Bound By Darkness Part 1

Bound by Darkness.

Morgan, Alexis.

To Susan Mallery-just a note to say how much I value your support and your friends.h.i.+p-not to mention all the laughter. You're proof that one of the best things about this business is all the wonderful people we meet along the way.

Acknowledgments.

Danielle Poiesz, I want to take this opportunity to say how much I appreciate all the hard work you put in from start to finish to help my books s.h.i.+ne. It means a lot to know you're always there. Thanks for all that you do!.

Chapter 1.

Slamming his fist into the wall wasn't the smartest thing Larem had ever done, but it was that or punch his roommate. Since the current situation wasn't Lonzo's fault, he'd aimed his temper at something that wouldn't bruise-or hit back-although right now a good down-and-dirty fight held some appeal. Pain was slow to register, but his blood stood out in stark relief against the wall's white paint.

"d.a.m.n it, Larem, was that really necessary? I hope you didn't break anything; it's your night to do the dishes." Lonzo's comment held an equal mix of worry and disgust. "We both know Devlin has no choice in the matter. He's only asking that you and Barak lie low for a while. Besides, it's only temporary."

Larem flexed his hand gingerly. Nothing broken. Nothing solved. He was still caught between two worlds, neither of which wanted to lay claim to him.

"Yeah, right. Why not make it easier on everyone concerned and tell the Regents to make one big cage and stuff all your pet Kalith into it?" Larem said bitterly.

Swallowing hard against the acrid taste of his rage, he slowly turned to his worried friend. "Or better yet, shove us back across the barrier. With any luck, the Sworn Guardians will solve the problem for you with just a few swings of a sword."

Lonzo had his own temper and shoved Larem hard, sending him bouncing back against the wall. "Don't be such a dumba.s.s. None of us would let that happen."

Larem got right back up in his friend's face. "Correction, Lonzo. Some of the Seattle Paladins wouldn't want that to happen, but you're paid to follow orders. If the Regents decide they want us gone, what can you do to stop them? If you refuse to rid the world of a few inconvenient Kalith, they can always find others who will."

He looked down the hall where more Paladins were congregated. "And they wouldn't have to go far to find them."

A deep voice joined the discussion. "You're wrong, Larem. That's not happening. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. We owe you and the others too much."

Larem wanted to believe Devlin Bane. He really did, but he'd been betrayed too many times by his own kind to easily accept that his former enemies would behave any differently. G.o.ds above, he missed his old life so d.a.m.ned much. As a Blademate to a Sworn Guardian, he'd known his place in their world and served his people with honor.

Here, he accepted a paycheck from the Paladins for teaching weapons practice a few hours a month. He hated living on their charity, but he was still learning his way in this new life. Eventually, he'd be able to strike out on his own and be free to make his own choices. Some days he seriously thought about crossing back over into Kalithia and taking his chances that his death sentence would be rescinded. So far he'd resisted the urge.

Another Paladin came out of the conference room and headed straight for Larem. "This new policy is c.r.a.p, and you know it."

Hunter Fitzsimon glared at Devlin, his green eyes blazing with pure rage. "I have more reason than most to hate what comes boiling across the barrier at us, but Larem is different."

Devlin rolled his huge shoulders, no doubt trying to shrug off some tension. "Listen up, all of you. You'll get no arguments from me on that score. However, until this new rep from the Regents is actually here, we just need to be careful. Arguing by e-mail won't change anything, but I can and will make our case in person."

"Yeah, right, and if he doesn't buy what you're selling? What then?" Hunter turned his attention to Larem. "Pack up your things. You're coming home with me and Tate. The apartment over the garage is yours as long as you need it."

Devlin looked like he wanted to argue, but then the big man shut his mouth and shrugged. "He's right, Larem. I can't guarantee this new guy will listen to me. If you'd feel safer moving up north with Hunter, I wouldn't blame you. Go camp out in Hunter's apartment, at least until the dust settles and we know more what we're dealing with."

For the first time since Devlin had called the morning meeting to order, Larem didn't feel quite so alone. As tempting as it was to take off with Hunter, the thought of hiding out didn't sit well with him. A warrior both by training and by nature, he would not run.

"I'll wait to see what happens. Besides, I'm not the only one affected by this order." Larem nodded down the hallway to where Barak q'Young stood talking to his sister, who had two Kalith children at home. "We can't all go into hiding."

Devlin sighed, clearly tired of dealing with all the bureaucratic bulls.h.i.+t. "This guy is supposed to show up by the end of the week. I suggest we go about business as usual until then."

