Shades of Gray: A Jude Magdalyn Novel (32 page)

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Authors: L. M. Pruitt

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BOOK: Shades of Gray: A Jude Magdalyn Novel
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Chapter Thirty-Five

 

The bright light hurt
my eyes so I kept them closed. Slowly, they adjusted and I squinted. Everything was bright white, almost blinding. The walls, the chairs, the floor.

Gillian.

I blinked, opening my eyes wide and sat up. I leaned back, weight braced on my hands and noticed my left shoulder no longer hurt. My right hand no longer bled. I tilted my head. No headache, no nausea. This meant one thing.

“Am I dead?”

Gillian smiled, chuckling slightly, like she always did when I asked what she considered a question with an obvious answer. “Well, do you want to be?”

“I’m pretty sure God doesn’t give you that kind of option.”

“To saints, and to martyrs.”

I snorted and pushed to my feet, stretching my muscles. If I was dead, I felt surprisingly good. “Well, since I’m neither, I guess that answers the question.”

Gillian shook her head, still chuckling. Her hair made the same sliding motion it always had and a lump formed in my throat. “But you are.”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. “Has being dead fried your brain cells? I am so not a saint or a martyr.”

“Oh, so then you didn’t stop a homicidal megalomaniac by entombing him and dropping millions of gallons of water on him, and yourself in the process? That wasn’t you?”

“Apparently, being dead hasn’t made you any less of a smartass.”

Gillian shook a finger at me, making a tut-tut sound. “Language, Jude. Do you kiss your grandmother with that mouth?”

I crossed the room to kneel in front of her. I placed a kiss on each cheek before sighing and laying my head in her lap. “Well, now I do.”

Her hand slid over my hair, smoothing down some piece. “I wanted to tell you, Jude. Each and every day, but Lisette—.”

I laughed, sitting up, resting my chin on her knee. “Is so no longer a problem. To go back to the original question - am I dead?”

“Again, do you want to be?”

I laid my head back in her lap, sighing heavily. “But it’s not what I want that matters, right? It’s what’s best for everyone, for the Covenant. That’s what matters.”

Her hand in my hair was lulling me back to sleep or whatever I’d been doing before I woke in this room. “And if your death was for the best?”

I thought of Theo, going to bed and waking up with him. Rian and his cheesy cryptic remarks. Elizabeth and her emerging bad-assness. Celia and her stubbornness. I sighed again, my heart heavy.

“Well, then I’m petitioning to skip Purgatory. After sixteen years with the nuns, I think I should get a pass there. I’ll tell Peter myself.”

Gillian moved above me and I turned to look up at her. Tears streaked down her cheeks. “You do make me proud, Jude. More so every day. Keep a close eye on Elizabeth. She’ll land herself in hot water without even meaning to.”

I waited a beat. “So, seriously, am I dead?”

Gillian smiled, drawing me up to kiss my face. “Not anymore.”

 

“She’s coming around!
She needs space, give us some space!”

I coughed, choking, and someone rolled me to my side as water poured from my mouth. My lungs burned and the most God awful taste coated my tongue.

But the sky rose above me, covered liberally with stars. I could feel Theo’s warmth where his hand gripped mine.

I turned in his direction, grateful when my head didn’t explode. Apparently I got to stay healed. Woo-hoo. “Hey.”

His eyes were red, but he smiled at me. “I’m pretty sure I told you to wear white if you were going swimming in the Mississippi.”

I choked out a laugh, wheezing at the fire in my lungs. “Yeah, silly me. Forgot about that.”

“You took about five and a half years off my life.” Arm under my back he helped me sit up. A circle of faces surrounded me and more than one looked like they’d been crying. Nice to know people will miss you when you’re gone.

I kept moving, standing up, although Theo stayed close. “Guess we’ll need to really enjoy the remaining forty four years and some change. Make up for lost time.”

