The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,51
nervously. Was Mordred in there with him? Then the guards stepped forward and lifted the tent flap. Uther and Mordred walked out laughing, Arthur a few seconds later. The sword hung on Uther’s hip as usual just as Kay sensed a movement to his left. A shout went up, and the guards drew their swords. Kay leaped forward to get to Uther as the distinctive twang of a taut string sounded, and Uther was flung backward against his guard, an arrow piercing his chest.
Pandemonium ensued. Cries for the king, cries to search for the assassin. Kay ran closer, knowing he wouldn’t be out of place just as Arthur got to his father and fell down ripping Uther’s shirt open. Shouts went up for a healer. Merlin appeared, and Kay was a second too late to stop Mordred pulling the sword belt from his brother, looking for all the world like he was helping the healers. Another servant carrying cloths and water, not looking where he was going, ran straight into Kay, and Kay stumbled and sprawled on the ground just in time to see Mordred take another step back, unnoticed by everyone swarming the king. He just couldn’t get to him in time. He was going and taking the sword. Kay leaped to his feet and ran to the king, drawing his own sword as he heard the loud battle cry.
“Death to the invaders!”
Kay turned as Charles broke free of the trees screaming the words, carrying an axe and draped in a pelt. “The king shall die!”
Kay’s heart jumped so hard he was convinced it wanted to take flight. A dozen warriors reached for their swords, but Marcus beat them all, raising his sword and leaping toward Charles. “No,” Kay cried, swerving, his lungs bursting as he raced to beat Marcus, even as the guards all surrounded the king, Arthur, and of course Mordred to protect him from the threat.
And Kay understood. In that moment, Charles seeing the king’s death had ensured Mordred wouldn’t be able to slip away with the sword. He was caught. But even as Kay recognized Charles had done the only thing he could, Marcus got to Charles and raised his sword.
“Stopiwich eich bywyd.”
The cry from Merlin registered as everything seemed to slow, giving Kay the precious seconds he needed to reach Charles’s side before Marcus when Charles seemed to shimmer, and Kay, frantic they would be separated, reached out and touched his fingers. Charles turned to him, and the look of sorrow in his eyes trapped Kay’s breath. It was almost, almost as if Charles was saying goodbye.
No. Not this time. Not ever, and Kay clutched at Charles’s hand, determined never to let go.
The harsh yank of magic toppled him over into nothing.
Chapter 14
Charles rolled onto grass and jumped up, raising his arm to strike the sword heading for him.
“Charles!”
“Lance, no!”
At the same second he registered the shouts, Charles realized his sword hand was empty, but also realized Lance’s definitely wasn’t and he had his own sword in his hand as if he needed it. Mel rushed forward. They were in the yard at the house. “Kay?” He looked around frantically. “Kay?”
“What happened?” Lance demanded. “Where’s Kay?” But Charles wasn’t listening as he raced to the house and then systematically went through every room, even when the others realized what he was doing and helped. Roxy, hearing the shouts, rushed out of Ali’s room, Ali on her heels, her face lit up in eager expectation. Charles finally choked out what sounded like a wounded cry even to his own ears and collapsed on the bottom stair.
Mel bent down. “Why don’t you come and sit down and tell us what happened, and then we can see if we can help?”
Charles shook his head. “I don’t know why he’s not here. We were together.” He tried to stand, but a sharp stab cut at his side, and if Mel hadn’t clutched him, he wasn’t sure he could have stood. “How long have we been gone?”
“Three days,” Mel answered, “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.” But he cringed. It was something. Maybe it was that draining his energy. Tom appeared with the first aid box.
“And there has been no Ursus activity in all that time,” Mel said.
Charles let Mel guide him to the office, and as he clasped his hands around the mug of coffee placed in front of him on the large table, he haltingly told his story as Tom worked on his wound.