Unleash the Curse: An Imnada Brotherhood Novella by Alexa Egan Read Free Book Online Page A

warn . . . too late to stop . . .”
    Sebastian still didn’t quite believe Duncallan’s startling revelation that this was Lucan . . . the Lucan . . . the thousand-year-old spark from which a genocidal conflagration was born. A man who’d betrayed his friend and his king and watched as Arthur was murdered, bringing to an end the last golden age of Fey-born supremacy. A man who was supposed to have been executed for his crimes a very, very long time ago.
    Emotion told Sebastian he should revile such a treacherous monster and ancient enemy of his people. Reason argued that it wasn’t every day one was confronted with a man who’d last walked the earth when magic reigned and the walls between Fey and mortal had not yet been erected.
    A damn waste if he’d survived centuries of imprisonment only to die of stab wounds on the road from London.
    “. . . the door . . . followed her . . .” Lucan moaned.
    A loud thunk in the corridor slammed Sebastian to attention. James had gone with his guests to tour the ruins and Katherine had just left after checking Lucan’s bandages. Was this Lucan’s attacker back for another try? Sebastian reached into his pocket for the double-barreled flintlock secreted there and took up position, eyes riveted to the lifting latch, the spear of widening light on the floor as the door cracked open.
    He’d a fleeting impression of dark hair and a shapely body as he dragged the intruder against him, pistol pressed to her head.
    “Are you insane, Seb? Put that damned gun away.”
    Sarah stumbled as he released her, her breathing coming nearly as fast as his. His flintlock disappeared back in his pocket, though his edgy nerves still twitched and his pulse roared in his ears.
    “What the hell are you doing up here?” he growled.
    “I remembered where I heard that word Naxos ,” she answered, straightening her rumpled pelisse. Her cheeks were pink from the cold while her eyes blazed with triumph. “I thought it might be important.”
    “Important enough to almost get yourself killed?” He stepped out of the range of her perfume. Far enough away he wouldn’t be tempted to caress her cheek or slide an arm about her waist. “Important enough to be in a room alone with me? We know how that usually turns out.”
    “It shouldn’t.”
    “No, but it does. Speaking of which, what did you do with your betrothed?”
    She winced, looking slightly sheepish. “I told him I had a headache and had to return to the house, but that’s the answer, you see. It was Christophe.”
    Sebastian glanced at Lucan who remained frustratingly inert. “Impossible. The prince was in the drawing room with the other guests all night. He couldn’t have attacked anyone.”
    “Christophe didn’t attack Lucan. He’s the one who mentioned the word Naxos . A few weeks ago at an ambassadorial dinner. I stumbled on Christophe and his secretary, Signore Ventrella, having a heated conversation. I didn’t catch much, but I did hear Christophe tell Ventrella that Sir Dromon had failed and the Naxos grew impatient.”
    Dread shivered up Sebastian’s spine. “What else did he say?”
    “Nothing. They saw me. Ventrella bowed and withdrew while Christophe complimented my gown and led me back to the dance floor for another set. I assumed they were speaking of a business dealing and never gave it another thought.”
    “Perhaps you misheard them. Or you misunderstood.”
    “Or perhaps I actually have a brain in my head and know what I’m talking about.” She pulled a book from her reticule and handed it to him. “ Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage for the year 1811. There’s only one Sir Dromon that I can find. His surname is Pryor and his seat is in Cornwall at a place called Drakelow.”
    Sebastian scanned the entry outlining the Pryor baronetage going back three hundred fifty years to the time of King Henry the Seventh. If you went by the text, Pryor was the last of a mediocre family with small