The Curse Keepers (Curse Keepers series) Read online

  When we drove through Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, my stomach twinged with butterflies. We were close to Rodanthe, and we had a name and an address but no plan on how to go about retrieving the cup. I turned down the radio and looked at Collin. “So I take it you have some kind of plan?”

  “What?” His eyes widened in mock surprise. “I think you said something, but I’m deaf from being trapped in this truck with loud music and bad singing.”

  “I’m not that bad.”

  “Tell that to those dead birds on the side of the road. They heard your singing and dove out of the sky, head first into the pavement to escape the torture.”

  I looked behind us at the multiple seagull bodies lining the road. I hadn’t noticed them before. “Very funny. Why are they really dead?” When I thought about the dead birds on my porch, the hair on my arms prickled.

  “Honestly?”

  “Of course, honestly. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”

  His mouth twisted in uncertainty. “The impression you give me is that you want to know as little as possible. Otherwise why would you hardly know anything about the curse?”

  I started to protest but stopped. I could see how he’d come to that conclusion. And if I were honest with myself, there was a bit of truth to his statement. “You haven’t made it easy for me.” I held up a hand when he started to protest. “It’s not a condemnation, just a statement of how I felt. I’m on the defensive with you.”

  He was silent for a moment before he shifted his weight. “We haven’t exactly gotten off to a great start.” He grinned. “Maybe we should start again.”

  “You said that this afternoon. Right before you tried to prove your superiority over me.”

  Amusement filled his eyes. “It’s not difficult to demonstrate my superiority over you.”

  “And this is your way of starting over?”

  “Okay, let’s try again.”

  “Or we just call it hopeless and tolerate each other until this thing is done.”

  He smirked. “That works too.”

  Why did I get the impression that was his intention all along? “You still need to explain the feeling I got from touching you yesterday.”

  His amusement turned to a seductive look. “I don’t usually have to explain my effect on women.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, Lordy. Please. Spare me the horrific details.” I shifted in the seat so I could get a better look at him, pulling my skirt down to cover my thigh. “You said it’s from the power in our blood.”

  His grin turned wicked.

  I put up a hand. “Please. I really don’t want to hear anything pornographic, so let’s stick to the Curse Keeper power in our blood. I take it we need this power to close the gate?”

  The teasing look on his face turned to a scowl. “What the hell do you know? Anything?”

  I opened my mouth to answer with a snappy retort but caught myself. As much as the man sitting next to me irritated the shit out of me, I needed him. He had all the answers, and I had none. Considering his position, his condescension was justifiable. I only had to endure him until we closed the gate, and then I never had to see him again. I paused. I never have to see him again, right? Crap. I couldn’t begin to consider what my responsibilities might be after we closed the gate. Now didn’t seem like a good time to ask. I was sure Collin was eager to get rid of me too.

  Traffic slowed to a crawl, and Collin glanced at me before returning his attention to the road. “We need our combined power to shut the gate and/or contain the gods of creation and the four wind gods. We’ll be able to contain the lesser spirits on our own. Or at least I hope.”

  “Oh.” This was real. Spirits were emerging from their realm, roaming the earth, and I was really part of containing them. I gulped.

  He sighed and shook his head. “We need to work on getting the cup back.”

  I took a few seconds to calm down. “So why do you think those dead birds might have something to do with all of this?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but the storm last night was probably caused by one of the wind gods. He’s probably who unearthed the Lost Colony.”

  “So what does that have to do with the dead birds?”

  “I suspect the wind god sucked the life out of them.”

  I grabbed the dashboard. “Wait. What do you mean sucked the life out of them?”

  “Ellie, these spirits have been locked up a long time. Not much is known about them, but we do know that they were meant to straddle the earthly and spiritual worlds. They should never have been locked up in one realm or the other. Perhaps they’re weak from being gone so long and need the life force of the animals to renew their energy.”

  “What’s to keep them from sucking the life out of humans?”

  “Honestly?” He paused, and I held my breath, waiting for his answer. “Nothing. Again, this is speculation. Lots of information has been passed down the Manteo line, although we’ve known all along it wasn’t gospel. But we suspected the spirits would reenter the world in weakened states and need to reenergize.”

  “And they reenergize by killing things?”

  “Energy is never created, Ellie. It flows from one object to another. It’s a simple law of physics. For an object or entity to acquire energy, it has to come from somewhere.”

  This suddenly became very real, very fast. “So we have to keep the spirits from killing people?”

  “We have some time. They’ll start with weaker creatures, creatures they can control, and work their way up.”

  I swallowed, letting his words settle in my head. I was way out of my element here.

  “My grandmother believed that’s the real purpose of the week the Keepers have to renew the curse. That it would take the gods a week to recover their full potential, but once they reach their full potential, nothing could close the gate.”

  “So you’re telling me that the sooner we send these things back, the less havoc they’ll cause?”

  He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

  “And the dead birds on my porch? They were in a pattern.”

  He sat up, twisting his mouth. “I think it was a message to you.”

  “What kind of message?”

