Their loyalty. Their dedication. Their ability to do what was right, even if it went against the code they'd sworn to follow.
Slowly, he raised his head to look at them, then hauled himself to his feet. "You have my loyalty," he said, his voice gruff.
Xander raised his eyebrows, and the rest of the team shifted.
"It's about damned time," Rajak muttered, but he was grinning. "Ungrateful son of a bitch."
"Thanks." Ajax slugged Rajak lightly in the shoulder, then his smile dropped off. "So where's Madison?"
"Charles took her." Isaac met his gaze. "I couldn't get my shit together in time to stop them. He wasn't affected by the Illusion at all." He raised his brows. "His resistance to it was similar to how you protected us. Thanks for that, by the way."
"Anytime." Ajax had to close his eyes for a split second to contain the sudden rush of fury, adrenaline, and absolute fear at the thought of Charles taking Madison. "Where did they go?"
"You're the one bonded with her. Track her, and tell us where they went. It's taken us almost six hours to get you conscious again."
Six hours? Charles had had Madison for that long?
"Look at your arm." Xander gestured at Ajax's left arm. "We've got issues."
At Xander's words, Ajax's arm began to ache, and he suddenly knew what he'd see before he even looked. Wrenching his emotions back under control, he dropped his gaze to his left arm. His sleeve was sliced open, revealing the gaping wound in his arm where his sword had been harvested.
"I went back to Zion's," Rajak said. "Luke's not there. If they get him—"
"They won't." Ajax closed his eyes and opened his mind to Madison, to their bond. Come on, Madison. For hell's sake, don't keep me out this time. He felt her instantly, and his instincts went into full alert the moment he touched her mind. "She's in trouble."
"Where is she?"
"Nightshade Tavern." He grabbed Rajak's shoulder. "Let's go—"
"Leaving without me?"
They all turned to see Faulk on his knees behind them. He was burned and battered, his clothing scorched. He looked like hell, but his eyes were clear. Not the mindless rage that Ajax had faced when he'd first come over the ridge. "The fucker made me bring a hundred men to their death. The Illusion's gone now, and I know what he did. He's going to pay."
He lurched to his feet and grabbed Rajak's arm.
No one bothered to argue or ask how he was still alive.
They were going to need all the help they could get.
Madison stood on the spot where her sister had disappeared, her breath making white puffs in the cold air. A bitter rain was pounding through the trees, beating down on her skin like daggers. Mud was ankle deep, and the wildlife was silent.
She hugged herself against the chill as she checked the time.
Two minutes until she was scheduled to meet Charles. She and Luke were going to try to defeat him by themselves. The minute Charles showed up, she was going to use the malachite to trigger an Illusion powerful enough to kill him. Hopefully.
Luke was her backup, ready to take Charles down when he was distracted by the Illusion. They both knew her Illusion could kill Luke, but she'd kept the Order safe at the prison, so she hoped she could do it with him.
They'd waited for two hours, and it was almost time.
Her head was aching, her body numb and exhausted. The initial high of the malachite had worn off, and now she simply felt so drained she could barely stand up.
A stick cracked behind her, and she turned quickly, straining to see through the darkness. "Charles?" Her heart pounded, and her hands shook as she tried to summon her power, to have it ready.
Her energy began to stir beneath her skin, sluggish and heavy, as if it had gone to sleep and was having difficulty starting again. It was dark, and deadly, but not enough. Not yet.
A shadow moved in the woods, tall and large, a Calydon?
She began to ease backward, her heart racing, then froze when he stepped out of the woods.
It wasn't Charles.
It was a different Calydon. Tall with red hair, he was dragging Luke with him. Luke's face was drawn and his eyes sunken with pain, the rain matting his hair to his head, his left leg dragging useless behind him.
Oh, God. Charles had found Luke.