Like anything had been "usual" for Larem in a long, long time. "Are we done? If so, I'm out of here."

Without waiting for an answer, he headed for the gym, intent on working off some anger banging blades with someone, anyone. A few seconds later both Hunter and Lonzo caught up with him. He'd rather be left alone for a few minutes but couldn't fault them for their show of support. The least he could do was show his appreciation by bruising them up some.

The three warriors walked into the gym and headed straight for the rack of practice weapons. Larem reached for one of the Kalith-style curved blades that the armorer had recently added to the collection. After a few warm-up swings, he tossed his s.h.i.+rt in the corner and faced off against his two friends.

"All right, gentlemen, who wants to bleed first?"

Hunter's wolfish grin was a mirror reflection of Larem's own. With a quick salute, the battle was on.

Watching Chaz Willis squirm was a rare pleasure. Right now the two of them were staring out of a tenth-floor office window at the sidewalk below. Thanks to her fiery red hair, it was easy to pick Sasha out of the crowd even from that height.

Her father glanced at George, his mouth a straight slash of anger. "Look, I know Sasha takes her orders from the entire Board of Regents, but I really hate this. No matter how much I argue, she won't listen to reason."

George sipped the gla.s.s of expensive scotch Chaz had poured for him, savoring the twin burns of the liquor and his friend's frustration. "I understand where you're coming from, but you really need to lay off the girl before you drive a permanent wedge between the two of you. She's well qualified for the job and deserves a chance to prove herself."

Chaz topped off his own gla.s.s and took a large swig. "Shut up, George. She's my daughter. That gives me the right to interfere when I think it's in her best interest."

"And she's my G.o.ddaughter," George snapped. "Don't screw this up for her because you're not ready to cut the ap.r.o.n strings. She's all grown up-it's time you realized that."

Chaz glared at George over the rim of his gla.s.s. "I don't doubt my daughter's abilities. But as both her father and a Regent, I have some misgivings about what kind of situation we're sending her into. We both know Kincade made a mess of things in Seattle, and it's not finished yet."

George strolled over to perch on the side of Chaz's desk. "You're thinking he wasn't working alone."

Chaz finally turned away from the window. "I'm thinking we don't know. I don't want Sasha caught up in any fallout. By the way, I'm still p.i.s.sed you helped her rally enough support to get this a.s.signment in the first place. You should've stayed out of it."

"Chaz, you and I both know that Sasha deserves this chance. Besides, we need someone out there who we can trust to do the job right. Would you rather the Board pick someone else, someone we can't control?"

For the first time all morning, Chaz laughed. "If you think you can control Sasha, especially from almost two thousand miles away, you've sorely overestimated your influence on her."

George clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Chaz, how much trouble can she get into? We both know Devlin Bane and the rest of the Paladins have no use for number crunchers. At best, they'll tolerate her. At the worst, they'll ignore her. They certainly won't trust her. Meanwhile, we've managed to buy ourselves some time to deal with Kincade himself. We have to find out who else was involved in his shenanigans before we a.s.sign a permanent Regent to that sector."

"That's just the problem-Sasha doesn't see her a.s.signment to Seattle as a stopgap measure. She has every intention of being appointed as the new Regent for that whole area. We'll just have to find a way to monitor her actions carefully."

Actually, George suspected Sasha would report in only when she absolutely had to and, even then, tell them only what she wanted to share. To maintain control over the situation, it would be better to have another pair of boots on the ground.

"Maybe we should have another man on-site. You know, to keep an eye on her."

Chaz immediately perked up. "Good idea. She'll kick our a.s.ses if she finds out, but I'd sure feel better about the situation. Any suggestions who we can trust to keep a low profile?"

After running down his mental list of possible candidates for the job, George made a quick decision. The man he had in mind had served as a reliable spy in the past. There was no reason to think he wouldn't this time.

"Yeah, I do. We've even used him before in similar situations."

"Good. Call him."

George hit a number on his speed dial. When the guy on the other end picked up, George kept it simple.

"Pack your bags. You just got transferred to Seattle. I want someone I trust to keep me informed about what's going on out there and to do what's necessary to keep things from going to h.e.l.l. There's a bonus in it if you get there by the end of the week."

A minute later George hung up, satisfied he'd done the right thing. Certainly Chaz looked happier. Now, only time would tell if he'd made things worse or protected his agenda.

