Page 5

“No!” Prince Vladimir screamed her name.

A lightning stab of pain seared her torso, shooting up to her skull. The pain deadened her strength for a second, and the second had cost her. The rope bounced back toward Vladimir.

A burning sensation exploded inside her. The impact propelled her toward the sharp wall on the other side. Lucienne twisted to avoid crashing onto the rocks. There was now no possibility of grabbing a crevice to stop her fall.

The last thing she remembered seeing was a kaleidoscope of horror, disbelief, and pain on Vladimir’s face. She had never seen him so helpless. She opened her mouth to tell him something, but she had already forgotten what it was.

She fought to go up, her hands flying skyward. Then she realized it was a lost cause—death, gravity, and time favored no one. She plunged toward the deep cave beneath.

Vladimir’s furious cry tore through her hazy mind. There was a snap in her shoulder. More pain shot through her. Out of nowhere, a hand caught her wrist. Lucienne tilted her head, looking up in disbelief—Vladimir’s face suspended above hers. He had dove after her.

“Gotcha!” He choked in a sob.

But she kept plummeting. “Who’s got you?” she asked, seeing the triangle hook in his other hand. In a blur, the hook sailed up and attached itself to the ground above.

It all happened in a flash. She was falling, and then she was safe. He gambled his life for hers, and it turned a miracle.

“Lucia, darling.” Vladimir laughed.

Lucienne smiled back. “You’re quite impressed with yourself.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” he asked.

“What now?”

Vladimir was strong, but even he couldn’t climb up with one hand while carrying the weight of two. If she wasn’t wounded so badly, she could climb. She cursed herself for choosing this bat hook instead of an automatic one.

“Can you climb first?” Vladimir asked.

Agony expanded in every fiber of her being, and every breath hurt like hell, but Lucienne raised her free hand to reach Vladimir’s arm. When her hand stretched a few inches overhead, the pain ruptured inside her. She couldn’t help but scream.

She heard Vladimir call her name. Pain filled his panicked voice.

A hot stream gushed out of her wound, and her back felt cold, wet, and scorching, all at once. Her thick robe stuck to her skin. If she continued to climb at this rate, she’d bleed to death before she got to the top, if she didn’t pass out.

She dropped her hand in defeat. “I’m sorry. I . . . I can’t.”

“How badly are you wounded?” Vladimir asked.

“A bullet hit my chest.”

“I can’t believe the monks were using guns on us,” Vladimir cursed profusely, and then an agonized realization sunk into his voice. “Oh God! You’re bleeding to—” He couldn’t utter the word ‘death.’

Lucienne struggled to pull the scroll from inside her robe and lift it toward Vladimir’s hand. “Listen, Vlad, there’s no hope for me. We both know that. Now be a good sport. Take this and let me go.”

“I’ll never let you go!” Vladimir roared in fury.

Urgent shouts rose from above. Footsteps rolled toward them as the Lama yelled at the warrior monks .

“The Lama didn’t order the shot,” Vladimir interpreted. “He’s trying to sort out which son of a bitch shot you.” He cranked his head and shouted. “We surrender! Hurry up if you want your scroll!”

Lucienne choked a miserable laugh.

“You’ll be all right. Hang in there,” Vladimir begged. “We’ll live to see another day, and I’ll get your scroll back.” He shouted again, “Lama, you want your damned scroll or not? If we fall, we’ll destroy it!”

“Vlad,” Lucienne’s voice grew weaker. Her strength was bleeding away. “Our hook is on the other side.”

By the time the monks finally brought them to the surface, she’d be dead because of blood loss. Time was running out, and from Vladimir’s tormented look, she knew he knew it, too.

“Get ready, Lucia,” Vladimir said. “I’ll toss you up to the ground toward the monk’s side. It will hurt. You might break a rib or two, but you’ll live. You must live!”

Vladimir started swinging her. Lucienne gritted her teeth at the pain.

The hook from the ground began to move. “Stop!” Lucienne screamed.

Vladimir might succeed in swinging her up to safety, but the hook would surely give, and he would fall.

“I’ll not reach the top without you. I’ll jump back after you,” she said, “If you truly care about me, you let me go now and save yourself.” She twisted her hand, attempting to break free. His grip only tightened.

“Stop! Listen to me!” he yelled.

The hook skittered toward the edge again. In less than a minute, it would give way and they would both fall.

“I’m sorry, Lucia,” Vladimir said in a tender voice. “I love you and always will.”

And with that, he swung her up.