Redeemed in Darkness Page 12

  “Take this sword and hold it this way,” Cullen said, showing Bavi the correct placement of his fingers and thumb on the pommel.

  “That’s good. You’re a natural at this, Bavi.”

  Next, he demonstrated the first in a series of movements designed to improve arm strength and control. With only a few repetitions, Bavi showed improvement. Then he got cocky and whacked Cullen a good one on his arm. It hurt like hell and had Cullen cursing.

  The boy instantly dropped the blade and backed away, his already pale complexion ashen. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”

  Cullen ignored the stinging pain, more worried about what had spooked the young Other. “It’s all right, Bavi. Accidents happen, which is why we use blunted blades. Now come on back and pick up the sword. I want to run through that movement again, to show you where you went wrong. After that, if you want to quit for the day, put the blade away with the care it deserves.”

  Who the hell had scared the boy so much that a simple accident had him running for cover? Maybe the reaction was left over from Bavi’s days on the streets, running from the authorities and trying to provide for his sister. Whatever the reason, Cullen burned to go after someone in this dismal world for not taking better care of their children.

  Not that his own world was any better. Son of a bitch, why was it always the young and helpless who had to suffer? In the short time he had left in this world, he was going to do his damnedest to make sure Bavi learned the rudiments of self-defense. Hopefully Lusahn or one of her Blade would pick up where Cullen left off, although he didn’t much like the idea of leaving the job half done.

  Bavi slowly picked up the blade and checked it over for damage.

  Cullen smiled and nodded his approval. “Always respect your weapons. These might only be practice blades, but it’s an important habit to get into.”

  “Your arm?”

  “Don’t sweat it. It stung, that’s all. Besides, I heal fast.” He held out his arm, where the mark was already fading away. “Now, let’s see that movement again.”

  It took a few minutes for Bavi to get back into the rhythm of things, but finally he was performing the steps smoothly. Cullen had been hearing foot-stepts overhead for several minutes, so it was time to wrap things up.

  “I suspect breakfast is almost ready. Better put the blades away now.” He handed his to Bavi, trusting him to handle the weapons with care. When they were safely back in their box, he held out his hand to Bavi.

  “Thank you for the workout.”

  Bavi studied Cullen’s hand for a second or two, unfamiliar with the human custom of shaking hands. Cullen reached out to grasp Bavi’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. Bavi immediately squeezed his in response.

  “That’s it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up a big appetite.”

  Food was something all growing boys understood. “I think I’ll need seconds, maybe even thirds.”

  Cullen laughed as he followed Bavi up the stairs. “We’d better warn Lusahn to add more food to the pot.”

  Breakfast was a surprisingly noisy affair. Normally Bavi made sure that Shiri had plenty to eat before diving into his own meal. This time, however, he chattered excitedly about his impromptu workout with Cullen. Lusahn still wasn’t comfortable with teaching Bavi weaponry, but she’d never seen the boy so animated before.

  Cullen kept up a steady stream of answers to Bavi’s questions, but every so often he shot Lusahn a questioning look to see how she was reacting to the sudden change in their relationship. She considered letting him worry a bit, but she couldn’t fault him for trying to reach out to Bavi. Nor could she deny a bit of jealousy that he’d been so successful on his first try. Cullen Finley wasn’t just good to Bavi and Shiri; he was good for them, as well.

  How would she survive the pain of losing him? The two men she cared most about, Cullen and Barak, would both live out their lives on one side of the barrier while she would exist on the other. What she wouldn’t give to make things turn out differently. But even if Cullen were willing to stay, she couldn’t hide him in the basement forever. That would be no kind of life for either of them.

  “What time do you have patrol today?” Cullen’s question jerked her attention back to him.

  “I told my Blade to take the day off. I’m going to retrace our route from yesterday.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  She began clearing the table. “I keep thinking we may have missed something yesterday because we were in such a hurry. I’d like time to look around without Larem and Joq hovering.”

  “I’m coming with you.” His voice dropped to a whisper, laced with what sounded like a bit of anger. “I have some questions that I don’t want to ask where Bavi might overhear me.”

  She had no problem with him coming, since she’d need someone to stand guard while she searched the cave. Besides, he might glean some information that she’d miss simply because the cave’s inhabitants were from his world, not hers.

  “Fine. We should leave soon.”

  “What about the kids? Will they be all right? Do you always leave them alone so much?”

  They’d been alone the past two days without him commenting. What had changed? “Bavi knows how to take care of Shiri. At first I hired a woman to come in, but that didn’t work out. They seem happier alone than with a stranger in the house.”

  “I was a stranger, but you let me stay in the house with them.”

  True, but she hadn’t thought of him as a stranger to her from the first time they’d crossed swords. “I trust you, even if at first they didn’t.”

  Her answer seemed to please him. She brushed the back of her fingers across his cheek, liking the feel of his beard. It was softer now that it was getting some length to it.

  “Be especially careful with your hood today. Men of my world don’t wear beards.”

  He scratched his jaw. “I can’t wait to shave it off. It itches.”

