Author's Note:
As promised.
Chapter Eighteen:
No one spoke for a moment. They had seen many fantastic things but this was truly spectacular.
Reid finally managed to speak.
"I am not sure if I am pure enough to speak you your Ladyship but I thank thee for your appearance."
"Nonsense," she said. "You are my knights and you need my assistance. Please step forward, I mean you no harm."
The carefully approached the edge of the floor.
She smiled. "I understand your king is not among this audience but it does not matter. It was Merlin who insisted on placing it in a stone to test Arthur."
Rossi coughed before he managed to speak. "I don't suppose there is a Merlin we should be looking for also?"
She let a brief laugh in amusement. It sounded like music. "Merlin will appear where he chooses to appear. He is indeed quite unpredictable."
Prentis laughed. "Here I thought Reid was our Merlin."
"No," she said gently and locked eyes with Reid. "Though you may possess many of his talents in terms of intelligence that dazzles many and irritates some, you are not Merlin. You possess a stronger heart and less desire to manipulate people."
"Thank you," Reid murmured.
"Let us return to the matter at hand," she said. "I sense your enemies are surrounding us now that I have made my presence known. Sir David, as you are the eldest, you will accept Excalibur on behalf of your king?"
"How could I say no?" he said. The Lady of the Lake carefully presented it to him width-wise. Rossi held it carefully as though it were a child.
"This sword will guide you to your enemy and provide advice that comes from years of wisdom made from being tested in battle."
Prentiss was looking around. The stamping of feet could be heard.
"How do we get out of here?" she said trying to hide the panic in her voice as she remembered her cut.
"Follow me," the Lady of the Lake said. "Do not fear the water. I will take you safely where you need to be."
Rossi and Prentis looked to Reid. He simply shrugged.
"Please lead the way Your Grace."
She offered him a hand and he took if feeling something like electricity jolt through him as he offered his hand to Prentiss. Prentis felt the same the way and offered her hand to Rossi who took it while holding the sword now by its handle.
Voices could be heard they were lead in the water. The water was warm like bath water. They slowly descended into on what felt like invisible steps. Once Rossi was in the water. The stone wall fell down concealing them dousing the in complete darkness save for the light of the sword.
Reid nearly screamed but then noticed the water was breathable like the water he had read about in books. The Lady of the Lake turned to him and gave him an assuring smile.
After five minutes of walking down steps, the Lady of the Lake spoke.
"This is where I leave you," she said, "knock on the wall and you shall enter. I bid you well on your fight to protect your kingdom."
She let go of Reid's hand descended deeper into the water in a flash of white light.
Reid did as told and all three of them found themselves in conference room where the rest of the team was staring at them. The three of them suddenly felt soaked to the bone.
Just then Rose entered and let out something like a scream when her eyes fell on Excalibur.
"Let me guess, you met the Lady of the Lake," she said irritably. "Whoever meets Merlin wins a prize!"
"She did say he might be around," Rossi said and then walked over to Hotch who was standing shock still like the rest of the team. "King Arthur I present to on behalf of The Lady of the Lake, Excalibur.
"Thank you, Sir David," Hotch said and placed in one the conference table. Then suddenly numbers appeared on it.
Reid instantly understood what they meant. "Those coordinates. The Lady of the Lake said the sword would guide us. She must have intended literally."
Rose was passed a note in the meantime. "Guys Ravenwood's house was just destroyed," she said scribbling on the note. I'm writing it off as a gas leak and calling the coroner to magically retrieve any of the Order's bodies as this sounds like a final defense mechanism Ravenwood most likely created to protect her work." She stamped it with one of her rings and sent the message away.
Reid was watching her.
"Rose you never explained how you knew her," he said.
"She's Cesar Coyle's little sister," she said passively. "Her husband died when she was young. Katherine kept me sane during my first months of working with her brother. She never excused his actions and wasn't powerful enough to put him in his place. She just advised me on how to work with him."
She clapped her hands once and Reid, Rossi, and Prentis were instantly dry. "Let's get back to work on the other bigger homicidal maniac. King Arthur the floor or table is yours."
Hotch sat down and Rose followed suite.
"We have a location, the person, but motivation and final end game are unclear."
"I thought destabilizing the magical government would be enough," Rossi said.
Rose disagreed. "If destruction of government buildings was his end game he would have done so when he abducted me."
"What about trying to kill all of us again," Morgan said.
"He has tried too many times to make it worth it," J.J. said.
"What if he is testing us then," Hotch said. "He testing our skills now that we are knights and in each case we have won. The next trap could be very deadly."
"Maybe it's time we set a trap," Rose said.
"What kind of trap?" Hotch asked.
"One where I place the six highest ranking government officials in a room and call the order out to come out and duel us for their safety."
"Why would these council member agree to such a plan?" Prentis asked.
"Blackmail, magic, or a combination of both," Rose said innocently.
"Lefay said the corruption reached up to the top," Hotch said, "what if some of the officials are corrupt?"
"Then when they refuse we have suspects."
Hotch stood up and paced. "The plan need time and careful planning. None which we have."
Reid then spoke up.
"Then what if we become the bait?"