you? Will you travel?”
Mel shook his head. “No. I did enough of that as a child. I mean, sure, I’d like some cool vacations on a hot beach, but no, apart from that I want to make a home.”
“You don’t seem to be making a bad job of that now. Kay told me you have had your eye on the house next door?”
Mel nodded. “But probably not in the way everyone expects. It’s even bigger than this, you know.”
“It is? It looks smaller from the front.”
“I had a look around, and there are fourteen bedrooms.”
Charles shook his head. “I can’t see Lance wanting to go into the hotel business.”
“No,” Mel agreed. “I don’t want to either.”
“But?” Charles prompted, knowing there was a but.
“I want runaways,” Mel admitted. “Of all the children that go missing every year, many of them are gay, or some deviation from what shortsighted people consider the norm. I was that kid, and not even because I was gay but because my mom was too high to care.”
“You want a home for them?”
“Very much,” Mel said. “And it’s as complicated as shit, but we could start just by being foster parents. At least New York doesn’t have a problem with that.”
Charles took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t mind helping with that.”
“Mel?” Tom interrupted and held out his wrist, showing the amber stones turning black. Mel closed his eyes and nodded as they turned onto Lincoln Road.
“At least the subway’s closed,” Roxy murmured as they got out. Mel closed his eyes and tilted his head as if he was listening to something.
“It seems quiet,” Tom said. Too quiet, thought Charles. If the Ursus were here, they could always hear them.
“I don’t like that they are quiet,” Charles said.
Mel opened his eyes and stared at Charles. “We have bigger problems than that.” He sighed. “Lance is awake.”
Kay’s eyes shot open at the bellow from the hallway, and he reached over automatically for Charles. Empty. He vaulted out of bed and yanked his bedroom door open only to see Ali do the same.
“Where’s Roxy?”
“Shit,” Kay spat, understanding exactly what Lance was bellowing about. The second angry roar he heard from Lucan wasn’t much better. He dashed back inside his room and threw his clothes on. He clattered to the hallway and met Lucan.
“What the hell is going on?”
Lance was in the office and pulling swords out of the cabinet. “I’m going to kill him. Then I’m going to have Tom bring him back so I can do it all over again.”
“They’ve all gone?” Ali asked, walking into the office. “Where’s Gawain?”
“Not in his room either,” Lucan ground out.
Lucan fastened his shoulder harness. “Stupid, irresponsible—”
“Maybe not,” Kay allowed, although his heart was beating like a train.
Lance shot him a look of such disgust Kay was tempted to take a step back. But then he took a breath. “No. Mel knows what he’s doing. I agree we go help, but I think this had to happen.”
“Which is very easy for you to say,” Lucan snapped. “Tom can’t wield a sword.”
“Tom is clever and intelligent and practically singlehandedly brought down Aalardin.” He looked at Lance. “Mel finished a hundred Ursus in one go. They are not without skills, so both of you calm the fuck down. Do I agree with them sneaking out? Of course not. Am I frantic that Charles will try and look after them all and get himself hurt? Of course I am. He thinks he still has to prove something to every one of you, and that’s dangerous. He will fight with his last breath to keep them all safe. He is worth ten of me, and he’s been fighting on his own for years. He’s had his life and his beliefs ripped apart, and he’s still trying to do the right thing.” Kay thundered the last few words and took a breath, his heart beating so fast he thought it would explode.
“And we all know if Mel had suggested this, you would have shut him down,” Ali acknowledged.
Lance opened his mouth but closed it again. He nodded once at Kay, grabbed his sword, and headed for the door. “And he has your sword.”
Kay nodded.
Ali nudged Kay before she got in with Lucan. “He’s lucky to have you.” No, Kay thought. I’m lucky to have him.
“It’s Prospect Park subway,” Ali said to Kay and Lance. Lucan had roared away on his bike so fast it was a wonder it hadn’t sprouted wings.
“I’d ask where we think Gawain is, but