world regrets.” Lucien adds ever so helpfully.
“That too.” I sit up in my chair and lean on my knees. When I do, the world starts spinning. This is new and interesting and… not pleasant. I rub my eyes to try to wipe the cobwebs away. Can I just sleep? “Help me, Lucien. Help me find her. If I can talk to her, I know we can figure out a way to stop it.”
“You really think you can stop her… by talking to her?” He raises a brow very high on his forehead and shakes his head. “He was right about you.” He adds under his breath.
That most certainly catches my attention. I would sit up straighter, but it’s sort of impossible with the room turning on its side. “What did you say?”
He blinks a few times at me. “What? I didn’t say anything.”
“Don’t lie to me,” I say as I try to stand. I’m wobbling toward him when the phone rings. Not like a house phone, but like a cellphone. Except neither of us should have a cellphone.
Except it’s coming from Lucien’s direction.
Except that should be impossible.
Wait…
When I was in the shower earlier, I remember the phone ringing and hearing Lucien’s voice.
So either he’s been talking to someone or…
My foggy eyes meet his.
His meet mine.
I stalk toward Lucien. At least he has the good sense to back away from me.
“What did you do?”
My insides feel like they’re going to fall apart. My heart is either beating really fast or really slow. I can’t tell. The fog engulfing my brain is getting thicker, more dense. It takes everything I have to move my limbs.
I’d think it was a side effect of the climbing out of my grave if Lucien was having the same side effects. He seems fine. I seem like death warmed over.
Or a person drugged.
Or… a person… drugged.
I look at the table and notice for the first time that Lucien had two plates of sausage, two plates of bacon…. two plates of everything. One closest to him. One closest to me…
A person drugged.
“You…” My legs give way, and I catch myself on the back of the kitchen chair. It creaks under my weight and scoots a bit, making me lose my balance and fall to my knees on the floor, right in front of Lucien.
He isn’t smiling. He isn’t frowning. He’s just looking at me. Or at least it seems so in my foggy vision. “It was my idea, Hart.” He squats in front of me. “I knew you wouldn’t let us do what needs to be done to save the world. I knew you’d try to stop us, and Seth is the only one of us who has powers. So, I told him I’d keep you busy, keep you out of his way, if—”
“If he took care of Gracen.” I’ve never felt more betrayed in my life, and that’s saying a lot. My words sound funny in my own ears. Like I’m heading down a deep, dark tunnel. “Do you know what he’ll do to her?”
“Whatever needs to be done.”
The floor tilts to the side. I go with it until my back is on the floor, and I’m staring up at my big brother. “What did he promise you to be his babysitter, huh? What price is so important that you’d betray me like this?”
He bites his lip. “He promised to let me back into Heaven.”
Well then. I can’t argue with that. If I were Lucien, hell I might have made the same deal. But I’m not Lucien. And I have a vested interest in Gracen not being destroyed.
“That might happen sooner than you think, brother.” I try to get up, but I can’t. I want to punch him in the nose. My arm won’t cooperate.
“It won’t hurt you, brother. It’ll only make you sleep for a while.” Lucien’s words are so far away. Like I’m falling down a deep, dark tunnel. I don’t know how he got the drugs, I don’t know what they are, but I pray to God they don’t knock me out too long. I have to fight it.
I have to stay awake and get away from Lucien.
I have to find Seth.
I have to save Gracen.
My eyes are so heavy, and the world is spinning like I’m on a carnival ride.
Lucien set me up.
My eyelids win, and my body shuts
“That too.” I sit up in my chair and lean on my knees. When I do, the world starts spinning. This is new and interesting and… not pleasant. I rub my eyes to try to wipe the cobwebs away. Can I just sleep? “Help me, Lucien. Help me find her. If I can talk to her, I know we can figure out a way to stop it.”
“You really think you can stop her… by talking to her?” He raises a brow very high on his forehead and shakes his head. “He was right about you.” He adds under his breath.
That most certainly catches my attention. I would sit up straighter, but it’s sort of impossible with the room turning on its side. “What did you say?”
He blinks a few times at me. “What? I didn’t say anything.”
“Don’t lie to me,” I say as I try to stand. I’m wobbling toward him when the phone rings. Not like a house phone, but like a cellphone. Except neither of us should have a cellphone.
Except it’s coming from Lucien’s direction.
Except that should be impossible.
Wait…
When I was in the shower earlier, I remember the phone ringing and hearing Lucien’s voice.
So either he’s been talking to someone or…
My foggy eyes meet his.
His meet mine.
I stalk toward Lucien. At least he has the good sense to back away from me.
“What did you do?”
My insides feel like they’re going to fall apart. My heart is either beating really fast or really slow. I can’t tell. The fog engulfing my brain is getting thicker, more dense. It takes everything I have to move my limbs.
I’d think it was a side effect of the climbing out of my grave if Lucien was having the same side effects. He seems fine. I seem like death warmed over.
Or a person drugged.
Or… a person… drugged.
I look at the table and notice for the first time that Lucien had two plates of sausage, two plates of bacon…. two plates of everything. One closest to him. One closest to me…
A person drugged.
“You…” My legs give way, and I catch myself on the back of the kitchen chair. It creaks under my weight and scoots a bit, making me lose my balance and fall to my knees on the floor, right in front of Lucien.
He isn’t smiling. He isn’t frowning. He’s just looking at me. Or at least it seems so in my foggy vision. “It was my idea, Hart.” He squats in front of me. “I knew you wouldn’t let us do what needs to be done to save the world. I knew you’d try to stop us, and Seth is the only one of us who has powers. So, I told him I’d keep you busy, keep you out of his way, if—”
“If he took care of Gracen.” I’ve never felt more betrayed in my life, and that’s saying a lot. My words sound funny in my own ears. Like I’m heading down a deep, dark tunnel. “Do you know what he’ll do to her?”
“Whatever needs to be done.”
The floor tilts to the side. I go with it until my back is on the floor, and I’m staring up at my big brother. “What did he promise you to be his babysitter, huh? What price is so important that you’d betray me like this?”
He bites his lip. “He promised to let me back into Heaven.”
Well then. I can’t argue with that. If I were Lucien, hell I might have made the same deal. But I’m not Lucien. And I have a vested interest in Gracen not being destroyed.
“That might happen sooner than you think, brother.” I try to get up, but I can’t. I want to punch him in the nose. My arm won’t cooperate.
“It won’t hurt you, brother. It’ll only make you sleep for a while.” Lucien’s words are so far away. Like I’m falling down a deep, dark tunnel. I don’t know how he got the drugs, I don’t know what they are, but I pray to God they don’t knock me out too long. I have to fight it.
I have to stay awake and get away from Lucien.
I have to find Seth.
I have to save Gracen.
My eyes are so heavy, and the world is spinning like I’m on a carnival ride.
Lucien set me up.
My eyelids win, and my body shuts
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