“So there are eleven of you?” Gwen moved her head slightly away from the angle of his lips, but still inhaled him in as she brushed a hand over his shirt. Damn, even his shirt was sexy for God’s sake. It clung to him like his leather pants. Soft, black, some sinfully cool material that probably had some amazing name. His chest pressed against her hand as he released a deep sigh. “Nine we still hope, although we are still not altogether. There were eleven of us left alive for Merlin to be able to make immortal.” He grimaced. “We didn’t just walk off the plains of Camlaan as if nothing had happened. Merlin made us immortal and we slaughtered all the beasts left that day, but Merlin had his own fight. Morgan counted every spell Merlin wrought until they both perished together. We woke up, all flung to far corners of the earth. The Knights you see are the ones who have managed to find each other. We still have five that have never made contact.”
“Crap.” Gwen huffed. She could feel the blush start in her neck. “That kid, Mel? I was worried about him being too young to drink. He’s probably about, what fifteen hundred years old? Give or take a few.”
She felt the shake in Lance’s chest. Was he laughing at her? “Actually, no. Mel is going to be nineteen next week.”
“He’s nineteen? How?” Gwen nearly laughed at the absurdity. She was more surprised to find out the guy wasn’t ancient, although he looked nearer to sixteen.
“Mel has lived with us for four years. Kay found him on the streets. His john had just been killed by a De-Vall as it sought to get to Kay.” He shrugged. “He was better with us. We’re not sure why, but he can see them as well.”
“Oh, God.” Gwen’s heart constricted. “I knew there were all kinds of ugly in this world, but he was only fifteen.”
“Fourteen. He’d been living rough for three months. He’s never given us a lot of information, but from what Gawain discovered, children’s services were called to his house multiple times. His mother was a crack addict. Dad used to pimp her out, he also tried it with Mel. Mel told me if he was going to have to do it, he would rather keep all the money. Of course, things are never that simple. He’s here, healthy and in college. We look after him, and before you say it — ” Lance smiled. “ — it was only light beer.”
Gwen was just going to ask another one of her million questions when Kay peered around the door. “Boss?” Kay asked. “Who’s going out tonight?”
Lance stood when Gwen, embarrassed that Kay had seen her clinging to Lance, took a step away.
Gwen glanced at them both. “Do you do this every night?”
Lance stretched. “Yes.”
She shook her head. “Then why are you both not sleeping now?”
“We try to snatch a few hours while Mel is in class. But he has odd class times this year and we don’t want him to be alone when he gets home. We also try and keep track of the De-Vall movements. Gawain does all the IT, but it’s tedious, and we often can’t spare him from the patrols. I suppose we should be thankful that the De-Valls only materialize after sunset.”
Gwen paused. She wasn’t sure what the consequences yet of her being here were, or if there was a way for her to no longer be the monsters’ focus. She liked Lance. Hell, what was there not to like? He had movie-star looks and a voice that went straight to her panties. He was also probably way out of her league and in love with someone else that she just happened to share a name with. But for now, she still had huge debts to worry about as well as the question of her job.
“I am more than willing to help any way I can, but I have to figure out how to get to work.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearing two and she was supposed to close tonight. She noticed Lance draw himself up with unspoken objections. She turned to him and laid a finger across his lips. Her breath caught. She had merely meant to silence him, but the flash of arousal in his eyes had her trembling.
“It’s all taken care of.”
Gwen jumped in surprise; she hadn’t heard Gawain come back into the kitchen.
Lance smiled breathing warm air onto her fingers. She didn’t want to drop her hand, and as it fell, she clenched her fist to stop it from reaching for something else.
“Your father’s debts are paid,” Lance said.
Gwen frowned at Lance. “What do you mean, paid?”
Lance drew her nearer to him again, as she had taken a step away.
“I mean just that. All your debts are paid.”
Gawain coughed. “Um ... you actually have an excellent credit score also, seven hundred and ninety.” He shrugged and grinned. “Just throwing that in there.”
Gwen was speechless.
