Free This Curse: (The Grace Allen Series Book 2 ) by Alisha Basso Page A

presence
was smothering me. I stood closer to where Lydia sat. Her presence couldn’t
feel much worse.
    “Ah, so you want me to fight the demon, Grace? How
strong do you think I am?” Lucian asked as if I were a fool.
    “What spell did you use?” I persisted. “What did you
do to defeat him? I’m filled with magic and haven’t even put a chink in his
armor.” I cried. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you tonight.” I looked away at the
memory. I suddenly couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry. Believe me I am so very sorry I saw anything. But I need your help,” I finally looked at
him.
    I felt tingles, like little pins sticking into my
spine and I turned, Lydia was looking at me like I was Lucifer himself. I
almost threw off my glamour and beat the shit out of her. I had to take several
deep breaths and cool my mind. I was rolling in a sea of emotions and I had a
pretty good feeling she was the source. Or maybe it was just petty to think
that. I didn’t much care for Lydia.
    “Please,” Lucian brought my attention back to him,
“my dearest Grace, Seth, sit. I’ll tell you what I know. Who knows, it may
help, though I greatly doubt it.” Lucian sat down next to Lydia again and I
took the small desk chair, opting for some distance.
    Seth frowned at me when our eyes met as if he were
trying to tell me something. I focused on his mind and then mentally slapped
myself. I forgot that I couldn’t read his thoughts.
    “That is only because I did not wish you to.”
     “Shit!” Startled, I jumped off my chair. All eyes
turned to me expectantly. I laughed a little too loudly and rushed to cover up
my total stupidity. “Oh, this chair is a little loose.” I moved to the couch
and sat next to Seth with a sheepish smile.
    “ That was pathetic, Sweet.” Seth’s deep
baritone whispered in my mind. “ Next time, try harder to control yourself.
And you were always able to read my thoughts; it was only when I realized that
you could, that I held them from you. I have been a mind reader for centuries,
so the little fists you pound on my door are easy to ignore. You are a tiny
infant to your powers. You can do more than you think. Now, listen to this new Lucian. I fear we are not among friends.”
    A cool chill raced down my spine at his words and I
concentrated on Lucian. He certainly acted like a different man, of that I was
sure. It was as if he was some sort of pod person. The entire time we’ve known
each other, Lucian had never had a relationship. As far as I knew, he was as
celibate as I had become. Could it be that simple? Lucian was getting some, so
now he was a cocky prick? Getting me into the sack wasn’t important anymore so,
he was free to act like a shit-head?
    “When I froze Voltaire with our spell,” Lucian’s
voice broke through my thoughts; “he was free after only a few moments it
seems. Once free, he went into a rage. We heard him destroying your property,
Grace, so Lydia and I fled into the desert until all the violence was gone. I
couldn’t risk her safety.” He looked at her lovingly. She smiled at him and
snuggled into his side. “When we returned to your house, everyone was gone. I
wanted to make sure you got back safely, so Lydia and I spent the night in your
home.” He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, ‘see, no help’. “Anything that
went on while we were hiding out is a mystery to me. I’m sorry.” He rested his
ankle on his knee and swiped at some nonexistent crumb on his pristine pant
leg. 
     I was getting pissed and when I got pissed like
this, my glamour tended to slip. It was either an involuntary reaction, or a
completely voluntary one meant to scare the piss out of the offending dip-shit
stupid enough to piss me off. At this point, I didn’t care. Lucian didn’t want
to help, and what was worse, he was also lying .
    My vision began to blur, a clear sign that my real
eyes would be shining through soon. I didn’t want the new severely fucked up
Lucian to see