In Darkness Reborn

by Alexis Morgan

  Cullen, always the calm one, answered. “When we work as a team, Barak, we work as a team. We don’t leave one of our own hanging in the wind.” He stood up and stretched. “It’s been a long one, gentlemen. I’m going home. Come on, D.J., I’ll give you a ride.”

  D.J. jumped to his feet, the only one of the group who didn’t look as if he was overdue for a good night’s sleep. “Okay, we’re out of here. Nice place, Barak.”

  “Thank you.” Did D.J. ever run out of energy? Just watching him made Barak tired.

  As D.J. charged out the door after Cullen, Devlin said, “You need a ride, Blake?”

  “No, I’ll walk. ’Night, Barak. Thanks for sharing the veggie.” The tall Paladin disappeared, leaving just Barak and Devlin.

  “I’ll draft a letter and drop it off in your office first thing in the morning,” Barak said. He had no idea what he could say that would breach the rift between him and those he’d left behind, but he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try. “If the letter works, we can set up a place to meet even if we can’t specify a time.”

  Devlin clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

  The phone wasn’t broken. Lacey knew because she’d checked three times in the last hour. She had to get to bed, or tomorrow would be tough. It was going to be bad enough to face Dr. Louis in the morning over her latest budget requests without having big circles under her eyes.

  Maybe she could squeeze in an extra few minutes of sleep by making her lunch before going to bed and setting the coffeepot to start perking before she had to get up. She’d already picked out an outfit to wear, one she normally didn’t wear to work. But the way the dress draped emphasized her good points and played down a few that weren’t quite so perfect.

  But if Penn saw her, he’d want an explanation, and she doubted he’d believe she was wearing it to impress her boss. No, she’d just have to wait for a better opportunity to show it off in front of Barak.

  The phone remained silent. She knew she’d left her message on the right phone number, because she’d recognized Barak’s deep voice on the answering machine. God, she felt like she was back in high school with a big crush on the captain of the track team. Was Barak having second thoughts about what they’d done down in the tunnels? Was she a fool for hoping she could entice him to come over for a repeat performance?

  No, it had been good for him, for both of them. She might not have much experience, but she’d definitely put a smile on his face. And a great big one on hers.

  But the phone sat there, silent and worrisome. To keep busy, she made a second sandwich and stuck in an extra apple for Barak in case they worked through lunch. As she smeared a double-thick layer of peanut butter on the bread, she stared at the phone, willing it to ring.

  When it did, she almost didn’t believe it was real. And if it was Barak, why had he waited until almost midnight to call? He had no right to think she’d wait up to all hours for him to find time in his busy schedule to call.

  “Hello,” she answered. Short and not so sweet.

  Barak’s deep voice came through the wire. “Lacey, I hope it isn’t too late to be calling. Something came up, and I just now heard your message.”

  “Oh?” She leaned against the counter and crossed her legs. Was he going to explain himself?

  He caught her unspoken hint. “Some friends dropped by. The last one just left.”

  “I didn’t know you had any friends.” Oh, God, that was a horrible thing to say! “Oh, Barak, I didn’t mean that the way it came out. Please put it off to me being extra tired.”

  “No apology necessary when you are speaking the truth.” There was laughter in his voice. “Pizza and beer with four Paladins is not a common occurrence for me.”

  A strong sense of relief had her relaxing again, until she realized that what she’d been feeling had been that green-eyed monster, jealousy. How could she have thought that he might have been with another woman? Her brother might think she was crazy, but she knew right down to her soul that Barak valued his honor.

  “I would guess not. Was it some kind of guy thing? Pizza, beer, and baseball?” Penn and some of the others were ardent Mariner fans, but she couldn’t picture Barak yelling at the television every time an umpire made a call he didn’t like.

  “Uh, yes, I’m learning the rules of the game from Devlin and Cullen.”

