From the tarmac, Gill sends a salute. She walks the others to the waiting Jeep and opens up the trunk, pointing out supplies, but Alice hangs back. She catches my eye, makes a questioning thumbs-up. I smile. I’m okay. She nods once and jogs over to Gillian, who appears disturbingly willing to point out weapons to an overly eager Alice. Wonderful.

Samira squeezes my shoulder and walks away from the open door into the relative quiet of the cabin. I follow, stopping when she leans against one of the seats and crosses her arms and ankles. “How can I help?”

I glance over my shoulder, then turn back, debating how to begin. Easiest to start with the hard part, I guess. “Do you know why I’m the Scion of Arthur?”

Her features draw tight. “If you’re referring to the ‘how’ of it, the rape of your ancestor, yes. Word spread pretty quickly through the Lieges.” Then, slowly, starting from one corner of her mouth, a smile forms. “But why? ‘Why’ is a different question.”

My brows shoot up. “Do you know the answer to that question?”

She laughs. “No. But I think there’s a reason. Why did you ask?”

“Because,” I begin, “it adds a layer to a situation that’s already challenging, I guess. Because I’m the only Legendborn who’s Black, and…”

She nods in recognition. “You wanted to ask how it was for me.”

“Yeah,” I say.

She smiles, eyes turning inward. “I was seventeen years old at the Northern Chapter. Parents were Vassals. I don’t think anyone expected me to get as far as I did in the tournament. There were some difficult moments. I wasn’t the first Black Page in the Order, so that barrier was present but not prohibitive. I wasn’t even the first Black Squire, believe it or not. But I was the first Black Page to aim for, and win, the Squireship for a Scion of Bedivere.” Her mouth kicks up in a smirk.

My eyes grow wide. “Bedivere’s sixth-ranked. The highest—”

“The highest-ranked Calling the Order saw for decades, yes. Meaning it was almost certain that my Scion, John, would be Called. Which meant it was almost certain I would gain Bedivere’s inheritance through our Oath. A Black girl, bonded to the highest-ranked Awakened Scion in the Order.” She smiles in memory, shaking her head. “When I tell you the other Pages were pissed at meeeeee, whew.”

I crack a grin. “I bet.”

After a moment, she sobers. “At first, anyway.”

“What changed?”