I gritted my teeth, trying to hold my tentative grip on my magics while I split my mind to define my examples of chivalry—Alex Pendragon-Temple and Thomas Mallory.
A faint thought floated down the stream of my imagination, finding perfect harmony and serendipity with the fact that the author I’d chosen as an example had the last name Mallory—just like the god who had given his life for me not too long ago. Pan, a man I looked up to as the best father figure I had ever known.
If Gunnar could become half the father Mallory had been, he would be twice as good as any father in existence. Since regaining my memory of my childhood in Fae—and learning how invested Mallory had been in absolutely every facet of my life—I knew he hadn’t been a perfect dad or man.
But he’d been perfect for me. And that’s all that mattered.
It was beautifully poetic, and thoughts of him settled my tentative control firmly in place so that I no longer felt any strain in my mind from trying to hold it all together.
Just like Mallory had held me together—in life and in death.
I love you Mallory. This one is for you. I’ll try to make you proud, I thought to myself.
Then I got to work.
I focused back on Thomas Mallory and what I had read of his Code of Chivalry. And then I tried to marry that with what I’d learned from Alex, making a new hybrid of sorts. I recited these beliefs—not to instill them into the armor, but to use them like a scalpel to scrape away the curse currently painted upon them.
Obviously, I took my own beliefs out of the equation so as not to tarnish the noble virtues with my vices.
To never initiate outrage nor murder.
To never betray those people and values closest to you.
To never be cruel.
To be honorable and merciful in equal measure—even to your enemies.
To grant help to those in need.
To never force yourself upon—or take advantage of—others, especially those who look up to you the most.
And others. I included them all—some not even as words, but as ideals or examples I had seen Alex display in his everyday life. Again, I didn’t force these into the armor—I used them like a chisel to scrape away the graffiti Mordred had perverted them with.
To bring the suits of armor back to their roots—to what they had once been, not accepting what they had become.
I opened my eyes and stared down at my hand. I squeezed my fist to make sure the blood was flowing freely, and then I slapped my palm over Alex’s, merging our blood together.
Alex and Nate.
Arthur and Merlin.
And Mallory, I thought to myself.
A low hum—like bass from a speaker—abruptly filled the air in the Sanctorum, and the purple-flamed torches illuminating the space flared brighter with a sudden whoosh.
I smiled absently as I closed my eyes and rubbed both of my hands together, mixing up our blood. I made sure to liberally cover the tips of both pointer fingers, and then I placed each of them on a different set of armor.
In my mind’s eye, I imagined the symbol as it had first been drawn by Arthur and Merlin, not the inverted curse.
And my fingers flew, tracing over Mordred’s curse with new blood.
As my fingers moved, I felt the inverted symbol fade away. The moment I completed mine, there was a faint pop, and I knew they were both gone—not just Mordred’s curse, but the original symbol as well.
Leaving the suits of armor as blank slates.
And the rivers of power inside me suddenly surged, flooding the banks. I held on for dear life, my entire psyche vibrating at the unbelievable strain of holding it all together. The blackened armor burned, peeling away to reveal something new and virginal. I gritted my teeth, grunting in pain as I fought for this. To give Alex something he could use to make his corner of the world a better place.
A gift from father to son.
And Mallory, my own stand-in father, helped me hold on just a little bit longer. I shook as I imagined the black continuing to peel, burn, and disintegrate away from the armor. My grip on my powers, even with Mallory’s imagined support, began to slip.
And then I visualized that fateful day that haunted my dreams.
Mallory holding onto that cliff before the end, and me holding onto him as tightly as I could. How I would have given anything for him to hold on just one.
More.
God.
Damned.
Second.
So I did that. Holding on. One second at a time.
And then another.
And another.
And another.
Until I knew that the black color was gone, and I was finally able to let go. I fell back, lost in unconsciousness before my body ever touched the floor.
I’m proud of you, boy…Mallory’s voice echoed in my mind.
