Inferno of Darkness (Order of the Blade #8)

Inferno
of
Darkness
The Order of the Blade
Stephanie Rowe
"Rowe is a paranormal star!" ~J.R. Ward
Praise for Darkness Unleashed

"Once more, award winning author Stephanie Rowe pens a winner with DARKNESS UNLEASHED, the seventh book in her amazing ORDER OF THE BLADE series…[an] action-packed, sensual story that will keep you perched on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning pages to discover the outcome…one of the best paranormal books I have read this year."
~Dottie, Romancejunkies.com

***
 
Praise for Forever in Darkness

“Stephanie Rowe has done it again. The Order Of The Blade series is one of the best urban fantasy/paranormal series I have read. Ian's story held me riveted from page one. It is sure to delight all her fans. Keep them coming!”
~ Alexx Mom Cat's Gateway Book Blog

***
 
Praise for Darkness Awakened

“A fast-paced plot with strong characters, blazing sexual tension and sprinkled with witty banter,
Darkness Awakened
sucked me in and kept me hooked until the very last page.” ~
Literary Escapism

“Rarely do I find a book that so captivates my attention, that makes me laugh out loud, and cry when things look bad. And the sex, wow! It took my breath away... The pace kept me on the edge of my seat, and turning the pages. I did not want to put this book down...
[Darkness Awakened]
is a must read.” ~
D. Alexx Miller, Alexx Mom Cat’s Gateway Book Blog

***
 
Praise for Darkness Seduced

“[D]ark, edgy, sexy … sizzles on the page…sex with soul shattering connections that leave the reader a little breathless!...
Darkness Seduced
delivers tight plot lines, well written, witty and lyrical - Rowe lays down some seriously dark and sexy tracks. There is no doubt that this series will have a cult following. ” ~
Guilty Indulgence Book Club

“I was absolutely enthralled by this book…heart stopping action fueled by dangerous passions and hunky, primal men…If you’re looking for a book that will grab hold of you and not let go until it has been totally devoured, look no further than
Darkness Seduced.”~When Pen Met Paper Reviews

***
 
Praise for Darkness Surrendered

“Book three of the Order of the Blades series is…superbly original and excellent, yet the passion, struggle and the depth of emotion that Ana and Elijah face is so brutal, yet is also pretty awe inspiring. I was swept away by Stephanie’s depth of character detail and emotion. I absolutely loved the roller-coaster that Stephanie, Ana and Elijah took me on.” ~
Becky Johnson,
Bex ‘n’ Books!


Darkness Surrendered
drew me so deeply into the story that I felt Ana and Elijah’s emotions as if they were my own…they completely engulfed me in their story…Ingenious plot turns and edge of your seat suspense…make
Darkness Surrendered
one of the best novels I have read in years.” ~
Tamara Hoffa,
Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

***
 
Praise for No Knight Needed

“No Knight Needed
is m-a-g-i-c-a-l! Hands down, it is one of the best romances I have read. I can’t wait till it comes out and I can tell the world about it.” ~
Sharon Stogner, Love Romance Passion


No Knight Needed
is contemporary romance at its best….There was not a moment that I wasn’t completely engrossed in the novel, the story, the characters. I very audibly cheered for them and did not shed just one tear, nope, rather bucket fulls. My heart at times broke for them. The narrative and dialogue surrounding these ‘tender’ moments in particular were so beautifully crafted, poetic even; it was this that had me blubbering. And of course on the flip side of the heart-wrenching events, was the amazing, witty humour….If it’s not obvious by now, then just to be clear, I love this book! I would most definitely and happily reread, which is an absolute first for me in this genre.”
~Becky Johnson, Bex ‘N’ Books

“No Knight Needed
is an amazing story of love and life…I literally laughed out loud, cried and cheered....
No Knight Needed
is a must read and must re-read.”
Jeanne Stone-Hunter, My Book Addiction Reviews

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to my beta readers, who always work incredibly hard under tight deadlines to get my books read. I appreciate so much your willingness to tell me when something doesn't work! I treasure your help, and I couldn't do this without you. Hugs to you all!

