THIS TIME (The Grace Allen Series Book Three Paranormal Romance) (9 page)

FOURTEEN

My body
was a mess. God, how could one woman spew up so much sludge? Cripes, poor
Jamie. She looked like she’d been dipped in chocolate. I hovered above them
all, a specter, having been ejected once my Madea mind was clear enough to
force me from the pain. They’d been working on me for hours. Filling me full of
blessed IV fluid and dodging the flying tar.

I had
convulsed so much that the priest had entered the room and was running all over
it waving his crucifix and splashing everything with holy water.

I was a
shadow, disconnected from the macabre scene below. They were all in a panic, I
was lucky as hell to have them.

I watched
as Jamie wailed, her hand still gripped in mine. Gavyn rushed back and forth
changing IV bags as the old bags emptied. Then, at the point when it seemed
that everyone might just collapse, my poor body settled, no longer spewing that
viscous liquid and no longer jerking around as if possessed.

 I saw
Seth. He was pacing outside the door. I felt my heart swell. He was so
incredibly strong, and now I understood how horrible the demon blood was for
him. I’d been there to watch helplessly as he struggled with his own battle. His
heart had proven stronger than his animal desires and he had won, but he wasn’t
taking any more chances. As much as it clearly pissed him off, he had to stay
away.

Lucian was
there, his face was a frightened mask of tears and worry. Whatever he had been
doing in the beginning of all of this had been dropped once word that I could
die had spread. Tobias, I knew, was in the cockpit, sitting in the small jump
seat near the pilots, and Ann was nowhere to be seen. I had to assume she was
back with her baby. God, what a disaster!

Then there
was the woman, the demon, Helen. She was a problem and that was the truth. She
was still locked in the small lavatory. When I first left my body, all of my
memories had returned in a rush. It was all there,
including the marathon
bouts of hard core sex I’d had with Lucifer
. God help me, I still had
possession of my soul though, amazingly enough. But Helen. I remember now that
she was the receptionist in Hell and right now she was chanting in the
bathroom. Bad news! If that priest didn’t stop flinging water all over my
unconscious body real soon, his blessings were going to get a smack-down, and
Lu will have a perfect chance to come on up and join us.

God, I was
pissed! Fucking conniving demon. Even in spirit form, I wanted to blush. Oh Lord,
the things we did. Oh, he has a lot to answer for!

The bags
were all cleared away and my body had remained calm. The purge was over.
Everyone looked exhausted. I watched as Lucian lifted my sticky body and placed
me in the shower. Jamie had entered with me and removed my clothing. Lucian
helped her wash the sludge off my skin. It was a difficult endeavor. Thick bits
of sticky blood clung to the shower walls. I was still pale as paper but at
least I looked less blue.  

“God,
Jamie, she looks dead,” I heard him say as he lifted my arm. It flopped limply.

In my mind
I sighed. I had to go back to my body. It was unfair to continue to let them
think I was still in danger. I closed my eyes and slipped into my cooling skin.

***

It felt
like only a moment had passed as I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar sight.

“She’s
awake!”

 
I
flinched
.

“Dang,
James,” I winced.

Opening my
eyes wider, I smiled at her huge eyes and gaping mouth.

“You know
me?” she lowered her brows. “Quick, what’s my favorite food?” she asked
suspiciously.

“God,
really
?
What
isn’t
your favorite food?” I laughed and it hurt like hell. “Oh,
God, I’ve been hit by a truck,” I moaned.

“Oh man,
you’re back! Oh man.” She looked around. “The others just left. Oh, my gosh,
they are totally going to freak.” She tried to hug me and I moaned in pain.

“Oh jeez,
sorry. I know you’re really weak.” She fidgeted, looking around the bed and
then, as if struggling to be of some use, she reached for a small blanket and
pulled it over me.

