Cursed (5 page)

“This is your new home,” he said like it explained everything, like he wasn’t a delusional, kidnapping freak holding my family prisoner.

“Huh?” I looked at him.

“You will be staying here from now on.”

Needing no other reason than that, I shot across the table. The edge of the oak table cut into my stomach for a nanosecond, and then I was flying backward. My sneakers skidded across the floor. A second later, an unseen force pinned me against the wall.

Cromwell’s expression didn’t change, but he sighed. “That’s enough, Gabriel. Let her go.”

I hadn’t even noticed someone else was in the kitchen. He stood in the archway—a boy about my age, maybe a year younger, with a head full of blond curls and the prettiest face I’d ever seen on a guy. He had his hand raised in front of him; a look of concentration wrinkled his brow.

“Gabriel,” Cromwell said again. “Let her go.” Gabriel looked like he’d rather toss me through the air some more, but he lowered his hand.

I slid down the wall, stumbling to the side.

“She was going to touch you,” he said, his voice surprisingly deep. “This was a mistake.”

Cromwell pushed away from the table and stood. He turned to the boy. “Gabe, is there something you need?”

Gabe finally pulled his eyes off me. “Where’s Hayden? He didn’t wait around after class. I figured he came right home, like he has every day since you brought
her
into the house.”

“He’s not in the kitchen, now, is he?”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at me.

“It’s okay. Go. If you happen to find my son, please tell him I need to speak with him.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “All right, but if she kills you, I warned you.” With that, he turned and left the kitchen.

“Oh. My. God,” I whispered, heart racing.

“Gabriel is one of my children. There are several kids here your age. They’re a bit concerned, but don’t think they cannot protect themselves.”

I frowned. “I don’t run around touching people for the fun of it.”

He smiled tightly. “I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I will not tolerate you attacking anyone. Do you understand me?”

I pushed away from the wall. I didn’t reach for him, even though I wanted to. God knew what other superpowers he had hidden in this house. “You can’t be serious. This can’t be legal. There have to be laws against this.”

“This isn’t against any law,” he replied calmly. “Your mother is here with you and Olivia. We did not remove you from her guardianship. And need I remind you that
you
have already broken the law by not reporting what happened to that boy?”

I ignored that. “Like my mom can even make those kinds of decisions.” My self-control cracked and shattered. “I don’t even understand why you’re doing this!”

“I’m doing this to help your sister, Ember. To help you.”

“How is this helping me?”

His hands dropped to his sides. “You’re seventeen and playing mom to a child. Who, by the way, deserves a life far better than what you can provide for her.”

Ouch
. That stung all the way to my core, mainly because he was totally right.

“You’re a guest in my home,” he continued. “As are your mother and sister. But if you think of leaving, or if you harm anyone, I can no longer consider you a guest.”

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at him. “Are you threatening me?”

“I’m just telling you how it will be. The others are already wary of you being here. Don’t do anything to add to that.”

“Why did you even bring me here?” I yelled. “Because really, you don’t sound like you want me here.”

“Because your sister is gifted, and I have no desire to split her from you. I’m doing you a huge favor. There are places you could go to, Ember. Places—”

“You don’t have the right to do this!”

Mr. Cromwell slammed the palms of his hands on the edge of the table. He spoke through clenched teeth, and, like a mask slipping from his face, coldness filled his expression. “I have all the right, Ember. This is my town.”

Everything stopped as I stared at him.

“We have only your best intentions in mind. Nothing can be changed now.” Another perfect smile graced his lips. “We have already taken all the necessary steps to ensure your transition will be as smooth as possible. You will have the weekend to adjust and on Monday, you will start school.”

Just like that, I lost control of my life. Bile rose into the back of my throat.

“I expect that you understand I’m placing a lot of trust in you. Do not make me regret it. Even though I have no wish to separate you from your sister, if you give me reason to, I will.” He stood. “You’re excused.”