"Luke!" She lunged for him, but before she could move, someone grabbed her from behind, hauling her backward into the bushes as he covered her mouth. Just as Luke disappeared from her view, she heard a thud and the sound of someone hitting the dirt exactly where Luke had been. Luke! She struggled frantically, unwilling to believe her plans had all failed—
Warm breath fanned over her cheeks. "Ssh. Xander and Isaac have Luke now. We followed you here."
She froze at the sound of that whisper, her body going hot. Ajax? It was impossible. He'd been dead when she left. She was imagining it. He couldn't be here, holding her, helping her. It was impossible.
Yeah. His arm squeezed her to be quiet as he continued to pull her backward. Kerrick revived me.
You're not dead? Tears filled her eyes, stunned disbelief making her too shocked to do anything but let him cart her off.
Alive and well. The moment he released her, she spun around to face him.
His face was grim, his hair disheveled, his arm wrapped with his T-shirt, but he was alive.
Before she could think, she threw herself at him. He caught her as she did, wrapping her up in his arms. His body was hard and solid against hers, warm and alive. She pressed her face to his neck, breathing him in. "I thought you were dead."
He pulled back and kissed her, a kiss that was fierce, desperate, and almost frantic. He kissed her until she melted into him, forgetting about everything but him.
The kiss was short, only moments, but it bridged the gap between them, bringing them back together on every level. Are you all right? Tell me you're okay.
I’m fine, Ajax.
His arms tightened around her. You're all right. His relief was so intense that her throat tightened. He cared that she was safe? After what she'd done, he still cared? Tears burned in her eyes. "Ajax—"
He pulled back then, and she froze when she saw the anger in his eyes. "Isaac said you went with Charles willingly! That if you'd fought for even a minute, he would have had time to help you! What the hell were you thinking going with him?"
She stared at him, too shocked to answer. Why wasn't he yelling at her for lying about her Illusions? Or for having deadly ones?
His grip tightened on her shoulders. "If I hadn't gotten here in time—" He swore again and released her, turning his back on her and stalking away.
"But you were dead! And I thought Isaac was going to kill me—"
"Fuck that!" He spun back to her. "You should have more faith in me than that. Do you really think I'd die and leave you to deal with this on your own?" He stormed back across the dirt and grabbed her again, hauling her against him in an embrace so tender that it belied all the anger in his words. "Never, ever doubt me like that again, or I swear I will chain you to my bed and never let you out of my sight again."
She grinned. His anger wasn't at her. It was for her. It was because he'd been afraid for her safety. His worry told her things she knew he didn't even realize. But no more lies. She had to make sure he knew everything. "I'm a dark Illusionist. I killed that boy with my Illusions—"
"I know! Do you think I don't know?" His hands were in her hair suddenly, then on her back and over her bottom and then back on her arms, touching her as if he couldn't touch enough. "Hell, Madison, is that why you left? Without even giving me a chance?" He caught her face between his hands and stared down at her. "Dammit, woman, when I heard you left with Charles, I thought…" He stopped talking and kissed her.
A hard kiss that she welcomed, because it told her the truth. That he knew what she was and he didn't care. Or at least, that they still had a chance. Tears filled her eyes and the kiss turned into something tender and soft, his hands sliding through her hai
r. Madison let herself melt into his muscled body, buried herself in his bulk, in the warmth of his kiss. I love you, Ajax.
He broke the kiss and looked down at her, his eyes tumultuous with emotions she couldn't read. "Madison—" He stopped suddenly, his head snapping up.
She held her breath, straining to hear whatever he'd heard, but all she could hear was the dripping of water off the branches, and the popping noise of the earth absorbing all the rain.
Ajax wrapped his arms around her and leapt straight up into the trees above their heads. Stay quiet.
He caught the trunk with one hand on the way down, hanging on to the side of it while he settled them both on a thick branch. She wrapped her arms around him, her body trembling at the feel of his warm bulk enveloping hers. Dear God, to be held by him again when she'd thought she'd lost him forever.
