The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,34

would die.

“Lance.” Lucan’s cry was louder and attached a warning. Kay turned and stopped in shock as they saw the figure standing on the opposite platform.

It was the boy. The one Tom and Mel had seen before. Kay had never seen him, but the gray eyes and nearly white-blond hair were exactly as they had said, but he looked older than they had described. The utter wonder on Lance’s face confirmed it.

“Galahad?” Lance choked out the name and took a step forward, but Galahad held up his hand and stepped back.

“You cannot touch me—it drains me too much, and I need all the strength I have to hold them.”

“But—” Lance started.

“Please, Father. I don’t have much time, and I need you to listen. Charles.” Galahad turned to him and beckoned. “Come.” Charles limped forward and came to stand next to Kay. He was still holding his sword.

“Son, please. Tell me what I need to do,” Lance almost begged.

Galahad smiled sadly and turned to Charles. “Charles, the sword you carry has great power, but it must be returned to its rightful owner. It’s attracting the Ursus. They led you here to trap you, and evil wants it back.”

“Evil?” Lucan repeated. Galahad nodded but kept his gaze on Charles

“And how do I know who its rightful owner is?” Charles asked, sounding bewildered.

“You mean Uther Pendragon,” Kay said, remembering Merlin’s words.

“And I do that, how?”

Galahad met Charles’s gaze. “By making sure it wasn’t lost in the first place. You don’t have long. I—” He looked behind him. “I have to go.”

“No,” Lance cried out. “Son?”

“Listen,” Galahad said gently. “I swapped the sword to give you the chance to return it. You must or else all will be lost. When he finds it gone, I dare not think what he will do, and you need it to be able to defeat Mordred. But remember this—” He stared at Kay and Charles. “—no one can know who you are. Don’t forget that you mustn’t change history, or something as equally bad could happen, and I may not be able to do this a second time.” He looked back at Lance, and for the first time a hint of a smile curved his lips. “Be strong, Father.”

He vanished, and as the cry of the Ursus rose, Kay whipped around only to stumble over a dead body and fall. Kay rolled away, the blood clinging to his shirt, and sword in hand he rose to his feet and stared in complete disbelief.

Dead men littered the ground. A few riderless horses raced about. What seemed to be grasslands and scrub, gorse and heather stretched as far as the eye could see. Kay knew without a doubt he wasn’t in his own time. He also knew he had never stood in this field before in his life.

Chapter 10

“Soldier, with me.”

Kay turned at the shout and saw a knight riding toward him with a spare horse and followed by three others. He didn’t recognize the knight.

Kay didn’t hesitate. He had no idea where he was or even if any of the others were here, but he wasn’t being left in the middle of a damn field. Kay schooled his accent carefully. He needed to sound English, but not like the nobility. “My lord,” he acknowledged gratefully, hoping no one noticed how out of practice he was mounting a horse, and gathered his thoughts, readying for the questions he knew were following.

“I am Sir Davidas of Canterbury. We are heading back to His Majesty’s force.”

Kay nodded obediently, searching through the history he knew. Davidas had been one of Uther’s trusted advisors and had taken Kay for a soldier or a page which would help. He could easily bluff his way through casual questions, just not detailed ones. His clothes, he was glad to see, were so ripped they were unrecognizable, and he had plain boots on. He almost smiled knowing he had left his good ones at home because he didn’t want them to be scuffed.

“You seem young to be with Galeshin’s force,” Davidas commented after he had mounted. Kay thought quickly. Sir Galeshin was one of Uther’s knights, and he took a guess that this was the Battle of Badon, or had been. Did that mean Uther was already dead? Maybe Davidas didn’t know. And was it just him here?

The sword. He had to find the sword.

He had a moment to regret what else he had lost but realized Davidas was waiting for an answer. “I had hoped to be,