In Darkness Reborn by Alexis Morgan Read Free Book Online Page A

Bane was out of sight.
    â€œYes, I am expected at ten o’clock. Dr. Sebastian is having me work the same hours she does until I learn my duties.”
    Bane’s green eyes saw too much. He started to offer a steadying hand, but he caught himself at the last second. “Did Dr. Sebastian tell you that her brother is a Paladin?”
    Barak struggled to keep his voice neutral. “We met yesterday.”
    The Paladin frowned. “I take it the experience wasn’t exactly fun.”
    â€œNo, I enjoy having a street person jam a gun in my back and punch my jaw. I look forward to chatting with him again tomorrow.”
    Devlin sighed. “That fool never makes it easy on himself. I’ll have a talk with him.”
    â€œThat will not be necessary. The man was attempting to protect his sister. I would have done the same if the situation had been reversed.”
    â€œYou have a sister?”
    Barak gritted his teeth for letting that slip out. “I didn’t say that. I just meant that if I were to see an unknown Paladin approach a female that I cared about, I would have responded in a similar manner.”
    â€œIf it continues to be a problem, let me know.”
    That wasn’t going to happen. Either Penn Sebastian would learn to accept Barak or they would come to blows again. He couldn’t have Bane or Laurel always standing between him and trouble. It would only make things worse for him.
    Hiding the effort it took, Barak followed Devlin to the door. “I didn’t think to ask. What caused Laurel to cancel your dinner plans?”
    â€œOne of the newer Paladins took a sword to the gut when the barrier went down yesterday. It’s his first time with a major wound and he isn’t handling it well. She was hesitant to leave him yet.”
    â€œDo we know him?” Not that he cared. Much.
    â€œYeah, it was that boy you cut on the face the other day. Roy, I think she said his name was. He’ll be fine in another day, but the first time you go down like that is tough.” Devlin opened the apartment door. “Keep me posted on your progress. And watch out for Penn. He might not be able to handle a sword, but he’s a damn fine shot and throws a mean knife.”
    â€œThanks. I feel so much better now.”
    Devlin’s laugh was wicked. “You can handle him.”
    Barak watched out the front window until Devlin drove away. The big Paladin was no longer his enemy, but he wasn’t exactly a friend, either. It was difficult enough to live in this strange world, but not having anyone to confide in was the worst part. He should be used to it, because he’d been very much alone in his own world. It was a place of darkness, and secrets were a way of life.
    But here, it seemed as if most people lived surrounded by the noisy camaraderie of coworkers, family, and friends. With a few notable exceptions, conversations ended abruptly when he walked by, only to resume again when he was out of hearing—or so they thought. Leave it to these humans to assume that because he looked like them, his senses were like theirs.
    While his eyesight was no more keen than the average human’s, his sense of smell and hearing were far more acute. If he had lashed out every time he’d overheard a snide remark, he would have been fighting from dawn to dusk. Such slights were not worth the effort. Besides, his own kind hated all humans, as if each one had been the same as the next; he could hardly blame the humans for feeling the same way.
    His bed was calling. The sooner he crawled in between the sheets, the sooner this aching weariness would end.
    For the first time, he had something to look forward to, working with Lacey Sebastian tomorrow. He owed her for her unexpected help coming down off the mountain. Without it he could have died up there on the steep slopes. She had obviously thought his illness had been due to the altitude. Perhaps that had been part of it, but