Defeat the Darkness (Paladins of Darkness 6)

by Alexis Morgan

  She couldn’t place the man’s accent even though it sounded vaguely familiar, but his quiet dignity and sympathetic tone helped convince her that leaving was best. How odd that both men had dark hair shot with gray when their faces placed them in their early thirties. Were they related? But now wasn’t the time for idle questions.

  She started out of the room. “Come this way.”

  Once they were in the kitchen, she motioned the two of them toward seats at the table. The second man had yet to say a word, not a surprise considering the bruising on his throat. She pulled a large bag of peas out of the freezer.

  “Here, maybe this will help.”

  “Thank you for your kindness.” He tried to smile but winced in pain. The rough gravel in his voice sounded worse than Hunter’s usually did.

  The silence from the shop seemed ominous. She needed something to do to keep busy. Tea. Without even asking if they’d like some, she filled her favorite teapot with hot water and added loose tea leaves, choosing a combination designed to soothe the throat. Her hands were shaking, and the cups rattled in their saucers as she carried them to the table.

  The bells over the shop door rang out, their sound jangling her already rattled nerves. Where were they taking Hunter? She started to charge out after them, but before she’d gone two steps, her way was blocked.

  “Please, Ms. Justice. You can trust D.J. and Lonzo to help Hunter regain control. They have a great deal of experience in such matters.”

  “But he’s hurting.” Her eyes stung with tears.

  “That he is, and with good reason. But as D.J. said, when Hunter can think clearly, he will not appreciate an audience, especially you.”

  Although he made no move to touch her, Tate suspected he would if that’s what it took to prevent her from leaving the kitchen.

  “Fine. I’ll wait. But if they hurt him, I will call the police and press charges, even if he won’t. Is that clear?” She had to tilt her head back at a painful angle to look him in the eye.

  He surprised her when he smiled. “I have great admiration for a woman fierce enough to defend her man. I am blessed to have such a lady in my own life.”

  Hunter wasn’t her man. Not really. But she couldn’t deny that her first instinct was to lash out at these four men for hurting him.

  “What’s her name?” she asked on her way back to the counter to pour the tea, not that his answer mattered. It just gave her something to concentrate on.

  “Lacey Sebastian. I am Barak q’Young, by the way, and my silent friend here is called Larem q’Jones.”

  Such odd names. Barak sat back down at the table, staying between her and the shop. He apparently took his guard duty seriously.

  “This tea is blended to soothe sore throats. I don’t know if it will help you or not, but I like the flavor even when I’m not sick,” she said as she handed Larem a cup.

  “Thank you.” Larem winced when he spoke, but he sighed with relief when he sipped the tea. “This feels quite good.”

  Barak agreed. “If circumstances allow for it, I would love to explore your selection of teas. I do drink coffee, but I have found I prefer tea. Have you owned this business long?”

  She allowed herself to be distracted. “My uncle opened the shop almost thirty years ago. I spent a lot of time with him as I was growing up. I always liked to experiment with different blends of herbs and spices.”

  She noticed that Larem had set the peas back down on the table. “Do you need another bag? I can get you some more if that one’s already thawed.”

  “No, I am fine.” His voice was much clearer.

  Odd. She had thought his neck was badly bruised, but the faint streaks of purple had already faded to red. Before she could comment, Lonzo appeared in the doorway. He looked at the two men first.

  “Larem, are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  Lonzo turned his attention toward Tate. “How about you? I’m figuring we scared you a bit.”

  No use in denying that. “All I want to know is if Hunter is okay.”

  Lonzo nodded and smiled at her. “More or less.” Then he gave Barak a pointed look. “He’s got himself back under control for the moment. D.J. said for you two to come back into the shop so he can introduce you.”

  Larem knocked back the rest of his tea and nodded his thanks to Tate. Barak did the same, bowing slightly before following his friend back to the shop.

  Lonzo hung back. “Give us a minute or two to settle a few things, and I’ll come back for you. We don’t want to overwhelm him again.”

