stopping whatever it is the Gods are warning us about," they told him. "And time passes faster in Faerie, remember?" they asked. "It's been a couple months here. But chances are, when we go back to our own kingdom, it'll only have been a week. Maybe it'll only have been a day, if we can do it right."

His shoulders sagged, like he was trying to believe it. "Either way, I think we need to go back now. The sooner the better. We're all in good health, I think. We can stop whatever Connor is up to now."

Chalice dropped their hands and nodded. "I think you're right. I'll go find Eurion, you tell the others."

When they found the thief, she was halfway up a cupboard, reaching for a book at the top of the shelf, barely an inch away from success. Chalice cleared their throat and startled her, causing her to fall back, but they were quick enough to catch her in their arms.

"My stars, Chalice," she sighed as she righted herself. "You spooked me."

"Clearly." They pointed up at the shelf. "Which one did you need?"

Eurion pointed to a blue book with worn binding and a cover one bad day away from falling off. Chalice stood on their toes and slipped it effortlessly from the shelf, handing it to a frowning Eurion with a smile. "You're so tall," she said. "You never make me feel small, though."

Something about the words warmed their heart, and they watched attentively as the thief flicked through the pages with curious eyes.

"What's it about?" Chalice asked, craning their neck as if to read it, to no avail.

"It's about Avalon," she said. "It looks to be a record. It's old, from back when Avalon and Faerie were practically the same place."

A long time ago, Eurion hardly knew the first thing about faeries, she was from the Southern Deserts, where no one believed in them anyways. But now, she was well versed in the history and how to deal with them, as much of an expert as anyone else in the kingdom.

"So," Chalice began, grabbing her attention again. "Kit seems pretty rattled. I think he's seen something, or maybe had a bad dream. But he wants us to go back. To Avalon, I mean. His mission is still incomplete, and I'd like to help him. You're welcome to stay if you like, but--"

"I'll go," Eurion chimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Let me get my things. Are we leaving now? God, I can't wait to get out of this palace."