Carpathian 17 - Dark Curse

to stop at one of the nearest ones for aid, but Terry had been bitten by a mage-bred snake carrying vampire blood. Healing a mage wound was difficult enough, but a hybrid with vampire blood-that required skills far beyond her knowledge or that of a human doctor.
    Their one hope lay with the innkeepers. The couple had been born and raised in the area and had lived their entire lives there. Lara couldn\'t imagine that they wouldn\'t have some knowledge of the danger lying beneath the mountain. Over time, it became difficult to tamper with the same memories. And there had been something about the inn-something that had drawn Lara to it. A suggestion of power, as if perhaps there was subtle influence at work, encouraging tourists and visitors to stay at the homey, friendly inn.
    Lara had allowed herself to be susceptible to the flow of power because it was the first time since the dragon had shoved her onto the upper cavern ledge that she had encountered the light, delicate touch of flowing energy. She had forgotten what it was like to bathe herself in the crackle of electric power, to feel it surrounding her, flowing through every cell until her body hummed with it. The inn and entire village gave off the amazing feeling, although it was so subtle she had nearly missed it.
    \"Lara,\" Gerald called from the backseat. \"My skin is starting to burn.\"
    \"We\'re almost there. Go in and take a shower first thing.\" She didn\'t want to think what Terry was suffering.
    He was very quiet, other than making a soft moaning sound. \"Gerald, when we get to the inn, we\'ll need to talk to the owners and ask who the village healer is.\"
    \"The owner\'s name was Slavica and she seemed very nice.\"
    \"Hopefully she\'s very discreet as well. She certainly seems to know everyone.\"
    \"Wouldn\'t it be better to ask for the nearest doctor?\" Gerald asked.
    Lara tried to sound casual. \"Sometimes the local healers know so much more about plants and animals in the Page 15

    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    area. Although we\'ve never encountered this particular species before, it\'s a good bet the villagers have and the local healer probably knows exactly what to do to extract the poi-\" She broke off and hastily changed her description. \"Venom.\"
    Lara pulled the car up the twisting road to the inn on the edge of town. The large, two-story inn faced the forest with its long porch and inviting balconies. She parked as close to the stairs as she could get and raced around to help Gerald get Terry out.
    Shadows lengthened and grew as the clouds overhead thickened with the threat of snow. The wind howled and the trees swayed and rustled in protest. Lara glanced around her with sharp, wary eyes as she opened the door to the backseat and reached inside for Terry.
    \"I\'ll come back for the snake heads to show the innkeeper. Don\'t touch them,\" she cautioned.
    Terry was nearly deadweight as he hung between them. Gerald had to practically carry him as they stumbled through the snow. The walkway was clear, but they took a shortcut, tramping across the front slope to get to the porch faster.
    A tall, dark-haired man opened the door for them and reached to help. Even under the dire circumstances, Lara found him handsome, compelling even.
    \"Don\'t get the blood on you,\" she warned. \"It\'s highly venomous.\"
    The dark-haired man\'s gaze swept up to her face and froze, locking on to her. For one moment there was shocked recognition in his eyes and then it was gone as he got his shoulder under Terry to relieve her of the weight.
    Lara whirled around, back toward the car. \"Get him inside and ask the innkeeper to find a healer. I\'ll get the snake heads.\"
    She rushed back down the steps, crossing the distance to the car in a run. As she yanked open the door, her birthmark, the one shaped like a dragon, began to burn hot against her skin. There was only one thing that brought forth the dragon\'s warning: Vampire. And he had to be close. She hastily donned her wraparound skirt and a cloak to cover her weapons. She closed the door and looked carefully around her, one hand sliding beneath her thick red cloak to find the knife on her belt.

Chapter 2
    The night was bitter cold. He shouldn\'t be feeling it-Carpathians could easily regulate body temperature, but he wanted to be cold. It was a feeling. Not emotion-but something . Cold was like bitterness maybe, and bitterness was an emotion. Maybe that was the closest thing to a feeling he would have before his