This Curse

FIFTEEN



Morning sun filtered through the windows baking my face with uncomfortable heat. I opened my eyes and was instantly blinded by the ruthless sun. Where the heck was the light coming from? I sat up. I was still on the couch, apparently having fallen asleep right beside my new roommate. Well, at least I thought she had slept right beside me. I hit the empty spot on the couch where I assumed she had slept. The blanket was rumpled but she was no longer there.

I stood and stretched, looking around the unusually bright room. Well, I thought, all the curtains had been opened for one thing. A big no, no in my mind, plus the front door was ajar. What the hell? I walked outside. The cool air nipped at my skin.

“Hello?” I called. “Oh, Blondie?” My footsteps crunched in the gravel as I stepped slowly around to the back of my house.

I rounded the corner. “Oh shit!” I yelled and ran.

“Nice day for a barbeque? Eh, Grace?” Blondie looked like a psychotic mad woman as she smiled at me. Her feet were planted firmly in the dirt by my stone fire pit. She held a long, thick rope in her hands; part of it was wrapped around her wrist as she leaned back, bracing herself in order to manage the huge dog dangling from the other end. She stared at the animal like she was some unhinged pit master.

“What the hell is going on here?” I panted as I skidded to a halt beside her. “Who is that?”

She smiled. “I caught this bastard sniffing around back here.” She pulled on the rope and adjusted her grip. I looked at her wondering how she was managing the huge creature’s weight. Her set up was pretty smart. She had the rope wrapped around a tree in such a way that she didn’t really bear any of the creatures’ weight.

“It’s Cooper.” She spat in his direction. “The lowest man on the totem pole.” Her lip curled in disgust and I held up my hands.

“Okay,” I said in confusion. “Let’s just get him down, okay? I have a few questions.”

She sliced the rope with a butcher’s knife and the dog fell hard, slamming into the side of the fire pit and then bounced off to the side to roll onto the ground. I flinched; knowing it wasn’t a real dog didn’t make the sight much easier. God they made beautiful animals. Cooper was a silvery-grey wolf with thick white patches on his chest and legs. I shook my head and focused on his inert form.

He began to change back into a man and my new friend turned, “Well, this is awkward.” She folded her arms, looking irritated.

“Understatement,” I sighed and grabbed the large, plastic tarp that kept my woodpile protected from the rain. I threw it over the very naked and very human form of Cooper. He was slowly coming to.

“James?” he moaned, looking around. His eyes focused on my new protector. “James, you f*cking bitch!” he rolled over.

I looked at her. “Your name is James?” I goggled at the pretty woman.

She shrugged. “Jamie, Jamie Alexandre.”

“Oh, nice to formally meet you, Jamie,” I smiled. “And as for you, Cooper is it? You better just curb the attitude or you’ll find your pretty little naked ass strung right back up!”

Cooper stood, wrapping the cumbersome plastic around his body. “You’re the magical chick?” his lips twisted into a smile. “I was told to speak to the magical chick.”

“Oh, you’re a prize, aren’t you?” I laughed. “Standing there, naked as the day you were born, and you still have the balls to be cocky?”

“He’s a wolf, Grace. They’re all like that.” Jamie folded her arms and glared daggers at Cooper. “Just dust him, Grace. We already know what he’s going to say.”

Cooper was smart enough to pale slightly.

“I think I just might,” I teased. No way was I attacking an unarmed, naked man. “But I’ll give him a chance to impress me.” I shrugged and studied my cuticles. “What were you sent here to tell me, Cooper?” Then I met his eyes and waited.

“We have your man.” He looked around, as if help was hiding somewhere in the tumbleweeds.

I yawned dramatically. “Stating the obvious will not help you, Coop. Strike one.”

“No, no! That’s not all. Um, he’s being held in the Underground.”

That one was new to me. I looked at Jamie. “Underground?”

She had gone baby powder white and a fine sheen of perspiration broke out over her skin. “Oh, God Grace!” she whispered, her voice shaking. She took several steps backward, shaking her head frantically her voice came out in a gasp, “He’s in…” she swallowed. “He’s in… Hell!”

“HE’S WHERE?” I screamed. Turning on Cooper, I tried several times to speak only to manage a pitiful stutter. Then my mind filled with the madness of anger and adrenaline. “How did he get there?” I screeched wildly.

Cooper looked ready to bolt. “He tried to recover your blood. He smells like it you know, your blood.” He took a step backward. “Such an ally he could have been. Angers them to know that he’s yours now, no longer pitching for our team.” Another step. “I was told to get you to come.” Cooper was several feet away from me now, but my mind was a tumbling mess of panicked thoughts.

