Children of the Knight (76 page)

A
RTHUR
continued guiding Llamrei up the street as he listened but allowed the mare to move at her own pace. His focus was on Lance. “Is Lance all right? Do you have Sir Jack, as well?”

At Lance’s name, both Chris and Jenny leaned in closer. Jenny opened her mouth but then shut it, breathlessly awaiting whatever came next.

R
AMIREZ
let out a snort of disgust. “If you mean the faggot, yes, he’s here too.”

Lance bristled at the word, but Jack took it in stride. He remained alert to any possibility to put their plan into action and had no intention of letting this asshole rattle him any further.

“You could really do so much better in your selection of knights, King Arthur,” Ramirez went on tauntingly. “I mean, really, faggots? And wanna-be faggots? I’m certain you’ll be disappointed to learn that your pretty boy son is probably a fagboy too. Doesn’t that just disgust you?”

Lance burned with equal parts humiliation and hatred. Jack lightly elbowed him, a signal to keep his focus. Lance forced calm back into his lungs along with air.

A
RTHUR
felt a sickness well up in his stomach and surround his thumping heart. He knew, deep down, that this man wouldn’t hesitate to kill Lance and Jack. His tone, his words—this was a man without conscience or remorse. Arthur forced himself to remain calm.

“On the contrary, I could not be more proud of Sir Lance and of Sir Jack. They doth be outstanding young men.”

R
AMIREZ
guffawed and shook his head. “Yeah, right,
men
. That’s a good one. It’s those attitudes that’ve doomed your whole crusade from the start,
King
. Only the strong survive in this world, and
might
will
always
crush right!” He smirked again at the boys, obviously enjoying himself.

A
RTHUR
sat stiffly upon Llamrei, both Chris and Jenny leaning in attentively, anxiously. “How doth I know my boys be still alive?”

Jenny sucked in a sharp breath, and Chris’s eyes welled with tears.