Darkness Awakened (Primal Heat Trilogy #1) (Order of the Blade) (45 page)
Read Darkness Awakened (Primal Heat Trilogy #1) (Order of the Blade) Online
Authors: Stephanie Rowe
Quinn felt a rush of danger so intense he lost focus. Grace’s presence vanished from his mind, leaving him unprotected from the illusions.
Grace!
Nate found me.
Her voice vibrated with fear, and his body went numb.
Jesus
. His knees buckled and he went down hard in the mud.
Stay alive, Grace! I’m coming!
He lurched to his feet and was up and running before he’d even realized he’d fallen, his heart racing, his head pounding.
The trees blurred as he bolted through the woods, calling upon his preternatural speed as he never had before. Elijahs kept leaping out to stop him. They weren’t glowing anymore, and he didn’t care. He ran right through them, consumed by his fear for Grace, unable to focus on anything other than the gut-wrenching image of Grace at Nate’s mercy. “Grace!” His mouth was dry, his lungs were tight as he ran, blind to the branches whipping across his face.
Where are you?
He’s got a knife.
Quinn’s bellow of fury shook the night. He called to the blood bond between them, and instantly knew her precise location. He sent her position to his men and hauled ass toward her, vaulting over rocks and dodging trees, taking out branches with his sword instead of wasting time ducking beneath them. “Grace!”
He crested the last hill and saw Grace and Nate at the base of it. Grace was slumped at his feet, and the blade of his knife glistened in Nate’s hand. Son of a bitch. Was he too late?
I’m okay
. Her faint voice touched his mind.
I’m here.
Nate looked directly at Quinn, a defiant gleam in his eyes as he grabbed Grace by the hair, jerking her head back and exposing her throat.
“No!” Quinn hurled his sword, and his blade cut through the air as Nate brought his blade down toward her neck. Nate ducked with the lightning quickness of an ancient Calydon. Quinn’s sword flew harmlessly past Nate’s head, but Nate’s quick movement made him miss his target. His knife hit Grace’s stomach instead of her throat.
Grace’s agony hit Quinn so hard he crashed to his knees, his body convulsing from her pain. “Grace!” He leapt to his feet as dozens of Calydons swarmed from the woods, cutting him off from her. Real ones. Not illusions. Warriors keeping him from his woman.
“No!” White hot rage exploded in Quinn’s mind. He recalled his sword and charged into the fray, ripping through the enemy, his sword flying as he fended off attack after attack, not even feeling the pain when their weapons sank into his flesh. “Grace!” His shout was wild, ripping out of his throat.
“Quinn!” Gideon was finally behind him. “Don’t kill Nate! We have to get information from him first!”
Quinn whirled around and slammed his fist into Gideon’s face, then spun back and took out another Calydon. He had to kill Nate.
Had to kill Nate.
“Quinn!” Kane’s voice was distant as Quinn continued his annihilation, able to think of nothing but getting to Grace. To kill Nate. “You’re going rogue! Focus, man!”
The words pulsed at Quinn’s subconscious, and he threw them aside. He didn’t want to hear them. Didn’t care. Nate’s death was all he could think about. It was consuming him, black rage savaging his mind and his heart.
The last Calydon fell and Quinn charged for Nate, ignoring all the Elijahs in his way. Nate’s eyes widened as Quinn charged through the illusions. At the last second, Nate dove to the right, and Quinn’s blade sank into Nate’s hip instead of his heart. Quinn ripped his sword free and raised it to plunge the fatal blow, then Gideon tackled him, taking them both down. “Come on, man! Give us two minutes to get answers out of him!”
Quinn brought his blade down onto Gideon’s throat with so much force that he shattered Gideon’s throwing axe when Gideon flung it up to block the blow. “Get out of my way, Gideon!”
Something careened into the side of Quinn’s head and he fell as Kane’s flail dropped to the earth next to him. Quinn grabbed the flail and hurled it back. Kane ducked as it whizzed past his head and embedded itself in a tree.
Quinn spun back to Nate with his sword, then froze mid-swing when he saw Grace had crawled in front of Nate, clutching her hands to her stomach.
“Don’t do it,” she whispered, her voice ragged. “We need to find Ana. Your weapon. The tablet. Only Nate has answers. Don’t kill him.”
But Quinn couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop replaying the moment when Nate’s knife had sank into her body. Nate had to die. There was no other way. Quinn raised his sword to plunge it for the final blow, and she held out her hand and called his sword out of his hand.
It plunged into the flat of her palm with a smack and she held it up, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t let you do it. Don’t you see? It’s the bond. Destroying everything we care about. Killing Nate makes us lose it all. You have to stop,” she shouted. “God, Quinn, stop.”
Quinn heard Gideon and Kane trying to stagger to their feet behind him, their weapons out and suddenly he knew. This was their moment. This was their destiny.
“I love you,” she whispered. “Please don’t make me kill you.”
His heart beat for her, and he felt a flicker of humanity inside him, of hope.
Then Nate moved and his knife flashed as it headed toward Grace’s neck. With a howl, Quinn called his sword back from her to take the final step toward their destiny.
* * *
Grace saw a flash of metal behind Quinn as Nate’s knife descended toward her. Quinn’s sword flew out of her hand and into Quinn’s palm. Then Gideon’s axe clobbered Nate’s hand. Bone shattered and his knife flew off into the mud.
Nate screamed and writhed in the mud beside her, holding his hand, no longer a threat.
