The Curse Defiers (28 page)

“Ellie, you passed out. I almost put you back in the truck and drove you to Nags Head, but Tsagasi convinced me to wait. We decided the best thing was to let you sleep.”

“You met Tsagasi.” My mouth cracked with the hint of a grin.

“Stubborn little ass, isn’t he,” Collin grumbled.

“You could say that.” I was already tired again. How was that possible? “What time is it?”

“Two thirty.”

“In the
morning
? So I wasted a full day.”

“No. You died or came damn near close. Your back might be healed, but you need the ocean to fully recover. But Tsagasi thinks it’s too important for us to meet with your stepmother and her boyfriend for us to leave now.”

“I’m surprised you listened to him.”

“Well, I didn’t at first.” He ran a hand through his ruffled hair, a sly grin spreading across his face. “But the little shit got my attention when he jolted me with a bolt of electricity.”

“He has a way of getting his point across.”

Collin’s shoulders tensed. “Ellie, I’ve watched the video a few more times.”

My head jerked up. “Why?”

“To see if I missed anything. We were both pretty spooked the first time we watched it.”

I fought my rising tears as the memory of David’s battered face filled my head. I refused to break down. I was already weak enough. “And did you figure anything out?”

“No, the only thing that stands out is David’s message about Myra’s boyfriend.” He turned to look at me and took my hand in his. “Who
is
her boyfriend? I take it David knows him.”

Of course Collin wouldn’t know. I hadn’t thought to tell him earlier. “Um . . . yeah. Steven was a researcher at the colony. He invited David to Manteo to spend two weeks at the colony. They both stayed at our house because the bed and breakfast was full.”

His face lowered closer to mine. “He invited David? So they’re friends?”

“Yes, but David hasn’t talked to him lately, and I know he hasn’t told Steven about the curse.” I looked into Collin’s eyes. “He’s always very careful.”

“But Steven could have gotten information from Myra.”

“Yeah . . . I guess . . .”

“Is there anything else tying Steven to this collection?”

“Oh, God.” I nearly passed out as the truth hit me. “Momma. After she saw the Ricardo Estate, she called Steven. She wanted to call the police, but he convinced her to wait.” I couldn’t stop the tears this time. “I don’t understand. When he told me about this a few weeks ago, he seemed genuinely upset.” I shook my head. “He’s been part of this all along.”

Collin sucked in a breath. “Maybe. Maybe not. But we’ll find out. I promise.”

“Okay.”

We sat together for several minutes before he stood. “I’ll be back in a minute. Are you okay?”

I nodded. I knew he was asking if I was okay with him leaving me. There was no way I was
okay
in general, and we both knew it.

He got up and left the room, returning less than a minute later with a plate and a glass. “You need to eat to help regain your strength.” He set the plate on my lap and clicked on the bedside lamp.

“A hamburger? Where did you get this? I know for a fact David didn’t have any.”

He scowled. “Your little friend forced me to get you takeout. I refused to leave you unprotected, but three of his friends showed up to stand guard while I was gone.”

I groaned. “His brother and two Nunnehi warriors?”

“Yeah . . . actually . . .”

“Oh no.” I leaned my head back against the headboard. “I only had six more times. Now I’ve wasted one.”

Collin shook his head. “You lost me.”

I explained my blood oath and our agreement.

“You didn’t lose anything, Ellie. Tsagasi told you to call on him when you need to use their protection.”

“But you said they showed up and guarded me.”

“Yes, but they volunteered.”

“Why would they do that?” I shook my head in confusion.

“Ellie, they call you the salvation of the world. They think you’re going to save them.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Then they’ll be bitterly disappointed, won’t they?” I asked with an acrid laugh. “Shall we run through the very long list of people I have not only disappointed but gotten killed?”

“Ellie.” Collin’s voice was soft and gentle. “Stop.”

When I looked into his face, I was grateful to see no pity there, only understanding.

“You need to eat. We need you to be strong enough to go to Durham tomorrow.”

I nodded and took a bite of the hamburger. “This is cold,” I mumbled through a mouthful.

“I can’t help it if you slept for hours and hours,” he teased, but it was forced.

