His blue eyes opened and met hers. “I did not look into a future touched by another time or reality. You know I cannot manipulate time or realities.” Merlin’s voice was soft, almost inaudible.

“You cannot, but I can!” Viviane shook his shoulders. “You must look, my love, and give that future a chance!”

“I cannot,” he whispered. “The spell is set. Besides, you cannot simply cast a net out into the waters of time or the waves of reality. There must be a plan . . . a reason . . . a unique soul ...”

“But I can try! I will look into the future and see if—”

“They do not even know us in the future.” With a spurt of anger Merlin briefly sounded like himself again. “You are nothing more than a vague legend. I am an absent mentor, often blamed for the entire debacle.”

Viviane was horrified. How could people forget her? She was goddess of the ancient world’s waterways. Forget her? She thought not. If she had a plan, a great one, as befitted one such as herself, not only would she save her beloved, she would be certain that her name, her legacy would live on forever. Oh, and she supposed if she saved that dumb, damn Arthur, that would be okay, too.

How could the futures blame Merlin for a king’s poor choices? This must also be rectified. And she was just the goddess to do it, by damn. “I will find a way, my love. I will.”

Merlin let out a puff of laughter. “Oh, Viviane, what I love so much about you. Your passion. Your desire to make things right. Your devotion to me. How is it possible that a simple magician had the fortune to be loved by one such as you?”

She stroked his arm. “There is nothing simple about you, my dearest. But this I know. There is good. Goodness shines from you, as if the sun has kissed your radiance. Perhaps that goodness is why we find ourselves in this predicament. But I will find a way. This, I promise you.”