The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,56
trouble he was in. “Do you know how I am here?”
“Were you and Charles together?”
Kay’s throat tightened. He’d guessed correctly. “Yes. The crazy man just threatened the king to get the guards to surround them. It worked. Mordred was unable to get the sword.”
“How about you start at the beginning?” Kay was thirsty, cold, and in pain, but he needed to understand what was going on.
“I’m not sure I can even remember the beginning,” Galahad admitted miserably.
Kay gazed at him thoughtfully. He looked older than how Tom and Mel had described him. Even older than the glimpse he got at the station. He looked around eighteen, nineteen, but fifteen hundred years had passed. “Did you come to Camlaan?”
Galahad nodded. “But it starts three months before that even. Father had been to see me. Mother had actually allowed it this time, and I was so excited. I desperately wanted to return with him to Camelot, but she wouldn’t allow it.”
“I imagine there aren’t many mothers who would wish to see their sons ride to war.”
Galahad smiled. “Perhaps so, but I think she had a greater fear.”
Kay frowned. “What?”
“I have magic.”
Kay held his breath for a moment, but he didn’t know why he was surprised. Galahad kept appearing to them all, and he had sent him and Charles back to the past.
“Did she know?”
Galahad nodded. “But I was forbidden to let anyone see. As a child my grandfather was very keen on studying and scholarly pursuits. He had very fixed ideas about growing up and putting away childish toys. I had a stuffed bear I used to sleep with as a baby. At some point I wasn’t allowed to play with it anymore, and Grandfather ordered it packed away with my infant clothes. We lost three nurses because they all ran scared.”
“What did you do?” Kay asked in awe.
“They found the bear in my crib every morning when I woke even though it had been taken away.” He shrugged. “I was lonely.”
Kay gaped. “You have magic? Then why—”
“Am I trapped?” Galahad finished for him. “I followed Father to the battle.”
Kay nodded, remembering Elaine had told them that. “But you didn’t find Lance?”
Galahad shook his head. “I was foolish and thought to try to get to the king’s tent. I was sure my father would be there, but the battle had already started, and it was madness.”
“Did you wait?”
“I wished I had, but no, I decided that if I couldn’t find my father, then the next best thing would be to find the wizard and offer my help.”
“Merlin? You found Merlin?”
“No, and that was my second mistake. I went to Merlin’s tent and found someone inside. I naively assumed that he was supposed to be in there. He claimed to be Merlin’s assistant, and he had magic.”
Kay had an awful feeling he knew what was coming next.
“The cooks had strung some dead rabbits up in the cooking area next to the tent, and he told me to watch. He brought one into the tent and laid it on the floor, and in another moment, it was running about. I was stunned and believed he was who he said he was.”
“Aalardin,” Kay said with a sigh. What a mess. What a god-awful mess.
“It convinced me to tell him of my ability and who I was. He said he could take me to see my father, but he took me to Mordred instead.” Galahad sighed heavily. “I was in awe. The king’s uncle? He apologized and said he had just come back because his horse was injured but that he had bad news for me.”
It wasn’t hard to guess.
“Aalardin made me wait outside while he went in first, but then they called me in and they told me there might be something I could do to help if I was willing.” He shook his head. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but my life was sheltered. I had no knowledge of the world, and I just wanted to help my father. The thought I might be able to save his life was a heady one after being told for so long to hide what I could do.
“Mordred said he could send for Merlin, but he wouldn’t get here in time to save my father, but there was a druid priestess helping the healers. A few moments later, she was escorted in by one of the guards, and Mordred told her who I was and that they