Lance’s hand shook as he grabbed the keys, so Kay immediately took them from him. “Sire?” he asked, as Lance reluctantly climbed in the passenger seat.
He didn’t feel like any sort of a leader. How had he let it get to this? How was he going to sort this out—what had Merlin been thinking? He had no intention of letting Elaine back into his life or into his bed. He scrubbed an anxious hand over his face. Somehow, Merlin had made her a knight, which meant their lives were intertwined and that he had no choice. Yet he knew his heart was with Gwen. He just needed to make sure his life was, too. His phone rang and Lance swiped it up. “Mel?”
“Lance?”
Lance stiffened. He could hear the fear threading Mel’s voice.
“We’re about twenty minutes away,” Kay put in determinedly. They could see Lucan’s Harley weaving in and out of traffic ahead.
“Lance, Gwen’s amulet just activated.”
Lance’s heart leapt. Thank God. “Where is she?”
“At the campus. Behind my block—where the professors have their rooms.”
Lance’s jaw hardened.
“The De-Valls are heading over there. There’s two of them, but a little far apart. It’s the first one that’s the problem.” Before Lance could reply, Mel gasped. “Oh God. There’s another.”
“How far away?” The brief beat of silence gave Lance his answer. “Send the coordinates to everyone. Let Gawain know; he’s riding with Lucan,” Lance added, knowing that the speaker in Gawain’s ear would connect with Mel.
“There’s three, and they’re already there.” Lance glanced at Kay grimly. Kay drove faster if that was even possible.
****
Gwen opened her mouth to ask Tom another question when a high pitched De-Vall scream came from somewhere in the direction of the quad. It still wasn’t close, but it had sounded nearer. Tom stiffened and she glanced at him. “You can hear them, can’t you?”
Tom looked wide-eyed at Gwen. “I’ve heard them before, but I thought I was going mad.”
Gwen looked at his alarmed gray eyes. “We are going to be safe. Lance and the others are on their way.” She smiled and squeezed his fingers again. “And you’re not going mad.”
“I don’t want to put anyone in danger,” Tom whispered hesitantly.
Gwen squeezed his hand. “You’re not. They’ve been fighting these things for a long time.” Tom didn’t look convinced, and Gwen added. “Think of the guys like superheroes.”
Tom looked confused. “You mean like Batman.” He paused. “Or do you mean like from another planet?” Tom’s eyes looked like saucers.
Gwen sighed. If things weren’t so serious, it would be funny. “No,” she whispered, leaning down and trying to undo his ankles quickly. “They’re definitely from this planet, although I do call Lance ‘Thor.’”
Tom looked even more confused. “Thor?” She pulled the sheet back over to hide them when she heard the partition door open.
“We’re leaving now,” James said, brandishing the knife as he strode over to the bed.
Alarmed, Gwen leapt up, and heard the soft whimper from the bed that Tom tried to muffle. “James,” she pleaded.
He laughed. “You’re both coming with me.” He bent and cut the ropes holding Tom.
Gwen’s heart was beating so fast she was sure it could be heard in the quad. For a second there, she’d been convinced he was going to use the knife on Tom. James threw a pair of sweats at Tom, but Gwen had to help him as he struggled to stand properly after being tied. Tom reached for a ragged t-shirt on the floor that was obviously his, then pushed his bare feet into a pair of sneakers that were in the corner. Gwen looked at the boy. How on earth had he gotten himself in this mess?
James came back from where he’d been peering out of the window, and Gwen knew any questions would have to wait. “Don’t forget Gwen I have the knife,” James said as he grabbed Tom roughly.
She nodded. James knew that as long as there was any threat to Tom, she would do what she was told.
“That way, now,” James growled.
Gwen led the way out of the studio and down the stairs. Tom stumbled a couple of times on the steps and Gwen tried to walk slower, but James was getting impatient and started shoving Tom along.
“Where are we going, James? I don’t understand why you just won’t let us go.” She did understand, but hoped that sounding reasonable might give them a fighting chance. “You can’t get away with this.” She gasped as she suddenly had a thought. “James, your colleague, she let me in. She knows I was here, and she recognizes me from the fundraiser we went to last year.”
He paused a second, then ignored her. “Just keep going. My car’s over there.”
Gwen thought quickly. In minutes, they would be in his car going to God knows where. She knew the knights would be on their way, but she also knew the De-Valls would be there as well, and she had no idea who would get there first. She was torn between needing to delay James so that Lance could arrive, but what if she misjudged everything and put Tom in danger?
Just then, a louder scream echoed off the buildings as they crossed the grass. Tom stumbled again in shock, landing into James in order to stay upright. She didn’t know whether it was accidental or intentioned, but as Tom cried out, James swore and stood back from him holding the knife, now dripping with blood. Tom clutched his side and his knees buckled, agony etched across his face.
