This Curse: (The Grace Allen Series Book 2 Paranormal Romance)

by Alisha Basso

  When I opened my eyes, Seth stood before me; tears of silvery blood ran freely from his eyes, Stripes of liquid metal soaked into his clothing.

  “Oh, my God!” I reached out, “You’re crying blood!” I sucked in my breath as fear hit me.

  Seth laughed and shook his head and he gazed tenderly at me. “All vampires cry blood, Sweet.”

  “Oh. Okay, but, um… Why are you crying?” I felt a moment of tenderness, and then I really looked at him, “Hey, why aren’t you writhing on the ground like a pathetic, sex crazed animal?” I frowned, completely confused.

  He continued to smile. It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen on him and couldn’t help smiling back. “What?” I wondered out loud. “Explain?” I laughed nervously.

  “I’m not writhing on the floor, Sweet, because as I had hoped, I am a Madea. Maybe more now than vampire. I feel intense attraction to you, yes, but in the manner that a male of your species is supposed to feel. I am the only male who can control it, because I am the same as you.” He grabbed me in a hug and spun me around. Kissing me all over my face and hair, Seth was acting like a giddy school boy. “If you ever doubted that I am Madea, this is your proof. Forget that I am still part vampire. I have to believe that more changes are sure to come. I have to believe that.” He sat me on the ground and stepped back.

  “So?” I smoothed my clothing and took a few steps away from him. I was shaken, but determined not to show it. “Now that I’ve shown you mine, you need to show me yours. What secrets have you been hiding?” I folded my arms and used glamour to tame my hair and skin. It would never do for some well meaning neighbor to pay a visit and see me in my natural form. I had some decisions to make, but right now in the middle of my front yard was not the time or place to make them.

  “As you wish, Sweet.” Seth stood next to me, and then a second later he was on top of my roof.

  “You’re a vampire. You could already do that with speed.” I yelled. “Show me something you couldn’t do before.” I yelled louder. “Impress me, Madea!”

  A second later, he was back on the ground standing across the length of my driveway. A strange look entered his eyes as he focused his gaze on me. After a moment, I could feel his hands caressing my arms. His touch was unmistakable. I caught my breath as my shirt disappeared from my body, followed by my jeans. I stood in shock, as our gazes remained locked. Then, a strange tickle began low in my belly as I suddenly felt his hands slide along my skin. I knew what sex with Seth was like, and he was doing it, right here in my yard!

  I stared wide-eyed at him. Our eyes still held from across the driveway. His smile was crooked, making him look mischievous and wicked. When I felt his warm touch at the back of my bra, I cried uncle.

  “Okay, enough.” I was fully clothed again. “Cute parlor trick. So now that you have proven you have the magic of a Madea, what’s with the apple?”

  His face fell and he folded his arms. The playful man was gone. “I can eat very small amounts of food.” He shrugged. “Nothing much, though. I think that maybe, if I slowly introduce more solid food each day, I might be able to process more and more until the day comes when I no longer need your blood.” He shrugged again and that devilish smile was suddenly back. “Until then?” he winked and nodded toward my house.

  “Oh, brother.” I shook my head and walked past him, into the house. He followed, much happier than when we had left.

  I was more comfortable with Seth than I had been with anyone before in my life. He had opened up to me in a way that shocked me to my core. Could the Madea in him be causing this rapid change in his personality? In the changes, I felt for him? When he first began to drink my blood, the transformation to his eyes was obvious and almost instant. Then I escaped his hold and he no longer had access to my blood, so the change must have stopped in its tracks. But he didn’t revert to his former self. Then after his return into my life and his steady diet of my blood, he could now do magic and eat small amounts of food. I wondered.

  “Seth, have you tried to walk into the sun?” I asked as we sat at my kitchen table.

  “Ah, the sun.” he smiled sadly. “I’m afraid I can not, Sweet. I must sleep when the sun is out. Whether I want to or not. I have not been granted the opportunity to test it.” He sat up straighter, “At least the shutting down of my system has prevented curiosity from frying me alive.” He laughed mirthlessly, “No, I have yet to meet the sun, Grace. Not even to soothe my curiosity.” He stood and walked around the table.

