CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

In which Emily and Co. flee the wrath of the White Knight. And a small fey called Cob finally gets his freedom.

Emily and the others had a head start on the White Knight. They leapt down stairs, darted around pitched battles, and avoided the blades of those who thought they were attacking them. The only advantage they had was that the White Knight looked so threatening that she had to stop frequently to fend off attacks herself. Emily didn’t think these interruptions would delay her for long, though. Whatever they were going to do, they had to do it quick.

They ran on. Emily’s chest was burning, her breath coming in heaving, rasping gasps. Jack and Wren were faring no better. Jack looked as though he was about to be sick, and Wren’s goblin face was covered in sweat.

They darted into a corridor that sloped downward.

Identical doors opened off to either side, and Nimue pushed one open and vanished through it. Emily threw a quick look over her shoulder. There was no sign of the knight.

Emily’s legs were trembling, but they made it to the door, yanking it open and falling through before the knight could see which one they used. That should at least give them a bit of time. Wren quickly slammed it shut behind them, and they paused for a brief moment to try to catch their breath.

But they couldn’t afford to linger. Nimue was disappearing up another set of stairs. Emily set off after her. Nimue led them along more passages and corridors before finally stopping before a single white door.

She glanced quickly at them. “The knight?”

“I think we lost her for the moment.”

Nimue nodded and opened her hand. Emily saw that she was holding a pendant on a delicate wooden chain. This was what Titania had pushed into her hand.

“It’s a key,” said Nimue. She took the pendant off the chain, then placed it in a small hole in the door. The pendant flared to life, illuminating them in a green light. It revolved slowly in the wood. There was a quiet click, then the door opened.

Nimue hurried inside. The others followed her and found themselves in a huge chamber, empty but for an archway of wood that stood in the center of the room.

Nimue approached, the others following after. The wood was still alive. Shoots and leaves grew from archway, writhing in the air like worms seeking moisture.

“This is the main Faerie Gate,” said Nimue. She pushed aside some leaves and pulled something from the wood. Emily realized with a jolt that it was the key to the gate. The same key she had in her pocket. She quickly patted her coat. The familiar circle was still there. How odd. They were the same thing from different times, yet here they were existing in the same space.

Nimue pulled and pushed the small branches on the key, fixing it so that it would take them to where she wanted to go.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

Emily nodded. As did Jack and Wren. Nimue placed the key back in the wood. Immediately, the space between the arch darkened. Emily could no longer see the other side of the room. Just a black shadowy mass, like clouds moving against a moonlit sky.

“Let’s—” Nimue started to say, but her words froze on her tongue as she stared back at the door. Emily whirled around to see the White Knight and the Morrigan standing in the doorway. There was a moment of frozen silence, then Nimue turned and jumped toward the gate.

“Hurry!” she shouted.

The knight surged forward, a snarl twisting her golden features. Emily closed her eyes and jumped into the darkness. For a moment she felt as if she had been caught in a spiderweb, frozen in place, then there was a lurch, and she was yanked downward.

A second later her face was resting against a cold flagstone. She quickly rolled to her feet, staggering as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. Jack and Wren were lying close by, groaning. Against the wall was another wooden archway, similar to the one they had entered in the Faerie Tree. As Emily tried to keep her balance, Nimue appeared through the opening. She staggered a few steps, then skidded to a halt and whirled around, facing the arch.

But no one else came.

Nimue allowed herself to relax slightly.

“Where are they?” asked Emily.

Nimue glanced at her. She held up the key to the gate. “I yanked it out as I came through.”

“So they’re gone?” asked Jack, pushing himself to his feet.

“No. The gate would have stayed open for a few seconds, so they probably still made it through. The key was set for this location, but if we’re lucky they’ve been dropped a few miles away.”

“And if we are not lucky?” asked Wren.

“Then they could be waiting in the next room.”

Emily took a moment to survey their surroundings. The cold flagstone floor was a design element the builder obviously liked, as the walls and roof were made from the same thing. They were basically in an empty stone room with a single arched window allowing the weak gray light inside. Emily approached it. She could see it was raining outside, a steady downpour that looked like it would carry on for days. The rain spattered against the stone sill, bouncing up and gently prickling against her face. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned out the window, taking in their surroundings.

There were two colors outside. Green and gray. The green of a vast forest that coated the hills surrounding them, and the gray of the sky. A cold breeze ruffled her hair as she gazed out over the trees. Far in the distance, she thought she could just glimpse a huge towering castle with spires piercing the gray clouds.

She turned from the window. “Are we in Faerie?” she asked.

Nimue nodded. “The Valley of Forgotten Dreams.”

“Charming name,” muttered Jack, peering out the window. “It doesn’t look very … fairylike, does it?”

“We are far from the beaten track here. This is the Unforgiven Forest.” Nimue looked puzzled. “But what exactly were you expecting?”

“Magical cities. Golden elves. Ogres and things traipsing around the landscape. Magic everywhere you look.”

“Oh, we have all that. You should see the Floating City of Arberlast. A place of such beauty you will weep. But now is not the time for such things. We must move quickly. Follow me.”