Chapter 5

U
pstairs, I struggled to gain control over the heady mess of emotions I was feeling. I wanted to cry and scream. I wanted—I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

I stopped in front of the desk. My outdated, beat-up cell phone was plugged in next to the shiny laptop. I made a move for the phone, and stopped short. A brand-new set of charcoal pencils lay on top of my sketchpad, next to the phone. I cringed at the idea that someone had looked through it. My drawings were, well, private. No one would understand the dark twist everything took on when I sketched.

I guessed dying kind of warped my artistic flavor.

Unwillingly, my gaze fell back to my phone. I wanted to call Adam, but what would I tell him? I had no idea. So I took a shower, a really long, scalding hot shower. I washed my hair twice. Even after I’d scrubbed myself raw and ruddy-colored, I still had no idea what to tell Adam—or what to do.

Wrapped in a fluffy red robe that clashed horribly with my hair, I stood in front of the closet. Cautiously, I opened the doors… and then stared in open wonder while the girl in me squealed.

Mingled in with my old clothes were various shirts, dresses, jeans, and sweaters that I could never have afforded in a million and two years. Shoes and boots filled the closet floor, next to what appeared to be a new backpack—one that wasn’t as dirty and ragged as the one Dad had gotten me before the accident. I searched for it, but the one thing tying me to Dad was gone.

Feeling numb, I grabbed a pair of sweats and a bulky sweater. After changing, I picked up my phone, the sketchpad, and a new pencil. As I opened the balcony door, the breezy perfume of pine and earthy rich soil filled me. I took a deep breath and shivered. It was cooler, much cooler, than the last time I’d been outside.

Paying no attention to how the air attached itself to my wet curls, I took in my surroundings. The balcony appeared to wrap around the side of the house, but I wasn’t brave enough to explore where it led. I approached the railing and looked over. A strong sense of vertigo pushed me back from the railing. I hated heights, absolutely despised anything taller than me.

I planted myself against the wall before I looked around again. Trees and, well, more trees surrounded the house. Some were ancient-looking pines, and others looked like oak and maple, but I could never tell the difference between them. It wasn’t the trees that caused my grip to loosen around the phone, however. Rising up into the sky like a jagged set of uneven fingers was a mountain the color of sand and granite. The sheer size of the thing cast deep and unforgiving shadows over most of the thick forest, turning the woods into something desolate and intimidating. I could easily imagine people going in there and never being seen again—getting lost and then eaten by a bear or something.

I swallowed down panic and flipped open the cell. Several missed calls and voicemails greeted me. I dialed Adam’s number.

He answered on the second ring. “Ember! Where in the hell are you? What happened to you? I’ve called you a million times. Hey! Are you there?”

“Yeah,” I croaked out. “I’m here.”

A sigh of relief was audible. “Damn, Em, where are you? You disappeared from school on Wednesday—Wednesday, Em. Without so much as a heads-up. And I haven’t seen you since.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” He paused, and I could picture him staring at the phone dumbfounded. “Em, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

The words just tumbled out. “No. I’m not okay.”

“What do you mean? Em, what is going on?”

“I’m in this place, Adam. With these people I don’t know, and I don’t know what to do.”

There was a stretch of silence. “Em, have you’ve been kidnapped or something?”

I started to laugh, because it sounded ridiculous, but what came out sounded more like a sob. Then I was crying, the kind of deep sobs that stole my breath and hurt. I never cried, not like this and not in front of Adam.

“Em, tell me where you are. I’m going to the call the police,” he said in rush. “Just tell me where you are.”

“You can’t call the police. You don’t understand, Adam,” I said, running my hand over my face. “You never knew. I never told you.”

“Knew what? You’re not making sense. Are you in danger?”

“I don’t know. Yes. No. Probably. But you can’t call the police, Adam. You have to promise me.”

There was another long gap of silence. “Okay. I won’t call the police. Where are you?”

“Um, in some place called the Dark Forest.”

“Come again?”

