A/N: Thank you GuestM, PadrePedro, and Buckhunter for reviewing! Final chapter of this one. The conclusion to the trilogy starts Friday.


Chapter 8

By the time Lancelot and the others arrived at Camelot, hundreds of Wraiths were swarming the city. He stared in horror. Freya was in there somewhere, probably dying. She'd be defenseless if any Wraith got past the walls.

Mordred ushered the Lightspinner children he'd freed from Cenred into an empty house at the edge of the lower town. "Stay here and protect each other," he told them.

"Don't go," a young boy begged.

"I have to," he replied. He then summoned up his light snake, which slithered around the group of children who still only had incorporeal powers. "You all are survivors," he went on, then turned to Arthur with a staunch nod.

The rest of them shared grim looks as they readied themselves to storm into battle. Arthur, Leon, and Gwaine unsheathed their blades forged from light, while the Lightspinners spun their own weapons on the spot. The sudden illumination in the dark drew the attention of the Wraiths, who shrieked in response.

The group charged up the street toward the citadel, not wanting to bring the Wraiths close to the children they were forced to leave behind in hiding. Lancelot pulled his light weapon into an elongated spear, then arched his arm back and threw. It pierced a descending Wraith through the center, vaporizing it. He then spun a pair of twin light short swords to wield as the mass of phantoms swarmed over them. The battle quickly became fierce. For every Wraith they slew, there were five more coming at them. Merlin unleashed his dragon spirit, but even with its size and might, they were overrun.

A phantom swooped by, knocking Lancelot to the ground. He rolled across the now frost-covered ground, frantically trying to spin another weapon before the Wraith could lock him in its death grip. He stabbed the phantom in the face, killing it. But his dagger dissolved along with the Wraith, and he couldn't forge a replacement before another was looming up behind him. But then a spectral lion came barreling in and snatched the Wraith out of the air with its massive jaws. Lancelot twisted around and saw the doors of the castle had been flung open and the people of Camelot were charging out to join the fight. The younger Lightspinners shot spears and barbs of solid light at the Wraiths, while the adults wielded blades sheathed in blazing white.

Lancelot regained his feet and spun a shield, which he used to slam into three Wraiths, driving them backward. They managed to slip out from behind it and veer away, and Lancelot continued plowing a path to the castle. He found Percival sprawled on the steps, one leg heavily bandaged. He was wielding light from the ground while his lion went on a rampage around the courtyard. The open doors were just behind him, and half of Lancelot's terror was for his sister somewhere inside, but he kept his focus and stood his ground next to Percival, knowing he could at least protect the great hall from out here.

But the battle was endless, and no matter how many Wraiths they slew, it seemed like they wouldn't actually win the day. Then Lancelot spotted a beacon of light galloping toward the city. As it got closer, Elyan's wolf erupted from him and ran ahead to join the fight. Gwen's horse charged all the way up to the courtyard. Elyan leaped off first and immediately launched into the fray while Gwen rushed over to Lancelot and Percival.

"Freya?" she asked worriedly.

"Inside," Percival said.

"I think we can save her," Gwen said as she held up a new crystal.

Lancelot's eyes widened with a surge of hope, and the two of them turned to hurry inside. The great hall had been emptied save for Gaius and the children who didn't possess light spinning powers. Freya was lying on a pallet, pale as death. Lancelot felt a fresh jolt of fear seeing her like that. What if they were too late?

Gwen dashed over and laid the crystal on Freya's chest. Its aura flared up and out to spill over and seep into Freya. In the next moment, her eyelids fluttered open.

"Gwen?" she said in confusion.

Lancelot threw himself down to the floor and pulled her upright into his arms.

"Lancelot!" Freya exclaimed.

He hugged her tightly, the terror of nearly losing her still fresh in his mind. He only let go when the screams of Wraiths echoed outside.

"What's happening?" Freya asked in alarm.

"We're under attack," Gwen answered. "But we have a new crystal to restore the shield. We just have to get it up there."

