After the collapse of the factory occupations and the general strike, things went from bad to worse. In 1921, some anarchists undertook a series of bombings in Milan which not only alienated many workers but provided the Fascists with an excuse to use counter-violence against the Left. The paralysed Socialist Party split into three different factions. Mussolini’s ‘march’ on Rome in 1922 heralded the defeat of the working-class movement in Italy.
They have Won
“We’re done being squashed by the House of Morgan and their goldsoaked nobles,” Brados says, “while we starve. We’re taking power for
ourselves.”
At my side, Malleus draws his sword. “Just try.”
Talan raises his hand. “Enough. Put your sword away. You look like an
idiot.”
Malleus flushes and sheathes his sword.
Talan meets Brados’s stare. “You’re right. This country shouldn’t be
ruled by the House of Morgan. In fact, the House of Morgan has never ruled
this kingdom.”
Brados stares at him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Auberon lied. The throne was never his. Mordred is not his father. He
descends from Merlin.”
“Do we really need to worry about old history?” Aedan blusters.
“It’s true,” I say. “Mordred, son of Morgan, is still alive on Avalon. I am
his daughter. He told me this himself.”
“You’re lying,” Brados says coldly.
“Ask your advisor,” I say calmly. “She saw Mordred only yesterday.
They got along very well, actually.”
Brados turns to Nivene in shock. She purses her lips and gives him a
tiny nod.
“Well, then this makes it even clearer,” Brados says. “We’re not going
to let Mordred, whom none of us has seen in over a millennium, rule over
us. And we definitely won’t let a family of liars rule, either.”
“Neither will we,” Aedan says, his oily voice sharp and dangerous.
“Clearly, the strongest noble family should take charge. Farmers and
peasants don’t know how to run a kingdom.”
“The most powerful noble family?” Malleus raises his voice. “And who
would that be? My father holds the largest army—”
“Your father has the plague, boy,” Aedan spits.
“He’s already getting better—”
A Father
This moment has been long coming, and he has no more leverage on
me. Surely he understands that. In fact, I’m surprised he didn’t trick me into
another Hemlock Oath. It seems out of character for him not to demand a
pledge to fulfill my bargain. I swore not to tell anyone about him. I never
promised I’d do what he wanted beyond that.
His golden eyes shine in the torchlight, mournful.
Something catches the corner of my eye. The flickering candles, the
moonlight gleaming over the crystal goblets on the table. As my gaze
sweeps over the old banquet, I feel like my chest is cracking open. This man
has been waiting centuries for the party he planned with his mother. And
right now, I’m reminded of a little boy waiting at a birthday table for a party
no one attended. Somewhere deep down, I sense how much he misses his
mom. This was something he planned for her.
Fuck.
And more than that, he saved my life, and probably my friends’ lives.
He got Raphael back.
And really…he’s a better parent than Mom.
My eyes mist over. “Mordred, I don’t think I can help you do what you
want to do.”
He raises an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh?”
“Humans need Avalon Tower right now. If you destroy it, humanity is
doomed.”
His gaze narrows. “Then why are you telling me this, Nia? Have I
taught you nothing? Why would you show your hand so clearly? You didn’t
even try to kill me.”
“I thought about it.”
He shrugs. “Well, that’s something.”
“You knew I was going to break my deal with you, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did. What I didn’t expect is for you to tell me that you are
breaking the deal. That’s something only a stupid person would do.”
Good Day?
Cheer up, our Lady of the Lake.” Tana lays her hand on my shoulder.
“It was, all considered, a good day.”
My jaw drops open. “A good day? People died. Raphael has been taken
—”
“But we’ve slowed the darkness’s progress, and we still have hope.”
“Raphael doesn’t.”
“Doesn’t he?” she asks.
Something in her tone eases the heavy weight in my chest. There’s a
playful smile at the corner of her mouth.
“What do you mean?” I ask. “Did you see something? Can you just tell
me, for fuck’s sake?”
“Calm down.” She hands me her deck of cards. “Shuffle them.”
I do as she says, shuffling them with trembling hands.
“Now, pick a card. Just one.”
“This feels more like a magic trick than a reading.”
“It’s a reading.”
I take one card out and flip it. The Star.
“I’ve checked over and over,” Tana says. “Always the Star. Past and
future. And that, I’m certain, is Raphael. The card represents healing and
the connection to the universe, someone in tune with the creative force. If
he were truly doomed, that’s not what we’d see. His light would be
dimmed. Raphael has been taken, that’s true. But you can save him. You
can get him back. And his light will return to us.”
Against my better judgment, I feel hope rekindling in my heart. “Are
you sure?” My throat is tight.
She touches my cheek. “You are the Lady of the Lake.”
I bite my lip. “That sounds so formal.”
“How about Aqua Bitch?” Serana grins, joining us. “That’s better,
right?”
“Aqua Bitch?” Tana asks, scandalized. “What nicknames do you have
New Faces and Lullubies
“I’m Darius.” He waves. “Nice to meet you. I’ll get out in just a
moment. I just came for a quick reading.”
“Darius is addicted to Tana’s readings,” Serana explains. “You know
drug addicts? He’s like that, but for cartomancy. He’s here every night,
asking about love. Tana, where is my soulmate? Tana, is the fella I met
today the one? Tana, does this devil on the card mean I stop following my
old lovers through the streets of Camelot, or am I destined for a gorgeous
bad boy?”
“I also ask about weightier subjects, not just my love life,” Darius
snaps.
“I don’t mind either way.” Tana is shuffling her cards. “But before we
do your reading, I promised one for Nia.”
Darius scoots to the corner of the bed and gestures at me. “Ladies first.”
“It’s not necessary,” I say warily.
“Oh, let her get on with it,” Serana says. “Or she won’t stop harping
about it.”
I sit down between Darius and Tana, and she hands me the deck of
cards. “Shuffle and think of the future.”
I shuffle the cards, but thinking of the future seems impossible. I used to
have everything planned years in advance. But now? I have no idea what’s
happening.
I finally hand the cards back to Tana, and she flips the first one. I peer
down to see what it is, and a chill sweeps over my skin. I don’t know a ton
about tarot, but this one is obviously ominous. It looks like a tower struck
by lightning, with silhouettes of bodies falling from it. Flames rise from
some of the windows, and dark storm clouds surround it.
“The Tower,” she says.
“Like…Avalon Tower?” I ask.
“Perhaps. The cards shouldn’t be taken too literally.”
She frowns and flips another card, which she places across it. This one
If it happens that one of them gives another a slap, or pulls his hair, or wrongs or slights him in some other way, and the offender is so powerful and prominent that the other is powerless to exact vengeance, then the injured party will hang himself from a surfeit of grief at the offender’s door during the night and die there, with a view to expressing most effectively his outrage and contempt. Then, when the offender has been exposed by his neighbour’s testimony, he is condemned to make reparation for the wrong he has done by honouring the corpse during its cremation with lavish festivities, complete with music, attendants and all the other things described above that their customs demand. And his chief reason for hanging himself will have been just this: so that this rich and powerful man will honour him in death and ensure that he will be similarly honoured in the next world. This is why they keep up this custom
