Ever After (26 page)

“And a little historical research.” Kaitlyn looked out the window.

“It’s true,”
I thought. I dreamed about the body before I ever heard the story. “That also explains the corpse in the girl’s room.”

Colby deserved closure, and I would find a way to give it to him.

* * * *

North Carolina’s mountains were exactly how I remembered them as a child, only greener. My mother and father had taken us on one vacation, and it had been here. The Cherokee Indian Reservation was nearby where I fed a caged bear named Penny and saw odd men with feathered headdresses and light colored leather pants. They had danced around, holding tomahawks and singing beautiful chants. It had fascinated me, but after a visit to Harrah’s Casino, we went home more broke than we came.

“How far into the mountains is this place?” I asked the girls, aggravated that my sperm donor had a way to ruin even my best childhood memories.

“Not long now. It’s five miles north of Nantahala Gorge,” Kaitlyn answered.

We took a left turn onto Wesser Creek Road, passed a sign that said Ruby Mines Ahead, and wound down a tree covered street that was actually a one lane road. Mountains soared upward on each side of us. Across a creek and a wooden bridge, the rocks yawned and a little two story cabin peeked out of the mouth of a cave. Unusual stones of all colors filled cases spanning the windows. Over the door, a wooden sign with gorgeous curly cues read,
Anna Marie and TD’s Ruby Mine
.

Three wooden railroad ties led Shelby, Kaitlyn, and me up to the door of the little gift shop. Inside the door, running water sounded behind the fifteen by fifteen room. A large, long hallway formed a hole in the mountain lit by only hanging lights.

A real mine.

From the opening, a girl with a long chestnut braid greeted us.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you’d be here within a day,” she said with a thick, sweet southern drawl.

I thought I was country.

She hugged Shelby and Kaitlyn.

“Allie Knowles,” Kaitlyn introduced me. “Anna Marie Fuller.”

“Where’s Tommy?” Shelby looked over Anna Marie’s shoulder.

“T.D. took a very protective friend of yours on a tour. He’s ensuring the safety of the cave before any of you go down.”

Anna Marie stopped talking at the shocked looks on Shelby and Kaitlyn’s faces. Her gaze turned to me. “So you’re the one. He cares very much for you. It’s in his eyes. You’re lovely.”

I caught the tail end of a conversation coming up the long hallway. A strapping man I’d never seen before led another I’d seen too much out of the cave. Cole. “Every five feet is supported with beams. I assure you your loved ones will be safe.”

“He loves us. How sweet,” Kaitlyn said.

Cole set his jaw in Kaitlyn’s direction.

Odd but beautiful jewelry on racks all around the store were a great distraction from the unpleasant, unexpected tag-a-long Cole had made of himself. If he loved me so much, he wouldn’t have had a romp in the bed with another woman the night before.

“Who makes your jewelry?” I asked Anna Marie.

“I do. I call ‘em charms. I make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, hairpieces. Each stone has a quality, and the type of metal it’s set in amplifies the quality. Most don’t believe in them, but some believe so strongly in their powers they’ll come from miles and miles in search of certain ones,” she said proudly running her fingers over the original piece of jewelry hanging in front of me. Not one set of jewelry was like another.

“They don’t work at home, so I don’t know why they bothered coming here to get more.” Cole had a sarcastic tone I could have slapped out of his mouth.

T.D. gave Cole a sympathetic pat on the back. “When a curse is sealed with a death, the stones aren’t as effective. And in your case, there were two deaths. That there’s a double whammy.”

In Cole’s case?

“The Amiante will help amplify the stones. As long as you keep Allie in the house until the curse is over, the ghost can’t harm her. Problem solved.” Anna Marie smiled at Shelby.

“This is your plan?” Cole folded his arms and sent an angry glare past me to the girls. “You’re going to trust a stupid stone with her life.”

“Come on, girls. Let me show them to you.” Anna Marie led the girls down a drafty hallway into the mountain. They disappeared into a dark abyss.

Cole, T.D., and I were left standing in a room full of jewelry. Cole looked at anything but me. He was none too happy. Oh, well. It was none of his business, anyway.

T.D. approached Cole. He nudged his shoulder.

