Dark Curse Page 0,22

most revered in our history."

Lara looked to Mikhail. "Have you heard of my aunts?"

Mikhail shook his head. "I am sorry. I do not know which aunts you speak of. There are no full-blooded women in the Dragonseeker line. Rhiannon was the last and she is lost to us. How are you related?"

She opened her mouth and closed it abruptly. She was part mage. She knew the story of Rhiannon, the last daughter of the Dragonseeker lineage. She had been the lifemate of a great warrior who had been murdered by Xavier, the high mage. Xavier had kept Rhiannon prisoner and alive, forcing her to give birth to his children. The triplets Soren, Tatijana and Branislava were born of the unholy union. Soren had

escaped into the world and joined with a human woman. He had two children, Razvan and Natalya. Lara's father was Razvan. She was a direct descendent of the Carpathian's worst enemy, the man who had betrayed their trust and started a war that ultimately had led to the near extinction of mage and Carpathian alike. Her mother had been mage, so mage blood ran strong in her, along with the Dragonseeker blood.

Lara shifted her gaze to Terry, who lay on the bed moaning and rocking back and forth. She forced herself to look at him when she wanted to run. She had seen young mages who had been deliberately injected with the parasites rotting from the inside out. The scent of death was already oozing from his pores.

She cleared her throat. "Were you able to clear his blood of the parasites?"

Terry's body jerked and he focused on her face. "Lara. You're back. It hurts like hell. What do you mean parasites?"

"The right leg is easy enough," Mikhail said out loud, "but the left is giving me a few problems." He glanced toward Nicolas, using the common telepathic path used by the Carpathian people.She did not answer my question .

Lara stiffened. They were communicating on the path her aunts used with her. She had always thought that there had been a chance she made the aunts up. That the trauma of her childhood had produced a break and she had created an imaginary world for herself, but there was no way the prince and Nicolas could communicate on thatexact band.

She is not here to be interrogated. Nicolas's tone was mild, but he shifted subtly, placing his body between Lara and the prince.

A flicker of amusement showed in Mikhail's eyes and then was gone as he turned back to the writhing man on the bed.

"He pulled the snake head out before I could stop him. The snake's fangs are curved with barbs at the ends. I think the barbs carry the venom and when he ripped them loose, he allowed the poison to pour into his system." She glanced toward Nicolas and used their private mental path.It seems a little rude to be discussing me when I'm standing right here, but thanks for sticking up for me .

Mikhail's head snapped around, his black eyes glittering. Lara drew in her breath. She hadn't spoken telepathically to anyone but the aunts in years and she'd been sloppy, allowing the channel of energy to spill over enough to warn Mikhail she was speaking with Nicolas. Annoyed with herself, she bit her lip hard, reminding herself to stay quiet and blend in. One could hide in plain sight if they were adept enough at it.

"Terry, don't worry, we'll be able to make you feel better," Lara assured, still avoiding looking directly at him. She had to go to him at least and hold his hand. What sort of friend was she? She steeled herself, stiffening her spine.

The sight of him writhing in pain triggered memories of her childhood. Healthy, living blood smelled like life, sweet and flowing. Death brought a metallic tang. But tainted blood was rotting, putrid, the stench offensive and sickening. She couldn't get away from the smell, even with all the little tricks her aunts had taught her.

She made a move to get around Nicolas to go to the man on the bed, but Nicolas seemed to move with her, shifting almost imperceptibly. Lara didn't catch how he did it, but when she tried a second time, his solid mass continued to block her way.

"Mikhail and I will do what we can to heal your friend, but you need to stay back until we know what we are dealing with."

Lara opened her mouth to protest, but closed it without speaking. His