  Yet another reminder that soon their paths would part. “Let’s get our things. I’d like to get back by early afternoon; I need to go to the market before it closes.”

  Cullen frowned. “I wish I could do something to help with the grocery bill, but I’m afraid my money is no good here.”

  His pride was likely hurting because of his dependency on her for everything: food, shelter, protection, sex. Well, he probably didn’t mind that last one, but he was a warrior with a strong male’s pride. He wouldn’t like not being able to provide for his own needs.

  “Your people took in my brother. I may be angry with him for leaving, but I am glad that he found shelter and worthy friends.” Barak had never fit in their world anyway. He asked too many questions that had no answers.

  “I’ll get the cloak and my sword and meet you at the door.” Cullen disappeared down the stairs.

  What had happened this morning to put that worrisome note in his voice and questions in his mind? Had the boy said something that set off Cullen’s protective instincts?

  Well, Cullen wasn’t shy. Once they were past the boundaries of town, he would tell her what was bothering him. And if he didn’t, she’d pound it out of him. She smiled to herself. Many of the males in her world were intimidated by a female who fought well enough to be one of the Sworn Guardians. Cullen wasn’t used to fighting alongside a female, but he obviously didn’t find her strength and abilities unattractive. It was just one more thing she liked about him.

  He was coming back upstairs, and she’d yet to even buckle on her sword. She hustled down the hallway to find Bavi, who was helping Shiri straighten her bed. Lusahn stuck her head into the room.

  “Cullen and I are going on patrol, but we won’t be gone all day. When we get back, the three of us will go to market. How does that sound?”

  “Yes, let’s go!” Shiri immediately started to put her boots on.

  Lusahn knelt down to look Shiri in the eye. “Not now, little one. Later, after lunch.”

  “Now!” Shiri’s lip stuck out as she pouted.
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  Bavi interceded. “Not now. You promised to help me practice the game Cullen Finley taught us, remember?”

  Her sunny disposition restored, Shiri gave him a bright smile. “Cards!”

  Bavi took her hand and led her down the hallway, promising her that she could deal the first game. Lusahn hoped Cullen’s cards were sturdier than they looked, although he probably couldn’t bring himself to be mad at Shiri. The little girl clearly had won his heart.

  She grabbed her sword and her cloak. She didn’t always wear the cloak while on patrol, but folks tended to see what they expected to. If they saw the two of them walking through town with their weapons and cloaks, they’d assume she was on Guild business with one of her Blade along as escort.

  At the door, Cullen stood back to let her go out first, a courtesy her Blade rarely allowed her. She glanced up and down the road before Cullen joined her on the path. All appeared quiet, though she knew better than to assume that no one was watching. Had Larem and the others of her Blade listened to her when she’d told them to stay away today? She hoped so. She’d meant what she’d told Larem about not wanting them to become enmeshed in her problems.

  The two of them set off at a brisk pace. She’d feel a lot better when they reached the hills outside town, taking a roundabout way to the caves to bypass the road to Joq’s house. She was still angry with him for yesterday.

  Their route took them by the Guild. For once, there was no one outside who might have felt compelled to challenge her. The members of the Guild were few enough in number that they all knew one another’s business. If she had the day off, she had no good reason to be on patrol. Even if they didn’t question her in person, they might report her behavior to the Guildmaster. Right now she wanted nothing to do with any of them—not until she knew who could be trusted. Once she figured out whether the Guildmaster was involved in the theft of the blue jewels, she’d know more what she should do.

  Cullen seemed to sense her mood, remaining silent with his hood pulled forward, his head tipped down slightly to keep his face shadowed. After they passed the Guild, they turned west. If Cullen wondered why they were going in the opposite direction of the caves, he had the sense to keep his questions to himself.

  She waited until they’d walked for a good distance past the edge of town before beginning a gradual circle back around in the opposite direction, taking a higher route through the edge of the hills. If anyone was following them, she might be able to spot them in the valley below.

  “Expecting company?” Cullen leaned in closer, looking down the hillside, squinting against the midday star, when she paused to look down for the third time.

  “Not especially, but I wasn’t expecting Larem to follow us yesterday, either.” She turned back to the path, crisscrossing the hillside to reach the top. “There’s not much we can do if my Blade gets it in their heads that I need protection.”

  “How would you explain me to the other two?”

  Cullen sounded more curious than concerned. He wasn’t breathing hard, so he was finally acclimating to the air. It would be so easy to forget that he wasn’t of her world when he learned to fit in with such ease.

  “I couldn’t—not in any way they’d believe. And if I told them the truth, they would have to face the same choices as Joq and Larem: turn me in or die at my side.” She shivered. It was time to change the subject. “You said you had questions.”

  Cullen picked up a little speed and kept his eyes firmly on the path ahead of them. She knew he’d heard her, so why the sudden silence? They marched on, neither one ready to be the first to speak. At the pace Cullen was setting, they’d reach the cave far sooner than she’d expected to. Fine. But once they gleaned what information they could from the footprints and the equipment, she’d find out what had him looking so grim.

