Deliver Me from Darkness: A Novel of the Paladin Warriors (12 page)

“Karissa…I swear. I’m not trying to enthrall you.”

Roland’s voice sounded rough and guttural, as if it pained him to be speaking the words. Why? Because he wasn’t used to someone breaking his enthrallment? Or could the vampire actually have a conscience about lying? But if that were the case, then why did she doubt herself?

“I only want to protect you.”

His words struck a chord deep below her breast. It’s what she felt when he held her. Besides the lust, he wanted to protect her, cherish her…love her.

Love? Vampire?
It’s official, Karissa, you’re certifiable.

Pointedly averting her eyes, she said, “Please go, Roland.”

“Karissa…”

“No. I’d be the biggest fool in this room if I put my trust in you. Not with what you are.”

She thought she needed to touch someone to tap into the gift her papa had passed down to her, but she swore, just then, that she could feel the ripping of Roland’s heart. If hurt could be measured in silence, then the heavy hush that fell on the room after her words could have drowned her in pain.

She blinked back the unwanted moisture in her eyes, at the same time biting her bottom lip that threatened to quiver.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I can’t…I can’t trust myself around you.

She wrapped her arms tighter around her ribs, concentrating on the centering presence of Logan beside her. Only it didn’t help. Logan seemed as confused and torn as she was right now. He was, however, determined to keep her from going with Roland.

“Don’t leave her alone,” Roland warned, then spun around, melting back into the shadows of the dim room.

No sooner had the shadows closed around Roland when the door opened again.

“Yo, Logan, what’s the holdup?”

With one last furtive look at the place where Roland had disappeared, Karissa followed Logan’s firm tug on her arm and turned to face the Paladin who’d come out of the hall to retrieve them. The man had come to a halt inside the anteroom, his hand still on the handle of the massive door as he sized her up.

Karissa was so used to looking up at men that it was a bit of a surprise to come almost even with the Paladin’s bourbon-colored gaze. He was lean, his skin dusky, with dark hair that fell haphazardly over his eyes, down across his prominent cheekbones. His features could almost be considered effeminate, only there was something decidedly male about him.

The
Black
Knight.

As soon as the thought popped into her mind, Karissa knew it to be true. She wasn’t sure how. It felt almost like someone had reached in and planted the knowledge in her mind. But her shields were shut tight again and, in general, her psychic ability was limited to impressions rather than another person’s exact thoughts or emotions, and never outright details. Weird.

The Paladin let go of the door, letting it click shut behind him. He then folded his arms across his chest, letting out a long whistle.

“So, this is your little psychic, huh?” His grin split wide. “Little young, isn’t she?” His gaze skirted across the bridge of her nose. “What is she? Sixteen?”

Karissa drew herself up. “I’m twenty-four, thank you very much.”

“Really…” He assessed her anew, his voice laden with meaning.

Logan went taut, his fingers all but bruising the soft flesh of her upper arm. “Enough, Valin. I believe you were sent to bring us into the hall, not delay us further.”

Valin turned his gaze on Logan. “Ah, yes. Further delay. Makes one wonder what the cause of the first delay was…”

Karissa realized that Logan’s firm grip on her looked like she had second thoughts and Logan had to bring her back in line. Not quite the truth, but damn close. Bad thing was now, having met Valin, she was more inclined, not less, to try and run away.

She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder at the shadows again. If Roland was gone, it would make her look more reluctant than she already was. If Roland was there…God, would the idiot try to come to her rescue?

Probably, she answered her own question. The man seemed to have a touch of suicidal in him.

Determined to smooth things over, she put on a false smile and looked to Logan. “It’s okay, I’m ready now.” She turned the smile on Valin. “Just a case of the jitters, meeting all of Logan’s brothers all at once like this.”

“Brothers, huh…” Valin turned a hard stare on Logan. “And what
have
you shared with her about your brothers?”

Oh, crap. Had she totally screwed this up? Logan hadn’t said anything about her needing to play dumb on the things he’d told her thus far. Karissa had to bite her lip to keep from opening her mouth and trying to cover. When in doubt, say nothing.

“I believe that is some of what needs to be discussed with the others, don’t you?” Logan asked, gesturing to the door.

“Indeed.” Valin pulled the door open and, with a dramatic wave of his hand and a tip of his head, ushered them inside.

Not even two steps in and Karissa had to fight a sudden loss of mobility. She’d been uncertain of leaving the relative—and she did mean relative—safety of Roland’s apartment. She’d been awestruck, and yes, a bit intimidated by the sprawling Gothic mansion Logan had driven her to. She’d been positively jumpy in the anteroom with its dim lighting, barely enough to illuminate the grave features of its silent marble sentries. But nothing had prepared her for this. The hall was vast. And reminiscent of a huge church or something. High arched ceilings supported by thick, marble columns, exquisite carvings, ornate chandeliers, the prerequisite saintly figures…only thing missing was the huge stained glass windows.

Karissa fell into step with Logan, and again almost tripped to a stop when her legs threatened to collapse. Wow. These Paladin sure knew how to pack a punch. Sheer power. Absolute confidence. It sat on the shoulders of every man in the room. Most of them were packed into the front rows of the hall, but in the very front, instead of an altar, was a long carved table, and behind it sat seven men, which left five spaces empty. These must have been the council of elders that Logan had mentioned. Not one among them was old, at least not to her eyes, but they did all bear an air of maturity, and compared to the other couple dozen prime males in the room, they seemed perhaps a tad deflated. No, not deflated. Just not
as
physically imposing.

