This Curse: (The Grace Allen Series Book 2 ) (26 page)

“Fine!” I shouted to the air, not knowing where he
was. “Have it your way, I don’t really care, It’s not like you’re going to
touch me, anyway!”

My back slammed hard against the glass of the
mirrored wall. He was pressed against my body, his hand wound tight in my hair.
My neck arched painfully as he pulled my head back. He was overwhelming. His
presence made my stomach lurch with fear. 

“I will touch you all I choose.” He ran his lips
along my skin. “After all, you are not really here. This is your dream,
Darling. You came to me just as I knew you would.” His whisper was soft, moist
breath, hot against my neck.

“I did
not
come to you.” I shoved him away
hard. “You’re really full of shit, you know? You even tell lies to yourself.” I
walked deeper into the room. It appeared to be empty. I turned and glared at
the father of lies. “You went back on your word. Lucian almost died!” I spat.

“You accuse falsely. I did nothing. Possession takes
its toll. At any rate, your friend was never in any real danger. You are Madea;
it is within your power to heal. So, tell me, how did you go about it?”

“As if I’ll ever tell you! You let a demon squat
inside him and then tell me he will be fine only to find out that possession
can almost kill the possessed!”

He frowned, “I did not tell you, because you did not
ask and it isn’t often that the possessed become ill, especially when the
squatter is...” He stopped mid sentence and looked at me while his eyebrow
arched. “Well, we shall continue this chat later. Your Lucian does not interest
me.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” I shook my head. “What were you
going to say? When the squatter is
what
, precisely?”

He chuckled, shaking his head he moved away from me;
cutting off any further discussion. He stood in the darkest part of the room
and with a casual wave of his hand, an enormous bed appeared.

“Uck!” I stepped away and threw my hand over my
mouth. It was made of human bones. Rib cages and long shining femurs made up
the entire structure. Skulls, fused together in a macabre scream lined up to
form the headboard. I took another step back. Black shining sheets, like bat
wings covered the blood red mattress.

He strode to the bed, morphing into a tailored tuxedo
he produced a tray. Champaign and two tall goblets appeared. He sat on the
edge. The bed bent with his weight as he stretched onto his side. He smoothed
his hand on the spot next to him and smiled seductively at me. “Sit, my love.
Sit and visit a while.”

 “Oh, you’re good, but not good enough. You could
have killed my friend. I’m not entertaining you, Lu. Get that through your
head.”

He shrugged and poured the Champaign into the
glasses. “Oh?” He looked at me. “Pity.” His eyes landed on a spot behind me and
I turned.

Revulsion had me staggering back several steps. “Oh
my God!” I threw my hand over my mouth again, this time fully prepared to
vomit. “
Hurp
.” My mouth flooded with saliva and my eyes watered. “Is
that Lydia?” I choked out in a sob and grabbed my stomach. I swayed and he was
suddenly there, holding my weight as my knees gave way.

“It
was
Lydia.” He spoke close to my ear and I
flinched, knowing that he could do such a thing was just another reminder. “She
hurt you, my darling. She had to be punished. I thought you would be pleased?”
He frowned, lifting my limp body; he carried me to the bed.

Over his shoulder, I could see the horror that was
once Lydia. She had been nailed to the wall at her shoulders and her body was
flayed of all of its flesh. Her head had been removed and placed into her
hands, as if it were some sort of satanic offering.

“You’re disgusting! How could you?” Once on the bed,
I rolled onto my side. Tears flowed. I knew she was a demon. I knew she was his
to do with as he pleased, but nothing living deserved that.

He crawled onto the bed beside me and tried to pull
me to him. I jerked wildly and shot off the opposite side of the bed. “
Are
you kidding me
?” I screeched. “I wouldn’t touch your horrible, evil body
with a ten foot pole!” 

He sat up and smiled. “Why do you always resist? I
know you, Grace. You always desire the bad boy. The man who takes what he wants.
I see it in so many. That excitement you feel when no one else but you can pet
the beast. A woman thrills in the triumph of taming the animal. It’s
exhilarating is it not? Well, my darling, I am
the
bad boy and I promise
to let you pet me as long as you wish.”

