The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse by Melissa Myers Page A

you. I promise you that.” “You think he will die if he touches
you, then?” Lord Blackwolf asked, holding a hand up to stop Amlon
from approaching her any closer.
    Slowly, the High lord rose from his chair and
moved around the table to stare down at her. His every movement
reminded her of a predator and it took all of her will to keep from
stepping away from him. Had she moved, though, it would have put
her even closer to the doomed prisoner and she knew Blackwolf
himself wouldn’t get close enough to touch her. The desperate man
might, however.
    “I don’t know if he will or not, but I don’t
want to risk it. I don’t like hurting people or animals or plants
for that matter, Lord Blackwolf. I don’t want this test of yours,”
Zoelyn cried, her voice rising as she searched the tent for anyone
willing to help her escape his torment.
    Blackwolf nodded slowly at her and lifted his
hand. A pulse of magic filled the air and the earth bucked under
her feet propelling her toward the prisoner. Stumbling, she tried
desperately to avoid the man, but he was quicker and had balance on
his side. Even with the manacles on his wrists he still managed to
break her fall. The world seemed to slow as Zoelyn looked from his
filthy hands grasping her upper arms tightly to his wide blue eyes
filled with pain and utter confusion. She could feel her curse
draining him and watched in breathless panic as his eyes glazed and
his skin darkened. By the time she regained her balance the man was
dead and she knew it had taken only seconds.
    “Now, imagine a Blight with those powers,
Elijah, because if they find out she exists, they will breed with
her. We know they seek out the most powerful for their mates and
after witnessing that can you truly tell me she is not powerful?
She is Undrae. She is a servant of death. Her kind are a curse upon
us and must be extinguished,” Lord Blackwolf said calmly as he
returned to his seat at the table.
    “I agree with you about the Blights,” Elijah
Arovan began slowly, his gaze moving from the dead man to Zoelyn.
His expression was much calmer than she had expected and still
there was no loathing on his face despite what he had seen. “I do
not agree with you on her death, however,” he continued after a
long pause. All eyes in the tent moved to him as he let out a long
sigh and offered her a faint smile. “You are terrifying, girl, but
I saw how you tried to avoid that man even knowing he was a
traitor. Given what I have seen, I have a question for you,
Dominic.”
    “Yes, Milord?” Dominic’s voice sounded faint
and his eyes were locked on the shriveled husk on the ground before
him. Both Dominic and she had always wondered how powerful was her
power to siphon life. Now they had their answer.
    Bile rose in her throat and Zoelyn stared
down at her own boots in shame. It was bad enough knowing she had
killed someone, but the feeling of energy and warmth flowing
through her was even worse. She almost agreed with Nicoli on his
reasoning for killing her. The Blights were creatures of impulse
and if one had powers such as hers it would kill as quickly as it
could simply to achieve the sense of wellbeing she had now. They
were all right. She was Undrae in every sense of the word.
    “If you were trying so hard to keep her from
being noticed why did you bring her with you here? This is a very
crowded camp. Surely you knew she would be noticed here?” Elijah
asked with a thoughtful expression on his face. His gaze had
returned to her once more and he seemed to be studying her hair and
eyes with interest.
    Zoelyn didn’t need to look in a mirror to
know what he was seeing. It had been the same with the kitten as it
was with the fish so she knew how she looked now. Her skin would be
pale rather than grey and her hair and eyes would be gold. All
magic seemed to have its own signature on her body and life essence
always showed as gold.
    “I knew the battle was a very large one and
that I would likely be