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exist, then we'll do whatever it takes to wake him up. And the Lady of the
Lake, too."
"You are attempting to bring Avalon back from the mists and shadows?" I
wondered, Just how powerful were these three? Or how powerful did they think
they were?
"No." Morgaine shook her head with a wry grin. "Avalon is long drifted from
this realm. And Arthur, my darling Arthur, if he woke, he wouldn't be able to
adapt to the modern age. But we can still reach through the veil and call our
allies from ages past."
"Don't count on Titania. We've met her," Camille grumbled.
Morgaine raised her head. "Don't be so quick to judge. It's not easy to be
overthrown and cast out of queenship." She glanced around. So far it seemed
that nobody else had noticed her and I began to see that she'd woven a glamour
around her that she'd only lowered for a few of us to see.
I shrugged. "What's your purpose? You say you want to reclaim what's
rightfully yours, but what are you talking about?"
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Camille gave me a nasty look. I knew I was bordering on outright rude, but I
didn't care. I didn't like glib platitudes from humans, and I didn't like it
when the Fae offered them either.
The sorceress tapped her nose. "You'll know in good time. Meanwhile, if you
hear word of the Merlin, let us know."
"And how are we supposed to do that? You settling in around here?" I asked,
wary now. If they were going to become permanent fixtures in the area, we'd
have to keep an eye on them.
"I apologize for my sister," Camille broke in, her voice edging on pissed.
"You'll have to excuse her; she's forgotten a lot of her manners since she
died."
"No matter," Morgaine said. "We'll be in touch. Trust me." She glanced around.
"Your meeting's about to start, so we'll be off. You may not hear from me for
some time. Don't bother hunting us out. Look to ravens and crows for word from
me." She paused, then patted Camille's cheek again.
"Don't let anyone," she added, glancing at me with a baleful stare, "make you
jump to conclusions."
Then, with a brief nod and before Camille or I could say another word, they
turned as one and swept out the door.
I cleared my throat when they vanished up the stairs. "What do you make of
that?"
Camille snorted. "I don't know, but you sure were Miss Pissy. Although, I have
to say, they really didn't tell us much, did they? I wonder where she's been
keeping herself all these years. She certainly seems in better shape than
Titania, I'll give her that much."
"Something about the encounter doesn't ring square to me. Are you sure she's
actually who she says she is? That she's on the up and up?"
Camille let out a long, shuddering sigh. "As starstruck as I am, to be honest,
I'm not entirely sure. Let's ask Grandmother Coyote," she added, and before I
could protest, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me across the room.
I managed to catch a glimpse of several members of the Blue Road
Tribe werebears entering the room before, once again, I found myself face to
face with Grandmother Coyote. She'd ensconced herself in a chair in the corner
and was observing the room as it filled up.
Camille brought her up-to-date on Morgaine's appearance. "So, we want to know,
is it really her and what does she want?"
Grandmother Coyote motioned for us to sit down. At her feet. Camille dropped
to the floor and I wasn't far behind. When one of the Hags of Fate told you to
sit at her feet, you sat.
She looked around to make sure we weren't being overheard. "Morgaine she was,
indeed. Remember: Not all help can be trusted, even if it does not run in evil
paths. There are few who can rival the sorceress, but she carries a great
thirst for power. That thirst has been her undoing in the past. I doubt if
she's learned much over the years."
At least Grandmother Coyote wasn't being cryptic this time. I frowned,
wondering just what this little jewel of information was going to cost us.
With the Hags of Fate, there was always a price.
"Then we shouldn't trust her?" I glanced at Camille, who stared at the floor,
crestfallen.
Grandmother Coyote held my gaze. "There are few you can trust in this world.
Even those who mean well can crumble under pressure. The more people who know
your secrets, the more the chance for betrayal. That's why I'm here tonight. A
warning: Think twice before you spill secrets about the Demonkin, because once
you push Humpty off the wall, you're left with a mess of scrambled eggs." With
that, she stood and made her way over to the buffet.
Camille and I sat, staring at one another.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I know you wanted to hear something different."
"My teacher regarded Morgaine as a heroine. I feel like one of my role models
just fell off the pedestal. I wonder what all that talk about reclaiming
what's rightfully hers is about. If she's going around mucking with ancient
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powers, then we'd better keep our ears open until we figure out just what the
hell she's trying to do." She smacked her hand against the ground, then pushed
herself to her feet. "Damn it, I hate this. There are so many variables, so
many unknown factors at play in the balance now."
"Maybe she won't find the Merlin. Or maybe she'll go somewhere else. The
Merlin can't be around here," I said, a nasty thought creeping in. "You don't
think she knows about the spirit seals, do you? That she's looking for them in
hopes of using them herself?" Surely someone like Morgaine would refuse to
play second fiddle to a demon. If she were after them, she'd want them all for
herself.
Camille flashed me a stricken look. "I hadn't thought about that. Well, hell
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