Page 92 of The Rogue's Curse

“Lux knows right away, and it makes them sick,” she said. “Everyone in the inner circle has a special medallion to get in and out without triggering it.” Then she bowed her head and swore. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice taking on an entirely different tone.

Misha beckoned to Kristina. “Find the medallion, please.”

“Gladly,” Kristina said. She cocked her head and slid one hand under Georgina’s shirt, finding a small metal pendant with a glowing rune on it. “You should check to see if the bodyguards also had these.”

“No!” Georgina shrieked, lunging violently. She managed to tip the chair, and Kristina shoved her back, holding her while Misha thrust the blade back into the bloody sigil. Her body jolted as his blade scraped bone.

“What’s Shea’s game plan?” Misha asked.

“He knows you’re going to keep coming after him,” she said with a laugh. “You’re not enough of a threat for him to devise a plan. He’ll crush you when you show up again.”

“What about Lilah and Kieran?” Paris asked.

Her brows arched. “They were loyal, and they were rewarded.”

“Where are they?” Misha asked.

“I’m here with you. I don’t know,” she snapped.

“What do they want with me and Nikko?” Paris asked.

She groaned, and Misha dumped another spark of power into her. His head swam with the effort. “He wants to let the court have you. He wants them to see what happens to those who stand in his way,” she said.

Fire bloomed in Misha’s chest, and he was suddenly overwhelmed by voices shouting at him in a dozen languages. A sick sensation boiled in his gut, and he fought to keep control. His vision swam, and for one awful moment, he saw a creature tearing through Paris’s face, splitting him open like a thin paper mask.

“And for the city?” Paris said, his voice distorted.

She looked up at him with a bloody smile. “He’s going to rule it.” Her head tilted. “If you want to buy protection for your soft little human friends, he’s willing to make a bargain. Deliver yourself, hand over all your veravin,and he’ll let them live. Any vampire who bows to him will find a purpose. Otherwise, he’s going to kill every last one of you.”

“Fuck off,” Paris said. “Who else do you have under your control?”

Georgina’s resistance shoved at Misha again, and he reeled. The voices were deafening now, so loud it made his ears hurt. Blood dripped from his hands, and he recoiled. Chains snapped, and Georgina launched out of her seat. Elongated bony horns burst from her skull, and she threw herself at Misha, clawing wildly at his face.

Screams erupted around him, and he batted wildly at her, trying to protect his eyes. Someone grabbed him firmly around the chest, arms tight, and he smelled something familiar through the reeking decay.

Paris.

“Misha, snap out of it,” a calm voice said in his ear. “I don’t know what you see, but it’s not real.” A warm hand stroked his hair, and he jolted back into awareness.

His bloody blade lay on the floor, but Georgina was still chained in her seat. Kristina and Julian stared at him quizzically. Slowly, he brought his hands to his face and found it clean.

“Can you go back in, or was that it?” Paris asked quietly.

His whole body felt electrified, and he felt like he might burst out of his skin.“I can’t,” he said. “Using magic is making it worse.”

“We’re done here, then,” Paris said. He nodded to Kristina and added, “Call Jonas. I need him to take care of her.”

The blonde woman winced, but nodded. “On it.”

Paris guided Misha out of the room and called over his shoulder, “Julian, conference room in five.”

His pride bubbled up as Paris led him down the hall, headed for one of the shared bathrooms. Careful and steady, Paris ran water over a clean cloth and approached Misha, but he caught the other man’s wrist. “I’m not a child,” he protested.

Paris scowled and broke his grasp. “Do you remember coming into my office and taking care of me? You told me it did no good to suffer on principle.” His brow furrowed. “Are you embarrassed?”

“I’ve haven’t lost control of my power like that in a while,” Misha said.

“You weren’t being affected by a curse,” Paris said. “It’s happening more often, isn’t it?”

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