James panicked, horror twisting his face. The knife fell from his hand and as Gwen reached for Tom, a high pitched scream echoed around the buildings.
It was too late; the De-Valls were here. Gwen put her arm around Tom. “Tom, get up,” she pleaded. “You can hear them coming. We have to get to the car. James?”
James was frozen, staring at them in panic. “I didn’t mean to. It got out of hand. I would never…”
“James, the keys. We have to get out of here.” They had to move. Driving away was their only hope, but she had no idea how quickly the damn monsters were approaching. “James! Now.”
“I didn’t mean it.” James was shaking his head, as if in total denial of how he had brought himself to this point. If it weren’t for Tom’s state, Gwen would have almost felt pity.
Gwen could see shapes appearing from the end of the lot. With sickening clarity, Gwen knew they’d just run out of time. The huge mass of the De-Vall appeared in front of them as the air in front shimmered. The creature’s bald, misshapen head turned and its black eyes seemed to zero in on her. Its huge, thick arms raised its weapon over its head. Faintly, she heard a motorbike’s engine roaring, and nearly laughed; it was too late. Gwen bent herself around Tom in a vain attempt to shield him from whatever was about to happen.
James suddenly seemed to shake himself into action and turned blindly toward his car. He’d clearly decided that his hostages no longer mattered. He’d decided to escape and wasn’t waiting for them. Because he couldn’t see or hear them, Gwen’s shouted warning was ignored and he ran right at the monster. She turned her face on a sob as she saw him lifted from the ground. A scream, cut off—legs kicking as he was swung up. She heard the guttural victory cry as the De-Vall choked him with one hand, and didn’t want to watch his lifeless body being tossed aside. She couldn’t think. Didn’t want to think. Her thoughts were too busy being drowned out by the deafening engine noises. Another cry and she had to look. She lifted her terrified but accepting eyes and stared into soulless black ones. If evil ever had a name, she was looking at it.
****
Lance had, without a second’s doubt all those years ago, offered his life for his King and his country. But as they rounded the entrance to the campus and saw Gwen in the distance with the De-Vall bearing down on her, he knew he would have surrendered everything in a heartbeat if it would mean Gwen lived. He would have given her up himself to keep her safe.
Even at the ridiculous speed Kay was driving, they would never get to her in time. Just then, the man she was with turned around and ran straight into the De-Vall. It must be Durham, Lance thought, and of course, he wouldn’t be able see it. The De-Vall immediately picked the man up as he struggled uselessly for what seemed to be only a few seconds, then cast his lifeless body aside.
It gave them the precious few seconds they needed. Kay pointed the car straight at the De-Vall and just as it turned at the noise, he wrenched the steering wheel to arc the car around. The wheels skidded and the car nearly tipped, but Lance was out rolling, and on his feet with his sword before the creature had time to realize what was happening. The distraction was perfect and Lance thrust the killing blow to the De-Valls heart without pausing.
“Gwen!” he cried.
She’d turned her face just in time to see the creature raise its hand to strike her before Lance had dealt the fatal blow. Her soft, surprised cry echoed deep inside him as he wrapped his arms around her. Safe. God, she was safe. He’d nearly been too late.
“Lance?” Shaking, he mumbled muffled words as he bent his head to hers. Thousands of kisses would never be enough to cover her.
“Lance.”
Her voice raised his head at its urgency and he suddenly became aware he wasn’t just holding Gwen. She had her arms shielding Tom.
“Lance, Tom’s hurt. James caught him with the knife.”
Lance looked down at the terrified boy. His black hair was in direct contrast to his white face and blue eyes. “Tom, let me see.”
“He won’t hurt you, it’s okay,” Gwen reassured Tom, as the boy looked panicked.
Lance heard Kay running up as he lifted the boy’s t-shirt, and showed the wound to the knight as bent down. “Superficial?” Lance asked.
“Yes,” Kay confirmed.
Lance caught Tom’s eye. “It hurts like hell, but it’s not life threatening. Do you want us to take you to the ER?” Lance got his answer at the look of fear that crossed the boy’s face, then felt Gwen’s hand on his arm.
“Lance, no, he needs to come with us. He can see them.”
Lance looked in shock at Tom. He could see them? He looked across at the other side of the dorm. Lucan had just killed the last De-Vall, and both he and Gawain were running over. Lance turned back as Gwen and Tom stood up, just in time to see his eyes roll up in his head. He caught him before he hit the ground.
“It’s just reaction,” Kay confirmed. “He hasn’t lost too much blood.”
