Soul Deep: Dark Souls, Book 2 by Anne Hope Read Free Book Online

earth crunched beneath the soles of her shoes as she sprinted through the shrubs, leapt over tall grass and weaved her way between wild tangles of undergrowth. Somewhere in the distance, a crow shrieked, and Ben trembled against her.
    If only she could fold space, they’d be out of here in a jiffy. Unfortunately, she’d never succeeded in transporting another being, wasn’t sure if it was even possible for her to do so. The last thing she wanted was to unwittingly leave Ben behind, lost in a hostile forest, with an army of Watchers hunting him.
    Nature suddenly went still. The crow ceased its cackling. Even the wind held its breath. Dark energy invaded the atmosphere, a familiar presence that made all of Regan’s protective instincts sharpen and her hackles rise.
    No, not yet. I need more time.
     
    Marcus squeezed through a dense mesh of poplars, startling a band of yellow-headed blackbirds and making them flee the scene in a terrified flutter of wings. “Where do you think you’re going?” He blocked Regan’s path, determined to keep her from escaping.
    Regan skidded to a stop, her arms flexing as she tightened her grip on Ben. “Can’t a girl go for a nature walk?”
    He ate up the distance between them, invaded her personal space in unvoiced warning. “We both know that’s not what’s going on here.”
    She scanned her surroundings, indicating the thick bramble of trees with a jerk of her head. “Sure looks like it to me.”
    “Regan, you can’t run.” Frustration nibbled at his patience. “There’s nowhere to go. You know that as well as I do.”
    “Only because you won’t stop tracking me.” Desperation made her gaze glisten like liquid amber. “Can’t you just turn a blind eye for once?”
    He wished he could, but duty made no allowance for wishes. He’d sworn an oath, and letting Regan walk away with Ben would imply turning his back on the Watchers, on Cal. He couldn’t do it. He owed the man too much.
    “Consider what you’re doing.” He had to make her see reason. Her life depended on it. “If you take Ben off these grounds, you’ll be exposing him to Kyros. Here, at the complex, the Kleptopsychs can’t get to him. Out there, all bets are off.”
    Ben pulled his chin from the crook of Regan’s neck and whispered in her ear, “What’s he talking about?”
    “Shh,” she soothed. “Don’t listen to him. Marcus suffers from a severe case of paranoia.”
    “You’ll be branded a Rogue,” he continued, letting the insult slide. “Cal won’t stop till he’s hunted you down, and if Kyros finds out what you have in your possession, neither will the Kleptopsychs.”
    Doubt flickered in her gaze, and she quickly downcast her eyes to hide it. She was a strong and fierce soldier, one of the best he’d seen, but even she had her limits.
    “You can’t take them all on alone.”
    The fire returned, and she met his glance straight-on, all traces of uncertainty vanishing. “I don’t have a choice.” Regret roughened her voice. “I’m all he’s got.”
    Marcus didn’t want to have to apply force, but there was no way in hell he’d let her go off on a suicide mission. His hand glided to the hilt of his dagger, a blatant threat.
    “What are you going to do?” she challenged. “Cut me?”
    “You know I will if I have to.” He’d used his blade on her once before, in the catacombs. She’d been determined to remain behind to search for Jace, even as the tunnels caved in around them. If he hadn’t wounded her to weaken her, she could’ve been buried alive. “Don’t make me hurt you again.” His words hovered between a warning and a plea. “Come back to the complex with me.”
    Conflicting emotions contorted her features as silence swelled between them. Ultimately, compassion triumphed over reason. “I’m sorry, Marcus. I can’t. He needs me.”
    Damn, the woman was stubborn. With an aggravated sigh, he unsheathed his dagger. “Fine. Have it your way.”
    She turned to