I laughed weakly. “It’s a town called Petersburg. I’m in West Virginia, Adam—West ‘by God’ Virginia.”

“
What
?” he shouted.

“You know the place where that movie about the incest hillbillies was filmed? Remember, they like ate people or something. You said the one guy with the gross hands reminded you of our gym teacher?” I took a deep breath. It caught in my throat.

“Em? Are you still there?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s going on, Em? I went to your house. Everything is gone. The place is empty.”

Everything was in that house. The paperwork to the bank accounts. Pictures of Dad, of us together, before the accident were all there.

“Everything is gone?” I whispered.

“It’s like no one lived there. Ever,” he said. “It was the freakiest thing I’d ever seen.”

Cromwell hadn’t been joking when he said everything had been taken care of. Even if I did find a way to go back, there was nothing to go back to. No way to buy food, to pay for stuff, to do anything. How could I take care of Olivia or my mom now? My legs felt weak. I slumped down on the balcony floor and pressed my forehead against my bent knees.

I was trapped.

“Em? You still there?”

“It’s my mom,” I said finally, choosing the one lie I had always relied on. “She’s worse. I’m with friends of the family.” He didn’t respond. The silence stretched out for so long I thought he had hung up the phone.

“Adam, are you there?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “How long are you staying there?”

“I don’t know. I may be here for a while.”

“You’re joking,” he said. “Right? Because people just don’t up and leave without any sort of warning.”

A sudden tightness clamped down my chest. “Adam, I’m not joking.”

“I don’t understand.” His voice sounded strained, choked.

The vise-grip spread to my throat and my eyes started to burn again. “I have to stay here for a while, Adam. I don’t want to, but I have to.”

“That doesn’t make sense, Ember.” He took an audible breath, and I could hear him moving around. Probably in his room—he was always in his bedroom. “What friends of the family? Whose house are you staying at?”

“Jonathan Cromwell,” I told him.

“I’ve never heard you mention them before.”

I closed my eyes and clutched the sketchpad to my chest. “Yeah, I know. Adam, please don’t worry. Everything is okay.”

“You don’t sound okay, Em.”

“Really, I am. It’s just been a… rough couple of days. I’m sorry I freaked you out and I haven’t had a chance to call. Look, I need to get off here. I’ll call you soon.”

“Ember, don’t hang up!” he yelled. “Something isn’t right. You don’t sound right.”

I shook my head, sending damp strands of hair against my cheeks. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later. I promise. Okay?” I stopped abruptly, having to take a moment. “Just don’t worry. I’m okay. Everything is okay.”

“Ember—don’t hang up the phone. Please! Just tell—”

I snapped the phone shut, and after a few seconds, I turned it off. I knew Adam would call, and if he did, I
would
answer. Then I would break and tell him I’d been kidnapped by the neighborhood Friendly Freak Association. I had a feeling that wouldn’t end well—not for me, my mom, or Olivia.

Olivia
.

What would happen if I made a run for it? I couldn’t leave Olivia here, but what would I be taking her to? There was nothing out there for us now. Staying here meant I’d have to trust Cromwell. Could I trust a stranger? But I knew the answer. I’d do anything for Olivia.

I’d even put my fate—my future—in Cromwell’s hands.

Chapter 6

I
sat, staring blindly at a blank page. I started with one line—the horizon, but as I continued, the line became ragged and broken by tall elms with points as sharp as needles. I pressed harder, giving the shadows more depth, more secrets. The drawing wasn’t working, but I couldn’t stop. Smudged lines flowed across the page.

“What are you doing?”

I snapped the pad shut and twisted toward the voice. Hayden. In the sun, his hair shone a dozen colors of red and brown.

He took only one step closer, pulling his hands out of the pockets of his jeans. “Ember?”

I jumped to my feet. “Don’t come any closer.”

Hayden stopped. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you.”

“Not going to hurt me?” I backed up, successfully trapping myself against the wall. “You said that right before you knocked me out for three days.”

