The Curse Defiers (20 page)

“Ellie, call 911.” But I was too terrified to move, so Momma told me to sit with her. I stared at the blood on the floor, feeling like I was about to throw up.

My mother comforted me, and although I knew she was dying, I could only hold her hand and listen to her last words of advice and love. Her voice broke and fear filled her eyes. “There’s so much to tell you and not enough time.”

“Momma, please,” I cried. “
Pleasssse
. . .”

“
Oh, Ellie
,” she whispered. “I wanted to protect you from the ugliness of the world, and I brought it to your front door.” Her eyes fluttered and her grip on my hand loosened.

The next thing I knew, the shadowy figure of an older man with white hair and a white beard floated over the staircase. Ahone.

“Ellie, you are strong and brave. When it is your time, you will make an excellent Curse Keeper.”

“You said the man who killed Momma was a Keeper,” I said, lifting my head to look at him. “I don’t want to be a Keeper anymore.”

“Elinor, you are
destined
to be a Keeper. It was foretold from the beginning of time. You are more special than any Keeper before you. I’ve been waiting centuries for you to arrive. The forces of nature have finally heard my plea and sent you so that I may finish the job I began with your ancestor, Ananias Dare. Tonight begins a chain of events that brings us to the end.”

“
I want my momma
,” I wailed.

“Daughter of the sea and witness to creation, your first sacrifice has been made.” His light faded slightly, and he sounded sad.

“It will be the first of many. The unraveling of the curse begins tonight, but I will take all memories associated with the curse from you, so that the events of tonight will be locked deep in your mind. I need you to be willing to accept your role when the time comes.” He moved closer and his voice softened. “But you will also lose all other memories of the curse. They’ve already begun to slip away. You will believe it is because you told Claire, and you will be filled with a heavy burden of guilt. I’m sorry, but it is the best way.”

I looked up again, shaking my head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“I know, but one day you will. When the time comes for you to know, you will remember everything.”

And then I began to scream.

C
HAPTER
S
IXTEEN

I was back in the forest, lying across the log, my face covered in tears.

“Did you see it all?” Tsagasi asked, standing next to my head, his knife in his hand. My other guardians stood at four points, their backs to me. Their weapons were in their hands, ready to be used if necessary.

“Yes.” I sat up, still in shock. “Collin’s father killed Momma.”

He didn’t respond.

“You knew?” When he still didn’t say anything, I asked, “How could you know? You were locked away.”

“We are not clueless to the events that have occurred over the past four hundred years, at least the ones that affect us.”

I knew his answer was the best I was going to get.

Disappointment made his mouth droop more than usual. “Out of everything you learned, that is what you focus on?”

He was right, but it was still a kick in the gut. Did Collin know? I thought back to when I’d told him about my mother’s murder. The look of horror and concern on his face. If he didn’t know, he suspected. But even so, could I hold it against him? There was a lot I didn’t know about Collin, but I knew he’d never condone my mother’s murder.

“I have to call him.”

“I agree. You are half of a whole. While you have great power on your own and you must learn to defend yourself and fight alone, you need the other Keeper.”

After everything I had heard and seen over the last couple of days, finding out that I needed to spend more time with Collin instead of less was not what I wanted to hear. “I can’t. For one thing, Collin has pledged himself to Okeus. We’re on opposite sides.”

“Are you? Do you align yourself with Ahone?”

He had a point. “Second, if I spend more time with Collin, it will kill David. I can’t do that to him.”

His eyes narrowed. “More fragile human emotions. They say humans are made to resemble the gods, and every time I deal with one I understand why. Your egos and emotions rule your lives. There are more important things in the world than your
feelings
.”

I closed my eyes, resting my face in my hands.

“You are going to Charlotte tomorrow?”

I looked up. “How did you know?”

He rolled his eyes. But if Tsagasi knew, did that mean other supernatural beings did too? What danger did that put us in? I suspected that the Raven Mocker had killed Allison to keep us from finding out whatever she’d kept from us about the collection. What would they do if we actually went to see it?

