This Curse: (The Grace Allen Series Book 2 ) (22 page)

 “What is the last thing you remember, Lucian?” I
asked as calmly as I could.

“Well,” his brows drew together. “You’d just taken
off into the desert.” He looked down, clearly struggling to remember. “I was
trying to get Lydia to go home. She was pretty excited to help you out; she’s a
good kid. ” He smiled and then his skin went pale and he looked at me.

I already had a pretty good idea what must have
happened and I tried to curb the shitty feelings brewing just under the
surface. Lydia was a bitch-whore of a demon that had used Lucian. She had sex
with his body and used him to torture his own sister. Lydia knew that Voltaire
was squatting in Lucian’s skin, which made the idea that she still slept with
him even more reprehensible.
Demon
, I reminded myself as I looked at
Lucian. He was hopelessly unaware of the horror met out by another in his skin.
The knowledge of what must have gone on this entire time would undoubtedly
break a man like Lucian.

“Wait.” Lucian was still working it out as we all
stood and waited for him to piece it together. “Lydia?” He frowned. “No. Oh,
no. She
hit
me!” He stepped away from Jamie and turned in a circle.
“Shit!” he yelled. “She joined Voltaire and attacked me. Grace? I don’t
remember anything after the attack.” He gripped my hands. “Oh, Lord, what have
I done?” He searched my eyes. “Did I bring you to Hell?” His eyes were panicked
and he began to visibly shake.

Jamie went to him and wrapped her arms around him
tightly. It was all I could do not to push her away and take him into my own
arms. He was losing it.

I looked down at my wrist. The bracelet was still
there and then I noticed something else, smiling to myself, I shook my head. I
was wearing the same simple white dress that the ancient Madea wore. I sighed,
seeing the ancient garment reminded me of who I was and what needed to be done,
I took off the bracelet and handed it to Seth.

“Grace, what are you up to?” Jamie looked at her arm.
“Why did you take yours off?”

I reached for her. Taking her hand, I smiled. “Get
your brother home, James. Seth will protect you once you’re there.” I looked at
Seth and then back at Jamie. “Please, just get home and ward the house. We
still have a pissed off werewolf pack out there and Lydia is MIA. Plus, there
are still a few pints of missing Madea blood to account for. We’re not out of
the woods yet.”

When it looked like I was about to have a war on my
hands, I went to Seth and opened the gold shield on the bracelet. He frowned
when I took his other hand and touched it to the stone. He looked at me, ready
to protest but he was gone before a single sound could leave his lips.

“Touch the stone James.” I gave her a small smile.
“You and your brother get out of here.”

She looked at Lucian’s miserable face. He was frowning
at the both of us. “Why would you stay behind?”

“I haven’t finished here and I think if I try to
leave now, things could get really ugly. I can’t risk you guys. Please, just
trust me, okay?” I willed them to listen. Not with power but with hope.

“I trust you, Gracie.” She opened the cover on the
golden bangle and inhaled a huge breath.

“Wait. Are you kidding?” Lucian yelled and tried to
push Jamie away. “We’re not leaving you!”

Jamie grabbed his arm and a moment later, they were
gone. I was alone.

Or so I thought.

“You remain uncorrupted.” Lucifer appeared out of the
shadows, his long silhouette striking an elegant pose. “You allowed them leave
without you, taking your only means of escape with them?” A sculpted brow rose
and he stepped deeper into the room; my eyes followed his every move. “You do
not wish to be here, nor do you wish to lay with me?” He watched my face
closely, as if I would reveal some hidden lust. I smirked. His hair was short
again and he was dressed impeccably, like a relaxed James Bond.
Sexy and
chic
. His smile oozed seductive charm. His tattoos peeked out here and
there, inviting my eyes to linger, to ponder the naked skin beneath.

He was very good at what he did.

I shook my head. “I’d be lying if I said you weren’t
awful nice to look at, but then so are wolves and hungry tigers but you won’t
find me snuggling with any of those either.”

