Free Darkness Surrendered (Primal Heat Trilogy #3) (Order of the Blade) by Stephanie Rowe Page A

through the sheva bond. Shit. He didn’t like the idea of anyone knowing what was going on in his head. Especially now. He tried to raise his mental shields against her, but as soon as he started to, the demons started circling again. He felt his control begin to slide, felt the familiar paranoia returning.
    He swore again, and let his barriers fall, opening himself to her. The minute he did, his body relaxed and the demons settled, but the nightmares and memories caused by Ana rose to replace them. Too many memories racing though his mind, but again, he knew they were only memories, and he could tell they weren’t real, so he’d take it. It was a hell that didn’t make him crazy, so that was better than where he’d been. But he wasn’t okay, not by a long shot. At some point, they weren’t going to be able to get him back when he went off, and then they were in trouble.
    Thano limped ahead and hauled open the door to the corridor. Blood was coagulating in the wound in his shoulder...a wound that looked like bite marks? “Did I bite you?” The question was out before he could stop himself.
    Thano shrugged. “You haven’t eaten in a while. It’s all good.”
    As Gideon and Quinn dragged Elijah up the stairs, he glanced at the rest of the Order. He saw Ryland with his hand over his heart, blood seeping between his fingers. Holy crap. He’d really tried to kill them all. How the hell was it possible to lose his grip on reality so completely that he tried to kill his own team?
    It wasn’t over.
    It would never be over.
    The fear that had been stalking him his whole life had finally become reality.
    Ryland raised an eyebrow. “Kill Ezekiel and I’ll forgive you.”
    A spike of adrenaline pulsed through Elijah, as it always did when he heard the name of the ruthless bastard who nearly destroyed the world two thousand years ago. “Ezekiel? What’s he got to do with anything?”
    “He escaped from his prison.” Gideon said.
    Elijah went cold, and he fought to keep his face impassive. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on Ana, pulling her tighter against him, into the shield of his body where he could protect her. “ What?”
    Quinn nodded. “He got out three days ago. Our battle with him was what collapsed the tunnels.”
    “No fucking way.” Elijah fought to get free of his friends’ grip, then doubled over at the pain that shot through him, at the fresh blood pouring from his gut. “I need to go after him.”
    “Yeah, you do,” Gideon agreed easily. “But not until you’ve slept.” He and Quinn dragged him toward the staircase to the second floor.
    Elijah hung his head, gritting his teeth against the wave of nausea from the pain. “I don’t have time to sleep. I need to go after Ezekiel now.” But even as he said it, he looked down at the woman holding him up. His heart bled for the faded bruises on her arms, for the determined set to her mouth. He had to keep her safe. Had to protect her from Ezekiel. She was connected with him. Ezekiel would know, and he would target her.
    Ana looked up at him, and her eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”
    Elijah shook his head, uncomfortable that she sensed there was more driving him than Ezekiel being free. “I need to stop him. Now.”
    Gideon shot him a sharp look. “He’ll kill you in a split second if you go now. You can’t even stand. You need to go into the healing sleep and then we’ll go.”
    “No. I go now.” He had to intercept the bastard before Ezekiel came after him. Had to strike before Ezekiel knew he was coming. “Let me go!” Elijah struggled to get loose again, and his leg bumped Gideon’s. Pain shot through him, and his head started to spin.
    Jesus. He was going to pass out? Maybe being insane was better, because feeling pain was inconvenient as hell.
    Gideon and Quinn tightened their grips, and he knew they sensed he was about to faint. No damn way was he going to pass out in front of the Order. No way. There were some limits that