Darkness Awakened (Primal Heat Trilogy #1) (Order of the Blade) (34 page)

“Of course it wouldn’t work,” Frank said. He came to a stop in front of her and his gaze went to her breasts. “Satinka magic is about a sexual connection with a Calydon. She won’t feel that if you’re beating her.”

Lily shuddered, unable to stop herself from doing so. As much as Nate had knocked her around, he’d never touched her sexually. She didn’t like the direction of this conversation. Oh, God, she didn’t like it. “My magic can’t be forced,” she said quickly. “It will only come with the Calydon who’s meant to be my mate.” True, but also not true. God, how horrifically, awfully not true.

“As long as you
feel
like it’s the right man, it’ll come.” Frank jerked his chin toward Nate. “Turn on the music I brought, Nate. I want to see her feed your power. I’ll take care of her need to be attracted to you. All you have to do is get her turned on with dancing.”

Nate took the CD and set it in the sound system. What did Frank have in mind? Was there really a way he could make her body respond sexually to Nate?

She recoiled as Nate hit play on the CD player, his lecherous eyes roaming her too eagerly.
No, no, Lily, it’s okay. They can’t bring your earth magic without fresh soil. It won’t happen
. It was a well-guarded secret that Satinka magic could not be brought unless there was contact with the earth, her people’s defense against Calydons who would steal her magic and drain her until she died. Some Calydons got lucky, like those men—

God, no, Lily! Don’t think of it!

She watched Nate as he approached, her heart racing frantically. If he touched her sexually... How much more could she take at Nate’s hands? How much longer could she summon the strength not to shrivel up and die?
Think of Ana. She’s your chance. You have to hang on until she can get away.

The music began to fill the room, an eerie aching sound that made Lily’s body want to sway to the rhythm. She froze, shocked by the response inside her. How was that possible?

No. She wouldn’t let that happen. Lily made her body rigid, locking her muscles against the instinct to move to the music.

“Touch her,” Frank ordered. “I need to see if she really has the magic.”

Nate strode across the room to her, slid his fingers around her wrist and yanked her hard. She fought against his touch, but his move knocked her off balance and she fell into him. The moment his Calydon skin brushed against hers, her magic awakened deep inside her, recognizing him as a Calydon, testing him to see if he was her mate. Her magic began to swirl to life inside her, wanting to tap into his power, but not able to find release without having the power of the earth to feed on.

Oh, God. Not this. Please not this.
Tears burned in Lily’s eyes as she fought to holder herself rigid, to cut him off from her magic.

Nate grabbed her hips and ground his erection into her stomach. Bile churned inside her, even as her magic tingled in response, a muddy, reluctant tingle, as if it didn’t like Nate’s energy any more than she did, but was unable to resist the touch of a Calydon.

Then suddenly, her body leaned into his, even as her mind screamed in resistance. Her head was thick and murky, and she couldn’t think clearly. She couldn’t remember what she was supposed to be fighting. Nate’s hands slid down her back, and somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t process the situation fully enough to react. It was like her mind wasn’t hers anymore. The music seeped into her soul and her body began to move—

No, Lily! He’s doing something to your mind. You have to stop!

Nate bent his head and licked her neck.

Lily! Break out of it! Don’t let him do this to you!
But her body followed his lead, her hips moving with his as he gyrated against her.

“It’s working,” Nate said, his voice bright with excitement. “She’s dancing!”

“There’s no magic,” Frank said, his voice distant through the fog surrounding her brain. “Where’s the magic?”

“It’ll come.” Nate’s hands slid over her breasts, and his erection pressed into her, sliding between her thighs, her flimsy skirt no protection against the heat of his thrust.

Revulsion swelled, breaking through the mist holding her mind captive. “Stop!” She jerked back and pounded her knee into his crotch. He swore with fury and swung his hand to strike her—

Frank grabbed Nate’s arm and flung him to the floor, the gaunt man easily besting a Calydon. “Never hit a woman in front of me,” Frank snarled. “Your kind disgusts me how they think it’s their right. I’m the only one who can make that decision.” His fingers flexed, as if he were trying to stop himself from killing Nate right then.

Even Nate went still, not daring to antagonize this skinny, understated geek.

Lily froze, the hairs on her arms standing up at the venom pouring from Frank. His defense of her was terrifying, the way hate and rage were spewing from him, held so tightly, like an explosive he was waiting until the right moment to unleash.

Frank turned his head to look at her, those icy eyes ruthless and cold. “You
will
call your magic for me, Lily. I’ll find out how to make it come, and you’ll learn that you’re not more powerful than I am just because of your connection to these pieces of shit Calydons.” He shoved Nate to the floor. “The minute we’re ready for you, Lily, I will bring you down and enjoy every minute of it.” His voice was laced with venom and deadly promise. “You’ll wish for death, and you won’t get it until there’s nothing left of you but a shriveled shell of pain and misery. You may be a woman, but you no longer fall under my protection, not after you scorned what I asked for.”

Lily shuddered at the threat in his eyes and knew her time had run out. She had to get away from Nate before Frank came back for her. She’d never survive him.
Never
. But God, how could she get away?

