Carpathian 17 - Dark Curse

set wings fluttering inside her stomach.
    \"Is that so I won\'t stab you through the heart when you go to sleep?\" She fed his anger because she feared the dark seductive velvet in his voice-the burn of desire smoldering in his eyes. She feared the reaction of her own body to him and more than ever was afraid that he could enslave her will.
    His smile held no humor, nor did it light his eyes, but was a mere flash of strong white teeth. Her heart tripped as she saw the slight length and point to his canine teeth. The effect was subtle but it was there. She tried to make herself smaller as he settled on the bed beside her. One large hand cupped her face, forcing her to look at him, to stare into his mesmerizing eyes.
    \"You tried stabbing me once. You chose life for us and I expect you to keep your word.\" As he spoke, his thumb slid back and forth across her bottom lip.
    She jerked her head up. \"You\'re trying to intimidate me.\"
    Swift impatience crossed his face. \"I do not think I have to try very hard. I left my mind open to you, gave you complete access, trusted you with everything I am, and you, in turn, closed your mind to me, accused me of heinous crimes and mistrusted me from the beginning. I grow weary of this argument.\"
    She hoped he was. She hoped he was so weary he\'d go to ground and leave her to make her escape. She kept quiet. His body crowded close, so close he seemed to be everywhere, surrounding her. He took her hand again and held out his other palm. Veins of minerals appeared in the walls of the chamber, glowing briefly as if hot.
    She blinked at the sudden bright light. There was a tug on her arm and something heavy and warm snapped in place around her wrist. She opened her eyes to see him enclosing his wrist in an iron shackle, tying them together.
    Page 72

    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    Lara\'s face went pale. She jerked her arm away. \"What are you doing?\" With her free hand she tried to push the iron bracelet from her wrist, but it was snug.
    He paid her no attention, murmuring under his breath. She felt the surge of power and knew he was layering on safeguards, binding the shackles with magic so she would have no hope of getting them off if she didn\'t act fast.
    Forcing back a sob, Lara countered his magic. Iron that binds and fastens tight, I seek to unlock that which holds me tight. I summon thee mineral ,blend with light, forge me a key to undo this plight . Power surged as raw minerals from the earth blended with fiery light to form a key.
    Nicolas twisted quickly, pushing her to the bed, holding her arms down to keep her hands from rising to direct energy into patterns and to prevent her from grasping the key as he threw out a spell of his own.
    Cease this action, intended to unbind, I take in your energy making it mine.
    The key disappeared in a burst of light. At once she knew he had bested her. He was centuries old and she was rusty in her practice. She had forgotten that in the early days, when Nicolas was young, mage and Carpathian shared secrets. She was helpless, completely under his domination, a prisoner unable to escape. She blinked up at him, wanting to punch his face, but terrified of the repercussions. He leaned close, so close she could see the long dark lashes that veiled his smoldering eyes. His lips brushed the side of her mouth.
    \"You look like a trapped kitten, about to hiss and spit fire at me. Go to sleep. We will sort this out the next rising.\"
    With that, he lay back, dragging her with him, rolling onto his side, his eyes closing-dismissing her. Lara held her breath waiting, not knowing what to look for. It didn\'t take long. His breath left his body in one rattling exhale and he lay completely motionless. She was chained to a dead man.
    The trembling started somewhere in her legs and ran up her body so strong she was afraid she would go into convulsions. She lay staring at the ceiling, her heart beating too fast, too loud, her chest hurting, lungs burning from lack of air, her mind screaming. She was a prisoner with no control, no power, no say over her own life.
    It was only a matter of time before he would demand sex and she would succumb to his wishes because she would be unable to stop her body from needing his.
    She shuddered. From there, he would take her blood. It was the nature of all Carpathians to take blood and she had sensed, more than once, his desire to take hers. She\'d rather be dead than to live enslaved. She couldn\'t survive without