Vedin responded to that last part with another of his quick smiles. Eli didn’t know if the people in the other world shook hands, but he held his out anyway. Vedin clasped his forearm instead, so he did the same. To his surprise, all three of the Blademates followed suit before they lined up across the cave facing the barrier.
Meanwhile, Safara positioned herself next to the Sworn Guardian, and they both raised their hands with their palms facing the barrier. She did all the chanting, but Vedin’s face was also showing definite signs of strain. The barrier immediately started to dim, finally disappearing with a crackling snap. For the second time, Eli tried to get his head around the fact that he was looking into another world. Fucking amazing.
Meanwhile, the aliens hustled their asses back across the line. They turned back to face him and Safara. Vedin stood in the middle with two of his Blademates at his side and one behind him. The four men bowed their heads slightly and then stood at attention until Safara released her hold on the barrier. When it reappeared, sparkling in all its beauty, she took a step back looking pale and breathing hard.
Eli closed the distance between them to put his arm around her shoulders. “That takes a lot out of you, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does.” She brushed her hair back from her face. “It’s usually easier when there are two of us working to bring it down, but Vedin wasn’t up to full strength.”
He was pretty sure he already knew the answer to his next question. “And not everyone can do that, right? Like me, for instance.”
“The gift tends to run in families. My dad’s mother had it, but my grandfather doesn’t. That’s why I was up here on the mountain that first night. He’d been on the other side visiting some friends, and I was checking to see if he was ready to come home. When I brought the barrier down, it was my cousin Tiel waiting on the other side. You already know how that turned out.”
That rat bastard was her cousin? Before he could figure out what to say about that, he noticed she was shivering. “Let’s get out of here. It’s a little warmer outside, not to mention I don’t want to be trapped in here if Tiel and his buddies suddenly get homesick.”
“Good thinking.”
“Let me go first.” Figuring she might argue, he immediately drew his weapon just in case and started walking back in the direction of the entrance.
Safara didn’t try to stop him, probably proof of how tired she really was. That didn’t keep her from commenting on his high-handed behavior. “You do know that I’m a highly trained law officer. I’ve been protecting myself for years now.”
Should he remind her that she’d hauled her delectable ass up on this mountain twice since he’d known her only to end up in a sword fight each time? She’d survived the first instance because he’d come running when she screamed. This most recent escapade would’ve ended in a much different way if Vedin and his men hadn’t charged to their rescue. Yeah, he and Safara might’ve thinned out the ranks of the enemy, but the truth remained that they had been outnumbered four to one.
When they stepped out of the cave, she planted herself right in front of him. “Eli, you do know that, don’t you?”
He’d really hoped she’d let it go, but she was nothing if not stubborn. “Yes, I know you’re a deputy, Safara. I trust you can handle yourself in the course of your job, but even cops are vulnerable to attack.”
Pointing back at the cave, he let some of his anger come boiling out. “But tonight you could’ve been killed if I hadn’t been up in that tree. No, make that you would have been killed.”
She met him glare for glare. “You don’t know that.”
“Honey, I’ve been in enough firefights to know the odds were stacked against you. God knows you’re hell on wheels with that fancy sword of yours, but eight to one are bad odds by anyone’s definition.”
“But—”
He cut off her protest. “I’ve lost enough friends recently, Safara. I don’t want to bury any more. I can’t, and especially not you.”
She flinched as if his words wounded her in some way. Her hand briefly settled against his chest right over his heart before dropping back down to her side. “I don’t want to hurt you, Eli, but I won’t ignore my duty to my people. It’s not in me to do so. If you can’t live with that, then there’s no future for us. Not even friendship.”
He wanted to back away, to protect himself from further loss, but his bullheaded size thirteens refused to take that first step. “Fine, but just know I’ll want some reasonable concessions from you when it comes to all this barrier stuff. Got that?”
“I seem to remember someone recently saying he didn’t make promises until he knew all the facts. Who could that have been?” She poked his chest with her finger. “Oh yeah, that was you. That seems like a good policy to me.”
Eli captured her hand with his and held on tight. “Fine. Here’s the deal. Whenever possible, I want to know in advance when you’re coming up here. Otherwise, I’m going to have to build myself a comfortable platform up in that damn tree.”
“Agreed, although I can’t promise that I can give you a lot of notice.”
“And I want to know the full story of what is going on. I’ve spent years keeping my mouth shut about the missions the army sent me on. If my word was good enough for Uncle Sam, it should be good enough for you and your father.”
“Agreed, only because I’d already decided to tell you everything I can.”
Okay, was she trying to hedge her bets? That was not happening.
“Not everything you can, Safara. Everything, period.”
She was already shaking her head. “I won’t leave out anything that would endanger your life, and I won’t tell you any lies. However, there are people who have worked hard to pass as human in this world. I won’t out them all just to satisfy your curiosity. It wouldn’t be fair to them.”
As much as he might not like it, she had a point. Besides, he had his own new identity to protect. He wouldn’t appreciate it if Mike or Jamison decided to start blabbing his secrets to some stranger no matter how much they trusted the person.