Sasha's plane had flown disturbingly close to Mount Rainier on the way over the Cascades, but the view of the mountain from her hotel room was stunning. The helpful pilot had also pointed out St. Helens and Mount Adams, two of the other volcanoes in the region, as he guided the plane into its final approach to Seattle. A chill slithered over her skin at the memory, but she resisted the urge to close the drapes. She had to get used to the sight eventually, and the sooner the better.

Granted the three peaks were beautiful, but she knew their truth. Underneath all that magnificent splendor beat the cold hearts of killers. At times unstable, always unpredictable, and when the mood hit, totally lethal. Even if the mountains didn't do the killing themselves, they also harbored the Others, crazed murderers from another world. Sasha couldn't just enjoy the volcanoes' rugged beauty, not when she knew about the trained warriors who lived and died under those scenic slopes, all to keep people like her safe.

The Paladins-a society shrouded in secrecy. Even working for the Regents, she'd caught only an occasional glimpse of the St. Louis contingent. Her father had done his best to protect her from the world the Paladins lived in. Even with her limited experience, she knew why.

They were warriors in the finest sense of the word-alpha males in all their glory, the kind of men who attracted women wherever they went. But not her. Not again. She knew better. It'd been another secret she'd kept from her father and the Regents; if they'd found out, they might have terminated her employment immediately. Despite the pa.s.sage of time, the memories remained sharp and clear; the pain still ached like an old sports injury that acted up whenever it rained.

But enough of that. It was time. Ignoring the flutter of b.u.t.terflies in her stomach, she picked up her briefcase and left her room. Her first meeting with her new charges was scheduled in less than an hour.

Devlin Bane, a legend in their world, hadn't been happy when she'd refused his request to meet with him one-on-one ahead of time. He'd raised some valid points in their brief flurry of e-mails, but she didn't want anything to color her first impressions of the Paladins stationed in the Seattle area. Besides, it was pretty much a sure thing that they'd close ranks to shut her out. Fine. They had good reason not to trust the Regents anymore. She expected to have to work long and hard to break through their firmly ingrained "us versus them" mentality.

If she could reestablish a positive working relations.h.i.+p, though, she'd guide them back into compliance with the regulations established by the Regents for the good of all. The Paladins were the best at what they did, but somehow this bunch had gone way off track-to the point of harboring the enemy among their ranks.

Her father and some of his a.s.sociates were all for s.h.i.+pping the ringleaders out, scattering them over the globe. She'd managed to convince the Board as a whole that to do so would only spread the contagion.

No, containment was the appropriate goal and her first in a long list. As the elevator whisked her down to the ground floor, a surge of pure adrenaline hit her veins. The battle for control was about to begin.

It was time to report to the conference room. Larem had reluctantly agreed to attend the meeting as the sole Kalith representative in the crowd. Barak and Lusahn had offered to come, too, but Devlin had advised against it. At least he'd agreed that one of them should be there to hear what the representative had to say. Larem had no idea why the Paladin leader had picked him and hadn't bothered to ask.

Larem joined the long line of Paladins making their way toward the meeting place. A fair number simply ignored him, tolerating his presence only because they'd been ordered to. Inside the room, he paused to locate his friends, who had promised to save him a place. Lonzo and Hunter stood along the back wall near one of the exits. Lonzo was on duty and needed to be the first one out the door if the barrier crashed.

"Hey, roomie, thought maybe you'd changed your mind." Lonzo scooted to the side to make s.p.a.ce for Larem between himself and Hunter.

D.J. joined them in the back, his eyes flitting around the room. "Rumor has it the new administrator has been ducking Devlin. What's up with that?"

Lonzo shrugged. "Maybe he's afraid of the big man."

Hunter laughed, his ruined voice holding little humor. "If so, maybe the guy is smarter than we gave him credit for. Think if one Regent rep went missing, they'd get the message and leave us the h.e.l.l alone?"

Larem ignored the banter, focusing instead on a sudden stir at the front of the room. Devlin had walked in, but for once he wasn't the one leading the parade. Whoever had entered just ahead of him was too short to be seen over the a.s.sembled Paladins and guards.

Interesting.

Few in the crowd had even noticed that the party was about to begin. Devlin looked back to bark something at Trahern, who had followed him into the room. The other Paladin nodded and immediately stuck two fingers in his mouth and blew hard. The shrill whistle brought all conversation to a screeching halt.

