Redeemed in Darkness

by Alexis Morgan

  Cullen’s stomach growled as he sat down, a reminder that it had been too many hours since he last ate. Nothing he could do about that. Damn, he wished he’d brought his backpack stuffed full of life’s necessities. But when he’d left home to give Barak a ride, he hadn’t been planning on taking a trip—especially this one.

  After kicking off his shoes and setting his sword within easy reach, he dropped down on the bed and stretched out, his hands linked together under his head.

  There was no way of knowing how long the nights were in this world, or even where this world really was. Some of his buddies who liked science fiction thought maybe it existed in an adjoining dimension. Others thought the barrier was some kind of portal that transported the Others much farther than the few steps it took them to cross it.

  Frankly, he didn’t give a damn. He’d been born to protect the barrier with his sword and his life, same as all the other Paladins. The job paid well, although he couldn’t say much for the retirement plan. Someday he’d run out of lives to give, and he’d be given a one-way ticket to hell at the business end of a long needle.

  His eyes grew scratchy and heavy, so he turned over to blow out the candle before giving in to the need to sleep. But before he mustered up the breath, the flame flickered as a slight breeze set it to dancing. He reached for his sword and waited to see what happened next, dividing his attention between the door to the outside and the one at the top of the stairs.

  “Human?”

  Even at a whisper, he recognized Lusahn’s voice. He pushed himself up off the bed and crossed to the bottom of the steps.

  “I’m here.”

  “Good.” She slipped down the stairs, carrying a tray. “I brought you something to eat.”

  He set down his sword and took the tray from her, setting it on the table. A bowl contained a thick soup and a hunk of rustic bread. The spices were foreign to his nose, but not unappealing. “Thank you. It smells great.”

  She shrugged. “It’s nothing special, but it’s filling.” Then she handed him a small pack that she’d had slung over her shoulder. “I brought you a few things so you can bathe and brush your teeth.”

  Her thoughtfulness touched him. “I appreciate it. Will the noise disturb your family?”

  She shook her head. “The children are sound sleepers. If you wait until after you eat, it should be safe.”

  “Is there anyone else I should worry about?”

  The question clearly puzzled her. “There is only me and the children.”

  Then where was their father? He knew for a fact that Others were physically very similar to humans, their differences detectable only at the cellular level. Since Lusahn had children, there had to have been a male in her life at some point. Had he crossed the barrier only to die at the end of a Paladin sword?

  He had to know. “What about their father?”

  She tipped her head to one side and studied him before answering, perhaps trying to decide how much to tell him. “The children have only recently come to live with me. Their parents were driven to cross into the light, leaving Bavi and his sister behind. My Blade and I caught him stealing food for the girl. Rather than turn them in, I convinced them to come home with me. We are learning to be a family.”

  Damn it all to hell. Their parents probably hadn’t come back because they’d died crossing the barrier. Worse yet, he could have been the one to end their maddened rush into his world. In all the years they’d fought, had no one ever considered that in protecting their own world, they were leaving children orphaned and alone in this one?

  As if sensing where his thoughts were taking him, Lusahn’s expression hardened. “We don’t need your pity, Paladin. It is not your problem. Now eat before the soup grows cold. I’m not much of a cook; it will taste better hot.”

  More to keep his hands busy than out of any real desire for food, he picked up the bowl and began shoveling the spicy mixture into his mouth. A few minutes later, he sopped up the last of the broth with the bread and set the dishes back on the tray. “Thank you, Lusahn. That was good.”

  She arched an eyebrow, clearly questioning his sincerity. “I will check on you in the morning. Once I’ve had a chance to talk to Bavi, I will see about allowing you upstairs.”

  “I’m fine down here. I wouldn’t want to scare the children.”

  “We will see. Now I need to get some rest. You should be able to sleep undisturbed down here.”

  He doubted that; his dreams had been disturbed by her image for weeks already. Now that he knew her name and the sound of her voice and the scent of her skin, his dreams would be even more vivid.

  “Good night, Lusahn. And I promise you, we will get to the bottom of the theft of the blue stones.”

  Her pale eyes studied him for several seconds before she nodded. “We will see what we can do.”

  He enjoyed watching the graceful sway of her backside as she went up the steps, but cursed the effect the view had on his body. When the door closed, he picked up the supplies she’d brought him and headed for the bathroom. The sooner he was asleep, the sooner he would see her again.

  Lusahn decided to make double their usual breakfast the next morning. If Cullen’s appetite was anything like Barak’s, he’d need a fair amount of the hot cereal to satisfy his hunger.

  As she considered what to do next, Bavi walked into the kitchen looking more asleep than awake. When he stretched and flopped down in his chair, she poured him some juice and set the glass in front of him. After downing it in quick order, he held it out for more.

  As she refilled his glass, she told him, “I need to talk to you about something important before your sister comes in.”

  He sat upright, going from drowsy to fully alert in the space of a heartbeat. “What’s wrong?”

  Sometimes she forgot how grown-up he could be; the burden of keeping his sister alive had aged Bavi far beyond his real age. They had recently celebrated his thirteenth birthday, five years short of adulthood by the calendar. By life’s experience, though, he was ancient.