“I’m really sorry about that.” He looked away, drawing in a deep breath. “I know you, Ember. You’re a fighter—”

“You don’t know me. We only talked for five minutes in the library.”

A lopsided smile pulled at his lips as he turned toward me. “Since the accident, we’ve checked in on you. Sometimes I came with my father. I saw enough.”

A fine shiver coursed through me. I wrapped my arms around me, but it didn’t help. “Saw what?”

He looked away again, staring off at something I couldn’t see. “How hard it was for you. The way those kids at school treated you. How you managed to survive when there was no one there to help you.” The striking lines of his face turned hard. “I know you’re scared, but you don’t have any reason to be now.”

“Really? Because you tell me so, huh? And this is coming from a boy who has been stalking me with his father. Not to mention the fact that you guys have kidnap—”

“I wasn’t stalking you, Ember, and we didn’t kidnap you.” He faced me once again. “We just… relocated you.”

“So Olivia can be among her ‘kind’.” I rolled my eyes. “Are you serious? I don’t have a ‘kind’, and neither does Olivia.”

“But you do.” Hayden moved fast. I flattened myself against the wall as if I could somehow disappear into it. I held the pad between us. It made for a weak, stupid barrier. “Jonathan Cromwell really isn’t my father, did you know that? My parents—my real parents—didn’t want anything to do with me. They were scared of me. When I was young, I couldn’t control it.”

A voice inside my head screamed at me to shut up and run, but I didn’t. “Control what?”

Hayden’s lips twisted. “I’m what they call an ‘enerpath.’ I can drain energy from just about anything there is, including the air around us. With people, I can drain a little of their energy. Or I can take it all. It works the same with people who are gifted.”

“And what did you mean about the air?”

“I could bring this entire house down if I wanted to.”

My mouth dropped open.

“I was in foster homes for several years. If Jonathan hadn’t found me, I don’t know where I’d be now. He told me what I was and taught me how to control it. Never once did he ask for anything in return. I owe him my life, Ember. As does every kid he’s ever saved.” His eyes flicked up. “I’ve scared you, haven’t I?”

“I… that’s…” I shook my head, “freaky?”

Silence stretched out between us while he studied me in a way that made me feel transparent. His brown eyes shifted to a much darker color, almost black. Then he moved away, going back to the railing.

“I’m sorry.” I found myself apologizing without even knowing why. “I didn’t mean—”

Hayden threw up his hand, cutting me off. “It’s okay. Being called a freak by you is sort of a compliment.”

Was that an insult? “What happened when you touched me? I mean, for a few seconds nothing happened. No one—nothing can touch me.”

“I can touch you for a minute or two. It’s like a buffer, Ember. I can handle small portions, but it would overwhelm me if you held on and I didn’t drain your touch.”

“But you knocked me out, like, hard-core.”

Hayden ran the tips of his fingers over the railing. “That’s what happens when I drain your touch. With others, it just stops whatever they are doing. If someone is telekinetic—can move things with their mind—my touch would stop them from doing so. If I drain just a little, it can take the edge off some of their gifts. For some reason, with you, it just knocked you on your butt.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “Maybe it’s because your gift is so tied to your life-force now. I don’t know.”

“So we can touch, but one of us ends up… hurt?”

A slow smile spread across his lips. “If we aren’t careful, yes. Anyway, how did you discover it? I—we never saw that.”

I remembered how I thought he’d looked familiar when I first saw him. I
had
caught glimpses of him.

“Ember?”

“After the accident,” I said finally. “I had a cat named Sushi.”

“And?” He pushed off the railing, coming to stand in front of me again.

“I picked it up.” I took a deep breath and looked away. Part of me didn’t even know why I was sharing this, but it felt liberating telling the truth for once. “It died, right then and there. Then I tried to hug Olivia.”

“Whoa,” Hayden murmured. “Poor kid. Poor kitty.”