She jumped up and made for the stairs. Lancelot hesitated, loath to leave his sister, but he gave Freya a fervent nod and then tore himself away to go after Gwen. He caught up in the stairwell, and they reached the top of the central tower, only to be intercepted by a Wraith that came gliding down through the open walls.

Lancelot spun twin scythes of light and slashed them both through the phantom, turning it to ash. Gwen scrambled to the lantern to reach up and install the crystal, but another Wraith came careening through the tower and knocked her down. The crystal fell from her hand and rolled across the floor. She summoned balls of light in her palms and pushed them into the Wraith looming over her, and it recoiled with a shriek. But more were converging on the tower; perhaps they knew what the two Lightspinners were attempting and wanted to stop them.

Lancelot snatched up the crystal before a Wraith could try to steal it and turned to the lantern. But he paused, because there was no time to secure the crystal with the Wraiths swarming the tower and repeatedly knocking them down. They needed another solution.

Lancelot frantically wracked his mind for options. A Wraith swooped in and he ducked. Gwen snapped a whip of lightning at it, splitting it down the middle. But more just kept coming.

Lancelot finally turned and climbed out the side of the tower onto the crenel. From there, he heaved himself up onto the roof.

"Lancelot!" Gwen yelled in alarm, but she was too busy fending off Wraiths to come after him. And there were plenty more flying outside.

One dive bombed him, and Lancelot pressed himself low to the shingles as it zinged past. Gripping the crystal in one hand, he began to spin light around it, triggering the power within. As the two sources of light met and entwined, Lancelot was able to draw the crystal's power out. It forked like branches trying to grow, and he slammed the bottom point of the crystal down onto the roof, focusing all his might on weaving a massive plate of solid light over the shingles. It melded with the crystal, completely fusing it to the tower roof so it could never be removed or stolen again. A beam of light then shot straight up and out, cascading in all directions in a rippling dome. The Wraiths shrieked and veered away from the blinding light, but as it came all the way down to form the impenetrable shield, many phantoms were now trapped inside it.

Screeching in apparent rage, several dove at Lancelot simultaneously. The shock of the glacial contact knocked him backward and sent him rolling down the sloped roof and over the edge into a free fall. The wind rushed up around him, drowning his screams as he plummeted to his death. But then waves of light began to glisten around his hands and arms, and the next thing he knew, a huge sheet of it shot out into a wingspan, and he landed on something hard and solid while still in midair. His plunge abruptly turned into an ascent as a great, blazing white griffin carried him back up into the sky.

Lancelot clung to its back and neck, frozen in a shocked stupor. The griffin veered around, and the remaining Wraiths beneath the dome fled from it. Then Merlin's light dragon flew by and snatched them out of the sky with its jaws, chomping them into dust. The griffin glided down and came to a soft land in the courtyard. Lancelot slid off its back and staggered.

"Lancelot!" His friends came rushing over.

"Are you all right?" Leon asked urgently.

He nodded dazedly and met the griffin's opaque eyes. It cocked its head at him, and Lancelot felt a strange connection to the light animal. He tentatively reached out to touch its neck. Feathers made of starlight preened in response. Then the griffin dissolved and the light suffused back into Lancelot. He stared down at himself in awe.

Merlin came over, grinning. "Wicked animal spirit, Lancelot."

A grin finally cracked his stupefaction. Yes, it was.

The last of the Wraiths were hunted down and destroyed, and the city was finally quiet. Freya and Gwen came hurrying out of the castle, and Lancelot threw his arms around his sister in sheer relief again. They were safe once more.


Peace and security had been restored to Camelot, and now Freya stood with her brother and friends as they faced Mordred on the edge of the city. It'd been difficult for her to believe he had betrayed them, had been responsible for a great deal of what happened. The one time she'd found her courage to face down her greatest fear, because she'd thought Mordred was in danger, she'd misjudged the situation. And then almost died. So had her brother. But Mordred had helped them in the end, and Cenred was dead—for sure this time. Holding grudges wasn't something Freya knew how to do.