And that made it all worthwhile.
Chapter 31
I woke to find Alex’s face close enough to mine for us to touch eyeballs. I recoiled and he jumped back. I groaned, rolling onto my side and shakily pulling myself up to a sitting position.
Alex was there, gripping me by the shoulders. Then he was hugging me tightly. “You did it!” he whispered.
I was still trying to wake up, so I simply sat, trying to remember what had happened. Slowly, it began to come back to me. I glanced down to see a pristinely white suit of armor. My eyes widened, and I weakly shoved Alex back to look on my other side. That one was white as well.
And neither had Mordred’s symbol painted across the front.
“I did it,” I breathed. “I’m fucking Merlin…”
Gunnar grunted. “Like a broken clock, you are.” I slowly swiveled my gaze to find him grinning at me. He nodded, silently congratulating me. I nodded back.
Then he was reaching out to help pull me to my feet. The room spun dangerously, and he quickly guided me over to a chair, sitting me down.
When my vision cleared, I took stock of everyone in the room. Alex and Gunnar were watching me with concerned looks, but Talon…
I cleared my throat. “Go ahead, Talon. Try it on.”
He flinched as if I’d goosed him, jerking his head away from the armor to stare at me. Then he took a step back, his tail twitching. “I couldn’t. My place is beside you, Wylde. I’m only helping Alex until he finds others. I’ve just been doing what needed to be done.”
I knew what Talon really needed was for me to let him go.
I arched an eyebrow at him, smirking. “You’ve been by my side forever, Talon. You literally died to save me not long ago, and that’s not even taking into account all the times you tried to give your life for me,” I said, smiling. “Maybe it’s time you give your life to something instead. A cause that you value.”
Alex watched him, not moving a muscle. Gunnar held his breath.
Talon stared down at the armor, breathing heavily through his nose. “I…am no Knight,” he finally whispered.
“Talon,” I said firmly, drawing his attention. “This is a higher calling. Not just watching out for me, but for an entire city. Think about it! You’re the only one with the experience to teach fledgling Knights how to become a warrior and manage their Wild Sides in Fae. Literally you. You’re the guy, Tal,” I said, smiling proudly, and hating myself for giving him away.
He stared back at me in surprise, his eyes wide and dilated like one of those sad kitten memes.
“I’m not sure I can think of a better person for the job. I’ve seen the look in your eyes. You want this. Not out of any obligation or duty, but for all the right reasons. And you know Fae better than any of us. Alex is going to need that. The other Knights are going to need that. They’re going to need you…Sir Talon the Devourer. And Alex is going to need you to keep him out of trouble. Out of danger,” I added, solemnly.
Because I remembered what my parents had said about how important Alex was going to be some day. How important he would be to me. I didn’t know exactly how, but my parents hadn’t bee
n wrong about very much in their many schemes.
Talon shuddered, not even realizing he was purring. And I saw a single tear fall and sink into the fur just below his eye. He dipped his chin, momentarily at a loss for words. But the gratitude in his eyes was unmistakable. “Thank you, Wylde,” he finally whispered.
I dipped my chin back at him. He slowly turned to look at Alex, as if needing to verify that he wasn’t dreaming.
Alex nodded without hesitation. “It would be my honor, Talon. I’ve seen your courage, bravery, and dedication over this past year. It’s inspiring. Nate is right. I can’t think of anyone better.”
And then he drew Excalibur.
Talon knelt down before Alex, not breaking eye contact.
Alex gently settled Excalibur on each of Talon’s shoulders, and then the top of his head. “I dub thee Sir Talon the Devourer,” he droned officiously, biting back a smile. “Rise.”
Talon did, and he was beaming from ear-to-ear. He glanced down at one of the suits, his smile beginning to fade as he only just realized how much smaller he was than the previous owner. I grinned, waiting.
