Time to explain the role Paladins played in this whole thing and see if Eli figured out why both she and Vedin had mistaken him for one. “Regardless, this isn’t a recent development. According to our history, it has been going on forever. At some point in the distant past, a class of specialized fighters called the Paladins took on defending the known stretches of the barrier in this world. Now, a group known simply as the Regents oversees the Paladins, making sure they have everything they need to do the job.”
She shot him a quick look. “I’ve never personally met one, but I can tell you what I learned about the Paladins from people who have. They are all big men, most over six feet tall. Depending on who you talk to or maybe which side of the barrier you were born on, they are considered either cold-blooded killers or else highly trained warriors.”
Talking was thirsty work, but she kept up the explanation while she walked over to the fridge to fetch them each a beer. “Paladins fight with bladed weapons, mostly swords. I’m guessing they’re equally good with firearms, but it’s not safe to use bullets near the barrier. They tear holes in it that are hard to repair. It’s not good for anyone if the barrier stays down for any length of time. And since the stretches of barrier are usually in caves, ricochets can be a real problem. The Paladins guard the barrier, defending this world against the Kalith trying to cross over. I understand they call us Others, not Kalith. I guess it’s easier to kill people who have no real identity. And, to be fair, they’re not really wrong about that.”
She tried really hard not to picture her mother as one of those people. “You see, the Kalith they cross swords with are all sick with the light disease. By the time they encounter the Paladins, they are out of their minds with bloodlust. They’re no longer the people they used to be. To give credit where it’s due, the Paladins do try to force them back into Kalithia. But failing that, they’ll slaughter them to prevent them from going on a rampage in this world.”
“And that’s how your mother died?”
She really didn’t want to discuss it, so she just nodded and kept going. “There are never enough Paladins to go around, but at least they are really hard to kill. Remember that gift for healing that Vedin mentioned? Well, the Paladins have that ability, but on steroids. By all reports, there’s almost nothing that will kill them, and even if it does, they don’t stay that way.”
She held out Eli’s drink, but he didn’t seem to even see it. There was no telling where his head was right now, but it wasn’t with her. She had more to tell him, but maybe he needed a minute to absorb everything she’d already said. When the silence dragged on for another couple of minutes, she nudged him with her shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
He blinked a couple of times and then shook his head as if to clear it. “Any idea where these guys come from? I mean, are they Kalith like Vedin or are they human?”
“As far as I know, they originated here on Earth, but I’ve heard they have a few Kalith genes mixed in with their human DNA. It only stands to reason that some Kalith have managed to blend into this world. If they married humans along the way, their children would’ve inherited some Kalith traits and passed them down through the generations. I’ve always figured that’s where Paladins got the ability to heal like they do. Rumor has it that they also live longer than normal humans do. Kalith people often live well past a hundred years. The bad news is that the Paladins can only come back from death so many times before they go crazy just like the Kalith who develop the light disease.”
By this point, Eli was frowning big-time. “I noticed your family and Vedin’s bunch all have unusually pale gray eyes. I didn’t think anything about your father and aunt having salt-and-pepper hair considering their age. But Vedin and his men have it, too, even though they look like young men. Are those common Kalith traits?”
She nodded as she fingered a lock of her hair. “I’ve been dyeing my hair since my early teens to hide the gray. A lot of my people also wear colored contacts to blend in better with the human population.”
“Are the same things true of the Paladins?”
Something about the way he asked made her think he wasn’t simply being curious. “As far as I know, Paladins don’t have a specific type when it comes to looks or coloring. Why?”
Eli lapsed into another long silence. He shifted positions so his elbows rested on his knees as he stared across at the weapons on the wall. The flickering of the flames outlined the grim set to his jaw. Whatever he was thinking wasn’t good. She thought he’d known and accepted that she wasn’t human. From the way he’d kissed her earlier, she’d been convinced that didn’t matter to him, but maybe she’d been wrong about that.
“Eli, this was a lot to throw at you all at once. I’m sorry to have dragged you into my world. It was bound to freak you out a bit.”
Well, actually a whole lot, from the way he was acting. Her heart ached at the possibility that all of this was proving to be too much for him to accept. When she started to get up, he caught her arm and tugged her back down beside him. “It’s not you, Safara. It’s me.”
“What about you?” Not that she really wanted to know, when the expression in his eyes was so bleak it hurt to look at them.
“You’re not the only one who has been living a lie. I’m not Martin’s distant relative. I’m his grandson, and my legal name is Master Sergeant Eli Yates.”
Now he was the one not making much sense. “But you said his grandson died in a helicopter crash. Dad even checked to see that was true. He said everyone was killed on impact.”
Eli shuddered. “We were.”
Then his mouth curved up in a travesty of a smile. “Lucky me. I’m the only one who didn’t stay that way.”