“You know nothing about me.”

He frowned, “What must I do to get a kiss?” He leaned
on his elbow. “Ah, how about this?” He smiled and I followed his gaze once
more.

Patrick Camden appeared beside Lydia. His wrists were
wrapped with chains, he whimpered as he dangled from the ceiling. He was alive
and scared shitless. Panic filled his eyes as he gazed at what was once Lydia.
His body swung and grazed Lydia’s decapitated head, sending him into full on
hysteria.

I turned and glared at Lucifer. “You wouldn’t dare!”
I challenged. “He is a living man, not a demon!”

Lucifer smiled. “He sold his soul, precious. He is
mine to do with as I please. Besides, didn’t he plan on kidnapping you? Raping
you until he had you fat with his mewling pups?”

I swung my head in Patrick’s direction. His deep
brown eyes were filled with tears and he shook his head frantically. Struggling
in his bonds, he whimpered.

“No.” I turned.

Lucifer’s eyebrows rose. “
No
?”

“No, I’m sure you had a hand in that.” Remembering
what I had done to Patrick after his plan had failed shamed me. “He’s been
punished; besides, I think you put him up to it. You were the puppet master for
everything so far you freely admitted it. Why not this too?” I folded my arms.

“I knew you weren’t a stupid woman. But that does not
cancel out his debt. I plan on tearing his wolf from his body, then his flesh
from his bones.” Lucifer took a step toward Patrick and I grabbed his arm.

He looked down at my hand and then at me. “Yes?”

“Please, what did you give him? Why did he sell his
soul?” I looked into his eyes.

“Oh, my angel. Does it matter?” He turned.

“Yes!” I yelled, jumping in front of him. “Please?”

He stood for a long moment and I watched him. He was
playing a game I knew I couldn’t win, but maybe Patrick could.

He smiled. “I suppose it matters little.” He sighed
dramatically. “I fear Voltaire promised him the position of pack master to all
the packs in the state.” I looked at him and frowned. “He agreed, said he would
give anything for it, so I took his soul,” he smiled.

“Is he?” I demanded. “Is he the master of all the
packs in the state?”

Lucifer smiled. “Why yes, he was crowned their king
only hours ago.”

I gawked at him. “And now you’re killing him?”

“Yes. He attacked you, my love. I can not allow such
actions to go unpunished.” He moved past me and grabbed Patrick’s face,
pressing his fingers into his flesh. Patrick screamed as smoke billowed from
his face. A stench like nothing I had ever experienced filled the room.

I couldn’t stand it, this was all bullshit. Dream or
not, I wouldn’t take the chance.

 “Stop!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

He turned. Lowering his smoking hands, he tilted his
head, “What troubles you, my darling?” His brows drew together.

“You have to stop this!
Please
, what can I do
to remove his debt?” I looked at Patrick’s once beautiful face, now charred,
and ruined. His tear filled eyes implored me.

“I can think of nothing. A debt this large is not so
easily swept away. You have been clear in all things. I may not touch you. I
have no power over you. What is left?” He turned, raising his hands again; I
flinched, as Patrick’s eyes grew huge.

“I take it all back!”

Lucifer froze. Turning slowly on his heel, he flashed
me a smile of pure satisfaction. “
In truth?
”

I looked at Patrick’s bubbling flesh. The smell that
had filled the room from his smoking flesh was sickening me with each passing
second and the pain he must have endured made me even more ill. Despite what
Lucifer said about this all being a dream, I knew that when I woke up tomorrow,
Patrick would be dead. I couldn’t just stand by and let another person be
tortured and killed. It would kill a part of my soul.

I drew in a cleansing breath, coughing from the
wretched stench that filled my nose. “Take back his debt,” I lifted my chin at
his frown. “Heal his wounds and never hurt him directly or indirectly again and
I will take it all back.” I felt like my life was flashing before my eyes. The
smile that spread across his face sped my heart. Fear at what was to come
filled me from head to toe.