“I’ve called work, told them that due to unforeseen circumstances you won’t be back. Gas explosion at your apartments meant you have had to move back west to live with family. A Norman Jennings sends his regards.”
Gwen was still gaping when Gawain came to the end of his little speech. She turned to Lance who was also looking just as smug.
“You can’t just do that. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the thought of the debt disappearing is amazing, but it’s my job.”
Gawain shot Lance a puzzled look and Lance’s heart sank. He thought she’d be pleased. What had he done wrong now?
“I wish computers had been around when I was a kid,” interrupted Kay. He nudged Gawain. “Money got me into this mess.”
Kay continued when Gwen looked at him. “My father gave me to Arthur in return for keeping his lands. He had little money to maintain his extravagant lifestyle, and he was too fat and too lazy to answer Arthur’s battle cry.”
“Each baron was supposed to pledge so many knights to defend Camelot,” Gawain explained. “Only noblemen could become knights.”
Kay grinned and looked at Lance. “Except you blew that theory out of the water.”
Lance blushed and Kay turned to Gwen. “He’s too embarrassed to tell you himself but Lance saved Arthur’s nephew from being robbed and killed. He got a knighthood as his reward.”
“I don’t care,” Gwen blurted out. She bit her lip as they all fell silent and stared. “No, I’m sorry I do care obviously. You have been fighting to save people with no thanks for such a long time, but…”
“None of this makes your life being turned upside down any easier,” Kay added quietly.
“We know things are so much different for women now. None of us are stupid, and I suppose we weren’t ready to explain our existence easily,” Gawain added.
Gwen sighed. They were trying, and she wasn’t helping. But no matter how many stories they told, it still didn’t alter the fact that her life was spiraling further and further out of her control.
****
Lance cleared his throat. She clearly didn’t like the idea of no longer being independent. Sometimes, despite modern comforts and the distinct advantages of indoor plumbing — well any plumbing — he really missed his old life. At least the part of it where women would be grateful for his protection, and possibly the part where he could throw them over his trusty steed and gallop off.
“If you liked the diner,” he began. Maybe she wanted to work... He looked around the kitchen for inspiration. “Well, we need someone for the cooking. That would be a big help actually.” He frowned at Kay who was currently making frantic sawing noises over his throat. He brightened. “You would be paid obviously.”
“Really?” Gwen lifted a sardonic eyebrow. Gawain shook his head and dropped it fatalistically on his hands. Lance swallowed. Maybe his suggestion hadn’t been all that good of an idea.
“And what hours would I be required to work?” Gwen asked. “Weekends? Days off?”
Lance was beginning to sense from the mildly sarcastic tone that he may have made a mistake. The fact that Kay had stopped sawing at his throat and was now clutching his chest as if someone had stabbed him, gave him the second clue.
He also didn’t like the way Gwen had narrowed her eyes at him.
“You barge into my life,” she said. “You lose me my job. Get my car blown up. Completely change my life around because you’re as insane as my father was when he gave me a stupid first name, and you want me to cook for you?”
The amount that Gwen’s voice rose with each word told him that now wasn’t the best time to point out she hadn’t actually lost her job, she’d resigned. Or, she hadn’t — Gawain had. Thankfully, a deep part of his own sense of self-preservation also managed to stop him from pointing out that if he hadn’t interfered, she’d be dead.
Lance held his hands out in surrender. “We need help. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want. The money was a gift. Being alive this long makes investments really lucrative.” He gestured to Gawain. “He’s a computer genius. Plays the stock market for fun.”
Gawain shuffled his feet. “Your apartment complex has also been bought by a development company. They are helping the tenants to modernize and there’s a new employment program that started in the area.”
Gwen stared absolutely dumbstruck at them all, then took a deep, measured breath. “Okay, let’s see this computer.”
Gawain nearly jumped with excitement. Stupid ass. He just wanted to show Gwen how clever he was.
Lance trooped after them both. Kay followed quietly. He didn’t blame him. They were all eager to gauge Gwen’s reaction.
