“Disappeared is correct, so I can’t answer your question about Grainne, because I really don’t know.”
“You were there, how is it possible you did not see Grainne leave?” She frowned.
“We’ve spoken of so very many impossibilities in the past hours…”
“Witnessed a good number, too,” Grace added. A month ago, she would have thought loving Luc impossible.
“I looked for her. After the curse, I was weak. I had to return to my bed. I let Cal and the others deal with Mawu’s body and everything else. Grainne was not in the bed when I laid down in my weakened state.”
“So, Grainne vanished while you spoke with Mawu, while she cursed you?”
“Yes.” Luc said.
“I wonder what happened.” She crossed the bed once more, needing to sit beside him.
“Think you are safe sitting so close?” He waggled his eyebrows.
She batted her lashes in return. “I’ll be safer when we can get much closer, but we aren’t finished talking yet, are we?”
“No,” he acknowledged. “If you are both Grace and Grainne, do you think you might try to remember? Whatever happened to her, Grainne lived it, so she would remember it.” Luc placed an arm around her shoulders.
Grace leaned into him. “I’m not certain how to do that, if I even can.”
“A problem for another day then. Come rest with me, now. We have a number of complex matters to deal with. We will be much more effective when we are well rested.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“I should probably get home. It must be close to dawn, and the dogs will need attention.”
“I’ll wake you before then.”
“Before dawn or before the dogs need me?” Grace snuggled into his arms.
“Whichever. My body tells me the position of the moon, and the dogs are in the hold, so we’ll both hear them.”
“Right. They’ve been so quiet, I nearly forgot. How is it you feel the moon phases?”
Luc smiled. “The curse gave the moon power over my existence. I told you how painful it was to exist in two worlds at one time?”
“Yes, I remember that.” She yawned.
“That pain, like the rest of me, is linked to the moon. It ebbs and flows like the tide, but it is always present. Because the tide is different from one location to another, the moon’s pull becomes more stressful the farther I am from theOnly Love.”
“Fascinating.” Grace gave another yawn.
“Sleep now. I’ll make sure all three of you are home by morning.”
“Only if you’ll kiss me first.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Sweet Dreams Plantation House
April 18, 1912, Waning Crescent Moon
Grace woke in her own bed. Pale dawn light filtered in through the closed French windows. She wished Luc was with her, but as he’d carried her home, he’d said something about checking on DeLille and Guidry. Across the room, the dogs performed their early morning, “we need to go out” dance.
“All right, all right.” She sat up, and glanced down. Heat suffused her face. She was naked. Must have left my clothes on theOnly Love. “Just let me put on a robe.”
Mars and Mercury were on her heels all the way down the wide staircase. Taking note of the steady fall of rain, she let them out, while she prepared their food and water bowls.