The armor began to quiver and hum, and then it simply disappeared. I burst out laughing at the stunned look on his face. He spun to me, horrified.
I’d already surmised something like this happening. “I think it’s like your spear,” I told him. He frowned, and then closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he was decked from paws to neck in white armor, perfectly fitted to his frame, and his spear appeared in his gauntleted paw. The sight of him in the regal armor made my breath catch. The entire setup began to glow and then it flashed one time, bright enough for everyone to turn away with a hiss of surprise.
After a moment, I glanced back and grinned. A blue cat’s paw marked his breastplate, just as another one bloomed into existence on the Round Table, replacing its predecessor. I hadn’t even thought to check the Round Table.
“You look like a solution in search of a problem,” I told him. He grinned, nodding.
I knew that Talon’s spear now had the strength to tear through a Knightmare’s armor. I inspected Talon’s new get-up, shaking my head wondrously. I didn’t see any gaping holes from where it had previously been pierced by a blade or Odin’s ravens.
Talon’s armor puffed out, and he stood before us just like before, except he had a big old grin on his face. “I’m a Knight!” he exclaimed, purring loudly.
I shot Alex a grin, leaning in to whisper, “Maybe you should read up on the whole knighting process. Rituals are important, man. I’m a wizard. I would know.” And then I pointedly glanced down at my professional wizard’s attire.
Alex laughed, brushing a hand through his hair. “I thought I had a little more time before I would actually have to do that. I didn’t know you were going to get me my first set of armor today.”
“Two sets,” I clarified, glancing down at the unclaimed armor. “You should probably put one on as well. You two are going to need every advantage you can get against Mordred and his seven Knights,” I said, jerking my chin at the Fae dreamcatcher.
Alex considered that for a moment. “It doesn’t feel right,” he finally said. “These are for my Knights. I’ll get my own armor later. Maybe you can even help.”
I thought about it for a moment and, despite hating his decision, I finally nodded with a sigh. Alex was right. Something about it really didn’t feel right, even though I wanted him to wear some kind of protection.
Dads, right?
Alex slowly lifted his head from the spare set of armor, settling on Gunnar. “Hey,” he mused to the werewolf, catching his attention. “Crazy idea, but…” and he pointedly glanced back at the armor.
Talon purred louder. Gunnar stared down at it in silence, and my shoulders began to twitch, waiting for his response.
“You have earned it,” Alex said. “You and Talon were the first to kill one of the Knightmares. It’s fitting that you two would be my first Knights. All I ask is that you consider it.”
And then Alex took a step back.
Gunnar remained silent. Then he slowly—incredibly, ridiculously slowly—turned to me, arching an eyebrow. And the message was clear.
How about a Mask instead?
I tried to keep my face blank. Part of me wanted to punch Alex right in the mouth for him trying to poach both of my best friends, but…
I had refused his request for a Mask in hopes of keeping him safe. As a result, Gunnar was now a free agent. I’d already given up one best friend to Alex’s new Round Table.
Could I really let go of both of them?
All I had to do was give him a Mask.
Gunnar saved me from answering by clearing his throat and turning back to Alex. “I need to focus on my wife right now, Alex. But the gesture means more than you know. Let me figure out all of this father business, first. Ask my wife what she thinks. Because when I commit to something, I devote my all to it.”
And then he gave me a pointed, sidelong glance. It was the equivalent of five eyes—two from each of his spare wolves, along with Gunnar’s lone eye. A not-so-subtle jab that he wasn’t just talking about Alex’s offer.
He was reminding me of his true desire for a Horseman’s Mask.
Talon cleared his throat, eyeing the dreamcatchers with a frown. “Two more lights just appeared.”
Alex’s eyes widened before he grabbed the dreamcatcher for Fae. He snarled, and I managed to get a closer look. Talon was right. There were no longer seven Knightmares in Fae. There were nine.
Our mystery travelers had come home. And they were all in the same spot. “You two should go. Now.”
