Read Online Dark Illusion by Christine Feehan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christine Feehan
Ads: Link
stand up on her body. She heard the ominous sizzle and crackle of electricity. White-hot and too bright to look at, a whip of lightning flashed across the sky, lashed the pale-yellow puddle of acid and was gone, leaving behind scorched rock. She thought Isai stumbled, but when she blinked to bring him in focus, he was standing straight and tall. He certainly looked invincible. Pale, but definitely omnipotent. The skin where the wounds had been had gone from black to a healthy color again.
“I have to heal these wounds from the inside out just to make certain the cats didn’t leave anything behind in my bloodstream.”
She hadn’t thought of that.
“I will return in a few minutes. I will not be far from you.”
Perversely, she didn’t want him to go. “Can’t you just do it here? You pushed out the poison in front of me.” She hoped she didn’t sound whiny, but she really hated that he was so remote, so closed off from her. She was used to being alone. In fact, she preferred being alone. She should have been glad to see him go. Instead, she had the mad desire to cling. The shadow cat had shaken her up more than she realized. That was the only explanation.
“Just a few minutes, Julija.” His voice was very gentle. “I’ll be close in case there is another attack.”
She glared at him in challenge, hating that he thought she wanted him there to protect her. It wasn’t that at all. “Why? Why do you have to leave?”
“I have to shed my body in order to heal from the inside out.”
She knew instantly he didn’t trust her with the unprotected shell of his body, and that hurt. Her throat felt raw. Her eyes burned. “You can do it right here.” She made it a demand. He really didn’t seem to like that tone when she took it with him. Even if it earned her another spanking, which frankly hurt, it was better than his complete indifference.
He just looked at her and then he was gone. He dissolved right in front of her. Shimmering, he looked as transparent as the shadow cat had, but then he was just not there. Julija wrapped her arms around her middle and pressed her forehead against the rock where he’d been standing. That left her looking down at the scorch marks on the rock.
Why had she thought it would be so terrible to be with a Carpathian? She had nowhere to go. Her family and most of those with mage blood would forever brand her a traitor when they learned she’d been on her way to warn the Carpathians. And yet, she didn’t know how to live as a Carpathian. She had the ability to take blood, just not to sleep in the ground.
Julija sighed. She didn’t know how to trust someone enough to fall in love. There hadn’t been one single person in her life that she could remember that she could trust. Not her father. Her brothers. Her stepmother. Not one of them. No friends. Certainly not the man she’d slept with. She had thought him someone special, her friend. Turned out, not so much. A shiver went through her body.
She wrapped her arms around her waist, suppressing the shiver, pushing the memory to the back of her mind where it belonged. Elisabeta? She needed . . . something. Companionship. Contact with another being. She was well aware she’d connected very strongly with Elisabeta because she identified in some ways with her. It wouldn’t seem so to anyone looking at the two of them, but that awareness of each other was there. Compassion. Empathy. Whatever one wanted to call it, they had it for each other.
She held her breath for the long moments leading up to the stirring in her mind. I am here. You have need? Are you safe?
Tears burned hot behind her eyes. Elisabeta was in the ground, healing from the terrible physical punishments Sergey had inflicted on her as well as the mental and emotional scars, yet she was instantly concerned for Julija. That said so much about the woman.
I just need someone to talk to.
We have to be careful. He is always listening at night. Trying to find a way to
“I have to heal these wounds from the inside out just to make certain the cats didn’t leave anything behind in my bloodstream.”
She hadn’t thought of that.
“I will return in a few minutes. I will not be far from you.”
Perversely, she didn’t want him to go. “Can’t you just do it here? You pushed out the poison in front of me.” She hoped she didn’t sound whiny, but she really hated that he was so remote, so closed off from her. She was used to being alone. In fact, she preferred being alone. She should have been glad to see him go. Instead, she had the mad desire to cling. The shadow cat had shaken her up more than she realized. That was the only explanation.
“Just a few minutes, Julija.” His voice was very gentle. “I’ll be close in case there is another attack.”
She glared at him in challenge, hating that he thought she wanted him there to protect her. It wasn’t that at all. “Why? Why do you have to leave?”
“I have to shed my body in order to heal from the inside out.”
She knew instantly he didn’t trust her with the unprotected shell of his body, and that hurt. Her throat felt raw. Her eyes burned. “You can do it right here.” She made it a demand. He really didn’t seem to like that tone when she took it with him. Even if it earned her another spanking, which frankly hurt, it was better than his complete indifference.
He just looked at her and then he was gone. He dissolved right in front of her. Shimmering, he looked as transparent as the shadow cat had, but then he was just not there. Julija wrapped her arms around her middle and pressed her forehead against the rock where he’d been standing. That left her looking down at the scorch marks on the rock.
Why had she thought it would be so terrible to be with a Carpathian? She had nowhere to go. Her family and most of those with mage blood would forever brand her a traitor when they learned she’d been on her way to warn the Carpathians. And yet, she didn’t know how to live as a Carpathian. She had the ability to take blood, just not to sleep in the ground.
Julija sighed. She didn’t know how to trust someone enough to fall in love. There hadn’t been one single person in her life that she could remember that she could trust. Not her father. Her brothers. Her stepmother. Not one of them. No friends. Certainly not the man she’d slept with. She had thought him someone special, her friend. Turned out, not so much. A shiver went through her body.
She wrapped her arms around her waist, suppressing the shiver, pushing the memory to the back of her mind where it belonged. Elisabeta? She needed . . . something. Companionship. Contact with another being. She was well aware she’d connected very strongly with Elisabeta because she identified in some ways with her. It wouldn’t seem so to anyone looking at the two of them, but that awareness of each other was there. Compassion. Empathy. Whatever one wanted to call it, they had it for each other.
She held her breath for the long moments leading up to the stirring in her mind. I am here. You have need? Are you safe?
Tears burned hot behind her eyes. Elisabeta was in the ground, healing from the terrible physical punishments Sergey had inflicted on her as well as the mental and emotional scars, yet she was instantly concerned for Julija. That said so much about the woman.
I just need someone to talk to.
We have to be careful. He is always listening at night. Trying to find a way to
Similar Books
