Children of the Lake

Chapter Nineteen

A wave of horror sent Nimue running into the forest. Though she lacked Myrddin's otherworldly insight, the waters screamed at her, telling her that Uther and Myrddin were in trouble. Even away from the water, she heard muffled cries, a chorus warning her that something terrible happened.

When Myrddin summoned his power, mystical fire had filled one of her vials of lake water. It destroyed the water and burned through the container. If she hadn't said a quick banishing spell, it might have spread across Briosque. Because he incinerated the healing water inside of him, his fiery power had followed the supernatural link to more of the water, attacking it. If he unleashed more, he could have burned away the ancient enchantments of the lake.

He was close to destroying it all.

Her curls flew in her face as she increased her pace, but she allowed the waters to guide her and refused to stop. Not until she spotted a shadowy shape beside an oak tree.

"Uther?" she called, her voice cracking as she tasted the frigid air. "Where... where is Myrddin?"

Uther hastened over to her, regret darkening his eyes. "He sacrificed himself for me."

Fatigue weighed on her and all she wanted was to collapse in the snow, but she forced herself to stand as if she was an unbreakable Lady of the Lake. "What do you mean?"

In crisp, concise words, he explained what had happened. He spoke like a military commander, revealing not one hint of emotion. Nimue kept her own feelings hidden, even as she was flooded with dismay. After a year of working with Myrddin, he threw it all away.

For a cause that wasn't supposed to matter to him.

"Can we ride after the knights?" Nimue peered past Uther, wishing she had moved faster and made it in time to see Myrddin. "Surely they must have left a trail?"

Uther grimaced. "I did try to double back and figure out their direction. There was nothing. They ambushed us and I believe they were using enchantments to conceal themselves."

Nimue's stomach tightened. "I might be able to sense their waters. Let's go!"

Uther grabbed her arm as she attempted to push past him. "There is only two of us and I no longer have a sword. We must be sensible."

She attempted to free herself from his iron grip. "I always have my weapon with me. You can come if you wish, but I'll be fine."

"Wait!" he snapped. "This was Myrddin's choice. If he thought it would do any good for you to use your powers, wouldn't he have delayed?"

"You don't understand him at all!" Frustration swelled in her. "He is afflicted by an imbalance of magic. I don't think he always understands what he sees. It's too much and the visions are contradictory. And..."

Myrddin cared too much about her. He would rather die than put her at risk. Another time she might find it sweet, but now it made her want to scream. He should trust her and the lake.

She ripped herself free from Uther and spun to face him. "I'm going after him. You can make your choice, but I'm not wasting another moment."

Myrddin needed her.

His eyes were a stone fortress, concealing his ocean of emotions. "Of course I will go with you, Lady Nimue."

She refused to fritter away anymore time and called upon the water to lead her to them. Unable to sense Myrddin, she attempted to focus on any strangers in the forests. Traces leaked out past whatever enchantments concealed them. She picked up her skirts and ventured through the snow, running as fast as possible. If she could get closer, it would be easier to attempt a spell to break the enchantment. But all she could see were watery shadows, evaporating a little bit with each passing second. It was enough for her to navigate through the labyrinth of trees and occasionally the enchantment thinned, showing footprints in the snow.