Ajax's arm tightened around her and he pressed his lips to the top of her head, then pointed to the forest floor.
She peered down, tensing as two heavily muscled Calydons dressed in black stepped into the clearing forty feet below. They stopped, as if they knew Ajax and Madison were near but couldn't find them. The bark was slippery under her feet, and she dug her fingers into Ajax's arm to keep her balance.
Are you going after them?
He shook his head. We're holding out for Charles.
She nodded, the rain dripping between the branches and soaking through her jacket. But Ajax was warm, his body emanating heat where he had her bundled against his chest and between his muscular thighs. She was aware of his arm locked under her ribs, brushing against the underside of her breasts. Of the movement of his chest as he breathed. Of the strength of his body as he kept them both balanced on the branch.
Ajax pressed his lips to her ear. Am I under an Illusion now?
She twisted around to look at him. His face was shadowed, and barely visible in the night, but she could see the sheen from the rain on his cheeks. She set her hand on his chest and threw her mind into their connection. It took no time to find that same Illusion inside him again, now that she knew where to look. The Illusion of safety and peace that was obscuring his ability to sense danger. Yes. The same one as before. Hang on.
She quickly cleared it, and was back in her own mind in moments. It was much easier when she had nothing left to hide from him. You're clear.
He set his hand on the top her head and kissed her forehead, then he leaned past her and peered down at the clearing again. Both men were perfectly still, immobile, chins raised as if they were scenting the air for them.
Then one of them looked straight up, right at their hiding place.
Ajax's skin began to crawl, and he felt threat from all directions, not just the men below, who he was fairly certain couldn't see them. He tightened his grip on Madison while he touched Xander's mind. We're going to be surrounded soon.
Good. I'm bored.
Ajax grinned at Xander's remark, realizing how good it felt to be back with the team. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed being part of a group. Having someone at his back.
The Calydons below slipped off into the darkness, melting into the underbrush, their movement silent even in the mud.
Ajax dropped his head so his cheek was against Madison's cold one. You'll be safe up here. Let me know if you see Ashley.
She nodded, still watching below them.
He caught her chin. Promise me you'll stay up here.
She shook her head. I can't. What if you need my help? What if Ashley does?
His fingers tightened. If you stay up here, I won't have to kill to save you and complete the bonding. That's the only stage left. A death must be sacrificed for the bond. Saving your life would qualify.
She shook her head. I can't promise. There's no way I'm staying out of this fight if I can help. She looked at him. You know that.
He swore. You are a pain in my ass, sweetheart.
Her heart turned over. I love it when you call me that.
I know. He pulled her tight and kissed her, a hard, deep kiss of promise and possessiveness, of desperate, relentless need that he wasn't even trying to hide. He bared his soul in the kiss, and her heart broke for his pain, for the man he hid so deep inside his warrior exterior. The truth about who he was, a side he showed to no one but her.
She kissed him back, kissed him as hard as she could, gripped him so tightly her arms hurt, and still she held him tighter, opening her mind to his, showing him how much she loved him.
Then she heard Xander in Ajax's head. More Calydons are arriving. The party's starting.
Ajax lifted his head and started to release her, but she grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him close. "Just so you know," she said fiercely, "I'll be extremely pissed if you get yourself killed."
He wound his fingers in her hair and pulled her against him, sinking his mouth onto hers in a deep, hot kiss. Then he pulled back, slipped out of her arms and was gone.
Chapter Forty-Four
Moments later, Ajax was silently stretched out on his stomach in the mud, watching the path he'd assigned to himself. Each of the Order members had a section of the woods they were watching, waiting for Charles to show himself.
The forest grew quiet, except for the pound of the rain on the leaves, on the pine needles. Animals stopped moving, and even the wind seemed to stop.
Someone was approaching.
Then he caught the movement as someone emerged from the trees just in front of him. Three Calydons. None of them were Charles. Incoming. Stand down 'til we find Charles.
