Defeat the Darkness (Paladins of Darkness 6)

by Alexis Morgan

  If Tate wasn’t mistaken, her mother had actually sounded happy and hopeful. The big shocker was that Sandra was applying for jobs and hadn’t even hinted once that she needed Tate to send money. Even if miracles could happen and Sandra was finally growing up, the call had left Tate unsettled.

  If her mother could face her demons, Tate should face hers, even if her particular demon didn’t want to talk. Maybe he was afraid she’d read more into that one afternoon than he was ready for, but how was she supposed to know what he was thinking if he wouldn’t even talk to her?

  For once, none of his buddies were around. Earlier, she’d braced herself for a confrontation and marched over to his apartment to have a talk, only to find him gone. So now she was waiting and watching for him to return.

  The hours dragged by as she watched late-night television, trying to stay awake. Every fifteen minutes she looked out the window to see if the lights had come on in his apartment. So far, they remained depressingly dark.

  Thirty more minutes and then she’d turn in. But she’d set her alarm for earlier than normal to give herself time to go pound on his door at the crack of dawn. If he was going to cost her sleep like this, then she would return the favor.

  She checked all three of her vantage points. The first one gave her a view of the road. After checking both directions and seeing no sign of Hunter, she moved to look out toward the garage. No lights and no Hunter climbing the steps.

  That left the woods out back, not that she could see much past the first few trees. No Hunter. No suspicious shadows. No luck. She plopped back down in her chair and tried to concentrate on the movie. In fifteen more minutes, she’d make the rounds again.

  Why was it so important for her to see him tonight? The honest answer was she didn’t know. There was just something driving her to make sure he was all right. Sure, she’d like to know if he’d been avoiding her, but it was more than that.

  She checked the clock. Only twelve more minutes to go. She hoped he was okay.

  Nights perched on the rocky hillside were taking a toll on Hunter’s ass, not to mention his leg. He wasn’t even supposed to be on duty, but D.J. had called to say they were running late, and he’d asked Hunter to fill in. An hour later, he’d called again to say they’d been further delayed. Basically, Hunter should expect them when he saw them.

  Because Hunter hadn’t planned to be there so long, he hadn’t brought all of his usual gear with him. Lately, he’d actually considered bringing down a folding lawn chair but had decided against it. He couldn’t guard the place 24/7 and didn’t want to risk anyone stumbling across his chosen spot. He supposed he could always take the chair back and forth each night, but that was a pain, too. Besides, it would only increase the risk of Tate getting too curious about what he was up to every night.

  She’d gone back to watching him. Even from a distance he could feel the weight of her gaze and all the questions swirling around in that busy brain of hers. Barak had reported back to him that she’d been friendly when he’d stopped in to try another one of her teas, but she hadn’t pressed him for information of any kind, much less about Hunter.

  They all thought it was a bit weird that she wasn’t more suspicious of three Paladins and two Kalith warriors, even if she didn’t know them by those descriptions. He still wondered if he’d been mistaken about the odd look she’d given Barak and Larem that first day. He’d been too fractured at the time to trust his own perceptions of the events, but he was certain there had been something surprising about her reaction.

  But both Larem and Barak had been around off and on since that day, and she’d treated them both with the same friendly courtesy she did everyone else. Maybe Hunter should drop in for tea tomorrow and see if he could work the conversation around to them.

  He rolled his shoulders and slowly stretched his leg before starting back up the bluff. He checked his watch. When D.J. and company finally did show up, they could finish out the night, but he’d had enough. Besides, based on their enemies’ previous arrivals, if they were going to come calling, they’d have done so by now. If Penn or one of the Kalith warriors had been there with him, they could’ve taken turns dozing. He could only do so much alone.

  Leaning on his cane, he stood up. On the whole, his leg had continued to improve, but these cool, damp nights near the water didn’t help it much. It always took him a few steps before he could trust it would support his weight.

  He gathered up his empty cans and sandwich wrappers and stuck them in his pack. He slung it over his shoulder and started up the trail, taking his time to enjoy the night sounds and the distant whisper of the waves washing up on the beach below. His night vision enabled him to walk through the darkness without tripping over rocks and the occasional root jutting up in the path ahead.

  It wasn’t until after he’d covered half the distance up the hillside that he realized he wasn’t alone. Two men were headed directly for him, probably both humans, since they carried flashlights. Their voices drifted toward him, but the distance was too great for him to understand much. One made mention of a flat tire, his voice hot with anger. The other made placating noises but mumbled too much for Hunter to decipher his reply.

  If Hunter hid in the trees along the trail, maybe he could learn something that would help Devlin and company track the bastards back to their lair. Moving slowly so as not to draw their attention, he started toward the deeper shadows in a thick cluster of trees.

  But as he took a step to his left, a familiar sound coming from right behind him made his blood freeze. The rasp of cold steel sliding out of its sheath had him spinning around to face the closer threat. A Kalith warrior headed straight toward him, his blade up and the promise of death in his pale eyes.

