The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,20

so hurt.

“Stay still, sweetheart.” Kay concentrated and quickly felt her sides. Her breathing was ragged. There was no obvious large injury, and now he examined her the blood was minimal, but she could easily have cracked ribs. He glanced back to yell and see if the ambulance was coming, but even as he turned, he heard the sound from his nightmares.

The Ursus. Their scream seemed to deaden the sounds of the crowd, as one by one every car engine cut out and human cries seemed to be swallowed whole. It was as if there was no one there. No light, no sound, just the cries of the beasts and the knowledge they were coming. He had to get Roxy out. She shouldn’t be moved, but the beasts were coming, and he knew they would kill her.

“What the hell?”

Kay looked back, and it was the driver trying to pull on the handle, but it still wouldn’t budge.

“Back,” Kay yelled, and with an angry roar he turned and kicked at the door out behind him and it banged open.

“Hold on to me,” he cautioned uselessly and slid his arm under her and edged back out. His feet sank into water, but she still managed a pained breath as he eased her free. Kay straightened and human, panicked screams suddenly hit him with a force enough to nearly knock him over.

Water. There was water gushing down the tunnel walls and people trying to flee. It was even covering his shoes. Kay’s breath caught, knowing where they were, even if he didn’t understand what was happening. People were pushing, crying, stumbling, and trying to get around the cars as they all rushed in panic for the exit. Kay did his best to be gentle with Roxy, heading for the Brooklyn side and hopefully where the ambulances would be.

He could barely hear Roxy’s labored breaths over the panicked screams and then another cry as he felt the blast of cold air chill his skin, and the stench of rot made him want to be sick. He had to put her down, but the water was up to his shins and the monster was on him. He looked down at Roxy just as she opened her eyes, an apology on his lips because he had run out of time.

“Give her to me.”

“Now,” the driver shouted over the roar of the Ursus and extended his arms. The panicked screams of the people running were almost deafening, and Kay held her out to the man and glanced up.

Black. Black bottomless pits that sucked all the life, all the love from the world. “No,” he whispered, staring at his eyes as he watched him change. It couldn’t be. Then he smiled and yanked Roxy from him as if she were nothing, and the song of the Ursus ripped open his heart.

“Is there going to be any left for Kay and Ali?” Tom asked as he scraped his plate clean and looked hopefully at the nearly empty dish on the table. Charles glanced at the empty place where Kay sat for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“I made another.”

“How many crunches is seconds going to cost me?” Mel asked as he eyed the dish.

“Thirds,” Tom countered cheerfully and split what was left between them both. “It’s a good job we don’t have to go out fighting.”

Charles waved off the offers to clean the kitchen when they were finished. There wasn’t much to do anyway. He thought everyone had left, but when he turned, Tom was still sitting at the table watching him. “Can I help?”

Charles knew he didn’t mean with the kitchen. “I don’t think anyone can.”

“You know,” Tom said mildly, “at some point it has to be your turn.”

“For?”

“A life.”

But I have a life. Didn’t he?

“Lance?” They both turned at Gawain’s urgent cry just as they heard the sound of the board.

Tom jerked to his feet, and they both rushed from the kitchen. Everyone was crowding around Gawain and the board.

“What the hell?” Lance thundered out, and Mel laid a hand on his arm to soothe him.

“Lance,” Tom whispered in horror as they looked at the board with a dozen black dots and one colored one. It was blue. It was Kay, and he was on his own and surrounded by monsters.

Chapter 6

The knights had gotten their weapons before Charles had even processed what he was looking at, but he was following Lance and Lucan when a heavy weight appeared at his side, and his fingers curled around the