Gwen

My heart is racing as Brooks pulls up in front of the apartment building. “I need you to explain, right the hell now.”

He drags a hand through his hair and sighs. “I’m not exactly…human.”

“Bloody well right, you’re not. Kit called you an angel baby. I doubt that’s a term of endearment.”

“I’m Nephilim.”

I can’t fight my gasp. A Nephilim. A fucking child of a fallen angel and human. “What? I didn’t think there were any of you left.”

“There are more of us than you know. A small army really. We’re fighting to redeem the sins of our fathers.”

“And you’re somehow involved in all” —I gesture around vaguely—“all this?”

“I was told to keep an eye on you. To help you should you require aid.”

“And I guess you did a good job of it.” He smiles at my compliment and the tiniest twinge of attraction takes hold in my belly.

“I’m sorry to drag you from…whatever it is you’re doing with Lancelot, but we have to get out of here.”

I nod and renewed fear grips me. “Right. I’ll be back with him.”

Brooks grabs my hand and runs his thumb over my knuckles. “Be quick, and be careful.”

I feel his eyes on me the whole time I’m walking inside. I wish I had my magic more than I’ve ever wished for it in this moment. I could throw up a protection spell, keep our presences cloaked, give us time to get away with everything we need. My blood hums in my veins, laced with adrenaline all the way up in the lift. The key shakes as I slide it into the lock and Lancelot is there, opening the door, his eyes worried.

“Gwen, what is it? You came without me. I was about to leave to see you home safely.”

“We have to go. Right now. Shove everything into my bag as quick as you can. It’s not safe here.”

To his credit, Lance doesn’t argue. He runs. The man scoops my clothes from the drawers and dumps them into my large bag, then collects his own.

“Do you have Excalibur?” I ask, wishing I could sense its magic.

“Always.”

He hitches the strap of the bag on one shoulder and places his palm on my lower back. “Now, where are we going?”

“I’m not sure.”

A sense of dread settles over me, sulphur rising from the elevator shaft. We’re not safe. Not in the least. “The stairs,” I whisper. “We have to take the stairs as fast as we can.”

Lance nods and removes his hand from my back. He’s ready to use the sword if he needs to. Moving as quietly as possible, we rush for the stairwell and make our way down. The sulphur scent gets stronger as we get closer to the lobby. “He’s right outside the door,” I say, heart in my throat.

“There’s more than one. Can’t you feel them?”

Excalibur appears in his grasp, the ruby hilt catching the light and accenting the glow of the blade. I press my palm to his chest. “No. You can’t. There are people out there.” The doorman, a drunken couple coming home from a night out, so many innocents. “If they see, the demons will kill them.”

“Not if I’m fast enough,” he says, the fight radiating from him.

“No. Not this time. Life is different in this time, Lance. We can’t charge in, swords drawn. It’s our responsibility to keep the human world ignorant of the rest of it.”

I watch from the small window as Kit, a woman and man I hadn’t seen at the pub, as well as a small child all get into the lift together. All four of them are demons. Disgusting tricksters.

“Now,” I hiss, my heart jumping as I pull open the door and run for the exit. Lance is by my side, his hand on my elbow as we burst out into the night. “No! Bloody hell, where’s he gone?”

My heart sinks at the sight of an empty street. Brooks has deserted us with four demons on our tails.

“Where’s who gone?” Lance asks, his anger palpable. “Come on, let’s take the motorcycle. It’s right there.” He gestures to the bike Grant delivered a few days earlier.

But then a red car I recognize zooms around the corner and Brooks pulls up, the passenger window not even fully lowered as he yells, “Get in, you lot!”

Lance balks but follows my lead as I dive into the back seat. Brooks takes off, tires squealing. “Where are we headed? Who is this man?” Then Lance stares at me, hard. “Wait, this is the blasted man from the pub. The one who did nothing but eye you all damned night. Why are we in his automobile?”

Oh, bloody hell, I hadn’t even thought of that. “Lance, he’s one of us. He knows everything.”

Lance’s hand grips my knee. “What do you mean?”

“She means, I know who you are and I’m trying to help.” Brooks’ voice holds a tinge of frustration, but he keeps his foot on the gas and takes us swiftly toward the limits of the city.

“He can’t possibly understand the gravity of our task. How can you trust such a man?” Lance’s words hold much more than a simple question. He’s…jealous.

“He is the son of an angel, Lancelot. He’s fighting for our cause. He saved me from…” my voice goes tight at the memory of Kit.

Lance pulls me to him. “It’s all right, my queen. The demons are gone. We’re away.” There’s warmth in his voice as well as possession. “I won’t let any harm come to you.”

