Read Online Darkness Possessed (Order of the Blade) by Stephanie Rowe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephanie Rowe
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her.
She shuddered, suddenly feeling cold. José was really alive? Restlessly, she ran her hands over her forearms, over the tattoos that hid the marks that branded her as his sheva. She knew she had no choice. Dear God, was she really going back? She was. She knew she was. It was her only chance at surviving. "South America," she said quietly. "Home." No. Not home. No longer home. "Hell."
Jordyn glanced at her. "Why go there? You think you'll be safe?"
"No. It's the most dangerous place I could go." Rhiannon met the gaze of the one woman who might actually understand what she had to do. "But that's where he is. I have to find him, and kill him before he gets me."
Jordyn frowned. "He's going to kill you?"
"No. It's worse than that. I could handle it if that was all he wanted to do." She bit her lip against the fear hammering at her. She fought off the memories, knowing that if she let herself remember what it had been like, the fear would paralyze her, and she would never be able to go back. "He has to die, Jordyn. It's the only way."
Jordyn stared at her, and for a split second, Rhiannon thought she was going to condemn her. What kind of woman boldly stated she was going to track down the man she was bound to forever and kill him in cold blood?
But Jordyn didn't condemn her. Instead, she shocked Rhiannon into silence when she said, "Give me forty-eight hours to get coverage at the shelter, and I'll go with you."
Rhiannon's throat tightened up even as she shook her head. "I can't," she said. "I have to leave now or he'll find me. I can't risk your life anyway. If you die, who will help all the women here? This is my battle."
Jordyn sighed. "How did I know you would say that?" As she spoke, she reached into her wallet that was sitting on the console between them and pulled out a credit card. She held it out to Rhiannon as the little car hurtled down the highway. "Credit cards leave a paper trail that's too easy to track. Use mine to book your ticket, and to buy supplies once you get down there."
Rhiannon shook her head, touched by the offer, but knowing she couldn't take it. "I can't take your money."
Jordyn continued to hold it out. "You have to," she said quietly. "Your only chance is surprise. You'll never win if he knows you're coming, will you? If you use your own credit card, he'll know, won't he? He'll track you."
Rhiannon bit her lip, then nodded. "Yes. Yes, to everything you just said." They both knew the truth. She might not win no matter what she tried. But surprise would at least give her a chance.
Silently, she held out her hand, and Jordyn put the credit card in it. "I'll pay you back," she said.
"I don't need money," Jordyn said as she took the exit for the airport. "I just want you to stay alive. Got it? I'll accept nothing less from you."
Rhiannon managed a smile. "You're a little bossy, you know that?"
"Of course I am. That's what makes me so charming." Jordyn winked at her, and Rhiannon smiled for real.
A brief oasis before she descended into hell.
Chapter 6
You are mine.
Rohan's words kept haunting Zach, seeping into his focus as he prepared his end of the campsite for himself, Thano, and the horse. What had he meant when he'd said Zach was his apprentice? It made no sense, but he'd spoken the words with a conviction that had brought ice to his bones.
Rohan had meant it, and Zach didn't like it. He didn't like anything about this situation.
Zach slanted a look to his left, watching as the remaining members of Rohan's team finished the trench they'd quickly dug around their campsite. They'd diverted a nearby river so that it flowed around them like a moat. Inside the circumference of the moat they'd set ten-foot torches into the earth around their campsite, spacing them at five-foot intervals. Rohan had told Zach to light them, but Zach had ignored him. He figured being rude and dismissive was better than coming clean that he didn't have fire anymore.
Night was falling fast, and in
She shuddered, suddenly feeling cold. José was really alive? Restlessly, she ran her hands over her forearms, over the tattoos that hid the marks that branded her as his sheva. She knew she had no choice. Dear God, was she really going back? She was. She knew she was. It was her only chance at surviving. "South America," she said quietly. "Home." No. Not home. No longer home. "Hell."
Jordyn glanced at her. "Why go there? You think you'll be safe?"
"No. It's the most dangerous place I could go." Rhiannon met the gaze of the one woman who might actually understand what she had to do. "But that's where he is. I have to find him, and kill him before he gets me."
Jordyn frowned. "He's going to kill you?"
"No. It's worse than that. I could handle it if that was all he wanted to do." She bit her lip against the fear hammering at her. She fought off the memories, knowing that if she let herself remember what it had been like, the fear would paralyze her, and she would never be able to go back. "He has to die, Jordyn. It's the only way."
Jordyn stared at her, and for a split second, Rhiannon thought she was going to condemn her. What kind of woman boldly stated she was going to track down the man she was bound to forever and kill him in cold blood?
But Jordyn didn't condemn her. Instead, she shocked Rhiannon into silence when she said, "Give me forty-eight hours to get coverage at the shelter, and I'll go with you."
Rhiannon's throat tightened up even as she shook her head. "I can't," she said. "I have to leave now or he'll find me. I can't risk your life anyway. If you die, who will help all the women here? This is my battle."
Jordyn sighed. "How did I know you would say that?" As she spoke, she reached into her wallet that was sitting on the console between them and pulled out a credit card. She held it out to Rhiannon as the little car hurtled down the highway. "Credit cards leave a paper trail that's too easy to track. Use mine to book your ticket, and to buy supplies once you get down there."
Rhiannon shook her head, touched by the offer, but knowing she couldn't take it. "I can't take your money."
Jordyn continued to hold it out. "You have to," she said quietly. "Your only chance is surprise. You'll never win if he knows you're coming, will you? If you use your own credit card, he'll know, won't he? He'll track you."
Rhiannon bit her lip, then nodded. "Yes. Yes, to everything you just said." They both knew the truth. She might not win no matter what she tried. But surprise would at least give her a chance.
Silently, she held out her hand, and Jordyn put the credit card in it. "I'll pay you back," she said.
"I don't need money," Jordyn said as she took the exit for the airport. "I just want you to stay alive. Got it? I'll accept nothing less from you."
Rhiannon managed a smile. "You're a little bossy, you know that?"
"Of course I am. That's what makes me so charming." Jordyn winked at her, and Rhiannon smiled for real.
A brief oasis before she descended into hell.
Chapter 6
You are mine.
Rohan's words kept haunting Zach, seeping into his focus as he prepared his end of the campsite for himself, Thano, and the horse. What had he meant when he'd said Zach was his apprentice? It made no sense, but he'd spoken the words with a conviction that had brought ice to his bones.
Rohan had meant it, and Zach didn't like it. He didn't like anything about this situation.
Zach slanted a look to his left, watching as the remaining members of Rohan's team finished the trench they'd quickly dug around their campsite. They'd diverted a nearby river so that it flowed around them like a moat. Inside the circumference of the moat they'd set ten-foot torches into the earth around their campsite, spacing them at five-foot intervals. Rohan had told Zach to light them, but Zach had ignored him. He figured being rude and dismissive was better than coming clean that he didn't have fire anymore.
Night was falling fast, and in
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