Soul Deep: Dark Souls, Book 2 Read Free Page B

enjoy that. Not that you take orders very well.”
    He released her hair and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers as though struggling not to touch her again. Regan wasn’t sure if the sensation that traveled through her was relief or disappointment.
    “So what do you make of the boy?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
    “There’s no darkness in him. I’m sure of it.”
    “We didn’t sense the darkness in Lia either until she died. A twin soul can mask these things. Especially one so powerful.”
    “No.” Her tone was adamant. “He has no tainted blood in him.” She realized she was clenching her fists and forced herself to relax.
    Marcus eyed her reproachfully. “You’re too invested in this. You’re not thinking clearly.”
    He was probably right. Ever since she’d pulled Ben out of that pantry, her emotions had been in a tailspin. She wasn’t used to this, didn’t know exactly how to handle it.
    “I know what I feel.”
    “That’s the problem. You’re feeling.” Deep grooves lined his forehead. “And so am I.”
    “What?”
    “You heard me. There’s something about this boy. Something different, potent. And it scares me.”
    His confession stunned her. Marcus rarely admitted to feeling anything, let alone fear.
    Ben stirred again, and briefly his eyes sprang open. He gave her a tentative smile, his cheeks dimpling, and affection blossomed in her once-withered heart. She fought the urge to stroke his hair again, to let her palm linger on his face.
    When she was certain Ben had drifted back to sleep, her attention shifted to Marcus. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she whispered. “He’s just a boy.”

Chapter Four
    Marcus lumbered into Cal’s office without bothering to knock. “Tell me the truth. Is the kid a threat?” He’d come straight here after leaving Regan’s room, driven by the overriding compulsion to get some answers.
    Cal sat at his massive wooden desk, staring vacantly at the wall. At the sound of Marcus’s voice he jolted to awareness. “Come in. I’ve been expecting you.”
    Marcus had always admired his leader’s ability to anticipate future events, but right now it served only to irritate him. Feeling like a belligerent child about to be scolded, he did as he was told, dropping into the welcoming lap of the black leather chair facing Cal’s desk.
    “I want answers,” he insisted. “What did you and Jace discuss that you didn’t want me to hear?”
    Cal leaned back in his chair with deliberate slowness, studying him with piercing gray eyes. “You’ve often challenged me, Marcus, but I’ve never known you to be impertinent.”
    “And you’ve never shut me out before. I thought we were a team. What changed?” He didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. If there was anything Cal deserved, it was respect. The man had literally saved his life. He’d taken in an enemy, absolved him of his crimes and ultimately turned him into his most trusted soldier. He’d given him purpose, a mission, a home.
    But even gratitude and respect had their limits. If Cal had decided to replace him as his second-in-command, he sure as hell was going to tell him why.
    “Nothing’s changed.” Beyond the window, clouds began to gather, stealing the light from the stark, utilitarian room. “There’s no one I trust more than you.”
    “Then tell me what’s going on.”
    Cal sighed and rubbed his eyes, looking suddenly weary. “I wish I knew.” He stood and walked over to the tall window, gazing past the cliffs at the unpredictable sky. “The only certainties are that the boy’s soul is whole and, like Lia’s, it was forged by an archangel.”
    Marcus couldn’t say he was surprised by Cal’s assertion. He’d surmised as much himself. “How is this possible, when it was decided ages ago that no human would be granted a full soul again?”
    “That is the question that has tortured me since the moment I laid eyes on the child.”
    Uneasiness tightened in