Read Online Dark Illusion by Christine Feehan - Free Book Online Page A

place was ghastly, truly out of a horror film. I was appalled and began sneaking in at night to try to help them. Some had to be humanely put down. I hated that, but what else could I do? Let them suffer? I brought water to them every night. They were so thirsty. I think my brothers were instilling hate in them. Once I came in and one had terrible wounds all over it. I tried to get close, but it snarled and warned me off. Eventually, I found a way to make it sleep and I cleaned all the wounds and dressed them. Each night I checked on the big cat and dressed the wounds.”
    That compulsion in her she couldn’t help had her inching forward as she spoke.
    “You took a hell of a chance.” He moved away from her again, out of reach. “You did tonight as well. Thank you,” he said quietly, sincerely.
    Julija detested that he wouldn’t allow her to help him but that low acknowledgment of his gratitude made her feel a little better. “You saved my life. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
    Those blue eyes flared in the darkness, lighting up the night. The sight of them like that, glowing almost, caused a slow roll in her stomach. The sensation was unlike anything she’d experienced. Still, she could see by the blank expression on his face that he wouldn’t expect her to thank him. He didn’t expect anything at all from her. He had withdrawn so completely from her, shut down any kind of relationship, even friendship, that she didn’t know how to approach him.
    He rested his back against a rock wall and concentrated on the wounds on his chest. She felt the surge of power. It was incredible. Shocking even. Her father commanded tremendous power, more than any other she knew. Anatolie kept his abilities a secret from most in the mage world. He was the well-kept secret. No one was to know of his existence. He was Xavier’s secret weapon.
    Those with mage blood had scattered since Xavier’s death, fearing retaliation by the Carpathian people after the attacks on them by the high mage. Then the truth had come out that he was one of triplets. Anatolie didn’t seem in the least surprised, but her brothers were. Their father made it clear they were never to admit Xavier’s blood ran in their veins. He said it would make them a target of jealous mages and the Carpathian hunters.
    Isai wielded power so easily, as if it was a part of him. He didn’t call it up with ceremony, he simply used it. Casually. Easily. The shirt fell away, disappearing as if it had never been. The bloody streaks in his chest were already turning black as if some poison was eating away the flesh. She shuddered, one hand going defensively to her throat. Those claws would have gotten into her. Even if she’d managed to drive them off with a spell, the acid would have most likely killed her.
    She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight of him. He was mesmerizing as he pushed the poison out of his body through his pores. She knew it had to burn, but he never winced. Pale yellow droplets fell to the ground. The beads seemed to have some kind of magnetic attraction to one another and they rolled until they pooled together to form a light buttery-colored puddle at his feet.
    “They used sulfuric acid or some combination with that in it,” she identified. “That explains why so many of the cats ended up dead with burns on their faces and feet. Somehow the acid leaked out of their venom sacs, right?” She stared in horror at the evidence at his feet. She wouldn’t have survived an attack with that acid. He had to be in terrible pain.
    “I will be fine. Stand back for a minute. I have to get rid of the poisonous acid.”
    She moved to the other side of the rock.
    “Turn away when I bring this down.” He was already looking toward the sky.
    Her heart pounded. He was calling down the lightning. It was a feat no other species could do. No mage had been able to wield lightning, even if they could draw it down.
    An electrical charge made her hair