I glanced
around, expecting to see the interior of the plane. I figured I’d still be in
the tiny airplane shower. But way more time had passed than I originally
suspected. I smiled. The room was round. Flowers and herbs perfumed the air.
There was a tall golden, stand filled with mint-green candles, and next to me
was a tall, skinny pole with another IV bag attached. I jerked and it was
agony.

I took a
deep breath. “What the hell is this?” I looked at my arm. A skinny plastic tube
was sticking out.

“Well, you
lost a lot of blood. We had to give some back.” She moved the stand closer to
the bed.

I looked
up at the bag. Yep, it was silver.

“Where did
you get my blood?” I was completely flummoxed.

“Your
blood,” her eyebrows rose, “yeah,” she faltered. “Well, you see, it isn’t your
blood,
exactly
.” She moved back a step. “I think you need rest. I’ll go
get the others.” 

“Freeze,
sister.” I tried to deepen my voice to sound tough but I had zero strength so
instead I glared. “Spill it, James. Whose juice is this?”

She smiled
and took a seat at the stool beside me. “It’s quite ingenious, really.” She
fiddled with her dress. “See, Gavyn needed your blood, so Seth and Lucian both
donated quite a lot. Well, Lucian is Madea-Warlock and Seth is Madea-Vampire,
so Gavyn took both blood types and he’s piggybacking them so that you don’t get
too much of any one creature. You know, so you won’t all of a sudden want your
steaks raw or, like, cooked in a caldron, see?” She laughed at her pathetic
attempt at humor. “But don’t worry, he tested it to make sure it wouldn’t kill
you or anything.”

I smiled.
“You’re all so amazing, you know that?” I tried to lift my arms to reach for
her but nothing much happened. “I know what you did, Jamie. You sat there with
me while I threw up all that poison. You didn’t run away or quit on me. You
said you would stay with me and you did.”

A tear
slid down her cheek. “I didn’t know that you knew.” She smiled. “I’m sort of
glad though. At least you understand that I love you, Gracie. You’re my best
friend, my sister. I would do it again if I had to.”

My
emotions were raw and I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness. I tried
to chew back my tears and smiled as I felt them fall.

“How about
next time you bring a tarp?” I laughed a little and closed my eyes as my
muscles cramped. “What’s wrong with me?” I looked at her, frowning.

“Truthfully,
I’m not sure. Gavyn is meeting with his council in the war room. Seth and
Lucian are there too. I could go get them?”

I failed
to nod instead my head lolled to the side. “Yeah, I need to know what’s going
on.” I closed my eyes and tried to think of my body healing itself in a split
second, my Madea magic to the rescue and all, but nothing. “I need answers,” I
sighed, defeated.

“Okay,
Gracie.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek. I smiled and closed my eyes. I was
suddenly tired.

***

I only
rested my eyes for a second it seemed, but when I opened my eyes again, the
room was glowing with candlelight. Night had fallen and I was alone. I tried to
sit up but my body was like a hunk of soggy Jell-O.

“Gracie,
you’re up.” Lucian was sitting at my side. He lowered his head as he moved the
small stool closer to the bed. “Jamie said you got your memory back?” He looked
hopeful and scared all at once.

I looked
at him for a moment. Trying to sort out what I had to say. He was a total fool
but his heart was in the right place. Finally I sighed. “I know you feel like
the biggest asshole for what you’ve done. And you should. You stole my blood to
change yourself.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I was too weak to lift my
hands so I glared as hard as I could. He shut his mouth and looked down. “Look,
Lucian. I understand why you did it, but just because I understand, doesn’t
mean what you did wasn’t horribly wrong. This isn’t you. You are not this guy.
And
attacking anyone who comes into your little sanctuary
?” I lifted my brows
happy that I could at least manage that much. “That wasn’t your best plan. I’m
immortal, but you damaged my head. You could have really ended me.”

I saw
tears slide down his face and he sighed. “Can I speak?”

I smiled
and he took a deep breath, letting it out slow. “I know I don’t always react
the right way.”

I rolled
my eyes and laughed. “No? You?”

