Darkness Possessed (Order of the Blade) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Stephanie Rowe
him, which meant they were as powerful as he was. He couldn't afford to fight them, not with Thano's life at stake, and not when he was stranded in some remote jungle, a world where Zach had no foothold, no teammates to back him up, and no idea what was going on.
Zach studied Rohan, the mysterious warrior whose face was hidden behind his hood, just as it had been so many centuries ago when Zach had known him briefly. He'd thought Rohan was long dead, and he'd figured the world was a better place for that fact.
But he was alive, and as ominous as he'd ever been. "Where are we?" he asked.
Rohan turned his head toward him, his face nothing but a black shadow beneath the hood. "We're in a jungle."
Zach didn't bother to look up at the thick canopy of trees dripping with moss and vines. "I can see that. Where are we?" He repeated the question, unwilling to let the other warrior duck his interrogation. "South America?"
Rohan shook his head in refusal, shutting down Zach's request for information. "We need to make camp before dark. Fortify our defenses." He nodded at his team, who silently disappeared into the woods, ostensibly to set up camp.
Rohan began to move toward Thano, but Zach stepped in his path to block him. "No one touches Thano except me."
Rohan snarled, and a blue light crackled from his fingertips.
"Don't even think about it." Zach immediately called out his weapons. With a crack and a flash of black light, the sai that were branded onto his forearms leapt into reality, exploding into his hand. He pointed the blade at Rohan's throat, and the older Calydon went still.
"Put it away," Rohan commanded.
"What the fuck did you do to Dante?" The question burst out before Zach had even realized he was thinking it, but the moment he asked it, he knew he wanted an answer about what had gone down between Rohan and the leader of Zach's Order, Dante Sinclair.
Many centuries ago, Zach, Rohan, and Dante had been a team. Led by Dante, they had resurrected the Order of the Blade, reassembling the only force in existence strong enough to slay Calydons who had succumbed to the demon blood that ran hot in their veins, men who had once been good, and now were destined to destroy all that was worthy and deserving in their lives. Back then, Zach had left the team briefly for personal reasons, because he'd met—
The image of the raven-haired woman he'd loved flashed into his mind. Grief and anger flooded him so violently that he didn't have time to block it, and his knees almost buckled at the assault of emotions, at the anguish and guilt that was as raw as the day that it had all happened. He gripped his sai, fighting desperately to regain control of his thoughts, to shove aside the visceral self-loathing and terror that flooded his body, and the sense of failure that had almost destroyed him completely.
Blood trickled from his palm, and he fought to loosen his grip on the sai as he refocused on the warrior standing before him, the man who'd been Dante's sworn backup when Zach had left. And yet, when Zach had reunited with Dante years later, his master was alone. Rohan had vanished, Dante's woman was missing, and his mentor had barely been alive. Dante had been as fucked up as Zach, and they'd pulled each other out of the abyss that was consuming them.
Zach had told Dante about what had happened to him when they'd been apart, yet Dante had never spoken of what had happened with Rohan and his own woman, but whatever it was had changed him forever. Never again had Dante spoken of the woman who had been his soul mate. Never again had Rohan's name so much as crossed his lips. The Calydon who had once been Dante's best friend had disappeared completely, and Zach knew that something unforgivable had gone down between the two warriors.
And now, he wanted the answers that Dante had refused to give him. "What happened with Dante?" he asked again.
Rohan didn't respond. A dark menace filled the air, but Zach didn't back down.
Finally,
Zach studied Rohan, the mysterious warrior whose face was hidden behind his hood, just as it had been so many centuries ago when Zach had known him briefly. He'd thought Rohan was long dead, and he'd figured the world was a better place for that fact.
But he was alive, and as ominous as he'd ever been. "Where are we?" he asked.
Rohan turned his head toward him, his face nothing but a black shadow beneath the hood. "We're in a jungle."
Zach didn't bother to look up at the thick canopy of trees dripping with moss and vines. "I can see that. Where are we?" He repeated the question, unwilling to let the other warrior duck his interrogation. "South America?"
Rohan shook his head in refusal, shutting down Zach's request for information. "We need to make camp before dark. Fortify our defenses." He nodded at his team, who silently disappeared into the woods, ostensibly to set up camp.
Rohan began to move toward Thano, but Zach stepped in his path to block him. "No one touches Thano except me."
Rohan snarled, and a blue light crackled from his fingertips.
"Don't even think about it." Zach immediately called out his weapons. With a crack and a flash of black light, the sai that were branded onto his forearms leapt into reality, exploding into his hand. He pointed the blade at Rohan's throat, and the older Calydon went still.
"Put it away," Rohan commanded.
"What the fuck did you do to Dante?" The question burst out before Zach had even realized he was thinking it, but the moment he asked it, he knew he wanted an answer about what had gone down between Rohan and the leader of Zach's Order, Dante Sinclair.
Many centuries ago, Zach, Rohan, and Dante had been a team. Led by Dante, they had resurrected the Order of the Blade, reassembling the only force in existence strong enough to slay Calydons who had succumbed to the demon blood that ran hot in their veins, men who had once been good, and now were destined to destroy all that was worthy and deserving in their lives. Back then, Zach had left the team briefly for personal reasons, because he'd met—
The image of the raven-haired woman he'd loved flashed into his mind. Grief and anger flooded him so violently that he didn't have time to block it, and his knees almost buckled at the assault of emotions, at the anguish and guilt that was as raw as the day that it had all happened. He gripped his sai, fighting desperately to regain control of his thoughts, to shove aside the visceral self-loathing and terror that flooded his body, and the sense of failure that had almost destroyed him completely.
Blood trickled from his palm, and he fought to loosen his grip on the sai as he refocused on the warrior standing before him, the man who'd been Dante's sworn backup when Zach had left. And yet, when Zach had reunited with Dante years later, his master was alone. Rohan had vanished, Dante's woman was missing, and his mentor had barely been alive. Dante had been as fucked up as Zach, and they'd pulled each other out of the abyss that was consuming them.
Zach had told Dante about what had happened to him when they'd been apart, yet Dante had never spoken of what had happened with Rohan and his own woman, but whatever it was had changed him forever. Never again had Dante spoken of the woman who had been his soul mate. Never again had Rohan's name so much as crossed his lips. The Calydon who had once been Dante's best friend had disappeared completely, and Zach knew that something unforgivable had gone down between the two warriors.
And now, he wanted the answers that Dante had refused to give him. "What happened with Dante?" he asked again.
Rohan didn't respond. A dark menace filled the air, but Zach didn't back down.
Finally,
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