  ***

  After I gave him my blood, we studied my brainstorming efforts and tried to come up with a plan. The fact that Seth was part Madea was our ace in the hole. I was sure no one else knew.

  We were trying to devise a plan of attack that did not involve Lucian or his new whore, I mean girlfriend. The salt and pepper shakers were used to represent the both of us, and Seth had turned my entire glass jar of dried beans out onto the table to represent our enemies. That move filled me with dread and I told him he was a total fatalist. All he did was shrug and grumble about reality.

  “So, dearest Grace, now that you have a better idea of what our numbers look like, perhaps it would be a good time to admit that you are being far too timid with your powers?”

  Seth was being kind, rational, and making sense. My feelings for him were beginning to confuse me. I stood up and moved closer to him.

  “You realize,” he continued, capturing my full attention, “that you could cut through these creatures with a thought while sitting at this very table? It would increase our chances mightily.”

  And he’s back…

  “No, Seth! I’m not killing several hundred people from my breakfast nook! What kind of horrible creature do you take me for? Not all of them are bad.” I turned from him, to take my seat again.

  “I assumed as much.” He turned to look at me and I glared. “Well? You were so eager to listen.” he defended. “I was feeling like my warrior self again. Protecting the woman I lo…” He abruptly stopped speaking and sat down. “Well.” He cleared his throat as I tried to process what he almost said. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he turned and made a fuss over a small wrinkle in his already filthy, bloodstained shirt. “At least tell me what you plan to do with your magic.” He continued as if nothing was amiss. “You are going to at least use it, correct?” He folded his arms and looked down his nose at me.

  “Seth,” I leaned forward, happy to let it go. I stared into his eyes, “I’m not only going to use it; I’m going to bring them to their knees!” I smiled and leaned back, mirroring his earlier movements.

  He laughed loudly and stood, a frightening light entered his silver gaze. “Finally.”

  ELEVEN

  I sat on the end of my bed with my legs crossed. I tried to keep my eyes closed, but with Seth staring at me from across the room, it was almost impossible. “Why are you having such a hard time with this?” I was ready to just chuck the whole idea out the window.

  “What makes you think I can do this?” It was odd to see him so unsure. “I do not like this, Sweet. What if, for some reason, I can not come back?”

  “You’ll come back, stop worrying. It’s really not that hard, Seth.” I closed my eyes, “Besides, you have enough Madea in you now that you could do this on your own. Cripes, you’ve probably had enough power as a vampire to do it. Now stop stalling and light the damn smudge stick.” I huffed out a frustrated breath and tried to relax.

  “This smells horrible,” he coughed and choked dramatically, “and it tastes worse.” He set the smoldering herbs on a stone plate in front of my legs.

  I opened one eye. “Listen, vampire, you have no right to bitch about how things taste. Now please, stop whining and get up here with me.” I placed my hands on my knees and inhaled the pungent smoke as it circled me. It filled my lungs and I tried again to relax my mind.

  The bed dipped with Seth’s weight and I opened my eyes again. “Now, remember, you have to release all sense of self.
Any self awareness and Voltaire will latch onto it and all this sneaking around will be nothing but a huge waste of time. Just do what I told you and it’ll go fine.”

  “Alright, I understand.” He folded his long legs and placed his hands on his knees just as I had.

  “Breathe in the smoke and let yourself go. Remember, no shard of self can remain.” I kept my eyes on him.

  “You are doing it again, Sweet.” He closed his eyes.

  “What? What am I doing?”

  “You can not push me with your assurances one moment then act as if I am made of nothing more than pride and stupidity the next. I am not a child. Now,” he nudged me with his foot, “relax, Grace. Free your mind, I will follow.”

  I sighed. He was right, that was exactly what I was doing. I spared him one last glance. He inhaled the smoke and coughed. I laughed and then closed my mouth when he opened one eye and frowned at me.

