Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 6 ~

SELENE WENT TO BED alone. It stung like whiskey to a cut but she knew she had it coming. She should've thought about it before she came charging at Morgana like that, right there in front of Giselle. She got after Kit for being impulsive and getting into fights, but she was just like him, as much as she loathed to admit it.

The fire crackled with a warm, orange glow in front of her, hot against her sunburnt cheeks. Normally, Giselle healed the red away each night, because her skin was pale and sensitive and the slightest bit of sun scorched it. But this time, she would have to let it burn.

She couldn't sleep, but she wasn't the only one. Morgana was up, sat across the other side of the fire as her and watching it flicker. The reflection of the flames in his eyes felt like a window into his furious heart, but windows didn't only show the other side. Selene could see herself there, a faint mirror looking back at her and showing her everything she didn't want to see.

Morgana noticed her staring, she was certain, but he said nothing.

If she could sleep, she would've. But the guilt in her chest wouldn't leave her alone unless she made it right.

Her bones cracked when she pushed herself up into a sitting position, catching Morgana's attention. He tried to look away before she caught his eye, but she was too quick.

The only one sleeping nearby was Kit, and she knew he wouldn't wake up easily. A quiet conversation wouldn't rouse anyone from their much-needed rest.

Selene took a breath.

"I'm sorry," she told Morgana. "About earlier."

He was quiet for several moments, but she could wait.

"What do you want?"

She furrowed her brow. "Sorry?"

"What do you want? You never apologize, so I'm assuming you want something from me."

"I don't want anything from you," she said. "I want to say sorry."

"You want Giselle to forgive you."

Her mouth clamped shut. She opened it again, but she didn't know what to say, so she pressed her lips back together.

"It's okay," Morgana said, voice calmer now. "I want her to forgive me, too."

"She's not gonna want me to apologize to her, she--"

"I know. She's gonna forgive you once you forgive me," he says. "I know her. She's gonna want me to forgive you back."

The two of them went quiet, sitting across the fire from each other with blank faces.

"I guess we have a start," said Selene. "We both want her to forgive us and we both know how we need to do that."

"I kissed Kit."

Selene froze. It was such a strange thing for him to say, but an even stranger thing to do. She could sense the tension between the two, but she didn't think either of them would ever actually do anything about it, especially not Morgana.

"What?"

He ran his hands over his face. "At the castle. I kissed him. And he can't stop thinking about it and I can't either, and my people are in danger and none of us know what to do and if Camelot comes back more will die, but not bringing it back will also kill people, and there's something wrong with my magic but I don't know what and--"

He only stopped talking when he'd run out of air, and he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. "That's why I... that's why I snapped. There's just... so much. I shouldn't have taken it out on Eurion and I shouldn't have fought with you about Giselle. And you're right, I was only thinking of myself. I'm just so... angry. At everything."