  Hunter needed to buy enough time to draw his own sword out of the cane, so he swung his pack at the charging Other. The straps tangled on the Other’s blade, jerking the canvas bag from Hunter’s grasp and at the same time deflecting the blow meant to separate his head from his neck.

  He retreated back into the trees to make it harder for the bastard to get off a clean swing. He could still do Hunter considerable harm, but the limited space would reduce how much power the Kalith could put into his attack.

  Hunter pushed the button on his cane and yanked the blade clear of its ebony sheath. He considered using the wooden casing as a club but figured it would shatter the first time it blocked an attack. Besides, he didn’t want to be the one to tell Jarvis he’d fucked up his family heirloom beyond repair.

  He must be nuts to be worrying about such a stupid thing right then! He had bigger problems, like figuring out where the two humans had gone. They might not have swords, but they probably did have guns. One way or the other, he was outnumbered. At best, he could hope to take as many of the three down with him as he could.

  Now that he was properly armed, he smiled at the circling Kalith. “Okay, you bastard, bring it on.”

  There was no way for Hunter to keep track of the humans, not while he was facing one of the best swordsmen he’d ever come across. The Others he usually faced were out of their minds in battle lust, making them desperate and careless. This guy was coldly calculating in his attacks, doing his best to back Hunter into a thicket, which would leave him no room to maneuver. Hunter charged forward, ducking to miss another well-placed swing of his enemy’s sword.

  Or at least he tried to duck. He’d had enough sword cuts over his career to know that this one would be painful and bloody but not fatal. Too bad the fight didn’t end there. Instead, the coppery scent of Hunter’s blood scented the night air, driving his opponent to try even harder to finish him off.

  But that wasn’t going to happen, even if Hunter had to turn tail and run. He’d already died too many times at the hands of this Kalith’s buddies. Ignoring the pain in his arm and the cramping in his weak leg, he watched for an opening, figuring he’d only get one good shot at taking this guy out before his human friends showed up to join the party.

  He fei
nted forward, then dropped back just as quickly, which made the Kalith lunge right at him. Perfect. Hunter swung his narrow blade out and then up, right into the Kalith’s side. The point sliced through clothing and flesh with equal ease, sending the Kalith stumbling backward to the ground.

  Hunter yanked his blade free of his enemy’s gut. As he prepared to finish the job, a gunshot rang out through the night. The impact knocked Hunter sideways over the edge of the trail, sending him bouncing down the hillside.

  He wanted to scream, and God knows, he needed to scream. But between the bullet hole in his side and the wind being knocked out of him, all he could do was whimper. The quiet of the woods slowly settled around him as he prayed for the darkness to ease his pain and hide him from his enemies.

  Hushed voices came closer, and then faded away. What were they saying? The calmer one was adamant about getting the Kalith back to the cave and shoving him back to the other side, where his own people could stitch him up. That made sense: they wouldn’t risk a human doctor discovering the anomalies in the Other’s blood, which would mark him as anything but human.

  The crazed one wanted to charge down the hillside, looking for Hunter. They probably wouldn’t give him a vote in their final decision, but Hunter really preferred that they take care of their friend. He even started to raise his hand to get them to call on him before he realized what a stupid move that would be.

  God, what was wrong with him? He couldn’t remember if blood loss always made him this giddy, but he definitely wasn’t firing on all cylinders at the moment. He was cold, he hurt, and he wasn’t sure he could hold off sliding into oblivion for much longer. Maybe he’d stave off the darkness if he thought about something other than his pain and his enemies. Tate. Yeah, he could think about her.

  Those blue eyes and how they’d looked as he’d made love to her, driving them both hard toward the finish line. How her soft body cushioned his much bigger, harder one. How sweet she’d tasted wherever he’d kissed her. Oh, yeah, that was better. Lots of details came to mind. How her breasts had fit his hands perfectly and her body had fisted his cock like a warm glove. God, he wished he’d told her how good it had been for him.

  The darkness nipped at the edges of his mind again, and this time there was no stopping it. If he was going to die again, at least his mind was in a better place. His last thought was that he’d really like to live long enough to make love to Tate Justice again.

  The thirty-minute deadline had come and gone over an hour ago, and Tate still couldn’t relax enough to go to sleep. What was wrong with her? If Hunter wanted to stay gone all night long, it was none of her business. He was a grown man and could take care of himself.

  But something kept drawing her back to the window, to check one last time to see if he’d made it home safely. His truck was parked right where it belonged, but it had been there the whole time. Where had he gone on foot?

  He was down on the trail again. He had to be. The idiot, hadn’t she warned him how dangerous it was once the sun set? But big macho man that he was, he thought he was immune to a simple trip and fall that could knock him senseless or break his neck. What he chose to do, stupid or not, wasn’t her problem, she reminded herself for the millionth time.

  Which, of course, was why she’d put her jeans and shirt back on before heading out the back door, a flashlight in her hand and her cell phone in her pocket. She’d march down to the beach to find out one way or the other if her renter had lost what few marbles God gave men to play with. Once she had Hunter in her sights, she planned on ripping into him but good. He was long overdue for a lecture on common sense and courtesy.