  After only a few moments, Seth’s powerful essence surrounded me, filling me with his strength and the comfort of his blood, our blood. I let go of the last shard of my physical being and together we sent out our collective consciousness. We were no more than invisible threads, searching, and feeling, seeing with our minds.

  I gloried in the feeling of winding throughout the desert over homes, inside buildings and out into the city. We crossed dozens of miles with a single thought. And then finally after searching deep into the pits of downtown we were able to find what we were looking for.

  The room was dark and musty. I sensed my blood a mere second before Seth did. His awareness rippled through mine and I tried to project calm. My mind filled with his rage causing my essence to waver for a moment. I gathered myself and tried to strengthen my mind, cursing the loss of my physical body. He really needed a kick in the ass.

  “Who’s there?” a weak voice spoke from deep within the gloom of the room.

  Startled, I searched the room until I came upon a figure chained to the wall. She was filthy and clearly hurting. I looked at her haggard face. Her shaggy blonde hair was a rats’ nest of tangles, her body was thin, and a sickly pale color.

  Energy sang through my being as I realized that this was her! This was the woman from my vision.

  She was here?

  I was instantly on guard. I spread my mind out among the surrounding area. I knew the wolves were close, I could sense them.

  When I found Patrick and his pack, I felt like a complete idiot. Club Seachain an Madra. I should have known.

  I scanned the wolves mixed throughout the growing crowd of human clientele. This had to be their den. Excitement filled me as a plan began to grow.

  ***

  Light filled my vision and I coughed, sucking in great gulps of air. I was on the floor, my legs tangled with Seth’s. I rolled onto my side and sat up. Seth stood in a swift, fluid motion. He smoothed his rumpled clothing and then pulled his wild hair back from his face.

  I continued to grapple with my breathing as I organized my thoughts. “Voltaire wasn’t there,” I panted as I pulled myself to my feet. “But he has to be near. Damn! Where the hell does he go?” I approached Seth. His shoulders stiffened when I touched him and I snapped my hand back.

  “What’s wrong?” I folded my arms, waiting to discover what had pissed him off this time.

  He turned and sneered angrily at me. “Tell me, Sweet,” he spoke through his teeth, “Who was that woman and why the fuck are you still hiding things from me?” He turned and stalked to the chair by my window. Sitting, he propped his ankle on his knee and folded his arms. He was so sexy when he was pissed. Hell, he was sexy when he wasn’t pissed.

  I sat down on my bed and looked at him. I knew that holding anything back at this point was counterproductive. I just didn’t know how to tell him that in both of my visions he pretty much dies a horrible, bloody death. I sighed and flopped backward onto my bed so I could look at the ceiling. I could feel his stare boring holes into me.

  “Okay,” I sat up. “I don’t’ know the woman.” I held up my hand when it appeared that Seth was going to start roaring again. “I’ve only seen her,” I hurried on, “in my visions.”

  “You have been having visions and did not feel the need to share them with me?” He leaned forward in the chair, his fists on his knees.

  Oh boy, this was not going well.

  “Whose side are you on?” He frowned at me accusingly. “You still doubt my loyalty?”

  “No,” I shrugged. “But you have to admit, Seth, you and I don’t have the best history. You do remember that whole kidnapping thing?” His brows drew together in a frown and he sat back. I felt a little more vindicated at the shamed look on his face. “Besides,” I continued, “I didn’t tell you because I honestly didn’t think of it.” I stood and began pacing. “I don’t really know how to describe what I’ve seen,” I confessed. Remembering how horrible it was to see him lying there, bleeding to death, I sighed. “You’re not going to like it either way.” The fact that I cared about that at all was infuriating!

  I began to relate the visions as they had come to me, sparing no detail. Seth listened patiently, his expression hardly changing even as the gruesome details of his death were laid out.

  “So?” I asked, once I finished explaining. “What do you think?”