There are so many to thank by name, more than I could count, but here are those who I want to called out specially for all they did to help this book come to life: Alencia Bates, Jean Bowden, Shell Bryce, Kelley Currey, Holly Collins, Ashley Cuesta, Denise Fluhr, Valerie Glass, Christina Hernandez, Heidi Hoffman, Jeanne Hunter, Rebecca Johnson, Dottie Jones, Janet Juengling-Snell, Deb Julienne, Bridget Koan, Felicia Low, Phyllis Marshall, D. Alexx Miller, Jodi Moore, Judi Pflughoeft, Emily Recchia, Kasey Richardson, Karen Roma, Caryn Santee, Julie Simpson, Summer Steelman, Nicole Telhiard, Linda Watson, and Denise Whelan.

And lastly, thank you to Pete Davis at Los Zombios for another fantastic cover, and for all his hard work on the technical side to make this book come to life, and for the most amazing website. Mom, you're the best. It means so much that you believe in me. I love you. Special thanks also to my amazing, beautiful, special daughter, who I love more than words could ever express. You are my world, sweet girl, in all ways.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the Ladies and Gents of the Blade at the Order of the Blade Reader's group on Facebook.

Thanks for the support, the friendship, and for sharing your love of all things Order. You all inspire me on so many levels.

You guys rock!

Table of Contents

Title Page

Praise for Stephanie Rowe

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Sneak Peek: Darkness Unleashed

Sneak Peek: Darkness Arisen

Sneak Peek: Ice

Sneak Peek: Prince Charming Can Wait

Stephanie Rowe Bio

Select List of Other Books

Copyright Page

Chapter One
 

In the beginning, many centuries ago…

 

Calydon warrior Dante Sinclair braced himself against a tree, unable to hold himself up any longer. Sweat streamed down his lacerated back. His muscles shook with exhaustion. His mangled foot was getting worse, the poison leaching its way up his leg, contamination even he could not heal. The black streaks were like angry webs branching along his flesh, destroying more cells each day.

He thought briefly of summoning Rohan, the one man on this forsaken earth he trusted, the one who had survived hell with him for over a hundred years, but he dismissed the notion the moment it crossed his mind. They'd had an agreement, and they would both stand by it. He'd let the poison take him before he'd call Rohan away from what he needed to do. But hell, he hadn't expected this.

Dante's good leg gave out and he slithered down the tree, the rough bark tearing at his open wounds as he landed on the ground. Swearing, he let his head fall back against the trunk, closing his eyes for a moment.

Not to rest.

Never to rest.

To listen. To focus. To track.

There was one man left to kill. But even as he thought it, a whisper of hope rippled through him. What if he didn't have to kill the one who was left? What if Louis could be the one to help him rebuild? What if…

No. There was no chance. He had to stay focused. He had to kill Louis. He knew he would have to. And once he had done that, he could die. The legacy his father had twisted and mutilated into such darkness would finally be destroyed.

Summoning strength that he shouldn't still have, Dante reached out with his preternatural senses, searching for that telltale vibration he'd been tracking for the last three months. The acrid scent of blood. The cold vibration of evil. The heavy weight of ruthlessness and death. The tainted trail was all that remained of the legendary heroes of the Order of the Blade, the elite group of Calydon warriors who had been created to protect innocents from rogue Calydons, from the demons that turned good men into monsters. That was the mission of the Order, but his father had corrupted it into pure evil that did not deserve to exist, twisting his team into warriors who were beyond scum, fraudulent heroes who deserved an inglorious, dishonorable death. Warriors his father had trained and elevated to glory. The warriors who Dante was almost finished eliminating.

Only one remained alive, the one that Dante had kept for last, hoping that warrior would be worthy, that Dante would be able to spare him. But Louis's trail had become dark and evil, and Dante knew there was nothing left of the man he had once known. Weary with the weight of what he had to do, Dante reached out with his senses to locate the last of his prey.

For a moment, he couldn't sense Louis, and panic flooded him. The poison wouldn't let him live long enough to start the search from scratch. He had to find the bastard now. Frantic, he sprang to his feet, adrenaline chasing away the pain and exhaustion as he spun around, sending out pulses of energy in every direction. When had he lost the trail? Had he been too exhausted to notice when he lost it? Swearing, he went still, holding his palms face up, as if in supplication to the powers that had fueled the Order, the powers that should still answer to him despite his repudiation of the entity.

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