The Curse Defiers (6 page)

His gaze fell to my right hand. “Take that ring on your hand. If only you knew its history, its intended purpose.”

I curled my fingers into a fist.

A devious grin spread across his face. “No coincidences? Are you so sure of that? Granted, many things have been finely orchestrated, more nuanced than you can imagine, but even Ahone can’t control the Manitou. It is a force greater than all of us.” His knuckles slid down my bare arm. “He
could
control your characteristics. Your personality. But he couldn’t bestow you with your pure soul. That was out of his control, as hard as it must be for the
creator god
to accept. But you can be sure that once he realized his good fortune, he chose to use it to his advantage.”

“For what purpose? I could have been anyone and all Collin had to do was grab my hand to break the curse.”

A grin spread across the god’s face. “Now
there
is a good question. But there’s no arguing that you were meant to be Collin’s, Ellie.”

This was surreal. “I thought you wanted me for
yourself
.”

“What I need from you is easily enough given. I’ll impregnate you. You’ll gestate my child, then give birth. If it’s successful, we’ll repeat the process.”

Disgust nauseated me. “You’re such a romantic. A girl needs a little wining and dining, you know.”

He lifted his eyebrows with a half shrug. “I tried that last time and it didn’t work. I’ve decided to take a more direct approach.”

“Sorry. Still not interested. And why would you care if Collin and I get together?”

“Ellie, Ellie.” He shook his head, smirking with amusement. “How easily you forget. Why
would
I care if you were perfect for Collin? It’s all part of Ahone’s game.”

Okeus lifted his hands from his body and shrugged, his grin fading. He began to slowly circle me, but I was too paralyzed with shock to stop him. Why would Ahone care if Collin fell for me? He wanted Collin to open the gate, but obviously there was more to it, though I had no idea what it meant.

“You needn’t feel shame for your intense attraction to Collin. Ahone created you to be drawn to each other. Throw in your Curse Keeper bond and your souls’ strong connection . . . well, I’m not sure why you fight him. It’s a waste of energy.”

Obviously he had brought me here for a reason, and it had to be more than just an opportunity for him to gloat. “What do you want, Okeus?”

He stopped in front of me, his forehead wrinkled with a mock scowl. “So
impatient
.” He turned away and walked back to his chair, sliding into his seat with a graceful flourish. “You came to Collin with questions, did you not? I would like to give you answers.”

“Why would you help me?”

He sighed, rolling his eyes in boredom. “To prove to you that I have no hard feelings over our last encounter, nor over your foolish decision to choose Ahone instead of me.”

I shook my head, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. “No. You’re not altruistic. You want something in return. Even if it’s a long-term payoff.”

He shifted in his seat. “Ellie, you know what I want. Perhaps you’ll be more compliant if I make a goodwill gesture.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. “I’ll never agree to become pregnant with your child, so you might as well send me back now.”

His elbow rested on the arm of the chair and he set his right cheek on his upraised fist. “I think I’ll overlook your rude and shortsighted request and help you anyway.” He sat up slightly. “I believe you want to know about your friend’s ability to see the souls of those who have yet to cross over to the spirit world.”

My mouth gaped. “Claire?”

“Yes, her. And the answer is yes, there are some who possess this gift. You can use your friend to your advantage.”

A cold chill shot through me. “Did Ahone set her up too?” I was already positive that Ahone was responsible for bringing David into my life; was it too much to think he’d involve Claire in his plans too?

“No, I suspect not. She has the potential to be useful in sniffing out his deceptions. The souls of the departed are not easily fooled.”

My father instantly came to mind. The last time I’d joined hands with Collin in the ocean, I’d seen my deceased father, who had given me a message from Ahone. My back stiffened. “Are you calling my father a fool?”

“Did Ahone send your father to you after my plan failed?” Okeus laughed, shaking his head. “So unoriginal.”

“The man with you was not my father.”

Okeus shrugged like it was nothing of concern. “Your father believed I was evil incarnate. Besides, Ahone took your father’s soul. It
belongs
to him, thus Ahone controls him. He is not a normal spirit.” His expression darkened. “You would be wise to remember that in any future encounters.”

Would I see Daddy again? How much would this revelation cloud my perception of him?

