This Curse: (The Grace Allen Series Book 2 ) (19 page)

She lay motionless, her glamour gone, just as mine
was. Her clothing was gone as well. Not from any purpose of his, but the simple
fact that we were now much larger than the clothing we had come in. Thankfully,
her bracelet was still on her wrist, it pushed deep into her flesh, but it
would only leave a mark. 

I looked up, my mind a whirl of panic and confusion.

Lucifer’s blue eyes glittered. Lucian blanched and
began to visibly tremble. I had been right in front of his face but he had been
too arrogant to pay any attention. 

“Well, now.” A fearsome look crossed Lucifer’s face
as he searched my eyes. “This is much better; don’t you think my idiot friend?”
Lucifer glanced vaguely behind his shoulder before bringing his attention back
to me. He stepped close, his eyes traveling the length of my nude form. “So it
is
you. I was quite sure that Voltaire had conjured the story of your existence
merely for the chance to possess a human being. Of course, I granted him the
opportunity, after all, if it turned out to be true, then I would profit, if it
turned out to be another deception, well, then…” he let the statement hang in
the air as he glanced at Lucian or
Voltaire
as Lucian was no where in
those evil eyes and cold actions.

 “You
granted
him the chance?” I couldn’t help
it. I was so pissed off that I couldn’t contain it. “That man was my
friend
and Voltaire took him!” I was no longer as moved by his beauty. Being in my own
skin filled me with a confidence that I never believed possible. Seeing with my
true eyes, I was happy to find that his allure was muted, allowing me to think
more clearly.

I conjured clothes for myself, feeling foolish and
way too exposed to stand in front of these monsters in the nude. Lucifer
frowned and made a
tsk, tsk
sound. My clothing dissolved again and I
scowled at him. He smirked and I opened my mouth only to be slammed against yet
another wall. My eyes flashed fire and I growled between my teeth as I
struggled to free myself.

“You are not afraid?” He seemed to float rather than
walk. It was then that I noticed Lucian slowly slinking from the room. I knew
what he was thinking, the
coward.
Well, screw that! He was so not
getting away!

Lucifer reached for me and I blurted, “Stop him.” I
nodded toward Lucian’s retreating form. “He has plans that you’re not a part of.”

Lucifer’s hand stopped a mere inch from my face.
“Does he now?” His eyebrows rose and he smiled turning to look at Lucian. “Tell
me fool, is this true? Think hard, now. You wouldn’t want me to rip it from
your mind.”

Lucian’s mouth opened and closed like a fish and he
held his hands up in surrender.

“Oh what the heck,” Lucifer shrugged and Lucian began
to spasm. He jerked and twisted violently and fell to his knees. “Why waste
time?” Lucifer looked over his shoulder and winked at me. “He’ll only flood this
room with bullshit.”

Lucian’s body convulsed, falling backward, his head
hit the floor hard. Foam and blood collected at the corners of his lips. It was
so quick. His mouth began to darken to a sickly blue hue and he sputtered,
spraying bloody foam onto his face and neck as he laid thrashing on the ground.

 “Isn’t this fun?” Lucifer sighed, his head lolled to
the side as he closed his eyes. He bit his bottom lip and moaned as if Lucian’s
pain was somehow orgasmic. 

I gasped and felt a tear run down my cheek. Lucian
was dying. My brain tried to remind me that this was only the demon Voltaire
but my heart screamed that this was my Lucian, no matter who possessed his
body.

The devil shook himself, his eyes had gone red and
rolled in my direction.
Smoke and mirrors
, I remembered as I tried to
move my arm in order to wipe the moisture from my face. It was no use. He had
me pinned.

