her. When she died, she transferred a lot of her abilities to Mordred including the spell that binds me here. He works as her conduit if you like which is why he is weaker and needs my blood to fuel his power.”
“But that makes no sense. Mordred died first. Arthur killed him.”
“And she has the power to bring him back to exist here—”
“Wherever here is.”
Galahad nodded. “But when she was killed, there was no one else with that gift. That was why Aalardin worked for so many years to make it happen. Morgan hadn’t even mastered it which is why Mordred can only be here. She will make him whole when she herself is.”
Kay nodded slowly. “But doesn’t that mean now is the time to strike him? When he is weaker?”
“Not yet.”
“But why?” Kay shook his head. “There is no way Lance will leave you here.”
“All magic comes from the earth. It’s why she is so limited at the moment because she doesn’t have a body to absorb it. If Mordred dies, the magic will return to her including my magical binding. She will get all her abilities back. Enough to regenerate her body. And once that happens, we have to be ready. All the knights must have met their souls,” Galahad said.
“And she knows this? Why doesn’t she kill Mordred herself?”
“How?” Galahad grinned. “She can’t say I’m sorry you’ve outlived your usefulness, please slit your own throat.”
“And he’s too powerful for you to kill?”
Galahad gazed at Kay. “There is a way to kill him, but you need to read the notebooks.”
Kay thought for a moment. “But what about you? When we kill Mordred, you will still be bound to Morgan?”
“Only if things don’t happen in a certain way. All the knights have to have found their Tresors. There are clues in the back of the book.”
“Are you saying that you are waiting for Gawain’s Tresor to appear?”
“Yes.”
“And that means you cannot come with us?” But how long would that take? “And there is a clue in the books?”
“The necromancer’s.” Galahad nodded eagerly. “You are able to read them.”
“Not I,” Kay huffed. “Gawain can, and Charles is helping.”
Galahad closed his eyes for a second, and Kay watched him worriedly.
“Then tell them to look in the last one. There was something there I saw Aalardin write. He was unaware of me, but it may give you what you need.”
“What is it?”
Galahad shook his head. “I daren’t tell you, Kay of Isca. I don’t know how long it will be till the magic thins.”
“And I can’t spill secrets I don’t know?” Kay felt fairly sick. “But it could be ages until we find the last Tresor.”
Galahad’s eyes sheened with sudden moisture. “I have tried so many times to meet him.”
Kay’s heart nearly stopped. “Wait. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Only the bond will break the binding.”
Kay was silent for a moment. A name on his lips, but somehow in this space he didn’t dare utter it. “So we need to get you together. You cannot leave unless the magic thins, and he cannot come here I’m guessing?”
Galahad leaned back against the wall. “Never.” Kay almost smiled at the protective way Galahad responded. Gawain wasn’t going to know what had hit him.
“Everything in me is saying this is wrong. I cannot leave you.”
“You must.” Galahad looked to the endless nothing at his side, then leaned forward more into the dim light, and the chains rattled. Kay gasped. Galahad was scarred. He was covered in what looked like hundreds of cuts, and they hadn’t been visible up to a moment ago. His face, his neck, arms. Kay couldn’t see under the rags he wore, but he didn’t doubt they were there. He didn’t think Mel or Tom had seen the scars. They had never said anything.
Galahad searched Kay’s expression. “They are ugly.”
“They are battle scars,” Kay said, “and any warrior would be proud of them.”
Galahad took a breath and glanced to the side again. “When you get back to the house, you must look at the last chapter.”
Kay opened his mouth to ask which notebook when pain exploded in every cell in his body and he nearly blacked out.
Mordred’s nearly black eyes bored into Kay’s mind. As if from far away, he heard laughing. Maybe he was going mad? If the pain didn’t stop, he likely would.
“My queen is pleased.” The words slithered over Kay’s skin, making him want to gag. He heard more laughter and knew it didn’t come from Mordred.