Lance looked at the knights. “We’ll all meet at the house. Then we decide what is happening and what we are going to do.”
The knights all nodded. Gwen hesitated, and Lance stared at her. “I can’t do any of this without you,” he said. “I should have made that very clear.” Gwen gave a small smile and Lance took it as a victory. “I promise I am yours.” Lance didn’t care that they weren’t alone. He didn’t care what his knights thought and he even ignored it when Kay slapped his back.
Gwen scrambled into the car and Lance laid the unconscious boy across the back seat with his head on her lap. She chewed her lip in worry.
“We’ll sort him out at home. He’s not bleeding now; I think it’s more reaction than anything.” Lance tucked his legs in and noticed the red rings around Tom’s ankles. His feet were slipping out of the poorly fitting sneakers.
Kay drove past where Lucan and Gawain were wrapping Durham’s body to take away. They couldn’t leave this one behind because of his connection to Gwen, and over the years they had perfected this type of removal. It was a testament to the modern world that there were many places they could get rid of a body.
Lance could hear Gwen murmuring to the boy in the back seat. Kay glanced at Lance a couple of times, but kept his own council, and for that Lance was grateful. He picked up the phone to call Mel and tell him that they would be home soon.
“I found him there,” Lance heard Gwen say quietly from the back. “When I got to James’ room, he was being held prisoner.” Gwen’s voice lowered. “I only went because I thought he could help me with a car.”
Lance turned around and reached a hand across the seats. Gwen took it immediately and his heart seemed to expand at the small gesture. “I hate that I put you in the position of needing to go to him,” he said. He shook his head as Gwen took a breath to speak. “But it was fortunate for Tom that you were there tonight.” He squeezed her hand gently and got an answering smile. When they arrived home, he got out of the car and opened the back door. He carefully picked Tom up, trying not to jostle him when his eyes opened.
“Oh my God.”
Lance turned at Mel’s words and saw his shocked face. He hadn’t seen him come outside to meet the car. “I’ll explain when we get inside. Is there any sign of Elaine?”
Mel shook his head. “No. She has no amulet, so I can’t trace her.”
“Mel, we need to get him upstairs. Go get the first aid box and bring it up. Some water.” Lance followed Gwen up the stairs. Mel had darted ahead, while Kay had muttered something about coffee or something stronger and had headed for the kitchen.
Gwen hesitated at the top of the stairs.
“The spare,” Lance said firmly. There was no way Gwen would be sleeping anywhere other than in his bed tonight, and he didn’t really care where Elaine went.
He strode in after Gwen and laid the boy on the bed. He had to stop calling Mel and now Tom “boy.” It was just he was feeling every century of his age at the moment. Gwen fussed around him. Tom was awake, but not talking. Gwen hesitated, Lance knew she wanted him undressed, but as he stepped forward to help, Mel bustled in and firmly pushed in front of Lance.
“Tom?” Mel asked. “What the hell happened?”
Tom licked his lips and gratefully took a few sips of the water that Gwen offered.
“It was Professor Durham. He said he was going to help me get my grades up.” Tom reached out for Mel’s hand, and Mel clasped it tight. “He said that if I didn’t get my grades up, I would lose the scholarship funding. He said he would get me a residential allowance.” Tom bowed his head. “It’s my fault.”
Gwen opened her mouth, but Mel beat her to it.
“No, it isn’t. He’s a sick bastard that deserves to be put away.” Mel was fierce, and Gwen looked at them both and smiled. The hero worship was evident on Tom’s face as he looked at Mel.
“Mel,” Gwen said, touching his arm. “Tom can see them.”
Mel whipped his head back around to the other boy in astonishment.
“Those things that killed professor Durham?” Tom said quietly, a shiver racing through him. Mel stood nearer. “Are you going to explain to me why I’ve thought I was going nuts for the last few days?”
Lance watched both boys as they looked at each other. Mel sat down next to Tom. “I’m going to explain everything. You’re not going crazy. How about I help you get changed and comfortable first? Gonna need to look at those cuts on your back.”
Tom looked shocked. “How, how did you know my back was cut?”
Mel smiled and shrugged. He looked at Lance and Gwen. Gwen’s surprise mirrored his own, so she hadn’t told Mel about the cuts either. “I’ve got this, guys,” Mel said. “I don’t think Tom wants us all in here.”
Gwen looked at Mel, then at Tom. “Tom?”
Without taking his eyes off Mel, Tom nodded.
Lance had never heard Mel talk like that, and for the first time in a lot of years, he felt he’d just been dismissed. He then saw Gwen smile gently. “Hungry?” he asked.
Without waiting for a reply, she snagged Lance’s hand. “Come on.”
Somewhat bewildered, Lance followed her.