  He was being a jackass, and he knew it. It wasn’t Lusahn’s fault that he had questions he needed to ask, and she likely had answers he didn’t want to hear. He’d crossed the barrier telling himself that Barak’s sister deserved better than a hastily scrawled note to tell her why her brother wasn’t coming.

  The reality was that he had acted on impulse, wanting to see if the Other female was as striking as he’d remembered. She was beautiful, all right—but she was so much more than that. Worse yet, her people weren’t monsters but a group of individuals, some good, some bad, the same as their cousins in his world.

  His belief system had been shaken to the core, the burden of all the Others he’d killed weighing him down. Even if he was innocent of the deaths of Bavi’s parents, he was guilty of so many more.

  He shoved all that shit to the back of his mind, where it wouldn’t cloud his thinking. He hadn’t seen any sign that they were being followed, but neither of them knew what they might walk into when they reached the caves. He hoped Lusahn would be content with another quick walk-through, because he had a bad feeling about that place. Some of the tracks had looked older, which meant whoever it was had made more than one trip into this world.

  Lusahn felt confident that the barrier was stable for the time being, but she’d also admitted that her ability to read it wasn’t as strong as her brother’s. If she was wrong they could be walking into a hornet’s nest, armed only with swords to face an enemy who could be carrying automatic weapons. Blades were effective only when the fighting was up close.

  Bullets could kill from a distance, which meant he and Lusahn were already vulnerable to attack. He wanted to shove her to safety behind the cluster of boulders they just passed and go on alone—like she’d let him get away with that! Knowing her, she’d try to shove him behind the boulders instead. It was taking some mental adjustments to get used to having a female partner, but eyeing her long-legged gait with pleasure, he had to admit that there were some definite perks.

  He recognized the bend in the trail up ahead. They were almost exactly where he’d tackled Larem the day before, and he looked back down the trail again to make sure there was no one in sight.

  “I think we’re alone this time.” Lusahn scanned the trail, both above and below. “I think one of us would have caught sight of anyone following.”

  “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a surprise party waiting for us in the caves.” He drew his sword. “Let me go first to check things out.”

  “Why you?” Her sword was drawn, too.

  “Because you know the area better than I do, and can circle around from another direction without drawing as much attention.”

  She wasn’t buying it, not for a second. “You can’t stand between me and danger, Cullen. It is my world, my job.”

  “They,” he said nodding in the direction of the caves, “are from my world, which makes it my job.”

  Evidently they each had an equal share of stubbornness. They got into a stare-down match, neither one willing to be the first to blink. Finally Cullen gave in, recognizing the stupidity of paying too much attention to their egos and none at all to the potential danger up ahead.

  “Fine. We both go, but be careful.”

  “As long as you promise to do the same.”

  She stepped close enough to give him a hug, which was awkward with each of them holding a sword. Even so, just that little bit of contact had him aching for so much more.

  “Let’s get this over with.”

  They worked the rest of the way up the hill, alternating the lead. Once the cave was in sight, they watched the entrance for several minutes before making their final approach.

  At the mouth of the cave they stopped to listen, but there was only silence. Cullen knelt down to study the ground. “Somebody’s been back through here since we left yesterday.” He pointed toward several footprints that had been made by the kind of boots he and Lusahn were wearing. “Those are ours, but look here.”

  She leaned down to study the prints he was pointing to. “Those are human shoe prints, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, and they overlap ours here, here, and there.”

  Lusahn
’s response was short and pungent, clearly a curse even if he didn’t understand the words. “I should have posted guards.”

  “And they could have stood here on the hillside for days or even weeks before seeing anything.” He ducked inside the cave. The camping gear was still piled against the wall, but the air smelled of smoke. Someone had had a campfire burning recently.

  “Did you feel the barrier go down?”

  She studied the narrow strip of colorful energy shimmering near the back wall. “No, but maybe this area is too small for me to feel from a distance. I’m not as strong as Barak.”

  Now he cursed. They weren’t getting anywhere with this investigation, and his time here was running out.

  He went outside to study the footprints again. After several seconds, he realized that while two sets led out of the cave, only one went back in. Someone from his world was still on this side of the barrier. If he could get a good look at the man, he should be able to track the bastard down back in Seattle. Once they had him under surveillance they might be able to catch his buddies, as well.

  “We need to follow these tracks. They lead away from the cave in that direction.” He had a bad feeling they would lead right to Joq’s cabin. For Lusahn’s sake, he hoped he was wrong.

  Following the tracks took a lot of concentration and second-guessing the man’s intentions. Most of the time they had only a fragment of a print to verify they were headed in the right direction. Lusahn had grown quieter, the closer they got to Joq’s cabin. Cullen wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how. If her mentor had betrayed her trust so close upon the heels of Barak doing the same, it might shatter her.

  When they reached the small rise overlooking the cabin, Cullen stopped. The tracks continued down the dusty path straight toward the front door.

  “This might not mean anything, Lusahn.”

  “It means something, Cullen Finley. Do not try to spare my feelings. If Joq has betrayed my people, he will pay.” She shoved past Cullen, ready to march right down to her friend’s home.