Alexandra started to retreat, but didn’t get very far. One large arm encircled her waist and seized her. She didn’t struggle, but gazed up at him and waited for his next move.
Marius emitted another growl as his lips descended on her mouth in a crushing kiss. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and welcomed it. His large hands moved down to her backside and he pressed her suggestively against him. His conscience screamed at him—she was forbidden! He’d already gone too far with her, but he wanted her fiercely and there was no denying it. He swept her off her feet and marched toward the door.
They didn’t even make it to the bed. Once inside, Marius pinned her to the wall, lifted her high and buried his face between her legs. His tongue found her tight opening and surged into her.
Alexandra gasped and arched her back away from the wall. Her legs encircled his neck and she began to writhe with the violence of desperate yearning. Her fingers gripped his hair and she pressed his face even deeper into her.
When he’d drunk his fill, Marius slid her down in front of him and freed his pulsing member from his breeches. Alexandra’s eyes widened. With his transformation, his erection had increased in both length and width and now pressed firmly against her abdomen. She had only a moment to gaze upon it before he gripped her thighs, splaying them, and then surged up into her with one powerful thrust.
She screamed as he filled her tight passage and her body clenched around him. His mouth had weaved a path down to the curve of her neck and had locked into place. His fangs bit gently into her flesh as he held her still. Impaled on him now, she could do nothing, but succumb to his fierce thrusting.
He pressed deeper into her with each hungry penetration. His grip tightened on her thighs.
A delightful pressure was building within him, preparing for an explosion. The sting of her nails biting into the thick muscles of his back as she trembled with her orgasm drove him even closer. When it came he erupted in a feral growl and pressed deep into her, filling her body, completing them both.
It was dark by the time they found their way to the bed. Marius laid an exhausted Alexandra onto the thick folds of the comforter. Her eyes drifted closed and he drew the covers over her. He sat there watching her in the flickering light of a single candle, reflecting on the weeks that had preceded this moment. It was hard to comprehend the odd feeling that overcame him whenever he was near her. It lingered long after his lust had been sated, and he craved something more, something he couldn’t identify.
Standing, he flexed his wings. The night was young and his tortured mind was sure to find no peace. He needed the air. It never failed to clear his head. He would find a way to save her and his family. Leaden strides took him out of the room and onto a rear balcony that overlooked the yard. He gazed up at the waning moon. Majestic it was on this night, casting its silver rays over the treetops. He only wished it was a beacon to guide his tortured soul. Great wings spread to their full length and he took flight, beating against the night as if he were trying to extract solutions from its shadow.
Chapter 16
Anger pulsed through her. The three horsemen advanced. Amid the orange haze of the torchlight flashes of a great twisting dragon circled her. A crest. There was danger here. Still, she’d come to fulfill a task and would depart only when it was done—either on foot to descend back into the darkness of the forest from whence she’d come or in spirit, leaving her earthly body to those who despised her.
One of the men dismounted. He was speaking, his teeth bared in a livid snarl. He approached, yet her eyes remained fixed as she spoke. Her words were inaudible, a scared breath escaping her, lifting to the ears of the man who watched her from above. It was he that she loathed. He’d done a great wrong to her, taken away those she loved. And now she’d come to exact vengeance.
The horseman advanced still, his weapon drawn. The steel flashed wickedly beneath the torchlight. And she looked at him. She knew him, could read into his soul. She saw the day of his birth and the day when he would breathe his last. And she knew he was a threat to her. He would be the one to take her life. She wasn’t afraid. Her life would go on, her soul would be eternal.
She continued speaking words that would serve justice—that would avenge her loved ones. Then it came. The pain she’d anticipated when she set out to face her enemy. It was piercing, unbearable and she gasped, her eyes riveting to the length of steel that passed through her slender frame. She fell to her knees, fighting for breath, and a calming sensation came over her. Her task was complete—her enemies would suffer a fate far worse than the death they’d so freely administered to her. They’d be damned for all eternity.
The steady beat of her pulse began to slow, thumping in her ears. A figure appeared above her, his face initially obscured by shadow. As he neared, she realized that it was Lord Victor Drakon himself, his face grim and in awe as if he, for one moment, regretted the deeds done. He draped a cloak around her, but it was in vain, for already the chill of death was seeping into her.
He reached for something that hung around her neck; her amulet, she knew. Mustering what little strength remained within her, she snatched his arm, stalling his intent. Within that moment, with her nails biting so deep that they drew blood, she was assailed by a vision.
Vivian stood before Lord Drakon, her face contorted in rage as she spoke. The light from a large fireplace danced over them.
“How dare you disgrace me this way?” Vivian spoke. “What can a poor peasant give you that I cannot?”
In her vision Lord Drakon shook his head. “It is not about social status, Vivian,” he told her. “I have said all I need to say and my offer still stands. You will have the money and the land you desire, but I cannot wed you.”
“Is it her body?” Vivian screamed, tears gliding down her cheeks now. With angry jerks she began separating the ties of her bodice. “You need not sully yourself with inferior flesh.” She yanked her dress open, revealing ample breasts.
