The Curse Defiers (33 page)

Smoke filled the hallway, and flames were now shooting from Myra’s open bedroom doorway.

“That’s everyone, Ellie,” Claire shouted, emerging from a bedroom. “It’s moving fast. We have to get out now!”

“I have to get Collin! You and David make sure everyone got out okay.” I ran into the bedroom where we’d found the demon. Collin was using a blanket to beat the flames. Half the room was almost completely engulfed.

“Collin!” I shouted. “Come on!”

He turned to me coughing, his face black from the smoke. “Is everyone out?”

“Yes! Hurry!”

Thick smoke filled the hall as we stumbled to the staircase, both of us choking. There was a pocket of clean air halfway down, and I sucked in a deep breath and held it until we reached the dining room. Flames covered the dining room wall, and a cracking sound filled the entire room. The ceiling in front of us caved in, dropping a pile of burning debris onto the table. A plume of smoke rushed through the house, filling my lungs and blocking our exit.

I grabbed Collin’s hand, lacing our fingers together, and tugged. “This way.” I pulled him to the front door, coughing so hard I could barely see the steps leading to the yard. I dragged him to the edge of the yard and when I released my hold on him, he fell to his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. Knowing he was safe, that we were all safe, I sat on the grass beside him, exhausted and heartbroken.

A crowd had already gathered before I heard the sirens. They were too late.

“Ellie!” David’s terrified shouts rounded the corner of the house. He saw me on the grass and ran to my side, falling on his knees next to me. “Thank God. I was so scared you were still inside.” He pulled me to his chest and buried his hand in my hair. “I couldn’t find you.”

“The ceiling caved in. We had to go this way. I’m safe.” But I felt numb. Like none of this could be real.

He held me for several seconds before he looked up at the inferno. “God, Ellie. You’re going to lose it all.” He sounded horrified.

“No. Not everything.” I buried my face into his chest. Not yet.

He turned me so my chest was pressed to his, and I let myself fall apart, safe in his arms. “Myra. We found her.” I broke into sobs.

I cried myself into exhaustion before I had the sense to check on Collin. An ambulance was parked on the side of the street now, and an irritated Collin was sitting on a gurney with an oxygen mask on. When he saw me watching him, he tossed it down and, ignoring the shouts of the paramedic who was treating him, jumped out of the ambulance and strode over toward me, his jaw set in determination.

I climbed to my feet as he approached.

“I’m sorry I didn’t go after her, Ellie. We’ll track her down. I swear to you.”

“You did the right thing.” I reached my arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.”

His hands loosely held my waist before he gently pushed me away. “It looks like your favorite police officer is waiting to talk to you. He’s already told me not to leave until we’ve had a ‘chat.
’
 ”

Tom made his way toward me, and I looked up at Collin in a panic. “What happened to the swords?”

“Claire,” he said as Tom walked up.

“What about Claire?” Tom asked, his hands on his hips, his gaze swinging between the three of us.

“Ellie wanted to make sure her friend was okay,” David volunteered, wrapping an arm around my waist.

“I’m going to go check on something in my truck,” Collin mumbled as he walked away.

The house gave a loud creaking sound before one side caved in.

“What happened, Ellie?” Tom asked in his official voice.

“Do you want the report-friendly version or the truth?”

He hesitated. “Truth.”

“It was a demon. It killed Myra and started the fire.” Grief stabbed my heart, but my tears were dry. Tears wouldn’t bring her back.

Tom put a hand on my arm. “God, Ellie. I’m sorry.”

I nodded, pressing my lips together. “The demon was attacking one of the boarders when we found it.” I searched the crowd and pointed to Sarah when I caught sight of her next to a second ambulance. “She was pretty freaked out. The demon has impersonated Myra, so I’d appreciate it if you could do something about that.” I cleared my throat. “For the report. Myra deserves better than for the town to think she attempted murder.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” He looked over at the fire, then back at me. “And the Raven Mockers?”

“The demon impersonating Myra was controlling them and it just fled. I hope they’re gone too, but it won’t be forever.”

“Then we’ll hope they don’t come back for a long time.” He started toward Sarah.

“Tom.”

He turned back to me.

“You’re going to find a total mess at the botanical gardens.” Although I hoped Tsagasi cleaned some of it up along with the weapons.

“Again?”

I didn’t answer and he turned away, muttering under his breath.

David tugged me tighter to him. “I guess this means we’re moving for sure. But we didn’t find all of your father’s notes.”

“We don’t need them. We’re making our own rules now.” I looked up at him. “Collin and I have officially broken all allegiance with the gods. This is far from over.” I offered a pained smile. “It’s only just begun.”

“We’ll be prepared. You know I’m on your side.”

“What about the Guardians? Do we have to worry about them coming back?”

“I don’t know, but I know we pretty much decimated their core group. All the people there tonight were the higher-level members. They might rebuild, but hopefully it will take years.”

I nodded. It was the best I could hope for.

David’s attention drifted to Collin. He sat on the back of his pickup looking more lost than I’d ever seen him. “He needs you right now, Ellie.”

I jerked my gaze up to meet David’s.

“You picked me, Ellie. But Collin is floundering right now, and he’s your partner. The three of us will be working closely together, and we all have to trust each other. I know your heart. I have faith in you.”

I placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his bruised lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now go talk to him.”

I pushed through the now-thinning crowd, stopping next to Claire, who huddled next to an obviously shaken Drew.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know it was Myra sooner, Ellie,” Claire whispered through fresh tears.

I pulled my friend into a hug. “You couldn’t know, Claire. It’s okay.”

She pulled back and offered a smile.

“Can you do something for me?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Can you give Myra a message?”

Claire nodded.

