Free Darkness Possessed (Order of the Blade) by Stephanie Rowe

another few minutes, it would be pitch black. The torches and moat had made the campsite small, but Zach had brought Apollo inside the circle anyway. He still hadn't unstrapped Thano from the horse, and he wasn't going to, not until he was convinced it was safe.
    Which would most likely be never.
    He spread out the two bedrolls that one of Rohan's team had offered him, and he checked the water level in the bucket he'd dragged over for Apollo. Something about the tension level of Rohan's team, and the urgency with which they'd erected those torches had made him pretty sure he didn't want the horse wandering even those few yards past the torches to the nearby stream.
    They'd even set up torches around the black pit of hell that Trevor was inside, and those were less than a foot apart, as if they had added extra protection for the warrior who wouldn't be able to defend himself.
    Zach could smell the food cooking over the campfire, but he didn't join them, deciding to wait until he was beckoned. Rohan had refused to give any more details about the mission, and Zach wasn't going to prostitute himself by asking.
    Instead, he walked over to Apollo, who was contently eating the plants that Zach had brought in for him. He ran his hand over the horse's soft nose as he checked the straps holding Thano to the saddle. There were red marks on Thano's wrists, and Zach grimaced, knowing he had to get the younger warrior into a better position before too long. Yeah, he was immortal like the rest of them, but he wasn't going to leave him strung up like Trevor. "Soon, Thano. Just hang in there a little longer."
    "Zachary." Rohan's command was like a sharp crack through the night. "It is time."
    "The guy's a pig," Zach said in a low voice to his teammate. "When you're better, let's kick the shit out of him together, okay?" He patted Thano roughly on the shoulder and began to turn away.
    Then, curiosity prevailed, and he thumbed back one of Thano's eyelids. Even in his unconscious state, his eyes were glowing red. The red of rogue. Shit. The kid was in trouble. "I swear to you, I will fix this."
    He jerked his chin at Apollo, who stomped his hoof, then he turned and walked toward the other warriors.
    As he strode toward them, he took a moment to assess them more carefully.
    All but one of the warriors were seated in a semicircle around the campfire, sitting directly on the ground. Rohan's team had arrived with five warriors, but two others had joined them, sliding into camp while they'd been setting up, apparently waiting to meet up with them.
    Zach had paid attention, and knew their names now. Eric Hunter, the tallest except for Rohan, was irreverent and bold, reminding him of Thano, only with an edge. Maddox Crowley, who walked with a slight limp, suggesting an injury that even a Calydon couldn't heal. James Wolfe, who had slipped back his hood once just far enough for Zach to see that he had piercing blue eyes that were like icicles. Zane Hart, who looked like a reject from Hell's Angels, with his black leather and studded ears. Axel Knight, whose arms were the palest of flesh, almost like a ghost barely holding onto physical form. Ethan Lagat, apparently the youngest one, and the only one he'd ever heard laugh, was standing behind the group facing outwards, as if he were watching the forest.
    Zach recognized Ethan's ready stance and knew that he'd been assigned first watch. What threat could possibly be so great that six of the most dangerous warriors alive needed to assign someone guard duty even when everyone else was still awake and ready?
    All six of the warriors still had the hoods of their cloaks up, which cast their faces into dark shadow. In the darkness, their black cloaks made them almost impossible to discern. They were like six shadows on which the reflection of the flames were dancing. Zach couldn't tell the difference between any of them, except for Rohan.
    Rohan stood a good six inches taller than the others. Even in a seated