“Not to interrupt, but I don’t think people will believe this was all a movie shoot.” Lies sounded remarkably calm. I searched her face, wondering if she knew about her sister. She caught my look and nodded. “I knew when it happened. Something snapped inside. Maybe she’ll find whatever she’s looking for now.”

“My followers and I will ensure what needs to be known is spread about.” Williams spoke from behind me. Theo and I turned as one. There were more vampires behind him now than I’d ever seen and I wondered cynically how long some had waited before throwing in their lot with the winner.

My people, Theo and I turned to head back toward the Quarter. Theo kept a hand under my elbow. Williams stepped forward and rested a hand on my forearm. I stopped, staring, reminded sharply of the first night I’d met Hart. I stared at his hand for a long moment before lifting my gaze to his face. I lifted my eyebrows, waiting, until he removed it and stepped back.

“Let us know if you need any help clearing out the debris.”

Williams nodded and we started walking back toward Decatur, and the Quarter. Theo slid his arm around my waist and I snuggled close. He didn’t seem to mind the smell of the river that would take three hours to wash off me “Let’s go home.”

I opened my mouth to agree and then the smell of frying dough wafted over. “Can we get some beignets to go? I’m starving.”

“Dying will do that to you,” Rian drawled, falling into step on the other side of Theo. He motioned to someone and Lies came forward hesitantly. One more lost person to take into the Crossroads.

I shook my head and laughed. “Whatever. Let’s go home.”

 

Two weeks later

 

One line. Two lines.
Which did I want?

I was pretty good living the one line life. I got to drink whenever I wanted. Have sex whenever I wanted. Sleep whenever I wanted. Have sex whenever I wanted.

Maybe I focused too much on the sex. Not possible.

On the other hand, something about two lines made me warm and fuzzy inside.

I blew out a breath and sat on the edge of the tub. Crossed my legs. Uncrossed my legs. Stood up. Paced to the door. Back to the tub. Sat down on the edge.

I had no idea three minutes took so long. I’d had sex in less time. Not recently, thank you, Theo, but in the past.

Ninety seconds. I was going to die.

One line. Two lines. One line. Two lines. Which did Theo want, one or two? We hadn’t talked about it. Joked, but not seriously discussed. Probably two lines. Maybe.

What if he wanted one line? Not all the time, but right now. What if he wanted a walk down the aisle first? Hand fasting, and how did that even work, really?

The timer went off and I jumped, nearly falling into the bathtub. I stood, surprised to find myself shaking a little. Taking a deep breath I picked up the test.

Oh. My. God.

Two lines.

 

A sneak peek at the next Jude Magdalyn novel, due out in winter 2012:

 

Shades of Desire

 

If Deiadre MacKee
knew she’d die in the early hours of October 22, she might have let Bryant Phips go all the way on Saturday night.

Then again, maybe not. Deiadre’s reputation was worse than being known as a fast girl.

Deiadre was the good girl.

She’d carefully built her reputation over her teenage years and now at nineteen was one of the Covenant’s most respected youths. She always blushed and demurred when mothers pointed her out. Told their daughters to be more like Deiadre.

Inside, she always giggled. It was ridiculously easy to fool people if you showed them what they wanted to see.

As she made her way up Dumaine and turned left onto Bourbon, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Dinner at the Crossroads had been exceptionally entertaining, even if it failed to live up to the hype surrounding the weekly gathering. Deiadre was still convinced these dinners were rooted in Jude’s desire to learn who held power in the Covenant. She’d patiently waited for her invitation. After all, she was the most powerful vodoun in the Covenant.

Nobody knew her true level of power, of course-she’d underplayed her power for years. She’d be surprised if anybody had even a clue about the strength of her magic, even Jude, despite the strange looks she’d given Diadre over the course of the evening. But the looks might have been in shock at her manners. Or approval at her attire - Sunday dinner clothes and not the same trash Lies wore.

