Shadows of Darkness (3 page)

He had to find a way to protect the world from who he would become if he killed his former master. He would allow no one else to die at his hands.
No one.
There had to be a way, and he would find it. The first step was freedom, but not at the cost of killing anyone else. "I'm not for hire," he repeated. "I'm not an assassin anymore."

"I don't need you to kill anyone," Rohan said. "I need you to keep someone alive."

Levi went very still at the words, searching for the clue as to what Rohan really wanted. "I don't believe you," he said in a low voice. "I don't keep people alive. You know that." He still couldn't see the woman. Was she standing behind the men?
Come out. I want to see you.

She didn't respond, and her shields held tight against him. What the hell? Why was he so driven to see her? And why was she blocking him? Then he had another thought. Why could he even communicate with her telepathically? It had felt so natural that he hadn't even thought about questioning it. But it was impossible. A Calydon's telepathic ability only worked with other Calydons…and with his
sheva
, the soulmate destined to destroy him
.

Holy crap.
No.
Impossible. He had made a point of being impervious to the lure of his soulmate. He was unreachable. There was no way the woman before him was his
sheva. You're a telepath,
he said to her.
A siren and a telepath.
It made sense. Yes, Calydons could use their powers to communicate telepathically only with other Calydons and their soulmates, but plenty of other supernatural beings had that skill as well.

She wasn't his
sheva
. Just a sinful temptation with an impressive mind. Nothing for him to bother with.

Rohan shifted slightly, drawing Levi's attention. "Yes, I do know you kill people. And that's why you're the only one capable of this task. You're the only one I trust."

Trust? Levi almost laughed. Most people who had made the mistake of trusting him had ended up dead. "You lie."

"No. I have a lot at stake, and I can't afford a mistake." Rohan walked up to him, putting himself inches from Levi's bare feet, within easy striking distance.

Levi went still, watching Rohan carefully, knowing that he wasn't going to let Rohan walk away. Rohan had come into his personal space, and Levi was the only one who controlled it. But he would wait to attack. He never struck first, unless he had to. If there was a way to negotiate for his freedom, he'd give Rohan that chance before taking him down.

"Here's the deal," Rohan said. "I'll cut you down and free you. In return, you'll take an oath to the Order of the Blade and swear fealty to me. You'll do one task for me, and then you'll be free to do as you wish, unless I need assistance at some point in the future, at which point I can call on you."

Levi raised his brows. "I don't work for anyone.
Ever."
The thought of being bound to another man made sweat trickle down his temple, but he kept his face impassive. "Cut me down and then I won't hurt you. That's the deal."

"I offer you freedom."

"I'll take the freedom myself." Levi closed his burned-out eyes, channeling all his energy into his remaining senses. He knew exactly where Rohan was, and where that sword was. "I'm not interested." He calculated swiftly what his move had to be to get the sword and cut his hands free. "But if you have cake, I'll take some of that. I miss cake." One. Two. Thr—

And then she spoke. It was only one word, one simple word, but it was enough. "Wait."

Her voice was like the music he remembered from the one time he'd gone into a church so many centuries ago. It was pure and beautiful, so rich with life that he felt like the entire world was glowing with a bright sunlight that would never penetrate the thickness of the shadows surrounding him. But somehow, her voice seemed to touch him, filtering through the layers of filth and grime on his soul, brushing over him like a seductive, delicate touch of something far more beautiful and pure than he had any right to experience.

His eyes snapped open just as she slid off the horse, where she'd apparently been riding behind Thano. It was too dark to see her clearly. All he could see were the soft waves of her hair, and she was wearing some sort of long coat that obscured the shape of her body. Frustration roared through him, a searing need to see her, to feel her, to touch her.

"Stay back," Rohan held out his hand to block her. "We don't know if he's safe yet."

