Succubus Shadows Page 0,89

don't know what they did."

"I can make some good guesses."

I stopped in my struggles, and at last, the full force of everything that had happened descended on me. My being's full depletion hit me. I sagged in his arms, and he caught me. The sights and people around me were still a little muddled, but lots of things were starting to come back.

"You were supposed to keep me safe," I said in a small voice. I felt my eyes grow wet. "You shouldn't have let that happen - let them take me. You're supposed to protect me."

Jerome looked truly surprised and didn't respond to me immediately. I was afraid he'd get angry, but instead, he said quietly, "Yes. I am. I did in the end, but - I was late."

"Great apology," said Carter.

Now Jerome's anger returned. "I have nothing to apologize for!" He turned back to me, and again, his voice was calm and patient. Almost gentle. I knew this was uncharacteristic for him. "I brought you back. You're safe now. They will never harm you again. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Good. Now it's time to finish this."

Jerome turned toward the humans. One of them was old, very old - with dark brown skin and graying hair. His eyes were compassionate. The other man was younger, with messy hair and brown eyes that turned honey-amber when the light caught them. He was staring at me like he knew me, which wasn't a surprise because I knew him too. I didn't know how, but I did. In fact, I was beginning to realize I knew everyone in this room. Other names were coming back to me. This one man's name eluded me, though, largely because several kept popping into my head. He studied me intently, like he was trying to figure something out, and I found myself falling into those golden brown eyes.

Jerome said something to the gray-haired man in that other language. I still couldn't understand it, but there was something familiar about its sounds. The old man didn't answer or move right away, and palpable tension fell over the entire room. At last the old man took a wand he was holding and began touching points on the circle upon the floor, murmuring softly as he did. When he touched the circle a fourth time, it was as though a great pressure - one I hadn't even known was there - was released from the room.

Jerome exchanged a few curt words with the man and then turned to me. "As I was saying, how you're conscious is beyond me - but considering all the other absurd things you do, I shouldn't be surprised."

He stepped toward me and pressed his fingers to my forehead. I gasped as a jolt of...something...raced through me. At first, it was shocking and prickly. Then, it transformed into something sweeter and more wonderful. The most wonderful thing on earth. It filled me up, energizing me, making me whole. Until this moment, how could I have thought I was alive?

The world came into greater focus, the sights grew more familiar. I staggered, not from weakness this time, but from the pure bliss of life Jerome had gifted me with. He said something to me in that other language, and I frowned, not understanding.

He spoke again in my own words. "Change back, Georgina. Time to go."

"Change to what?"

"Whatever you want. Your current favorite, I'd imagine. Not this." His hand gestured toward my body.

I examined myself for the first time. I wasn't quite as tall as him, a few inches shorter, maybe. My legs and arms were long and lean, my skin tanned from the sun. A plain ivory dress covered me, and I could see the tips of black hair falling onto my chest. I frowned. This was me...and yet not me.

"Change back, Georgina," he repeated.

"That's not my name," I said.

"Shake off what they've done," he said, clearly impatient. "It's over. They've fogged your mind, but you can clear it. Change back, Georgina. Come back to this time." His next words were in that other language, and I shook my head angrily.

"I don't understand. I shouldn't be here. This is my body, but this isn't my time."

He gave another command that I still didn't comprehend, and I uttered the same response. Three times we went through this, and then on the fourth, his words came through to me, perfectly understandable. I knew what he was speaking. The English language exploded in my mind, and with it, much more.

I