"Alexis Morgan - Dark Protector" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morgan Alexis)

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, trying to relax for a few minutes. Under normal
circumstances, he would have gone to his quarters and slept for a shift or two, but he couldnтАЩt allow
himself that luxury until he caught up on everything that had happened while heтАЩd been gone.
Five damn days lost, gone forever. No wonder Laurel had been muttering about how long it had
taken him to come back. Normally it took two to three days to reclaim their lives. Four days wasnтАЩt
unheard of, depending on the severity and number of injuries that their bodies had to repair. But five?
Either his body was losing its inborn ability to recover or heтАЩd been in worse shape than usual.
That thought brought a bitter smile to his lips. No one but a Paladin would understand the irony of
knowing there were degrees of dead. He doubted his Handler would find the idea amusing, but then, she
was the one who had to put them all back together again.
The scientists and physicians who made up the Research Department of the Regents had spent
decades studying the physiology of the Paladins, seeking to understand how it was possible for them to
be revived over and over again, their lives lasting decades beyond normal life expectancy.
Was one of the scientists behind the attack on him? He rolled the idea around in his mind, finally
deciding that it didnтАЩt make sense. There was no real gain for anyone in Research if he died for good.
He rubbed his leg to ease the bone-deep ache. Eventually the pain and the scars would fade, but
the memory of the ax shattering the bone and the blood that heтАЩd lost would remain sharp and
clearтАФuntil something worse took its place.
No, there was little reason to covet a life that consisted of waiting to fight, fighting until you could
bleed no more, then being revived to start the cycle all over again. Not that he felt sorry for himself. The
Paladins had a clear purpose in life, which was more than most folks could claim. The traits that they
carried hardwired into their genes made them the perfect warriors: strength, skill with weapons, and a
total commitment to a worthy cause. Their loyalty, once given, was unshakable.
Devlin stared at the array of swords and axes that hung on the wall opposite his desk. Razor sharp
and maintained in perfect condition, they were the tools of his trade, used to drive back the darkness that
seeped into his world every time fault lines slipped or a volcano belched fire and smoke and ash into the
sky.
Devlin crossed to the wall and, using both hands, lifted his favorite sword down off the wall. He
should have known one of the others would have retrieved it from the battle. The edge of the blade was
nicked in several places, which didnтАЩt surprise him. The blackened scorch mark across the blade near the
hilt did. Tomorrow he would carry it down to the armory to restore it to prime fighting condition. He had
other swords, but none that fit his hand like this one did.
The carpet didnтАЩt quite muffle the sound of someone crossing his threshold. Before acknowledging
his colleagueтАЩs presence, he returned the sword to its place on the wall. Cullen Finley leaned against the
doorframe and waited with his usual quiet patience before speaking.
тАЬWe almost didnтАЩt find it.тАЭ He came the rest of the way into the room without waiting for a formal
invitation. He knew that if Devlin didnтАЩt want company, the door would have been closed and locked.
Devlin returned to his seat behind his desk and motioned for his friend to sit down, as well. тАЬIтАЩm
glad you did, Cullen. I would have missed it. Where was it?тАЭ He vaguely remembered dropping it on the
ground, but heтАЩd been too busy dying to care at that point.
His friend looked toward the sword and frowned. тАЬIt was stuck in the barrier. We had the devilтАЩs
own time getting it out without causing further damage to it, or the barrier itself.тАЭ
Alarm bells sounded again in DevlinтАЩs mind. тАЬI was nowhere near the barrier when I went down.
IтАЩd gone down a side passage after a couple of strays.тАЭ He should have realized then that something was
wrong. It was rare for the Others to travel in pairs, but those two had stayed together even when the path
had split. It was as if theyтАЩd known exactly where they were going, leading him straight into a trap.
 Another piece of the puzzle that didnтАЩt fit.
тАЬIs there anything else I should know about?тАЭ
Cullen took his time in answering; the others had nicknamed him тАЬthe ProfessorтАЭ for his tendency
to deliberate carefully before giving an answer. And other than Devlin himself, the man had accumulated