Redeemed in Darkness

by Alexis Morgan

  Good.

  She glanced around as if looking for something, then turned back to him.

  “You cannot remain here, Cullen Finley, but I can’t take you with me looking like that. Stay out of the light until I return.” She looked at his tan cargoes and bright red T-shirt with disapproval. “I will bring you something else to put on.”

  “Where will you be taking me?” Not that it mattered. He’d live longer following her than he would wandering around by himself.

  “Does it matter?” she asked with the first hint of a smile. She sheathed her sword and walked away into the shadows where the light of the barrier faded into darkness.

  The energy that had been buzzing through him faded away as soon as she left, and the air around him felt colder. He looked around for an out-of-the-

  way spot where he wouldn’t be an easy target if someone else happened by.

  After studying the surrounding cavern, he decided it looked natural rather than hand-carved out of the surrounding rock. Most of the areas where Paladins fought were man-made, although the Missouri installation was located in a large limestone cave.

  He finally found a well-shadowed place to sit where he could watch for Lusahn’s return without being out in the open. After laying his sword within easy reach, he pulled out his deck of cards and started shuffling. It was too dark to play, but the repetitive motion was soothing.

  Unfortunately, it left his mind free to drift. How long would it take for someone to notice that he’d disappeared? Would they guess where he’d gone? They’d worry, and he regretted that. The Paladins he fought and died with were like brothers to him, and Dr. Laurel Young, the Handler who took care of them when they were injured, worried too much about them as it was. Devlin Bane, her Paladin lover, would kick his ass from one end of Seattle to the other for adding to her burden.

  Yet he couldn’t regret his decision; his gut feeling was that he’d done the right thing by coming here. Maybe, just maybe, he could make a difference. Either way, he would have tried.

  He let loose a huge yawn, a reminder of how long it had been since he’d last slept. As tired as he was, he wouldn’t be fit to defend himself if he was discovered. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to close his eyes. For a few minutes he listened to the soothing buzz of the barrier, and then there was nothing.

  The muted sound of footsteps startled Cullen awake. How long had he been asleep? He grabbed his sword and watched the shadows until Lusahn stepped out of the darkness, a bundle in one hand and her weapon in the other. He moved just enough to catch her eye. Was that relief he saw flash across her face? She was too far away for him to tell.

  He tucked his cards back in his pants pocket and stood up with renewed energy now that she was back. After sheathing his sword, he walked toward where Lusahn waited, drinking in her warrior’s grace. Oh, yeah, he’d made the right decision. And he had a moon’s cycle to convince her of that.

  Lusahn dropped the bundle of clothing on the ground at the human’s feet. “Put these on. The shirt and pants should fit. You’ll have to wear your own…”

  She lost the word she was looking for at the sight of Cullen stripping off his shirt. His skin was smooth and golden, his muscles flexing as he moved. Unlike the men of her world, he had a dusting of hair on his chest that trailed down to disappear into the waistband of those odd pants he wore.

  She forced her gaze down to the floor, away from all of that skin that her fingers itched to touch. As soon as she reached his feet, the word came back to her. “Shoes. You must wear your shoes. At least they are the right color.”

  Something that she’d said made him laugh as he picked up the trousers she’d brought. “I guess black is a color. I’ve never seen anyone from here wear anything but black or gray.”

  His comment stung. “You would insult our ways?”

  His smile disappeared.

  “I meant no insult, Lusahn. We’ve never known if all of your people wear black and gray, or if it’s a uniform.”

  His dark eyes were difficult for her to read, but now was not the time for doubts. By letting him live this long, she’d already committed herself to keeping him that way until she could decide the right course of action.

  “We can’t stay here much longer. Finish changing so we can go.”

  When he reached for the fastening on his pants, she felt her face go hot and turned away, pretending to be standing watch. As a Guardian, she had served alongside men for years. It was nothing for her and her Blade to strip in front of each other, but they were her kind and of her world.

  This Cullen Finley disturbed her in ways she didn’t understand. She kept her eyes firmly focused away from all of that warm golden skin. The only normal thing about him was his dark hair, although he wore it cut too short for her taste. And those dark eyes looked at her with too much curiosity and far too much heat. His gaze had a weight to it that she’d never felt before, as if he could caress her with merely a glance.

  “I’m decent.”

  She frowned, not quite understanding what he meant. Although all of the Guardians learned the rudiments of the human language, the subtleties were difficult. If he meant he was again dressed, why didn’t he say so?

  “Wrap your things in the bag and put on the cloak I brought.”

  When she heard him pick up the sack, she turned back to face him. The dark clothing suited him—maybe too well, from the way her body was reacting. Obviously she had been too long without a lover if she found this human so desirable. Lately her life had been too complicated to allow time for seeking out a partner. Maybe once she returned this Cullen to his world, she should make time.

  “I am taking you to my home. Do not speak to anyone, or we both risk death.”

  He nodded.

  She reached out to pull the hood of the cloak closer to his face. “Keep your eyes down. They are too dark, and your hair is too short.”

