The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance

attention on the woman, scanning her body with his expanded perception, and was forced to acknowledge that he’d either been wrong when he declared her near death, or ... no. That was impossible. Chanting couldn’t have altered the woman’s physical body. Grace couldn’t possibly do anything so astounding. Impossible.
    Then he frowned as it occurred to him that even if Grace had been able to do the impossible, the healing wasn’t the most bizarre thing in the room. Erasing cancer with sound was nothing compared to rising from the dead and drinking human blood to survive. Would all these people who took Grace’s miracle for granted be as open-minded about him? Yeah. He wouldn’t hold his breath - so to speak.
    Still hugging and patting the woman, Grace addressed her audience. “Thank you all for coming tonight and for lending your voices and your intentions to Mary’s healing. We’ve shared something magical and special. It’s been a wonderful night. I look forward to seeing you next time.” At her words, everyone stood quietly and began moving towards the door, appearing to be in a light trance.
    Grace hugged Mary again, and released her to her waiting friends. Ethan remained seated as the room emptied. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he felt driven to ... what? He had no idea. His heart still pounded unnaturally.
    He rose and moved quietly - with only human speed so as not i to frighten her - to the centre of the circle where Grace had bent to retrieve the pad from the floor. As she straightened and saw him standing in front of her, she gasped.
    “You’re the angel in my dream.” She backed away, let go of the pad and pressed her palms to her face. “I must be in an altered state. You’re just a figment of my imagination. I’ve felt strange all day. This vision will pass any minute now. I’ll just keep on talking to myself until you vanish.”
    “I’m sorry to startle you,” Ethan said softly. “And to disappoint you. I’m afraid I’m no angel. And I probably could appear to vanish, but I’d rather not, if you don’t mind.” His gaze locked on her brown eyes and he had to force himself not to entrance her. For some reason it seemed important that she speak to him of her own accord. He struggled to control the urge to touch her.
    Grace dropped her hands from her face and stared at Ethan. She reached out a finger and poked his chest. “You’re real.” She retreated another step, blinked a couple of times, and shook her head. “I’m so sorry. You must think I’m incredibly rude and very strange. I’m not myself immediately after a sound healing session. My brain waves don’t return to normal right away. For a moment, you reminded me of ... someone I’ve seen before. The resemblance is very strong.” She stopped talking and stared again for a few seconds. “Have we met before? You really do seem very familiar.” Anxiety shadowed her features.
    He heard Grace’s heart speed up, so he sent a light relaxation command. She inhaled a deep breath and released it. Her rhythm slowed. Deciding it might be wise to change the subject temporarily so as not to scare her - yet - he said, “I just wanted to tell you how moved I was by your session. I’ve never seen anyone heal with sound before. I’m impressed.” He added another subtle, mental nudge, suggesting she would feel at ease with him. Trust him. He wasn’t trying to manipulate her, only to allow a bond to form before he told the truth.
    She gave a gentle nod and visibly calmed. “Thank you. I sometimes forget how unusual sound healing is to the rest of the world. I’m so used to doing it that it seems very normal to me.” She offered her hand. “I’m Grace Blackburn.” She cocked her head, inviting him to introduce himself.
    Ethan grasped her hand. “Ethan . . .” He paused, unaccustomed to using his last name. In the vampire world nobody used surnames. “Ethan James.” He hoped the last blood he’d taken had warmed his skin sufficiently so she wouldn’t notice the coolness of his grip. He was relieved when she gave no indication of discomfort. It was so strange to be near a mortal without the bloodlust riding him. He was definitely in a parallel universe. “Do you have a few moments to talk? I’d really like to hear more about your healing techniques.”
    A beautiful smile spread her lips. “I’d love to talk to you . . . uh, about the sound healing. It isn’t often I meet such a handsome man.”