  That did it. She was willing to cooperate up to a point, but this was her home, her shop. And Hunter was her friend; she wasn’t sure these guys could make the same claim.

  “I wasn’t the one who set him off this time.”

  “This time?” Lonzo frowned. “He’s done this before?”

  She shouldn’t have let that slip. If Hunter wanted them to know he was having problems, it certainly wasn’t her place to be telling them. Rather than elaborate, she asked a few questions of her own.

  “Who are you, anyway? What are you to Hunter? And why did Larem and Barak upset him like that?”

  “All good questions, Ms. Justice, but Hunter will have to be the one to explain.” He quickly backed out of the room, leaving her no chance to demand answers.

  She’d wait, but not for long. Opening her utensil drawer, she pulled out her favorite rolling pin. If they didn’t let her close to Hunter soon, she was going out there and knock a few heads together. Even if she needed a stepladder to do it.

  Shit, this was bad. Hunter would be lucky if Devlin didn’t haul his worthless ass back to Seattle and have someone shove a needle full of toxins in his arm. He’d been out of his head with the need to hurt somebody, and that’s all it took to condemn a Paladin to death. But, damn it, they should’ve known better than to let their pet Others drop in on him unannounced.

  Neither Barak nor Larem had made a single aggressive move in his direction, but it rubbed his control raw to have them within reach and off limits. They knew it, too. It was no accident that D.J. and Lonzo sat flanking him; there was no question whose side they were on, and it wasn’t his.

  “Hunter?”

  Oh, God, Tate. She sounded tentative as she poked her head into the shop. As soon as she spotted him, she headed straight for him, but the anger in her eyes was directed at his companions. When he saw the rolling pin in her hand, the big knot in his chest eased.

  He gripped the edge of his chair to keep from charging across the room to her. It was the second time he’d gone into meltdown in front of her. This had to stop. He’d lost too much of himself in that Missouri cave to ever come back from the edge. Even if she wasn’t terrified of him, he was terrified for her. What if he attacked her the next time his brain checked out and the rage took over?

  “Are you all right?” She stood just out of reach, clearly unsure of her welcome.

  “For now.”

  He kept his eyes focused on the table in front of him, but he saw her flinch in response to his abrupt answer. When he didn’t elaborate, she backed away.

  She cleared her throat and spoke again, this time in her best hostess voice. “Okay, gentlemen, since things are under control here, I’ll leave you alone. Before I go, would anyone like tea?”

  Hunter didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded. Barak and Larem did as well. Lonzo finally answered for all of them as the silence dragged out.

  “Don’t go to any trouble for us, Ms. Justice.”

  “It’s no trouble. It’s my job.”

  She retreated to the counter and busied herself filling pots and setting out cups and saucers. When she had everything ready, D.J. went to help her. He winked as he picked up the tray. She did not look amused.

  Hunter realized that if he hadn’t been in such a foul mood, he would’ve laughed at the sight of two Others—make that Kalith warriors—and two Paladins drinking out of Tate’s fussy china cups. She’d
set his usual mug down in front of him, which the other men eyed with no little jealousy. Without a single word, Tate had shown them who belonged in her shop and who didn’t. It didn’t change anything, but he appreciated the gesture.

  Once they finished their tea and the plate of warm scones she’d brought, they could get down to Paladin business. But not here.

  Gradually his four companions started talking amongst themselves. It was odd to hear Larem and Barak discussing the local baseball team’s season with Lonzo and D.J. If he closed his eyes, it was impossible to tell who was human and who wasn’t. Maybe that was a good thing, but right now it only made it harder for him to maintain control.

  He interrupted their conversation. “Gentlemen, I don’t know about you, but I could use a long walk.”

  “Sounds good.” Barak nodded and then approached Tate, pulling out his wallet. “How much do we owe you?”

  D.J. shifted slightly toward Hunter, ready to intercede if necessary. But there was no need. Even if Hunter hated having an Other pay for him, Tate was already shaking her head no.

  “My treat today. Next time I’ll let you buy.” She kept her eyes focused on her computer screen. She offered him a small brown paper bag. “I thought you might like to try this tea. It’s one of my custom blends.”

