“I ended up trying to and successfully seducing his dad, and when it worked—which I didn’t think it would—I had a change of heart. He got upset, and when I tried to stop it, he tried to keep going. Things got close…” I grimace at the ugly memory. “Then my electricity manifested and severely hurt him. Their house caught fire, and I fled. I’ve never told anyone that before.”
Now that it is out and done, relief eases the tension in my shoulders, releasing them like a burden lifted.
“Why not?”
I give a small shrug. “I don’t know. My parents knew something had happened because I’d told them beforehand I was heading over to see Zack. But when I said he hadn’t been home so I left and had nothing to do with the fire, they believed me. And Zack’s dad didn’t mention me when he woke up in the hospital the next morning. He blamed a kitchen appliance.”
“What happened after?”
I sigh. “I broke up with Zack and buried the rest. I thought I could run from it, and I made an oath never to let another man get close to me… like that. It’s made me very lonely. There. Is that good enough for you?” I ask bitterly.
“No, because you still haven’t told me what youneed,” Sepher says. “Do you want me to take away your memories of that day? Do you want Zack’s attention back? Perhaps revenge?—”
“You,” I blurt out. “I wanted you. I want—needed—something and it was you.”
As the rest of my unease about the past and those choices I made continues to dissolve, I curl my arms over my stomach. It feels strange, almost… like it’s pulsing.
“Me?” He grins his usual devilish grin, the gleam of narcissistic mischief returning to light up his eyes.
It almost distracts me from my stomach, which is bigger than it was earlier, much bigger. Pushing him aside, I sit upright and stare down at my new belly, reclaiming all my stress and dread again in a heartbeat.
“Sepher? What did you do to me now?” I shriek.
“Me.”
He laughs and laughs.
Chapter 15
High Noon Thoughts
Grace
Wading to the edge of Cobbin Lake, I clasp the last shreds of my mother’s ruined dress to me, praying no one sees me before I make it to my car, practically naked as the day I was born. I’ve lost nearly all my clothing to Sepher's manhandling; they’ve been as good as sacrificed.
Whatever. I figure nudity is a small price to pay to be alive at all, especially alive and well-fucked and back home. Sepher wasn’t going to let me redress anyway, not while in his presence. I’d be more likely to be given something I don’t want to wear just as much as something I do if I tried to argue.
I take a moment to press my bare feet into the silt and pebbles at the bottom of Cobbin Lake, appreciating the fact that Sepher returned me by the shore. Facing the house, the sun gets in my eyes, much higher than it was when I left. The windows glint brilliantly in its light, and the trees surrounding the house sway from a gentle breeze.
Hell was…okay.
But it’s nothing compared to home.
Walking the rest of the way to the beach, I wipe my feet, grateful for the soft grass, the clear water, and the solid ground. I guess my opinions on Cobbin Lake have changed.
“Grace, I expect an offering soon. In fact, I will be waiting for it. Don’t make me wait long,” Sepher warns teasingly.
I look to the left and find him lounging in a devil-may-care way on a wet inlay under the shade of a tree offshore, most of him still in the water. His form wavers like it’s weightless against the breeze, and I know he’s not physically there. He’s projecting, given partial access to Earth by our bond. “I just left,” I grouse, clutching the dress to my front and stepping away from the water before his tentacles pull me back in. “I didn’t expect you to be so needy so soon.” I tease him back.
Hearing the slam of a car door, I jolt and spin away, not waiting for his reply. Dashing up onto the whitewashed deck and gathering my things on the chair, I jump back down into the manicured grass and hunker low. Scurrying to the side of the house where my car is still parked, I dodge under the open windows, praying that the renters aren’t already here.
I don’t know what time of day it is, though I’m certain it has to be around noon. Is it tomorrow? Did I spend a whole day in Hell?
I try not to think about it as I round the last of the honeysuckle bushes to the additional side driveway where my dad stores his pontoon. Plucking my keys from my items, I unlock my car and jump in. Once inside I glance over my shoulder and discover two unfamiliar cars in the main driveway, one with the trunk open and luggage sitting out waiting to be taken inside.
Damn it.
Shaking out my clothes from yesterday, I quickly start to shimmy them on, and while I do, I notice a large glowing black symbol on the center of my chest. I immediately recognize it as one of the symbols in the summoning circle and wonder if it has to do with Sepher’s insignia. As I watch, the symbol fades into my skin, and I breathe a sigh of relief. That would require some wild explaining.