Lord Drakon cast his eyes aside. “Cover yourself, woman.” He moved to pull her sleeves up, but she thrust him away.
“Get out!” She snatched up a lute that had been leaning against the wall and swung it at him. “Go to your peasant whore, then! Get out!”
Lord Drakon moved back, his brows furrowed in disbelief.
“I said get out!” Vivian screamed again, this time hurling the instrument at him just as he slipped out of the room.
It smashed against the wall, and she sank to her knees, sobbing as she shouted after him. “I will make you rue the day you ever laid eyes upon her!”
As the vision faded, she knew that she had been deceived. Nothing was as it had seemed. The man she’d just cursed was completely without fault.
The world around her began to spin and amid the encroaching darkness, she could see his face. A new anguish assailed her even as her consciousness faded and she joined her kin in the stillness of death.
“What have I done?”
Alexandra awoke with a pained gasp as if she were being born into the world anew. Despite the cool of the darkened room, she was covered in a light film of perspiration. She lay unmoving for a long moment as she dissected her dream. It had been as clear as the summer sky and she understood everything now. Necesar had possessed no evil. She was a healer and her powers had always been used for good. Her only deviation had been to avenge her family. Necesar had also been deceived. Her cousin, in a froth to gain Necesar’s compliance, had spun a tale of lies, declaring that Lord Victor Drakon had tricked her into riding with him to inspect his lands. That once they were alone, he’d forced himself upon her. She’d also asserted that the union had brought an unwanted pregnancy upon her. These untruths and the idea that Lord Drakon had sought to marry another woman even after knowing of the child had fueled Necesar’s passion for revenge.
It was all clear now. The curse, the burning of Elburich Castle, the deaths, they’d all been the result of one woman’s ruthless jealousy. Lady Vivian Dancescu had been una
ble to cope with the shame of Lord Drakon’s rejection and the fact that he’d chosen a peasant girl. She’d driven herself into insanity.
Alexandra sat up slowly and reached over the mattress next to her. The sheet was cool and had obviously been vacant for some time.
“Marius,” she called softly.
The room remained silent. She climbed from the bed and felt in the darkness for something to drape over herself. Her fingers clutched the soft material of Marius’s shirt and she pulled it over her head. The garment fell to midthigh and filled her senses with the scent of him.
She opened the door and walked into the dark passage. She started down the stairs, but a dull glow in another doorway caught her attention. She changed direction and walked toward it. She hadn’t noticed the room before.
The room was empty except for a few dusty boxes stacked to one side. A set of white paint-chipped French doors opened onto a veranda and the light she’d seen had been from the moon pouring in.
Crossing the vacant expanse, she stepped out onto the balcony and looked around. The trees stood tall and majestic beneath their crowns of silver moonbeams, and the sky was clear and speckled with glinting stars. Not even a trace of a rain cloud remained. In the distance she could see the shimmering stretch of lake. The reflection of the moon danced upon it, making it look as if it had been drizzled with liquid silver.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
The voice startled her and she spun around. Marius was perched above her on the roof. His wings were folded and he looked as if he’d been enjoying the view himself.
She nodded slowly. “Yes,” she breathed and experienced a flush of embarrassment.
The memory of his fierce lovemaking and her shameless abandon was still burned fresh in her mind. Something about him in this form made her blood boil and her body ache. Something lethal and demanding, and when he looked at her the way he did, she felt as if she’d been dipped in hot lava.
Marius eased off the roof, coming to stand before her. “Did you rest well?” he asked.
Her gaze traveled up the length of his large form. “I had another dream,” she told him. “I saw everything, and I know that your family should’ve never suffered through this.”
“What have you seen?”
“The truth.” She turned to look out over the forest. “Lady Vivian Dancescu lied to Necesar. She told her that your father had raped her and that she was pregnant. Necesar reacted only according to what she’d been told. Lady Vivian was a jealous woman and she would’ve gone to any lengths to get revenge, but in the process she wound up going mad. And that’s how she killed her family. She burned the entire castle down.” When she was finished she looked at him. “You see, none of this should’ve ever happened.”
Marius hung his head as he absorbed this revelation. Guilt and pity enveloped Alexandra. Just the knowledge that Marius would never lead a normal life as long as she lived or multiplied was enough to tear at her heart. His family had been wrongly punished and she had the source of their injustice within her. The blood of both Necesar and Lady Vivian Dancescu ran thick in her veins.
She reached up and placed gentle fingers at the base of a protruding horn. “Does it hurt?”
He looked at her, searching her face. For a moment she thought he would pull away, but he didn’t. “Every time,” he responded.
Her fingertips moved down his firm jawline, past the thick muscles of his neck to his broad shoulders. Curious hands stroked the knots of muscle where his wings were attached and she trembled. He was so beautiful and powerful and she was fascinated by him. She could also feel the desperation that plagued him.
