Read Online Fleeing Fate by Anya Richards - Free Book Online

as
she spoke again. “I think it is too late. I can’t go back, no matter the
end result.”
    There was a note of fatalism in her tone, and it was then he
realized—she wasn’t sure she’d survive, had already considered the possibility
of death.
    “Gràinne, don’t do it.”
    She shook her head, her nails digging suddenly into his
shoulder blades, a physical manifestation of her fear and resolve. “I have to,
whether I survive or not doesn’t matter. I can’t go back. I just can’t.”
    He wanted to shake her, roar with the rage growing inside.
But he only held her tighter, turned his face away, forced himself to breathe
steadily until he built a tenuous control. But he couldn’t get his throat to
work, to ask if death truly was better than survival, afraid of her answer.
    “I wouldn’t give up what I’ve felt tonight for anything.”
She pressed her lips to his mark, and Jakuta felt every line of the image burn
his skin afresh. “I don’t care what happens, as long as I face it complete,
intact.” Lifting her head, she cupped his cheek, gently exerted pressure until
he faced her. “Even with what happened afterward, I want never to forget how it
felt to have you touch me. If I don’t capture the power of the sigil, have it where
no one can take it away, I’m afraid I’ll go back to how I was before.”
    “How do you know that’s what’ll happen?” Perhaps he was
grasping at straws, but his gut told him she was on a road that would lead to
destruction—hers and maybe his too. “You’ve already regained so much without
it.”
    Once more her eyes had that strange, distant look, the smoky
outer ring darkening and swirling—snow-laden clouds on a faraway horizon.
    “It’s the only way.” In a blink her gaze cleared and her
lips firmed. “I need you to do this for me, Jakuta.”
    By all the gods, he wanted to refuse, to tell her to find
someone else to carry out her crazy plan, but when he tried to speak, nothing
came out except a growl of despair.
    Gràinne flattened her hands against his back, reached up to
rest her lips softly on his, as though in apology.
    He didn’t want her regret, most decidedly didn’t want to be
the agent of her passage into the dark.
    With another growl he held on to the back of her head, kept
her where she was when she would have pulled away. Angling his head brought him
as close as possible. Parting her lips with his tongue, invading her mouth, he
poured all he felt into the kiss. Shockingly, she took the rage and anguish,
absorbing and tempering them until all there was left was passion, stronger and
hotter than even before.
    Tearing his mouth away almost killed him, but he was already
in too deep. Making love to her the way he desperately wanted, only to see her
walk away or worse, die, would be more than he could bear.
    Taking a deep breath, resting his forehead against hers to
avoid looking into her bewitching eyes, he said, “I’ll start mixing inks.”
    “Wait.”
    Her breath rushed over his face and he inhaled it, staying
where he was, still not ready to fully face her, not sure how much of what he
felt showed in his expression. “What?”
    She took a deep breath, slid her hands around to his sides,
until her thumbs brushed his belly. “I want—” She exhaled, took another quick
breath. “I want to touch you, in case I don’t get another chance, but…”
    Somehow he knew what she couldn’t say. She didn’t want him
to touch her in return, fearing the rush of memories would overcome her again.
The thought of her fingers on him caused a deep ripple of yearning to once more
tighten his muscles, bringing him to full erection again. The effortless way
she aroused him was a shock, and he had to swallow, moistening his suddenly dry
throat before he could reassure her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
    That was true, but also true was the fact that he ached to
caress her, kiss her, hear the little cries as her body convulsed against his.
He wasn’t used