  “I thank you for your hospitality.” Barak dropped some bills in the tip jar anyway. “Perhaps next time, I’ll bring Lacey with me. I suspect the two of you have much in common.”

  Hunter walked out the door without looking back. It was the right thing to do, to start putting some distance between himself and Tate Justice, even it felt as if he’d ripped all of his old wounds open, leaving him bleeding and raw. As he stumbled down the steps, he drew what comfort he could from the cool feel of his cane’s ivory handle.

  D.J. hustled to catch up with him when they were out of direct sight of Tate’s house. “Why aren’t we headed back down the way you showed me the other day?”

  “I don’t want anyone seeing us showing too much interest in the trail.”

  “Meaning Tate.”

  Hunter smacked D.J. on the arm. “You think? Devlin tells me to play this low key and then you lead a fucking parade right into town. If you’d called ahead, I would’ve met you somewhere else.” He spun around to face D.J. head-on. “And you could’ve warned me who you were bringing with you.”

  Hunter shifted the grip on his cane so that he could wield it like a club. D.J. eyed it uneasily, which showed he was smarter than Hunter thought. “I don’t know what the hell you and Devlin were thinking, D.J. Maybe we could’ve avoided that whole fucking mess if you had called ahead.”

  Lonzo moved up beside Hunter. “And maybe we wouldn’t have. We’re all sorry Tate got sucked in like that, but we had to find out how you’d react if the five of us are going to be working together. Now we know.”

  Hunter stared back at the two Kalith males. Neither of them made a move in his direction, but he recognized warriors when he saw them. They hadn’t attacked him even though he’d given them enough provocation. Hunter knew that what had happened to him hadn’t been their fault, but it felt damned weird thinking that way.

  He relaxed his hand to let the cane slide back down to its normal position. Ignoring the two Paladins, he stuck his hand out to the one he’d choked. It was hard to tell who was more surprised by the gesture.

  “Let’s start over. I’m Hunter Fitzsimon, and I’m sorry I attacked you.”

  Larem’s smile started in his eyes. “I am Larem q’Jones. If it’s any comfort, I’m still trying to figure out how I ended up with a Paladin for a roommate.”

  He nodded in Lonzo’s direction. “However, fighting a common enemy has made the transition easier.”

  Barak laughed softly and offered his hand to Hunter as well. “My mate-to-be is the sister of a Paladin, and my own sister now lives with another of the Seattle Paladins. It makes for interesting family dinners.”

  Hunter studied Barak for a second or two. “I knew of you from your visit to Missouri when Trahern was there, but that was all. I regret my lapse in control.” Oddly enough, he meant it.

  “From the strength of your reaction, I suspect you had ample provocation.” Larem rubbed his neck. “I hope that we’re past that now.”

  Unfortunately, Hunter’s control was too hit-or-miss to promise that. “Let’s just say I’ll try my best to maintain when I’m around you and leave it at that.”

  “That is all we can ask,” Barak said in his quiet way. “Now, Devlin said you had a stretch of barrier in a cave for us to look at.”

  Feeling better than he had a few minutes ago, Hunter led them down to the beach from the far end, taking the same approach that his late-night visitors used.

  “They came this way, but the last time they cut through Tate’s backyard to the woods. I assume they use different routes to prevent anyone from picking up on any patterns. Last night they weren’t talking, but they weren’t particularly quiet in their approach. Previously, when they came up the trail and past Tate’s place, they talked the whole way.”

  “Ballsy of them.” Lonzo knelt down to study the trail. “It’s impossible to know for sure, but I think this print was made by a Kalith, since the sole is smooth. These others pretty much have to be human.”

  Hunter nodded in agreement. “Come on. We need to haul ass if we’re going to get around that point up there before high tide. We can check out the cave and then go uphill from there back to where you parked.”

  The five men walked single file around the narrow strip of rocks still above the tide mark. Once on the other side, the beach widened back out. Hunter stopped and looked back.

  “Maybe they choose their route based on the tide tables. It’s probably safer for them to come this way if they want to avoid being seen. But if the tide’s in, they have to come down the hill or go wading.”

