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became aware slowly, inch by inch, rather than all at once as she normally did. She could hear her heart slamming hard in her chest and her pulse roaring in her ears. Her mind felt slow and hazy and her body sore. She was very disoriented and couldn't quite get her eyes to open, which terrified her. She began to struggle, trying to fight her way out of sleep, knowing she was never safe and that waking was one of her most vulnerable moments.

"I am with you, Solange."

Dominic's voice penetrated the layers of fear she felt at not being able to function properly, and she subsided, aware she was in his arms. At once she felt safe and protected, a feeling she was entirely unfamiliar with. She could smell his masculine scent and she inhaled to draw him deeper into her lungs. The tension receded even more.

She moistened her dry lips and reached for her voice. "What happened?" Her throat was very sore and she was very thirsty.

"You were attacked by a shadow creature." His hands swept back her hair. "Try to open your eyes for me, h?n s?vamak--beloved. You have given me a little bit of a scare and I have to tell you, that does not make me happy."

She couldn't help the smile at the edge to his voice. She had scared him, that was obvious, and he didn't like it. Somehow that warmed her even more.

He leaned close, his lips against her ear. "Do not look pleased after I have been fighting for your life these two risings. I am not above punishing you for scaring me."

Her lashes fluttered and she clamped down hard on the surge of laughter at the male irritation in his voice that was so unlike Dominic. She had apparently driven him to the edge of his patience and she hadn't even been conscious. "If I get punished every time I scare you, I think we're going to be in trouble."

She found the energy to lift her lashes. His face came into focus. All those hard, tough edges. That gorgeous face. His eyes, midnight blue, dark with worry. She could see strain where there never had been. He actually looked exhausted. The hours of trying to save her had taken their toll, and it didn't look as if the soil had rejuvenated him much.

"I'm sorry, Dominic."

He kissed her, a long, slow, incredibly tender kiss. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them away. She could feel his body trembling against hers.

"I really am sorry. The injury didn't seem like a big deal," she reiterated. "I knew you could stop the bleeding so I wasn't worried."

"The creature injected three drops of venom into your bloodstream. It took me several healing sessions to find them. I knew something was wrong, you were slipping further and further from me."

"Poison?"

He shook his head. "I do not think the intent was to kill you. You had a reaction to the venom. If the intent had been to kill you, the shadow cat would have injected a lethal dose."

She indicated she wanted to sit up. He moved, retaining his hold on her, allowing her to sit up very cautiously. She felt slightly nauseated, but after taking a few deep breaths, managed to maintain. "What was it?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was very much like the high mage's familiars. Xavier has been destroyed, I know that to be true, but I studied him for years. He used creatures to do his spying. In all of my centuries, I have never encountered anything quite like it, but I have had time to consider it. The safeguards did not stop it because it came through the water as a shadow. They must have gotten a blood sample, some way to track you specifically."

She inhaled sharply. "Brodrick. His jaguar bit and clawed me. My blood would have been all over him. I haven't seen mages too often in this area, but once in a while, one shows up. He must have used one to track me."

"The creature was taking more of your blood back to whoever sent it. I think the venom was to paralyze you so you would be unable to resist should they return to take you prisoner."

Dominic's voice was grim and she flicked him a quick, under-the-lashes glance. She rubbed her hand over his set jaw where a muscle ticked, giving away his underlying mood of suppressed fury.

"Dominic, no matter where we are, we are