THIS TIME (The Grace Allen Series Book Three Paranormal Romance) (20 page)

His
deadly teeth gleamed as he spoke. “I hate that you had to see me like this. But
you left me no choice, my bride.” He gripped a blade in each hand. “You tried
to win the day, but unfortunately, like all failed heroes. I’m afraid you are
too late.”

He
lifted the blades.

Time
slowed as my spell wound down to the end. A few more words and it would all go
away. I concentrated hard, my mind never slowed as Lu smiled, and with both
hands, he deftly severed the heads from the men I knew I loved more than life
itself.

TWENTY NINE

Time
is a strange thing. Some say it marches on. Well, that’s pretty much true.
Pretty
much.
Time always moves, but its progress isn’t always forward. I lived in
a world where time is a weapon. A weapon few creatures knew how to use, I was
one of them.

Well,
at least I was
hoping
I was.

The
world was black. I kind of hated black at the moment. It felt too absolute. Too
final.

“So,
did I royally screw us all?” I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.

“No,
Grace. This is the in-between.”

She
was warm and I reached out. Without seeing, I felt her.

“Where
are we? What the hell is the
in-between
?”

“Open
your eyes.”

I
felt like an idiot. I opened my eyes.

“I’m
glad to see you.”

I
blew out my breath.

She
smiled with my lips. My face. She was everything I always wanted to see in
myself. Beauty was there, but she had a wisdom I lacked.

“Mariee.”
I stepped forward. “How the hell are you here in person? Aren’t you supposed to
be
inside
me?”

“This
is where I have always been.
You
are the visitor.” She smiled, her gown
fluttering in the breeze.

I
spun, we were in a forest. The sky was bluer than it should have been, the
grass too green. “What am I doing here?”

“You
shifted time. You tell me,” she laughed.

The
horrors of only moments before bombarded me and I spun. “Oh, God!
Lucian,
Seth!”
I looked at my hands, then I grabbed hers, pulling her close. “He
killed them!” I screamed.

Blood had covered the ground, some of it had splashed onto the
skirt of my gown. He slashed at them so fast.

I
gasped. My chest squeezed and I clutched my chest, falling to my knees I choked
on my sobs.

Mariee
followed me to the grass, her eyes filled with tears. “Yes. Your friends are
dead,” I felt her try to meet my eyes. She touched my knee. “So what do you
plan to do about it?”

I
looked up, shocked. She appeared as a bright blob through my tears, and I
sniffed and rubbed my eyes. “Cain said that once something happened in hell,
that’s it. It must remain.” I choked out. Overwhelmed with my own revelation
and the certain truth, I lowered my head into my hands and sobbed. I had taken
too long and they had paid the ultimate price.

“Life
and death are constant. Time is powerful.” I looked up and she smiled. “
Think
Grace. This is only a stopping point, you aren’t finished.”

I
stood and took a few steps away.

“Wait,”
I said, turning back, “are you trying to tell me that life and death aren’t
bound by the laws of Hell?” I smiled, feeling a small shard of relief slowly
creep in.

“Satan
does not control that power. As much as he tries, that power is and always will
be beyond him. He can bring death and even bring life, but the ultimate control
has never been his. Time is a stronger master to those who know how to use it, to
those allowed to maneuver its dangers.”

“What
do I do?” I balled my hands at my sides.

“Well,
that is the tricky part. Do you
really
want to do this, Grace? You do
understand the risk?”

I
closed my eyes. “I understand.” I nodded, determined. I knew that I had planned
the best I could have. My words were exact.

“You
know you have no control of
when
you land?” she warned. Her voice so
much deeper than mine. Or perhaps mine really sounded like that. “You could
undo too much, end up erasing it all.”

I
let out the breath I’d been holding.

“Yeah.”
I nodded again. “I’m ready.”

She
took my hand in hers. Her skin was warm and dry and I felt strong.

“Then
open your eyes, Grace,” she whispered as the world went dark.