“Isn’t there another guy?” Gwen asked. “You said there were four, that’s why I thought you meant Mel.”
“Yes, Lucan doesn’t eat much with us. He’ll have gone straight to bed, then to the gym probably.”
Gawain pulled up a few chairs and explained the program to Gwen. Hearing it described to Gwen made Lance appreciate it more. They all had a band they called an amulet that they wore around their wrists when patrolling. As soon as a De-Vall appeared the amulet sensed it. It linked with the electronic map displayed on the wall next to the computer screen.
“We take turns monitoring this, while the other three will be out patrolling.”
“So when do you get a night off?”
Gawain laughed at Gwen. Lance was glad it hadn’t been him. When Gawain realized she hadn’t been joking, he glanced at Lance, mouth open, not knowing what to say.
Lance sat on one of the chairs. “Merlin made it so there are only so many places on earth they can appear. The concentration varies, but for the last five years their focus has all been on the Queens area.”
“I didn’t realize that it was such a popular place,” she added dryly.
Lance hesitated, he wanted to be gentle with her but she had to know. “It’s not Queens that’s popular, it’s you.”
Gwen stared, bewildered eyes shining under her curls. “But-but that’s impossible.”
Gawain shook his head, and Lance sighed. “We know this for a fact. That’s why there are only nine of us now. We think Lucan’s brother found his Tresor first, even before he found us. There were concentrated De-Vall sightings around Mexico City about a hundred and twenty years ago. We left Gawain here to monitor, and Kay and I went to investigate. Gawain noticed when it suddenly stopped. When we eventually found Lucan...” Lance hesitated again. He didn’t want to scare her, but she had to know he was serious about keeping her safe. “He was crouched over the broken body of his brother. His brother had found his Tresor, but she was only ten years old. She was living in an orphanage at the time. The De-Valls slaughtered fifteen children and seven nuns.”
Gwen stood, complete horror etched on her face. “They slaughtered the others to get to one girl?”
“Yes. That was the other reason I got you away last night, and that’s why things are different now. Why you have to live here and why you cannot ever go back to your job.”
Lance’s heart broke at the anguish on her face, and how he saw her trying not to cry. He hated that they were causing her pain, but she had to know.
“But if we’re all causing the problems, and people are losing their lives, why can’t you all move to a desert island or something, anything?”
Lance sighed. They had tried to do that once before.
“We actually tried that in London over three hundred years ago,” Gawain said. “Our amulets were showing a greater concentration of De-Valls and we didn’t know why, so we just decided to retreat away from the city, to see if the De-Valls would follow us.”
“They didn’t,” Lance said shortly. “We returned to find the city nearly ablaze.”
“Ablaze?” echoed Gwen in disbelief.
“You’ve heard of the Great Fire of London?” Gawain continued. “History says it was started in a baker’s shop, but the real focus was the baker’s daughter. We think she was a Tresor.”
“How do you know?” Gwen whispered.
“Because even as many people lost their lives to the fire, she was the only one killed by a De-Vall.” Lance answered quietly. He had battled against death so many times. Death was ugly, noisy, ravenous. It shouldn’t come quietly with a few choked whispers. It should never come to one so young.
“We found her dying,” Gawain said. “Her father had been slain also, but he had tried to hide her behind a trap door. The De-Valls had been unable to find her so they set the city ablaze to flush her out. The De-Valls had found her instantly as she tried to escape.” Gawain turned away from his computer and regarded Gwen intently. “She spoke to me for a few seconds before she died. We don’t think her Knight ever found her, and we have no idea which one he was.”
“You are the only Tresor we have been able to save in fifteen hundred years. We lost the other one definitely, possibly two and consequently their knights,” Lance said quietly.
“And that’s why you are so important to us all.” Gawain rested his green eyes on her face. He glanced at Lance and smiled wryly. “Your safety gives us all a little hope. Hope that we can find ours, hope that we can keep them safe, hope that we will eventually have a normal life.”