“It’s a deal.”
A dark shadow washed over them, drawing his attention up to the sky overhead. Clouds were rolling in, and there was a damp scent in the air. “We’ll continue this discussion back at the cabin, because it’s going to start pouring any minute now.”
Then he frowned. “Unless you were planning on heading back down to your place tonight.”
“No, especially if you don’t mind me crashing on your couch again.” She grinned, probably in memory of Vedin’s confusion over that expression. “I’d like to hang around and keep an eye out for that group of rogues.”
This was sounding better and better. “My house is your house.”
Especially if he could coax her into sharing his bed instead of camping out in the living room. Now wasn’t the time for that discussion, not with the first fat drops of rain splattering down from above.
By the time they’d made the short hike back to the cabin, they were both soaked to the bone. That didn’t mean he was going to lead her straight to the front door without first doing another perimeter check. He couldn’t risk leading her into a trap.
“Wait here. I’ll flash the lights again.”
She took shelter under the low branches of a nearby cedar. “Fine, but you’ve got some explaining to do, too.”
The last thing he wanted to do was drag her into his problems. Regardless, she had to know the risks of getting further involved with him. “I will.”
It seemed reasonable to seal the promise with a kiss or, hell, that was probably just an excuse for what he wanted to do anyway. In his defense, he really meant to keep it simple, but he should’ve known better. There was nothing simple about his reaction to the sweet and spicy taste of Safara Dennell.
If she had resisted, if she’d protested at all, he would’ve stepped back, flashed her a quick grin to keep matters light, and disappeared into the trees to make sure there weren’t any bogeym
en lurking out there in the darkness. She didn’t do any of that as her hands slid up around his neck, making him a willing prisoner within the circle of her arms. She was the one who deepened the kiss, her lips and tongue taking no prisoners.
The world around them disappeared from his consciousness, probably not a smart thing under the circumstances. He couldn’t bring himself to give a damn. Who could worry about commandos or crazies when he had this warm and willing woman in his arms? Not him, that was for damn sure.
He stroked Safara’s back, loving her supple strength and wishing it was her bare skin he was touching instead of the cotton fabric of her uniform shirt. His hands had moved on south to palm her lush backside when the breeze suddenly kicked up. Evidently the branches overhead had been storing up cold rainwater for just such a moment and proceeded to dump the entire load on the two of them.
Safara squealed and jumped back as the blast of cold hit them. At least, he thought she was the one who made that noise. He hoped she was, anyway, because Special Forces guys didn’t do such things. He tried to swipe the dripping water off his face with the hem of his shirt, but it was too wet to be of much help.
“Let’s get inside. I’ll flash the signal as soon as I circle around to the other side of the cabin.”
She nodded as she tried to wring what looked to be a gallon of water from her hair. “Fine, but hurry. I’m freezing out here.”
He gave her a quick hug followed by an even quicker kiss. When she started to protest, he said, “I’m just marking my spot. I wouldn’t want to lose track of where I was.”
She was still sputtering when he took off at a slow lope through the trees.
THAT MAN WAS going to be the death of her. There were still rogues running loose in the woods, not to mention it was pouring outside. Any sensible person would already be inside with the doors locked and a roaring blaze in the fireplace. But she never felt at all sensible when she was with Eli Jervain.
Even now, her body vibrated from the intensity of that kiss. If that tree hadn’t decided to give them both an icy shower, there was no telling how out of control things would’ve gotten. She wasn’t the type of woman who fantasized about being taken hard and fast by a green-eyed warrior up against a tree. At least she didn’t used to be. However, the minute those big hands of his settled on her ass, she was ready to wrap her legs around his hips and hope he’d take the hint.
The lights blinked on and off. It was about time. Her teeth were chattering, and without Eli there to keep her warm, her body had turned into a giant Popsicle. She nearly stumbled going up the steps to the porch, but Eli was there to steady her. He handed her a towel as he led her inside.
“You can have the shower first.”
She wasn’t going to argue. She also wasn’t going to invite him to join her, as tempting as that thought might be. One of them had to show some common sense. The further they traveled along this path, the harder it would be to turn back. If they ever did take that final step . . . no, when they did take that final step, she didn’t want a bunch of secrets between them. Especially because this would never be about hot sex with no expectations. She wanted more from him, something more for the both of them.
“You okay?”
How long had she been standing there lost in the possibilities? She immediately knelt to unlace her boots, using that as an excuse to avoid meeting Eli’s gaze for fear her expression might reveal the hunger she felt for his touch.
When she stood back up, he held out his hands. “I’ll take your boots and put them with mine over by the fire. There are clean towels in the linen closet. I laid out the toothbrush you used the last time and that same set of sweats.”
He offered her a quick grin. “Sorry I don’t have any suspenders to help you keep the pants up. I could cut you a length of rope for a belt. That would make quite a fashion statement.”
“Smart-ass.”
There went another killer smile. “True enough. But if you play your cards right, by which I mean taking a fast shower so there’s enough hot water left for me, I’ll have a mug of hot chocolate waiting when you get out.”
“It’s a deal.”