“He doesn’t have a lot of time.” Cooper threw the tarp down, “The blonde man is cruel. He likes pain.” And with that vague statement, Cooper was running like the devil was on his heels. I watched him go, fear blanketing me, wrapping me in a paralyzing cocoon.

Seth was in Hell? I started to hiccup. My breath came in and out in quick gasps as I absorbed this new information. I reached out blindly and braced myself on the pile of wood.

“You can’t go, Grace. You’ll never make it out again.” Her voice shook and then, looking at me, her shoulders lost some of their tension. She let out a loud sigh and came to me. Her face still showed fear, but she was nice enough to brush that aside and wrap me in a comforting hug.

I pulled her closer and sighed. It had been so long since I had a female for a friend, I had forgotten how reassuring it was. Getting a hug from someone that wasn’t trying to seduce me for power was an amazing comfort.

“Thanks, James,” I smiled, stepping out of her embrace. “But, I have to go. It’s my fault he’s there. Well, at least in part it is.”

She studied me for a moment. “You are sure?” She watched my face. I looked her dead in the eyes and she straightened her shoulders, “Then, I can’t let you do it alone. You took me in, no questions asked.” She frowned. “Well, not a lot of questions asked. I can’t turn my back on you now. Besides, I guess some of it is my fault as well. You were rescuing me along with your blood.” She smiled at me and it was genuine.

I studied her and frowned. “You’re really in?”

“Yeah,” she nudged me, “I guess I am. Besides, you may be a Madea, but you are about as far from a demon as you can get. You’re going to need my help.” She smiled and hooked her arm in mine. “How are you at stirring spells?” she asked as she led me inside the house.

***

The kitchen table was covered with Chinese takeout boxes and every book that Jamie could think of on magic.

Nature and earth are the only forces pure enough to combat the evils of that place. They are the only form that can go in undetected, Grace. Jamie’s voice was a constant echo in my head. Ever since I argued that as a Madea, I pretty much had all the power we would need. She had scoffed, telling me that Voltaire would be expecting me to run in, guns blazing. Her plan was to sneak in completely hidden behind a pair of simple glamour’s that Voltaire would never stoop to detect.

“See?” she explained, excitedly. “I’m sure he thinks he’s the most powerful player in the game, aside from you of course.” She rolled her eyes. “Though he’d never admit that. He’ll be expecting some huge show of magical force. Well, while he’s sitting around, waiting for war, we’ll just mosey in and sneak Seth right out from under their noses.” She smiled and shoveled more beef and broccoli into her mouth.

I sat back, too nervous to eat and just watched her wolf down the food. We had been at this for a few hours and Jamie had managed to devour not only her share of food, but mine as well.

“It could work,” I confessed. “But how do you propose we get Seth out? I’m pretty sure they’ll have him locked up with all kinds of spells. You’re strong enough to hide from the demons but can you break through their magic?”

“Well, no, that’s when you need to use your power. If I figure it right, they’re pretty damn sure of themselves, especially Lydia. Ever since Voltaire brought her into the picture, things have gone from bad to total hell.”

I sighed. “I’ve met her. She looks like she’d be a lot sweeter than she is. I guess that’s why Lucian is so attracted to her.”

The Chinese food in her hand tumbled onto the ground and she jumped up. “Oh, damn! I’m sorry, Grace.” Jamie ran to the sink and grabbed a sponge.

“No worries,” I waved my hand and the mess was instantly gone. Jamie stood with the sponge in her hand and laughed. “Oh, how handy.”

“Yeah, handy,” I sighed. “So, are you up to testing out a new look?”

She picked up several books and sighed. “Umm... I’ve only been myself for a short time. As a wolf, I didn’t dare use my magic. Patrick would have flipped if he knew.” She sighed, “If it’s alright, I just want to go rest a while and read some of these. I don’t want to be rusty.”

“Okay.” I frowned as a strange feeling came over me again. “Let me know when you’re ready.” I smiled weakly and then zapped away the remnants of her Chinese feast.

I watched her go. Her arms weighed down with several heavy spell books. She was hiding something. I just knew it.

I sat for several minutes staring down the hallway. It was driving me crazy. I stood and slowly walked toward her room. I had to know. If I was trudging into Hell, I wanted to know for sure who was at my side.

I knocked gently on the door. Several seconds past as I heard her shuffling around the room. Then the door opened a sliver. Behind the door, I could see a gentle glow illuminating the room. “Hey, Grace,” she smiled too brightly. “What’s up?”

“Ok, give!” I pushed into the room. No way was I screwing around with this chick, not in my house! “What the hell are you hiding?” I demanded as I looked around the room. “Rusty, huh?” I folded my arms and arched an eyebrow at her.

The room was filled with candles, no doubt produced magically. A glass bowl filled with rippling water sat on the ground. It looked like I had interrupted her attempt at communicating with someone.