He paused, turning serious. “Your friend will help you navigate the waters of what to believe and what not.”

I shook my head in disgust. “Let me guess. All the souls will tell her that you’re the good guy and Ahone is bad.”

He laughed again, this time more genuine. “You are a fearless creature, aren’t you? Most beings tremble at my feet.”

“Cut to the part when you tell me that you’d never try to get Claire to dupe me like that.”

His mouth lifted on one side. “The answer to your question about good and bad isn’t so simple, Ellie. There is no perfect good or bad.
You
are neither completely pure nor completely evil. Your level of selflessness or self-centeredness varies from day to day. Some days Ahone will want something that is for the good of his creations. Other days he will want something that benefits him and his own needs and desires.” He gestured his hand toward me. “Just like creating and using you.”

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. I’d been stupid to blindly accept Ahone, but I’d seen no other choice at the time.

“All is not lost, little Elinor Lancaster. Your friend is now your shield of truth. She will be your counsel.” His mouth lifted into a smirk. “And yes, sometimes she will counsel you not to trust me.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

He leaned back his head and gave me a calculated glance. “To prove to you that I have something of worth for you, just as you have something of worth for me.” His eyes narrowed and glowed red. “Do not think for a moment that if I grow weary of waiting, I won’t take what I want when I want it.” His eyes returned to their usual dark brown. “But for now, I will remain patient and wait for you to change your mind.”

“Why do you seem so certain that I will?”

His eyes twinkled. “Because I know something about you. You love deeply, and
that
is your greatest weakness.”

Suddenly, I was whisked back into the ocean, Collin’s left arm supporting my dead weight. Our right hands had broken contact. He was still standing in the same place, but we’d gathered a small crowd of curious onlookers.

I looked up into his worried eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked, helping me regain my footing.

I nodded. Three times now I’d joined marks with Collin in the ocean, and three times I’d had some type of vision involving the gods. But each time I’d been completely unaware of my surroundings, leaving me utterly vulnerable. I might have been the daughter of the sea, but I wasn’t sure it made me invincible to drowning, as ironic as that seemed. I couldn’t ignore that Collin had protected me each and every time. Didn’t that constitute a type of trust?

But while I might have been able to trust Collin to protect me when he was with me, there were too many other things I couldn’t count on him for. One constant with Collin was his secrets. “Did Okeus tell you to bring me out here and press our marks together?”

Guilt flickered in his eyes.

I jerked out of his hold. “Why couldn’t you have just been honest with me?”

“Do you really think you would have agreed to come out here if I had?”

“I don’t remember agreeing in the first place!” I shouted.

“Ellie, you’re making a scene.”

The crowd had begun to grow, the families staring at me like I’d grown a second head. I rolled my eyes in disgust. “Leave it to you to turn this around and blame everything on me.” I stomped out of the water, Collin following close behind me. Our connection was even stronger now and I could literally feel his presence. What would it be like if we were together all the time?

I stopped at the blanket and bent over to pick up my flip-flops. I had to get away from him. The draw I felt to him was too strong. I could barely stop myself from turning around and throwing myself into his arms, begging him to take me right there, in front of everyone. But another part of me hated every fiber of his being. He was the reason why my life was utter hell. I couldn’t ignore his betrayal and dishonesty, even if Ahone had tricked him.

He stopped next to me, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. “We’re not done here, Ellie. We have more to talk about.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my hands to myself. “Well,
I’m
done.”

“You are such a hypocrite,” he sneered in disgust. “You always accuse me of hiding things, but here I am offering you information and you’re running away.
Again
.”

“I can’t, Collin.” I looked up into his face, pleading. “Don’t you see? I can’t. I need to think. And I can’t do that around you.”

He shook his head, his irritation palpable. “You can’t run away from this.
This
is our lives now. We’re pawns being manipulated by selfish gods, and that means everyone and everything in our lives is vulnerable to them. Is that fair? Hell no, but there it is nevertheless. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you learn to adapt and roll with whatever these bastards throw your way, the better off you’ll be. I want to help you—I’m begging you to let me help you—but you rebuff me at every turn. Decide right now, Ellie: Do you want my help or not?”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “Are you saying you won’t mark my doors anymore if I say no?”

