“She’d only make me drag you right back here, kicking and screaming.”
“Make up your mind. First you say that I have to leave; now you’re telling me I must stay.”
Unless he was mistaken, there was a certain amount of sympathy in Bane’s eyes. “I’m working on a plan. The only way she’ll let you go is if she believes that you’ll be happier with the move.”
That was unlikely when Laurel was the only real friend he had, but for her sake he’d be willing to dissemble a bit. Barak nodded slowly. “Tell me about this plan.”
“Explain to me again how this came about.”
Dr. Laurel Young glared at the two of them with her hands on her hips. Barak drew some comfort from knowing that most of her temper was aimed directly at Devlin, not him. She was right to question her lover’s motives in finding Barak a new position within the Regents’ organization. As far as she knew, Barak was perfectly content to work in her lab. Now, with no warning at all, Devlin—hardly Barak’s biggest fan—was claiming that Barak wanted nothing more out of life than the opportunity to work in the Geology Department.
She rounded on Barak when Devlin started repeating himself. “You’ve never said anything about this before.”
Keeping his eyes firmly on Laurel, Barak did his best to look both innocent and sincere. “I never thought it would be possible. But when we were in St. Louis helping out Trahern, Devlin learned that the study of stone has been a special interest of mine. Until we knew for certain that the transfer would work out, I didn’t want to say anything.”
Bane didn’t know exactly how special that interest really was, and that was a secret Barak planned on taking to his grave.
“If you’re sure…”
Her easy acceptance of his transfer told him all too clearly how difficult having him around had become for her. He wanted to shake her for not having told him, but that would ruin his and Devlin’s carefully laid plan.
“I’m sure, Laurel.” He stepped forward to take her hand, ignoring the waves of disapproval coming from Devlin. “I need to feel useful. You have given me time to learn the ways of this world, but my value in the lab is limited. It’s time for me to make my own way, and this is how I can best be of service.”
She narrowed her eyes. After a long look at her lover, as if to warn him not to say anything, she pulled Barak close for a hug. Barak knew he shouldn’t prolong the embrace, but it had been so long since anyone had been willing to hold him….
Rather than test Bane’s patience, Barak broke off the hug and put a small distance between himself and Laurel. When he saw the small tear trailing down her cheek, he allowed himself the small privilege of wiping it away with the pad of his thumb.
“There’s no call for tears, Laurel. It’s not like I’m going far. The Geology Department is located in the Seattle Underground, not far from Devlin’s office.”
Devlin pushed himself back into the conversation. “Yeah, and let me tell you that we’re all thrilled, knowing he’ll be so close by. Trahern’s already planning a tea party in Barak’s honor, and Brenna has him practicing drinking out of tiny cups with his pinky held out.”
The image of the cold-eyed Trahern serving tea and scones had Laurel smiling again—no doubt the effect Devlin had been aiming for. Neither he nor Barak could tolerate seeing her unhappy.
“Well, at least you’ll be in good company.” This time her smile was more genuine. “You know that you’ll always be welcome back here with me.”
Not if Bane had anything to say about it—but Barak left that unsaid.
“Like hell he’s coming here!”
Penn Sebastian gave his shopping basket a shove, sending it careening into the brick wall. The new dent barely showed, and Lacey wondered how much more abuse it could take before her brother had to go scrounging for another one.
“I didn’t have any say in the matter, Penn.” Hot tempers were the status quo among Paladins, but lately Penn’s had been worse than usual. Ever since his sword hand had been badly damaged in a vicious battle, he’d become more and more volatile.
Penn crossed his arms over his chest and blocked her way into the Center. “So why are you getting saddled with this low-life Other?”
Though Lacey agreed with Penn, she reined in her own temper. If Penn got busted for fighting one more time, the Regents might confine him to quarters or, worse yet, decide that he was too unstable to continue on as a Paladin. And his kind didn’t retire to enjoy their old age: a Paladin either died in combat or he was chained to a steel slab and executed.