He laughed loudly, his neck sweeping back. “Oh, I
know you will be good for me.” He held out his hand. “Darling, Hell can be
anything you wish it to be; I will give you all I am.”

I felt my stomach plummet to my shoes as he reached
for me. At his touch, the scenery changed and torches suddenly surrounded me.
Shock slammed me as I took in my new surroundings. He had transported us in
less than a blink. I put my hand to my chest and goggled. The cavernous room
was filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Like giant teeth, the room seemed
poised to chew us up.

I sat down hard. Fear and suspicion left my knees weak
as I glanced around the room.

“You shine like a star in my world of darkness.”

I turned to see him sitting beside me on a throne of
gold and bone. Dread welled up inside me as I looked in horror at the throne.
It was the one in from my vision. I jerked my eyes to my own elaborate chair
and I felt my heart skip a beat as my vision came rushing back.

I was too stupid to live
.

“You knew about me all along?” I sighed, my head in
my hands.

“I did.”

“You put Voltaire up to it?”

“I did.”

“It was
all
you?” I frowned; begging him with
my eyes to tell me it wasn’t true. I wasn’t about to pay for my ignorance and
stupidity.

He merely inclined his head. A silver chalice appeared
in his hand. 

Shit, I knew that cup!

I lifted my chin, knowing full well that the liquid
in the cup was my blood. My body shook and I fought the urge to faint. I bit my
cheek and instead of falling to the ground, I stood, sickened by the cool hardness
of the bone and the reality of my situation.

 I looked at him again. He met my eyes and sipped the
silver contents of the cup slowly. The color of his eyes changed as he studied
me. What were once clear blue pools had become deep red orbs, full of ancient
knowledge and evil intent.

“You are smart my angel.” He shuddered as he
swallowed, his red eyes closing in ecstasy as he savored my blood. “By the
flesh of Sodom’s whores I want you.” His eyes watched me from over the cup and
he tipped it again to his lips. Swallowing, he stood and I scrambled back. He
tilted his head to the side and looked me up and down. “Perhaps love is
overrated?”

I felt a cool pressure along the length of my body
and then I was naked. I rose into the air, the vision I had not so long ago was
now playing out in horrible reality but with some very frightening differences.

I looked to the ground where, in my vision, wolves
should be lounging. Tears flowed, falling steady to splash onto the leathery
flesh of writhing demons.
Your vision was always this.
He was in my
head. I sniffed and looked up; he was hovering beside me, his hot naked flesh
scorching mine where he grazed against me. “Tell me Grace,” Lucifer spoke close
to my ear. “Do you remember me from your dreams? He laughed and it was
completely inhuman. Deep and otherworldly.

I closed my eyes and searched inside myself. As I’d
understood before, I knew that out of all of the lies he’d fed me one thing was
undeniably true. I
did
have all the Madea inside me. That was why my
hair swirls and moves while no other Madea’s had. It was because I
was
all the Madea. 

I felt his hot fingers caress my breast. “Let me
inside you, Angel.” He coaxed.

I squeezed my eyes tighter and searched for the one
person who might be able to get through to him.
Please, Mariee
.

My eyes shot open, knowledge flooded my head, and I
smiled. “When time takes your heart then all that is left is a shell; no matter
how pretty you make that shell it is still cold and empty.”

 He floated back and frowned.

“You speak as if you know more than I.” He sneered
and with a flick of his wrist, I dropped, landing on the hard chair. I conjured
the white gown and covered my body as I rolled to the side. The arm of the
gaudy throne had jabbed into my side and I winced.

“You have forgotten more than I feared, Seran.” I
heard my words, the name Mariee knew him by fell from my lips and I knew Mariee
was with me and she was not happy. “You once held the moon and brought the sun.
Now you are nothing but that hollow shell.” I looked at him through her eyes
and felt only pity. Well, disappointment and pity.