Nimue strode across to a heavy door and pulled it open, revealing a rather dank, dark castle foyer. A wide set of stone stairs rose up from the middle of the room, separating and curving up and around to either side.

“Charming place,” muttered Jack.

“It was the best we could do at the time,” said Nimue. “We were rushed …” She hesitated, then sighed. “Look, I know what you think about me. But the stories have it all wrong. Merlin agreed to be interred here. It was part of a plan—”

“Agreed?” asked Emily, surprised. “Why would anyone agree to such a thing?”

“It was the only way to stop Morgan Le Fay.”

“Sorry,” interrupted Wren. “Morgan Le Fay? The Morgan Le Fay? From the stories? Half sister to King Arthur?”

“The same. Morgan was half-fey herself. And she had many followers. Followers who wanted the same as Kelindria. The eradication of humankind. But Arthur and his knights vowed to stop her.”

“The Knights of the Round Table?” asked Wren.

Nimue nodded. “Or to give them their original name, the Knights of the Invisible Order.”

There was a pause while they took this in.

“So…,” began Jack. “All those legends. The knights. Arthur. Mordred. They were all true?”

“The people existed, yes. Although the legends that survive today are more … distortions of what really happened. Morgan Le Fay was very dangerous. She thirsted for power and didn’t care how she got it or how many people had to die. Merlin tried to stop her, but by this time, her power was simply too much.”

“She was stronger than Merlin?” asked Emily, surprised.

“In some ways, yes. Merlin had a conscience to stop him from going too far. Morgan Le Fay did not. That gave her the edge, as there was nothing she wouldn’t do to achieve her aims. Titania had no love for Morgan and wanted her stopped just as much as Merlin did. For the first time in history, the fey and humans actually agreed on something. So a plan was hatched. And I was the bait.”

“I don’t understand,” said Wren. “How were you the bait?”

“Merlin and I were in love. Had been for some time. When Titania found this out, she wanted to use it to our advantage. I was to pretend allegiance to Morgan Le Fay, take her information about Merlin and the Invisible Order. It took me a long time to gain her trust, but I did it in the end.”

Nimue trailed off, a sad look on her face.

“And?” prompted Jack.

“There was no way Morgan Le Fay could capture Merlin on her own. He was too wary, too powerful. So Morgan had an idea. I was the only person in the world who Merlin would allow inside his defenses. I was the only one who could capture him. So she … it’s hard to describe. She took most of her power and put it inside me. It left her weak, defenseless, but it enabled me to ‘trap’ Merlin and lock him away here in Faerie.”

“Didn’t he fight you?”

“Don’t you understand? He knew what I was doing. He was the one who came up with the plan. He sacrificed himself so that Morgan Le Fay could be leeched of her power. I locked him up here, and while Morgan Le Fay lay in her tower, weak as a newborn babe, the Invisible Order captured her.”

“Did they kill her?” asked Emily, fascinated by the story.

“No. They didn’t have the power. But they locked her away in a similar manner to what I did to Merlin. The plan worked. We stopped her.”

“But if you were successful,” said Wren, “why was Merlin kept trapped here?”

Nimue hung her head in shame. “Yes. That was where things went wrong. Titania decided to … alter the plan. The Invisible Order was still a danger. It was still dedicated to fighting the fey. And Merlin was their leader. She thought it would be better for all concerned if Merlin was to … remain where he was.”

Emily was horrified. “And you allowed that?”

“What was I supposed to do? I argued, yes. But she is my Queen. And she controlled access to Merlin. This is the first time I have been to Faerie since it happened. In Titania’s defense, her plan worked. Since that time there have been no major wars. A few skirmishes, yes, a few hidden battles, handled by her spies, but on the whole it has been a thousand years of peace.”

“You’ve kept that poor man locked away for a thousand years?” asked Wren, anger rising in his voice.

“He is not a man. Not as you are. But yes, for a thousand years.”

“And he expected … what? A few days? A week?”

“He was to stay locked away till Morgan was captured.”

“And how long did that take?”

“It took some time for the knights to get through her defenses. About a month.”

Jack shook his head. “I don’t think he’s going to be very pleased to see you,” he said.

“No. No, I think you are right.”

“Hel-loooo!” echoed a voice.

Everyone looked up to see a face peering at them over the balcony on the floor above. “Er … are you friend or foe? Sorry. Have to ask. Being the guardian and everything.”

“It’s me, Cob. Nimue.”

Emily could hear a sudden indrawn breath. The head disappeared and was replaced by the sound of pattering feet.

A moment later a small man appeared around the bend in the stairs, running as fast as his short legs could carry him. He almost fell down the last steps in his haste. He pulled up short before Nimue, struggling to catch his breath. Except for his size, he looked almost human. A straggly white beard sprouted from his face. He peered at Nimue through a pair of small, round spectacles.

“Is it time?” he asked in a trembling voice. “Can I finally go home?”

Nimue nodded. “It is time, Cob. You have done well.”