“Ever heard of a microwave?”

He laughed and took the plate from me. “Glad to see you’re feeling better. I’ll be right back, Diva Princess.”

“Cold hamburgers are disgusting,” I called after him.

He’d been gone for several seconds when I heard a pounding on the front door.

“
Curse Keeper
.” My title floated through the house with authority, rippling through the air as though it were smoke. This was different from any other time I’d had a house call. I could feel it in the simmering burn in the mark on my hand.

Pure unadulterated panic shot through my body. After my most recent experience, I definitely didn’t feel prepared to face anything supernatural. But I scooted to the edge of the bed and put my bare feet on the floor.

Halfway across the living room, I heard the pounding again.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Collin asked in disbelief, standing in the kitchen doorway.

“Getting this visit over with. It won’t go away until I answer, and they usually last for less than a minute.”

“You need to go back to bed.” He sounded angry. And scared.

I stopped in front of the door, the knob in my hand. I turned to him, wariness washing through me. “You re-marked the doors, didn’t you?”

“Will you stop this madness if I tell you no? You’re in no condition to deal with a supernatural visitor.”

Collin had marked my doors for over a month when he thought I was safe. There’s no way he would have left them unmarked when I was in this state. Before he could stop me, I pulled the door open.

I gasped when I saw who was on the other side.

Okeus.

His eyebrows lifted in a bored expression. “Ellie, you have a penchant for finding trouble.”

“Uh . . .” I was literally speechless. I’d had plenty of visits at my door since the curse broke, but never from Okeus. He always had me brought to him. His terms, his location. My eyes shot to the door. Had Collin tricked me? No, the familiar symbols covered the door in heavy charcoal, joined by ones I’d never seen before.

“May I come in?” the god asked with a wry grin.

At least I was starting to regain my senses. “No.”

“No?” he asked equally amused and irritated. “I’m surprised the spirit world hasn’t given you another title to add to your growing list.”

“And what’s that?”

“Defier of the gods.”

When I didn’t respond with one of my usual barbed answers, Okeus became more serious.

“I sent Mekewi to warn you about the Raven Mockers.”

“The wind god of the south?” I grabbed the side of the door and leaned into it before I fell over. “Yeah, his warning was pretty vague. You might want to start sending more helpful messages. A copy of
Killing Raven Mockers for Dummies
would have been a nice place to start.”

A smirk lifted his lips. “And if I gave you such a manual, would you let me in?”

“Hell no.”

His grin fell. “You nearly died, witness to creation. You’re no good to me dead.”

I put a hand over my heart. “That is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me. I suppose you want me to say I’m sorry?” When he didn’t respond, I snorted. “A big powerful god like you didn’t send one of his abominations to protect his potential brood mare. Sounds like somebody messed up.”

Okeus’s eyes glowed bright red, and he released a loud roar that shook the house and made my ears ring.

Collin was behind me in seconds. “It was my fault. She was in my care. I tried to stop her from engaging with the Raven Mockers, but she’s persistent. She was attacked before I could stop her or them.”

Okeus turned his evil gaze on Collin. “If a Raven Mocker comes anywhere near her again, you are to get rid of it without hesitation. Is that understood?”

Collin’s body stiffened. “Yes.”

“Good.”

I’d never seen Collin so subservient, and I had to admit I didn’t like it.

“Elinor,” Okeus said with an air of authority. “Tomorrow night you will receive a very powerful weapon. Ahone wants you to use it to help him.”

“Let me guess—you want me to use it to help you instead?”

“Ahone will use you again and he will demand another sacrifice. I’m sure you can imagine who.”

“David,” I whispered, fresh terror washing through me.

“Ahone has distanced himself from his children for so long he no longer knows how to show them love and mercy. He wishes to separate you from all that you love so that you will be dependent on him. But Ellie, I assure you that I wish to show you my kindness.”

“For a price,” I said, but my fight was gone. Only horror was left.

“Everything comes with a price. You pay for everything you own and use, from your clothing, to your food, to the shampoo that makes you smell of spring flowers.”

I wasn’t sure I liked that Okeus was so familiar with my scent.

