Read Online Blood Song by Lynda Hilburn - Free Book Online

you done to me?”
    Her mouth fell open. She didn’t know if she was more shocked by his sudden appearance, his bloody clothes or the strange question. It took her a few seconds to find her voice. “Ethan!” She pointed at his ravaged and stained shirt. “What happened to you? Are you all right? You look like you’ve been attacked by a wild animal.” She stood and took a step toward him, not sure if she should call an ambulance or run to the business next door for help.
    As if he hadn’t been aware of his appearance until she mentioned it, he looked down at himself then met her gaze. “I was attacked.”
    “Oh, my God! You need medical attention. Let’s get you to the hospital—”
    “No. That’s not the problem.”
    “What are you talking about? Of course it’s the problem.” She grabbed her purse and started tugging him toward the front door, having decided to go to the neighbor, who was a chiropractor. “You’re covered with blood. Your skin is pale. You’ve been hurt.”
    He clutched her upper arms and she dropped her bag. “We need to talk.” His voice sounded shaky and thick.
    She gasped, surprised by his sudden move and the strength of his grip on her arms, and studied the green eyes she’d found so beautiful before. Now they seemed wild and frightening. “Ethan, let me go. We need help.” Fear clenched her stomach. She didn’t really know the man bleeding in her studio, and what about her own safety? Why had this virtual stranger burst in? She’d only had a brief discussion with him after the sound session. He could be a criminal—a sexual predator or a serial killer—for all she knew. Just because he was good-looking and she’d considered jumping his bones didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat to her. She took a couple of deep breaths and imagined sending a calming tone through her body. As the phantom sound flowed through her, she relaxed. “Okay.” She forced her voice to remain steady and her breathing normal. “Let’s sit down and talk.” Maybe I can explode his head if I need to, although that didn’t work very well with the creature in my dream.
    They sat on Grace’s office couch.
    “It’s happening again. Right now,” Ethan said. “That strange, drowsy feeling whenever I’m around you. The brain melt. It’s like you have some kind of mystical energy that’s transforming me—turning me into a half-thing.”
    Holy shit . What is he talking about? What if he really is a mental case? She’d fallen into the trap of thinking her little town was safe and she’d foolishly left her studio door unlocked. Maybe if she kept talking to him quietly, he’d turn back into the rational man he appeared to be earlier today.
    “A half-thing?” Is the poor man delusional? Maybe his attendance at the sound session had the opposite effect and instead of healing, it disrupted? Aggravated his mental state? The smell of blood was strong in the room, and the beginnings of a headache throbbed at the base of her skull.
    “I know I’m making you nervous and giving you a headache, but you need to explain what’s going on.” Ethan peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor. “Sorry about the smell.”
    How did he know about my headache?
    “Grace, I’m going to tell you the truth, and I need you not to freak out. But if you do start to lose it, I’m going to use some of my powers to cool your jets.”
    His powers? Oh, no. He’s really out there. Can I reach my cell phone?
    She studied his chest. The skin under the bloody slashes in his shirt gleamed back with pale perfection. No wounds or scratches. But how could that be? She clearly remembered seeing the torn fabric.
    Did I see it? Maybe I hallucinated...
    “I could feel your headache, and your anxiety about how I knew you had a headache. And your nervousness in general because I showed up out of the blue looking like a mad thing. Knowing stuff is one of my talents,” he said in answer to the question she hadn’t asked