This Curse - By Alisha Basso Page 0,55

just burst, injuring you, and scaring me. So far they still believe we’re just a couple of witches.”

I looked at the men as they spoke. Lucian stood with his arms folded as always, but this time, his head was lowered. One foot rested on the edge of a table leg, his heel bounced up and down rapidly. He looked nervous.

The other man was taller. His shoulders were broader, more defined than Lucian’s and his blonde hair was much lighter, almost white. Cut close to the man’s head, it looked almost military. I could see the tips of a tattoo poking out of the collar of his shirt. His back was facing us and I found myself wishing hard that he would turn around.

The blonde man’s shoulders stiffened and he stopped speaking. I realized my mistake, sucking in a shocked gasp. What did I just do? I might as well have called out to him. Panic flooded me as he slowly turned to look at us. I flinched, trying desperately to look away. It was impossible. His eyes found and held mine.

A frown drew his brows together. It did nothing to mar his exquisite beauty. He stepped forward slowly, his face a puzzle of wonder.

I watched him move, a strange heat filled my body as if an ancient part of my soul had just awoken. He was somehow familiar to me. My heart began to hammer in my chest and my breathing sped up as he came closer.

I was frozen with fear. I knew… I knew who this creature was.

“No…” I felt the blood drain from my face.

“Lucifer,” it was sound on breath but it might as well have been a shout.

Jamie gasped, staring at the man in horror, she sputtered. “Lucif...” and then thankfully, she fainted dead away.

I struggled to pull her limp body close to mine, it was the only thing I could think of to do and I felt a bit better when she was firmly pressed against my side.

He was still approaching almost too slowly now, Lucian following a fair distance behind.

I shrank back as he drew closer, yet I was still unable to look away. This was the Big Bad! Beelzebub. This was the angel cast out of Heaven. He was the ultimate evil, and he was looking at me!

“You are nothing that you seem, are you, little imp?” he spoke, his voice reached out like a living thing, caressing me, tempting me to answer. ‘Open up. Trust’ it soothed. I was transfixed, mesmerized by the movement of his perfectly sculpted lips. I jerked my eyes from his mouth, shaking my head I focused on his knees.

“Tell me, little one. What are you in truth?” He knelt down, leveling his face with mine. “Your power pushed me.” He looked down and frowned as if realizing the significance of that for the first time. Standing, he glared at me. “You compelled me?” He turned to Lucian and then back to look at me again. He smiled and I watched in horror as understanding filled his eyes. I stared spellbound and watched him as if I was floating in a sort of numb state of stupidity. He looked at Lucian again and then started to laugh.

I was unable to move. I watched his hands rise up. Man, tattoos peeked out of his shirt cuffs? Yum, so sexy. I shook my head, alarmed at my thoughts. Fuck! Something was so wrong! He was the ultimate seducer. I was being seduced and he wasn’t even trying! I watched his long fingers as they glowed with power.

Power?

Oh no.

A bolt of crackling power shot from his hands, hitting me square in the face. Pain entered every cell of my blood and I shot backward. I screamed as my skin sizzled with blistering heat. The power shot off of my skin and onto Jamie. My glamour boiled and then melted from my Madea flesh. My hair erupted from the confines of the tiny cloak, which now lay shredded on the floor at my feet. I had been thoroughly stripped of all shards of my glamour and my skin glowed with the power of the Madea. Panicked, I sucked in my breath and searched for Jamie. I was strong, thanks to my power, but Jamie was still human. She may be a witch, but she was mortal.

She lay motionless, her glamour gone, just as mine was. Her clothing was gone as well. Not from any purpose of his, but the simple fact that we