Finding Alex | TLOS

Ch.40

Alex watched as Conner, Bree and The Fairy Council arrived at the lake. They were tired and sweaty and Alex realized that they all had worried looks on their faces.

What was wrong with them, she thought, she was sure they were going to win this!

Bree and Conner ran up to Alex. "Oh my god," Bree panted, still tired, holding her stomach where there was pain. "Something's wrong about this!"

Alex wrinkled her nose in confusion. "What do you mean? We have The Fairy Council and everyone else to help us...and all we have to do is defeat The Lady of the Lake, I think that's not going to be too hard..."

"Be quiet-for one second Alex!" Conner interrupted, startling Alex. "I don't know how to explain it, but we both have this...this feeling,"

"A feeling of adrenaline, I assume," Alex pretended to be a ninja and started attacking Bree, but only punching and kicking her lightly.

"No!" Bree and Conner yelled in unison, and Bree pushed Alex's hand away.

Just as they were about to say something else, the water began to rise and out came The Lady of the Lake.

She jumped in and out of the lake, popping up by Alex, Conner, and Bree a couple of times.

And then, more water began to rise and out popped Guinevere, who was holding her shoulder (it hurt so badly) with a unsure smirk on her face, and Yukon and Diamond, their eyes as evil as could be.

"Why is Guinevere there?" Alex exclaimed, a feeling of dread in her stomach. Was that why Guinevere seemed so worried all the time? Like Alex would find out her secret? She had been right! If she had just told Arthur, then all of this would have been much more easier!

"She betrayed us!" Bree cried, rage in her throat. "I can't believe it!"

Alex felt her stomach drop. "Oh no," she murmured. This was not going to be good.

Conner glanced at his sister. "Are you okay, Alex? What's wrong?"

"No, I'm not okay!" Alex sobbed, realization dawning on her. "Guinevere, she's a witch! She's a bad, bad witch!"

"WE KNOW SHE'S A WITCH!" Bree and Conner shouted at the same time.

Alex's eyes slit. "But...didn't you read the stories? The King Arthur sories. Guinevere is evil, she only wants Arthur for his fame. But what the stories didn't tell you was that..."

"Was that...?" Bree and Conner waited eagerly for Alex's response, but just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted.

"Enough stalling, fairies," The Lady of the Lake hissed, her voice sending tremolo's down people's spines. "Are you going to do what you came here to do, or are you too cowardly to fight for your own BEINGS!"

Arthur rose from the water, looking petrified. He was stuck in a cage; similar to the one Alex was in a few hours prior. It was dangling from air, and Alex couldn't believe it. She had seen magic like this before; of course she had, but...

"ARTHUR!" Alex screamed her voice cracking.

He looked so vulnerable, so afraid, so alone in this world that Alex couldn't believe she had forgotten him.

SHE HAD FORGOTTEN HIM! She had left him alone in Guinevere's hands...and she betrayed them! Alex thought she was their friend, but she-she BETRAYED them!

Everyone's heads turned to Alex. Her friends had eyes wide, and even The Lady of the Lake seemed worried, afraid even.

Arthur's eyes searched the crowd until they connected with Alex's. He mouthed 'it's going to be okay', but his eyes were uneasy and he trembled.

"Bree, come with me," Alex said, with so much force that Bree felt obligated to agree.

She nodded quickly as Alex took Bree by the hand. "We need to fix this," Alex spit. "Arthur is going to-he's going to drown if we don't do something! The Lady of the Lake gathered us all here to show us her experiment, but Claire is gone, which means she can't do anything! We have to stop her before she goes through with her plan anyways," her voice cracked again.

"I agree," Bree said.

"I have another plan," Alex said.

Bree grinned.

****

"I surrender," Alex said flatly, watching as jaws dropped.

"ALEX BAILEY!" Emerelda cried, walking over, followed by Mother Goose, Red, Morina, and Xanthous.

Alex's eyes widened and she inwardly smacked her hand on her forehead. How had she forgotten to tell them?

She eyed Bree, and Bree walked over to them and quickly explained. Emerelda had her eyebrows raised, as if she didn't believe that this would work, but nodded slowly and walked back to her spot.

"Ha," The Lady of the Lake chuckled. "You really think I'm going to fall for that?"

Alex's stomach dropped. Did she know what they were planning?

"You think you can sneak past us, while everyone else is being captured-by us," she laughed again, "and get back your precious Arthur? Well you can't. You're not that smart." she raised her hands and water gushed down on everyone standing below her.

Alex was drenched in water. Her eyes became sore but she moved on. "Give us our Arthur back!" she yelled. "We'll give you Merlin if you give us Arthur."

Merlin nodded. He knew this was going to come sooner or later.

Mother Goose dropped on her knees and began to cry. "No! Don't take Merlin, take me!"

Alex narrowed her eyes at The Lady of the Lake, her heart thumping. "Give us Arthur," she barked. "You did this whole charade just for Merlin. Do you really need Arthur now?" her knuckles turned white. "Is it a deal?"

The Lady of the Lake and Guinevere exchanged a few hushed words. "Deal,"