Bound By Darkness

She closed her eyes as if that could block out the memory. “God, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

She wouldn’t have been down there at all if she hadn’t insisted on seeing the tunnels for herself. That truth hung heavy between them.

She forced the rest of the story out, lancing the wound in her mind. “Until yesterday, I hadn’t realized Larem was . . . is one of the Kalith you’ve been sheltering. He hadn’t told me, either, but I guess I can’t blame him for that.”

“No, you can’t. But now you know they’re not that different from us, Sasha. Hell, we Paladins even share some of their gene pool.”

That fact had rocked their world when it had come out a few years earlier. She replied, “I knew about the common DNA, but all I’ve ever heard about the people from Kalithia is that they were out of their heads, monsters out to kill anybody and anything that crosses their path. Larem’s certainly not like that.”

Devlin nodded. “There’s a huge difference between the Kalith warriors and those crazy bastards we call Others. Larem, Barak, and Lusahn are all three highly trained warriors. I’d trust any of them at my back anytime. I don’t know if that’s what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”

“I believe that, Devlin.” She finally wiped at the tears still streaming down her face. “It hurt Larem so much to kill his own kind—and he did it because of me. I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive me for putting him in that position, even though it was unintentional. Heck, I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.”

Devlin tossed her a box of tissues. “He’ll get over it. Just give him time. Besides, once he found out you were down there, there would’ve been no stopping him.

“Back in Kalithia they have Sworn Guardians, an elite militia made up of highly trained warriors. Both Barak and his sister Lusahn were Guardians, and Larem served as one of Lusahn’s Blademates. Their job was to protect their people, and they take that calling very seriously.”

“How did Larem end up living here?” She was certain he wouldn’t have walked away from his duty to his people lightly.

“That’s his story to tell, not mine.”

Okay, so they both had secrets about Larem to protect. She went on, “I haven’t talked to him since.”

But she hadn’t stopped thinking about him or that kiss.

“Needless to say, I was pretty much a wreck after what happened. Now that I’ve had a chance to calm down, I’d like to thank him. Do you know how I can get in touch with him?”

For the first time, Devlin didn’t meet her gaze directly. “That might have to wait awhile.”

She froze, unable to move, as all the jagged pieces started to fall into place. Lonzo’s worry about his friend. The curtained-off area. Devlin’s questions.

“Devlin, what happened to Larem after I left?”

He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He came looking for me in the triage area outside the elevator, where we bring all the wounded and the dead. He wanted to fill me in on things, but his timing wasn’t the best. We lost a couple of guards yesterday, which is always extra hard on everyone. Paladins mostly come back from fatal wounds, but for guards, dead is dead.

“One of their buddies took the news badly, and when he saw Larem standing there, he lost it. We subdued the guy and shoved a tranq in his arm, but not before he severed Larem’s femoral artery. We almost didn’t get him to Laurel in time.”

Sasha couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t think, couldn’t scream no matter how badly she wanted to.

“Oh no you don’t, woman!” Devlin rolled to his feet and shoved her head down between her knees. “Come on, Sasha, don’t faint on me!”

He reached back to hit a button on the console behind him. “Laurel, get me a wet rag and smelling salts or some such shit.”

Seconds later, the door banged open and Devlin’s wife charged in. “Darn it, Devlin, I don’t have time for this. What did you do to her? You can’t yell at Sasha like you do your men.”

Poor Devlin. Sasha managed to draw in enough air to defend him. “He didn’t yell.”

“Then what’s wrong?” Laurel pressed a cool cloth against the back of Sasha’s neck.

“He told me about Larem.”

By then, Sasha had straightened up enough to see the look exchanged between Laurel and Devlin. What were they thinking?

“Just tell me he’s going to be okay.”

Laurel answered, “It’s been touch and go, but he’s stable now. We have him sequestered because it bothers some of the Paladins when they regain consciousness and sense a Kalith nearby.”

Then she sat down beside Sasha. “Their blood is different enough from ours that we didn’t want to transfuse him with either human or Paladin blood. Barak donated a pint for him, but it wasn’t enough. We had to make do with plasma and IV fluids, and then let nature take its course. Luckily, Larem has some of the same ability to heal as the Paladins do.”

“Can I see him?”