  D.J. nodded. “That makes sense. Good thinking.”

  “We can post someone up there to watch this direction.” Hunter pointed up the bluff a short distance. “Getting up there won’t be easy, but it’s less likely we’d be spotted.”

  They continued on, winding their way up the hillside toward the narrow ledge that led to the cave. Hunter pointed out where he’d been hiding when the enemies had made their appearance. Then he led them, sidestepping, across to the cave.

  Hunter stood back, watching to see how Barak and Larem responded to the barrier. Both men stood within arm’s reach of its shimmering surface while the three Paladins waited in silence.

  Finally, Barak spoke. “This strip would be relatively easy for someone with my talents to bring down on command.”

  “Your talents?” Hunter asked, although he suspected he already knew the answer.

  “There are those rare ones among our kind who are gifted with the ability to work with stone and the barrier. My sister and I both have the gift. It is safe to assume that the Kalith who passed through here last night does as well.”

  Larem looked disgusted. “That narrows the field down to no more than a handful of possible culprits.”

  “The Guildmaster being at the top of the list.” There was no mistaking the bitterness in Barak’s voice. “I would give a great deal to catch him on this side of the barrier.”

  Hunter had no idea who the Guildmaster was, but it was obvious that both Lonzo and D.J. had at least a working knowledge of him.

  “He seems more the type to send someone else to do his dirty work.” Lonzo shifted his weight, his hand on his hip, as if reaching for the sword he wasn’t carrying. “Wouldn’t Berk be keeping a close eye on him?”

  Hunter was starting to feel as if he were watching a foreign film with no subtitles. “Okay, I’m lost here. Who’s the Guildmaster and who’s Berk?”

  Barak was the one to answer. “In our world, we have warriors who serve to protect our people. They work in groups of four, in what I believe you would call a squad. The leader of such a group is a Sworn Guardian, the other three serve as his or h
er Blade. The Guildmaster is the man who is in charge of all of the Blades in a given region. Unfortunately, the current Guildmaster is a man of no honor.”

  Larem took up where Barak left off. “He has betrayed our people in many ways. Berk is one of the Sworn Guardians working to catch those who have been dealing with someone from your world, trading our blue stones to the humans. We don’t know what the Guildmaster gets in return.”

  “Well, I guess the next time he passes through, we’ll have to ask him.” Hunter’s smile had nothing at all to do with being friendly.

  Larem surprised him by clapping him on the shoulder. “I will enjoy being part of that particular discussion.”

  Hunter winced at the contact, still not comfortable with being touched. Well, except by Tate, but that was over. At least he managed to control his reactions enough to not take another swing at Larem.

  As the men watched, the intense colors of the barrier flared brighter. As they fluctuated, streaks of sickly green and yellow flowed through the stream of energy.

  “Son of a bitch! It’s going down.” Hunter hit the button on his cane and yanked the blade out, ready to protect his companions. “Back out of here. If they come across, you don’t want to be trapped in here unarmed.”

  Both D.J. and Lonzo had drawn small revolvers, but the narrow confines of the cave made it no place to start shooting. Possible ricochets weren’t the only problem. The barrier could be ripped apart by bullets. “Come on, Barak, Larem, get moving.”

  Larem did as they asked, but Barak stood his ground. He held his hands out in front of him, palms forward. Sweat poured off his face, as if he struggled to push against an invisible foe.

  Hunter froze, staring at the barrier. Slowly at first, and then more rapidly, the putrid colors faded away, leaving behind only the vibrant colors of the barrier when at full strength. When the last bit of sallow green was gone, Barak slumped forward and let his hands drop to his sides.

  D.J. stepped forward to offer support. He wrapped Barak’s arm around his shoulders, then muscled him toward the mouth of the cave.

  “He’ll be all right in a few minutes, but let’s get out of here in case his fix doesn’t hold. It’s doubtful that a bunch of Others are waiting to come party at this particular site, but you never know. I’d rather be outside the cave, where we can use our guns if necessary.”