The Darkest Knight (Guardians of Camelot #3) - Victoria Sue Page 0,69

insisted.

“We were warned,” Lucan said quietly. He met Ali’s gaze, and for a moment shared history and understanding flowed between them.

“We were told the creatures were sent by Morgan and that we were a draw.”

Had Charles been told that? He might be starting to remember things that happened to him before he was given to Morgan, but he didn’t remember anything after except the time he had spent with Tom.

The bleeping from the board was a little of an anticlimax. “I’ll send you the coordinates,” Gawain said and dashed into the office.

They left and Charles, Lance, Mel, and Tom all trooped despondently into the office. Lance looked at the map. “It’s not far from Prospect Park again, but the park itself not the subway.”

As they watched, another three Ursus appeared on the board.

“That’s two too many,” Lance bit out and went to the metal cabinet and strapped on his sword. He looked at Charles. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

Charles stood. “I will come.”

Lance hesitated. “Keep with me, but be careful.” He eyed him critically. “You shouldn’t be fighting.”

“Then let’s get this over with so I can come back and help Gawain.” But he knew Lance hadn’t meant that.

Lance nodded and glanced at Mel. “Can you get us to Lucan quicker?”

Mel nodded and waved them to the car. In five minutes they had caught Kay’s truck, and after being told by Mel it was all his, Lance took over the driving.

Charles didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet.

“When we get Kay, what do you intend to do?”

Make him mine. But he didn’t think it was that simple. “I haven’t thought much more than getting him back.” Charles rubbed his aching head. “I don’t know what to do.”

Lance was silent for another minute as they sped behind Kay’s truck. “You are convinced you are her son?”

Charles nodded. “But I don’t think that will get me anything. I don’t think I mean anything to her other than as a weapon, and if as you say Mary was working against her in using me, she is gone so—” He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant when his skin crawled with the need to get to Kay.

“It might not be that simple,” Lance said, and Charles laughed abruptly. Simple? “I mean we need to be careful. Your death causes his.”

Charles was sure Lance didn’t mean to sound so uncaring, and Kay had been one of his closest friends for many hundreds of years, but it was a sobering thought that Lance’s worry wasn’t about Charles dying, but how it would affect Kay. And somewhere deep down—if Charles was honest—he mourned that sort of friendship he had never had. “Do you think she would kill me just to ensure Kay’s death?”

“I don’t know,” Lance admitted. “You met Kay last time, and she has had you for months, but you are back now.”

“Which is why you don’t think I’m innocent in this,” Charles said quietly but as if it was a revelation. “I was bonded the last time, but I came back alive.” He turned and glanced at Lance, who was gripping his hands on the steering wheel so hard his knuckles bled of color. “You think I am here deliberately to do damage, to be a threat.” Lance didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. Charles slumped in his seat. How had it come to this? He had gone from being what he thought was a noble crusader with a righteous cause to a washed-up instrument of evil’s sick joke.

He couldn’t even end his life without ending Kay’s. Then another thought came to him as Lance pulled up behind Lucan. She didn’t even have to actually kill Kay at all. Charles was aging at a rapid speed.

All she had to do was wait.

Lance jumped out of the car. Charles was slower, still struggling with the direction his thoughts were going in. How could he have been so foolish? His ego had really known no bounds. He’d rejected Kay because he believed his calling was more important when in reality he wasn’t good enough to lick Kay’s boots. Shaking off his thoughts because he needed to concentrate, he joined Lance, who was with Lucan. “There are no signals in the subway. They are all at the park.”

“And it’s the weekend. There could easily be a function of some sort at the boathouse,” Roxy pointed out.

Lance looked at Ali and Lucan. “Roxy, you know what to do. Charles, stick with me. I do not want