“Are you talking about Duke Barnes?” I gasped, but the captain raised his massive hand.
“I will not say for now. You will have to trust me. Will you?”
I nodded. In truth, I trusted the captain far more than I’d ever trusted Duke Barnes, but I still didn’t have answers to all my questions. Maybe if I remained on the Stalwart, I’d find out everything I wanted to know.
“We will need your help in finding all the missing pieces.” Captain Cross gestured to the eight pedestals without any items on them. “There are twelve in all, and each will require a greater effort to obtain. Your mutation provides you with a unique ability to manipulate Grendel doorways. With it, we do not need to hunt for Seraphic portals. With some training, you could transform any rift into the one we require.”
“Does this mean I won’t be kicked off the ship?” I asked eagerly. I was happy to do whatever the captain asked if it meant I could remain aboard the Stalwart.
Mom was safe now the Bulwark had been destroyed and Polgar was dead. I wouldn’t be forced to act against my conscience any longer, and I could send Mom money every month.
I could really get used to being a squire aboard this ship, and I hoped the crew would forgive me.
“I’m surprised you wish to remain aboard the worst ship in the RTF, with a crew widely despised by even the kingdom’s most despicable.” The captain grinned. “That little rumor was cooked up by me. It helps keep eyes off our true mission. Luckily, we will not be known as rebels, since Polgar and his warship were destroyed.”
“So I can stay?”
Captain Cross nodded. “You have absolved yourself of your treacherous actions, but your guilt will remain a stain upon your honor. Removing that will require far more.”
“I’ll do it,” I said. “I want to make things right.”
“It won’t be easy. You will face Grendels which cause regular Space Knights to tremble with fear.”
I breathed in the incense and focused on King Justinian’s holo. “I’m a squire on the RTF Stalwart. I’ll go wherever the crew goes. If they’ll have me,” I added.
“You hear that crew?” Captain Cross turned his head, and I heard cheering from within the armory.
I walked out from the shrine and was greeted with another round of cheers. Moses and Flanagan nodded at me while Olav and Leith shot me dirty looks. The squires ran up to me, and Nathan lifted me up in a bear hug.
“I knew you weren’t a traitor,” he declared as he released me. “Richard thought you’d abandoned us, but I didn’t believe it.”
“Rubbish!” Richard said as he gripped my hand.
Neville gave me a huge grin, and I fought back the tears from my eyes.
Commander Reynolds frowned at me, and she raised her nose in indignation before turning to Cross. “Where to now, Captain?”
“Set course for the next mission location,” he said. “We’ll stop on a planet along the way and see if we can’t get Squire Lyons some training in his mutation.”
“What planet do you have in mind?” the commander asked.
“Ecoma.”
Everyone seemed taken aback at the proposed destination, but I didn’t care whether it was a desert wasteland or a frozen wilderness. I was elated the crew was still alive, and overjoyed I could continue as a squire aboard the RTF Stalwart.
I had a home now. A place and a purpose with honorable men and women I knew served the late king and his daughter, the Queen.
Commander Reynolds shook her head in disbelief. “Captain, I would suggest something a little less--”
“Now,” Captain Cross said, interrupting the commander, “I think it’s about time for a drink. What do you say, Squire?”
“Aye, sir.”
End of book 1
Thank you for reading this novel. Interested in reading a 2nd Space Knight novel? Make sure you leave a review and let us know that you want more!
A letter from the authors:
Dear reader, if you REALLY want to read the next Space Knight novel- We’ve got a bit of bad news for you. Unfortunately, Amazon will not tell you when book 2 comes out. They also won’t tell you when book 3, or 4, etc... are published. You’ll probably never know about our next books, and you’ll be left wondering what happened to Nick, Casey, Elle, and the rest of the crew. That’s rather tragic.
There is good news though! There are three ways you can find out when the next book is published:
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Doing any of these, or all three for best results, will ensure you find out about our next book when it is published. If you don’t, Amazon will never tell you about our next release. Please take a few seconds to do one of these so that you’ll be able to join the crew of the Stalwart on their next adventure.
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Editing by Ginger Earle, Nick Kuhns, Diane Velasquez, Deborah Haggitt, Jacqueline Miles (who also edits my audio books), Debbie Elholm, Holly Lenz, Wanda Jewell, Cody Elyko, Jay Taylor, Lucas Luvith, Anthony DePaolo, Gary Vandegrift, and Kenneth Smith.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Michael-Scott Earle
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Space Knight Page 43