Again the looks flew between Laurel and Devlin. He arched a brow and she frowned. Finally, Laurel slowly nodded.

“Okay, but here’s the deal. If he’s awake, I’ll ask him if he wants to see you, and whatever he says goes. If he’s asleep, you can take a quick peek, but then you’re out of there. Right now, Larem needs rest more than he needs company.”

She softened that last remark with a small smile, but it still hurt more than it should have. There was no way Sasha would do anything that would adversely affect Larem’s recuperation. Still, she couldn’t fault the Handler for her caution. It was her job to protect her patients, no matter which side of the barrier they’d been born on.

Trying to appear calmer than she felt, Sasha nodded. “Whatever is best for Larem.”

While she waited, she turned back to Devlin and brought up another subject. “I’m guessing you haven’t had much time to work on your list of suggestions for me. With your men still on the mend, you’re shorthanded right now, so screw the report. It can wait.”

Devlin gave her a weary smile. “Thanks, I appreciate the attitude. Shouldn’t be more than a day or two before we’re back up to full strength—as long as the barrier decides to behave.”

Then the Paladin patted her on the back. “This thing with Larem was not your fault. When I find the bastard who was playing games with you, I’ll skewer him myself.”

She appreciated the sentiment, but it sure felt as if she was partly to blame. “Larem wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for me.”

“Yeah, but the guard who attacked him has a reputation of hating our Kalith friends. If the guy was bent on revenge, he could’ve just as easily attacked Larem some other time.”

“Maybe, but—”

Before Sasha could say more Laurel stuck her head back into the room. “Come on. He’s asleep.”

“I’ll be right there.” Sasha started for the door, then stopped to look back at Devlin. “Thanks for everything you and your men do for us all, Devlin. I figure that doesn’t get said nearly enough.”

He actually grinned. “Or at all.”

“Then I’ll add that to my list of things that should be changed around here. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

As she walked away, Devlin stretched out on the cot in the scan room, probably to stay close to his men. She closed the door softly and headed straight toward the curtain that separated Larem from the rest of the wounded.

“I think Devlin is conking out in the scan room,” she whispered to Laurel.

“I figured he might. He hates to go far when there are this many of his men down. Mine isn’t the only lab that’s full right now.”

Laurel motioned for Sasha to follow her. “It’s better that you don’t stay long. And speaking as a doctor, you should take it easy for a day or two yourself. Physically you might be fine, but emotionally is a whole different matter. Try to get away from the office this weekend and do something relaxing. If you need to talk, give me a call.”

“Thanks, Laurel.” She gestured toward the wounded men resting across the room. “All things considered, I don’t have much to complain about.”

“You sound just like Devlin. He bleeds for his men even when he isn’t one of the wounded himself. Go check on your friend. I’ve got a few things to finish up before my boss relieves me.”

If Sasha wasn’t mistaken, that was approval she saw in Laurel’s eyes. “I promise to keep the visit short.”

Now that the moment was upon her, she found herself reluctant to step beyond the curtain that sheltered Larem from the rest of the world. Talk about cowardly. Shaking her head in disgust, she moved the thin fabric out of her way.

Once again the tears started. His complexion, always pale, now had a bluish undertone that couldn’t be good. She cataloged his condition, noting that they had him hooked up to drains and IVs, and machines to monitor his recovery. Gone was the intensely vital warrior who had fought for her life. And in his place, there was this . . . this bruised and battered man who looked all too fragile. Was it really less than twenty-four hours ago?

She gently brushed a soft lock of his long hair back from his forehead. Coal black shot through with silver was such an odd color to frame such a young face. She doubted he was more than a year or two older than she was.

Her father would probably freak out big-time if she were to admit that she found a Kalith handsome. Heck, it wasn’t all that long ago that she would’ve laughed at the idea herself.

But not now.

She whispered a small prayer for his quick recovery. It was time to leave, although she did so reluctantly. Somebody should stay close by in case Larem needed anything, but she’d promised to keep her visit short. Maybe Laurel would allow her to return tomorrow if she kept her word and left quickly.

“Sleep tight, Larem. Get well fast.” She gave the sleeping man’s hand a gentle squeeze before bolting for the exit. The last thing she needed was for him to wake up and find her crying.