  “I think it’s a countdown. Six birds—six days. The robin signifies today and the blackbirds are the five remaining days. The cardinal…” His voice trailed off.

  I didn’t want to think too hard on what a red bird signified. My mouth turned dry and I swallowed. “So one of the gods left the birds?”

  “One of the gods or maybe a spirit, but it was definitely a message.”

  “Did you get one?”

  “No.” His mouth puckered, and he actually looked unhappy about it.

  We rode in silence the rest of the ten-minute drive. I didn’t feel like chatting, and Collin didn’t seem inclined to share any more information. Not that I could have handled any more information. I was overwhelmed with the little he’d shared. I needed to focus on retrieving the cup. Then I could think about confronting life-sucking spirits. I tried not to think about what would happen if we didn’t recover my artifact.

  When we reached Rodanthe, Collin turned down a side road, toward the ocean. On the Outer Banks, you didn’t have to drive very far on either side of the highway before you reached the ocean or the sound. But it soon became apparent that Mrs. Evelyn Abernathy had money. Her two-story house sat right on the beach, and if the structure had been damaged from the storm months earlier, it had already been repaired.

  Collin parked his truck across the narrow lane and leaned over his steering wheel, watching the house.

  “Got a plan?” I asked. “Because I don’t have enough money to buy it back. How much did she pay anyway?”

  “Eight hundred dollars.”

  Eight hundred dollars. I thought Oscar was being kind when he gave me five hundred. “Do you have eight hundred dollars?”

  He gave me an amused look. “What do you think?”

  I wasn’t sure why
he looked so happy. We were screwed. I bet she wouldn’t take a hot check, not that I could write one. I’d run out of checks months ago.

  Collin pointed toward the house. “Look, there’s no car in the carport. I bet she’s not home.”

  “So we wait?”

  “No, I’ll go up and check it out. Stay here.” He opened the door.

  Something about the way Collin answered set me on edge. “I’m coming with you.”

  He stopped and pinned me with his dark gaze. “It would probably be better if you wait in the truck.”

  We had a momentary standoff before I lifted my chin. “It’s my cup. I should go with you.”

  Turning his back to me, he mumbled, “Suit yourself.”

  I followed him up the steps to the back door. When we reached the deck, I stared at the ocean, taking in the sea breeze and whooshing sound. Daddy used to say that we were born of the sea. Despite living next to the ocean my entire life, I’d hardly been on it, yet every time I was next to it like this, I felt something, a sense of belonging and rightness. But whatever the feeling was, it was even stronger today, and the mark on my palm tingled, especially the closer I stood next to Collin. Could my connection to the sea come from the curse?

  Collin knocked on the back door and stuffed his hands in his back pockets as he glanced around the beach. While my gaze was focused on taking in the scenic view, I could tell his was methodical. What was he up to?

  We waited for several seconds before Collin knocked again.

  “She’s probably not home,” I said, stating the obvious.

  He continued his scan of the area. “Looks like it.” He then peered through the large glass windows overlooking the sea.

  Against my better judgment, I glanced too. I’d never been inside a beach house, though it was my dream to live in one. My financial path made that dream nearly impossible and despite all my teasing with Oscar about marrying for money and my wasted efforts with boring men, I knew I’d never settle for anything less than what my parents had. My mother and Daddy, not Myra. Before Daddy got sick, he and Myra had had a comfortable relationship, which as an adult I realized was exactly what Daddy needed after Momma’s death. But Momma and Daddy had had fireworks. Even as a little girl, I’d known their relationship was different than my friends’ parents. What my parents had was special.

  But I didn’t see any men with money waiting to set me ablaze, so when the opportunity presented itself for me to get a look inside the house, I couldn’t resist the temptation.

  The inside was neat and tidy, the walls lined with white wood paneling. Pale blue and white furniture filled the living room. The kitchen in the back had white cabinets and pale gray marble counters. Bookshelves flanked one wall of the living space, stuffed with books and knickknacks. One in particular caught my eye, and I sucked in my breath.

  Collin jerked his head in my direction. “What is it?” But one look at my face told him everything. “You see it? Where?”

  I pointed toward the shelf, second from the top on the right side. The ugly pewter cup sat on the pristine white shelves looking old and out of place.

  He lowered his voice. “Ellie, why don’t you go back to the truck.”

  The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. “Why?”

  “Will you just do as I ask?”

  “No.”

  “Ellie.”

  “No. What are you going to do?”

  He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his forehead. “You really don’t want to know.”

  I leaned toward him, my eyes wide. “You’re going to steal it!”

  “Shh!” He was next to me in half a second, his hand on my arm. He stepped in close, pressing me back against the door. I was acutely aware of his chest against mine. My body tingled with expectation. Both physically and supernaturally.

  Collin felt it too, his eyes widening, his pupils dilating. His chest expanded as he took a deep breath. He seemed to recover his senses after several seconds but stayed tight against me, his hand still wrapped around my arm. “We need the cup, Ellie. You admitted that you don’t have enough money to pay the woman, and I know that I don’t.”