“You wear Ahone’s mark, yes, but you can still choose me. I will give you what he chooses to take: I will protect the people you love.”

My heartbeat thudded in my ears and Collin pressed his chest into my back. I felt him tense.

“I know you don’t trust me, and I understand why,” Okeus said, placing his hand on his chest. “I give you my word, Curse Keeper. If you agree to my arrangement, I will save the people you love. You only have to name them, and they will be protected.”

“From everything? The demons and Ahone?”

“Yes, if you agree.”

Could it really be that easy? I could make sure David, Myra, Claire, Drew, and Collin were kept safe from all the threats around us.

Then he added, “But the arrangement has changed.”

Weariness washed over me. Of course it had. “You and I both know that you can forcibly impregnate me anytime you want. So why is my cooperation so important to you?”

“Because I see the potential in you. And let us not pretend that if I forced you to carry my child, I wouldn’t then have to imprison you to make sure you didn’t harm it. To do so would break your spirit, and it’s that spirit I need to create the perfect children that would result from our union.”

“Before, you wanted me to have your baby. What do you want now?”

“For you to be my partner.”

This couldn’t be happening. “What does that mean?”

“Ellie, you will be my queen, the mother of a new race. You will be revered and loved for all eternity. And the humans you love will be protected.”

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

“I will save David from the Guardians. If you agree right this moment, I’ll have him retrieved and delivered to you within the hour.”

I shook my head in dismay. “Queen? What does that mean?”

He grinned. “Ellie, you are a bright woman, which is one of the things I most appreciate about you. You know what it means.”

I stared at him, trying to wrap my head around his words.

“You will be an excellent queen. Our many children will love you, and you will never be alone again.”

Many children?

“I sense your reluctance to make such a big decision so hastily,” he said, his voice lowering. “So you have until tomorrow night to decide. While considering your answer, think about this . . .” He leaned closer to the doorway. “I am not the only one who wants you for your power, but I’m the only one who’s offering you something in return. Who’s the malevolent one now?”

Then he was gone.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY
-T
HREE

Collin pulled me backward into the house and shut the door. “You need to go back to bed.”

I was still numb with shock. “I could have saved David—right now—and I didn’t do it.” My voice broke. “
I didn’t do it.
”

He grabbed my shoulders, his eyes penetrating mine. “Ellie, you can’t make a decision like that on the spot, not even to save David.”

I started to protest, but he shook his head. “Ellie, I know you love him. I can feel it when we’re connected; your love for him fills me until I’m choking on it. This isn’t some crush. It’s the real fucking deal. Do I like it? No, I hate it.” Anger blazed in his eyes, then just as quickly faded. “But I love you. I’m the one who made your life this hell”—he grabbed the side of my head, his fingers digging into my hair—“but I’m going to help you fix it.”

Being this close to him sent my hormones into overdrive, and I pressed my chest against him, lifting my mouth to his before I could stop myself. Fresh horror washed over me. I might love David, but I was still irresistibly drawn to Collin.

“Ellie, don’t be ashamed,” Collin murmured. “We can’t help the way we feel. It’s part of the curse. I think Ahone’s plan is that my overwhelming attraction to you will be my downfall.”

I blinked up at him through tears. Collin’s destiny had been determined by Ahone just like mine was. Only Collin had been set up for destruction because of what his father had done and because I was a witness to creation. I was just as responsible for Collin’s predicament as I was for David’s. “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You called it hormones and magic. Maybe you’re right. Maybe this connection between us isn’t real. Maybe it’s all an illusion. So we’ll just keep trying to fight it.”

He was right. So why did his words make me feel so lost?

He took a deep breath and released his hold on me. “I mean what I said. I’ll help you save David. The offer still stands.”

The weight of his words settled on me. “You mean you’ll help me if I choose not to accept Okeus’s offer?” I shook my head. “He won’t like it.”

He put an arm around my back and steered me into the bedroom. “You need to get more sleep. You need your energy for tomorrow.”

“Will you stay with me?” I asked. I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn’t be alone.

A war raged in his eyes before he gently pushed me to a sitting position on the bed. “I’ll bring your once-again cold hamburger and sit with you until you go to sleep.”

