Dark Curse (16 page)

Lara forced herself to take a breath. She had to resist him. She could see in the dark. She was unafraid of bats. The earth pressing down on her didn't bother her, yet here she was cowering in the cavern, afraid to move, her body feeling clunky, leaden.

I am mage. I am Dragonseeker. You will have to do more than trick me with your voice, Carpathian
. Fury burned through her, scorching the shackles of compulsion into ashes.

I can do much more. Do not arouse the demon in me, Lara. Dawn is breaking. The sun is rising.

He was close. She sensed him coming closer. Tilting her chin, she called energy to her, lifting her arms and clearing her mind, accepting the power so that her hair crackled and a faint glow threw the cave into soft light, agitating the bats more.

Those that fly and are of the night, protect me now with winged flight. Gather together, become as one, remove yourselves with the rising sun.

The bats circled, fast and tight, the ball growing larger as they obeyed her command, rising upward and streaming toward a recess in the dark cavern. Lara struck hard at Nicolas, sensing his weakness with the rising sun, retaliating with another spell.

Whispering voice inside my head, I fear you not, nor your leaden web. Voice that seduces, whispers and binds, I return the intent to thine own mind. Let the words stop and take away, that which would hinder or hamper my way.

The moment the last words left her mind, she was on the move, running fast, throwing up barriers and shields in her mind, to prevent Nicolas access. He tore each wall down easily, shredding her defenses as fast as she built them. Each time he penetrated into her mind, he sent compulsions to slow her step, to misdirect her the wrong way, confuse her so that she thought she was disoriented and she retaliated with more spells to counter each thing he did.

She fought him every step of the way, aware as she did, of his enormous power, of how he held back when he could have crushed her resistance. Instead of giving her confidence, his restraint only added to her fears. What did he want from her? Her Dragonseeker blood? She knew it ran strong in her veins, rich and filled with energy and power and immortality. Her father had told her many times how valuable and unique the strength in her blood was. Her great-grandfather had stalked her repeatedly, his grotesque body crawling with worms, rotting flesh sloughing off as he pursued her in an effort to claim her blood for himself.

Now, here in the cave, she felt the same terror blossoming as she ran, her heart pounding too hard, and she could smell the strong odor of decomposing flesh. She gagged, a sob welling up, as she threw one look over her shoulder to see if the old man again pursued her.

Shadows moved. A hand stretched out, closer and closer. She felt hot breath on her skin, her neck. The twin marks over her pulse throbbed. Was Nicolas creating an illusion, twisting buried memories? Was he despicable enough to do such a thing? Or was Xavier really there, chasing her through the underground passages?

He is not there. Your mind is playing tricks on you because you are allowing yourself to panic. I would never use your memories against you. He is not there
. Nicolas would not allow her to be so terrified, remembering the monsters chasing her in ice caves.

She didn't know what was true or what wasn't, nor did it matter anymore. She had to be free. Lara redoubled her efforts. She was betting on the fact that she could be out in the early morning sun with little repercussions. A sunburn. A few blisters. Her eyes would burn and bother her for a few days, but surely a Carpathian as old, with a soul as dark as Nicolas's, would have to seek cover before she would. She had to make it to the entrance and find her way to the village.

She could see, just ahead, a bloom of dim light. Her heart leapt. She was going to make it. Lara drew in a deep breath and pushed herself to go faster. Her lungs burned. Her throat hurt, her legs cramped. There was a stitch in her side. She pressed her palm there and forced her body forward. The entrance was wide and rounded, mostly rock shaping the way in. Light spilled a few feet into the corridor, illuminating the narrowing tunnel.

Lara stepped into the pool of light just feet from the opening. A shadow fell over her. A tall dark man with wide shoulders filled the entrance, blocking her exit. Nicolas stood there, his body still, arms folded across his chest, his jaw tight, mouth cruel, eyes as black as night, burning with some inner fire that threatened to consume her.

Lara halted abruptly a few feet from him, a roaring in her ears and a vice around her heart. Guilt edged her mind, but she refused to accept it. "I want to leave. Get out of my way."

"Where would you go when the sun has already risen?" The question was issued in a mild voice, yet it carried the sting of a lash.

He was furious. She could feel anger radiating off of him, although his expression remained blank and his voice quiet.

She lifted her chin. "I have a room at the inn."

"Which is occupied at the moment. It would be dangerous for you to go there and you are very aware of that. Also, the inn is a great distance away and you would burn in the sunlight. You cannot shift without me and risking your life getting off this mountain is ludicrous when there is no reason for it."

"I want to leave this place."

"We will leave together in the evening when it is safe to do so. For now, I brought food and drink for you."

"I've said I want to leave." Lara's hand fluttered to her neck, her palm shielding the twin marks over her pulse. She could feel his mouth there, his breath warm—no—hot, the brush of his lips, soft and sensuous against her skin.

"You are obviously not thinking clearly, Lara," Nicolas answered. "It is dangerous for you to leave. I cannot allow you to place yourself in harm's way."

"That isn't your choice," Lara snapped. She detested that he sounded rational while she was beginning to sound hysterical. This was madness, yet he stood there, real and solid, preventing her from leaving the cave—just as she'd been prevented as a child. She fought down panic, determined to try to be reasonable in an unreasonable situation.

"It is not only my choice, and my right, but my duty as your lifemate."

She touched his mind, more because she couldn't help herself than because she wanted to. As before, he was entirely open to her, allowing her to see both predator and man. He was angry at her defiance, certain of being right and unused to anyone questioning his authority. He was a dominant male, centuries on earth, a highly skilled hunter and it was an affront to his pride that his lifemate question not only his ability to protect and care for her, but worry that he might harm her in some way.