Safe? He turned his attention back to Rohan, disgusted by the accusation. He might have killed innumerable people, but he'd always directed it at his targets. He'd never gone after an innocent.
Ever.
And now that he was sane, it really wasn't going to happen
.
"You—"

"No," she said. "I'm safe with him. I can tell."

Levi caught his breath as she walked up, coming to stand right beside Rohan. She was so close he could have grabbed her with his legs, but he didn't move. His eyes burned from straining so hard to discern her features, but it was just too damned dark. So, he simply waited.

"My name is Maya Brennan," she said. "I'm the one who needs help. I need you to get me safely to my destination. Rohan and Thano believe you can keep me alive. Will you help me?"

His gut clenched. Escort
this woman?
He'd never be able to keep his hands off her. Honor and courage radiated from her, and he knew she was one of the few people in his life who he would have admired, if he'd ever had that luxury. "I would be honored to," he said quietly, speaking directly and only to her, "but I have another mission I must address. I can't assist you."

She looked up at him, and he could see the shadowy outline of her face in the faint blue glow from Rohan's sword. Her cheekbones were high and regal, and her hair appeared to be dark. Her lashes were long and thick, but he couldn't discern her eyes. He
needed
to see her eyes.

"I'll make it worth your while," she said, a hint of authority in her voice. "I can assist you with whatever your mission is. I have a great many resources available to me, and they'll all be yours once I am safely at my destination."

Her voice was cool and reserved, but there was a desperation in her voice that she couldn't quite mask. She was in trouble. Big trouble. His protective instincts arose fast and hard. He narrowed his eyes. "What's going on? Tell me." Before she could answer, he felt a sudden cold draft. He looked up sharply, breathing in a scent of such evil that he went into high alert. "Danger approaches," he said softly. "There's something out there."

Rohan and Thano immediately called out their weapons with a crack and a flash of black light. Instantly both Calydons were armed with the weapons that Levi knew were etched on their forearms, just like his. Levi's weapons burned in his arms, but he couldn't call them out as long as the chains still bound him.

"That's what's after me," Maya said. "Please. We don't have much time." She reached up and put her hand on his ankle.
Please.

The moment she touched him, electricity exploded through him. Power and sex, and a burning so intense that he knew he couldn't rest until he claimed her. Her voice was like a sensual caress across his mind, for him, and only for him. He knew in that instant that she wasn't a psychic temptress. She was his. Forever. She was his
sheva
, the woman he was destined to bond with, the only person alive who would have the ability to touch his soul, the only one who would have the ability to kill the assassin no one could destroy.

And in that moment, he knew she was his answer. Once he killed his former master, he would be under the thrall of the bloodlust, and no one would be able to stop him...except his
sheva
, who was destined to kill him once their bond was complete.

The chill grew stronger, and he knew they had only moments. Maya had suddenly gone from a temptation to his only chance of success. "I'll do it." He would help her, complete the
sheva
bond with her, and make her kill him after he destroyed his former master. It was perfect.

He felt her relief instantly, and in that moment, for a split second, he didn't care if she was going to aid him. All that mattered was that
he
had made her feel better, that
he
was going to protect her.

"Let's do it." Blue light glowed from Rohan's sword, and Levi swore, turning his head into his arm again to shield his eyes.

And then, he heard the sound of metal against metal, and suddenly, the tension on his arms and shoulders were gone. For a split second, he was weightless, and then he crashed to the floor of the cavern, his legs giving out the moment he landed.

For a moment, he couldn't move. His body felt like it didn't belong to him. His arms were numb, and his legs were twisted beneath him.

"Let's go." Rohan slashed again, and suddenly, mercifully, the chains fell away from his arms. He was free.

Maya was shocked when Levi crumbled to the earth, collapsing onto the hard ground as if his body was made of jelly. The muscles in his legs were toned and defined, but when his feet hit the ground, they appeared to simply give way under the weight of his body.

"Levi!" She instinctively lunged forward, her hands outstretched to catch him, but Rohan grabbed her and hauled her back, letting Levi crash to the ground.