“Evidently he wasn’t working out in the medical lab. According to Devlin Bane, this Other of his has a special interest in geology. In exchange for major funding increases, my department head agreed to take him on as a lab assistant on a trial basis.”
According to her boss, the Other was actually to be treated as an equal by everyone, but she wasn’t about to tell Penn that. The whole idea made her absolutely furious; she could just imagine how her brother would react.
“Meaning what? That for a few bucks, Bane keeps Barak from sniffing around his girlfriend? Instead, the scum will be hitting on my sister.” Penn clearly wasn’t going to back down anytime soon.
“It’s more than a few bucks, and I can use the help. Toting all that equipment around isn’t easy, especially on the steeper slopes.” She smiled with a confidence she didn’t really feel. “I’ll make sure he knows I have a big, bad Paladin for a brother. That should scare him into behaving.”
“Not anymore.” Penn tried without success to flex his right hand. “I couldn’t hold a sword long enough to scare anybody.”
The doctors had warned Penn there was no guarantee that he’d ever get full motion back in his hand. An Other had come close to severing Penn’s hand completely, and the recovery process had been slow and painful. She couldn’t remember the last time Penn had been really happy.
“You’re not helpless, Penn. If you were, they wouldn’t trust you to guard the Center.”
That much was true, but holding a gun or rifle wasn’t the same as being able to fight with a sword. Until he could handle a blade, Penn couldn’t protect the barrier in the tunnels down below the city and the surrounding area. The desire to serve near the barrier beat strongly in the heart of every Paladin, and Penn could feel the fluctuations in the beautifully colored sheet of energy that separated their world from dark madness on the other side. Until he could do the job he was born to do, Penn would be a miserable man.
“Well, I’ve got to get inside or I’ll be late for work.” She would have given her brother a quick hug, but he was in his usual disguise of a derelict living on the streets. If she got too close, some of that grime and stink he worked so hard to perfect would get on her clothes.
He grinned. “What? No sisterly kiss for me before I let you pass? How about a hug?”
She laughed and held up her hands, backing away. “No way, bro. Not unless you’re willing to pay my cleaning bill.”
“All right, I’ll let you get inside.” Then he turned serious again. “But if this Barak fellow gives you any trouble at all, I want to be the first to know. Even if I can’t handle a sword, his kind isn’t immune to bullets. I’d be glad to remind him of that fact.”
“Thanks…I think.”
After keying in the security code, she stepped into the dim interior of the Center. Leaning against the cool tiled wall, she waited for her pulse to slow down. It was hard enough to deal with her own frustrations without having to take on Penn’s as well.
Her boss had warned her not to walk into the meeting with a chip on her shoulder. Somehow she was supposed to hide her feelings from her boss, Devlin Bane, and the Other himself. How could she, when she hated and despised everything about the Others and the havoc they caused whenever the barrier went down?
At least Dr. Louis had given her some warning. He’d called her at home last night to break the news, knowing if he’d waited until she’d reported to work, she would likely have w
alked right out again. It had taken her a solid hour to unclench her teeth. How was she supposed to work side by side with one of the monsters that had not only killed her brother twice but had nearly crippled him as well?
Was any amount of money worth the constant uproar over a monster in their midst? Why didn’t someone just skewer the Other and be done with it? She’d be glad to provide the sword.
Lacey pushed herself away from the wall and started the long walk down to her office, reminding herself each step of the way of all the badly needed equipment this Barak’s presence could bring. Though Dr. Louis would hang onto most of the money for his own pet projects, the small fraction he’d promised her would be a welcome addition to her funding.
Once she’d been sure that she could be civil, she had tried without success to call Laurel Young, hoping to talk to her about Barak. She’d email the Handler later to see if she’d be willing to answer a few questions over lunch in the next couple of days.