“Do you even
want
me to? You keep telling me that I’ve ruined your life, but mine’s been ruined too. Do you think I want to go to Manteo every couple of days to mark your door? Did you ever once think that
I
may need protection?”

The blood drained from my head. Finding out about Ahone, seeing Okeus, listening to Collin say he didn’t want to mark my doors anymore—it suddenly felt like I was drowning. I sank down to the blanket, too numb to know whether to be angry or sad.

“What do you want from me, Ellie?”

I slowly shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I
need
to know.”

I nodded. He was right. He’d been screwed by this whole mess too. He was an easy scapegoat, but I wasn’t guiltless in this either. I searched his dark brown eyes, again resisting the urge to touch him. “After what Okeus told me, I need some time to think. I’m sorry, but I do. I just found out my entire existence can be attributed to the gods’ ulterior motives. I need to sort this out in my head.”

He studied my face, and some of his guard fell. “Okay.”

“You’re not going to ask what he said?”

“No.”

My shock was wearing off, replaced by a profound sadness. “I’m going away for the weekend.” I paused and picked at a fold in the blanket, avoiding eye contact. “We’re going to Chapel Hill. David dug up some information he wants to check out.” I still didn’t trust Collin, so the less he knew about our trip, the better.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Part of me wanted to rise up and fight him. Who was he to ask me that? Was he doing it out of jealousy? But I was so tired of fighting with Collin. I lifted my gaze to his face.

“You’ll be a couple hundred miles from the ocean, Ellie. What happens if you need it?”

“I’ve never really needed it before. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“You
have
needed it,” he said softly. “What about the times you drive here before even realizing what you’re doing? You’ll be weaker that far away from the ocean, so be careful if you face any demons or spirits.”

I lifted my mouth into a lopsided grin. “I thought you weren’t going to help me anymore.”

A soft smile spread across his face. “I’m waiting for your decision. Until then, I’ll keep with the status quo.”

The thought of banishing Collin from my life was inconceivable, like cutting off an appendage. But I couldn’t resist him if I kept seeing him on a regular basis. So what was the answer?

One thing was certain: my life was a freaking mess.

C
HAPTER
F
IVE

My clothes had dried by the time I got back to the house, but the dried salt on my skin felt disgusting. As I walked up to the house, I stumbled and then spun around to see what had made me trip. That was the fifth time I’d felt my foot catch on something by that exact spot on the path, but nothing was ever there. I was not only losing my mind but also my coordination.

Grunting in frustration, I let myself in through the side door and checked the kitchen before climbing the stairs and heading for the bathroom. I stood in the shower, letting all that I’d discovered marinate in my head. I couldn’t change the fact that Ahone had been setting me up since before my birth. I couldn’t change the fact that Collin and I had been created to be—what? Partners? Lovers? What was Ahone’s end goal? But it didn’t mean that I had to sit back and accept it.

I stayed under the spray a long time, resting my head against the cool tiles. The shock was wearing off and anger was seeping into the cracks, filling the marrow in my bones with simmering rage. My life was part of some elaborate game. My mother had died for the amusement of a bored god. Was my father’s dementia part of the plan too? To keep me from having the information to stop Collin? Daddy’s death most certainly was. I knew what Okeus wanted from me, but what about Ahone?

My defiance swelled. I was done playing into the gods’ hands. The path they had chosen for me might or might not be inevitable, but it didn’t mean I’d go quietly along like a sheep to the slaughter. I would go kicking and screaming.

But I didn’t want to waste my energy on anger. Collin was right. This was my life, and I needed to figure out how to deal with it. I didn’t have to accept the gods’ plans, but lashing out in a blind rage wouldn’t help either. I’d figure out my own path. I lifted my face into the shower stream, letting the now-cooling water roll down my body. I needed to stuff my anger back inside, but that was going to take more than a few minutes in a shower. And one thing I didn’t have was time. I’d been with Collin for longer than planned, and David was going to be home in less than an hour. I still needed to pack.