It was work not to squirm under the many sets of eyes that seemed intent on assessing her, but she managed, concentrating on keeping her stride long and unhurried. She didn’t need to
appear
to be as nervous as she felt.

She curled closer to Logan’s side, thankful for his rock-steady presence. He squeezed her arm closer to his body, his thumb continuing to stroke the back of her hand reassuringly.

“You have nothing to fear as long as I’m nearby,” he said softly.

She wished his words brought something more than the gratefulness she felt. Logan was a good man. He was the one she should be attracted to.

But
I’m not.
Nope, only one man seemed to have the ability to turn her brain to mush.

Silence stretched, making their walk down the aisle seem longer than it should have been. It was the right thing, coming here. She’d obviously needed to get away from Roland and whatever it was that he did to make her so scatterbrained. Here she could get some answers. These men were God’s warriors. They’d help her…though if they didn’t stop staring at her, she was going to scream.

“Which one is your father?” she asked, leaning in close to whisper the words. Logan had said only a handful of men, and a couple of the elders, would be able to respond to his request for this late night—or early morning, as the case may be—session, but there were at least twenty men here, plus seven elders, none of which had a familial resemblance to Logan.

“None. He was detained but will be joining us as soon as possible.”

“And the other four empty chairs?” Karissa wondered if at some point the vast hall had been filled with Paladin. If so, then the glaring empty space was a real testament to the losing battle they were facing and the toll it had taken on them.

“Three elders are not available at this time, and the last seat is currently…unfilled.”

Karissa looked up at him sharply. The pained tone in his voice made her believe there was something special about that unfilled seat, but his face gave nothing away.

Poker
face. Get one of your own, Karissa. Because right now, you’re an open book.

She schooled her face into impassiveness, turning her attention forward once more.

Finally, after what seemed an eon, they reached the front rows. As they passed, the curious gazes followed until she stood at the front before the long table, with seven sets of eyes studying her unabashedly and two dozen sets boring into her from behind.

These men needed to get a life if the sight of a woman in their midst was cause for such unwavering attention.

One of the elders sitting in the middle of the table, next to the other empty seat, cleared his throat. “Logan, Son of Logan, despite the fact that you have offered little explanation, we have granted your request to bring an outsider into our midst. Now it is time to divulge the reasoning behind this break from protocol and tradition.”

Ah, maybe that was it then. The attention wasn’t because she was female, but because she didn’t know the secret handshake to the club.

“Forgive me, Gerar. I thought it best to present Miss Donovan before the whole council.”

“And why is that?”

“She needs our protection. Ganelon’s fiends have taken an unwholesome interest in her,” Logan said, his body still, but his words filled with power and conviction. “They not only attacked her home, killing her grandfather, but continued to chase her through the city. Even now they search for her.”

Gerar shifted in his seat, as if this news made him uncomfortable. Well good. Being wanted by hordes of demons and a coven of vampires made her damn uncomfortable too.

“And how do you know this?” Gerar asked.

“Because she came to me for protection, and even now both her house and my own are swarming with minions from Ganelon’s army.”

There was a swell of mumbling from behind them. The seven council members were quieter, bowing their heads together as they discussed Logan’s words. After what seemed like forever Gerar straightened, clearing his throat to restore order. The hall immediately quieted.

“Is this true, young lady? That your home was attacked and that you were then chased to young Logan’s door?”

“Karissa, sir. And yes, it is.”

The man leaned forward, his eyes piercing as he asked, “And how did you know to flee to
his
,” he jerked his head toward Logan, “door?”

“Because my papa told me to go to him if ever I was in trouble.”

“Your papa.”

“My, uh, grandfather. He raised me.”

“And how would your grandfather know of Logan?”

Logan’s hand tightened on Karissa’s arm, effectively shushing her. “Karissa’s grandfather was a psychic.”

Karissa sucked in a breath. Logan also knew her grandfather’s abilities lay more in empathy, not in any sort of clairvoyance. Yet, he was purposefully misleading the elders. Why?

“Ah.” Dark eyes, practically black, turned back on her. “And did you inherit your grandfather’s clairvoyant gift?”

“No, I ah…” She looked desperately at Logan, wondering what she should say.

“Lie,” intoned a nondescript, brown-haired gentleman on the end.

Seven sets of eyes narrowed on her.

“You didn’t inherit your grandfather’s gift?” Gerar asked. His tone hadn’t exactly been warm and fuzzy before, but to Karissa it sounded decidedly menacing now.

“No. I did. Just a bit.”

“Truth,” the nondescript man spoke again.

Seven sets of eyebrows raised.

“But you said you didn’t inherit your grandfather’s gift a moment ago. Why?” Gerar asked.

“I said I didn’t inherit a gift of clairvoyance. Not that I hadn’t inherited some of Papa’s gift.”

“Truth.”

Gerar looked back to Logan. If those eyes had been directed at her, Karissa would have fainted…or at least tried to pop the hell out of here. But they weren’t, and she was amazed at how well Logan held up under that gaze.

“Care to explain, Logan?”

“Miss Donovan’s talents are for her to divulge, not me.”

“But you brought her here.”

“Because she needs help, protection, and she has nowhere else to go.”

“That’s right. Because Ganelon is so interested in one little psychic human that he’d waste his resources on hunting her down. Interesting.”

Karissa could feel the attention shift back to her. It didn’t take a genius to know every man in the room, even Logan, damn him, was staring at her again.

“Well, Miss Donovan, care to explain the gift you inherited?” Gerar said.