“You better start explaining before I rip the information out of your brain along with some healthy chunks of gray matter!” I was getting pissed. I hated secrets. Especially from people who I perceived to be good.

She sat on the bed looking miserable. “Okay, I’m not rusty.”

“Obviously,” I drawled.

“I’m not hiding anything bad, Grace. Honest.”

“Honest?” I screeched. “Don’t use that word. You’re hiding something, that right there isn’t honest!”

“Okay, okay.” She stood, “I’m trying to spy on someone. That’s all!” She knelt down next to the bowl of water. “I just have to know. To see for myself.”

I sat on the bed and sighed. “Who is so important?” I asked, ready to just throttle her and be done with it.

“My brother.” Her shoulders slumped, “He’s been poisoned or something. I don’t know. The things I’ve heard can’t be true.” She looked up and I sucked in my breath.

I knew that look. That pathetic wounded soul look!

“Lucian?” I stood. “Lucian is your brother!” I knelt and grabbed her shoulders. I jerked her to face me, feeling stunned. “Well?”

She sniffed and nodded her head. “Yes. He is.” Her green eyes sparkled with tears that broke free and flowed down her pale cheeks. “I was bitten twenty years ago, Grace. He was always there for me, but I couldn’t bring him into that. Lucian is a good man, Grace. You can’t believe what you see.”

I stared at her in utter shock. “Why didn’t you let him know you were at least alive? He thinks he has no family.”

“I disappeared from his life for a good reason. The wolves crave power and never knew I had any. I was so young,” She was bawling. “And now he’s been sucked in anyway. He’s been tainted by the demon and that horrible woman.” She grabbed my arms. “How can one woman change a man so much?” She clung to me, desperate for the answer.

“I wish I knew,” then a thought popped into my head and I smiled. “Wait a minute, maybe I do!” I leveled a look at her that stopped her wails instantly. “What do you know about possession?”

“Possession?” she sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve. I smiled and nodded.

“We have a lot to talk about!” I raced from the room, “Grab those books and follow me.” I yelled as I entered the kitchen. I could hear books tumble and fall to the floor as Jamie rushed to catch up.

“Lucian kissed me!” I rushed on as she dropped the books onto the table.

“I knew something was wrong the second he did it! He never kisses me. But then, Oh but then,” I slapped the table, “I couldn’t read his mind!” I shouted.

Jamie stared at me blankly, as if I had suddenly started speaking Latin. “My brother never kisses you, so that must mean he’s possessed by a demon? What, he never got up the nerve to do it before? Damn, what’s wrong with you two?” She frowned.

I glared at her, “We’re friends.” I said dryly. “But, no, that’s not it at all. See, when he kissed me I got a nose full of smoke and ash. Well, not actual smoke and ash, but the smell. Like the fires of Hell and like I said, I couldn’t hear his mind.” At her disapproving look, I smiled. “No, I never actually read it, but his mind always gave off a comforting hum. Now, there’s nothing.”

“So you’re saying that only a demon would be ballsy enough to kiss you?” She slumped onto a chair at the table.

“It’s not about the kiss, James, it’s everything Lucian has done so far. See? You said so yourself that Lydia was working with Voltaire, but Patrick told me she was working with Lucian. You could smell Voltaire, but you were always drugged, you never saw the face of the people torturing you!” I was buzzing with adrenalin, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

“Let me get this straight” she leaned forward. “You’re saying that my own brother tortured me? Pulled my wolf out slowly while watching me writhe in agony? No way, Grace! No way! Lucian wouldn’t let that happen!” She folded her arms as new tears flowed, only to bond with the big wet spot already staining her shirt.

“You’re absolutely right; Lucian wouldn’t do that but Voltaire in Lucian’s skin would.” I sat, amazed. Convincing her had convinced me. God, the violent sex! The crazy, dick head attitude! No wonder Seth was leery of him. He must have had an idea. He tried to warn me. Shit, again with the total stupidity!

“Okay,” she sniffed. Looking completely defeated, “What can we do?”

I watched her, shocked that I never realized her relationship to Lucian before. Her skin was pale and her eyes were green, but her face had the same shape, her hair was the same pretty blonde.

“Lucian Alexandre,” I whispered. “I’m going to kick Voltaire’s Ass!”

A strange wave of certainty flowed through my body. I felt so completely sure of myself, so entirely confident.

“I want my brother back, Grace.” Jamie’s voice cut through my euphoria. “I want my life back. Tell me what to do, I’ll do anything.”

“We’ll do it together, and we’re doing it now!” I started pulling a bunch of food out of the fridge. “Let’s feed your tape worm and then get our Asses to Hell.”