He didn't like anyone defying his orders, let alone his woman, and he had no intention of allowing her to leave the cave when he deemed it dangerous. As far as he was concerned, she was slightly hysterical and completely irrational.

Lara forced down panic and took a deep breath. Nowhere in his mind could she see that he was attempting to control her mind. There was some relief in that, although she was fairly certain, unless she could convince him otherwise, that he had no intention of letting her leave.

"I think we don't understand each other. I appreciate you trying to take care of me, but I've been doing that all by myself for some years now. I don't need nor want you telling me what is good for me."

"Obviously that is not the case or we would not be standing here at the entrance to a cave in broad daylight." He glided forward, one step, two, turned slightly and raised his hands.

Lara felt the surge of power, saw his arms lift and knew he was sealing and safeguarding the cave, which meant no one would get in—or out. Panic hit hard and she leapt forward toward the light spilling into the cavern. She caught a glimpse of his face, all sharp edges, beautifully carved, very masculine, the light throwing the details into sharp relief and highlighting the smoldering anger in his burning black eyes.

Alarm shot through her, but it didn't matter, nothing mattered, except getting out of the cave before he sealed the entrance. She ran fast, using a burst of blurring speed, speed she hadn't even known she was capable of. Desperation drove her past Nicolas. He reached out so fast she couldn't actually see him move, snagging her wrist, whipping her around and bringing her body up hard against his.

She struggled instinctively, trying to free herself from his grip, but he was enormously strong, his body hard like an oak tree. The light faded as the entrance sealed, plunging them into darkness. With the light, the air surrounding them seemed to diminish, so that she renewed her efforts, swinging at his chest, pounding until she felt battered and bruised.

Nicolas tightened his grip on Lara, taking care not to hurt her, but she was wild, fighting him with her fists and attempting to use magic. He could feel the energy pounding in her, trying to escape, just as she was trying. He surrounded her with soothing calm, holding her close to him, swamping her with reassurance.

"Lara, stop," he hissed softly. "You are only hurting yourself."

She wanted to hurt him. To move him. To make him understand what he was doing. Energy crackled in the air. Her hair glowed with bands of brilliant red, snapping and popping with electricity. The ground shook and undulated beneath their feet. The mountain groaned, rumbled. Dirt trickled from the walls and several smaller rocks fell and rolled.

Nicolas wrapped his arm around her head to protect her, sheltering her body with his. "Breathe with me."

His voice was calm. She hated that he was calm when she was filled with chaos and panic. She felt his breath warm against her cheek as he bent his head toward hers.

"We have to get out of here before the mountain comes down on top of us," she said, not understanding why he wasn't feeling the same panic when all around them the mountain creaked and groaned and debris fell. "This is an earthquake."

"It is not natural. You are causing it," Nicolas said. "Look at me, Lara."

She couldn't prevent herself from obeying, lifting her face, her gaze colliding—then locking with his.

"Your eyes have changed color. You are generating a tremendous electrical current. Even your hair is banding with color, all signs of power. You have to calm yourself."

"Open the entrance."
Because I'm capable of bringing the entire mountain down on both of us and would rather do that than be a prisoner
.

He shook his head. "Do not force me to protect you from yourself."
I am quite capable of doing whatever it takes to keep you from harm
.

He looked as ruthless as he sounded. There was no give in him—no mercy. Not in his eyes, not on his face and certainly not in his mind. He would force compliance without a second thought. Lara had sworn she would never again feel helpless and vulnerable, as she had when she was a small child, but there was no point in matching her physical strength against Nicolas, and little point in challenging him with power.

"Do you really believe you have the right to dictate to me?"

He shook his head. "No. But I have the right to protect you. I am not threatening you. You are the one putting both of us in danger. It is my duty to protect you. Your fears are groundless. You have looked into my mind and find nothing there to alarm you…"

She made a derisive sound and once again tried to jerk away. He retained possession of her arms, holding her body close to his to prevent the occasional disturbed rock from striking her.

"I found plenty to alarm me. You're every bit as dark as a vampire."

She expected him to deny the charge—she wanted him to deny it—but he simply nodded his head, his gaze still holding her captive.

"That is so. All Carpathian males who hunt eventually become as dark as a vampire. How could we not when we take the lives of friends and family? When we are judge, jury and executioner? Did you think there wouldn't be a price to pay for what we do? There is always a price, Lara, and we accept that when we take on the job."

She let her breath out slowly, forcing her mind back under her own control. "Please let go of me." Breathing deeply, she managed to pull back the power spilling from her, reining in the waves causing the disturbance in the cave.

"I can take you back to the chamber much faster."

"I would prefer to walk." She tugged backward, trying to put a little space between her and the heat of his body. He was too big, too solid, too masculine, mostly he was just too powerful, swamping her with his complete confidence.

He let her go the moment the earth beneath them and the walls surrounding them ceased rippling and the last rock tumbled to the ground.

Lara took another breath and looked down the dark corridor. "I wish you could understand that I don't think I can actually stay here all day." It was hard to get the words out, to try to reason with the unreasonable.

"I realize you are having flashbacks, but I will help you get through this."

His arrogance set her teeth on edge. As if he could solve her inconsequential problems when she couldn't do it herself. Lara stepped past him and began walking along the narrow corridor. At once candles sprang to life in scones above her head, throwing shadows along the walls of tunnel. The light didn't dispel the fear in her mind. She was a prisoner, anyway she looked at it and she had promised herself it would never happen again—and it wouldn't.