“Yeah… well, I told Olivia the cat ran away. That was before I understood what she could do. I mean,
really
understand.” My cheeks were hot, but I kept going. Diarrhea of the mouth, I supposed. “I quickly learned plants and animals pretty much keel over right away. People are different. My touch hurts at first, then… well, you already know what happens.”

“It was an accident,” he said without hesitation. “And
he
touched
you
.”

“Does it really matter how it happened? He’s dead because of me.”

“It’s not the same thing.” He appeared to want to say something else, but shook his head. “Why were you upset earlier? Was it the phone call?”

Lying would be pointless. The lump in my front pocket was obvious. “I had to call my friend and let him know I was okay.”

“Did you tell him where you are?”

A frown tugged at my lips and I lied, sort of. “No.”

Hayden seemed to relax. “We can be ourselves here. Outsiders are rarely trusted. My father wants it to be different. Being the mayor has helped.”

“He’s the mayor?” Cromwell’s words came to back to me.
I have all the right. This is my town
.

“Not illegally or through manipulation.” He stepped back and leaned across the railing, crossing his long legs at the ankle. “Outsiders just love the man. Everybody does.”

“Great.” I started chewing my lip. “Does he think I’m going to run around and kill people now, because you know, that’s how I roll? Is that why he brought us here?”

Hayden tipped his back and laughed, really laughed. It was a nice sound. Rich. “No. I don’t think he believes you want to kill anyone.”

I zeroed in on his word choice.
Want
to kill people versus kill people by accident. I sighed again, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin.

His dark eyes flickered over me. “You’re not a freak. None of us are. And maybe I—we can help you get control of it. All you have to do is trust us.”

* * *

Just trust us.

Trust was a two-way street that usually didn’t start with being kidnapped.

I weaseled my way out of dinner even though Olivia threw an epic tantrum. She didn’t understand I needed time alone to think all of this through, to figure out what the next course of action should be.

So I skipped dinner, but still had no idea what to do. Now I was freaking starving. When I was pretty sure I was going to start gnawing on my arm, I sucked it up and tried to find my way back to the kitchen.

The hardwood floors didn’t creak under my sneakers and the paint was an array of soft, welcoming colors. It was nothing like our worn-down home in Allentown. I kind of missed that old place, no matter how sad it had been for the last two years. It felt like us, and this house didn’t.

Eventually, I found the right hallway, but the kitchen wasn’t empty like I’d hoped. I lingered outside the entrance, torn between running back to my room and busting in on the obvious family meeting about…
me
.

“You can’t be serious? She’s been awake for a couple of hours and she’s already tried to attack you.”

“She’s scared out of her mind, Gabe. She woke up in a complete stranger’s house. Think if we’d done that to you. Or to Parker and Phoebe,” Hayden said, his deep timbre recognizable.

“I’d throw you across the room, not kill you with my touch!”

“Knock it off. She’s staying. For now.” Cromwell sounded like he was accustomed to the two arguing.

Something slammed down. “You’re letting her go to school with us on top of it? What if she hurts someone?” Gabe said.

“She’s not going to run around and touch people on purpose,” Hayden snapped. “She went two years without hurting a single person.”

“She killed a boy!” said Gabe.

“That was an accident,” Hayden responded. “The asshole attacked her!
He
grabbed
her
. It wasn’t her fault.”

Nice of him to defend me
. Squeezing my eyes shut, I leaned against the wall.

“If she hurts someone, or if I think she will, then I will handle it,” Cromwell said. “I’ll turn her over to the Facility.”

“What?” That was Hayden. “You can’t be serious! You know what they’ll do to her there.”

“Better than what she’d do to us,” Gabe spat.

“You have no idea what it’s like there,” Hayden said. “I do. She doesn’t deserve that. We could try to work with her.”

“Hayden,” Cromwell said, clearly exasperated.

“What? We could try to control her gift.”

“She’s not gifted.”

I didn’t recognize the voice, but his words were cold.