THIRTY

I
screamed, ice covered my skin as I flailed my arms out. I kicked. My leg was
stuck. I felt paralyzed, which was stupid because I was moving around like a
windmill. I swung out in a panic once more, only to come into contact with
something hard. I slowly opened one eye and then the other. It was bright and I
flinched back, squinting. Why the hell did light always feel like it that was
slicing my brain open?

I
froze, my mouth opened in confusion.

I
was in a car, my lap covered with loose tampons and cotton balls.

What
the fuck?

I
tried to move, only to realize I was being paralyzed by the seatbelt. I sat up
and picked up one of the white tubes. I stared at it for a long time it seemed,
and then I looked up.

I remember this car.

I
frowned and turned around to study the contents.

Boxes
and bags. Clothes on hangers draped over the seats.

I
felt a rush of adrenaline.

“Are
you coming, Grace?” I jerked my head toward the sound of Jamie’s voice. The
screen door slammed as she went inside Lucian’s house.
Her
house.

My
skin tingled all over and I stared straight ahead.

Oh
my God! It worked! It really freaking worked. I threw the tampon and covered my
mouth with my hands. Filled with an insane euphoria, I began to laugh.

“I
fucking did it!”

I
slapped my hands over my mouth and looked around frantically, sighing when no
one seemed to have heard me.

Movement
caught my eye and I threw my hands down. Fumbling with the door handle, I scrambled
out of the car, tripping over Jamie’s belongings and raining feminine hygiene
products onto the rocks. I gripped the side of the door, trying not to fall on
my face.

 More
adrenaline surged into my limbs and I stumbled away from the car, scanning the drive
in a panic. I thought I might have messed up but then I saw him; strutting up
the steps, his little kitty tail sticking into the air. I smiled and let out a
breath as Puck disappeared into the room above the garage.

I
stood for several seconds, trying to force myself to breathe slowly. I worked
to piece together my thoughts, but the only thing I could process was that
Lucian was up there,
alive
! He had stolen my blood and had gone pretty
damn far at making himself a Madea. He was thinking of nothing more than
competing with Seth,
who was also fucking alive!
He was hurting and I
was the ass for not seeing it.

Yep,
it was mostly my fault. I was the selfish one…

They are alive! He is only a few steps away… Right up there
.

My
body trembled uncontrollably as reality zinged through me. I fisted my shaking
hands.

He is alive.

I
smiled and did a little dance in the dirt. My mind was everywhere at once.
Straightening my clothing, I stepped onto the first stair. The wood creaked and
I had to force my body to calm down and not race up the steps or I would end up
re-living everything all over again.

The
door was open just a crack. I stood there as memories of what happened last
time flooded my mind.

I
shielded my body with magic. This time, when Quick Draw threw his magic at me,
I would deflect it.

I
pressed on the painted wood, opening the door wide. He was there, the same as
last time. Sunshine framed him once again, painting him with golden light. I
smiled, knowing that soon he would turn that beautiful back away from me and
his eyes would be silver and bronze.

“Lucian?”
I said, softly.

He
rose and then spun on his heel, he looked at me. No power flew from his hands,
he’d heard my voice and knew it was me.

Well son of a bitch
, I laughed to myself. If only I had
done that to begin with none of this would have happened. How simple. Ironic. More
proof that all of this was indeed my fault.

I
looked down, feeling overwhelmed as the truth hit home.

I
looked up once again. Seeing him standing there, alive and healthy made my
heart almost burst. Then I frowned, his eyes were no longer looking at me. They
were wide and full of fear as they focused on the bags of empty blood near my
feet.

I
followed his gaze and then he lurched forward, his face a mask of panic.

I
threw out my hand. “Lucian, please no.”

He
froze, his shoulders slumped.

“Grace,
I…” He held out his hands in surrender.

“No.” 

He
flinched and rubbed his hand down his face, he closed his eyes and shook his
head.

I
pulled in a slow breath through my nose and smiled.

“Don’t
explain,” I said, moving closer, my heart swelling. “Please, I’m the one who
needs to
explain
.”

 His
brows pulled down, his expression dumbfounded.