  He grinned at her. “Is there anything about me that you do like?”

  She was not about to answer that. “If we walk unusually fast, we will only draw unwanted attention. The same if we walk slowly.”

  “How long will it take us to get there?”

  “Long enough. I’m going to check to see if the patrol is coming. Come when I call.”

  “All right.”

  He had his hand on his sword. She didn’t blame him. If they were attacked, it would take both of their weapons and a miracle to keep them both alive. She studied the man in front of her, wondering what about him made her want to take such risks. She had others who depended on her, whose welfare should come first.

  But she’d always had a weakness for lost causes. And a human alone in her world definitely fell into that category.

  “I won’t be long.”

  Cullen fought down the surge of excitement that hovered inside him. Was he the first of his kind to see more than just this small stretch of rock in this world? If he’d been thinking straight, he would have brought along a digital camera. The Regents wouldn’t allow the pictures to be seen outside of the organization, but he wasn’t the only one who wondered what about the Others’ home drove them to abandon it in such numbers.

  He would keep his eyes and ears open and learn all that he could. It would help if he spoke the language, but he didn’t, and two weeks wasn’t enough time to learn it. How had Lusahn and her brother learned English? Another question he’d never thought to ask Barak.

  “Come, Cullen Finley.” Lusahn motioned him to follow her.

  He hurried forward and fell into step beside her, noticing he didn’t have to shorten his stride in order to walk comfortably with her. He was a shade over six feet tall and guessed that she was probably less than two inches shorter. Good. He liked women with long legs.

  “Just beyond that turn, we will be leaving the caves. That is when we must be careful.”

  His hood had slipped back slightly, so he pulled it forward. It restricted his peripheral vision, but secrecy was more important.

  “Th
ank you for taking me to your home.”

  She shot him a quick glance. “Wait to see if we live long enough to get there.”

  Then they rounded the corner, and he abruptly stopped at his first sight of Lusahn’s world.

  Chapter 2

  T he scene had the feel of a cloudy winter day, giving the air a dank chill that cut clean through to the bone. Except this sky was devoid of clouds, with the dim circle of a pale yellow star perched just above the horizon. A stark white moon loomed overhead, reflecting only the barest hint of the star’s warmth.

  Vegetation was scant and scraggly, nothing at all like the lush green of the Pacific Northwest. In the valley below, buildings were laid out in a regular pattern, regimented in their position and style. None were more than three stories tall, which gave the city a strangely stunted look. He took a step forward to get a better look, but Lusahn caught his arm and pulled him back.

  “You are acting like you’ve never seen this place before!” Her words came in an angry whisper.

  “I haven’t,” he reminded her with a smile. “You’re right, though. Sorry.”

  He turned his attention to the path in front of them. They’d stepped out of the cavern near the top of a barren hillside. A gravel trail sliced back and forth down the steep incline to the valley floor.

  As they started downhill, he found himself breathing hard as his lungs struggled to capture enough oxygen from the thin atmosphere. The air smelled dusty and tasted stale, making his mouth dry and his teeth gritty.

  The bottom of the trail crossed a narrow road, but there were no vehicles in sight as they continued on. So far they hadn’t run across any of her people, but that was bound to change as they reached the edge of town.

  “My home is only a short distance from here, but we will be passing by the Guild. It is there we face the most risk.”

  What was the Guild? He adjusted his hood as he fell in step beside her, their pace neither fast nor slow. She walked with the same arrogant swagger as the Paladins, that warrior’s assurance that he was the toughest s.o.b. around.

  On Devlin or Trahern, it looked tough. On Lusahn, it looked sexy as hell. Luckily, his cloak hid his resultant erection, which was hard enough to hurt. He resisted the urge to glance at Lusahn again. Those pretty, pale eyes of hers saw too much as it was. If she guessed that he had this irrational urge to bed her, she’d throw him to the wolves.

  The set of her shoulders warned him that they were approaching the Guild that she was so worried about. A tall building loomed ahead on the right. There were no sidewalks, only a narrow road paved with rounded stone, which seemed too rough for vehicle traffic, if there was any. He couldn’t imagine never knowing the sweet purr of a monster engine roaring up the highway. Did the Others walk everywhere? That would get old pretty damn quick, especially if his breathing didn’t acclimate to the atmosphere soon.

  They passed by several Others, all so intent on their own business that they didn’t even make eye contact. If he wasn’t mistaken, they all cut a wide path around Lusahn as if she was someone to be feared. Well, whatever kept them at arm’s length made it less likely that they’d notice him.

  The stone front of the Guild was a muddy tan covered with ugly black streaks. It looked about as welcoming as a mausoleum: cold, hard, and fetid. Lusahn paused, pretending to adjust her scabbard, then positioned herself between him and the Guild as if to shield him from threat. Damn it, he could take care of himself! He bit back the urge to yank her behind him, knowing that would only put them both at risk.

  His mind knew she was neither weak nor innocent, but his instincts were too well honed to believe it. There had never been a female Paladin, and he wasn’t used to sharing the burden of duty with any woman, much less one he found this compelling. Maybe their luck would hold long enough that they wouldn’t have to find out which one of them was the better fighter.