Reluctantly, I got out of the shower and dried off. Thoughts whirred through my head as I got dressed and packed several days’ changes of clothes. I should never have gone to see Collin. At least not right before my weekend with David. Now I felt guilty and dirty. Sure, Collin had been the one to kiss me, but I’d welcomed his embrace and had been about to pursue more. I could attribute part of my reaction to him as part of our magical bond, but how much was really out of my control?

I should have told David I was planning to see Collin. And I should also have told him about Claire hearing voices. Why had I felt the need to keep both things to myself? I was afraid to answer my own questions.

Collin’s concern about going too far inland was sobering. What if he was right? What would happen to me if I used energy to send away a demon or god while I was so far away from the water?

I was in the bathroom packing my makeup bag when my phone rang. I raced into my room to grab it before the caller hung up, expecting to see David’s name on the screen. My stomach dropped when I saw that it was Tom Helmsworth.

After taking a deep breath, I answered. “How’s my favorite Manteo police officer?”

“I need to talk to you, Ellie.” He was using his serious voice. The one that told me I was in trouble . . . but for the life of me, I didn’t know why. The spirits had laid low for the past few weeks, which meant that I had done the same.

“Well, I’ve missed you too, Tom, but it’s going to have to wait. I’m about to go out of town for the weekend.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing I caught you before you left.” His tone was far from friendly.

“Actually, Tom, I don’t have time to chat. David’s supposed to be home in less than thirty minutes. I’ll be back on Sunday night, so we can talk on Monday.” I almost added, “before I go to work.” At least that wasn’t an issue anymore. Too bad it didn’t make me feel any better.

“Actually, Ellie, if you leave town before you talk to me, I’ll put out a warrant for your arrest.”

I sank to the edge of the bed, feeling light-headed. “
Why?
What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything, Ellie.” He sounded exasperated. And tired. “I just need to talk to you.”

“Then why can’t it wait until I get back?”

“Goddamn it, Ellie. Will you just do as I ask for once?”

My irritation was back. “Maybe I would if you asked nicely.”

“We both know
that’s
bullshit,” he grumbled. “You have thirty minutes to get your ass to the Manteo police station or I’m going to send someone to pick you up.”

I started to tell him off, but the dead silence in my ear told me he’d hung up.

Damn it. I didn’t have time for this, for any of it. If Tom wanted to talk to me, it could only mean one thing: the supernatural world was up to some serious shit again. The last time he’d grilled me was when the demon badgers had started ripping out dogs’ hearts before moving on to humans.

I grabbed my weekend bag and took it downstairs with me, setting it by the side door before heading outside. I needed to tell David, but he would be worried. I had to admit that I was more than a little worried myself. But I’d kept enough secrets from him for one day. And if this made me late, I’d have to tell him what was going on anyway. I typed a quick text and hit send.

I need to talk to Tom Helmsworth before we leave. Don’t worry—it’s just a chat. I’ll be home as soon as I can
.

I hoped to God the chat part wasn’t a lie.

I considered driving since it was a hot and humid August afternoon, but the car would have barely started to cool down by the time I pulled into the parking lot of the police station a few blocks away. Ten minutes later, I walked into the building a hot sweaty mess and approached the receptionist’s desk. I lifted my heavy braid off the back of my neck. “I’m here to see Tom Helmsworth.”

The elderly female receptionist eyed me up and down, frowning slightly, as though she found me lacking. I knew I was a mess, but I couldn’t be
that
bad. “
Officer
Helmsworth will be with you in a minute.”

“I’m kind of in a hurry. Could you tell him I’m here?”

Her mouth puckered and she looked down her nose at me while she picked up the phone. “Officer Helmsworth, someone is here to see you. She didn’t give her name.” She paused. “Yes, that’s her.” She hung up and offered me a tight smile. “He’ll be here in a moment.”

A few seconds later, Tom appeared in the doorway holding a stack of files. Tom was a good-looking guy with dark hair and a toned body. We’d gone to high school together, although he was a couple of years older than me—making him twenty-five—but the last month had been hard on him. Dark circles underscored his eyes, and I even noticed a few crow’s-feet. “Come on back, Ellie.” At least he sounded a little less cranky than he had on the phone. He led me to a room and pushed open the door, motioning me inside. “Thanks for showing up so quickly.”

“Well, when you put a time limit on my arrival, I considered walking in twenty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds after your call, but I actually have things to do.”