  She looked down at the receiver as if she could see Barak’s expression through the wire. What was with that slight hesitation in his voice? Maybe she was mistaken, but it sounded as if he’d latched onto the baseball comment even though it wasn’t true.

  “It’s late. I should let you go.”

  “Okay.” She’d hoped for another long, late-night conversation, but clearly that wasn’t going to happen. What had changed since they’d parted ways earlier?

  “Good night, Lacey. Sleep well.”

  “Good night, Barak.” She tried one more time to find that special intimacy they’d shared earlier in the tunnels. “Today was, well, pretty wonderful.”

  Again the short silence. “Yes, it was. I shall have to keep more beer on hand, though, if the guys are going to keep dropping in unexpectedly. Well, I’ll let you go.”

  The click as he hung up echoed in her heart. She blinked rapidly, telling herself that the burning in her eyes was due to the lateness of the hour. After all, though she and Barak had done the horizontal tango down in the tunnels, that didn’t mean they had a real relationship. Not that that’s what she wanted. Life around the Paladins was enough of an adventure without complicating things by taking an Other for a lover.

  After all, she had a purpose in her life. If she could solve the puzzle of predicting earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, her work would save Paladin lives. She hated the life they were forced to live for the sake of humanity. They didn’t complain—well, yes they did—but they still picked up their swords and stood on the line.

  And she was lying to herself. Yes, her job was important to her, but so was Barak, far more than he should be. Had he deliberately misunderstood her? And if so, why?

  A huge yawn surprised her, a reminder of how late it was. She turned out the kitchen lights and padded down the hallway to her lonely bed. There was no use in beating herself up trying to figure out what was up with Barak. He’d be in the lab tomorrow. Time enough to find out what was going on.

  “Here’s your letter.” Barak dropped it on Devlin’s desk.

  Devlin set aside the report he’d been reading to pick up the short note. “It’s in English. Can this woman read our language?”

  Barak hated revealing even a small bit of information about his sister. Anything the Paladins learned could be used as a weapon against his world. He avoided answering the question by saying, “I assumed you’d want to be able to read the letter. Since we don’t know when she’ll get the message, I thought it made sense for her to have to respond before we try to set up a meeting.”

  Devlin gave him a measuring look but didn’t press the matter. “Okay, I’ll need you to show me on the map the best spots to try to get the letter across. This is probably a fool’s mission, but we’re not getting anywhere on this side. Go down the hall and make half a dozen more of these on the copy machine. If you don’t know how to use it, get Cullen or D.J. to show you.”

  “I need to do the copies by hand. She won’t trust anything but something in my own handwriting. It will only take a few minutes to write out the other copies.”

  Barak had a favor to ask of Devlin, one he wasn’t sure Devlin would like. “Would you please call Lacey and tell her that you have need of me for a while?”

  “Trouble in paradise?” Devlin’s expression shifted into what Barak thought of as a Paladin warrior face, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

  “No, we’ve made some real progress in refining the machines she uses to study the mountains. Her work is very important to her. Deep down, she hopes that it will save Penn and the rest of you.”

  Devlin wi
nced at that. “It’s hard on the women around us. Like Laurel, Lacey has it especially hard because she cares about you, too. It gets complicated.”

  Barak met his gaze head-on, doing his best not to reveal the powerful emotions that Lacey stirred in him. Devlin might have his suspicions, but he didn’t know for certain, and Barak wanted to keep it that way.

  “Yes, well, you call her. She won’t like it.”

  “But she’ll take it better coming from you.” That was a lie. Lacey wouldn’t like it no matter which one of them made the call.

  Devlin reached for the phone, but before he dialed Lacey’s extension, he asked, “And just how long do I desperately need you?”

  “I suppose all day would be too much to ask?”

  “Not without an explanation.” Devlin hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. “What’s going on between you two?”

  Now there was a question Barak didn’t want to answer. Maybe another truth would suffice. “My life here remains precarious, especially if I end up crossing back to my former world. It wouldn’t do for me to get too attached to the people in this one.”