“Thank you.”

When he returned with the rewarmed food, he sat on David’s side, fully clothed, his back pressed against the headboard. He watched me eat half the hamburger before he shifted on the bed. “Tsagasi helped put some things in perspective earlier.”

I put the burger on my plate and turned to face him. “Like what?”

“My role in all of this.” He looked into my eyes. “Ellie, I’m going to help you.”

“You mean tomorrow night? You already told me you would, and I know the sacrifice it entails. It means more to me than you know, Collin.”

“No. Not just tomorrow night.” He paused. “From here on out.”

I inhaled sharply and jerked backward to get a better view of his face. “What?”

“You’re not seriously considering Okeus’s offer, are you?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I have the chance to save everyone I love. How can I reject it offhand?”

“You don’t want to be his queen.”

I shrugged and looked away from him. “There are worse things than being a queen.” Thinking about being his queen was preferable to thinking about mothering the new race he envisioned. Would they be monsters like his other biological children? Could I love them?

“You know he’s not telling you everything.” He grabbed my hand, wrapping his fingers around my palm. “Okeus is a tricky bastard. He might save the people you love, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get to be with them. You might never see them again if he has his way.”

I took a deep breath. “I know. But to really love someone means that you’re willing to give them up to save them, right?” My hand tightened around his. “Maybe this is the one last good thing I can do before . . .” Before I became the mother to monsters.

“Do you really think David wants you to sacrifice yourself to save him?
Seriously?
” There was no recrimination in his voice, only insistence. “And Claire. Hell, she’ll track you down to wherever Okeus lives and drag you back herself.”

I laughed, but it had to squeeze past the lump in my throat. “And what about you?” I asked.

“What
about
me?” He sounded gruff.

“Your name will be on my list, Collin. What will you do?”

He grabbed my chin and tipped my face up so that our eyes met. “If you give yourself over to him to save me, I will find the fucking Sword of Galahad, hunt Okeus down, and neuter the bastard myself.”

I gasped at the intensity in his gaze. I had no doubt that he meant it.

“Ellie, you’ve decided to turn your back on Ahone. What if I turn mine on Okeus? Tsagasi and his friends declare no allegiance to either god. What if we follow their lead and make our own side?”

I stared at him in disbelief, wondering if I’d heard him wrong.

“We’ll find another way, Ellie. I promise. Just trust me. We’ll find another way to save everyone.”

I nodded, too tired to fight.

He took the plate off my lap and set it on the bedside table. Still sitting up, he pulled me against him, resting my head on his chest. “Get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us. Don’t you worry. We’re in this together. We’ll get David back, and we’ll get the weapons too. After we get through tomorrow night, we’ll start worrying about the future.”

I shook my head slowly. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you.”

“I know. It goes against everything I’ve been saying since we met, but Tsagasi made a lot of sense. I think he’s right.”

I fell asleep against his warm chest and woke up to the sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. I was still in the same position, and when I looked up, Collin was sleeping.

He felt me stirring and his eyes cracked open. “Please tell me there is coffee in this house.”

“I think there is somewhere.”

He leaned to the side to check his phone. “It’s already eight. Why don’t we get ready to go. We’ll find out Steven’s schedule so we can ambush him at the university.”

“You don’t even know that he’s guilty.” I couldn’t believe the seemingly sweet, kind man who had been friends with my parents—and was dating my stepmother—might have arranged for David to be kidnapped. But I couldn’t ignore David’s suggestion that he was involved somehow.

“I’m going to presume he’s guilty until he proves otherwise.”

“That’s not how the United States works, Collin,” I said.

He lifted his eyebrows. “Obviously you’ve only been on the right side of the law, or you’d think differently.”

“Maybe you can take this opportunity to get on the right side of the law.”

He laughed. “I think it’s too late for that. Now get ready. I need coffee.”

Sleep and food had helped restore some of my strength, but I was still slower and weaker than normal. I was definitely in no shape to fight demons, let alone gods. Hopefully, when we got back to the Outer Banks, the ocean would revive my strength.