“What a bad boy.” Lucifer purred. “But, in a way I am
quite pleased,” he moved closer. “I finally have my very own Madea and they say
you are the only one? How perfect.” He examined me. “I knew many of the ancient
Madea, you realize.” He stalked back and forth in front of me, watching my
face, “How silly, of course you realize, I am older than time as far as you’re
concerned.” He turned away and walked toward Lucian’s now inert form. “They
were all such bores.” He nudged Lucian with his booted foot. “So righteous, so
nauseatingly pure of soul and heart.” He turned to me again, dragging his teeth
over his bottom lip yet again. “I was never able to persuade a single one to
cross over into Hell.” He was suddenly in front of me, so close that his next
step brought his body close enough to mine that the fabric of his shirt rubbed
my naked flesh. He reached out, and gently wiped a tear from my cheek. Bringing
his finger to his lips, he took the tear into his mouth. “
This
.” He
touched my cheek again and I flinched backward, pressing myself hard into the
wall.

“This tear you shed for an enemy, one you know to be
a demon is proof of your pure Madea soul.” He smiled, “What a superb gift.” He
looked at Lucian again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice
wavered and the Devil looked at me. “Lucian is my friend.” I felt my heart
break. “He’s a man not a demon no matter what’s squatting inside.” I jerked
back as he reached for me.

“Oh, my darling. Another week in that body and there
will be nothing of you friend left.” He shook his head as if the thought sadden
him. “Voltaire has no desire to depart. His own withered body is old and tainted
with too much Hell. Demons do not age my angel; they rot with the evils of this
place. This new body is strong. It has many years left.” Lucifer grazed his
knuckles along my jaw and I clenched my teeth. “Voltaire can walk with the
humans.” He bent and looked directly into my eyes. “He can
fuck
the
humans.”

I turned my head. “You
are
the father of
lies!”

He chuckled. “I can force him out for you, my
darling.” He stepped aside so that I could look at Lucian’s fallen form. His
lips were still blue. A puddle of white froth and blood had soaked into the
golden locks of his hair. He looked dead. I jerked back a sob. “You lie!” I
spat. “You’ve killed him. All you’d be doing is freeing one of your despicable
demons from a useless body. I’m not an idiot!” My chest rose and fell rapidly
with my angry breaths; my hair writhed in its unnatural, serpentine dance. The
curls twisted and whipped about with a life of their own.

“You are wiser than most, but I will promise to
restore your Lucian’s health and vitality. I will do nothing to him after this
point to harm him in any way.”

I studied him, trying to chip away at his mind. A
sculpted eyebrow rose and he let out a small laugh.

“You are a strong one, aren’t you?” He stepped back.

“Why would you do this? Clearly, I’m in your control.
A position I’m getting pretty familiar with. Why would you try to make a deal
with me?”

“I want you to have free will when in my home. I wish
to ally myself with you.” He spread his hands as if to show that he was
harmless.

“That is the biggest pile of horse shit ever
shoveled. What’s the real reason?
Sex
? After all, I am still naked!”

I was suddenly free from the wall. I stumbled and
quickly gained my footing. I was dressed, I observed with a sigh of relief and
my hair was tamed into a tight braid behind my head. 

“I do not wish to bargain for your body. I need no
such empty pleasure; after all, sinners and whores surround me. For now I want
you to remain pure,
Madea
.”

I laughed, “Oh, buddy. I am in no way pure. Don’t you
know what year this is?”

“As far as I am concerned you have yet to be
corrupted. You will not grace my halls when your life is taken, and believe me
all immortals eventually die. Immortality is a cruel illusion.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” And it was. I had no desire
to see the walls of Hell from the eyes of the dead.

“So, what is your answer? Do you wish to see your
friend returned?”

I was nervous. I knew that a deal with the devil was
just that, a deal with the devil. The worst deal any creature could make. I
looked at him. “If I say no? If I tell you that, I won’t make a deal with you?
What then?”

He tilted his head back, and then he looked down at
me, his eyes focused on mine with unnerving intensity. I shifted my stance
nervously.

“I will not force you into anything, but could you
really allow your friend to die?” he nodded toward a dark corner. “And Look,” I
followed the direction of his gaze and noticed a large mass lying in the
corner. I sucked in my breath Seth was there. His long black hair was matted to
his head. I felt my mind scream. He looked no more alive than Lucian.