“The damn girl is a freak of nature, and if anyone belongs at the Facility, she does. Her sister is one thing. That little angel has a gift, but Ember doesn’t.” There was a pause, and then the man laughed. “Oh, for the love of God, Hayden, don’t look at me like I just kicked a baby. I’m just stating the truth.”

“Kurt, you’re an ass,” Hayden said. “She should’ve hit you harder.”

My eyes snapped open. The lion man—the one in the cowboy duster—was here.

“Whatever. At least I’m not the one hung up on the Grim Reaper,” Kurt retorted.

A string of curses erupted. Behind my head, the wall trembled. I jumped back, staring at the wall. It writhed like a snake for a second, then stilled. Plumes of plaster floated down from where the wall met the ceiling.

“Hayden, don’t!” Cromwell ordered sharply. “She stays for now. It’s done, and I refuse to continue to argue it. And Hayden, stay away from her.”

Someone snorted loudly. I’d put my bets on Gabriel.

“I know you think you can help her,” Cromwell said. “And I know you want to help her, but I won’t have you risking your life for her. You have no experience with a gift like that. I know what will happen.”

“Father—”

“I won’t lose everything I have worked for—I won’t lose you for anyone. If you push this, then I will remove her from this house.”

Out of the stark silence that followed Cromwell’s warning, Hayden finally spoke, “That won’t be necessary, Father.”

Wishing I hadn’t eavesdropped, I pushed away from the wall. My heart thundered in my chest as I crept down the hall, feeling sick to my stomach. What was this place called the “Facility,” and did he really think I’d let him turn me over to them?

I roamed the many rooms until I stumbled upon my sister and two people I hadn’t seen yet. They looked so much alike I knew they must be siblings.

The guy was handsome in a cold, methodical way, like he’d been chiseled out of stone and someone had forgotten to give him a touch of warmth. He didn’t look up, although he stiffened when I entered the room.

The girl was playing dolls with Olivia. She was stunning, with black hair, bright green eyes, high cheekbones, flawless skin, lush red lips, and a body I’d kill for. She was kind of girl that I wanted to look like and knew I never would.

Olivia shot to her feet once she spotted me in the doorway, screeching my name loud enough to make me cringe.

The guy glanced up from the book he was reading. His stare wasn’t hostile, but I wouldn’t call it friendly. The girl, on the other hand, stood and motioned to the guy. They left without saying a word to me.

Sitting down beside Olivia, I tried to ignore their reaction to me. I picked up one of the dolls and realized it was the one Olivia had been whining about for weeks.

“Emmie? Did you know that Parker and Phoebe are twins?” She pointed at the door the siblings had used. “I like the people here.”

“You do?” I made the doll walk over to hers.

She bounced her head up and down. “And Liz is nice. She plays dolls with me when Mommy is sleeping.”

“Who’s Liz?”

“She lives here.”

I dropped the doll on the floor, irate by the idea of some stranger buddying up with Olivia. “Has Liz been with you since you got here?”

“Yes. She came to the school when we left home and got me a Happy Meal.” She picked up my doll.

Happy Meals—the unofficial way to a child’s heart. How devious of this
Ms. Liz
.

“Everyone is nice,” she went on, dancing the dolls between us, “to me and Mommy.”

Hearing that just pissed me off, and I knew it was stupid, that I should feel relief that everyone was so damn nice to Olivia. I stood, scanning the huge room for a window to throw open or break.

“Don’t you like it here, Emmie?”

“It’s great.” I frowned down at her bowed head. “But this isn’t our home, Olivia.”

“Ms. Liz said it was our home now.”

Oh, did she
? I was really starting to dislike this woman.

“And Emmie… I like it here,” she said in a small, tentative voice.

Of course Olivia liked it here. All the toys in the world to play with, and Liz, who could pick her up and hold her hand.

She dropped the dolls. “I wanna stay here.”

I kicked one of the dolls, sending it clear across the room. It hit the wall and the head fell off in the process. “We can’t stay.” My stomach turned. “This isn’t our home.”