She had to find a way.
She had to.

Frank turned toward the door. “Get up, Nate. I’ll tell you how to break her. You need to get started now.”

Nate’s grin was so full of malevolence she could practically feel it eating away at her skin. “Yeah, I’m looking forward that.” He strode up to Lily and yanked her over to him, his fetid breath wafting over her face. “I’ll be back for you, Lily. Make sure you wait up for me.”

Then he shoved her back and followed Frank out. The door banged shut and she heard the click of the lock.

Lily sank down where she was, hugging herself as she finally lost the battle to hold back her tears.
Don’t you dare give up, Lily.
She bit her lip, fighting to keep her sobs silent, knowing Nate was probably standing outside the door, hoping for an indication he’d finally broken her.

She had to keep believing.

Believing in what? That someday she’d be standing in her living room again? Visiting her parents for Sunday dinner? Sleeping in her own bed, without lying awake at night wondering if Nate was going to come for her?

This time, the sobs caught at her throat and a whimper leaked out of her mouth.

Dammit, Lily! Be strong!
Lily dug her fingernails into her palms, and scrunched her eyes shut, fighting for control, to reclaim some semblance of the person she had worked so hard to become after she’d nearly died all those years ago. Strong. Confident. Successful. Resourceful.

She was still all that. She had to remember who she was. She could survive this. With Ana in the basement, things had finally shifted. The end was almost here. Now was the time to get stronger, not weaker.

At some point, Nate and Frank would make a mistake. They would allow Lily to get near dirt, and the right Calydon would finally be within reach. She could find the Calydon her magic recognized as a partner, a Calydon who would infuse her magic with a power that would bring down both Nate and Frank.

She sighed and a faint smile touched her lips at the idea of finally getting free. All she had to do was stay alive until she had her chance. She had to keep them from figuring how to drain her magic, but she knew Frank would figure out the earth element soon. She had to be gone before then, before Frank had the chance to inflict on her the demons he carried inside himself.

* * *

Zach plopped himself down on the log next to Grace as everyone took their places around the campfire. His shirt was still darkened with blood from where she’d impaled him, but he didn’t seem to care. “Nice move with Quinn’s sword.”

She was surprised when he handed her a beer. “I really didn’t mean to stab you. It just happened—”

“No worries.” He leaned back and stretched his long legs out in front of him with a groan. His dark hair was messy and casual, his jeans were well-worn, and his boots were heavy-duty and creased. A man who dressed for function, not fashion. “Dante taught us how to build mental connections with our weapons, until they’re able to act on the same battle instincts that we, as warriors, have,” Zach continued. “When we’re in battle, we don’t have to think about our next move. It just happens.” He shot her an appraising look. “That ability gets transferred to our mates. It wasn’t your fault. It was Quinn’s.” He winked at her. “You’re forgiven.”

“Thanks.” Uncertain whether to trust his overture, Grace managed only a small smile. She was an outsider here, and Zach’s friendship was unexpected. Not sure what to say, she averted her gaze from him, watching Thano erect a makeshift spit over the fire and string up some animal she couldn’t identify. The smell of dinner cooking made her stomach growl, and she realized she hadn’t eaten in a long time. Quinn walked around the fire, filling everyone in on what had happened and what he knew so far.

Gabe called out a question and she jumped at the sound of his voice, unable to forget his promise to kill her when there was no longer a need for her.

Zach leaned into her. “You can relax, you know. Gabe has given you his oath. He’ll protect you with his life during the mission. It’s how we are.”

“But he hates me—”

Zach shook his head. “It’s not about you. It’s that you’ve shifted the loyalties of the warrior who’s been the most ruthless bastard of us all for the last five hundred years. Quinn was always the one to volunteer to hunt down the rogues and their
shevas
, and he’s slain more
shevas
than anyone else by a long shot. Now he’s asking us not only to let you live, but to bring you into the mission...” He slanted a look at her. “It’s not him.”

Grace’s stomach tightened as she involuntarily glanced at Quinn as he answered Gabe’s question. The light from the fire had turned Quinn’s black clothes orange and red, the flames dancing in his dark eyes. Why had he hunted down so many
shevas?
Was it because he’d wanted to give them a final chance to reclaim sanity before killing them? And if so, why hadn’t he told the others, instead of letting them believe he was some
sheva-
killing aficionado? Or had he not told her the whole truth about who he was?

Zach gave her an appraising look. “So, we’re all wondering whether Quinn isn’t the warrior we believed he was, or whether you’re something special, a
sheva
far more dangerous than any we’ve encountered before. Or more powerful, perhaps?”

She bit her lip, unsure what to say, what was true, what to reveal. “I don’t have the answer to that.”

Zach shrugged. “We’ll have it figured out before the end of this mission.” He held up his beer. “In the meantime, enjoy it. It’s going to be a hell of a ride.”

He continued to talk, but she stopped listening as the night began to pulse with an energy rhythm that was all too familiar. Grace sat up as pressure began to build in her head, similar to the pressure that preceded a powerful illusion. Ana? Or someone else? Or…herself?