Gwen swallowed down the lump in her throat. If she accepted they were telling the truth, it seemed her life was no longer going to be her own, and she had become used to looking after herself for a long time. So where exactly did that leave her? She didn’t want to be needed because some quirk of cosmic stupidity gave her a strange first name. Gwen stared at the computer screen. She’d protested the loss of her job, but did she really care? When she was growing up she wanted to be a doctor — well, not counting her original career plans of becoming a princess. The idea of becoming a doctor had gone out of the window when she was about fourteen and her dad had his first stroke. It wasn’t the job that meant so much to her, it was the independence. She’d fought for so long to own her crappy car and not to drown under the sea of debt, but what if it was time for a change?
If she was honest, her main worry wasn’t the De-Valls, impossible as it seemed, but it was Lance. His reaction to her. She didn’t believe in insta-love, and she was convinced Lance was in love with the idea of her being Guinevere, not her – Gwen.
Whatever else was happening, movie stars didn’t fall in love with diner waitresses, well, not outside of books anyway. And what really scared her was if she gave this warrior her heart, would he someday wake up and wonder what the hell he was doing with her? Did he love her, or did he love what she represented?
Gwen stared at all three men. Their expressions equal with hope and worry. If she didn’t stay, she felt like she was destroying all three of them. Could she cope with that responsibility if she left, or would staying make it worse? “Is it safe here?”
Lance nodded to the computer screen. “More of Gawain’s genius.” He reached out for her, but she brushed his hand away. She would stay for the time being, but Lance would have to accept a go-slower plan.
“Show me what to do.”
Gawain quickly showed Gwen how to text the De-Vall’s location to each of the smart phones they carried. He also showed her how to send the emergency signal that alerted everyone that one of them may be in trouble.
Gwen bit her lip and looked at the map. “How often do they go after humans?”
“Not so much, thankfully, or it would be impossible to keep this quiet.” Gwen looked at Lance. He lowered his voice. “Their only purpose is to kill us, and we tend to stay out of the way. We order food and clothes online, et cetera.”
“We have membership to over thirty gyms spread throughout the neighborhood and we never go to the same one twice in a row or together,” Kay added.
“The only reason the world has not been slaughtered,” continued Lance, “is because Merlin put a counter spell on them. There will only be a new De-Vall created so many days after one has been eliminated. Morgan originally made them immortal, but Merlin was dying. There was only so much he could do and he couldn’t completely counter the spell and make them fully mortal.”
“How come they still don’t run around unchecked like they did in London then, trying to flush you out?”
“They don’t have thought processes for that,” Gawain explained. “They couldn’t try and set us up if that’s what you mean. They only react because of us or because of a Tresor.”
“Or a knight,” put in Kay.
Gawain nodded shortly. “Yes.”
“And thanks to Gawain’s toys, we now know instantly when one appears,” Lance said and walked over to a huge steel upright chest in the corner of the room. He placed his hand on the pad and the door clicked open. He opened both doors, to see an array of huge swords. Lance pulled one out and walked back to Gwen. “This is my Sorek. These were imbued with magic from Merlin. They are the only things that will kill a De-Vall.”
“Well, couldn’t you just get an army with those things then?”
Lance smiled. He put the sword back carefully. “The magic only works when the sword is wielded by one of us.”
“Well that sucks.” She sighed. “So, let me see if I’ve got this straight. You kill these things every night. After each one is killed, another is created?”
Lance nodded somberly.
“Don’t you get fed up? Don’t you ever think, To hell with this, I’m going on vacation?”
“No,” Lance replied, but he half understood her incredulity. There had been many times in the last hundreds of years he had been worn down and had enough. Including last night.
Kay laughed. “Though the idea has its appeal.” Gawain smiled wryly.
“So, how do we get this to ever end?” Gwen asked.
Lance felt a warm feeling in his chest. She said, “We.”
“We find each other.” Gawain pulled the computer history up, allowing Gwen to see the research he’d conducted on her. “That tells us a Tresor has been born.”
“Of course it was nearly impossible before computers.” Lance turned to the detailed map on the wall. “We had the amulets which lit up as a warning but not exact enough to tell us what the warning was for.”
