Three Kings for Sarah Read Free

used to people
staring at him while they stumbled out of his path. Sam was almost the same
height, his shoulders even broader than Duncan’s were. Xiu and Gedeon were no
less impressive. Their bodies were lean and athletic, with a natural elegance
in their movements; nevertheless, they exuded danger from every pore. The
shadow-walker was not just taller than Duncan was by at least two inches, but the
darkness surrounding him shouted “predator” loud and clear. Regarding Gedeon…
Duncan sighed. Ged was simply striking, with a face Michelangelo could have
sculpted. However, in spite of all his handsomeness, people didn’t require a
second glimpse to recognize that he was dangerous. Duncan still remembered
their first encounter—Ged had reminded Duncan of an avenging angel, and that’s
how he always thought of the man… As an amazingly stunning and deadly creature.
    They found a pair of guards at each level, though nobody
addressed the four warriors. When they reached the third floor, Gedeon stopped.
    “We need to go out, cross this wing and take the stairs at
the right to the top floor,” he said.
    Frowning, Duncan turned to Ged. “Well-prepared, aren’t we?”
    Gedeon shrugged. “You don’t get as old as I am by going
blind into dark alleys.”
    Duncan cringed. He should have done the same—readied better
for this situation. It shouldn’t have been too difficult to find the building’s
blueprint and take a quick look at them. Who said you didn’t need to be old
to be wise? I’m dressed like a fucking wise man and acting like a dim-witted
greenhorn. “Okay, let’s do it,” he decided, opening the door to check an
empty hallway.
    A ball rolled out of a room. A giggling little girl followed
after the ball, her black curls bouncing around her cute, heart-shaped face. As
soon as she noticed their presence, her sky-blue eyes went wide. She whirled
hastily around to disappear again inside her room.
    Bending down, Duncan picked up the shiny, pink rubber ball.
A muscle in his jaw twitched as he stared at the childish scrawls covering it.
He didn’t like this. He hadn’t wanted to scare the child, but worst of all, he
worried about all the kids there might be on this floor, who could be exposed to
the danger surrounding him. The chances that the hospital could become a
battlefield tonight were rather high. Before he could ask the others to take an
alternative route to reach Samgar’s goddaughter, the little girl returned,
pulling with her a scrawny boy, two or three years older than her. He had a
bandage over his bald head and huge purple circles under his eyes. Duncan could
smell the boy’s illness, the toxins in his bony body, and could even feel the
boy’s pain. Duncan sucked air into his lungs, trying to control the growing
sickness in his stomach.
    “See, I told you they were here,” whispered the girl, half
hidden behind the boy, who was staring slack-jawed at them.
    “You’re the three wise men Sarah told us about!” the boy
murmured in awe. “You really came to bring her gifts!”
    Exchanging a glance with the others, all of whom seemed as
astounded as he was, Duncan scratched his neck. “Ah…who’s…Sarah?”
    The girl rose on her tiptoes and put her hands over her
mouth to whisper in the boy’s ear. “They’re a bit dumb, aren’t they? You sure
they’re wise men?”
    “Little imp.” Gedeon chuckled softly.
    Duncan struggled to keep a straight face, and Sam, standing
at Duncan’s side, scrutinized the tiles on the floor.
    “Hush! Of course they are,” murmured the boy, obviously not
as convinced as before.
    “Well, kids, you should go back to your rooms so we can go
see Sarah,” Gedeon suggested.
    “You don’t have presents for us?” asked the girl with an
adorable pout.
    Xiu stepped past Duncan and he tensed, prepared to defend
the children if the shadow-walker so much as coughed at them.
    “Of course we have, little one. What’s your name?” Xiu
crouched down in front of