Free Inferno of Darkness (Order of the Blade #8) by Stephanie Rowe Page B

in Dante's gripping embrace and consumed by his kiss, she fell into the respite that he offered, into the humanity, truth, and honor that he shared with her. She became the woman she'd never believed she could be, and she became his.
***
     
    Dante was not blind to the wisdom of Elisha's words. He knew the risk she presented. He understood that his need to keep her alive was risky, every bit as dangerous as the shevas who had brought down the Order one by one. But at the same time, she gave him hope. She gave him purpose. She gave him life.
    He needed her on levels he couldn't even explain. Her kiss. Her lips. Her laughter. The poignancy of her connection to the earth he traveled. It was all more than he could resist. She was the light that had been fading from his soul with each death, with each failure, with each moment that the Order shriveled and died, falling from their duty and the promise that they'd been founded upon.
    He deepened the kiss, pulling her against him, spanning his hand across her lower back. Her spine seemed to melt into the fullness of her hips, and he slid his hands lower, cupping the warm mounds of temptation as he lifted her against him, never lessening his assault on her senses.
    She let out a small moan and wrapped her legs around his hips, the small move almost staggering him in its invitation, in its intimacy. "Elisha," he whispered, as he dropped to his knees, locking her on his lap as he grasped her delicate calf, sliding his hand ever-so-slowly along her leg, rising higher and higher, devouring her mouth with kisses so desperate he couldn't get enough.
    His cock rose hard and fast, pressing against the junction of her thighs. The fabric between them was too restricting and too thick. He shifted her, sliding both hands under her dress and sliding it upward over her hips, until the delicate material rippled in iridescent waves around her torso. Her skin was hot and soft to his touch, so smooth it felt almost surreal, and yet it was damp with faint perspiration from the heat of their kiss.
    Lust burned through him, but it was more than lust. It was a driving, uncontrollable need for her. He wanted to claim her and make her his. He was consumed by the urge to seal their bond until nothing could ever break it. With a low growl, he shifted her off him and unfastened his pants. In one swift move, he had them off. He tossed them on the ground beneath her as a covering. He took her in his arms and kissed her, but this time, he savored it. It was as if his urgency had been sated, knowing that it was close, knowing that he was going to do this, that she was going to be his.
    With tantalizing slowness, he eased her dress over her head, her violet-blue eyes locked on his as she raised her arms over her head and allowed him to slip it off her in shimmering cascades of magic and light. He slipped off her silken undergarment, and then froze in shock at the sight of her body…luminescent perfection marred by slashes across her belly, deep scars that had burned themselves into angry black cuts across her flesh.
    The anger that rose within him was like a sharp flash of white-hot fury, and he went down on his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to each wound. "Who did this?" he asked.
    She didn't answer. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his head, holding him to her as he kissed each injury. He could taste the taint in the wounds, the dark energy swirling through them. They were more than pain. They were suffering. They were agony. They were punishment. They were betrayal. He felt her pain in each kiss, her belly trembling in response. Swearing, he eased her back onto the ground, never lifting his head, sending his Calydon healing energy into each kiss, even though he knew it was impossible to share it with anyone except another Calydon or his mate. But still he offered it, thrust it out into her body, willing her soul to accept it.
    Heat began to burn, and he placed his hand over