  “Nothing is wrong—not exactly, anyway.” She put the cereal on to cook before sitting down beside him. “It’s important that you keep what I’m about to tell you to yourself.”

  She added honey to her tea and stirred. She dreaded telling him that her brother had survived his crossing into the human world, for fear of giving the boy false hope that his parents had survived as well. But maybe he wouldn’t care if they had: after all, they’d abandoned him and his sister for the light. He was bitter, and had every right to be.

  “I received news that my brother Barak is not dead.” She ignored the pain of his betrayal. “I was supposed to meet him at the barrier yesterday on Guild business.”

  The boy knew not to ask about the work she and her Blade did for the Guild, but the questions were there in his eyes. This time, she would make an exception and explain what she could.

  “He was unable to come, so a human male came in his place. His name is Cullen Finley.”

  She had to choose her words carefully. Paladins were reviled and feared; if people knew that she had one hidden in her home, she would be ostracized or even executed.

  “Did you show him the edge of your sword?” Bavi’s expression was fierce, as if he wished he’d been the one to wield a weapon against the intruder.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Did he bleed for all of ours who’ve been lost?”

  She shook her head. “He came with an honorable purpose and sheathed his weapon. As a Sworn Guardian, I respected that.”

  “So if he did not fight, what is the problem?”

  Now for the tricky part. If Bavi thought she’d brought danger near his sister, he was likely to bolt, taking her with him. She couldn’t bear the thought of them back out in the darkness, cold and starving.

  “For a short time, less than a moon cycle, this human will remain with us. Once our business is finished, he will return to his world and leave us in peace.”

  Except
for her dreams of his dark eyes and heart-stopping smile.

  Bavi lunged up from his chair, his hands clenched in fists. “You brought a human home with you? Where is he?”

  She reached out to rest her hand on Bavi’s arm, hoping that he’d trust her to keep him and his sister safe, but he jumped back out of reach.

  Maybe words would work. “He’s downstairs. I locked the door against him last night to make sure he couldn’t bother us in our sleep. But I want you to meet him, so you can decide for yourself that he can be trusted.”

  At least, she hoped he could. And if she was still having doubts, maybe she should turn Cullen in to the Guild and surrender herself for judgment.

  No, she’d survived this long relying on her instincts, and she would trust them now. Unless Cullen made a false move; then he would die.

  “Bavi, I know we are new to being a family, but I would ask you to trust me enough to give this man a chance.”

  The boy was clearly not happy. “And if I see that he cannot be trusted? What then? Will you choose this human over us?”

  His furious words lashed at her, but she couldn’t blame him. Bavi had little faith left in most adults, but she’d hoped that he thought better of her. Still, he had the right to know where he and the girl stood.

  “If he cannot be trusted, I will cut out his heart while you watch. I make this vow with a Guardian’s honor.”

  Bavi’s chin came up as he met her gaze head-on, judging and weighing her vow. Then he nodded, accepting the pact between them.

  In the middle of a hot dream, Cullen went from deep sleep to full alert in a heartbeat. Someone was close by and watching him.

  He gripped the knife he’d stashed under the pillow last night, the last intelligent thought he’d had before crashing. Slowly raising his head, he turned to face a possible attack. As soon as he spotted the intruder, he released his weapon and rolled over to greet his guest.

  “Good morning.”

  A little girl sat on the bottom step, watching him. As soon as she saw that he was awake, she popped her thumb out of her mouth long enough to whisper something. Then she came across the room to tug at his hand, trying to get him out of bed.

  “Do you want me to follow you, ladybug?” He hoped she understood that he meant well.

  She tugged again, so he sat up, careful to keep the sheet across his lap since he’d been dreaming about Lusahn, with the predictable effect on his anatomy. Having accomplished her mission, the little girl nodded again and scampered up the stairs, leaving him smiling. What was it about these Other females that tugged at his heart?

  He quickly ducked into the bathroom before any more surprise visitors arrived. Lusahn had returned his cargoes and T-shirt to him in the pack she’d left the night before, and it felt good to have his own things back, a touch of normalcy in this strange world.

  There was no razor among the few toiletries she’d provided, so he hoped she didn’t mind men with whiskery faces. He used water to get his hair to lay reasonably flat, then went in search of his hostess and some breakfast.

  The little minx who had gotten him up was evidently on lookout duty. As soon as he set foot on the steps, she was off again. She looked so cute, running through the house with her bare feet peeking out from under a long nightgown.

  She skidded to a stop long enough to make sure he was still following before she turned the corner. Her brother immediately popped out of the kitchen, frowning and obviously not at all happy to see him. Cullen didn’t take offense at the boy’s protective instincts. He clearly thought that Cullen was up to no good—and regarding Lusahn, the boy was right on the money. Besides, Cullen had been born with the need to fight and protect hardwired into his DNA; he couldn’t fault the boy for being the same way.

  Lusahn was busy at the stove. The little girl was already seated at the table when her brother joined them.

  “Good morning, everybody.” He smiled as he took a seat at the far end of the table, figuring the boy would find Cullen less of a threat sitting down. The small girl watched him with curiosity but none of the hostility of her sibling.