“Ahh.” He met my eyes; a tiny flicker of emotion came
and went in a flash. “My dearest, Mariee. I knew I could draw you out. You see
what I have done? Despite your plans I have won and there is no way out.” He
sat on his throne and leaned back, his hands folded smugly across his stomach,
he crossed his ankles. “Despite your great sacrifice; I still have what I
want.” He sat up as if a great idea had just struck him. He leveled me a look
of pure heat. “Tell me, Mariee. Will you sneak to the surface when Grace opens
her thighs for me? Will you writhe while I pump her full of seed?”

“
Oh. My. God!
” I screeched revulsion pushed
the memory of Mariee aside. “There you go again you arrogant, perverted, shit
head of a man!” I knew this feeling
I was losing my temper.

He stood and I flashed a small handful of power
toward him. We were instantly inside the lab. He looked around in shock. His
eyebrows rose to meet his hairline. “Well done.” He clapped his hands. “Well
done indeed.”

I drew myself up, pulling on all of the powers hidden
deep inside me. When I felt I had all that I could hold, I looked at him. “You
liked that, huh?” I stalked around his body, trailing my finger along the
planes of his back. He stood there smugly, folding his arms and looking down at
me.

I stepped close, pressing my body to his, I ran my
hands down the firm muscles of his chest. He sucked in a slow breath as I slid
my hands down to his hips and pulled him closer to me. He bent his head down,
his eyes fixed on my lips “Well, then you’re really going to love this.” I
whispered before his lips came too close to mine.

“You are bound.” I whispered.

Bright light filled the room and I closed my eyes as
my power smashed into him.

“You
BITCH!
”

 My eyes flew open. Lucifer spat fire. It arced from
his mouth as he screamed. He was on his knees, yanking and pulling on the thick
chains that held his arms securely to the ground. His shirt was gone and his
chest heaved in violent angry pants as he struggled to free himself from the
bonds.

I walked a wide circle around him, admiring his
impressive tattoos as he twisted and writhed, yelling threats and frighteningly
imaginative insults. I shivered and continued my study as I tried in vain to
ignore his tirade. He was trapped, he’d realize it soon enough and calm
himself. Only then would I truly raise my guard.

Oh, he was a thing to behold, I thought as I watched
him. His body was enough to temp the most devout human on the planet. His
tattoos were strange, almost tribal. The designs curling to frame his ribcage,
swirling around his pectorals and down to form long flowing stripes that
wrapped around his forearms and flowed down to his wrists. His chest was
wonderful, his back a work of sculpted art. He was perfect in form and I’m
quite sure he’d be just as perfect in function. It didn’t matter. His allure
was  just another weapon in his arsenal and I was done being played with.

No more smoke and mirrors.

“How is this possible?” He growled smoke puffed from
his nostrils as he continued yanking on his bonds. His efforts were less
frantic, more controlled. “Release me now.” He spoke low and then magic and
flames shot out at me from his chest and balled fists. The first bolt of energy
bounced off of me. My shields were up and I was ready for whatever he wanted to
throw at me.

“Release me, Grace, or I swear when I am free,
and
make no mistake, I will be free
. I am going to fuck you until you die and
rot around my cock! I will raise you up a thousand times. I will rip every
Madea soul from your body until you are reduced to nothing but a sack of
useless human skin!”

I smiled at him. “Well, Lu.” I knelt down and looked
into his eyes. “You see I just used that one elusive thing that you can’t seem
to grasp,
against you
.”

He watched me, “There is no such thing.” His lip
curled, his eyes swirled from beautiful blue to that angry glowing red.

I straightened and walked around him again. His eyes
followed me as I moved. “Well, obviously there is. You can’t free yourself, can
you?” I folded my arms, raising an eyebrow. “Love, Lu, which we both know is a
complete mystery to you, is what is holding you prisoner. Well, not love as in love
for
you
.” I frowned at his furious face. “No. Love for mankind, my
friends, my home and even love for this crazy ass life that seems to take such
joy in screwing with me.”