The old fey danced a jig on the flagstones. “Time to go home. Time to go home,” he cackled.

Nimue glanced around nervously. “Cob. We’re in a bit of a hurry.”

“Of course, of course. Follow me, follow me.”

Cob led them up the stairs and along an echoing corridor, turning into a torch-lit room lined floor to ceiling with books. Each book was identical but for a different number on the leather spine. Cob gestured at them proudly.

“A thousand years of daily reports,” he said. “You’ll want to check them, obviously. Just to make sure I kept at my job.”

Nimue looked confused. “Daily reports?”

“Oh yes. Not always a lot to write down, it has to be said. Twelve fifty-six was an interesting year. Merlin blinked five times in a day. Not often you get that kind of activity, let me tell you!” Cob laughed deprecatingly. “I almost sent a missive to the Queen. Was worried something was happening.” Cob looked around the room fondly. “Nine hundred eighty-four was another good year. It looked like he was trying to open his mouth. I thought he was going to try and speak.” Cob pressed his hands together in front of his chest. “He didn’t, though.”

Nimue stared around the room, her eyes wide. “Cob, you didn’t have to keep records!”

“Had to, miss. Had to. How else would you know I did my job. Anyway, it kept the boredom away. Got to keep busy, yes? But you’ll be wanting to see him. Come.”

He took one of the torches down from the wall and opened a door nestled between the shelves of books. A dark spiral staircase led down into the darkness. Cob stepped through the door and disappeared around the bend. The others hurried to catch up.

The flagstones of the stairs eventually gave way to uneven rock as they descended far beneath the ground. These stairs eventually fed onto a ramp that opened into a vast underground cavern. The sounds of dripping water echoed around the cave.

There was a glow from up ahead, the only source of light other than Cob’s torch. They moved deeper into the cave. As they drew closer, Emily saw that the light was coming from inside a huge chunk of crystal. It glowed with a white illumination, outlining a still form encased within.

Merlin.

They hurried forward, details emerging as they drew closer. Merlin looked exactly the same as when Emily had first met him, his white hair and beard sticking out at all angles from his head. His eyes were open, staring straight ahead. He wore robes of dark gray.

Nimue moved forward until she stood face-to-face with him. She laid her hands on the crystal, bowing her head as if in prayer.

At first nothing happened. Then the crystal started to melt, like ice turning to water. It dropped away from around Merlin’s body, gathering in hollows and dips on the floor, crawling slowly outward until finally Merlin and Nimue stood in the center of a large silver pool.

The others watched in rapt fascination as Merlin blinked, then took a great, shuddering breath of air. Nimue couldn’t look at him. She stared down at her feet. Merlin glanced around the cavern, then turned his glare on Nimue.

“A thousand years, Nimue.” His voice was hoarse and grating. “A thousand years!” he shouted. His voice reverberated around the cavern. Cob quickly ducked behind Jack.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and her voice was so filled with pain and anguish that Emily felt tears rise to her eyes.

Merlin stared at the top of her head, his frown gradually easing away. Finally, he sighed.

“Come here, my lady Nimue,” he said softly.

Nimue finally looked up. She and Merlin locked eyes, then they reached out and held each other in a tight hug. They stood like that for some time.

Emily looked away, feeling as though she were intruding on their private moments. She gestured for Jack to do the same, but he just waggled his eyebrows at her and grinned.

Finally, Merlin disentangled himself. “Now,” he said. “I’m assuming something bad has happened, yes? Time is of the essence, and all that? And I’m assuming it involves these three creatures, as well? Hello, Cob. I see you hiding there. Bet you’re glad I’m awake, eh? Now you can get on with your own life again.”

Cob stepped out from behind Jack and bowed shyly. “It’s been an honor to watch over you, milord.”

Merlin started to walk out of the pool, but as he did so his legs suddenly gave way beneath him. Nimue reached out and caught him as he fell to his knees.

“Merlin! Are you all right?”

“I …” Merlin put a hand to his head. “I don’t think so.” He glanced back at the pool of silver. “Your spell kept me alive, but … I think the years are trying to catch up with me.” He gripped hold of Nimue’s arm and pulled himself up. “You must take me to my workshop,” he said urgently. “It is of the utmost importance that I reabsorb my powers immediately.”

Nimue nodded and helped him over to the others. When he stood before Cob, he gestured for Nimue to wait.

“Cob,” he said slowly. “Before I go, I must thank you for all that you have done.”

Cob looked confused. “But I haven’t done anything. Except my duty.”

“Not so. You talked to me. You visited me. Every day for a thousand years. This was as much your prison as mine. I look on you as a friend, Cob. A very good friend. And I thank you.”

A smile as bright as a sunrise spread across Cob’s face. His eyes disappeared into the laugh lines around his eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“I do. Now be off with you and go visit that family you were always talking about. I’m sure they are eagerly awaiting your return.” He turned to the others. “Let us leave this place, and you can explain to me what has been occurring.” He frowned. “Although with all the gaps in my memory, I’m not sure I can be of any help to you.”