“Neither will I,” Brooks says, his tone serious.

Lancelot’s hold tightens and all conversation stops as we make our journey to God knows where. I can’t stop my gaze from flicking up to the rearview mirror where I see Brooks’ eyes focused on me.

My head goes fuzzy, the world around me drifting out of focus. And then I’m standing in front of my sisters, both of them smiling at me with their babies in their arms. The world safe, all of us alive. A warm palm fits itself to mine and I feel the cool metal band of a ring against my finger. Turning my head, I look at the man next to me and see Brooks, smiling, love shining in his eyes. And then the vision fades and it’s Lance holding me and the world is still ending and no one is safe.

Sliding out of Lance’s arms, I lean against the opposite window. Not again. I will not find myself caught between two men.

Lancelot

Brooks. I think I hate the man. But he saved my Guinevere’s life when I was not present to do so. How can I hate him? If it weren’t for the way his eyes linger on her, the man might be someone I could call a friend. We stopped after two hours spent on the road. The sprawling home he brought us to is too large for my liking. Gwen shouldn’t be far from my side, but with so much space, there are too many rooms to separate us. Already two nights have passed and we’ve barely spoken.

“Gwen?” I call, needing to be near her. I stride through the drawing room and into the hall. She’s nowhere to be found. “Guinevere.”

Soft giggles filter through the doorway at the end of the hall and my chest turns to stone. I push open the door to find her there, playing a game of cards with him. Brooks laughs and smiles, leaning close and murmuring something that makes her blush. White hot rage boils in my chest. She is mine. She has to be. After everything we went through, everything we felt for each other, everything I still feel.

“Having fun?” I attempt an unaffected timbre, but even I know I’ve failed. Gwen flinches, her eyes not meeting mine.

“We’re playing Hearts. Would you like Brooks to teach you?”

Would I like him to teach me? No. I certainly would not. “I think…no. We have been here two days and I can’t continue to stand by while the world around us grows closer to its end.”

Gwen stands and crosses the room, the placating expression on her face making my cheeks grow hot. She looks at me the way a woman would see a petulant child.

“Lance, stop. Brooks has put me in contact with a coven. He thinks we can find a way to tap into my magic, to find the moonstone and release my power.”

Brooks. Of course he does. “Then why am I even here? Brooks seems to be able to solve all our problems.”

“You’re here because Gabriel—”

And there it is, the truth. “Gabriel saddled you with me. He linked our lives because I have to be with you.”

Brooks stands and crosses his arms over his chest, a smirk turning up his lips. I reach for Excalibur, tempted to drive the hilt against his nose so he won’t be so pretty any longer. “I’ll, um…I’ll leave you two to it, then. I’ve got some calls to make anyway.” He leaves the room and I stare at Gwen, willing her to tell me something I don’t already know.

“Lance, it’s not just—”

“No, Gwen, it is. Tell me the truth. If we weren’t bound to one another, would you still be with me?”

“I’m not with you.”

There it is. Four words that rip my heart straight from my chest. I wasn’t prepared for them. I didn’t realize how far I’d fallen since we were reunited.

With a nod, I turn and leave her, my desperate situation bringing back memories of the pain of losing her long ago.

The hall is quiet because my Gwen hasn’t followed me. Her heart isn’t mine. It doesn’t belong to me and never has. The ache in my chest becomes so strong I fear it might explode. I need fresh air, open space, I need a damn horse to ride and rid me of all the trappings of this modern world.

I shove open the massive front door and step into the afternoon light. Instantly, I know I’ve made a mistake. My limbs are weighted down as though cast in stone.

“Look what we have here. A handsome knight.” A tall woman with pitch black hair and ebony skin stands at the edge of the path that leads to the house. She has one hand raised, scarlet painted nails filed to sharp points.

“Release me,” I say through clenched teeth.

“Doubtful. I’m not likely to let you near me with that…sword you’re packing.”

She shouldn’t be able to see Excalibur with Gabriel’s enchantment. “Who are you?” I need to get free, get to Gwen. “You don’t feel like a demon. But you don’t feel entirely pure either.”

Two more women appear out of thin air and I realize who they are. The coven Brooks called. “Heather, let him go.” The woman to her left chastises the witch who has me captive and smiles, her red hair swirling in the wind. “It’s Lancelot. You can’t possibly have forgotten. He’s got Excalibur for pity’s sake.”

Heather sighs and twists her hand, the pressure on my limbs releasing with the gesture. I take a deep breath and put my hand on the hilt of my sword.

“Whoa, there, handsome. You need to get to know me before you show me your sword.” Heather takes a defensive posture but doesn’t enchant me again.

“Relax, Lancelot. We’re here to help.”