Free Prince's Fire by Cara Carnes Page A

believed, the D’kalhiks were evil monsters. Not that she had put much merit into all her tall tales of heroism in the face of devastation. She was ready. She had practiced her powers, honed her fighting skills, and learned as much as she could from the old woman. They deserved to die for the destruction they had done.
    “It would be much harder to kill you now that you are essentially immortal,” Dar said.
    “Immortal? Excuse me?” Surely their definition differed from the could-not-die one she was used to.
    Dar nodded his head. “By the age of ten, our people begin to mature. By the time we reach that state we are very hard to kill.” The idea that someone could intentionally target the young and innocent sickened her and made her want to destroy them even more.
    “Then I will make an excellent draw for them, and we can get this son of a bitch that tried to kill my sister.”
    Lucian’s jaw twitched. “I’ve already shredded that bastard myself.”

    Prince’s Fire

    59
    Admiration filled her. “I’m pleased to know my sister has found a man so capable of protecting her when it is called for but lets her be free otherwise. I want the other bastard that is helping them.”
    Val chucked and drew her to him. “I can smell my mate’s bloodlust, and it pleases me greatly to know you will make such an excellent queen. Our people need a warrioress not afraid to lead us into battle if the need arises. I thought the three of you were whispering sexual fantasies or exchanging ideas, but clearly you all were talking like warriors.”
    Gitana move away from him, unsure of whether he was trying to censure her activities.
    “Do you have a problem with that?”
    He grinned. “Not at all, but I am not going to have you be bait for any plan, v’amarita. I waited far too long to mate with you. I won’t have you to see you risk this beautiful neck of yours or any other part, for that matter.”
    All this had managed to get way out of control. Gitana couldn’t breathe with everyone encroaching on her space, and the thought that they were supposed to be her family now and she had a mate too? “Val…”
    “She’s not ready to accept that she is my mate yet, but I will break her resistance down soon enough.”
    “We seem to have gotten a reprieve from this forced meal. Why don’t we all head toward the training field outside and see what you can do, Gitana? You get your choice of sparring partners,” Dar said.
    She looked around at all of the men gathered beside her. A sense of unease crept through her nauseous stomach at the idea of them seeing her wield her powers. Her pulse leaped its paranoia. What if she couldn’t do anything? Who would be the best one to go up against?
    Shana pushed her way through the men. “I’ll go with you, and Fiona will too.”

    60 Cara Carnes
    Fiona nodded her head. “And since my brothers are being tight-lipped, I’ll tell you who does what. Val controls the elements of water, as you probably already know. Dar does as well. Dax and Van control fire, Cal and Jax earth, and Cam and Jad the air. Whose ass do you want to kick first?”
    Gitana laughed at the slip of a woman with the amused grin on her face. Her gaze lit on Van, and she saw the smug look of satisfaction on his face. “I’d be honored, princess.”
    The way he flung the title out like a condemnation made her blood boil. She had done nothing to this man, yet he hated her with a depth she couldn’t comprehend. “Let’s do it then. I’ve never had the pleasure of a sparring partner. This will be interesting.”
    The men nodded and turned to leave. She saw Val pull his twin aside but could not hear the conversation between them. “It is difficult for Val -- being between the two of you,”
    Fiona said as she guided the two of them through the long corridor. “I’m not sure why Van is behaving this way. He has had problems since returning from captivity.”
    “I’m sure having a woman show up out of nowhere and get