He scowled and I wondered why I was being so hateful to him. Tom was just trying to do his job, and he wasn’t wrong in thinking that I had some connection to all the odd things that had happened since the reappearance of the colony. I just wasn’t sure how safe it was for him to know about it.

I entered the room and was taken aback when I saw that it was an interview room with a table in the middle and two chairs, one on each side. My heart lurched and my breath stuttered. “Am I in trouble?”

“Ellie, I just need to talk to you, and you haven’t exactly been cooperative in the past. This time we’re going to have an official interview.” He waved to the chair. “Why don’t you take a seat.”

I walked around the table and slid into the metal chair, folding my hands on top of the table. I tried not to look nervous, but I wasn’t sure how effective my strategy was. “What do you want to know?”

Tom sat down across from me, setting the files to the side of the table. His face was devoid of any expression. “Other than the usual public drunkenness, petty theft, and vandalism, things have been quiet on Roanoke Island for several weeks. Until this past week.”

I shifted my weight to the side, keeping my eyes on his face. So far, he wasn’t giving anything away.

“This week there have been four deaths in town—one every night for the last four nights. All four patients were ill, but none of them was in serious condition on the morning that they died.”

Tom was quiet for several seconds and I realized he was waiting for me to respond. “Is this some kind of flu like H1N1? I’m not sure how I can help you with that. Shouldn’t you call the health department?”

“The health department has already been notified. They were the ones who contacted us.”

“I’m still not sure why I’m here, Tom.” For once, I was genuinely confused. I had no idea how or why he was connecting this problem to me.

“The patients were all ill with some minor condition.” Tom slid the stack of files to the center of the table. “One had strep throat, another had bronchitis.” He spread out the stack as he spoke, four manila folders with a note paper-clipped to each file. “The third victim had food poisoning and the fourth an abscessed tooth. They were ill during the day, but not deathly so, at least not until the sun went down.”

A chill started at the back of my neck and crawled slowly down my spine. It didn’t escape my notice that he’d called the third patient a victim. “Then what happened?”

“Then they deteriorated quite rapidly, hallucinating and screaming and thrashing in pain. Within two hours they were dead.”

I sucked in a breath. If there was some kind of deadly virus going around, I was glad David and I were leaving town. “I’m still not sure what this has to do with me, Tom.”

“After the second patient died, the coroner became concerned and did an autopsy.” Tom leaned his forearm on the table, leveling his gaze with mine. “And what he found is the reason why you’re here.”

I resisted the urge to ask. Tom would tell me soon enough, and he seemed to be making a production out of it.

He waited for a long moment, a flicker of disappointment flashing in his eyes when he didn’t get a reaction from me. “The patients had no hearts.”

All the blood in my body instantly pooled at my feet. Could the demonic badgers be back? They had eaten out their victims’ hearts after ripping their abdomens open. Collin had assured me they were gone forever, earning us each a new title: destroyers of life. “Did they leave their houses? Were their abdomens ripped open?”

He pressed his lips together as he fingered the edge of one of the files. “No. That’s the strange part. Two of them never even left their houses. Two went to the hospital. One died on the way; the other died in the ER.” He opened one of the folders, exposing a photo of the naked body of a little boy.

I gasped, choking back a sob. “A kid?”

“Yeah, a kid.” He pushed the file closer to me. “Notice anything?”

“Are they all kids?”

“No. Just this one. One was a middle-aged woman and the other two were elderly.”

I looked away. “I don’t want to look at that, Tom.”

Tom banged the table and I jumped.

“Look at it, Ellie. This kid’s heart is missing.
Gone.
Do you notice anything strange?”

I forced myself to look at the five-by-seven photo, trying not to focus on the boy’s face. I couldn’t stop myself. He was seven or eight at most, with dark brown hair and freckles scattered across his face. He had a tan line at his waist and his lower thighs, most likely from a swimming suit. “What am I looking for?” I started to cry. “I don’t know, Tom.”

His voice softened. “Ellie, I’m sorry. But look at the photo. His heart is gone.” He asked again: “Do you notice anything strange?”

I forced myself to look again, which is when it hit me. “There’s no wound where it was removed. Is there one on the back?”