“I must tell you something,” she said, following a sudden urge to reveal more of herself to him. “I have a gift. I can sometimes perceive the emotions of others by tapping into their energy.” She waited for his response, but when he said nothing she continued.
“I can also see things that have occurred, but that talent has been pretty vague until a few weeks ago. It’s how I’ve been tracking Mady,” she finished.
She decided to keep the incident of the fire spell she’d cast on his brother to herself. If he thought she possessed Necesar’s power, then he might believe she was more than just an innocent descendant of the witch. He might even blame her entirely for all that had happened to his family. That was the last thing she needed, especially considering that she was alone with him in the middle of nowhere.
A look of understanding crossed his face. “I see. And what have you gathered from the matter of this curse?”
Alexandra met his dark eyes. “Oddly, I sense nothing. It’s as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”
They gazed at each other in silence as if an unspoken understanding was being exchanged. These were perhaps their final moments together. Tomorrow was the last day of the Equinox and neither of them knew what lay beyond it.
With both sadness and desire mingling within her belly, Alexandra closed the distance between them. And on the tips of her toes, she leaned into him, securing her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his in a feathery kiss. Marius’s arms wrapped around her slim waist, drawing her into him. Their kiss deepened a measure, but retained its tenderness.
When he withdrew to look at her again, a fire blazed in his eyes, deep and consuming. And as he stripped his shirt from her shoulders, she gladly surrendered herself to him.
Marius stood opposite the desk where his mother sat. He’d managed an audience with her without the knowledge of his father or brothers. At the moment she was the only one he felt he could trust and he was desperate, willing to do anything it took to save Alexandra and free his family. He only hoped that his mother would see past his wrongs and help him.
Lady Amelia had been staring out the front window as he’d made his plea. Now she turned to face him. She looked radiant in an elegant, pearl-colored skirt suit and diamond accessories.
She watched him intently. “So you say you are protecting this girl? Have you completed the ritual?”
His head fell a measure. “I have.”
“And do you believe that she is worth betraying your family for?”
His jaw tensed. “I did not betray you, Mother, just as Father did not betray Lady Vivian centuries ago. Such feelings cannot be measured or controlled. The way I feel was not conspired.”
“And what are these feelings that have brought you to this state? How do you know that she has not bewitched you?” Her brows rose as she waited for his response.
He shook his head vehemently. “No, Mother. Alexandra is not like that. She is pure and kind. I wish you would understand that. She is the Descendant, but she is not the witch that cursed our family and she should not suffer for crimes she did not commit.”
Lady Amelia moved toward the sofa and picked up a book she’d been reading. “Is that so? Do you know that your brother Nicholas was wounded by her? She cast a spell in his presence, one that only a powerful and well-practiced witch could be expected to conjure.” She walked toward the tall bookcase that lined the entire left wall and slipped the text onto a middle shelf.
Marius’s heavy brows drew together in confusion. Alexandra had not mentioned anything about casting a spell to him, nor had he witnessed her practicing any sorcery.
“He lies, Mother!” he accused. “She has the gift of sight and nothing more.”
She turned to face him, her look admonishing. “You know your brother. Has he ever lied to you or to any of us?” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “I beseech you, think this over, Marius. When the sun rises again it will be too late to remedy this. And the woman you’re trying so desperately to save will be no more.”
“There is nothing to think about. I came here seeking your help in finding another way to break the curse and that is all. If you cannot help me then I will leave.”
Their gazes locked and a silence lapsed between them. Marius had expected her to understand if no one else did. He’d always been able to rely upon her for
advice or aid in solving problems. It seemed things had changed. Through the window behind her, he could see the soft streaks of evening color manifesting in the sky. There was no hope and time had all but run out. He would return to the church and reveal the entire truth to Alexandra. He only hoped that she had the strength to resist the evil that would consume her when the sun rose again.
With a deep sigh, Marius picked up his coat and headed toward the door.
Quickly, his mother stepped forward, her eyes hesitant. “Wait,” she called out to him.
His hand was already on the doorknob. He looked at her.
Lady Amelia sank slowly to the edge of the couch. “There is another way,” she breathed softly.
Marius turned toward her, yet remained silent. His expression was impassive, but his heart was racing. He waited for her to continue.
She inhaled, her gaze lifting to the painting above the mantelpiece. “A few years before you were born, your father and I tried everything in our power to find a spell to counter the one Necesar placed upon us. We went to every sorcerer and witch and discovered that there was one other option. An old witch in the Netherlands told us that any curse can be broken by reversing the initiating factors.”
“What does that mean?” he asked in confusion.
She looked at him. “Our family’s curse is one crafted from passion, love and shame. There has to be a union between the two parties, and this shall dissipate the spell.”
Marius took a step closer, his mind racing. It all sounded simple enough. “What kind of union?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I do not know. Your father and I never considered this as an option and so we never explored it. I would never release him to another woman, most especially not a Dancescu. And it was hardly expected that any of you would take an enemy for a bride.”
Heiress to a Curse Page 17