“You’re makin’ it harder on yourself. Sadness doesn’t have to rule ya, ya know.” T.D. glanced in my direction. “You should tell her.”

Cole looked as if he’d swallowed a squirrel.

T.D. patted Cole’s arm. He stepped between us and went to some unseen area of the shop behind the desk.

“I suppose you think I’m the worst person breathing.” Cole flipped through a rack of what looked like bear-teeth necklaces beside me.

“Pretty much.” I lifted a necklace from the rack in front of me. I worked with the clasp to open it but couldn’t figure it out.

From the reflection in the mirror, Cole approached me. His face, gaunt as it was, still took my breath. He reached around me and took the necklace. He lowered the pendant to my collarbone. When he fastened the necklace, he lifted my hair, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin on my shoulders. “Odd you chose this one. It’s a moonstone.”

I breathed now. Too fast. Why was I mad at him again? I sighed. “You know a little about everything.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe the moon’s placement on your leg might mean you are special?” In the mirror, he stared at me over my shoulder.

“You should have been a poet. Is that how you got that girl in your bed?” My voice quivered.

“If you only knew how many times I’ve regretted ever touching her.” Cole looked down my shoulder.

So it had happened.

For a few hours, I had fooled myself enough to believe he’d made it up to shove me away. Ice shards ripped through my veins.

“I never should have told you about her.”

“You’re damned right.” I took the necklace off and slapped it into Cole’s hand. “Keep your stupid moonstone. I don’t need it or you.”

Cole stared after me as I rushed down the tunnel the girls had taken.

Why couldn’t I hate him? I shouldn’t have even wasted time speaking to him.

I found the girls in a part of the cave that had electric lighting suspended from the ceiling.

“The only person who can touch it is the person who touches it first.” Anna Marie’s eyes sparkled as I walked up.

“I researched that much, but I wasn’t sure if it existed.” Shelby nodded.

“We have a small wall of them. The water washes over, smoothing them. Once they are dropped in still waters, they are sealed, but they must be kept in still water.” Anna Marie turned to me.

“I’m about to pull my hair out. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” I passed the three. Surrounding us were walls and walls of stones. Rubies mostly. But on one wall they were a different color. A rosy purple. Normally, I’d have been impressed, but today everything pissed me off.

“Just the girl we need. If you’re going to perform the ritual, you have to choose the stone.” Anna Marie absently twirled a long strand of brown hair around her finger.

Glad for a distraction, I inspected the purple stones. They were cut in eerily beautiful indentions.

“It’s a mixture of graphite and diamond, explaining the odd purple color. It has mysterious qualities we’re not even sure of yet, but we’ve seen the Cherokee Indians draw an impure soul out of a human and trap it inside the heart of the stone. Once in the stone, they placed it under water, and it was sealed inside. The only thing that releases it is taking the Amiante out of the water.” Anna Marie’s passion for the subject shined on her face. From a rafter, she took down a pick and handed it to me. She grinned. “Choose your weapon.”

I picked at a small stone. My fingers could close over it without anyone being aware that it was in my hand. After working it out of the dark, water-covered wall, I dropped it in a little blue bag Anna Marie handed to me.

“Allie. Cole can’t ‘hear’ you down here. The walls are completely packed full of the Amiante stones. Having one within a football field of you inhibits psychic powers. If you don’t want anyone to hear you, keep that stone in your hand.” She turned to Kaitlyn and Shelby. “You’ll have to be careful to keep Cole away from her when the actual ritual starts. You won’t be able to detain him when you are close to the stone. Your powers will fade.”

“I’ll have to work from a distance then.” Shelby smiled mischievously.

“Thank you so much for all your help.” Kaitlyn hugged her.

“We’re happy to help with all your exorcism needs.” Anna Marie gave a little curtsy.

We couldn’t help but laugh. She had one of those personalities that just wouldn’t let you be in a bad mood.

Shelby giggled. “Hope that’s not your advertisement pitch.”

Cole stopped in the cave entrance, eyeing all of us suspiciously, but his gaze landed on me. “You had better hope this stone works and that you didn’t plan anything I won’t agree with while I couldn’t hear you.”

