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Redeemed in DarknessAlexis MorganHer warrior heart admired his skill; her woman’s body admired him on a whole different level….Lusahn dropped the bundle of clothing on the ground. “Put these on. The shirt and pants should fit. You’ll have to wear your own…”She lost the word she was looking for at the sight of Cullen stripping off his shirt. His skin was smooth and golden, his muscles flexing as he moved. She forced her eyes down to the ground and away from all of that skin that her fingers itched to touch. As soon as they reached his feet, the word came back to her. “Shoes. You must wear your shoes.”When he reached for the fastening on his pants, she felt her face go hot and turned away, pretending to be standing watch. As a Guardian, she had served alongside men for years. It was nothing for her and her Blade to strip in front of each other, but that was different. They were her kind and of her world.This Cullen Finley disturbed her in ways she did not understand. She kept her eyes fi
Acknowledgments I ’d like to acknowledge all those fans who take the time out of their busy days to let me know how much my Paladins have meant to them. Thank you for making my work such a joy!
Chapter 1 T he barrier shimmered and stretched thin, its beautiful cascade of color giving way to streaks of sickly light. Lusahn shared her brother Barak’s ability to read the barrier’s moods and knew it would fail soon. Very soon.She drew her sword, its familiar weight grounding her against the emotions threatening to shatter her control: anger, grief, and a deep sense of betrayal that made her blood boil.Barak was alive.Alive, but living and thriving among the enemy. The evidence of his treason was a note he’d written and tossed across from the enemy world into hers. By the laws of her people, he was condemned, only awaiting the swing of a sword to carry out the execution. Her sword, her duty. Her brother.She closed her eyes.She had grieved over him when he’d sought out the light of the other world, knowing that it meant certain death at the hands of Earth’s warrior clan. Yet as she’d mourned his passing, she’d at least understood it.Glaring at the note in her hand, she once again r
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 T he scene had the feel of a cloudy winter day, giving the air a dank chill that cut clean through to the bone. Except this sky was devoid of clouds, with the dim circle of a pale yellow star perched just above the horizon. A stark white moon loomed overhead, reflecting only the barest hint of the star’s warmth.Vegetation was scant and scraggly, nothing at all like the lush green of the Pacific Northwest. In the valley below, buildings were laid out in a regular pattern, regimented in their position and style. None were more than three stories tall, which gave the city a strangely stunted look. He took a step forward to get a better look, but Lusahn caught his arm and pulled him back.“You are acting like you’ve never seen this place before!” Her words came in an angry whisper.“I haven’t,” he reminded her with a smile. “You’re right, though. Sorry.”He turned his attention to the path in front of them. They’d stepped out of the cavern near the top of a barren hillside. A gravel
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 S hock robbed Lusahn of all rational thought. That was the only explanation for how her hands, dripping soap bubbles and dishwater, came to be wrapped around Cullen Finley’s neck. The press of his warrior’s body against hers as he plundered her mouth made her skin ache and her heart race.She tried to protest. Really, she did. But when her lips parted, he misinterpreted it as an invitation to deepen the kiss, his tongue swirling in and out, saying without words how much more he wanted from her. He tasted of temptation and danger, his kiss so much more than anything she’d ever experienced.She should stop him, shove him away, run from him—but her body argued that she’d be a fool if she did. It had been far too long since any male had held her, reminding her that she was a female, even if a Sworn Guardian.And she’d known this moment was coming, from the second the barrier had failed and Cullen had looked her in the eye and smiled. She moaned with the sweetness of his kiss and lea
Chapter 3
Chapter 4 O f all the reactions Lusahn could have foreseen, Joq’s loud bark of laughter would have been the last on the list. She didn’t know whether to be relieved that he didn’t instantly put her in custody or insulted that he thought her crisis was funny.She settled on exasperation. “Joq, I fail to see what’s funny. If the wrong person finds out about Cullen Finley, he and I both will be dead.”Joq tried to sober up, but wasn’t particularly successful at it. He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand and bit his lip until he could quit grinning.“I’m sorry, Lusahn, I really am. I always knew you had it in you to do something extraordinary if pushed far enough, but I thought you’d settle for challenging the Guildmaster for his job.” He hoisted his own tankard in salute. “You have surpassed any ambitions I’ve had for you.”She blinked and shook her head. “You’re not shocked that I’ve committed treason? And what am I going to do about the stones? We’ve all known that those seeking th
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 D inner was…interesting, Lusahn decided. Both children sat with their eyes flitting from one adult to the next, no doubt picking up on the tension that simmered below the surface of everyone’s good manners. She drew comfort from the fact that while they eyed the two males with suspicion, they looked to her for reassurance.She wished she was as calm as she led them to believe. Both Joq and Cullen ate the meal she’d set in front of them, but she seriously doubted either of them could have told her what they’d eaten. They were too busy exchanging dark looks to take note of anything else going on around them.Would Cullen even notice if she stripped off her clothes and danced naked around the room? The idea made her smile, which did catch his attention. His spoon paused halfway to his mouth.“Did I miss something important?” he asked, setting his spoon down.“No, my mind was just drifting.” Back down the stairs, and right back to where the two of them had left off earlier.He gave he
Chapter 5
Chapter 6 S eattle had a well-deserved reputation for long stretches of cloudy, rainy weather, but Cullen found the early-morning gloom of Lusahn’s world far more dreary. The sky was an unrelenting dusty gray that blended into the distant hills. Low and tired looking, they were barren and brown, an occasional clump of scraggly shrubs the only splash of color.Cullen kept his borrowed cloak pulled close to his face to disguise his alien nature, but also to ward off the bone-chilling cold. Lusahn looked as miserable as he did.“Does your weather change with the seasons?” He knew she didn’t like answering questions about the differences in their worlds, but climate seemed an innocuous enough subject.She gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean, seasons?”“Back home we have four seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each has different weather, which controls the growth cycle of plants and affects most animals, as well.”She shook her head. “Our history speaks of such things.