  I knew we were desperate, but I couldn’t resort to this. “No, Collin. We’re not going to steal it. I’m not stooping to that level.”

  “Be reasonable, Ellie. You know this is the only way.” He leaned close into my ear and his hand reached for my face.

  My heart thudded against my rib cage. “Stop it, Collin.”

  His hand dropped, but he remained inside my personal space. He grinned, but it was fake. “I’m giving you a piece of advice, Ellie, although I’m not sure why, so listen close: I’m not to be trusted. I know what I want and I’ll do anything to get it. Understand?”

  I took a deep breath. “I know you’re not to be trusted. I’ve known since the moment you walked into my restaurant, but like it or not, I’m stuck with your condescending, know-it-all ass. So let me give you a piece of advice: If you ever touch me again, I’ll coldcock you. Understand?”

  A real grin spread across his face and he lifted his hands in surrender as he took two steps backward.

  “We are not stealing the cup, not until we’ve tried talking to her first. Give me tonight to come up with the money, and we’ll come back tomorrow to pay her. And if that doesn’t work, then we’ll consider other alternatives.”

  He shook his head. “That won’t work. If the cup is stolen after we approach her, she’ll know it was us.”

  “I don’t care. We’ll try it my way first or we won’t do it at all.”

  He took a step closer, but kept a foot between us. “You don’t mean that, Ellie. You won’t turn your back on all of this now that you know the curse is real, and I’m counting on that. Remember those dead birds on the side of the road and on your porch? Guess who’s their ultimate meal of choice? They crave power and energy, and who has more power than anyone else on earth? The Keepers of the curse that sent them away. When they think they’re strong enough, they’ll come looking for you, Ellie Lancaster.”

  My breath came in short pants. “Is that meant to scare me?” If it was, he was doing a really good job.

  “You should be scared. And this has only just begun.” He laughed and looked toward the ocean. “Fine. I’ll give you your one night, and we’ll come back tomorrow, but if it doesn’t work, we do things my way from here on out. Agreed?”

  Did I have a choice? If I were cornered by a spirit and had to decide between stealing the cup or dying, I’d steal the cup without hesitation. But I wasn’t cornered by an evil spirit. At least not yet. “Agreed.”

  He slunk down the stairs in his quiet way. I wondered if he were a ninja. The descendent of a Croatan Indian chief, a ninja. If I weren’t so freaked out, I would have laughed.

  Once I knew he was at the bottom of the steps, I leaned over the deck railing to catch my breath. If Collin and I were supposed to be working together, why did he consider me the enemy?

  CHAPTER NINE

  After I got my wits about me, I found Collin waiting in the truck. He didn’t say a word, merely started the engine and drove back to Manteo. An accident blocked the highway for a while, making the drive home uncomfortably long. Whenever I tried to ask Collin for more details about the curse, he refused to tell me anything, saying, “It was your responsibility to learn this already. So for now, I’ll tell you want you need to know when I think you need to know it.”

  I couldn’t help wondering if Collin’s decision to keep the information from me was less about proving his superiority and more about ensuring I’d be as uninformed as possible so I’d be at his mercy. But then again, weren’t we working on the same side?

  We passed the dead birds on the side of the highway, and I couldn’t help thinking that could be me in a few days.

  But I’m a Curse Keeper.

  I was destined to be one of two people who would fight the spirits. I just needed to learn how.

  When Collin pulled his truck into the
parking lot in front of my apartment, the sun had begun to set. I got out and started up the stairs without a word, surprised when Collin followed behind me.

  “That isn’t necessary,” I said over my shoulder. “I’m perfectly capable of going upstairs on my own.”

  “It’s getting dark, Ellie. Don’t you feel the spirits lurking in the shadows?”

  A retort would have been so easy, if I hadn’t felt the presence of something just out of reach. If I was still having trouble believing all of this was real, the moving shadow in the corner of my porch would have convinced me.

  I unlocked my door with a shaky hand.

  Collin stood next to me, but keeping his distance. “Ellie, listen to me. When you go inside, don’t come out until the sun comes up.”

  The blood rushed from my head to my feet. I looked up into his anxious face. “Why?”

  His gaze locked onto mine. “You know why.”

  I turned toward him, the keys still in my hand. “What’s out there, Collin?”

  “You’ll be safe tonight. If you stay inside.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  His voice lowered. “You know what’s out there.”

  But I didn’t. Not really. I knew there were creator gods, four wind gods, one of which probably killed a bunch of birds, and other even lesser spirits, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough to help me protect myself.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Now go inside and close the door.”

  “But—”

  He leaned an arm against the wall. “I realize you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. I haven’t really given you reason to. But trust this: I need you, and I need you alive. If I didn’t think you’d be safe tonight, I’d stay with you. But I don’t believe the spirits are strong enough to do anything to you. Not yet. In a few days, they’ll be strong enough to roam during the day as well, but you’re okay tonight. Now I need to go take care of some things, and I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Then we’ll get your cup, one way or the other.”

  I nodded, a lump of fear in my throat.

  “Now go inside. And don’t open the door for anyone until the sun comes up.”