  That is, if he was all right when she found him. If he wasn’t, she’d deal with his injuries and then lecture him on common sense. Either way, she was going to get it through his thick skull that he shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. She understood that it was hard for him to be inside once the sun went down. But he could find a safer place to outpace his demons than a rough trail that wound through the woods and down a steep bluff.

  She stopped when she got to the porch. Maybe she should check his apartment first in case he’d slipped past her vigil. It wasn’t as if she’d been watching for him every minute. She sprinted across the grass and up the steps. As she raised her hand to rap on the door, she was reminded of the last time she’d appeared at his door unexpectedly.

  And look where that had gotten her—on her back in his bed. Well, that wasn’t going to happen tonight. She was here on a rescue mission, and that was all. But the images of that afternoon left her breasts feeling heavy and a heated ache between her legs.

  Ignoring her body’s hunger for his, she pounded on the door again. When there was no sign of life inside the apartment, she tried the knob and found it unlocked. Feeling guilty for invading Hunter’s privacy, she ventured inside.

  “Hunter? Are you here?”

  She flipped the switch next to the door and blinked at the glaring brightness. From where she stood, she could see that both the bathroom and the living room were empty. That left one more place to check. The memories of the last time she’d crossed the threshold of his bedroom had her hesitating to push the door open, but finally she did.

  The bed was rumpled, as if he’d made a halfhearted effort to make it, but it was definitely unoccupied. Feeling an odd mixture of disappointment and relief, she backed out into the living room. Okay, she’d eliminated one possibility. That left the beach.

  She turned off the light on her way outside and pulled the door closed. Rather than immediately heading down the steps, she waited for her eyes to readjust to the darkness. From where she stood, she could see most of her backyard, as well as the road that ran along the front of her property. She thought she heard the low rumble of a powerful engine in the distance.

  She leaned forward, as if those couple of inches would help her hear better. Yes, there was definitely some kind of vehicle at the far end of the road, but it was too distant for her to make out any details. Was that same truck back? There was no way to know for sure, but the mere possibility ramped up the sense of urgency she’d been battling all night.

  Hunter was in trouble, though how she knew that she had no idea. She just did. Within seconds she pounded down the steps and took off for the woods. She had to find him. Inside the tree line she slowed down, knowing she wouldn’t be any good to him if she didn’t keep her head.

  She kept her light focused on the ground just ahead of her feet, determined not to make the same mistakes she made last time. Even if Hunter was lurking in those same shadows, that would be all right. At least she’d know he was okay, and they could finish what they’d started up against that big tree. But no, she soon passed the spot where Hunter had grabbed her that first time, and there was still no sign of him.

  As she went farther along the path, she began sweeping the flashlight in a broad arc, looking for a sign that someone had recently passed through. So far, nothing, but rather than finding it reassuring, her pulse was doing a salsa.

  As her light made a return sweep, it caught the edge of something that looked out of place. She slowed down and repeated the same arc, this time slower. There, on the left. Keeping the flashlight focused on the scrap of red poking out from under a bush, she hurried forward.

  It was a backpack, but there was nothing that identified it as Hunter’s. One of the straps had been sliced in half, and there was a long gash along one side, the kind made by a sharp blade. Her stomach cramped tight with fear. Now was the time for panic. Focusing on the ground, she looked around for any other evidence. She muttered a heartfelt curse when she spotted a familiar-looking black tube and bent down to pick it up.

  Although it was missing its ivory handle, she knew she was looking at Hunter’s cane. How had the wolf’s head broken off without damaging the wood? More questions and damn few answers.

  She studied the ground, spotting a few tracks that looked fresh, but they told her nothing. Having gleaned what little she could from the gro
und, she studied the bushes and undergrowth around the area. Several limbs were bent and a few were broken off entirely, as if there’d been a fight.

  Should she start calling Hunter’s name? No, only as a last resort. Whoever had attacked him—if that’s even what had happened—could still be lurking in the area. She was taking enough of a risk just using her flashlight.

  As if to underscore the need for caution, she heard what sounded like a moan. She froze. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on trying to distinguish that same soft noise from the normal murmurings of the night.

  There it was again. Cautiously, she approached the edge of the trail where it dropped off sharply. One of the low bushes was torn out by the roots, and another one showed definite signs of having been squashed flat. If Hunter had veered off the path there, it hadn’t been of his own volition, that was certain.

  She had to find out for sure. If he was down there, he could be badly hurt—or worse. The going quickly got dicey, leaving her no option but to tuck her flashlight in the waistband of her jeans to free up both hands. Grabbing onto saplings and low branches, she made her way down the first ten feet before stopping again. Leaning against the stout trunk of a cedar tree, she pulled out the flashlight to take another look around.

  Oh, dear God! Even with the dim light and dark shadows, she knew that was no downed tree she was looking at. It took all the willpower she could muster not to go tearing down the hillside to reach Hunter. If she was going to be of any help to him, she had to approach cautiously.

  He stirred slightly and moaned. He was obviously hurt, but definitely alive.