I was still caked in blood, so I showered and then dressed in the clothes I’d worn on Sunday. Myra would be sure to notice, but everything else I had was covered in gore—my own, Allison’s, and Raven Mockers’. I hoped this wouldn’t become a trend.

When I emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, towel-drying my hair, Collin filled me in on his progress. He had called Steven’s office, claiming to be a student, and asked about his office hours.

“He has an eight-thirty class, and then he’s going to have office hours from ten until eleven-thirty.”

“So when do you want to go?”

“The earlier the better. I want to cut him off before he makes it to his office after his class. He’ll be in his own environment there, which will give him an edge. If we catch him on the go, it’ll shake things up in our favor.”

“Okay.” I still felt wrong about not warning Myra that Steven could have betrayed us, but we had no proof. At this point it was a wild guess. And unlike Collin, I really did believe in the presumption of innocence.

“Let’s drive over to Durham now. It might take us a while to find parking.”

It turned out that Collin was right. We spent twenty minutes looking for a place to park and another ten minutes locating the history building. The campus was bustling with the excitement of the new school year, but I was full of dread, especially since my palm started to itch as we walked past the library.

“Did you feel that?” I asked, turning to Collin.

“Yeah,” he mumbled with a scowl.

“I’ve had that same itch off and on for a couple of weeks. Like something’s there but not.”

“I think the smarter demons are figuring out how to camouflage themselves,” he said as we approached the door to the history building. “We’ll have to be more careful.”

“Great.” But I could see the truth in his words. If there was a way to hide from us, it made sense that some of them had figured it out.

Collin held the door open and followed me inside. “Back to Steven . . . our biggest question right now is if he typically keeps his class the entire time it’s scheduled or if he likes to let them out early,” he said, watching the students pass us in the hall. “Does he enjoy hearing himself talk?”

I glanced up at him with a scowl. “What kind of question is that?”

He tilted his head to the side with a smirk. “Does he talk a lot or not?”

I shook my head and admitted, “He talks a lot.”

“Then we go to his classroom.”

When we reached the second floor, I peered into his classroom, which was still full. Students furiously typed notes into their laptops while Steven stood at the front of the class.

“Good call,” I said. “He’s still lecturing.”

Collin shrugged with a smug grin. “So now we need a plan. We’ll catch him by surprise. Introduce me as a friend.”

“He knows that David’s living with me. He’s going to think it’s weird for me to be here with you.”

“Then tell him I’m a colleague of David’s.”

I looked him up and down, taking in his T-shirt and faded jeans, which hung on his hips in a very alluring way. I felt myself flush.

“Eyes up, Ellie. Focus.”

I cringed.

He chuckled. “You don’t think I look like a college professor?”

“Not just that. I’m sure Steven probably knows anyone who’s important enough to work on anything Roanoke related.”

“Then tell him I’m a family friend and don’t elaborate.”

“If he tells Myra, she’ll instantly know who you are.”

“I don’t care what he finds out about me after we leave. Right now we need the upper hand.”

“Okay.” This still felt wrong, but if there was the slightest chance he knew something that might help David, it was worth it, consequences be damned.

Collin put his hand on my arm and lowered his voice. “Don’t tell him anything about David being taken. Let’s see if he shows any signs of knowing it when we start asking questions. I’ll be able to tell if he feels guilty about something.”

I nodded. That sounded smart. “But he’s going to wonder why I’m not with David. And Myra knows I was in Chapel Hill with David this weekend. I had breakfast with her on Sunday.”

His head lowered closer to mine. “Was Steven there?”

“No, she wanted to talk to me alone. I was fine with it since I wanted to consult her about selling the inn.”

He froze. “You’re selling it?”

I sucked in a deep breath, the pain of my decision stabbing me with guilt once again. “Now’s not the time to discuss that.”

“Ellie,” his hand tightened on my arm. “You gave up everything for that place. You hawked the cup on multiple occasions to get money to keep it afloat. How can you just let it go?”

Now he sounded like Myra, making me once again question my decision. “Sometimes you have to know when to let something go. Just like this topic.” I heaved a sigh. I had enough to worry about without adding the inn to the mix. “I’ll tell Steven you’re a family friend; then what do we do?”