  “Good morning. I was just going to come get you.” Lusahn handed him a bowl of hot cereal that looked similar to oatmeal.

  “Your friend there beat you to it.” He nodded at the little girl.

  Lusahn turned away to finish serving the children. “Cullen Finley, this is Bavi and his sister, Shiri.”

  Bavi glared at Cullen, while the girl offered him a shy smile.

  He let the children look their fill, guessing he was the first human they’d seen. When Lusahn noticed they were staring, she said something in their language. They immediately picked up their spoons and dug into their breakfast, although the boy kept a wary eye on Cullen.

  He noticed both children ate with intensity, as if they weren’t sure where their next meal was coming from. Damn their parents! These kids deserved better. When he set down his spoon, Lusahn immediately reached for the pot from the stove to refill his bowl.

  He shook his head. “Make sure the kids have as much as they want first.”

  His response clearly surprised her, but she did as he suggested and gave each of the children a little more before splitting what was left between the two adults. He yearned for a cup of coffee, but he couldn’t expect her to magically produce something that didn’t exist in this world.

  A few more minutes passed without comment until the little girl said something to Lusahn, then left the table. Bavi made sure Cullen was staying put, then followed his sister out of the room.

  “He does a good job watching her.” It was too damn bad that the boy had had to grow up so quickly.

  “He tries.” Lusahn began clearing the table. “We’re trying to adjust to being a family. I’m a better Guardian than a mother.”

  “You seem to be doing a great job.”

  Her young charges seemed healthy enough, but then what did he know? He wasn’t a monk by any means, but he’d been damn careful not to leave any little surprises behind. He knew living with a Paladin as a husband or father could be a bitch, his mother had told him that often enough—not that she’d really known what his old man did for a living.

  When Lusahn started washing the dishes, Cullen got up and tugged the towel from her hands. “You wash; I’ll dry.”

  Since she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to discuss business, he didn’t push it. He wasn’t going anywhere. Besides, the more time they spent together, the more comfortable she would be with him. And he wanted to get damned comfortable with her as soon and as often as possible. He grinned.

  Lusahn gave him a suspicious look and put a little more room between them. Nothing wrong with the woman’s instincts. Then she got a curious look on her face and ran her soapy fingers down his cheek.

  “You didn’t have that last night.”

  Had she never seen a man’s beard before? He let her explore.

  “I couldn’t shave this morning.”

  “Few of our men have…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Whiskers. Few of our men have whiskers.”

  He covered her hand with his. “We vary a lot, too. I have to shave in the morning, and again in the evening if I have plans.”

  “What kind of plans?”

  “This kind.” Then he kissed her.

  Chapter 3

  S hock robbed Lusahn of all rational thought. That was the only explanation for how her hands, dripping soap bubbles and dishwater, came to be wrapped around Cullen Finley’s neck. The press of his warrior’s body against hers as he plundered her mouth made her skin ache and her heart race.

  She tried to protest. Really, she did. But when her lips parted, he misinterpreted it as an invitation to deepen the kiss, his tongue swirling in and out, saying without words how much more he wanted from her. He tasted of temptation and danger, his kiss so much more than anything she’d ever experienced.

  She should stop him, shove him away, run from him—but her body argued that she’d be a fool i
f she did. It had been far too long since any male had held her, reminding her that she was a female, even if a Sworn Guardian.

  And she’d known this moment was coming, from the second the barrier had failed and Cullen had looked her in the eye and smiled. She moaned with the sweetness of his kiss and leaned closer, finding their bodies fit together perfectly. Enemies or not, they’d found common ground in at least this.

  Then the sound of childish giggles in the next room hit her like a pan of cold water. Gods above, what was she thinking? Here they were on the verge of sinking to the kitchen floor to take this heat to its fullest, right where the children could walk in and see them! She shoved her way free from Cullen’s arms.

  “Stop.”

  His smile was too knowing. “That’s not what your hands were saying a minute ago.”

  “I know, but the children!”

  Cullen’s head whipped toward the door, and his relief at not seeing the two kids watching them was obvious. He turned back to her with a rueful smile.

  “We’ll have to be more careful in the future.” He ran a strand of her hair through his fingers.

  “We can’t…” She couldn’t finish her thought; it hurt too much.

  “We can and we will, Lusahn. We both want it too much.”

  “And then what, human? You’ll go back to your world and tell all your friends about the silly Other who let you into her bed.” She knew she wasn’t being fair, but she couldn’t betray her people like her brother had. Someone had to uphold the q’Arc name.

  Cullen went from sexy and playful to furious male in the blink of an eye. “I don’t deserve that, Lusahn. Whatever this is between us, it isn’t some locker-room joke.”

  She didn’t understand the reference, but she did understand that her panicky words had hurt him. For that, she was sorry, but it didn’t change anything.

  Turning her back to him, she said, “I believe you mean that, Cullen Finley. But we are enemies who live in different worlds.”

  His arms slipped back around her waist as he closed the small distance between them, cradling her against the strength of his chest. He laid his cheek against hers, offering the quiet comfort of his touch.