Blood Curse Read Online Free PDF Page A

prisoner—”
    A plate thrust at her, the food almost toppling onto her chest. Surprise broke off her words. Her stomach ached at the anticipation of digging into ham, eggs, and potatoes. Abruptly he set it down on her lap, forcing her to grab the plate to prevent it spilling.
    A slightly bitter, brewed scent filled the air. She glanced over. A silver urn flashed as he poured coffee in a cup. He downed half of it without any sweetening. Black. Then he grimaced. “Cannot drink this stuff,” he muttered. He spat it back into the cup and set the cup aside.
    “I deserve to know what you are going to do to me!” she demanded.
    A sardonic laugh left his lips. “I would tell you if I had any idea.” Then he sighed. He poured coffee into another delicate cup and held it out to her.
    With her hands still a bit numb, she wrapped both around the warm china.
    “This is the entire tale, Lady Ophelia. I agreed to kidnap you, an innocent young woman, which was unusual for me. Normally I am paid to destroy beings. But I was promised a fortune as payment, and I could not resist. As I said, I was to hand you over to my client.”
    He paused, rubbing his chin.
    The hot coffee was making her head wake up. Frowning, she said, “You promised me the entire tale. I think I deserve that.”
    Broad shoulders moved in another languorous shrug. “The man knows about your power. I believe he wanted you to experiment on you—find out how your power works, how it can be controlled, if someone else could obtain your power.”
    “No one could do that.”
    Matter-of-factly, he said, “There are ways.”
    “Who would want it? It’s a curse—”
    “Not for someone who would want to be indestructible. I was to give you to him after I acquired you. Tonight I went and told him he’s not going to get you. Now, eat.”
    Ophelia took a bite of her ham. “You speak as though you
do
know who paid you to capture me.”
    When Ravenhunt said nothing, and she’d swallowed more bites of his delicious food, she added, “Can you give me any hints?”
    “This is not a parlor guessing game, Lady Ophelia. This is serious. The only place I can be certain you will be safe is with me.”
    “Why should
you
care to keep me safe?”
    “You are young and you don’t deserve to die. Nor do you deserve to be cut open and studied.”
    Her stomach rebelled. She turned and suddenly a chamber pot was in front of her and she lost every morsel of food she’d just eaten into its depths. Facing it, she whispered, “C-cut open?”
    “It is what men of science do to try to understand people like you.”
    Oh God. Her insides heaved again. Ophelia lurched over the pot he held. It hurt terribly for there was nothing left in her to come up.
    She hated to be sick in front of him. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to be . . . home.
    At least back at Mrs. Darkwell’s, which was as close to a home as she possessed. Never would she have dreamed that Darkwell’s prison would feel like a safe home.
    Ravenhunt’s gloved hand moved toward her head. He stopped before he touched her and withdrew his hand. “Do you want a glass of water?” he asked.
    She ignored the question. “Am I really supposed to believe the man who kidnapped me is actually my rescuer?”
    “Yes.”
    “I can’t. I don’t trust you. And remember, I do have the power to kill you.” She tried to look menacing. She lifted her hand toward him in a blatant threat.
    Instead of retreating, he reached out. His hand gripped hers.
    “What are you doing?” she cried. She tried to pull free. She could spare him if she broke the touch in time.
    He would not release her. He moved his hand so he was holding hers. He threaded his fingers between hers.
    Heat burned between their hands. This had never happened before. Her hand screamed with pain, but smoke rose from his fingers. His hand appeared to be
burning
. Terror grabbed her, strangling her voice.
    Lifting their joined hands, Ravenhunt watched the smoke with