“You need the other Keeper to go with you.”

I shook my head. “He’ll never come.”

“He will if you ask him.”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Tsagasi might be right. Collin had ties to the Ricardo Estate. I couldn’t imagine that he’d want me to waltz right in and see it on my own. Besides, I didn’t think he knew where it was, and David had a location.

“What else did you learn?”

“Ahone has been scheming to use me for longer than I realized, but Okeus had already told me that two days ago.”

He nodded.

“My father lied to me. He knew why my mother died.”

“Perhaps he wanted to protect you.”

I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

“Follow your instinct. Trust only yourself.”

I forced a teasing grin. “Are you telling me not to trust
you
, Tsagasi?”

“I’m telling you that every being is interested in one thing: self-preservation. I am no different. Pick the being that has your survival foremost on its mind—you.”

I wanted to argue that his opinion was selfish and egocentric, but wasn’t that the point?

“The Nunnehi wish to return and Tsawasi and I will go with them. You may use us six more times for protection. Choose wisely.”

“And how will I find you?”

“We will find you. Simply call my name.” Then the Nunnehi warriors vanished and Tsagasi and his brother walked behind a tree.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and checked my reception, grateful to see I had so many bars. I found Collin’s number and pressed send.

He answered on the second ring. “Ellie.”

A shiver ran down my spine when I heard him say my name, and I almost hung up. “Collin, I’m sorry to bother you.”

“I figured it must be important. That’s the only reason you call. When you want something that’s important to you.”

Ouch
. But I couldn’t deny it, and his statement only confirmed Tsagasi’s words. “What do you know about Raven Mockers?”

He hesitated. “They’re Cherokee.”

“Well, they seem to be equal-opportunity terrorists.”

“You’ve met a Raven Mocker?”

I told him about my encounter with the Raven Mockers at Allison’s house.

“You fought Raven Mockers?
Are you crazy?
Was this
his
idea?”

“If you’re referring to David, then no, it wasn’t his idea. I think he wishes I would have just sent them away instead of killing them.”

“What do you mean you killed them? That’s impossible.”

I shook my head before realizing he couldn’t see me. “Tsagasi helped me.”

“Tsagasi? The little person?”

For someone who was dedicated to Croatan culture, he sure knew a lot about the Cherokee.

“Oh, Ellie. What have you done?”

I shoved down my anger. “I’ve saved countless people, that’s what I’ve done.” Even if I didn’t manage to save Allison. “But that’s not why I called you.”

“Then why
did
you call?”

“I remember what happened the night of Momma’s murder.”

He paused. “You do?”

“Did you know about your father?” I choked out.

He waited several seconds before answering. When he did, his voice was thick with emotion. “What do you remember?”

“Did you know your father killed my mother? Answer the question, Collin.”

It took him several seconds to answer. “I didn’t know for sure.”

“But you suspected?”

“He went off to do a job for Marino, and then he disappeared. We literally never saw or heard from him again. Marino was so attentive in offering his help after my father’s disappearance. It wasn’t until years later that I figured out that something permanent had happened to my father, and Marino was directly involved. But I wasn’t about to say anything. Hell, I was a kid. I was ten years old.”

“So why did you think your father killed her?”

“Because my father had found out about the Ricardo Estate. He knew of the ring and spear that were tied to the curse. He had no idea what they did, but he was determined to end it. I heard him tell my mother he was going to destroy the weapons. Maybe he considered you a weapon too. It sounds like your mother got in the way.” His voice broke. “God, Ellie. I’m sorry.”

I took several breaths to control my tears. “So how does Marino come into this?”

“Marino has no idea about the curse. I suspect my father found out about the Ricardo Estate, but it was too big of a job to do alone so he brought Marino on board. Marino only wants the loot from the estate. Hell, it’s not even about the money anymore. It’s the one big heist he’s never completed. It’s his ego that’s on the line.”

