Forever in Darkness (novella) (Order of the Blade #4) by Stephanie Rowe Read Free Book Online Page B

Flynn
and checked him, then he looked up at Alice, his face grim. "Run," he
said. " Run.”
    Flynn turned his head and looked
right at her, the promise of her death blazing in his eyes. Then he rolled onto
his side and started to get up, ignoring James who was frantically trying to
talk him down.
    "Oh, crap." She tried to
get up, but her legs gave out, the weakness already spreading. Flynn shoved
James aside and lunged to his knees. He was swaying violently, still stunned
from Ian's attack, but he wasn't dead. He was coming for her—
    Then Ian cut off her view of Flynn.
Blood was pouring from a wound in his shoulder, and his eyes were blazing with
the adrenaline of battle. She froze, stunned by the power rolling off Ian. No
longer did he have the aura of a man being chased by shadows and demons, a man
who'd been so ravaged by the failure of his mark to appear on her arm. He was a
man in control of the entire world. He didn't even pause. He just sprinted over
to her and scooped her up in his arms.
    Alice gasped at the pain shooting
through her belly as he tucked her against his chest. "Ian—"
    "No." He looked down at
her as he shoved his hip against the front door and flung it open. "You
don’t get to die again. It's pissing me off. I'm taking over."
    Then he strode out into the alley,
straddled a motorcycle and locked her down in his arms.
    Alice fought for breath, the pain
so intense she could barely breathe. Ian's body was so hard and hot against
hers, and she leaned into him, unable to hold herself up. Where was he taking
her? "Let me go," she gasped. "I need to try to talk to Flynn—"
    "No chance." Ian punched
the ignition, and the bike engine roared to life.
    Panic hit her at the realization he
was taking her from her last hope, and she started to struggle, frantic to get
free—
    Then the alley door was flung open,
and Flynn charged out of it. Alice froze at the sight of him, with his green
eyes, his disheveled appearance and the look of insane rage marring his
sculpted features. Who was her better chance? But when she saw the promise of
death in Flynn's eyes, she knew what the answer was. Ian might be part demon,
but he was the one who was keeping her alive right now, not Flynn.
    She had no choice. She had to trust
Ian, this man who knew things she didn't understand, the man whose mere touch
ignited fires within her that she never should be able to feel. There was
something between them. Maybe it wasn't soul mates. Maybe it wasn't anything
substantial, but it was more than she'd ever had before. She didn't know what it
was, she had no idea how it could help her, but he was her best hope.
    Ian was her choice.
    As Flynn sprinted at them, Alice
wrapped her arms around Ian's waist and held on. Dear God, let this be the
right decision.
    Ian glanced down at her, and she
saw the intense satisfaction gleaming in his eyes as she turned herself over to
his safekeeping. He brushed his fingers over her forehead, a tender gesture
that tightened her throat. No one ever offered her comfort. She wasn't supposed
to let it happen. That wasn't her job.
    But it felt so good, she wanted to
just bury herself in this man and accept all he had to offer.
    Ian nodded at her, then he lifted
his head and looked at Flynn as he closed in on them. There was a flash of
black light and a loud crack, and then Ian's mace flashed into his palm. He
hurled it casually at Flynn, and the weapon slammed into Flynn's chest at
almost point blank range.
    Alice winced as the man who had
once been so close to her roared with fury and flew backwards from the impact.
But as Ian gunned the engine and peeled out of the alley, Alice saw Flynn rip the
mace from his body and leap to his feet. He broke into a run to chase them just
as Ian turned the corner and Flynn disappeared from sight.
    He was coming after her. She knew
he was. Now that he had her scent, he would not stop until he had her.
    Unless the man who had her locked
down against his body was able to provide