Darkness Seduced (Primal Heat Trilogy #2) (Order of the Blade) (41 page)

Who the hell knew that could be possible? But it was. He was brimming with rage for Elijah’s fate. He was so connected to Lily that his heart was beating in synch with hers, he was one damned flood of emotion, and yet he was focused and intent in his mission. He felt like he could take down the damn world, which was good, because that’s about what it was going to take to keep Ezekiel locked down.

Lily nodded. “Yes, what is Destiny going to try to destroy now that we’re bonded?”

Gideon thought about it as they ran down the hall, their feet crunching over clay pebbles and grinding on centuries of dirt and grime. What mattered to him most right now? Stopping Frank from freeing Ezekiel, definitely. It was the culmination of his life’s goal. But finding a way to save Lily...shit. Gideon would never survive if something happened to her. And if Elijah was alive...the guy was his best friend. “It’s a tossup. You?”

Her green eyes were heavy with emotion. “I have a number of things on my plate right now. A lot of things to lose.”

“Yeah, me, too.” They fell silent as they ran, and he felt her rising tension, mirroring his own. “Quinn and Grace beat it,” he said. “They survived.”

“For now.”

“Now is enough for me.”

She glanced at him and he saw the fierceness in her eyes. “I wish I’d had time to analyze what was different about them that made them survive.”

“Screw analysis, Professor. This one’s got to come from the gut.”

Lily raised her brows at him. “You’re telling me to do this from my heart? You’re the one who doesn’t believe in emotions.”

“How I feel about you kept me from killing you, so yeah, I think our connection is our weapon.” It had to be. He might be a bastard, but he was a damned good warrior, and he knew a weapon when he saw one. “It’s us, Lily. You and I. We’re the key. Got it?” He tapped her heart. “Fight from here. That’s our chance.”

Lily lifted her chin, her eyes flashing with determination. “I won’t give up on us,” she said. “I swear I’ll fight destiny. I don’t get defeated easily.”

He grinned and ruffled her hair. Was it any wonder bonding with this amazing woman made him stronger? “And that’s why we’re going to make it—” Gideon felt a sudden shift in the air pressure and felt a rising threat. He called out his axes and grabbed Lily and pushed her behind him in one motion.
Quinn? How’s the shit going down? I think I’m going to need you soon.

There was no response, and Gideon realized Lily’s guess was right. They were cut off from communication with the surface.

The loud crack of a weapon being called out echoed through the tunnel, and Gideon backed Lily up against the wall. It sounded like only one Calydon was approaching, and that would be easy for Gideon to dispatch.

The approaching footsteps were loud and uneven, as if their assailant was dragging a leg behind him. “Stay there, Lily.”

Gideon stepped out into the center of the passageway and raised both weapons, ready to face what came around the corner. But when he finally saw what it was, he knew he was in deep shit.

Shit. Elijah was his best friend, but if Gideon didn’t start fighting for real, he’d be dead in a heartbeat. “Come on, Elijah,” he shouted. “Pull your shit together—”

“Frank’s behind you,” Lily shouted suddenly, her terror sucker-punching Gideon in the gut.

He lost his focus, and Elijah slammed his fist into Gideon’s face. Gideon swore and hurled his axe at Elijah. It slammed hard into Elijah’s side, a disabling blow, but not fatal. Blood spewed everywhere. Elijah rolled off him with a scream of agony that twisted in Gideon’s gut as his brain went numb against the pain in his head. “Hell man, I’m sorr—”

Elijah slammed his throwing star into Gideon’s heart, with a final scream of defiance. Gideon jerked under the blow, gasping as he felt his heart stutter. He ripped the throwing star out of his chest and let his arm drop to the side as Elijah lay gasping beside him. Hot blood ran down his side under his arm, and he groaned, trying to press his palm over his chest to staunch the flow of blood. “Good to see you, too, my friend,” he gasped.

Elijah rose up beside him, his face so bloodied he was unrecognizable, his eyes staring out from the mask of blood, so full of rage, terror and desperation. Of deadly, deadly intent.

Gideon tightened his grip on his axe. “Don’t make me do it,” Gideon warned. “Don’t make me do it, Elijah—”

But the bastard did, thrusting his throwing star down toward Gideon’s face in a death blow. Gideon had no choice but to defend himself, and he slammed his axe into the front of Elijah’s throat. The blows hit at the same time, and Elijah’s mouth opened in silent protest, his hands going to his neck as he fell on top of Gideon, his body hitting hard as agony burst through Gideon’s head and darkness consumed him.

* * *

Lily was shaking violently as Frank’s Calydons dragged her past Gideon and Elijah’s immobile bodies, both of them drenched in blood. “Gideon!”

There was no movement from either warrior.

The Calydons thrust Lily in front of Frank, who was wearing an all-black suit. His hair was slicked back and his shoes were polished. There were two spots of blood marring his perfect white shirt, residual from the fight. He smiled. “So nice of you to come.”

“I won’t help you—”

A Calydon slapped a piece of duct tape over her mouth, and she inhaled in panic when it went over her nose too. Frank’s eyes narrowed and he tugged the tape down from her nostrils as someone bound her wrists behind her back. “I’m tired of your attitude, Lily. We don’t have time for this. The ritual is starting now.” He snapped his fingers, and several more Calydons emerged from the tunnel behind him. “Deal with Elijah and make sure the other one’s dead—”

Lily squealed in protest and tried to rip herself out of her captor’s grasp as a tall blonde Calydon called out a war hammer and walked over toward Gideon. She slammed her foot into her captor’s shin and lunged for Gideon, throwing herself across the two downed Order members before the war hammer could find its mark.