  “And just how attached have you been to the delectable Lacey Sebastian?” Devlin stared at him with his best “I can smell a lie a hundred feet away” look.

  Barak stared right back. “Are you going to call her or not?”

  “Son of a bitch, Barak, you do like living recklessly. You know Penn will gut you with a rusty sword for touching his little sister.”

  “He can’t gut me if I’m already dead, Devlin. Now make the call. I’m going to write your notes.” He walked out without looking back. Devlin saw far too much; he didn’t need to see how much it hurt to separate himself from Lacey’s warmth.

  D.J. looked up from his computer. “Hey, Other, what are you doing on our side of the building?”

  Last night must have changed the Paladin’s hostile attitude toward Barak. “I need paper, a pen, and a place to work for a few minutes.” Barak looked around the cluttered office.

  “Use Cullen’s desk. He’s not due in for a couple of hours. He’s got paper and pens in the top right drawer.”

  “Thanks.” Barak began the laborious job of copying the letter he’d drafted over into his own language.

  It wouldn’t translate word for word, but the meaning would be close. He added a private message to his sister, knowing only she would recognize the reference to a game they used to play. Maybe it would convince her to meet with him. He would’ve set the contact up for both cultures regardless, but the chance to see his sister again was a bonus. He hoped that she’d see it that way.

  When he was finishing the tenth copy of the note, he felt someone standing behind his shoulder. Whoever it was had walked up without Barak’s hearing a sound. Being that careless was a good way to get himself killed. He slowly looked up and grimaced.

  “So what’s so all-fired important that you can’t do your job?” Lacey didn’t bother to keep her voice down. “I have some important data coming in that needs attention. What’s Devlin got you doing? Writing invitations to his birthday party?”

  Her blue eyes were shooting the same sparks they had the day before when she’d walked into his arms down in the tunnels. Right now he doubted that she would appreciate the comparison. He turned the last piece of paper over—not that Lacey would have been able to read the message anyway.

  “Lacey, I will return to your department as soon as circumstances allow.” Provided he didn’t end up dead or captured on the other side of the barrier. “I’m sure Devlin explained things.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her mouth. “Like hell he did! All I got was a voice mail that you’d been reassigned to his office for an indefinite amount of time.”

  She was clearly furious and ready for a fight. Aware of D.J. frowning as he watched them, Barak decided to take this discussion somewhere more private. The closest possibility was Devlin’s office.

  “Come with me.” He automatically reached for Lacey’s arm, but she jerked free of his touch.

  “I can walk, Barak. I’m a big girl, which you already know.” Her anger was affecting her common sense. Neither of them needed rumors flying around about the nature of their relationship.

  He whispered near her ear. “You can yell all you want, Lacey, but not here.”

  “Fine, but brace yourself. I plan on doing quite a bit of it.” She followed on his heels straight into Devlin’s office.

  The Paladin leader looked up from his computer screen at the unexpected interruption. As soon as he saw Lacey, he looked up at the ceiling, as if praying for patience or wisdom.

  “Sure, come on in, Barak, and bring Lacey with you. Despite my reputation for shooting first and asking questions later, I don’t actually expect people to knock.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

  “Shut up, Devlin. You’re part of this problem, so don’t act all innocent and put upon.” Lacey plopped down in one of the chairs that faced his desk. “Now tell me again why Barak is over here writing grocery lists or whatever you’re having him do, instead of reporting to the lab?”

  She glared at each man in turn. “And don’t lie to me.”

  Barak took the other chair. “Devlin, I left those grocery lists out on Cullen’s desk. I’m not sure where you wanted them filed.”

  Devlin stood up. “In other words, you want me to get lost for a few minutes.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.”

  Barak was aware of the big Paladin walking out, then the soft click of the door locking. “Devlin did need me for a special project. That much is true.”