Until Laurel had forced Devlin Bane to spare Barak’s life, she’d been well respected. Now there were grumblings about the Handler, and maybe that was why they’d found a new spot for the Other. The Geology Department was certainly less high profile than the medical branch of Research.
Lacey checked the time. If she hurried, she could record the latest readings from Mount St. Helens before reporting to her boss’s office for the official meeting. Focusing on work might keep her calm enough to make it through the day.
On the other hand, maybe she’d do everyone a favor and kill the Other herself.
* * *
Chapter 2
Barak watched Bane pace the floor while the nervous gaze of Dr. Louis, the head of the Geology Department, flitted back and forth between the Paladin and Barak.
Which of them worried the elderly professor more? Devlin Bane, the most fearsome of all the Paladins, or Barak himself? Since the professor had never met one of Barak’s kind before, he probably expected him to drool and make animal noises. If Barak’s existence didn’t depend on his continued good behavior, he might have indulged in some theatrics just to see the older man’s reaction. Bane might find it amusing.
Or not. The Paladin had gone to great lengths to arrange this meeting; he wouldn’t appreciate anything that might jeopardize its success.
Footsteps out in the hallway had all three men watching the door to see if they continued on past, or if the mysterious fourth member of the party had finally arrived. The doorknob began to turn, and Barak leaned back in his chair, doing his best to look disinterested.
Then the door opened. Why hadn’t Bane told him that his new coworker wasn’t a dusty old geology professor but a beautiful young woman? One with hair the color of the sun and huge blue eyes filled with a fierce intelligence and barely controlled fury. Her rapid pulse thrummed in his ears, and her breath was shallow. Her cheekbones were flushed with color, her passion running high.
After a brief hesitation, he rose to his feet and waited for someone to make introductions. Instead, the human female took matters into her own hands.
She gave Devlin Bane and her boss a curt nod. “Devlin. Dr. Louis.”
At first Barak thought she was going to ignore his presence, but once again she surprised him. She closed the distance between them and held out her hand. He was familiar with the custom of shaking hands, but so far none of the other humans had extended that offer to him.
He almost fumbled but managed to fit his hand to hers with some semblance of grace. She tightened her grip briefly as she said, “I’m Lacey Sebastian. Dr. Lacy Sebastian.”
Her slight emphasis on her title was a clear reminder of who would be in charge. He briefly met her gaze head-on, then looked away before it could be taken as a challenge to her authority. It wasn’t in him to be subservient to anyone, but he’d prefer to ease his way with as few complications as possible.
“My name is Barak. Barak q’Young.” He nearly smiled when Devlin flinched at his newly acquired last name. Laurel had gifted Barak with use of her surname when he had needed one for all the official papers. It was yet another claim he had on Bane’s woman, and the Paladin’s displeasure pleased him.
Lacey withdrew her hand and smiled a bit too brightly at her boss. “Sir, shall we get started? The mountain is rumbling again, and I would like to get back to the monitors.”
“Yes, of course, Dr. Sebastian.” Dr. Louis shuffled the stack of papers in front of him as if searching for the crucial one. Finally, he settled for lacing his fingers together and laying his hands on top of the files. “We all know that Mr., uh, q’Young has agreed to come work in the Geology Department here at the Center.”
The man looked as if he’d swallowed something bitter. The woman felt the same way as her boss; she was just better at hiding her feelings. But they were there, running full throttle just under the surface.
Barak studied her profile, liking what he saw. There was strength in that face, and intelligence as well. But it was her energy that drew his eye. His hand still tingled from their brief touch. How much more powerful would it be to hold her in his arms or to taste her lips? Lacey Sebastian had a pool of deep passions she kept carefully hidden, just as the volcanoes she studied kept their true natures blanketed by snow and ice. For the first time, he felt the faint stirrings of real interest in his new job.
“What will my duties be?” He settled back into his chair.