Devlin walked up to the podium and glared around the room, his eyes locking up with Larem's briefly. He gave a slight nod before moving on, maybe expressing his approval that Larem had dressed in jeans and a flannel s.h.i.+rt to better blend in with his companions. He'd also tied his hair back with a leather thong, although Larem wasn't the only male in the room sporting hair down past his shoulders. Devlin himself wore his dark hair long although it lacked the sprinkling of gray that gave the Kalith people their distinctive look.

"Okay, everybody, listen up. I'd like to introduce our new administrator, who's here on behalf of the Board of Regents."

Before he could complete the introduction, the crowd turned restless as several Paladins shouted out comments and questions. Larem didn't bother to join the chorus of angry voices, figuring it wouldn't accomplish anything. Still, there was part of him that was glad the Paladins weren't going to make it easy for the Regents' representative to impose his will over them.

Devlin obviously had a different take on the situation. When the rumbling continued, he shouted, "Will you guys shut the f.u.c.k up!"

Then he flushed red as he turned to face his unpopular companion. "Sorry about that."

Lonzo looked like he'd swallowed a worm. "Did Dev just apologize to a Regent?"

"Yeah, that's just wrong." D.J. rose up on his toes to see better. "Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned."

"Yeah, you will," Hunter muttered, "but can you see the guy?"

D.J. shook his head, as if to clear it, before answering, "He's a she."

That had all of them stretching their necks, hoping to see over the crush of oversized men that filled the room. Finally, the new administrator made it easier on everybody by climbing up on a chair. As the woman waited for her unwilling audience to fall silent, she did her own fair share of staring back at them.

Larem's heart lurched in his chest. Not only was he a she, but she was striking. Or at least she would be if she didn't wear her flaming red hair yanked back from her face in that unruly wad at the nape of her neck. He couldn't see what color her eyes were from across the room, but they looked dark and intelligent. Her clothing was plain yet showed off her compact feminine curves rather nicely.

If she was nervous facing a boisterous crowd of angry men, it didn't show. He respected that about her, but then he'd served with a female Sworn Guardian long enough to know that courage wasn't determined by gender. The woman's gaze swept past Larem without pausing, which would ease Devlin's concerns but left Larem feeling oddly disappointed.

When she cleared her throat and prepared to speak, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. When she was done, he'd report back to Barak and Lusahn before deciding what to do next. His first choice was to stay right where he was because he had commitments he didn't want to renege on. Too many were depending on him and his particular skill set. If forced, he'd hide out at Hunter's place for a while, but that reeked of cowardice. No, if he and this woman were to be enemies, it suited his nature to face her directly.

"Gentlemen, my name is Sasha Willis." Her voice had an appealing huskiness to it as her words rang out over the room, carrying to the far corners with a surprising amount of confidence. Larem wasn't the only one who straightened up to get a better look at her. There was a lot of power crammed into that pet.i.te package.

"My last name may sound familiar as my father is a member of the Board of Regents. I have been serving in Ordnance for the past five years, reporting directly to the Board."

Once again, she panned the room, as if a.s.sessing each man individually before continuing. "You have absolutely no reason to trust me at this point, and I certainly don't blame you for feeling that way. Too many times the organization has failed you. But I'd like to change that. Rest a.s.sured that I have the utmost respect for the Paladins and the amazing job you all do."

She drew a deep breath. "For starters, I plan to meet with the Handlers to reestablish a set schedule for all types of testing, including scans."

Once again, murmurs of discontent started building. She ignored them and waited for silence to settle over the room before speaking again.

"I am well aware that Colonel Kincade used scans as a punitive measure. I've already issued orders to ensure that practice will cease immediately. Diagnostic procedures are to be done on a regular schedule only, unless the Handlers feel a particular case warrants more frequent monitoring."

Larem bet that his eyes weren't the only ones that immediately sought out Trahern. It was common knowledge that his test results had been getting steadily closer to the edge for years. They all knew that the only reason the Paladin still lived and breathed was because Brenna and Laurel had been too stubborn to give up on the man the last time he'd died. By all reports, it had been a close call. Too close.

"In that same vein, I'm happy to announce that I will be authorizing additional staff and funding to enable Dr. Young to continue her studies in that area. She and I will be discussing the matter in greater detail in the near future."

Trahern looked happier, but not by much. Devlin had left the administrator's side to stand next to his longtime friend in a show of support. From the look the Willis woman gave him, she hadn't missed the gesture or mistaken its meaning.

"I will be studying all of your files, hoping to familiarize myself with everyone who is stationed here in Seattle, starting with the Paladins. As time allows, I'll move on to the guards and other support personnel. I understand that we also have special guests living and working here in Seattle. I will be dealing with them, too."