Fantasy Lover(95)

Heading upstairs, she returned to Julian.

"Grace?" It was an agonized cry that wrenched her heart.

"I'm right here, baby," she said, touching his brow.

He let out a fierce growl like an animal caught in a trap as he threw his body toward her.

Terrified, she stepped away from the bed.

Her legs shaking, Grace went to her closet and found a copy of The Odyssey. She pulled her rocking chair next to the bed and started reading.

It seemed to soothe him. He didn't thrash about quite so severely.

Days went by, and with every one that passed, Grace's hope continued to wilt. Julian had been right. There was no way they could break the curse if he didn't come out of this madness.

Worse, she couldn't stand watching him suffer, hour after hour, without any relief. No wonder he hated his mother. How could Aphrodite allow him to go through this without doing something for him?

And he had suffered like this for centuries.

Grace was at her wits' end. "How could you!" she shouted angrily at the ceiling.

"Eros!" she called. "Can you hear me? Athena? Someone? How can you let him go through this and do nothing? If you have any love for him at all, please help me help him."

As she expected, no one answered.

Grace leaned her head into her hand as she tried to think of something else she could try. Surely, there…

A light flashed in the room.

Startled, Grace looked up to see Aphrodite materializing next to the bed. She couldn't have been more stunned to find a donkey in her house.

Aphrodite's face was pale and strained as she saw her son convulsing in absolute agony. She reached a hand out to him, then drew it back sharply. Balling her hand into a fist, she dropped it to her side.

It was then she looked at Grace. "I do love him," she said quietly.

"I do, too."

Aphrodite's gaze fell to the floor, but Grace could still see her inner turmoil. "If I release him you'll take him from me forever. If I don't release him, we'll both lose him."

Aphrodite locked gazes with her. "I thought about what you said, and you were right. I made him strong and I should never have punished him for it. All I ever wanted was for him to call me mother." She looked at her son. "I just wanted you to love me, Julian. Just a little."

Grace swallowed when she saw the pain on Aphrodite's face as she touched Julian's hand.

Julian hissed as if her touch burned his skin.

Aphrodite let go. "Grace, promise me you'll take good care of him."

"As long as he lets me, I will. I promise."

Aphrodite nodded, then placed her hand on Julian's brow. He threw his head back as if he'd been struck by lightning. Aphrodite leaned over him and kissed him ever so lightly on the lips.

Instantly, his entire body went limp.

The handcuffs fell open, and still Julian didn't move. Grace's heart stopped as she realized he wasn't breathing. Terrified, she reached a trembling hand out to him.

He took a deep, convulsing breath.

Grace saw the familiar longing in Aphrodite's eyes as she held her hand out to a son who didn't even know she was there. It was the same look of yearning she saw so often in Julian's eyes when he didn't know she was watching him.

How could two people need each other so desperately, and yet not be able to reach out to one another?

Aphrodite vanished the instant Julian opened his eyes.

Grace moved to his side. He was shaking so badly, his teeth chattered. His fever gone, now his skin was as cold as ice.

She pulled the blankets off the floor and covered him up.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

"Your mother freed you."

Julian stared in amazement of her words. "My mother? She was here?"

Grace nodded. "She was worried about you."

Julian couldn't believe his hearing. Was it possible?

But why would his mother help him now after all the times she'd turned her back on his suffering and left him to it? It didn't make sense.

His frown deepening, Julian started to slide off the bed.

"No you don't," she said sharply. "I just got you back, and I-"

"I really have to go to the bathroom," he said, interrupting her.

"Oh." Grace helped him from the bed.

His legs were so weak, he needed her support to help him down the hallway. Julian closed his eyes as he inhaled the sweet smell of her. Afraid of hurting her, he tried not to put too much of his weight on her shoulders.

His heart warmed at the way she helped him, at the feel of her arms wrapped around his waist as she walked him down her hallway past the grandfather clock.

His Grace. How would he ever be able to let her go?

After he relieved himself, she ran a hot bath for him and helped him into it.

Julian stared at Grace while she bathed him. He couldn't believe she'd stayed by his side all this time. He didn't remember much about the last few days, but he remembered the sound of her voice soothing him through the darkness.