Chapter 6
Chapter 7 “W hat makes your people try to leave your world? I know your star is fading, but we’ve never understood the why of it all.” Cullen sat at the kitchen table, watching Lusahn put together a simple dinner of bread, cheese, and fresh vegetables.She reached for the plates. “You’ve never bothered to ask that before, so why now?”He took the plates from her and set the table as he tried to figure out how to answer her question.“I guess we were too busy protecting our world to worry about it. The few who get past us go on binges of murdering anyone who gets in their way. We fight like hell to keep that from happening.” He picked up the pitcher and filled everyone’s glasses.She set the platters of food on the table. “We’ve seen a few instances of that on our side, but not many. Most who seek the light manage to cross the barrier. If they don’t make it on their first try, they keep at it.”“Why don’t you stop them? Can’t your Guild do something? Isn’t there a cure of some kind?” He didn
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 C ullen leaned against the wall to pull on his pants, not bothering with underwear since he was going right back to bed when he got downstairs.Lusahn stretched and sat up, blinking sleepily. “Where are you going?”“My bed.” He felt around on the floor for his shirt and socks.“What’s the matter? Do I snore?” She stretched out on his side of the bed and watched him pull his shirt on over his head.“Yep, that’s it. You may be beautiful, and you’re the best lover I’ve ever had, but I can’t take the noise.” He chuckled as he picked up his shoes.“Beast!” She tossed a pillow at his head. “Seriously, though, where are you going?”Was that insecurity he heard in her voice? She’d been sleeping so soundly that he hadn’t wanted to wake her up to tell her why he was leaving. Maybe he should have.He sat down on the edge of the bed and captured her hand with his. “I didn’t think you’d want Bavi or Shiri to find me in here, so I was going back downstairs before they woke up.”“That was thoughtfu
Chapter 8
Chapter 9 T he journey back to town was uneventful, but a growing sense of urgency haunted their footsteps. Something was wrong, maybe even badly wrong.Once again the approach Lusahn used was a winding, roundabout route, which left Cullen tired and his teeth on edge. His instincts demanded that he pull his sword, ready to defend against a peril he couldn’t yet see but could sense. Lusahn was feeling it, too. More than once she’d stopped abruptly and backtracked, without offering any explanation other than the worried look in her eyes.To distract her, when near-exhaustion demanded they stop to rest by a small creek, he broached the question he’d been meaning to ask since his conversation with Bavi.“Lusahn, when Bavi and I were talking before breakfast, he said something that bothered me.” He waited for her to finish her drink, wanting her full attention.“What did he say?”“He’s been dreaming about his parents and how things were before they left. He said they must be dead. Rather than gi
Chapter 9
Chapter 10 C ullen figured he could afford to die, but it would be damned inconvenient. Did Lusahn even know that he could come back if this bastard managed to kill him? The first chance he got, he was going to tell Lusahn every damn detail of his life and demand that she do the same.His arm ached, and his leg hurt like a son of a bitch, but he wasn’t going to let this traitor get the best of him. The Other was a master with a sword, but Cullen had learned from the two best Paladin swordsmen. From Devlin Bane, he’d learned technique and finesse. From Blake Trahern, he’d learned sheer cussedness. The combination was lethal.Joq’s eyes kept flitting from Cullen to Lusahn and back. She was hanging back, staying out of their way, but her mere presence was enough to make Joq sweat. He knew that even if he managed to take Cullen out, he’d still have to face Lusahn. And with the mood she was in, the best Joq could hope for was a mercifully quick death.It was time to end this. Cullen waited unt
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 C ullen fell to his knees as the barrier snapped back in place. Bavi and Shiri stared in terror at the sight.“Where’s Lusahn?” Bavi held Shiri in his arms, looking very young. He dragged his gaze from the shimmering wall of energy to Cullen. “Why isn’t she here?”How could he answer that? He’d never run from a battle in his life, even against overwhelming odds, but that’s exactly what he’d just done. His stomach churned as he fought to catch his breath.“She held back the Guardians and Blades so I could get you two to safety. She’ll follow as soon as she can.” If she could hold off her attackers until the barrier fell again. How likely was that?“What do we do now?” The boy’s voice cracked.A gruff voice answered the question. “You’ll explain where the hell you’ve been, and what these kids are doing here.”Damn, he must be messed up if he hadn’t noticed Trahern and several other Paladins standing a few feet away. Instinctively, he stepped between them and the children.“Get Devlin
Chapter 11