“Bitch!” Her captor grabbed her to haul her off, then stopped when Frank held up his hand.

“Everyone hold.” He walked over and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around so he could look at her arm. Gideon’s brand glowed silver on her skin. Frank raised his eyebrows at her, then snapped his fingers.

The Calydon with the war hammer pried Gideon’s arm out from under Elijah’s body and held it up. Frank jerked Lily’s arm next to Gideon’s, and she saw that it was a full and complete match now. Every last design was a perfect.

“I’ll be damned. You’re bonded.” Frank released her arm and her captor yanked her to her feet. Her entire front was covered with blood now, but part of it was Gideon’s, and it tingled where it touched her skin. Could she raise him with her magic?

“Bring her mate with us,” Frank said. “See that he lives.”

Lily nearly sagged with relief at his words, then stiffened when she realized Frank had noticed her response. He smiled, a thin smile that made her stomach turn. “Knock Lily out. I don’t want her bringing her dead boyfriend to life before we’re ready. And find Ana, for hell’s sake. I need her.”

Pain exploded in her head and then there was nothing.

* * *

Lily woke up with a start, agony blistering through her shoulders. She peeled her eyes open to discover she was in the bottom of the pit she’d read about, lying on her side, bound hand and foot on a thick pile of rich, fertile dirt. Naked. She was surrounded by Calydon weapons, laid carefully on the ground around her in a precise circle. For a split second, her mind flashed to the past, to that moment when she’d woken up by the garbage dump with all those Calydons around her, but the familiar panic didn’t take hold. All she could think about was Gideon. Where was he?

A young Calydon was facing her, trussed up the same as she was, also naked. His eyes were fixed on her face, and they were wide with terror, but also determination. “I’m Drew Cartland,” he whispered, the moment her gaze fastened on his. “Dante’s son.”

“Lily Davenport.” She was relieved to discover the duct tape was off her mouth.
Gideon? Can you hear me?

The silence had her starting to panic, until she remembered that there was limited mental contact down here, and she lifted her head up to scan the area. They were surrounded by Calydons, and Frank was conferring with two of them. She caught sight of a slumped body off to the side, and her heart stuttered at the sight of the man she loved. He was still caked in blood, and he wasn’t moving. He was chained down with heavy links that she was sure had been proven strong enough to hold a Calydon, which was a good sign. That meant he was still alive. Tears filled her eyes and her vision blurred.
He was alive.

“Lily.” Frank turned toward her.

She blinked several times to clear her eyes, then dragged her gaze off Gideon and looked at Frank. The look on his face was so evil, so anticipatory, that she couldn’t stop herself from shuddering.

He walked over to her, stepping carefully over the weapons. He set Nate’s knife in front of her, so she could read the writing. “You will bring the music to life, empower Drew, and then you will invoke the rite. Do you understand?”

“You can’t possibly think I’m going to—”

Frank snapped his fingers and she stared in horror as the Calydon with the war hammer walked over to Gideon and held the weapon over Gideon’s head.

“No, don’t—”

She screamed as he slammed it into Gideon’s head. Blood spattered, and the sharp crack of bone splitting ripped through the air. “Don’t, God, don’t! I’ll do it!”

“Don’t do it,” Drew hissed. “Do you have any idea—”

She was shaking so hard she could barely think. “Shut up, Drew. God, shut the hell up! I know the risks, but I can’t let him die!”
Gideon, please, please, please wake up. I love you, dammit! Don’t let him kill you!

Frank nodded and stood up and used his foot to shove Drew toward her so they were skin to skin from shoulder to feet. “Begin.”

There was no tingle from the touch of his Calydon skin, no response from her magic at all. Just revulsion from having another male pressed up against her breasts.

“Gideon wouldn’t want you to free Ezekiel just to save him,” Drew said. “He’s Order. He’s supposed to sacrifice himself—”

“Shut up!” Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she didn’t care. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the body pressed against hers belonged to Gideon. That the warm skin was his, alive and breathing.

But it wasn’t. It was just empty flesh she didn’t care about, and her magic was silent

“Hit Gideon again,” Frank snapped. “She’s stalling.”

“No!” She shouted, her eyes snapping open. “Don’t! I’ll do it! I swear!”

The war hammer stopped just short of Gideon’s skull, and she scrunched her eyes, trying to focus. She started to hum...and there was no magic. Nothing.

“Don’t do it,” Drew whispered. “You’re betraying all he represents if you do it.”

Lily shut him out and started to sing, the same melody Gideon had sung to her in the woods, an ancient song of seduction and power.

And nothing happened.

She jerked her eyes open, her heart pounding. “I swear to God, I’m trying. I really am. I don’t know why it’s not working. It worked with Gideon...” She and Frank both looked at Gideon, and then she knew. “Oh, God. It’ll only work with him now.”

Frank narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because he’s my chosen one. He heard my bells. He’s the one my magic has been seeking, and now that it’s found him, no one else will do. I can’t do it without him. I swear I’m not lying—” She screamed, tears pouring from her eyes as the Calydon hit Gideon again. “I’m not lying! I can’t do it! I can’t! God, stop beating him. Stop!”

Frank held up his hand and the war hammer disappeared into the Calydon’s arm. “Bring Gideon into the circle. Strip him first.”

Lily barely stifled a cry as two Calydons sliced Gideon’s clothes off, their blades sinking deep into his skin as they cut through his jeans. Then they grabbed him and dragged him along the rock floor. His body was limp, his head lolling to the side as blood oozed out of it. God, how could he possibly survive that level of damage?

They hoisted him over the circle of weapons so his feet didn’t dislodge them, then they dumped him on top of Drew and Lily.