She froze, unable to go a step farther. “I hate all of this—especially never knowing which of you I can trust!”
Cullen’s expression softened as he gently caressed her cheek with his fingertips. “You can trust me.”
But she couldn’t forget that his purpose in being here was to protect his world from her kind.
“You’ll be gone soon, and then where will I be?” She looked up and down the trail. “My mentor has become unpredictable, my Blade doesn’t trust me, and my brother has chosen your people over his own. That doesn’t leave me much.”
Her eyes burned, but she ignored the tears that threatened to spill down her cheek. She was a warrior and would make a warrior’s decision. “Bring Larem to me alive. I’ll catch up with Joq.”
Cullen nodded and stepped off the trail. When she reached the bend up ahead she risked a backward glance to check on her lover, but there was nothing but silence in the air. Drawing her cloak against a sudden chill, she turned and trudged uphill after a man she still badly wanted to call friend.
The boulders offered enough cover to keep Lusahn’s Blademate from seeing Cullen. The Other wasn’t being all that careful, probably too intent on keeping Lusahn and Joq in sight to worry about covering his own tracks. Cullen planned on waiting until the nosy bastard reached the bend in the trail before tackling him from above. He took off his cloak and dropped it on the ground behind the boulder. There was no way to disguise who and what he was in an up-close-and-personal fistfight, and the cloak would only hamper his ability to move.
Cullen grinned. Lusahn didn’t want this Larem guy gutted, but she didn’t say Cullen couldn’t bruise him up some. He might be calmer than most Paladins, but he still occasionally needed to express himself with his fists. And right now, he had a lot to say to these Other males who had Lusahn all tied up in knots.
It didn’t help to know that he was a big part of the problems she was facing right now. Maybe she’d let him hold this guy down while she got in a few good licks of her own. He doubted she’d take him up on the offer, but he wished she would.
The crunch of a boot sliding on gravel had him ducking back down. His quarry was nearby. Cullen held his breath, knowing these Others had senses that were far more acute than his own. He didn’t doubt his ability to take this Larem on, but he’d promised Lusahn he wouldn’t kill him. A surprise attack from above was the only way to bring him down without crossing swords.
The Other kept walking. Poised to leap, Cullen counted to ten, giving the male time to come up even with the boulder, then made his move. Something gave him away, though, because the Other whirled around at the last second. But he was no match for an angry Paladin intent on destruction.
The Other landed on his back with a satisfying thud as Cullen’s full weight slammed into him. Before the Other could catch his breath, Cullen straddled his chest with both of his hands in a chokehold around the Other’s throat.
His opponent immediately tried to buck him off, but he froze when he got his first close look at Cullen.
“Human!” he croaked.
“Damn straight I am.” Cullen tightened his hold on Larem’s throat for a few seconds to make it clear that his intentions were serious. “I’ve killed enough of your kind to know how to do the job right, so don’t push me. I’ve got no problem with adding one more to the list.”
A gasp from behind him had him cursing under his breath. Lusahn had doubled back just in time to hear him. The slide of metal in a scabbard warned him she hadn’t come alone.
“Let him up, human.” Joq’s voice was little better than a growl.
“I don’t answer to you, Joq. So either put that sword away or be prepared to use it.” Cullen might die, but he’d take company with him. Tightening his grip, he watched Larem’s face turn a fascinating shade of red, then darkening toward purple. It was the most color he’d ever seen in an Other’s face.
“Let him up,” Lusahn ordered, her voice as chilly as their poor excuse for a sun.
He made sure to meet Larem’s gaze one more time, reminding him which of them had won this skirmish. He eased back, releasing his sword hand first to give himself a fighting chance if Joq decided to attack.
If Lusahn were to draw her sword, he didn’t know what he’d do. He couldn’t possibly kill her—and hoped that she felt the same about him. Her eyes met his briefly; they were flat and cold, sending a shiver straight through to the heart of him. Aw, hell, what did he expect? He didn’t lump her in with the rest of her kind, but she had no way of knowing that after hearing his threat to Larem.
He made it to his feet without being attacked. Joq still had his sword out, but now it was aimed more in Larem’s direction than Cullen’s.
Lusahn stepped between them, offering a hand up to her Blademate. Cullen wasn’t surprised Larem refused the offer, but the Other’s rejection made Lusahn flinch.
“Why were you following us? Explain yourself, and in English.” She injected enough authority in her voice to force the male to answer.
His voice was raw, but understandable. “My job is to protect you, Lusahn. Even from yourself.” He glared at Joq and at Cullen. “These two will get you executed as a traitor.”
“What’s to keep us from executing you first? You are of her Blade, not her judge.” Joq tried to slide past Lusahn, but she wouldn’t allow it.
“And you are not anything, Joq, except a bitter ex-Guardian who will lead her into disaster.” Larem tried to shove Lusahn out of his way.
Cullen immediately drew his own sword. “Touch her again, Other, and you’ll lose your hand.”
That did it. Lusahn threw her hands up in the air in disgust and stepped back to draw her sword. “Fine. Fight it out if you must, but know that the one left standing will face me.”