Arthur's demeanor, however, was austere as he regarded the young man.

"I will not stay in Camelot," Mordred spoke first. "I know asking to re-earn your trust is too much after everything. At least so soon."

No one said anything to that. Freya felt the urge to speak up on his behalf, but she couldn't seem to make her voice work.

"What will you do?" Lancelot asked, not unkindly.

"Seek out other Lightspinners," he answered. "And when I find them, I will send them here." He glanced at Arthur. "If that's all right."

Arthur nodded. "Everyone will receive sanctuary here."

Mordred gave a small smile of gratitude.

"Thank you for helping us, in the end," Arthur went on.

Mordred bowed. "I look forward to meeting again." He turned to leave, then paused and looked directly at Freya. "Thank you for the pendant. It saved my life, and I will treasure it always." He placed a hand over his heart and then extended it to her in farewell. "You and your light animal are very special."

Her cheeks flushed warm at his words.

Elyan opened a gap in the shield, and they all watched Mordred slip out and depart. Then they dispersed. Freya lingered, along with Lancelot and Merlin.

"How are you feeling?" Merlin asked in concern.

She shrugged. "Fine."

"How about your bastet?"

She shifted in discomfort. "I don't know. I haven't brought it out since the raid."

"Maybe you should now," Merlin suggested. "Since it was the one that was injured. We should see if the crystal healed you both."

Lancelot gave her an encouraging nod, so Freya took a breath and focused on drawing out her animal spirit. She had never done so outside of imminent threat, and it was a strange sensation. Lights swirled out and formed the winged cat, which immediately folded its wings down and lowered its head. There was something in its posture that was vulnerable. She had never seen it like this before, had always viewed it as a vicious beast. But now as she stood staring at it, the bastet shuffled forward almost pitifully, and Freya stretched her hand out to touch its head.

The feline pushed its forehead into her palm and then moved closer, curling up against her as much as its bulk allowed. Freya was stunned. She continued stroking it like a cat, its light rippling in response, almost like it was purring. Something bloomed in Freya's chest, a warmth that felt like affection for her animal spirit, the first fond emotion she'd held toward it since its birth. Her mouth twitched upward in a small smile.

Merlin's was wider. "I'm glad you're both okay."

She smiled back.

Merlin then shot Lancelot a pointed look that Freya couldn't decipher. Her brother furrowed his brows before they rose in apparent understanding.

"Uh, I'll see you two later," he said awkwardly and left.

Freya frowned in confusion.

Merlin reached over and took her hand. "I was afraid I'd lost you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

Freya felt a strange flutter in her stomach.

Merlin shifted his weight. "I love you," he fumbled to say.

Freya stared at him in stupefaction.

"It's okay," he hurried to add. "I don't want to pressure you."

Freya felt a mixture of emotions that both warmed her and made her feel sick. But she didn't dislike them. Merlin started to withdraw his hand, but she clasped it tightly.

"Merlin, can we go on a picnic again?"

His eyes lit up with delight, and he held his elbow up to link his arm in hers. And together with her bastet, they walked back up to the castle.


Life had returned to normal, with a few adjustments. The tower with the crystal would now have a guard post, even with the new crystal being cemented into the castle itself. But that didn't mean a determined Lightspinner couldn't prize it out. Arthur vowed to also not be so trusting with everyone new who arrived, though he also had to remind himself to give everyone a chance, at least.

And there was one more change he wanted to make.

He found Gwen working in the forge to stockpile more light weapons for the castle, just in case.

"Do you have a moment to talk?" he asked.

She paused in her work and walked around the anvil, brows raised with intrigue. Arthur took her hands in his.

"One thing our generation has learned is life is frail and short, and I don't want to wait any longer," he began. "Guinevere, would you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?"

Her lips parted with a small gasp.

"But more than that," Arthur went on. "Will you be my queen and partner? To rule at my side as we face this age together?"

Tears welled in her eyes, but he assumed they were happy because she nodded exuberantly. "Yes, Arthur, I will."