This Curse - By Alisha Basso Page 0,30

of people on this miserable little planet that will be tortured if Voltaire succeeds with what ever the hell he is planning. You, Sweet, are all that stands in his way. You! Do you understand? Take a chance. Use your power. Stop hiding behind your fear, because you and I both know it is nothing but a sad excuse. I demand you open your eyes, Sweet. You are blinded by your ignorance and your arrogance.”

He grabbed the apple from my hands and walked over to where my pretty chart floated serenely. Then, with a wave of his hand, the name ‘Lucian’ appeared under the word ‘enemy’.

I stared, unable to form words.

He turned and faced me. “Things aren’t going to remain the same simply because you want them to.” He took a huge bite out of the apple and tossed it back to me as he turned and left the room.

I felt my mouth drop open as I stared at the apple. Seth ate food? How was that possible? I dropped the apple. It rolled about three inches to lay forgotten as I ran after him.

TEN

The most annoying thing about running after a man is that it makes you look desperate. Seth was at the door and it appeared he was leaving. “Stop!” I shouted. When he turned the knob and threw the door open, I sent a jolt of power out, it slammed into the wall beside his head, freezing him in his tracks.

“Please?” I whispered.

“Why, Grace?” He turned. “Why should I stay? You act as though you are infinitely more superior. No one can be the same as you. As if I do not know my own body? Can you blame me for hiding my changes? You treat me like a fool who must be pitied. I have been alive longer than you could fathom. Yet, you think that in all of that time I would not notice a change when it came? I am not what I once was, yet you treat me as if I am some sort of idiot child.”

Overwhelmed, I threw my hands up and shouted, “What the hell did you expect me to do?” I closed the distance between us. “Did you ever come out and say, ‘Hey, Grace, I’m just as powerful as you?’ No, you are all mysterious and secretive. You hid from me just as I hide from you. If you wanted me to welcome you as a Madea, you should have told me. God. You are an idiot child!”

He glared at me and turned on his heel. I ran after him again. “Why are you so pissed?” I stopped in the middle of my driveway. “Something else is wrong, Seth. Spill it. Enough games.”

He turned. I could feel his anger pushing at me like a wall of heat. His eyes had bled to solid silver and his teeth were long. All the signs of a vampire losing his temper. Lovely!

He glared at me. Growling in frustration, he threw his hands out. “Of course I hid it from you. Of course I lied! I am not as powerful as a full Madea and now, I am no longer a full vampire. You figure it out. This is my curse, Grace! I have not felt the sun on my face in centuries, but my strength and abilities as a vampire were enough of a fair trade in my mind. But now,” he spun in a half circle and threw his fist in the air. I flinched as he screamed between clenched teeth, “I know not what I am!” I took an instinctive step back. “I have consumed gallons of your magical blood and yet I am still a fucking vampire!” He fell to his knees, his hands rose to cover his face.

He looked lost and anguished and I felt my heart break as he let out a deafening roar. Something in me felt his pain it was a link. I had no idea what a maker could feel for the creature they create but I knew one thing for sure it was strong. I ran to his side, falling to my knees beside him, I cradled his head in my arms.

“Show me your secrets, Sweet?” he whispered, turning his alien eyes to me. “Show me what might have been?”

“I don’t think...” I began.

Seth pulled away violently. “Why? You enjoy my suffering?”

I felt my eyes well.

“I want so much to change over. I can feel it, you know. It taunts me. Please, I