Dr. Louis shuffled his papers again before finally answering. “You’ll be working alongside Dr. Sebastian, helping with her studies.”
Dr. Sebastian’s smile grew more brittle around the edges. “I’m still working on the specifics. I’ll have to let you know.”
Barak didn’t push for a better answer. It didn’t take a psychic to know that Dr. Sebastian definitely needed additional time to adjust to the situation that had been thrust upon her. Besides, he was in no mood for a major confrontation, especially with her—unless it involved them getting naked and burning off their anger with some hot, sweaty sex. But the chances of a human female wanting to couple with him, particularly one who knew who and what he was, were pretty slim. He shifted slightly in his chair to hide his physical response to her.
“So everything is settled, and I can go?” Devlin already had his hand on the doorknob, ready to exit.
Barak rose to his feet and offered Lacey his most formal bow. “Let me know when and where I should report for duty, Dr. Sebastian. My number is in the file that Devlin put together for you.” Nodding curtly in the direction of Dr. Louis, he followed Devlin out the door.
When they were safely out of hearing, Devlin slowed his steps. “Look, Barak, I know this sucks for you, but it’s for the best. We both know that.”
“I agree.”
Bane looked at Barak as if he had expected more of an argument, but Barak wasn’t in the mood to fight. Working in the Geology Department certainly involved considerable risk on his part, but right now it seemed worth it. That might change as the days played out, but at least for now he’d be working alongside one of the few human women who apparently wasn’t afraid to touch him, even if she did hate him.
For the first time in days he felt like smiling. Maybe a small celebration was in order.
“I don’t know about you, Devlin, but I’m thirsty. What do you say about stopping somewhere, as you would say, for a cold one?”
Devlin didn’t hesitate. “You’re on.”
Isolating herself in her office failed to soothe her. A hot cup of tea didn’t help, either. Finally, Lacey pulled out the big guns and went straight for the chocolate. Half a dozen miniature candy bars later, the knots in her stomach and the pounding behind her eyes began to ease up. Leaning back in her desk chair, she closed her eyes and savored the last two bars in the bag.
She promised herself ten extra minutes on the treadmill later for her sins, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret one single bite. She had far more important problems to worry about than a few extra calories. Like what she was going to do with
an Other haunting her every working moment. She’d grown up hearing about Penn’s encounters with the monsters from the world across the barrier, and she felt betrayed at a gut level where trust would never come as easy again.
No one had ever told her how very human the Others looked—or that one could be so handsome. She had no idea what exactly she’d been expecting when she’d stepped into the conference room, but Barak q’Young certainly wasn’t it.
Those silver eyes had shown no signs of madness, only a quiet intelligence that saw far too much. If she hadn’t been honor bound to hate the man and his entire race, she might even have thought him attractive despite his pale coloring.
It was hard to guess his age, with that dark hair shot through with silver highlights. Thirty? Forty? Maybe his kind aged slowly, like the Paladins did. But none of that mattered. She had no reason to be thinking so much about Barak, except to decide what duties he would be best suited for.
Taking out the trash? Mopping floors? Cleaning bathrooms?
She took some malicious pleasure in the idea, but she also knew that her boss would not allow her to get away with such nonsense. If the man really did have some knowledge of geology, then she would avail herself of his talent as much as possible. With the department’s limited resources, she couldn’t afford not to. It was hard enough to get Professor Louis to fund any of her research because he didn’t believe she’d ever find a way to predict eruptions or earthquakes. The only reason he gave her any support was because her brother was a Paladin. That relationship carried considerable weight within the Regents’ organization.
The outer lab door opened and slammed closed. She sat up straighter and wiped her mouth with a napkin to hide the evidence that she’d been indulging herself in a pity party of massive proportions. The soft squeak of athletic shoes on the concrete floor made it easy to track her guest’s approach to her door, and Lacey smiled in anticipation. A knock wasn’t long in coming.
In Darkness Reborn Page 2