I
took his hands. They were warm and soft. I met his beautiful eyes and pulled
him close. And then I sighed and yanked him hard against me, crushing him in my
arms as hard as I could. Tears streamed down my face and I pulled in his scent
through my nose.

“I
don’t understand,” he mumbled into my hair and then he pulled away.

I
stepped back, and slid my shirt sleeve across my eyes.

“I
know,” I sniffed, laughing. “Just understand one thing, okay?”

“
Alright
,”
he said slowly, shaking his head. He looked completely confused and a little
worried.

I
cleared my throat and took his hands in mine once again.

“I
know how angry you were at me,” I began, “I left you and made you think that
you were nothing. That was wrong of me. I handled everything so badly and I
understand that all the things you’ve been doing were a result of what I pushed
you to do.”

He
opened his mouth, his brows high.

“It
doesn’t make it all okay,” I rushed on, “but I want you to know that I’m not
mad. I’m not mad and I still love you, okay?” I watched his face. Emotions came
and fled as I spoke.  

He
frowned. “I’m not sure what happened to bring this on, Grace. But I’m not going
to say anything except, thank you.” He met my eyes. “I know I was wrong and I
thank you for making me feel better about my mistakes.”

His
relief hit me like a wave and I had to brace myself on his shoulders to keep
from staggering backwards.

The bonds were back.

Oh
no.

I
wasn’t sure if the bonds that Lu had severed would return when I turned back
the clock, but now I knew for sure. I’d put the pieces together and now I understood
that perhaps not all of the feelings I had when it came to these men, had
always been my own.

 “We
have a few things to talk about,” I sighed, knowing that this little bit of
info was really going to really piss them off. “How about dinner at my house
tonight?” I smiled.

“Alone?”
he leaned forward, smiling and my stomach fluttered with pleasure.

I
had to hand it to him, he was a beautiful charmer.

“Well,
no
.” I was sad to say. “We
all
have a lot to talk about.”

A
giggle rang throughout the room and Lucian and I spun. Jamie stood by the door,
her hand over her mouth. She had tears in her eyes.

“You
two are speaking,” she gushed. “I’m so happy.”

I
whistled out a breath. Damn, I was still on edge. Hopefully it wouldn’t last or
surprises would become unpleasant. I looked at my friend. “Are you free for
dinner as well, James?”

Her
eyes lit, “Of course,” she laughed, and then she really looked at Lucian and I
knew then and there that he had kept his deception from her as well. Her face
contorted as she examined him.

“What
the
fuck
?” she shouted as Lucian’s eyes glowed like a cat in headlights.

“Grace!”
she screeched, “look what he’s done!” She looked apoplectic. “Oh my God, holy
fuck, Luc!” 

He
sighed, and then bent and started cleaning up the empty bags of blood.

Her
eyes bugged out and she started toward him, her hands curled into claws. I
grabbed her. “Stop, James. It’s okay. Leave him be, okay?”

“Are
you freaking crazy?” she shouted into my face. “Luc, you stupid douche-bag, a-hole!”
she shouted, trying to get around me. “You stole her blood!” she screamed and
then stopped short. “Wait, why aren’t you pissed?” Her eyes narrowed.

Lucian
stood, tossing the last of the bags into the waste basket. “Yeah. I’m kind of
surprised you’re not trying to tear my eyes out too.” He ran his hand through
his long hair, tousling it, then he frowned. “Wait a second.” He stepped close
to me, his hands on his hips, “I just realized, you came in here as if you
already knew what I’d done.” He examined my face closely. “What’s happened to
you, Gracie? Something feels strange with you.” He touched my arm where my mark
had once taken up most of my skin. It tingled and I flinched back.

“I
can’t tell you right now. Can we save it for later?” I asked, backing from the
room. “Please, just come to the house tonight and I swear I’ll tell you as much
as you need to know.”

Lucian
opened his mouth and I turned before he could speak and quickly raced from the
room. Funny, I thought I would leave feeling happy without a worry in the
world, yet now dread had found its way to me again.