But Quinn was still going after him. “Quinn! Stop!” His eyes were pulsing red.
Rogue.
He’d crossed the line into insanity, as destiny had commanded, and she knew he was going to kill Nate. With one swipe of the blade, he was going to start the chain of events they’d been fighting this whole time.
Gideon and Kane charged up behind him, and she grabbed Nate’s knife out of the mud. His team got within reach, and Quinn whirled and smashed his sword into their heads with the quickness of a man possessed. He spun back to Nate as his friends fell to the earth beside him and whipped his blade back to bring it down for the final blow.
“No!” Grace screamed the words at his blazing red eyes, knowing he’d never hear her. Her hand shook as she raised Nate’s knife, knowing she had to stop him. She was the only one left. It was up to her.
Time froze for an instant as she realized that Quinn would still kill Nate before he died from her blade even if she struck now. Nate would die without revealing Ana’s location, without telling them where Quinn’s weapon was, or how to stop Ezekiel from getting out. They would lose it all, and Quinn would die by her hand.
As it was destined.
His eyes met hers as he brought the sword down, and she held up the knife. His gaze went to the blade, and there was a flash of awareness on his face. Understanding that she would kill him now, and the end would be upon them.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I believe in you.” Then she opened her hand and let the knife fall to the ground, relinquishing her only way to stop him. Giving up her only chance to kill him. Trusting Ana’s life to his heart, which had to be strong enough to break the bond.
She stared in aching disbelief when he didn’t stop. His sword whizzed past her head thudded into its target, her heart breaking for all they’d just lost.
They’d failed.
Quinn fell to his knees in front of her and caught her face in his hands.
She stared at him through her tears. “I thought it would work. I thought if I didn’t kill you—”
He turned her head and pointed to the ground. It took a minute for her to register, but then she saw that his sword was plunged deep in the earth beside Nate’s shoulder.
He hadn’t killed Nate.
New tears sprung and she threw her arms around Quinn’s neck. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair as his body shook. She held him as close as she could, unable to stop the sobs, his arms so tight around her she felt like he’d never let her go.
Grace heard Ryland shout as he approached with Ian and Thano, but she ignored them as they grabbed Nate and dragged him away.
She simply held onto Quinn as tightly as she could, until she couldn’t hold on anymore. Until weakness started to take over her. Her hands started to slide down his chest and she leaned into him, too exhausted to hold onto him. Her adrenaline began to subside, and a sharp pain began to pulse at her. “Quinn.” Her voice sounded weak, even to her. “My stomach...” Too much effort to talk...
* * *
Quinn cradled Grace to his side so he could look at her stomach. He took one look at the dark stains, as the blood dripping off the hem of her shirt, he felt his heart stop. So much blood. “
Grace
.” His voice broke as he pressed his palms over her stomach, trying to staunch the flow of blood. “Don’t move. You’ll make it worse.”
Gideon! She’s bleeding out!
Take her into a healing sleep. You have to calm down. Focus.
Calm down? Are you shitting me?
Quinn. You’re a warrior. Think like one, for hell’s sake.
Quinn groaned and pressed harder against the wound, trying to find his equilibrium enough to focus. Grace flinched at the pain, and leaned against him. Her body was cold. So still. “Ana,” she mumbled. “Where is she?”
“No, no, baby. Stop talking.” Quinn carefully eased onto his back, trying not to move her, keeping his palm pressed to her stomach as the warm blood oozed between his fingers. “I’m taking you into a healing sleep.”
Gideon. I’m going to need help. I can’t focus.
I’m with you.
“No.” She tried to push him away even as she sagged more heavily against him. “Not until I know Ana’s okay.”
Gideon. Do you have answers about Ana yet?
Quinn glanced at the five Order members clustered around Nate. Gideon was standing above Nate’s head, his face bloodied and beaten from Quinn’s blows. His gaze was focused on Quinn, his brow furrowed in concentration.
We’re working on Nate. He’ll talk.
Gideon sounded grimly confident.
We’ll get it. You need to focus on Grace.
“Quinn?” Her whisper was so faint.
“They’ll have answers in a minute.” He touched her mind, then he went cold with horror when he felt how weak her mind was, how distant.
Hell, Gideon. Can you feel that? We’re losing her. I can’t lose her.
His chest tightened and he couldn’t breathe.
I can’t—
Shut up and calm down.
Gideon’s voice was steady.
You can heal her. Close your eyes, keep her warm, and let your mind quiet.
Gideon’s strength flowed into Quinn, and a sense of calm focus cocooned his mind. His heart rate began to slow down, and he settled back in the mud, wrapping his coat tightly around her. He felt her pain ease as she settled against him, letting him pull her into his healing sleep.
You got it.
Gideon’s voice was ruthless and unyielding. No emotion. Just determination. Exactly what Quinn needed.
Give her peace. Take away the pain first so her body can relax. It’s the same thing you do to yourself. You know how to do it.
Quinn wrapped his mind around hers, merging with her so his gifts became hers. But the minute he merged with her, he realized she wasn’t asleep at all. She was passing on.
Gideon! She’s dying! I’m losing her!
I know. I’m here with you. Talk to her, Quinn. Call her back.
Quinn immediately turned his mind to hers.
Don’t you dare give up, Grace. Ana needs you.
He gave her his healing strength, showing her body how to repair itself, but there was no response, and he sensed her sliding further away.
There was a ripple of impatience from Gideon.
Use her love for you, Quinn. Not her sister. You. You’re burning so brightly for her it’s making my head hurt.