For a long heartbeat, Cullen thought the other two males were going to cross blades, but finally reason won out. Joq eased back a step and Larem did the same. If they were going to behave, he guessed that meant he’d have to, as well. He lowered his sword but didn’t sheathe it.
“Now, back to my question, Larem. Why were you shadowing us? How did you even know where to find us?”
“If it hadn’t been me, it would have been Kit or Glyn. We all know something is wrong, but we didn’t know what, so we’ve been taking turns watching your house.” He shot Cullen another nasty look. “I guess I’ve figured out what the problem is now.” He nodded his head in Cullen’s direction. “Why is he still breathing?”
“Because her brother sent me.” That was a stretch of the truth, but Larem didn’t need to know that. He directed his next question to Lusahn. “How much do you want him to know?”
“It is too late for secrets now. If he and the rest of my Blade are intent on shadowing my every step, they’ll be better off knowing what they are getting into.”
Cullen positioned himself next to Lusahn, showing without words whose side he was on. “We know someone in your world is working with people in mine to rob your world of the blue stones. We want it stopped. Barak thought we might be able to work together this one time.”
Judging from the shock on Larem’s face, he hadn’t known that Barak was still alive. He looked to Lusahn for confirmation.
“This is Cullen Finley. He crossed the barrier with a note written in my brother’s hand. Too many of our people are dying, Larem. I had hoped to keep Cullen’s presence secret, but not because I didn’t trust you. If he’s caught here, the Guild will execute anyone involved.”
“You would share this with Joq, but not your own Blade?” The male’s pride was clearly smarting.
“I repeat, Larem: I trust you, but I didn’t want to put you and the others at risk.”
Joq interrupted. “Either we leave now, or give up for the day. You both have to be back in time to patrol.”
Lusahn tried one more time. “I don’t suppose you’d consider returning to town and forgetting what—and who—you’ve seen here today.”
Larem’s jaw took on a stubborn
set. “No. I am your Blade.”
She nodded with resignation. “Then you two keep an eye out for anyone else behind us. Joq, you lead the parade.”
The four of them moved out in a ragged line, their mood grim and silent.
A short distance later, the trail became too steep for any conversation. Cullen maneuvered to bring up the rear, not trusting either of the males at his back, even if he had to breathe their dust all damn day. He had to admire the ease with which his three companions handled the steep terrain. It was a struggle for him to keep up, the thin atmosphere and the previous night’s lack of sleep taking a toll.
What could be at the top of this miserable hillside that Joq couldn’t have just told them about? It had better be worth the hike, or he’d take his bad mood out of the Other’s hide, no matter how Lusahn felt about it.
It took another fifty yards of hard going before the trail finally leveled out. His three companions waited for him outside a narrow opening into the hillside. Nobody seemed in a hurry to go any farther, but he felt exposed out in the open. Even with his cloak back on, he felt like he stood out.
Once again Lusahn took charge. “So what do you have to show us, Joq?”
“Study the ground around you.”
The bastard sure liked power games. Why couldn’t he just point at whatever he wanted them to see? Maybe he should wipe that smug look off Joq’s face for him. For Lusahn’s sake, however, he’d refrain from starting another battle.
It didn’t take long for him to see what Joq had found. Footprints—several sets of them that didn’t belong in this world, because they were put there by humans. Others wore smooth-soled boots nothing like the athletic shoes that had made these tracks.
“Son of a bitch! So I’m not the first human to cross into your world.” He knelt down to better study the prints. “Judging by the size of these, I’d guess three men crossed near here. I wish I could make casts of these prints. I have friends who could trace what brand of shoes have these patterns on them. It’s not much to go on, but it would be a start.”
“Come inside now.” Joq pulled a small blue stone out of his pocket and held it out. Within seconds it began to cast a glow, enough to light their way into the cavern.
Inside, they all blinked rapidly to adjust to the dim interior. When Cullen could see clearly, he cursed. Camping gear was scattered around the small cavern; clearly someone had been staying on this side of the barrier for days at a stretch.
A small section of the barrier ran across the back wall, barely wide enough for one person to walk through. It was unlikely that the Others used it, since they crossed in groups. So where did it come out in his world? It had to be near where he’d crossed, somewhere in Seattle.
Now that they’d seen what he’d wanted them to, Joq backed toward the entrance. “We can’t stay here long. There’s no telling who’s watching the entrance or when the humans will be back.”
Joq might be done, but Cullen wasn’t. The Other male could have simply told Lusahn about his findings, and she would have believed him. Why had he insisted on dragging both of them all the way up here to see a couple of sleeping bags and some footprints? Granted, the prints looked fresh. If they’d been there any length of time, the wind would have softened their edges, eventually filling them in completely.
He drew his sword and blocked the entrance, making it impossible for Joq to leave.
“Get out of my way, human!” Joq snarled, reaching for his own weapon.
“Not until you answer some questions.” Cullen flexed his grip on the pommel of his sword, ready to use it if necessary.
“I don’t answer to you.”
Drawing herself up to her full height, Lusahn spoke with the full weight of her office. “Maybe not, but I’m a Sworn Guardian. You will answer to me.”