The cupid-bow of her mouth quirked up at the edges and she chuckled again, shook her head, peach colored curls bouncing around her face. Her eyes were doe brown, big and innocent, and she’d batted her lashes at Samuel over the course of dinner. Not out of any interest in him but because doing so obviously annoyed Lies. A task she hadn’t accomplished in regards to Elizabeth.

Deiadre winced as she passed the Cat’s Meow, somebody on stage butchering the hell out of Celine Dion. Her little smile slid into a pout and she crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed all over again. None of her flirtations with Jackson raised even an eyebrow from Elizabeth. She could have given Jackson a lap dance - like she’d do something so disgusting - and Elizabeth wouldn’t have blinked an eye. Only Margot’s appearance next to Rian had caused any reaction at all—and both Jude and Theo simply shook their heads at the exploding pot in the corner.

Deiadre shivered with both delight and disgust. Disgust, because, seriously, Rian? He might have fooled the rest of the Covenant, but not her - once a druggie, always a druggie. Her mouth smoothed out to a prissy line. What Elizabeth saw in him, she had no idea.

But Theo. Theo was some kind of gorgeous. Too bad Jude nabbed him, although they did make a cute couple. Deiadre had been pulling on her coat when she’d caught something out of the corner of her eye. Peering into the shadows, she’d saw Jude and Theo making out like a couple of teenagers. Her exaggerated cough had them pulling apart, but not apologizing.

Jude simply smiled and thanked her for coming while Theo held the door for her on her way out. When she’d turned around to wave one final time, they’d been standing in the door, Jude pressing one hand to her belly where the tiniest of bumps showed. The flash of jealousy died when she remembered child birth meant lots of pain.

She stepped into the center of Bourbon, hugged her jacket tight around her as she drew closer to Conti. Her frown thinned her lips, made her soft features harsh. She hated this part of Bourbon but it was the safest route back home. As long as she stayed in the street, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of the bouncers for the so-called gentlemen’s clubs trying to pull her in.

She turned onto Conti, the noise dropping almost immediately. Only four more blocks and she’d be home in the little house her parents bought her before flying off to Paris. Or Rome. Deiadre’s features smoothed out in puzzlement as she tried to recall just where they’d flown off to, although it didn’t matter. They’d flown off constantly and then one time they didn’t come back. Her au pair at the time stayed for a few more months until she turned eighteen before leaving as well.

Not that she needed adult supervision. She’d spent her first summer alone taking classes at Loyola, aced the next two semesters. More summer school, and she was already in her junior year. Nothing compared to how far she’d advanced in her voodoo and… other magics.

Three more blocks. She tugged her jacket tighter, some of the October cold seeping in through the fabric. New Orleans didn’t get too cold this time of year but the air had a bite. She paused for a moment to button up, keep some of the warmth in.

And heard footsteps behind her.

Shaking her head, sure she’d imagined the noise, she started walking again. Over the very faint music of Bourbon, the sound came again, the slap of footsteps.

Speeding up, she kept her head down, clenched her keys, slid them between her fingers. One quick jab and then she could run.
God, I hope I don’t break a heel. It’s so hard to find kitten heels in my size.

At the last minute, she turned right onto Burgundy, away from her house. Didn’t want to lead the pervert there. The footsteps were closer now. Fear crept in and she risked a peek over her shoulder.

The hooded figure grunted and Deiadre whipped her head around, squealed as she broke into a run. There was a corner market only a few blocks up, always open. She’d duck inside, call the police.

She stopped, confused, when another figure stepped out from around the corner at St. Louis. Turning around, she squealed again when the first figure grabbed her arms, gripped them tight. As the second figure walked closer, her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing in shock.

“But, but…why? Why?”

His low chuckle made her tremble, knees buckling. “I desire to live forever.”

 

About the Author:
L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. She is the author of
Shades of Gray
and
Shades of Desire
, the first two books in the Jude Magdalyn series as well as
New Moon Rising
, a new series featuring Cari Gravier. She resides in Florida with one stupid cat and one smart one.

 

Connect with her at: http://www.lmpruitt.blogspot.com

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