“Yeah. I’m
jealous and quick to judge without so much as a stitch of information. So yeah,
I see the sarcasm. But Gracie. We had just made love. I was finally sure that
you and I would be able to make a life.
Together
. No vampires! Just you
and I. But then, not even a day goes by and I’m less than a friend. I was
kicked to the curb! You completely abandoned me and left me to dwell on what
might have been. And not only that, but Seth was living with you, happy as a
fucking clam! He was almost a full Madea and you were doing nothing to stop
it!” His deep voice rose, “You were supplying him with your blood! You were
consciously changing him over into your perfect mate.” He dropped his head in
his hands and growled in frustration.

I stared
in shock. My God
, I
was the fool. What had I done? I had my reasons for
ending things. Keeping him safe was my truest intent, but hearing his side made
me feel that I had done more harm than good. I hadn’t just abandoned him, I’d
slapped him in the face.

I had no
idea that I’d done any of this. I mean I knew what was happening, but it never
occurred to me how it all might seem. I was making Seth a Madea. I didn’t even
think twice about it! And here was Lucian, a man I had declared my love for,
and I just pushed him away. And then, when he tried to make himself closer to
the kind of man I could be with, I condemn him. This whole thing was just as
much my fault as it was his.

“My God,
I’m so sorry, Lucian.” I slowly moved my hand. It took so much effort that
sweat broke out on my upper lip. “I guess I’m nowhere as innocent as I thought
I was.”

He grabbed
my hand. It looked way too thin as he pressed it to his lips. “I was so scared.
I don’t care if you ever forgive me, Grace. Just seeing you now, with the light
of recognition in your eyes is enough to make me happy for the rest of my
life.” He lowered my hand and began to slowly rub his thumb across my knuckles.
“I’m not here to tell you that I am a Madea now, and you should choose me as
your mate. I’m here because I love you, and no matter if you choose me or Seth,
I will always be here to protect you. I will never abandon you.”

I smiled,
swallowing my tears. “You understand that what happened after I was injured is
not your fault, right?” I met his eyes and he looked down. “That’s all on Lu!”
I struggled to shout, anger flooding my limbs. “I forgive you for what you did,
Lucian.” He looked up into my eyes again, his copper irises shining through the
tears.

I felt
sick that he had suffered at all. God, I was such an ass.

“Now, can
you forgive me?” I asked him.

“Grace,
you didn’t know. Nothing that’s happened is really your fault, but if it will
make you feel better, I forgive you.” He smiled sadly. A throat cleared and
Lucian turned to look. “Gavyn. Good.” He stood. “Oh, hello, Seth. She’s awake.”
Lucian stepped back to allow Gavyn to sit.

Seth
mumbled something as Lucian passed.

“She
forgives me, you arrogant prick,” Lucian spat as he moved to stand near the
wall.

I was too
weak to protest their petty digs and instead I turned my attention to Gavyn.

“You gave
us a mighty fight.” Gavyn said as he sat down. “I suspect you are quite done-in
at this point,” He smiled radiantly. “You’ll be glad to know, however, that the
effects of the drug we gave you will fade. It is rather powerful.”

“What the
hell is it? I feel almost paralyzed.” I tried to move my legs and nothing
happened. “My powers are gone, Gavyn.” I closed my eyes. “I can’t do a friggin’
thing.” I felt anger swirling inside me. They had drugged me so many times that
I was terrified my magic might never return.

“The drug
inside you now is what my people call The Dead Dreg. It renders you completely
immobile. Most who are given the drug are unable to perform any of their gifts.
I fear until you regain your strength, you will be vulnerable. Which is why we
brought you here. It is very unlikely that the one we hide from will come to
you here. Demons have never crossed this plain.

“Oh,
fuck!” I sucked in my breath as a memory shot into my mind. “Helen!” I couldn’t
believe I forgot! “Helen, she was chanting! Where the hell is Helen?” I
struggled to move, to get up and look. All I managed to do is roll a little to
the left. “Seth, on the plane, you saw her chanting.”