"Alexis Morgan - In Darkness Reborn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morgan Alexis)

Barak understood the PaladinтАЩs obvious frustration. People of his own world and the PaldinsтАЩ world
were born to hate each other. Unfortunately, Laurel Young didnтАЩt accept the normal way of things. Since
Barak and Devlin both cared about her, they were forced to set that hatred aside and find some common
ground. Sparring in the gym fit that need. If they couldnтАЩt kill each other for real, they could draw
satisfaction from pretending to.

тАЬDo you require further practice?тАЭ The skirmish with the younger Paladins had wheted BarakтАЩs own
appetite for violence. Exchanging blows with Bane would help him burn out some of his own temper.

Devlin stood at the weapons rack, picking up swords at random and testing their weight in his hand.
тАЬKnives or swords?тАЭ

тАЬSwords.тАЭ

And so the dance began.

In his past life, he and Devlin Bane had been mortal enemies, sworn to kill each other upon sight in the
endless war that had been fought as long as memory served. In BarakтАЩs youth, heтАЩd sworn the vows of
hatred along with all of his generation. Over the years that had followed, their numbers had dwindled as
death had claimed many and insanity even more.

When heтАЩd gone looking for answers to the great madness, heтАЩd found nothing but locked doors and
accusations of cowardice. HeтАЩd argued long and hard that he didnтАЩt mind the idea of dying; heтАЩd merely
wanted to know the why of it all. Finally, heтАЩd quit asking, quit fighting, quit everything.

Like so many from his world, heтАЩd sought to end his pain with an honorable death at the end of a
PaladinтАЩs sword. Instead, heтАЩd found and saved a human woman whoтАЩd been pursued by one of her own
kind, a man who had reeked of cowardice and greed. Laurel Young had offered Barak her healerтАЩs
touch, then her friendship. To his amazement, even the strongest of the Paladins had been unwilling to
refuse her the gift of BarakтАЩs life.

But that didnтАЩt mean they liked the idea.

With a powerful lunge, DevlinтАЩs sword came uncomfortably close to BarakтАЩs throat. Barak danced back
out of the way and grinned at his opponent. тАЬIs that the best you have to offer?тАЭ

тАЬGo to hell.тАЭ Bane charged again, this time whacking Barak across the back with a blow that would leave
bruises.

The pain faded quickly in the triumph of using one of his favorite haтАЩkai movements to drop Bane to the
mat with a satisfying thud, followed by a string of curses after Bane could draw enough breath to speak.
Barak offered him a hand up that was rudely ignored. He backed away, giving the Paladin a chance to
rejoin the battle.

тАЬYouтАЩve got to quit,тАЭ Bane growled.

тАЬWhy should I, when I am winning?тАЭ
This time it was Barak who hit the floor. Even a practice blade looked sharp when held at his throat.
тАЬNot quit this. YouтАЩve got to quit working with Laurel.тАЭ