She flinched at the sound of his body slamming into the stone floor, as if all his bones had shattered upon impact. He didn't move after he landed. He simply lay there on his back, one arm flung across his eyes to shield them, his chest heaving as he sucked in air, as if they were the first deep breaths he'd taken in decades. The chains were still wrapped ruthlessly around his arms, and she could see they were some kind of black metal, crusted after all the years below earth.

Rohan swung again. His blade sliced cleanly through the chains with a faint whisper, and the chains clattered to the rock. Levi groaned and pulled his arms to his chest, cradling them against his body, his eyes squeezed shut. The glow from Rohan's sword flared brightly as he struck, giving Maya her first clear view of Levi. Her stomach roiled when she saw that the skin on his arms and hands was charred and blackened, as if the chains had killed the flesh it had bound so tightly.

His body was ripped with muscle, but he was lean, so incredibly lean. She could see his ribs with each breath, and his hipbones jutted out beneath his pants. He was wearing only pants. No shirt, no shoes, no socks. Half-naked and chained up for over a century. How was he still alive, let alone sane? Her heart constricted for his suffering, and she wanted to kneel beside him and offer comfort that she knew would change nothing, but Rohan's grip was still tight around her wrist, relentless even when she tried to twist free. "Let me go."

His voice was low and rough. Unyielding. "Not until we're sure he's safe."

"He
is
safe!"

But Rohan's grip tightened. There was no way she could break free, even though he was being careful not to hurt her. Frustrated, she glared at him, but she couldn't see his face beneath the hood of his cloak, and she had no idea if he was even looking at her. She gave up, and turned her attention to the man on the ground. "Levi! Are you all right?"

Levi took another deep breath, and as she watched, she could see the strength returning to his body. His muscles rippled, and his breathing became more even and steady, less labored. The brands on his forearms appeared to be an ancient double-sided Lochaber axe. One blade was a fierce point, and the other was a curved half-circle that reminded her of a crescent moon, glittering in the darkest of nights. The handle was even more dangerous, loaded with a razor-sharp spear point, which was flanked with two deadly blades that mirrored the larger ones on the other end. The weapon was a fierce, deadly implement from all angles, and she shivered at the idea of what kind of damage he could inflict with it.

Even lying inert on the ground, Levi gave off an aura of such strength and power that she had no doubt he was every bit the legend Rohan had claimed he was. He raised one blackened arm and flung it over his eyes. The moment he did so, she saw his body relax, as if the light from Rohan's sword had been hurting him.

"Get up," Rohan snapped, his fingers loosening around her wrist, as if Levi's lack of movement had reassured him of Levi's ability to restrain himself from going on a murder spree. "The wolves are closing in. You need to go."

Rohan's command jerked Maya into action. She twisted her arm free, and this time, Rohan let her go. She raced over to Levi and knelt beside him. "Levi?" She leaned over him, not sure whether to touch him. "What can I do to help?"

"I'm all set. Thanks." His voice was soft, rolling over her like a soft caress that made her entire body warm. "Shut the light off, Rohan," he commanded in a completely different tone than the one he'd used for her. His face still buried in his upper arm, he shifted awkwardly onto his knees, swaying as he tried to find his equilibrium on the solid ground. "Now."

Rohan shook his head "We need it to fight the wolves," he said as he turned away from them to guard the tunnel. "Go!" Thano had whirled Apollo, his horse, around, and they were both facing the opening they'd just emerged from. The shadow wolves were following their path exactly. How had they found her so quickly?

God, she hoped Rohan was right about how good Levi was, or she would soon be dead.

"Here." She yanked off her coat, shivering in the frigid temperatures, as she started to wrap it around Levi's head. He stiffened, and suddenly, in a lightning fast move, he grabbed her wrist, yanked her over to him, and pinned her beneath him. His body was trembling, with cold or the effort, she didn't know, but his hands were holding her wrists above her head, with the kind of force a man would use against an enemy, not a seduction.