  “And the rest of it? About you needing to be gone indefinitely? Was that true, too?”

  He’d put that hurt look in her eyes, and he hated himself for it. “It is also true that he will need me to further assist him on this project, but I don’t know how long it will take or when he’ll actually need me.”

  A little of her anger faded away, to be replaced by her disappointment in him. “For some reason, you don’t want to be around me. I didn’t hear any complaints yesterday.”

  It would be so much easier for them both if he let her believe that lie, but he couldn’t do that. He reached out to put his hand on hers, but she jerked her hand back where he couldn’t reach it.

  “The problem,” he responded quietly, “is quite the opposite: I want to be around you too much. I told you before that I wouldn’t be your guilty secret. How many people have you told about me—that you want me to be an important part of your life?” He knew the answer even before her eyes shifted away.

  “That’s what I thought.” He sighed, wishing all of this was easier. “I don’t even blame you, Lacey, but it’s only going to get worse, the more we work together.”

  “You know what I don’t like, Barak? I don’t like people making decisions about what’s right for me. I may not be ready to go dancing down the streets screaming that I’m dating an Other, but at least I’m not slamming the door on the possibility.” She stood up. “I hope you and Devlin are happy together, although I suspect Laurel is the jealous type. She’s not going to like being part of a threesome.”

  Lacey walked away, her back ramrod straight.

  The weapons on Devlin’s wall rattled on their hooks when she slammed the door. He wanted to charge after her and drag her back to convert her anger to another, more palatable, form of passion. The image was so real that when the door opened, he was half convinced that she’d had a change of heart.

  But it was only Devlin returning to reclaim his office. He wasn’t even trying to hide his grin. “I don’t know what you did to get on that woman’s shit list, but for Pete’s sake, don’t let me do it.”

  “Shut up, Devlin. We haven’t been fair to her.”

  “How so?”

  “We forced my presence on her. All she wants to do is make your world safer for her brother. She shouldn’t have to sleep with the enemy to get enough money to do the job.” A poor choice of words, but th
at didn’t make it less true.

  Devlin’s hand snaked out to grab Barak by the shirtfront. “And did she sleep with the enemy, Barak? I sent you over there to learn a job, not to seduce your boss.”

  The Paladin’s touch triggered all of Barak’s frustration and anger. Devlin’s superior size made little difference to a man who had lost everything—home, family, lover. Barak brought his fist up, connecting with Devlin’s jaw with a satisfying crack. When Devlin’s head snapped back, Barak broke loose from his grasp, following up with a kick aimed right at Devlin’s groin.

  The Paladin hadn’t spent his life fighting without learning a few dirty tricks. He blocked Barak’s kick with one of his own, sending Barak stumbling back to land on a chair with a crash. Barak ignored the pain in his back and surged to his feet, intent on doing Devlin some serious harm.

  Neither of them noticed the door opening again as they each jockeyed for position, looking for a weakness in their opponent’s defenses. As they circled the room, a female stepped between them. It took Barak two more steps before he recognized it as Lacey.

  “Lacey, out!” He knew she didn’t much like taking orders, but now was not the time for polite conversation.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” She kept moving, doing her best to stay between the two men.

  “Damn it, woman, get out of the way!” Devlin barked.

  “No.” She planted her feet and stood her ground. With her hands on her hips and meeting them glare for glare, it was easy to see that the blood of warriors ran true in her family. She was irresistible: a woman at her strongest, ready to do battle to protect those she cared about.

  The two men had no choice but to surrender. Neither would risk accidentally hurting her, and she knew it, too. When they each backed up a step and dropped their hands at their sides, she smiled.

  “Now, care to explain this exhibition of stupidity?” She tapped her foot and waited for a reply.

  “We had a slight disagreement.”

  She eyed the broken chair and the scattered trash from the wastebasket they’d knocked over. “Oh? I’d hate to see what would happen if you two decided to actually fight about something.”