They moved almost silently through the woods toward the clearing where Luke waited for them, holding himself out as bait. He still couldn't believe Madison and Luke had intended to take down Charles on their own, but he admired the hell out of them for their courage, their determination to give their all to stopping him.
But now, the entire Order was there. Waiting. But Charles wasn't showing his face.
Where was Charles? He had to be there, somewhere.
Planning a trap.
If Charles had simply been waiting for Madison, he would have showed himself by now.
Ajax had a feeling they'd be in serious shit if they didn't find Charles before he pulled the trigger. Anyone have a bead on Charles?
All answers were negative.
Ashley braced herself as Charles faced her, a smile on his face that made her stomach lurch. Her legs were shaking, her body was icy cold, and she was so hungry her stomach was killing her. Her ankle was shattered, courtesy of Charles's rage after she'd tried to get away on their way there, and now she had no hope of escaping. She couldn't even walk, let alone run. The pain had settled into a numb throbbing, except when she accidentally moved it.
She thought of Keira back at Charles's place. Waiting for Ashley to come back for her. She recalled the haunted look in Keira's eyes even as she'd gripped Ashley's shoulders and gave her the strength to fight.
Ashley clenched her fists and set her jaw. The marks on her forearms burned, and she knew she wasn't alone in the woods. Her protector's spirit was still with her. I won't let you down, Keira.
"Everyone's waiting, my darling. Are you ready?"
She shifted her weight, trying to keep her injured foot off the ground and gave no answer.
Charles grabbed her arm and yanked her over to him, forcing her weight onto her broken ankle. She yelped and fell to her knees, then gasped as he pulled her to her feet again, forcing her to step on her right foot again. Tears filled her eyes and the forest blinked out of focus, as her ears began to buzz. No, Ashley. You can't pass out. You have to stay alert.
"No fainting. I need you conscious to do your thing." Charles tossed her to the ground and held out his arm. His knife exploded with a sharp crack and a flash of black light.
The night suddenly hummed as Calydon warriors tracked the sound of his weapon being called out.
"They heard that," she whispered. "They'll find you."
"Not in these woods. They'll never be able
to pinpoint it. I'm playing with them." He grinned. "Go ahead and yell, my dear. I want them to hear your anguish. Those Order boys are so protective of innocents. It'll be a nice distraction."
Ashley bit her lip. Was he telling the truth, or would her screaming help them find Charles before he could kill them? Or would it lure them to him, one by one so he could pick them off?
"Or don't scream." Charles grinned. "Either one works for me. Whichever you prefer."
Then he got that look on his face, that one that made her body start to shake in fear. She scrabbled backward across the ground and her ankle twisted. She screamed as she fell over the underbrush, trying to run, knowing Charles would grab her whenever he got tired of watching. Please let someone hear me.
The marks on her arms flared, and she gasped at the feeling of them searing her skin.
Then Charles smashed his boot down on her ankle, and she forgot about everything but the agony.
Madison's heart stopped as Ashley's screams shattered the night. "Ashley!"
She immediately dropped to her belly and wriggled along the branch until her feet hit the one below her, her hands trembling so much she could barely hold onto the branches. Did you hear her? Ajax, did you hear Ashley?
I'm on my way.
I'm coming. She winced as a branch dug into her belly, but she dropped another level.
Stay in the tree! Two Calydons are right near you! Dammit, Madison! Stay in the tree!
Ajax's tension hit her so hard Madison jerked and lost her grip. She grabbed for the branch, but her fingers slid off the mossy bark. Branches ripped at her face as she crashed through them, landing hard in the mud, her face sinking into the thick sludge. The cold mud oozed into her mouth, and her heart lurched as she slithered up to her knees, slapping at her face to get the mud out of her nose and mouth so she could breathe.
Madison!
I'm okay— The underbrush rustled and a muscular Calydon morphed out of the bushes, a long, curved knife clenched in his fist.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
Darkness Awakened Page 31