Larem immediately positioned himself alongside the Sworn Guardian, his sword drawn and ready to protect her. The shock on Joq’s face was priceless. He immediately lowered his blade, all his anger gone. He looked far older than he had only moments before.
“You needed to see for yourselves what has been going on. The humans are not just stealing our light, they are invading our world.”
Cullen couldn’t let that one pass. “Not likely. Judging by those footprints, there were two, maybe three, in your so-called invasion. Hell, that’s not even much of a scouting expedition.”
Joq sneered. “Three here, but there’s you, too, human. How many more have crossed over without us knowing? Every warrior knows that the best way to defeat an enemy is to know the enemy. What are you doing here, but learning our ways and our weaknesses?”
Did the Other hope to deflect suspicion away from himself by directing it toward Cullen instead? He risked a glance in Lusahn’s direction, but her focus was solely on Joq. Larem divided his attention between both Joq and Cullen, his expression too shuttered to read. Cullen didn’t give a damn what he thought, but Lusahn might.
“Joq, I’ve already told you why Cullen came here, and at great risk to himself. These men,” she said, pointing at the scattering of footprints with a sweeping gesture, “are the problem, not Cullen. Tell me what you know.”
“Very well. You asked me if I knew anything about the theft, and this is what I know. Someone has been using this cave for illegal dealings. Very little goes on in this sector that the Guildmaster doesn’t know about.” He shot Cullen a narrow-eyed look. “At least not for long. I ran across the tracks in my wanderings, but I haven’t actually seen anybody. Not yet, anyway. That’s all I know, so now I’m leaving.”
Cullen looked to Lusahn for approval. When she gave him an abrupt nod, he stepped aside and watched Joq stomp out of the cave. When the older male was out of sight, her shoulders slumped briefly before she turned to face Larem.
“Now I have to decide what to do about you.” Her expression was grim. “I need your word that what you’ve learned here today won’t go any further than this cave. Once we walk outside, you are not to say a word to the rest of our Blade or the Guild until I give you permission to do so.”
“Do you think so little of me, that you think I would betray you?” The Other kicked a rock across the cavern, sending it ricocheting off a nearby wall. “I deserve better, Lusahn.”
“I don’t doubt you, Larem—but you have a family to consider. They have to come first. By dragging you into this mess, I’ve put them at risk, too. I was trying to avoid that.”
It was time to step in. “You also have to know that she had no warning that I was going to show up on her doorstep. If Barak hadn’t been injured, he would have been the one to come, which would have made things simpler.”
Larem’s laugh was nasty. “Simpler because she would have executed him herself for the traitor he is. The question is why she chose to let you live—especially since your people would not have afforded any of us the same courtesy. The one time we crossed to bring back our own traitors, we were met at sword point.”
Cullen studied the Other’s face. Had he been one of the three who’d fought Devlin while Cullen had faced off against Lusahn in the tunnels near Seattle? Maybe, perhaps even likely, but he couldn’t remember. Most Others had such similar coloring that they all blurred together in battle.
And that was a good thing. Wholesale killing was hard enough without knowing the enemy as individuals that you might like—or even love.
“You were allowed to return to your home. We’d prefer it if more of your people stayed there in the first place.”
“Enough.” Lusahn sheathed her sword and stepped between them. “We need to get back to town.”
She led the way down the hillside, Cullen and Larem following in sullen silence. Going down was easier on his lungs, but the tension was as thick as the dust hanging in the air. He badly wanted to reach out to Lusahn, to offer her the comfort of his touch, but she hadn’t shown any inclination to let him be close in the presence of her friends.
Even though he understood her reasons for maintaining distance, it hu
rt more than it should have based on their short acquaintance. How much worse would it feel like when the moon cycle ended and he went home, the barrier forever between them?
“Cullen Finley, pay attention!”
He stumbled into a halt just short of plowing into Lusahn, who had stopped in the middle of the trail. She was looking at him with a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Even Larem looked amused.
“Are you intent on running all the way to town?”
“Figured I need the exercise.” He grinned at her, glad to see some of the life back in her eyes. “Seriously, did I miss something?”
“We need to think about the best way to return to town. I left with one man; it might draw attention if I were to return with two.”
Larem spoke up. “It would be less noticeable if he were to walk with me. We can circle around and approach from another direction. I will take him back to your house before joining you for patrol.”
Cullen wasn’t ready to trust Larem’s motives. “What makes that better than you returning to town the same way you left it—alone—while the two of us walk back together?”
“The Guild sometimes watches for patterns in behavior. We want to avoid having them wonder who you are if I spend too much time in your company.” A hint of color brushed Lusahn’s cheeks. “They are not used to seeing me show much interest in males outside of my Blade and Joq.”
Then for her sake, he would follow Larem. “Fine. I’ll see you at the house.”
“Good. Keep your hood up and your head down. You’ve grown careless in our company, and it won’t be safe for you to do that in town.”
For a second she leaned toward him, but then thought better of it. “Be careful, and I will see you when my patrol is done.”
He watched as she walked away, looking so brave and confident and so damned alone. When she was out of sight, he looked over to see Larem watching him with barely concealed hostility.
“You will get her killed.”
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