“Merlin told us that only when we all found the other half of our soul would we be able to finally defeat Morgan’s curse,” Kay put in.
“What do you mean?”
“There will be a final battle,” Lance said firmly. He actually didn’t know that for a fact. Merlin had been dying and speech had become increasingly difficult when he’d predicted it. He just had time to insist upon how it was vital they all found their Tresors.
“Sire?” Gawain looked up.” If your lady is willing to help, we can go out finally in pairs. That would actually mean some time off.”
“Um ... standing right here, guys.” Gwen sounded annoyed.
Lance pulled a hand through his hair in frustration. “Apologies. Some habits are harder to break than others.”
“So you just need me to man the switchboard then?” Gwen looked at the map.
Lance drew himself up. “You don’t actually have to do anything. You are here for your protection and—”
“—some stupid name,” Gwen finished bluntly.
****
Lance looked like he was going to say something else and glanced at Gawain still huddled over the screen. Kay had his eyes firmly fixed on the floor. It seemed none of them knew what to say next.
She glanced around the room. It looked like a boardroom for a fancy dot com company. A large glass table sat in the center and there were ten leather swivel chairs all positioned around it. She smiled — a modern day round table. There was a huge white board taking up most of the opposite wall, and in a direct line to that at the other side were three desks and five huge computer screens. The large metal chest containing the swords stood imposingly in the opposite corner from the door.
Lance was looking at her hopefully. Was she going to accept this? They had all been alive for centuries. Were the De-Valls still going to be attacking her when she was eighty? Would she batter them with a walker? Her smile died. What about a family? She had dreamed of brothers and sisters when she was growing up. Had always promised herself she would have a big family.
And what about James? Their relationship seemed to be fizzling out, but if she was being honest with herself, his level-headedness and maturity had been what had attracted her to him. She never wanted toe-curling kisses, she wanted security. She wanted to know that whatever house they settled in would be where they raised their children. She never wanted to put her kids through the endless trapesing from state to state chasing a job that was going to be better than the last, but never had been.
“You need some rest.” Lance hooked a casual arm around her and Gwen wondered if she should protest. She quickly inhaled the outdoor scent that seemed to surround him. She didn’t think it was cologne, it just seemed to be him. At least, clearly what the best dressed immortals were wearing these days.
Gawain stood. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. The De-Valls only appear after sunset. If you’re going to help monitor the board, you will have to get used to sleeping during the day.”
Gwen smirked. “And drinking blood?”
Lance barked a laugh. He seemed to be amazed she still had a sense of humor. It astounded her as well.
“Well, I prefer merlot. Although it’s the same color,” he teased.
Gwen glanced at everyone. “So, does everyone eat together later?”
Kay grinned. “Definitely if there’s someone who knows how to cook making it.”
“How can you possibly get to fifteen hundred years old and not know how to cook?” she asked, her voice lifting in disbelief.
Gawain chuckled. “We didn’t say we can’t cook, just that we don’t want to.”
Gwen lifted an eyebrow and Lance added. “It can get boring after a while.”
“But I can grill really well,” Gawain put in. “How come we never do that anymore?” he said, half to himself.
“Because we’ve all got old and boring,” teased Kay.
Gwen smiled. Eat, sleep, kill?
Gawain grinned at her as if she had said it out loud.
Gwen walked back into the kitchen and over to the huge freezers in the corner. Taking a quick scan, she pulled some ground beef out. Opening the cupboards, she checked that they had pasta and all the other necessaries she would need for a simple lasagna. She could feel the hopeful eyes boring into the back of her head. Knew she had to voice the decision. “I’m not saying forever, but at the moment it seems better if we stick together.” She heard the audible sighs of relief around the room.
“You don’t have to cook. We usually take a night a week,” Lance said.
Gawain chuckled. “Yeah, mine’s always pizza. Lance knows the number for the local Chinese.”
Gwen laughed. “I think I could rustle up a lasagna. What time does everyone eat? To say you don’t cook, there’s a lot of food in here.”