“What about you?” Alex asked, checking his gear to make sure he had everything he needed.
I gave Gunnar a considering look. “We can’t team up with you until we kill Thor. He’s obviously dead set on killing Odin, which will bring him too close to Ashley for my liking. I vote we give him a decease and desist order. Personally.”
Gunnar grinned wolfishly. “Not what it’s called, but your version is better.”
“We’ll meet up with you as soon as we can,” I said.
Alex nodded. “Just hurry. I know time moves differently between here and Fae—and lately it’s worked out so that time is faster there than it is here. So five minutes of us fighting in Fae could be five hours here,” he said, shrugging. “What I mean is that you have time. Just don’t take too long, or we might not be alive when you get there. Feel free to send friends,” he added dryly. “We’ll keep them busy as long as we can.”
“Which will now be longer, thanks to this upgrade,” Talon said, his eyes seeming to glow as he clenched his spear.
I nodded. “If I can, I’ll send Grimm to help you out.”
Alex’s shoulders loosened. “That would be a huge help.” He glanced at the burner phone on the desk. “I don’t know what games you’re playing with her but be careful. Maybe she was the assassin, maybe she was something the Knightmares set up.”
I nodded. “I don’t intend to hang out in St. Louis for very long.”
Alex shrugged. “I just want to make sure you get me some armor before you keel over, old man.”
I grunted, glancing over my shoulder at Gunnar. “Kids these days.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Say hello to Thor’s goats for me,” he said with a dark grin—totally unchivalrous.
I chuckled. “Deal.”
I traded grips with him, and then Talon. “Give them hell,” I said, turning away. “We’ll be there as soon as we can. Right after we pay our electric bill.”
Chapter 32
I Shadow Walked us to the room in the Armory with the balcony—picking a corner where I doubted anyone would be standing.
“No babies yet, but the healing pool is working,” Pandora said from over near the balcony. She wore a sheer, practically transparent toga that showed a scandalous amount of tan side-boob and ended just above her knees, making the whole setup look more like a negligee. She had a long leat
her strap folded over her forearm. I could sense that it was powerful, but everything in the Armory was powerful.
Gunnar strode forward eagerly, smiling excitedly.
Pandora smiled warmly at his reaction. “She looks healthy again and her sight is recovering, although I advised her to keep the bandage on until we are certain. Head just around the corner and you will find her room guarded by one of your wolves.”
Gunnar forgot all about Thor, bolting from the room.
I smiled, walking over to her. “Thank you for helping, Pandora,” I said, leaning back against the balcony beside her. I set my rainbow staff on a nearby table.
“I would be of little help without Freya,” she admitted. “I can help sustain life, but I know nothing of bringing new life into the world.”
I nodded distractedly, finding myself thinking back on the strange phone call with my would-be abductor. I had kept the burner phone in my pocket, just in case she called back. Her story had been almost too preposterous to believe, but a small part of me wondered if that also made it too preposterous to be a lie.
Either way, it pertained to me, not anyone else. But I was interested to see how it played out. Soon.
I sighed, deciding to take this moment of reprieve to formulate a plan to deal with Thor. I’d seen Gunnar kick serious ass against him—but that had been with the gauntlets, which we’d agreed to leave behind. Even with Geri and Freki’s added strength, I wanted Gunnar better protected. A thought came to mind, a very dangerous one. I sat on it, debating it internally.
I knew there would be no time for me to replicate the armor cleansing ritual in the middle of a battle, so nothing had changed, really. Other than me improving our defenses. We needed offense, though.
Just then, Odin entered the room, saw us, and made his way over.
Inwardly, I cursed. I’d wanted to ask Pandora about my idea, but I didn’t want to do so in front of the Allfather.
Odin was hiding something from me—something that seemed to bother him greatly. I could see it on his face whenever he thought I wasn’t looking.
Knightmare: Nate Temple Series Book 12 Page 19