 “I think the hybrid is leaving you.” Lucifer shook
his head. “Pity.” He sighed dramatically.

“They are both almost dead and you could stop it.” I
looked at him and curled my lip, “Let’s not forget, that they’re almost dead
because
of you. Now, please, I know it’s beyond you, but damn it! Is it even possible
for you to be straight with anyone? Ever?

He smiled, showing his perfect teeth.

I sighed, “What do you want from me, really?”

He chuckled. “Spell it out for you, you mean? Well, I
suppose I could explain. Tell me, do you like stories?”

My heart sank. “No, not really, the last one changed
my life in a pretty fucked up way.” I folded my arms, ready for another dip
into fairytale land.

He took my hand; hot fingers surrounded mine in a
firm unyielding grip. I was facing him; his blue eyes were spinning, drawing me
deep inside, and taking me under.

I fell.

The air was clean and crisp. I was lying on the grass
gazing into the sky. It was amazing, bursting with billions upon billions of
stars, so bright and astonishing that I was utterly overwhelmed.

“What planet is this?” I whispered.

“Earth, my darling, only we are here before pollution
and technology. We are here before electric lights and the poison of modern
man.” He sounded amused, “This is someplace very special.” Lucifer still
clasped my hand in his. It was warm and soft. I tried to pull away, but he was
in control and I had lost all desire to fight. Plus, I had to admit to myself,
that I was curious.

He stood, pulling me up beside him. I looked at him
for the first time since falling into his eyes. He was magnificent. His short
military short hair was much longer now and flowed down his back in beautiful
waves. He wore a beige tunic that was belted with little golden squares all
linked together. His leggings were linen and looked perfectly hand stitched. I
met his eyes and saw desire. It was false, the same as everything here.

“You are a vision. I should have known what you were
at first sight, I feel the fool.” He placed his overly warm hand on the small
of my back and I sighed.

“Let’s just get on with it, do you mind?”

“No, not at all, my lady,” he pushed me along a
grassy path.

We walked for a long time, the grass eventually
giving way to a dirt path. The sun began to peek its fiery head above the
horizon shining a beautiful orange glow upon a small camp.

“Hey, Lu, where are we anyway?” my hand was still a
prisoner in his and I tugged on it again. 

“You need to stay with me. This is going to be a lot
for you to handle, I think. But then, you did just call The Prince of Darkness
Lu
…
So perhaps this will fail to impress you.” He laughed a low chuckle deep in his
chest. “I think I like you, Angel.”

“Just knock it off, would you?” I sighed, tiredly.
“My name is Grace. I’m not your darling and I’m most definitely not an angel,
so just quit, alright?” I pleaded.

He stopped walking. We were on a small rise just
about a mile from the camp. He took my face in his hands. “You, my angel, are
so much more than you realize. He turned me so that I faced the camp. “You see
that town?” His voice whispered, close to my ear. “Tell me Grace, how badly
would you like to see where you came from?”

My palms broke out in a cool sweat as he spoke.

“What would you do if I said that the Madea make up
that town down there?”

I froze, my breath trapped in my lungs. “What?” I
choked out, “How?” I spun and goggled at him.

“Come,” he pulled me “I want you to see.” I moved
quickly alongside his tall body as we ran.

The village was nothing more than a few dozen huts
all situated around a small well.

“The Madea live here?” I looked around completely
shocked at the sparse living conditions.

Lucifer snorted and I turned, surprised at such an
inelegant sound. “Your kind was very thick headed.” He sneered, “This is their
self proclaimed punishment for allowing their powers to be abused by men. They
feel they deserve no finery or luxury. Only what is needed to survive.”

I watched his face, his lip curled as he looked
around the meager expanse. “Pathetic, isn’t it? As if it was truly their fault.
What a waste of power. Nothing but a sad bunch of whining do-gooders terrified
to truly live.”