Carpathian 00 - The Scarletti Curse

believed in his pretty words. Save her for me, Nicoletta. Save my child, as I did not save your madre." Her voice was very thin, a thread of sound only.
    Nicoletta stiffened at the mention of her mother, but she obediently went back to tending Margerita.
    There was nothing she could do for Portia; she had suffered too many wounds, lost too much blood. She had a chance of saving Margerita if the dagger had not penetrated too deep. She summoned every ounce of strength she possessed, looked up to the wildly waving canopy above her head, and yelled at the top of her lungs for Francesco, for Dominic, for any within hearing to come to her aid.
    Bending low, she put her mouth to Portia's ear. "I will not fail you, Portia. Do you hear me? I will save your child."
    Portia's desperate gaze locked onto her face, although she didn't lift her head. Tears welled up and fell to mingle with the blood pooling on the ground. Her lips trembled for a moment as if she might say something. She lay there staring at Nicoletta as death overtook her.
    Nicoletta blocked out the sight of Portia lying still in death, the thought of Giovanni desperately needing her aid, and turned her complete attention to stopping the flow of blood from Margerita's wound. She worked steadily, doing her best not to hurt the girl further with her ministrations.
    "Madre saved my life," Margerita said softly in wonder. "She really loved me after all."
    "You need to stay quiet, close your eyes, and do not move at all," Nicoletta cautioned. "I have done what I can, but now I need to get aid. I must leave you for a few minutes, but what I have done will hold Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    if you keep very still. I promise I will come back for you."
    She had taken only a few steps when she heard voices. Antonello's. Vincente's. Francesco's. They were calling her name. Someone had heard her cries. At once Margerita appeared agitated, her eyes wide with terror. Nicoletta put a finger to her lips and hurried away from the girl.
    "Francesco!" She called for her personal guard, the man Giovanni had trusted with his bride's safety.
    "Francesco, someone has murdered Portia here in the maze, and Margerita is severely injured. Giovanni is in the pass, wounded. We were attacked, and he was stabbed. Send soldiers to aid him. Send soldiers for Margerita, too, and trust no one but Giovanni. Do you hear me? No one else. Not even his brothers."
    She heard his instant response, the roar of his orders to the soldiers. "Donna Nicoletta, call out to me. I will follow the sound of your voice."
    "Hurry, Francesco. Margerita needs aid swiftly." Nicoletta rushed around another bend, afraid to draw the wrong people with the sound of her voice. She trusted none of them. The roughhewn, mysterious Antonello was certainly suspect, and Portia had been in a violently passionate relationship with Vincente.
    Nicoletta thought about Margerita slapping her, seeing the strange marks on her wrist, the dark bruises just like the ones Beatrice, the maid, had on her wrist. Nicoletta rounded the next bend, trying to put all the pieces together. Could it be Antonello? But somehow he didn't fit. Margerita's wrists. Beatrice's wrists. I let him put his filthy hands on her and use her the way he used me.
    Hard, hurting hands caught at the knot of her long hair and yanked her backward so that her eyes flooded with tears and her feet went out from under her. She fell to the ground, staring up at the dark, handsome face. Vincente. It couldn't be. He had a child, a beautiful little girl Nicoletta already loved. He smiled down at her and put a finger to his lips, ordering her to remain silent. I let him put his filthy hands on her and use her the way he used me. Of course it was Vincente.
    Nicoletta stared at the sharp point of the dagger he clutched tightly in his fist. It was covered in fresh blood. Her heart nearly stopped, then began to beat very fast. He caught at her shoulders, lifting her easily to her feet. "You are going to tell me how to read the maps," he said softly, his mouth close to her ear. "He has taken the treasures and hidden them inside the passageway, but with the key to the maps, I will be able to align with the king of Spain." Vincente leaned closer so that his lips touched her jaw. "Your skin is soft but cold. Like ice." His tongue stroked a monstrous caress along her cheek.
    "What maps?" Tears were running down her face, her scalp hurting from