  He stood and began pacing. Then he turned and looked at me, “In each of these visions,” he began pacing again. “I am bleeding and presumably dead or dying?” He waved my response away when I opened my mouth. “And…” He linked his fingers and rested his hands on his head. “It appears that Lucian is badly burnt and flaking away to nothing. But then, the second vision shows the same ruined Lucian apparently strong enough to joyfully carve me up like a pumpkin?”

  “Yeah, pretty much.” I looked at him, “Does any of that make sense?” I asked, wincing at the memory of this beautiful man lying broken and bloody.

  “And this woman,” Seth continued, completely ignoring me. “You have never seen her, yet she appears in both visions?” He glanced at me and I could tell he wasn’t really seeing me as he rattled on. “…But,” he continued, as if finishing a thought. “Why is she holding an infant in her arms?” He put his face in his hands. “This isn’t good.” He turned.

  “So you know what it means?” I watched him closely. “What?” I tilted my head in question.

  “I have a theory.” He looked somber. Then his eyes filled with pity as he looked at me. “But it’s just a theory.”

  My gut clenched and I felt a huge sense of unease as I tried to decipher the look. “I’m afraid to ask.” I looked into his eyes and he tried to dodge my gaze. “You just ripped me apart for keeping things to myself. Seth, now spill!” I demanded despite my reservations.

  He looked at me. I could almost see the wheels turning. “I can not be certain, but the fact that Lucian appeared to be burning and flaking away leads me to believe that he is no longer the same man, the old Lucian has been destroyed, replaced by something else.”

  I felt my eyes grow huge. “What the hell does that mean?” Bile rose in my throat.

  Seth shook his head and ran his hand gently down my hair. “Tell me about your plan.” He moved towards the door. “We have only six more hours of darkness left.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me from the room.

  TWELVE

  “Your plan has promise, but I do not like it, Sweet.” Seth sat at my kitchen table snapping silver bullets into the magazine of his Beretta. “You are not thinking of the danger you place yourself in. You cannot predict these creatures. They are dogs, Grace. Nothing more than violent, mindless animals.” He sneered and lifted his chin, as if it were beneath him to even speak of them. “You should not go in alone.”

  I sat across from him. My mind wandering as I watched him load his weapon. He was dressed in solid black. Velcro, Kevlar, and Gortex were wrapped around every inch of his gorgeous form. His long silky hair was pulled back and tied securely to the base of his neck; its length folded and tucked away for the first time in we
eks.

  I smiled as he continued to criticize my plan. I watched his masculine form and felt a pang of sadness. Lucian wore an almost identical outfit the last time I found myself storming the castle, so to speak. At that time, he and I had suited up in order to save my best friend Ann from, oddly enough, Seth. Lucian had been so incredibly handsome then, so noble and unselfish as he rushed into danger by my side.

  God, I missed my friend.

  I felt tears spring into my eyes and I quickly wiped them from my cheeks. Standing, I sniffed and moved away from the table as Seth continued to insult my intelligence and throw doubt into every facet of my plan.

  “You know,” I interrupted his tirade, “you really are a big fat hypocrite.” I turned, folding my arms. I stared down at him.

  He threw his head up and glared. “What?”

  “I’m not a child, stop underestimating me, stop treating me like a dumb-ass, I’m really old and stuffy so I already know everything and blah, blah, blah. This is what I’ve had to put up with.” I snapped. “But the second I show a little independent thinking and try to do something alone, I’m not prepared, I’m just a wimpy girl. So, yeah, hypocrite!”

  Seth stood, his chest puffing up, no doubt ready to roar.

  I threw my hand up to silence him. “Forget it! We’re going forward with this plan, Seth. Now, I’m going to get ready.” I turned on my heel and stomped from the room.

  “And I do not believe I have ever used the words dumb-ass, in my entire existence!” I heard him shout as I walked away. I laughed and shut my bedroom door.

  ****

  Red, it was the color of power, lust, and fire. I looked at the dress again. It hit just above my knees, making me fell sexy but not slutty. I turned to examine the back. It plunged so low that it had me doing a double take to make sure I wasn’t exposing anything that would embarrass me later. I re-thought the slutty part of my assessment and smiled.