Carpathian 14 - Dark Hunger

back against the tree trunk watching Riordan carefully. "Thank you. It really does feel much better." She studied the lines in his face. "Is there really poison in your system?"

    He glanced at her, his black, black eyes blazing a trail right to her heart… or her body.
    He began to carefully ease out of the bloodstained and tattered shirt. All the while his gaze remained on her, making it difficult to breathe. "Unfortunately, yes."
    "Why? Why would they do that to you?"
    "Because I am different. I am a creature to be loathed and hated. And because, I fear, they wish to kill our prince."
    The burns on his skin were horrible to see. "Did they heat the chains? Is that how those burns got there?" Juliette wanted to rush to him, press her lips to those terrible marks. He had to be in such pain, yet he had attended to her first.
    "They had vampire blood and they painted the chains regularly with it. They knew the blood was toxic and would burn as acid does. And they hoped the scent of blood, when I was drained and starving, would drive me out of my mind." He gave her a faint smile.
    "Perhaps they succeeded."
    Juliette shook her head. "You're saner than they will ever be. We're both a bit shaky, but we made it out of there."
    "Thanks to you. I am sorry you have to see me this way. As soon as I remove the poison, I'll restore your strength to you."
    "I'm not as dizzy. I think my body's already recovering. You just worry about you." She wanted to look away as his face grew paler, as he made a tremendous effort, using every ounce of reserve strength in an attempt to analyze the poisonous compound used to paralyze him. A part of her mind was merged with his, or perhaps it was the other way around, but she could see the data flowing through his mind and was amazed that he understood each separate composite. "Who are you? How do you know all this?"
    He leaned back against a moss-covered boulder. "I have lived a long life and learned much over the years. There is little else to do when you have nothing to live for. Knowledge is power and it keeps one alive, even when one no longer wishes to remain in a barren world." His dark eyes slid over her. He reached out his hand.
    Juliette had no idea why she put her hand in his. The moment his fingers closed around hers her body came alive, and it felt right. Juliette wanted to pull her hand away from the heat of his, but he looked bone weary and tormented and she didn't have the heart.
    "You changed that for me. You gave me back colors and emotions. I have four brothers.
    I have lived with them for years with only the memory of my affection for them, yet in that one moment when you spoke to me, I felt that deep love for them again. How could I ever repay such a gift?" His voice was soft, almost as if he were talking to himself.
    "I love my sister and cousin so much. I can't imagine not being able to feel my love for them. I'm glad I could, in some way, restore those feelings to you." She tightened her fingers around his. "Have you always lived in South America? You're obviously familiar with the jungle." She knew he was resting, gathering his strength to break down the poison and push it from his system. She could feel him continually scanning the skies, worried the vampire might have tracked them in spite of his sacrifice of precious blood to lay a false trail. He had fought vampires on many occasions and she briefly touched on those hideous battles through their link. The creatures were grotesque and evil and worse than the human monsters she'd encountered.
    "Many years ago, when our current prince was still young, his father sent many of us out in the hopes we could stop the spread of evil. I was fortunate that my family was sent together. It made it easier to endure being so far from our kind, so far from our homeland.
    We made this our home." He squeezed her fingers as if for courage and started to let go.
    Juliette tightened her grip, tugging until he looked at her.
    "I'm strong enough to help you. I'm keeping you out of my mind, but I can let you use my strength."
    "You do not have to, Juliette." He liked saying her name, was pleased she wanted to aid him, but he was not the gentle man she believed he was in her mind. He was far more ruthless than she knew, and he had no intention of allowing her to escape him. "I would not want you to expend energy you cannot afford."
    He was warning her. Juliette felt a chill go through her body, but she chose to ignore it.
    He was drooping