“But if you came back from death, then that means—”
She stopped, unable to say the words out loud. Unfortunately, Eli had no such hesitation and finished the sentence for her. “My best guess, I’m genetically one of those Paladins your family hates so much. Congratulations, you and Vedin were both right even if you were only guessing.”
She started to deny it, but what was the point? Ignoring it wouldn’t change the truth of the situation. “It must have come from Martin’s side of the family. But no one ever said anything about the Paladins or having a Kalith ancestor?”
“Looking back, Martin must have known something. The last time I saw him, he went ballistic when I told him I’d enlisted. He went on a crazy rant about not risking the truth coming out and not staying dead.”
He glanced down at her with a frown. “I probably shouldn’t ask this, but do you know how to put me in contact with a Paladin? Seems like that’s the only way I’ll get answers to my questions.”
Now she was the one shivering. “No, I don’t. My father might have some idea, but I can pretty much guarantee he won’t tell you. It would be too risky for everyone else if you were to draw their attention in this direction.”
Eli straightened up and put his arm around her shoulders again. “I can’t blame him for feeling that way. It’s not only his job, it’s his family he’s protecting. I’ll just have to figure out how to reach out to the Paladins without them being able to trace me back here. If that’s not possible, I’ll move. I never planned to stay here permanently.”
She hated the thought of Eli leaving, even if it would be best for the safety of all concerned. Her father might’ve eventually come to accept her getting involved with a human man rather than one of the Kalith males who lived in this world. But he’d never accept a Paladin, the enemy of their people and the kind of man who had killed her mother.
The room went blurry. “We are so screwed.”
Eli brushed away the tears trickling down her cheeks with his fingers. “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.”
“So what are we going to do?
“This.”
He kissed her hard, as if driven by the knowledge their time was running out. She hated that he wasn’t wrong about that. With that in mind, she kissed him b
ack. After all, they still had tonight.
13
He had no business kissing Safara right now, or maybe ever, but at the moment Eli didn’t give a damn about right and wrong. He’d just told her his worst secret, and while there were others he hadn’t yet revealed, at least she hadn’t run screaming out the door.
He wrapped Safara in his arms on his lap, holding her close without crushing her. If she wanted to break free of the embrace, she could so without much of a struggle. He owed her that much. He’d let her go if she suddenly decided she didn’t want his Paladin hands on her sweet body. For the moment, he’d enjoy playing tongue tag with her even if having her sitting right on his erection was driving him crazy.
She suddenly broke off the kiss, her breathing ragged as she stared up at him with those pretty gray eyes. “Are you all right with this? Even if it can only be for tonight?”
Was she crazy? Even with most of his blood supply pooled below his waist, he was smart enough not to ask that question. “There are two worlds out there, but they can take care of themselves for the next few hours. Right now their problems don’t involve us.”
As soon as he spoke, she shifted her position so she was straddling his thighs. “That’s good thinking. There’s just us and our own little world.”
She punctuated her words with a series of kisses along his jawline. As her fingertips followed the same path, he realized he hadn’t bothered to shave. Too late now, but at least he could apologize.
“Sorry if my whiskers are too rough.”
“I like it. Feels good against my skin.” To prove her point, she rubbed her cheek against his. Laughing softly, she added, “It tickles.”
He hoped she felt that way when he got around to kissing some of her more sensitive bits and pieces. For now, he slipped one hand under the hem of the sweatshirt he’d loaned her. Tracing the curve of her spine up to her shoulders and then back down, he noted she wasn’t wearing a bra. That discovery inspired him to do a little more exploring. At the first touch of his hand against the fullness of her breast, Safara leaned into his palm, murmuring her approval as she rocked against the rock-solid proof of how much he was enjoying it himself.
There were too many layers of clothing between them. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he peeled it up and over her head. The glow of the fire painted her skin in shades of gold and peach. Beautiful. He caught her nipple with his lips and teased it into a stiff peak with quick flicks of his tongue and then gentle pressure with his teeth.
“Eli,” she sighed.
He paid equal homage to her other breast, loving the taste of her warm skin on his tongue. Safara grew more frantic and began trying to strip off his shirt. The minute his bare chest came into contact with hers, his control shattered. He was up off the hearth with an armload of gorgeous woman. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
It was tempting to lay her down on the floor in front of the fire, but she deserved better than that. He’d make it as far as the bedroom if it killed him. Light spilled in from the hall to illuminate the bed, guiding his way. He tumbled them both down on the king-sized mattress, twisting at the last second so that he landed on his back with Safara sprawled across his chest.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position, still straddling his lap. “Nice move, big guy. Now, where shall I start?”
“Any damn place you want to.” He clasped his hands under his head to see what she had in mind. Safara arched over his chest to nibble on his chin and then kissed her way down the side of his neck to where it joined his shoulder. From there, she slid farther down his body, using both her fingernails and her tongue to explore his chest.
He admired the fullness of her breasts as she moved over him, wanting more than anything to fill his hands with their warm weight. He’d get around to it, but right now he wasn’t about to interrupt her determined journey down his body. Not if she was headed where he hoped she was. Prayed she was.