“Can you tell her I’m sorry that I failed her?” I started crying as I said the words.

Claire shook her head, starting to sob. “She says you didn’t fail her. She’s so proud of you and she loves you so much.”

I could hardly see Claire through my tears. “Tell her I love her too.”

“Ellie, she already knows. She never once doubted your love for her.”

I sucked in several deep breaths to regain control and offered her a sad smile. “Thank you.” I cast a long glance toward Collin.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Go to him.”

After I made my way to the back of Collin’s truck, I hopped up on the tailgate next to him. “You were a hero tonight. Who would have thought?” I teased as I wiped my stray tears, leaning my shoulder into his. “You’re just full of surprises.”

“I meant it about finding the demon that killed your mother. I don’t want you to think I purposely let it go.”

“I know you didn’t.” I slipped my hand in his, lacing our fingers together.

He didn’t answer for several seconds, just watching the now-smoldering house. “Our connection is different. It changed tonight. I didn’t feel you. Did you really not feel me?”

“No.” And my hormones were under control even though we were sitting next to each other. If this lasted, it would make our lives infinitely easier. “Did you mean it about David being part of us now?”

“There’s no denying that he can find things we can’t. We need him.” He glanced over at the man I loved. “If he’s open to it, of course.”

“He is.”

“And Claire?” he asked, turning back to me and studying my face.

“I guess she’s one of us too. Part of our team.”

A smirk lifted his mouth. “I’ve never been much of a team player.”

My eyebrows lifted and a grin spread across my face. “Why does that not surprise me?”

He turned serious again.

A new thought hit me. “Are you okay with being part of a team?”

He sighed, his gaze on our joined hands. “For the first time, I feel like I belong to something important.” His deep brown eyes lifted to mine. “Do you know what I mean? Like we’re supposed to save the world even though no one realizes it.”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.”

His smart-ass grin spread across his face. “We’ll need shirts. I think they should say ‘Team Collin.
’
 ”

I snorted. “Not a chance.”

Several minutes later David joined us, and I sat between the two most important men in my life, the two men who would help me fight the evil that was still growing and waiting to rise up and strike innocents.

We stayed until the fire was completely extinguished, wisps of smoke rising as firemen began to poke around the debris. The rising sun shot streaks of reds and pinks along the horizon. A new day was about to begin.

The first day of my new life.

I’d lost my family home and my last remaining parent, and yet the sun still rose. The world still spun. Life went on.

I leaned my head onto David’s shoulder and he pulled me close. “Are you ready to leave yet?” he asked.

Was I? No. Something wasn’t done. I wasn’t sure what, but I knew I needed to stay.

Not long after, Tom made his way over to me, holding a small wooden box. “Ellie, the fire inspector found this in the rubble. Everything around it was practically cinder, but this is in nearly pristine condition.”

I took it from him, gasping. The box with Daddy’s pocket watches. It was coated in a layer of dust, but he was right—it was completely undamaged. I ran my fingers around the edges.

David sat upright. “Is that what I think it is?”

“What is it?” Collin asked, leaning closer.

I lifted the lid, exposing the contents. “It’s from Daddy.” The timepieces were in perfect condition, nestled in their velvet beds. Obviously, the watches had survived for a reason. They still had an important purpose.

Did Daddy have anything to do with this? Was this his way of offering his love and support? If someone had suggested it two months ago, I’d have called them crazy. But a scent of leather and cinnamon hung in the air. He was with me right now.

I looked up at Collin. “It’s a sign of hope—that we can do this. That we can conquer the demons and make everything right again.”

A cocky grin spread across his face. “Hell, we already have that, Ellie.”

I chuckled. “Why? Because
you’re
on board?”

“No. Because we’ve got the best weapon we could possibly have.” He leaned closer, turning serious. “We’ve got
you
.”

I only hoped that I was enough.

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’d like to thank 47North for their hard work and dedication to the Curse Keepers series. My acquiring editor, David Pomerico, heard the worst pitch in the history of pitches and still asked for a proposal. My first developmental editor, Alison Dasho, came with me to 47North, then left me after the line edits of
The Curse Keepers
to become an acquisitions editor for Thomas & Mercer. Her excitement at helping me create the Curse Keeper world, starting from the very beginning with the proposal, was contagious and inspiring. I was sad to lose her but excited to see her fulfill her dreams. Thankfully, I gained Angela Polidoro, whom I absolutely adore. She jumped in with both feet, not only with the Curse Keeper world, but my Rose Gardner Mystery series as well. She’s an absolute joy to work with and puts up with my moments of insecurities. (I’m convinced the poor woman usually sees me at my worst.) And finally, I’m lucky and thankful to have worked with the same copy editor for all three books. Jon has been an absolute joy to work with. I love how he understood me and my style, offering suggestions that were nearly always spot on. I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed working with a copy editor as much as I have with him.

This series has had many highs and lows for me, and I’m forever thankful to Heather Pennington, Stormy Udell, Christie Timpson, Emily Pearson, and Rhonda Cowsert, who always believed in Ellie, Collin, and David, even when I doubted. I couldn’t ask for a better set of beta readers and friends.

I’m blessed with amazing readers, who not only read the book in their hands, but devour it and ask for more. You inspire me to keep this crazy pace. You inspire me to keep going even when I’m filled with doubt.

To those of you who have grown to love Ellie, Collin, and David—not to worry, this isn’t the end. Their journey has just begun.

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

Photo © 2013 Cathryn Farley

Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and lived in the area until she was nineteen. She then became a nomad, living in five cities, four states, and ten houses over the next decade before moving back to her roots. She speaks English and a smattering of Spanish and Chinese. Her hobbies include making witty Facebook comments and dancing in the kitchen. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads everyone to believe.