This Curse - By Alisha Basso Page 0,60

Madea.” He cleared his throat and faced me finally. “She is the most powerful, yet…” He looked at them, “she believed I was a human soldier. You see the battles are heading their way and I knew what they would do if their powers were threatened again. I knew that the noble Madea would cease, and I could not permit that.” He shook his head as he looked at me. “But it seems I had no need to worry. Now come.”

I looked for the couple but they had disappeared. “You said no Madea would go to Hell, but didn’t they all commit suicide? Shouldn’t they all be in Hell?” I was sick at that thought but it quickly fled when the devil sneered.

“Legends can become so foolish and romantic.” He walked to a nearby hut and pulled me with him through the small door. “They never killed themselves. They all went into the ring, Grace. Now they are all inside you.” He shook his head, apparently annoyed with not only the useless sacrifice, but my ignorance as well. “They were pure, not stupid. Mariee most especially as it turned out.”

“No, way. Impossible.” I sputtered and tried to meet his eyes. They all went into the ring?” I whispered in awe, afraid to believe him. He avoided my gaze and stood off to the side of the door. I mirrored his movements. “I don’t believe you. Aren’t you sort of famous for lying?” I folded my arms. “I’m sure it somehow suits your purposes to tell me such outrageous lies, I only wish I knew what your agenda really was.” I glared.

He huffed out his breath and turned to me, his face had twisted into hard angry lines and he grabbed me, his long fingers dug into my arms. Alarmed, I struggled to pull away and he snarled, his blue eyes bled to red. I jerked in fright as he hauled me close and smashed his mouth down onto mine.

My body exploded into flames as he devoured my lips, my tongue was somehow in his mouth, and I screamed inside my mind. Every cell in my body burned with his fire. He was all that was hunger, all that was lust, hate, death, and life. I tried to breathe, tried to pull away as I pulled him closer. I could feel my hands desperately gripping his shoulders, the back of his head.

“Mariee,” his hot breath whispered into my mouth. I felt my mouth moving, forming words that were foreign to my tongue. An ancient language my soul knew by heart. I was full of love and longing. He was my world, my entire life. I knew nothing of love until him.

“Seran.” His ancient name left my lips in a whisper of sadness as we broke the kiss. I looked into his eyes, my mind fully aware of our shared past. The past he and Mariee shared. It was a part of me the same as she was a part of me.

I staggered back, “What was that?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Your proof.” He stated simply.

My knees trembled. “Okay, I believe you.” I admitted. He was telling the truth, for once. I felt her and with that knowledge, I knew that I had always felt her. I felt the others as well in voices and thoughts. Guiding my heart and staying my hand. Maybe my powers did come with an instruction manual. I looked up at him.

“Why are we here?” I searched his face, His lips were swollen and pink from my touch, and I wanted to slap him for making me feel anything for him. “What is all of this?”

“Patience, Grace.”

The flap to the hut opened and Mariee ran in, her face red. Fat tears fell from her eyes as she threw herself to the floor of the hut and wept. Another woman entered, speaking quickly in that strange tongue that I had spoken only moments before. I looked up at Lucifer “What are they saying?”

He shook his head. “You already know, just let it in.”

I huffed at him and folded my arms. When I turned back around, I thought how nice it would be if I could understand, then he could go and suck it! Of course, after that thought, all of their words were clear as crystal.

Know it all.

She was crying over him. Well crap, here we go.

“He is lying to you. He will not protect us from the men. He is here to take you away. I have