The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,31
as he talked. “More likely stolen. None of the current knights alive ever saw the sword, but Merlin did.”
“Why is it significant?” Kay asked. “I mean apart from why it appears to Charles?” Which is a good question.
“There are a lot of legends surrounding this sword,” Mel said. “And I don’t mean the spin put on it by filmmakers, but there were a lot of people at that time who believed that Uther’s death was as a direct result of losing the sword, which is why Igraine hurriedly commissioned the Guardian Sword for her son. The legend is that the sword was gifted to Arthur’s great-great-great-grandfather by the ancient druids.”
“Why?” Kay asked.
“Because the Romans slaughtered the druids. Their argument was that there were no gods more powerful than their own, and they killed any that wanted to worship others. Uther helped to remove the Romans, and the druids gifted him the sword. It is said that England would never fall while the king carries it. Which is why Uther carried it. What isn’t well-known was that Uther took the arrow meant for Arthur.”
“Arthur?” Tom asked. “How come?”
“Some say it was Anglo-Saxon assassins, but Merlin thought there was another culprit closer to home.”
“Who?” Charles pressed, not liking where this was going.
“Merlin thought it was Mordred, but he couldn’t prove it, and the brothers were close. If Arthur had died, Mordred would be crowned king. The bronze swords were rare even in Arthur’s day. They were more brittle than steel and could be broken during a fight, but the sword itself was legendary and said to ensure the victory of whoever carried it.” Mel grinned. “This sword was named Caliburn, but you would know it as—”
“Excalibur,” Charles whispered. The sword of the rightful king. The sword wrapped up in more legend than the knights themselves.
So, why do I have it?
Chapter 9
“Are you telling me Arthur didn’t pull the sword from the stone?” Tom sounded affronted, and Kay had to smile.
Mel grinned. “Not that one anyway. But you might want to put in a complaint with Disney.”
“Okay,” Tom agreed, smiling. “I’ll get right on that.” He glanced around the room. “I’m guessing no one thinks this is a coincidence?”
“Coincidences don’t happen in our world,” Lance said flatly and almost glared at Charles.
Kay focused on him for the first time since he had woken to find him on the floor, and his eyes narrowed in concern. He wasn’t sure about what seemed like his whole life at the moment, but Charles looked exhausted, ill even. He didn’t doubt that Hospitallers were like them in that they didn’t sicken of human diseases, but there was clearly something wrong. He looked like he had aged ten years overnight.
The noise from the board shattered the still silence of the room. All the knights stood.
“That’s Prospect Park again,” Kay muttered.
“It’s not the park, it’s the subway,” Gawain said, looking at the computer screen.
“Subway?” Tom echoed in astonishment. “And one definitely being used.”
Kay understood Tom’s incredulity. The only connection the Ursus had ever had with the subways was using the abandoned tunnel from Montefiore cemetery.
Yes,” Gawain said grimly, reaching for his sword.
“No,” Lance said. “There’s only two, and I think you need to see what you can find out about the sword.”
“I’m coming,” Kay said, and Lance nodded. It wasn’t until he got to the door he realized Charles was behind him.
“We have his back,” Lucan said stiffly to Charles. Charles just nodded but didn’t step away. Lance shrugged, and they headed out. Kay didn’t look at him.
It didn’t take that long to get there even with the early evening traffic, but the atmosphere in the car was awkward to say the least. Kay turned in silence and looked out of the window. Lucan was in the front. Why the hell was he even in the car? He always took his bike. Kay had headed to his truck, but Lance had asked them to stick together. He understood, but it made the ten-minute drive seem to last forever.
He was also aware of every second passing that he sat within touching distance of Charles. And scheisse he wanted to touch him so very much.
“Mel said something to me about my accent,” Charles said quietly. “That I sound old-fashioned and I don’t have much of a New York one.” Charles smiled ruefully, and Kay looked in the mirror and met Lance’s eyes. Lance didn’t say anything. “And I was wondering where you got your accent from when you are a Brit?”