Shelby scoffed and pushed by him.

I couldn’t take it anymore. “Since everything is always all about you, you’ll be glad to know we have our stone. You don’t have to be burdened with being around me much longer. It will strengthen the stones in the house and keep your little goblin from killing us. And when your little timeline is fulfilled, I’ll be out of sight, out of mind.”

Shelby hugged Anna Marie as T.D. approached the front of the store again to see us off. Outside, Kaitlyn sent Cole and me an irritated glare. We had our backs to each other.

“If you two can’t get along, I’ll be forced to hog-tie you together until you make friends again.” She sounded like a mildly irritated mother.

“If you do, that witch won’t have to worry anymore. I’ll die of revulsion,” I said, serious as I could be.

“Just try to get along. We’re riding in close quarters.” Shelby started for the car.

We were silent the whole ride to the hotel.

I looked out my window.

Cole looked out his. He closed his eyes and settled into the seat.

My heart stammered.
“I hate you
.”

The corner of his lips pulled up into an almost nonexistent but sexy grin.

“I’m too tired to drive any farther,” Kaitlyn said.

We stopped at a hotel on the ridge of a mountain where Shelby and Kaitlyn decided to secure rooms.

I paid for the rooms before the girls could refuse. When I stepped out of the motel office, Cole stood on the edge of a cliff, staring out into a commanding view of the Smoky Mountains.

The girls continued over to the car to unpack their carry-on bags.

I approached Cole from behind. “Here’s your room key.”

He shook his head.

I took his hand and put the key in it. The contact was electricity touching water. The current jarred me.

“Thanks, but I have my own money,” he answered, still staring out. “Besides there’s not a lot Scenic View Motel can offer that nature can’t.”

What would he do? Sleep on a pallet of pine needles? “Take the room and quit giving me grief.”

Cole continued to stare out. Clouds passed by at the same level as the hotel.

“Why I care I don’t know, but what runs through your head when you get that far off look?”

His eyes settled on my face. His looks were so intense I had to wrench myself from them. “Depending on the time of day, what’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Food.”

I pursed my lips.

He’d shut me out again. Or was he as callous and shallow as he wanted me to believe?

Exasperated, I left him there.

“Food. I need food,” Shelby said, walking out of her and Kaitlyn’s room.

“You too?” I rolled my eyes and leaned on the car.

“We haven’t eaten in hours. And somebody over at the campground is about to have an extra dinner guest. I smell grilled food.” Shelby went to Cole, and within seconds, he strode toward the car. She probably had to bribe him into riding with us.

On the way to the restaurant, small houses lined the road, and children played happily in the tiny yards. Big houses, money, and nice cars didn’t make a happy home. It was love. Probably something I’d only ever experienced in dreams.

Cole nudged me. “Grace follows us everywhere. I was hoping to lure her away from you. I wasn’t trying to purposely offend you by not taking your room.”

I nodded.

We drove for a few miles into Bryson City. Smoky Mountain Railways was its main attraction other than the few signs boasting the best whitewater rafting in the country. We pulled into a shopping center and followed Cole into a hunting and camping store called the Redneck Huntin’ and Supply Shop. Cole picked up some supplies as the girls and I perused the novelty section.

Once in the car, Cole pointedly stared out the window.

We went to a shopping villa with a mix of establishments. A small department store, a Mexican Restaurant, a drug store, and a car parts store. A church inhabited the last commercial space. Behind the villa, a river separated the shopping center from a mountain with tall firs, oaks, and pines. The air was crisp and cooler than Nashville.

“There aren’t many options for food in this town, but we have to feed you,” Kaitlyn said.

“Says who?” I asked.

“Just hush and choose.” Shelby eyed Cole in the review.

He still stared out the window as if he would rather bite the head off a frog than be in our presence.

“It doesn’t matter. Someone else choose.”

“Okay, Cole what do you want?” Shelby giggled.

Cole flashed her an angry look. “Eat whatever you like. I won’t be dining with you.”

“Can I hit him?” I asked the girls.

“We’ll get pizza, and you two can duke it out later.” Shelby fidgeted through her purse.

We got pizza in silence and headed for the hotel.