Bound by Darkness Read Free Page B

and then plowed through the crowd with his usual disregard for those in his way.
    Larem had almost reached the door when the warning blast of the Klaxons went off. He ducked back out of the way, clearing the path for the Paladins behind him as they all rushed to answer the call of duty. Part of him envied them their clear purpose in life, but at the same time he hated the necessity for it. How many of his own people would die before the barrier was restored? How many of his Paladin friends would bleed?
    He watched as Hunter and D.J. followed Lonzo into the elevator that plunged down to the tunnels below the city, their game faces on.
    â€œLarem!”
    Devlin came charging up, his favorite sword clutched in his hand. Larem instinctively retreated a few steps before common sense took over and reminded him that they were friends, or at least not enemies.
    â€œWhat do you need, Devlin?”
    â€œFind Sasha Willis and make sure she made it out safely before all hell broke loose.”
    Both men looked around, but if she was in the area, Larem didn’t see her. That came as no great surprise. The milling crowd of Paladins pretty much all topped sixfeet, making spotting one small human woman almost impossible.
    â€œI’ll find her.”
    Not that he wanted to. But for Devlin’s sake, he’d make sure the woman stayed out of the way of those who had work to do. Pencil pushers, as D.J. called those in administration, played no role in the daily grind of a Paladin’s life. If the Willis woman managed to get herself in the path of the fighting, she’d learn the hard way why she had no business trying to tell the Paladins how to do their jobs.
    Larem ducked back into the conference room in case the representative had sought refuge there, only to find it completely empty. Where could she have disappeared to so quickly?
    Her office was located a few blocks away in the admin building, while this one housed the Paladins themselves. It also contained some of the research facilities, including the geology department where Barak and his mate both worked. If he didn’t find Sasha Willis soon, he’d ask his friends to join the search.
    The closest exit was down the hallway, past Devlin’s and some of the others’ offices. He headed that direction first.
    Sure enough, he spotted her hovering outside Devlin’s door. She looked up as Larem drew near. He wasn’t sure what to do. After all, he was only charged with ensuring she hadn’t been caught in the crush of bodies rushing down to the tunnels.
    Mission accomplished. Job done. He could get back to his own business with a clear conscience, at least afterhe reported to Barak what had been said in the meeting. He kept his eyes straight ahead, intending to walk right by the woman without making any contact. Unfortunately, she had other plans.
    â€œExcuse me, but did you happen to see where Devlin Bane went?”
    Larem slowed his steps just long enough to answer, “He headed down to the tunnels when the alarm went off.”
    She cocked her head to the side, as if puzzled by his answer, but maybe it was his Kalith accent that surprised her. Humans often mistook it for German or eastern European. With luck, she would as well.
    Finally, she slowly nodded, as if he’d confirmed her suspicions. “I’d ask when he’ll be back, but I know that depends on how long the barrier stays down and how many Others are waiting to charge across.”
    What could he say to that? He settled for saying nothing. Before he could walk away, though, she stopped him again.
    â€œSorry, but I’m kind of turned around. Can you point me toward the exit? I’ll head back to my office until Bane returns.”
    â€œThe door to the alley is back this way.”
    He waited while she jotted Devlin a quick note. As she stuck it on the small corkboard the Paladin leader kept on his door, Cullen walked into sight, offering Larem the perfect