“Which is why he was so intent on finding me.”

“Yeah.” He paused. “All the financial aid Marino has offered my family over the years makes me think he was involved in my father’s disappearance, but at times I’ve wondered. My grandmother never condoned my father’s insistence on breaking the curse. Honestly, part of me has always suspected she may have killed him herself. Her own son.”

“Are you serious?”

He didn’t answer.

“I know where the Ricardo Estate is right now.”

He didn’t answer for several seconds. “How do you know that?”

“A professor at Chapel Hill saw it last week, but she was killed by Raven Mockers last night. My mother saw the collection and a week later she was killed by someone who was looking for the ring she’d taken. Apparently your father and Marino.” I tried to keep the accusation from my words. I couldn’t hold Collin responsible for his father’s actions.

“The one you wear now.” He cursed under his breath. “Ellie, you’re messing with shit you shouldn’t be messing with.”

“Tsagasi is helping me.”

“And you do realize Tsagasi is known for his mischievousness, don’t you? He could be setting you up.”

“It doesn’t matter, Collin. We’re going to try to see the collection tomorrow.”

“We? You mean you and your professor? Do you plan on just walking up to the door and asking to see it?”

I didn’t answer.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Is that your plan?”

“No. The woman who was killed, Allison, was supposed to meet with the proprietors of the collection tomorrow. They’ve asked David to go in her place.”

“Do
not
go to see that collection, Ellie.”

“You can’t stop me, Collin.”

“No fucking shit. When have I ever been able to stop you from doing something you’ve set upon doing? But I can’t let you go alone.”

“I won’t be alone. I’ll be with David.”

“Like I said,” he growled. “
Alone
. I know how to handle these people. What kind of criminals have you two dealt with lately?”

“I’ve met more than my fair share thanks to you.”

He sighed. “True enough.” His voice softened. “Don’t go without me, Ellie.”

“Don’t pretend your motives are purely altruistic, Collin. I know you want to see it again.”

“Again? I never saw it in the first place. But I won’t deny that I’ve tried or that it’s part of the reason why I want to come.”

“So why does Marino think you’ve already seen it?”

“Because I lied to him.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I was trying to get more information. The timing was so coincidental. Ahone approached me about breaking the curse just when Marino started talking about the Ricardo Estate resurfacing. I knew it held curse-related artifacts. I wanted to find them.”

“Only it backfired all the way around.”

“Sometimes you have to play the hand you have.”

“Which is why you never play poker.”

To my surprise, he laughed. “I miss you, Ellie.”

I didn’t respond.

“So do I get to go on this little adventure with you?”

“You have to promise me something first.”

“What?”

“David’s going to be with us. I need you to promise that you won’t be ugly to him. That you’ll treat him with respect.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Unfortunately for you, no.”

He hesitated. “Ellie, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but the more we’re together, the more we’re drawn to each other. I’m not sure there’s any hiding that. For either of us.”

“I know, but I love him, Collin. I’m begging you to try.”

He took several breaths. “But I love you too, Ellie.”

“I know.” My voice broke.

He was silent for so long I was sure he’d hung up. Finally, he said, “I’ll do my best. That’s all I can promise. But I’ll only do it because I don’t want to hurt
you
, Ellie. Make no mistake, I don’t give a fuck about him.”

“Thank you.”

“I think it’s a big mistake for you to be with him. He’s more of a hindrance than a help.”

“He’s more help than you could possibly know. And even if David weren’t part of my life, you and I would never work out. Not as long as you keep picking Okeus over me.”

“And what if I picked you, Ellie? What would keep us apart then?”

My breath caught. “Collin.”

“I don’t expect you to answer. All I ask is that you think about it. And the next time I ask, if you don’t give me a good answer, I’m going to break my promise.”

“What promise is that?” I asked, breathless.

“My promise to myself to leave you the fuck alone.”