Oh God, she was. She nuzzled his erection through the heavy thickness of his fleece sweats. His back arched up off the mattress hard enough to almost toss her off. Safara gave him a smug smile. “Liked that, did you?”
He flexed his hips in an unsubtle hint for more of the same. “I’d think that would be obvious.”
When she hooked her fingers in his elastic waistband, he lifted his hips so she could tug his sweats down several inches. Not nearly low enough as far as he was concerned, but she looked awfully pleased with what she’d uncovered so far. Her fingers settled around his cock in a firm grip as she lifted it up to meet her lips. When she kissed the tip, his brain imploded.
Time to take control of the situation. With a lightning fast move, he grabbed her arms and flipped Safara over onto her back. He smothered her protest with an openmouthed kiss and used one of his legs to anchor hers right where he wanted them. Following her example, he kissed his way down to her nipples, stopping long enough to suckle each of them in turn. From there, he traced the lower curves of her breasts before exploring her belly button with the tip of his tongue.
She wiggled and protested, “That tickles!”
Making note of that fact for later use, he moved onward and downward. His sweats were so loose on her that they practically slid down past her hips on their own as she moved and twisted in response to his kisses. He sat up long enough to pull them down the length of her long legs and threw them someplace over his shoulder. His own followed, removing the last barrier between them.
The scent of her arousal filled his senses as he positioned himself between her legs, spreading them wide. He brushed his fingers through the curls at the junction of her thighs. “I want to taste you, Safara. Are you ready for that?”
Her pale eyes widened when she realized his intent. He waited until she nodded before resuming the soft strokes, gently parting her folds before finally using his tongue to continue his explorations. She made low noises of pleasure as her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him right where he most wanted to be.
“So damn sweet.”
It didn’t take long before she arched up off the bed as she rode out her climax. As the tension flowed out of her body, he kissed her one last time and then moved back up to cover her body with his. “Give me a minute, and we’ll see if we can top that.”
Her smile held a lot of satisfaction. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“We in the Special Forces love a challenge.” Not that he was still part of that elite group, but he wasn’t going to let that dampen his good mood.
“Okay, soldier, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, he opened the box of condoms he’d bought on his last trip to town. A few seconds later, he stretched out beside Safara on the bed, ready to show her another good time.
“Now, where did I leave off?”
“I bet you can figure it out. But just in case, here’s a hint.”
With her eyes at half-mast, she smiled as her fingertips traced a meandering path down between her breasts before continuing down the length of her torso. His cock jerked in reaction as if it had been his body she’d been stroking rather than her own. When she held her arms up in invitation, he didn’t hesitate. The time for slow and easy was past. He needed to possess this woman, to claim her fast and hard, to show her without words that this mattered to him. How much she mattered to him.
Settling his body over hers, he supported most of his weight on his elbows as he rocked against the entrance of her body. “Better brace yourself, babe. I’m not sure how long I can keep this slow and easy.”
“I’m okay with that.” Then she settled her hands on his rib cage and dug her nails in just enough to sting. “Kiss me first.”
A soldier knew how to follow orders. His kissed her a long time, using his tongue to offer a preview of the dance they were about to start. He flexed his hips and then pushed forward, repeating the steps until their bodies were joined. Feeling her tense at the invasion, he prayed for the stre
ngth to remain frozen in position long enough for her body to adjust.
When she finally let out a slow breath, he withdrew a short distance and slowly pressed forward again. She took his length more easily this time. After a third thrust, she was right there with him demanding everything he could give her. He kicked it into high gear, pulling her legs higher up around his hips as he set a pounding rhythm. Their sweat-slicked bodies slid against each other with a delicious friction that had both of them breathing hard and straining toward their common objective.
Safara pushed at his shoulders. “My turn.”
He obligingly rolled over onto his back and let her take control. It took her a few seconds to establish a tempo. She rode him slow and easy, but that was okay. He liked watching the gentle sway of her breasts as she moved forward and back. He palmed them with a soft squeeze. Murmuring her approval, she leaned into his hands, increasing the pleasure for them both.
Gradually, her movements picked up speed and grew more frantic. He settled his hands on her hips to steady her as he thrust upward, deep and hard, and no holding back. For this one instant, she was his, the connection between them powerful and complete. Her voice rang out so damn sweetly when another climax hit her. The pulsing of her inner muscles shoved him straight over the edge with her. After they rode out the last few waves of heated pleasure together, she collapsed in a boneless heap on his chest.
Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “Pretty damn good for our first time.”
“Yeah, it was.” He felt her smile against his chest. “Can’t wait to see what the second round looks like.”
“If it’s much better than that, I’m not sure I’ll survive it.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his. “Not a problem. As I recall, if it kills you, you won’t stay that way. And once you’re back to breathing again, we can go for round three.”
In Darkness Transformed Page 14