Out of Time

Chapter 45

Lancelot wanted to die. Or wake up. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he wanted it to stop. He didn't think he could be dreaming. Dreams shouldn't hurt this much, should they? He'd never had a dream hurt before.

In the dream, someone had chained him to a table—exposed, vulnerable. He didn't know who had him. The person's face changed from one session to the next. The first time, Lady Morgan's face tormented him, telling him that this wouldn't have been happening if he'd just accepted her advances. She'd whipped him, flaying at his skin and clothes until the cloth lay in tatters around him.

He couldn't remember a time when he'd been in more pain. But the pain wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the waiting. As he started up at the ceiling, the world swirling around him in disorienting kaleidoscopes of color, he just wanted it to stop. In fact, he would welcome the torture at this point. It would give him something else to focus on.

But when the specter had taken on the form of Guinevere, it had nearly killed him. That time, there hadn't been much in the form of physical torture. In stead, the torture had been completely of his heart. She'd scoffed at him, telling him she didn't love him, that no one could possibly love someone such as him. He'd closed his eyes, telling himself it wasn't real, that it was all lies. But while he could block out her visage, her insidious voice leaked through, poisoning his thoughts.

"Hello, Lancelot," Arthur said with a wicked glee.

Here is goes again.

#

Dani wanted to jump up and down with glee when they walked away from the stable master, who just so happened to remember seeing both Lancelot and a woman in fine garments. Lancelot had seemed worse for wear, but on his own two feet. She suspected the woman, probably Morgan, had done something to him to get his cooperation—maybe a spell or herbs.

"We should tell the king. This is good news." Guin's smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but her shoulders stood taller than they had in a couple days.

Dani frowned, pacing a bit in place. "If we tell Arthur, that will be it. He won't let us do anything more."

"Well, I don't like it any more than you, but what can we do?"

"We can go after him ourselves."

"What?" Guin balked, but a light flared in her eyes. "How?"

"I need to collect some weapons."

"Dani, I don't know how to use weapons."

"It's okay. I do. And if we're dealing with a woman, then we aren't dealing with someone who knows how to fight either."

Guin fidgeted. "We really should let the king know. Just in case."

"You're right, of course. We'll let the stable master know, then take off." Dani smirked. "He'll probably run off as fast as his old body can push him to tell my husband."

"You're so bad." She shook her head.

"Let's go."

#

Arthur sat in the Great Hall, antsy with the need to do something, but knowing that coordinating efforts was as important as actually looking. Merlin had spent half his time up in his workspace trying to locate Lancelot by magical means, but whatever or whoever had him had done there job well, probably knowing full well that someone as powerful as Merlin would be hot on their heels.

As he was starting to think they should break for the evening repast, the stable master stormed through the door, his chest bellowing in such a way Arthur feared the man was about to collapse. The man ran straight at Arthur, and Arthur grabbed at his arms when he didn't seem capable of stopping himself.