Page 64 of For the Love of the Quest

“Edith, thank God you’re alright.” He strode in her direction, arm outstretched, but paused when Edith faltered a step back.

“What are you doing here?” Thomasin was there suddenly, shouldering past her, positioning herself in front of Edith. There was mistrust and suspicion in every rigid line of Thomasin’s shoulders.

Though Thomasin stood between them, her father’s eyes never left Edith’s. “I’m here to collect my daughter.”

Edith touched Thomasin’s forearm, nudging her out of the way. She tried not to think about the fact that this was the last time she would ever get to touch her. Her fingers, having a mind of their own, refused to uncurl from Thomasin’s skin. “It’s okay,” she said, stepping out from around Thomasin. “This is for the best.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going with him,” Thomasin demanded.

Each point of contact between her and Thomasin burned. The Excalibur inked on Edith’s arm stared up at her, mocking her.

“He was right.” Edith shrugged helplessly. “I don’t belong here.”

“It’s alright. We’ll be home soon, and we can forget all this ever happened.” Her father’s voice was soothing, and he crooked his fingers as if he were coaxing a scared cat toward him.

Edith dropped Thomasin’s arm and forced herself out of reach. “I’m so sorry, but I need to go where I’ll be safe.”

“Fuck safe! We love each other. We could be happy.” Thomasin kept her voice low, but every word was urgent.

“I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.” Edith smiled sadly, her features on the verge of crumpling. But she kept stepping backward, toward her father. She had tried, and she had failed. Now it was time for her to go home, where no one would care if she was unworthy. In fact, they would expect it. She could handle those low expectations. What she couldn’t handle was watching Thomasin grow disappointed with her as she slowly realized that Edith was indeed unworthy.

“Don’t say goodbye.” Thomasin’s voice rose. “Edith!” she called after her. “Please, don’t do this. You deserve more than that small life you had!”

Edith hesitated, every part of her wanting to believe that Thomasin was right. But if Edith had been meant for more, then she would have been able to make it to Avalon. A small life was what Edith was destined for. It was time for her to stop imagining more for herself. “I’ll have my family,” she said, as she joined her father. She was still utterly confused as to how he’d found her, but confusion was safer than fear.

“Don’t you want more?” Thomasin said, as if reading her mind. “Stop accepting the crumbs of affection your family gives you, and let me give you everything that I am.”

Edith’s father began to guide her away with a hand on her back, but her footsteps stalled, and she turned halfway toward Thomasin. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she said, “My family will always love me. You won’t.”

“You don’t get to decide that for me!” Thomasin growled.

“The quest is over, Thomasin. Without an adventure, you’d get bored of me sooner or later.”

“But the quest isn’t over!” Thomasin shouted.

Edith forced her eyes to go distant. “This isn’t a fairy tale, Thomasin. I was wrong.”

Tears slipped from Thomasin’s eyes, and Edith felt them like a physical wound. With every one that fell, there was something vital being yanked from her chest.

“It’s time to go,” Edith’s father said to her, his arm tightening around her shoulders. She almost stayed. She almost ran to Thomasin. Almost wrapped her arms around the only woman she had ever loved, would ever love.

Instead, Edith let herself be led away.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Thomasin watched as the only home she’d ever known walked away from her. Then she stared at the cliff that held the secrets of Avalon. When that grew too depressing, she stared at the empty trees until her eyes went fuzzy.

Edith was gone. She let her legs give out beneath her, knees crashing into the hard ground. Everything she had dared to hope for herself, gone in an instant. Thomasin fell forward on her hands. She was literally on all fours in the middle of the woods out of pure, miserable despair. If the old Thomasin could see her now, she’d rob her blind and probably beat her senseless. A hollow laugh fell from her lips. There wasn’t even a boat for her to get off the island. They hadn’t thought that far ahead. With Edith at her side, and the quest before them, the return trip hadn’t seemed important at all.

There were footsteps, loud and steady. Thomasin jerked her head up, hating herself for the hope that bloomed in her chest, for thinking Edith might have come back for her.

But of course she hadn’t. Thomasin curled her fingers in the dirt.

“Is this what you wanted, then?” Worthing strolled up to her, looking down at where she kneeled on the ground. He was here, on the island. He must have sought out Edith’s father, made some kind of deal.

“You followed me.” Thomasin said. It wasn’t a question. She should have known he wouldn’t let her out of his clutches. He would never be able to accept the victory she offered him. He needed to best her on his own terms.

Let him, Thomasin thought pitifully. She had already lost everything that mattered to her anyway.