Lance gave Gawain a look. Gawain muttered about being in a hurry to do something in another room, and stood. “My lady.”
Gwen laughed at Gawain’s antics as he bowed and left the kitchen. Kay pushed at him laughing, but followed him out.
“Mel gets home today around six, so any time after that,” Lance said.
Bending and peering in the cupboard, Gwen joked, “Do you think I could get an advance then, boss? I haven’t any clothes.” She straightened up holding a large dish, wondering what would happen now. She was still tired, not surprisingly, and if she was going to have to alter her body clock, now was as good a time as ever to start. She opened her mouth to say just that, and turned around.
Gwen stumbled and nearly dropped the dish, which he took from her. Where had he come from? Lance had been way over on the other side of the room and somehow snuck up on her while she was rooting around. She drew her gaze over him. Her eyes paused at that little pulse point at the base of his throat, its erratic beat matching hers. She looked up into his gray eyes, to see that they raked her face then seemed to settle on her lips – lips that she parted on a soft moan. This wasn’t like her at all; her dad had always said she’d been shy. She’d got to the ripe old age of twenty-seven having only had two boyfriends; when most twenty-year-olds were out partying she’d been nursing her dad. She’d been out with James a few times, but she’d kept her distance really, though she knew James had been pushing for more. But now, Thor had just barged in and taken over her life. Those eyes. They seemed to strip her inhibitions as well as her panties....
“Gwen.” Lance’s husky voice echoed inside her. Hot breath waltzed on her skin and as his eyes focused on her, something else seemed to dance. She couldn’t move. Glad his low tone hadn’t phrased her name as a question, because she was pretty sure the sludge residing between her ears that used to be a brain currently was incapable of forming a reply.
Was that his hand? Yes, firm fingers that touched her hand with such power but left the echo of a promise. Moving. Slow, sensuous strokes lapped at her insides and set off aftershocks that burrowed deep inside.
“Gwen?”
She lifted her face from puzzling out his hand back to his lips. That had definitely been a question, the tilt of those lips daring for a reply. His mouth parted again as if to ask more and her eyes caught on his lips. Wide, strong. So sure of his own attraction. Moth to a flame, her own lips parted on a sound. It wasn’t a moan, not even a question, much less a reply. A tiny patch glistened wetly on his lower lip and he took another step closer. Her eyes drew fascinated to that bead of moisture, desperately wanting to reach out with her tongue and lick it off. Heart pounding, the dance of moments ago suddenly frenzied. He was going to kiss her. As sure as the sun rising, she knew.
And she was going to let him.
She fell into him and he caught her, swept her up as if she weighed nothing. He kept doing that, a lot. Her heart skipped, her feet lifted off the floor as with one powerful arm he drew her body to him and with the other, cupped her neck and drew her head up to his lowered one.
“It’s not just the name, you know,” Lance breathed on her neck. “The name is a clue, but I would have known you anywhere. You are the other half of my soul…cariad”
Gwen couldn’t reply. Cariad. What did that even mean? Her heart bounced hard in her chest. He was so close she could taste him. If desire had a smell it would be Lance. She wanted to drink him in. Breathless, moments away from his touch, her hand dragged itself up his back. His answering groan echoed in her mind, and delicious tendrils wound their way down south.
There. So light at first, she would almost miss it. The first taste of heaven went straight to her knees; if he hadn’t been so effortlessly holding her, she would have been a puddle on the floor.
Her hand flew to press the back of his head. His touch was too light, too delicate for such a warrior. She wanted battles, fierce knights and fire-breathing dragons, tall towers for the damsel to be rescued from…No, what she actually needed was a bed, and Lance, horizontal. Naked, yeah naked would be good too. Her brief, urgent kiss of encouragement was destroyed in the avalanche that was suddenly Lance when he touched her hand. He’d clearly dismissed delicate, flew straight past urgent and was heading for cataclysmic.
All thoughts left Gwen as she realized she was being carried to bed for the second time in twenty-four hours.