  As if his thought jinxed them, a male voice called out, “Lusahn!”

  Her head whipped around to face a male standing near the top step of the Guild building. Under her breath, she whispered, “Keep walking. I will rejoin you shortly.”

  He didn’t want to, but she left him no choice as she trotted up the steps. He risked one look back over his shoulder as she greeted the Other with far more warmth than she’d shown him. It pissed him off, but he gritted his teeth and kept walking.

  Meanwhile, a pair of Others were headed straight for him. His bad mood almost made him forget to keep his eyes down. At the last minute, he bent his neck forward enough to shadow his face inside the cowl as they silently passed by. Once he was in the clear, he paused briefly to listen for the telltale sound of Lusahn’s footsteps. When he heard her coming, he slowly continued on his way until she caught up.

  “Everything all right?” He wanted to demand that she tell him who the bastard was, even though he had no claim on this woman that gave him the right.

  “Yes. A question about tomorrow’s patrol. Nothing more.” She sounded a bit breathless, a sign she wasn’t quite as calm as she would like him to believe.

  “Is he a close friend?”

  That brought her up short. “How do you mean close? He’s of my Blade.”

  Now that was a puzzler. “He’s part of your sword?”

  A small smile tugged at her mouth as she finally understood what he really wanted to know. “I am a Sworn Guardian of my people. Each Guardian has a Blade that patrols and fights together. He is of my Blade, not my sword.”

  Okay, so they were like a squad who worked together regularly. “Did he ask about me?”

  “I told him I was showing an old acquaintance around. He wouldn’t question that. Many pass through the city.”

  They reached an intersection where another small street branched off to the right. “We turn here.”

  She seemed less tense now that they were past the Guild, and she picked up the pace a bit. “My home is at the end of the next turn.”

  The pale star had disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving deep shadows in its wake. Streetlights were few and far between, shrouding most of the city in darkness, with only the Guild remaining brightly lit.

  Now that they were off the main road, the buildings were smaller, most likely private residences. With flat roofs and narrow windows, they were built out of some kind of clay or adobe. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen wood of any kind since entering the city.

  He had so many questions, but didn’t know if Lusahn would answer them. She might keep her world secret, fearing that knowledge could be used as a weapon against her people.

  “There.” She pointed just ahead to a small house on the right.

  All that distinguished it from the other houses around it were the two young faces pressed against the front window, watching for Lusahn’s approach. He hadn’t thought to ask if she lived with anyone—like a husband. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants? He sure as hell hoped she didn’t. No matter how attractive she was, he wouldn’t poach on another man’s territory.

  Before they reached the small path that led toward her home, Lusahn stopped. “You must stay out of sight for now. There is a door around back that leads to a room underneath the house. Once I’m inside, go there and stay until I come for you.” Then she walked away, leaving him stranded in the darkness.

  “But—”

  Before he could argue, the front door flew open, and the two kids came flying out. They charged right for Lusahn, laughing and jabbering all at once. He could see the flash of her teeth as she smiled and bent down to hoist the smaller one up in her arms.

  He backed farther into the shadows, fighting a sick case of jealousy. If she had children, there must be a man in her life. He may not have known her long, but he knew in his gut that this woman took the idea of family very seriously.

  He should be heading for shelter, but he watched the house for a few minutes more for some sign of the male who had given Lusahn children. He had an intense desire to use his fists to get some questions answered. Like,
why had he let Lusahn place herself in danger? And where had the bastard been while she waited alone for the barrier to go down?

  What if Cullen had charged across, sword drawn and ready to kill? She could have died right there, leaving those children without a mother.

  For her sake, he’d go hide. But if he met up with her husband, he planned on having a talk with the male about how a man should treat his woman. Especially a man lucky enough to have one like Lusahn.

  He waited until she and the children had been inside for a few minutes before moving. After rounding the corner of the house, he slipped from shadow to shadow. When he reached the side of the house, he ducked down under the window, resisting the urge to take a quick peek inside. He wanted Lusahn’s trust more than he wanted to indulge his curiosity. There would be time for answers later, when he’d had some rest and could think beyond the effort it took to put one foot in front of the other. Right now, he was so tired that he was a danger not just to himself, but to Lusahn as well.

  He forced himself to keep moving as he felt his way along the house in the thickening darkness. Then the solid ground disappeared, and he stepped out over emptiness. At the last second, he managed to grab onto a railing to keep from tumbling ass over end down the stone steps. He wrenched his shoulder, but that was better than bashing his head in. At the bottom of the stairs, he felt for the door and found a rope handle.

  The door creaked open to reveal a small room dimly lit by a flickering candle. The scant furniture consisted of a futon-like bed with a low table next to it. Two narrow windows flanked the top of the door. The rest of the room was apparently underground.

  The opposite corner was curtained off. He pushed the curtain to one side with the tip of his sword, revealing a small, primitive bathroom. On the far wall, a staircase led up to another door.