Patrick vanished in a puff of smoke and I was naked,
in the devils arms.

He laid me down on his bed and lightly stroked my
skin with his warm fingertips. I looked at his nakedness, even with his
impossible beauty; nothing would ever make this okay.

“I knew you would be mine. I knew you would somehow
make the ultimate sacrifice.
You for him
? How lovely.”

He kissed along my neck. His skin was unnaturally
warm smooth as satin as he slid his body along mine. I shuddered as he rose
above me. He slid his hands along my legs, his long fingers gliding along my
thighs until they met at my knees. He watched my anguished eyes as he slowly
parted my thighs.

A small cry slipped passed my lips as he hooked my
knees over his broad shoulders, my sex fully exposed to his gaze. A look of
conquest filled his eyes. I sucked in a breath, tears flowing freely from my
eyes, I jerked at the feeling of his velvety cock pressed lightly at my
entrance.

I closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe I had taken it
all back.

Wait…
I took it all back.
Oh, my God, I was so
stupid! I opened my eyes and smiled.

Lucifer, poised to push inside me, frowned at my
smile. “You are accepting?” He studied my face.

“I took it
all
back, Lu.”

He smiled and then it slowly fell as the realization
of my meaning filled his eyes. He grabbed my thighs and with a wild cry, he
thrust his hips forward only to land on his face in the middle of an empty bed.

 I was across the room, fully clothed and laughing.

He flew from the bed; his erect penis slapped his
stomach as he tore across the room toward me. I lifted my hand and he flew
backward. His nude body slammed hard into the giant mirrored wall. I folded my
arms and smiled as glass rained down, showering him with its lethal shards.

“That’s the thing with loop holes.” I lifted a brow
as he staggered to his feet. Blood flowed, like tiny rivers from dozens of cuts
all over his magnificent body. I shook my head, “I took it all back, Lu, which
included my promise to never use my magic against you.” I smiled as he panted
angrily. “See you in six months, sexy!” I winked, blew him a kiss, and then
flashed from the room.

I was burning. I hated waking up to this much
sunlight. I opened one eye, testing the glare and cursing as the sun shriveled
my retina.

“Ugh!” I groaned sitting up. I looked at the gaping
hole in my living room wall and stood. The air blowing in was brisk and felt
wonderful as it sent chills all over my skin. I moved to look outside. The
neighbors were no where to be seen so I turned and with a wave of my hand, the
wall and door were repaired in an instant. I had no qualms with using small
amounts of magic now. It was who I was. Too many people seemed to suffer while
I sat on a throne of my self-righteous morals. No more, I was done.

I got ready for the day with a thought as I
approached my bedroom door. I knocked gently.

“Come in.” Lucian’s voice was much deeper. I stifled
the chill that raced down my spine and opened the door.

He was lying on the bed looking fit and healthy. His
golden chest
was still bare; his hands were folded, resting behind his
head as he gazed out the window.

I stepped inside the room and shut the door softly
behind me. I felt my stomach flutter as I slowly approached the bed. I held my
breath. Fear gripped me as I worried over the possible changes my blood might
have made. If his eyes had changed, I would hate myself. I stopped, overwhelmed
with anxiety. This was
my
Lucian, and I would die before I would let him
get hurt again.

“Lucian?” I squeaked. “How are you?”

He turned his face to mine. His teeth were perfectly
white and shining in a smile that always turned my knees to butter. His brown
eyes were bright and filled with joy as he looked at me.

I let out the breath I’d been holding in a rush and
beamed at him.

“Gracie.” he rolled onto his side, bracing his head
on his hand. “Come say hi to me. I’ve missed you.”

I laughed and scrambled onto the bed. He scooped me
into his strong arms and I squealed. The large man squeezed me as tightly he
could and rubbed his cheek against my hair. His firm chest was warm and as soft
as velvet. I gloried in the feeling of his hot breath in my hair.