Chapter 12 L arem stirred, causing both of them to go silent. Her Blademate moved around a bit before settling down. When he snored loudly, Lusahn couldn’t help but giggle. Berk chuckled softly and stood up.“A reminder that time is passing, and I must be gone. I will investigate the cave in the next few days.” He stared at the wall for a bit before turning to face Lusahn. “I regret that I cannot take you out of here with me, but that would have dire consequences for too many others.”She couldn’t argue that. “I will draw comfort from knowing that someone will put a stop to the thefts.”“I hope your human friends don’t delay too long in coming for you.” He reached inside his cloak and pulled out a dagger. “In case they do not make it in time, I offer you this. If it were me, I would take pleasure in denying the Guildmaster his spectacle.”She accepted the weapon, though it was doubtful that she would use it. Suicide held no honor in her mind, and her honor was all that she had left, but th
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 T ime was a slippery thing. Had she been locked in this cell for two days? Two nights? It was difficult to tell with no windows and the limited light, and the hours seemed to drag.Sleep only came in fits and starts, her dreams haunted, leaving her as tired when she woke up as when she’d gone to sleep. Mostly it was a weariness of the heart.When the door opened, she didn’t bother to look. Either they were coming for her, or they weren’t. She wouldn’t cower, and she wouldn’t beg for mercy.But the footsteps stopped at Larem’s door. The scrape of a tray being pushed under the door echoed loudly. Breakfast. Or maybe it was lunch. Since they fed them the same thing at every meal, it didn’t matter. But since they still bothered to feed them, perhaps it wasn’t yet time to die.Her tray arrived next, shoved under the door with no comment. Ever since Berk had drugged Larem, she ate only a little and then waited to see if she felt ill. So far, the bland soup had had no side effects.Mayb
Chapter 13
Chapter 14 T he town was spread out below them. With nightfall imminent the townspeople made their way home, ready for their day to be done. Cullen motioned for Barak and the other two Paladins to follow him back a short distance.Lonzo leaned against a boulder and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s up, Professor?”“If we wait a short while longer, the streets will empty out more. I know that time is critical, but I’d rather we not endanger civilians if we don’t have to.” Even if he didn’t give a damn about the Others, Lusahn would. Trahern and Lonzo looked at each other and then shrugged.Barak nodded his approval as he walked by. “I’ll stand watch.”Darkness gradually settled over them, the faint moon hovering over the far horizon. Even when it rose to its highest point in the night sky, it would do little to light their way. In town that wouldn’t matter, because streetlights lit the road in front of the Guild. Once they had Lusahn and were running for the caves, the darkness would
Chapter 14
Chapter 15 C ullen jerked the Other to his feet, keeping pressure on the knife. His instinct was to end Larem’s miserable life—any other choice only complicated things, and their chances were already slim.But one look at Lusahn’s pain-filled eyes stopped him. Even though the male’s blood would be on his hands, Lusahn would carry the burden of her Blademate’s death on her soul.“Take this rope,” he told her as he tossed it to her. “There’s a window on the other end of the building. Do you know the one I mean?”“Yes, it faces the back of the building.”“That’s the one. We’ll use the rope to climb down so we don’t have to fight our way out of this place. With luck, we’ll be in the hills before you’re missed.”Larem said proudly, “If you’re going to kill me, I’d rather die here.”Lusahn got right in his face. “Quiet! You have no say in the matter. Enjoy the ability to breathe while you still have it.”“You tell him, honey.” Cullen grinned. “And remember this, buddy: if it comes to killing you, I
Chapter 15
Chapter 16 L usahn looked at him and then backed up a step. Smart woman: she recognized a male who was thinking with the wrong part of his body. Now wasn’t the time, and this dismal hillside certainly wasn’t the place, but his body burned to have her. A few scrapes on his bare ass from sand and gravel would be a small price to pay.“Oh, no, Cullen. Don’t think I’d…that we’d…” She kept backing away until he had her cornered against a boulder.“Just kiss me, Lusahn. I’ll settle for that.”She held out her arms, pulling him in for a kiss that started off sweet but didn’t stay that way. His woman knew what she wanted from him and exactly how to get it as her tongue danced and dueled with his. Her hands stroked up and down his arms and then his back. Finally, temptress that she was, she teased his mouth with the tip of her tongue as her wicked, wicked fingers stroked the front of his pants, tracing the length and shape of him until she had him groaning for mercy.He lifted her onto the rock and
Chapter 16
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