“Good. When you get done, put your wet things on the washer in the utility room. I’ll run them through later, so you have something dry to wear in the morning.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
She picked up the backpack she’d left in the cabin earlier and headed down the hall to make good on her promise to hurry. The water was hot enough to sting her goose-bumpy skin and warmed her up quickly. By the time she dried off and put on Eli’s oversized sweats and socks, she felt a whole lot better. Wrapping her wet hair in a towel, she went in search of her host.
Eli looked up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table when she came back into the room. “I’m impressed. I expected that to take a lot longer.”
“I figured my hair would dry faster if I sat by the fire to brush it.” She tossed her pack aside and started rubbing her hair with the towel. “Besides, you’d be surprised what I can be motivated to do with the promise of chocolate.”
He headed over to the stove to fill a mug. After tossing in some mini marshmallows, he set it on the table. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll definitely keep that in mind for future reference.”
The gleam in his eyes left little doubt that he was thinking about what else he’d like to motivate her to do. She sipped her drink. The rich chocolate and that seductive gaze chased the last remnants of the night’s chill from her skin, leaving her all warm and toasty, not to mention tempted by the man standing within arm’s reach.
He knew it, too. Eli shuffled half a step toward her and then abruptly stopped. His hungry expression slowly morphed into something that looked more like regret. “Safara, honey, don’t doubt I want this. Hell, I want you so damn much it hurts, but we still haven’t had that talk. For your sake, I think that should come first.”
They both knew he was right. That didn’t mean either of them had to like it.
“Go take your shower. I’ll be waiting when you get out.”
He looked so relieved that she had to wonder if he really thought she’d chicken out and take off to avoid having that discussion they kept promising to have. Worse yet, did he want her to? She didn’t think she’d misread him that badly, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. “I told Dad I might stay up here on the mountain for the next day or two. Maybe I should’ve asked you if that was okay first.”
“Of course it’s okay. I want you here. Damn, I’m screwing this up, aren’t I? I don’t mean to.” He ran his fingers through his still wet hair, looking frustrated. “You matter to me, Safara. I want to get whatever this is between us right.”
“Me, too.”
“Okay, then. I’ll be back in a few.”
Once again, he dove in closer to give her another one of his hit-and-run kisses. Then, just as quickly, he was gone. Staring down the empty hallway, she smiled and touched her lips. That man really knew how to kiss. While she waited for him to return, she sat on the raised hearth to soak up the heat and brush the tangles out of her hair.
A few strokes later, a stray thought had her smiling. As much as she enjoyed the flickering warmth of the fire, it was a poor substitute for generating a whole different kind of heat with Eli.
When the door down the hall opened, she kept right on brushing her hair, needing to focus on something other than the man prowling toward her. When he appeared at the edge of her peripheral vision, she tightened her grip on the brush.
“The other world is called Kalithia, and its sun is dying.”
Eli parked himself on the other end of the hearth. “Well, that’s a problem.”
She offered him a snarky smile. “You think?”
He held up his hands in apology. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Apology accepted, and I shouldn’t be so touchy. This is hard for me to talk about.” She set the brush down and picked up the threads of her narrative. “It’s been
going on for forever, I guess, and the people there have adapted as best they can. Most are vegetarian, not by choice but by necessity. It’s too expensive and difficult to raise animals just for meat. Power is hard to come by, too, so they lack a lot of the technology that you take for granted in this world.”
Eli slid closer to her, his strong arm once again anchoring her to his side. “So that’s why your people try to cross over to this world.”
All right, here came the ugly part. “It’s why some of us come over, but it’s not true for everyone. There’s an illness that some Kalith are susceptible to. I don’t know if there is a more technical name for it, but we call it the light disease. As far as we can tell, it’s the increasing lack of bright sunshine that triggers it. When someone succumbs to the illness, they crave the light and will do anything to find it. Once that happens, he or she is no longer the person they used to be. They grow violent and have no conscience.”
It didn’t take long for Eli to put some of the pieces together for himself. “Your cousin and those other rogues—they have it.”
She nodded. “Yes, and it tends to run in families. My mother died of the disease, which is why my father and grandfather risked everything to bring me into this world to live. They were afraid that I would come down with it, too.”
“So it’s terminal?”
She wasn’t sure if the sympathy in his voice made it easier or harder to continue, but she’d promised to lay it all out for him, and she would.
“Not in the way you mean. What happens is what you’ve already seen with Tiel. They find a way to cross the barrier into this world. Most of the time, they are out of their heads and ready to kill.”
For the first time, Eli looked skeptical. “It can’t be easy to keep something like that out of the headlines. I’ve spent a lot of time out of the country the past few years on various deployments, but I think I would’ve still heard if sword-wielding whackos were running around the countryside.”
Wincing at his harsh description, she continued. “Fortunately, not all that many Kalith have the gift to control the barrier that Vedin and I have. Additionally, there are huge swaths of the world that don’t have any pieces of the barrier at all. They’re mainly located in areas where tectonic plates come together. A lot are in the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean. Others are near major fault lines like the New Madrid in the Midwest.”
In Darkness Transformed Page 13