Children of the May (Children of the May Book 1)

Chapter Thirty: The Duel

I grabbed Epicene’s hand. ‘W-We have to do it now, w-we have to show them it’s not real.’

‘Unhand me, water-mage.’ She pulled her hand away. ‘What do you mean: we have to do it now?’

Lady Bertilak had had resumed her embroidery. She pulled grey thread through cloth, working the small patch of the north tower that remained incomplete. She was smiling at me. There was something feline behind her eyes. I looked at the blister on the back of my hand.

‘Y-Y-You’ve made her forget,’ I said to the lady.

‘Forget what, young man?’

‘You’ve got to come, Epicene. Y-You’ve got to help me break the spell. W-W-W-We must show them it isn’t real.’

‘Gods, Drift,’ said Elia, ‘what’s with you this morning? They’ll scrap it out between them just fine.’

‘They’re g-g-g-g-going to kill each other.’

I took Epicene’s arm. She span around, hot anger in her face. ‘I will burn you if you do not unhand me, Drift.’

‘That m-might help, if y-y-yesterday is anything to go by. Come on.’ I pulled her out of her chair, and though she was furious, she came with me.

‘I’m really not sure what the problem is with you this morning, Lord of the Lake,’ said Lady Bertilak as we passed the head of the table. ‘A duel is a perfectly honourable way to settle a quarrel, you know.’

The armoury door was open. Within, Agravaine, Mordred and Melwas were strapping on their suits of armour. None of them looked at each other, nor did they speak. Mordred was pulling his straps and ties so hard he was nearly tearing them off. If they got out into the field I was certain that one or more of them would not come back whole.

I stood at the door. ‘Melwas! M-Melwas!’

‘Not now, Drift.’

‘D-D-Do you remember the b-bathhouse?’

‘Will you go away, you hunchbacked little runt!’

Her words stung me, but there was no time to wait for her to calm down and apologise. I ran towards the library, pulling Epicene along. I cracked open the door and she followed me inside.

I searched the pile of papers and books on the desk. ‘W-Where did you leave the Magikos?’

She looked at me blankly.

‘You had it j-just before breakfast, Epicene. You were showing it to me b-before Accolon came in.’

She shook her head. ‘I first saw you today in the great hall, water-mage.’

‘By the Lord Jesus! W-W-W-W-W-Why have you all lost your minds?’ I held up the blister on the back of my hand. ‘Do y-y-y-you remember giving me this?’

‘Do not take that tone with me, Drift.’

I hit the table with my fist, reopening the cuts I’d made when I punched the wall the morning before. I winced as the pain needled into my brain, and tried to shake it out of my hand.

‘D-D-D-D-D-Do you t-trust me, Epicene?’

She sucked her teeth, and looked me up and down. ‘Yes, water-mage, I do.’

‘W-W-W-Will you give me the back of your hand?’

She stretched out her left arm. I took her hand, and pressed my thumb hard against the skin. I squeezed my eyes tight closed and thought about the cold. I imagined the depths of the black pool below the waterfall, and the chill of the sea, and the frost I’d found on my arms the previous night. I tried to channel all those thoughts into my thumb. I strained hard, until the muscles in my jaw ached.