The Indigo King - James A. Owen [97]
“And even there, in the library itself, you were not protected,” Jack murmured.
Gwynhfar nodded. “There were those who would use me, and what I represented, to further their own aims.”
“So when Madoc forced himself on you …,” Jack began.
Gwynhfar looked at him in confusion. This meant nothing to her. “Forced?”
“What I mean to say,” Jack tried again, “is that when you were, uh, attacked in Alexandria by Madoc, and he violated you—”
“You misunderstand,” Gwynhfar interrupted. “I was not attacked. I was not … violated. Not by Madoc. How can you say that I was?”
Jack looked at the others, now clearly confused himself. “But we thought … When Meridian spoke of his brother betraying the Grail …”
“You are mistaken,” Gwynhfar said coldly.
“But we were there,” Jack said cautiously, with a quick glance at John. “We saw you with Madoc and heard you scream as you fled the library.” He extended his hands, trying to understand. “Meridian defended your honor!”
Gwynhfar snorted derisively. “You assume, and conjecture, and misread everything,” she said. “You would have been completely inadequate as my Caretakers.”
“We do have our moments,” John said, not sure if his own words were a defense or an admission. “Please, tell us what really happened.”
Gwynhfar stepped down from the dais to get closer to them. She was shorter than all of them save Hugo, and surprisingly delicate.
“Meridian and Madoc were there as two of my Caretakers,” she began, “but once Meridian discovered who I was, and why I was valued, he lost interest … mostly,” she added. “His interest in the library had more to do with the objects gathered there, such as the Cup of Albion and the Horn of Bran Galed.”
“Old Magic artifacts,” said Jack. “But not the New World treasures, like the Lance of Longinus or …”
“The Sangreal,” Gwynhfar finished. “Except for uses more common.”
Her meaning dawned over the companions. “So when Ptolemy said Meridian had tried to take the Grail …,” John began.
“He tried to take from me, against my will,” Gwynhfar explained, “that which I freely shared with Madoc, whom I loved, and who loved me in return.”
“And we believed he was evil,” Jack said dully. “We sided with Meridian and helped to Bind his brother. And Madoc was the good one all along.”
“Y’ mean he might have been,” said Chaz, “if we hadn’t come along an’ mucked him up.”
“Both of my sons have made poor choices,” Calypso clarified. “Both were exiled from the Archipelago. But of the two, Madoc was the one with a spirit.”
“Soul,” John said quietly. “She means soul.”
“What is the difference?” Calypso asked, hearing the word John spoke. “It is the breath of the gods in him. It is his life. It is himself.”
“Spirit, breath, wind,” Jack intoned. “My God, John, what have we done?”
“We need to do our duty now,” replied John. “We are the Caretakers of the Archipelago.” He turned to Gwynhfar. “We need you to come with us. Something terrible has happened, and only you can help us.”
She shook her head. “I am of the Archipelago now. The island of Avallo is as far as I will go toward the world that was.”
“We should have brought him with us,” said Chaz. “Is there time t’ go back?”
John shook his head. “It’s been too long already,” he said, noting the eclipsed sun. “Every moment takes us farther into the Winterland. And we may never be able to reverse it if we don’t do it now.”
“I must stay,” said Gwynhfar, “but the Holy Blood might be taken back with you, to do what must be done.”
“You want us to take your blood?” asked Hugo.
“No,” she said with a faint smile, “I want you to take my child.”
Gwynhfar turned and walked between Circe and Calypso, gesturing for the companions to follow.
They walked out of the temple and down a long procession of steps that ended up splitting into two separate paths. The one to the left followed the ridge of sharp cliffs that rose above the western side of the island. Jack and John looked at each other and grinned in recognition. That path led to the cave where they were most familiar with seeing the Morgaine, and where they