The Curse Keepers (Curse Keepers series) (44 page)

The knot in the giant oak tree began to glow and a bright light suffused the air, blinding me. But when I closed my eyes and blinked them open, I could see. The gate to hell swung open, the shouts and cries of three wind gods, the demons and other spirits, clung to the molecules in the air.

The wind god of the north appeared in the shape of a bird with a human head and flowing white hair. “Come my brothers. You are free!” Three large birds with human heads flew out of the tree and circled over Collin and me. They dove and pecked, but bounced off an invisible dome that surrounded us. They grimaced and shrieked. “We promised we would come for you Curse Keeper, daughter of the sea, witness to creation. We will make you pay. We will be lurking in the night for you.”

Okeus appeared next, moving through the gate toward the tree, in human form. He was handsome with raven hair, long on one side and short on the other. His eyes were black as the night. He held his arms open wide. “Come, my children! You are finally free!”

Grotesque creatures spilled out of the tree like ants, crawling over one another in their rush to freedom. They circled Collin and me. Collin stiffened and his free arm snaked around my back and pulled me to his chest. The creatures sniffed at the edge of our circle, clawing at the invisible shield. Hundreds covered the ground in the garden, knocking over the candles and trampling the marks in the grass. “We will hunt you in the night Curse Keeper, daughter of the sea, witness to creation. You will rue the day you came into existence. We will torture you for four hundred years as your people tortured us.”

Then they disappeared into the darkness. All but Okeus, who walked toward us, wearing a wicked smile. “Well done, son of the earth. You have opened the gate, and while I can give you continued protection, your reward will not be granted. You defied me by protecting the daughter of the sea.” Okeus turned to me, his finger piercing the shield. A sharp talon extended from where he should have had a fingernail. The tip touched my right arm and his claw sank deep, dragging across my skin and cutting a jagged design. His symbol.

I screamed from the pain, and my knees collapsed. Collin held me up, horror in his eyes.

“Until the day you die, you carry the mark of my curse.”

My vision swam as Okeus disappeared. Collin and I were alone with the open gate before us.

Ahone came next, descending from the sky, wearing a white robe and a long white beard. “Witness to creation, you believe, but do you have faith?”

Tears fell down my face. I didn’t know what to have faith in anymore.

“There are forces greater than the strength of the gods. You are witness to creation. You have seen this with your own eyes. You have been present in all of time and space. You were chosen for a reason, Curse Keeper, witness to creation. You must have faith.”

Anything we send back right now won’t stay there. The gate to the spirit world is open and it would only return. They will only stay locked away if the gate is closed.

The only chance humanity had at survival was if we shut the gate.

“I don’t know how.”

“You will when you have faith.”

“After I make my sacrifice?”

Ahone nodded.

Did I need Collin for this? I doubted that he’d even help, not that I wanted his help. I tugged the rope around my arm free and pushed Collin’s arm off of me. I held up my throbbing right hand, blood dripping down my wrist, and walked toward the gate. Ahone said the answer was there if I had faith.

What was the difference between belief and faith? I believed this was real because I’d seen it with my own eyes. But faith meant believing without proof.

Ahone interrupted my thoughts. “The sun is rising, witness to creation. When the sun touches the surface of the earth, the gate is sealed open forever.”

No pressure.

“Ellie,” Collin called behind me, panic in his voice. “What are you doing?”

Anger rose hot and scalding, and I turned and pointed my finger at him. “You shut the fuck up
right now
.”

Pain swam in his eyes. I turned to face the opening.

How was I going to do this? I didn’t know what to do, but I realized that was the point. Wasn’t that the purpose of faith? Trusting in something even when you didn’t know what to do? But how did I sacrifice myself and still close the gate?

“Daughter of the sea, the universe strives for balance. You are only half of a whole.”

As much as I abhorred the thought, I needed Collin’s power to help me do this.

“What is your sacrifice?” Ahone asked.

“Myself.”

Collin gasped. He moved next to me, grabbing my arm, his eyes widening in terror. “Ellie.
No
.”

Ahone shook his head. “You must give something of great value that will cause you pain to lose. You cannot sacrifice yourself.”

I swallowed a sob. I couldn’t close the gate without a sacrifice, and the sun would be up soon. What was I going to do?”

Daddy stepped out from behind the tree, still wearing his pajamas. “I am the sacrifice.”

“No!” I shouted. How did he get here? How did he know where to go? Horror magnified my panic.
I told him
. I turned to Ahone “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Daddy smiled, his face full of love and pride. “Ellie, I
do
know what I’m doing. I’ve lived my life so proud to call myself the Curse Keeper and now I get to be part of history in the making. Now I will live on in the legends.”

My legs shook. “Daddy, no.
Please
. Don’t leave me.”

“You and I both know I left you years ago.” He turned to Ahone. “I’m ready.”

I started to run to stop him, but Collin wrapped his arms around my stomach. “Ellie, don’t.”

“
Get your fucking hands off me
.”

But Collin’s grip tightened as Ahone reached a hand to Daddy’s chest. Ahone’s fingers turned to white smoke, which spiraled around Daddy’s body. Daddy’s head fell back and his legs grew limp.

The smoke gently lowered Daddy to the ground, then retreated to Ahone’s hand.

“Both of your sacrifices have been accepted. You may close the gate.”

Sobbing, I shook my head, leaning forward, but Collin’s arms kept my back pressed against his chest. I didn’t want to close the gate. I wanted Daddy.

“Ellie, don’t let your father’s death mean nothing,” Collin’s voice broke, whispering in my ear. “He wanted you to close it.”

I spun around to him, my sorrow exploding into rage. “You did this! You betrayed me! You
opened
the gate, Collin. How could you?”

He shook his head, tears in his eyes.

“It’s your fault my father is dead. I will never forgive you for betraying me, Collin.
Never
.”

“I know.” He sucked in a breath. The sadness and pain in his eyes were nearly my undoing. He took my hand and pushed his palm into my own.

In an instant, with the jolt of power, I was directly in front of the wide-open gate, searching deep inside my being for the ancient force. I realized my agonized soul was the key to finding it. Great sacrifice was needed to save the world. Ananias Dare had sacrificed his entire village, including his wife and child. Perhaps he’d done it inadvertently, but he’d done it all the same. I needed to feel deep pain to uncover the ancient magic. Didn’t Ahone realize that Collin’s betrayal was sacrifice enough?

I leaned my head back, my mark still linked to Collin’s, opening my left arm wide and summoning the force. A black hole filled the sky overhead.

“Collin, you opened the gate. You have to close it.”

He stood at my side, his eyes wide in confusion.

“Push the gate closed, Collin, or I will kick your fucking ass.”

He looked around as though he were in the middle of a dream, but he grabbed a thick iron spindle with his left hand and pushed the gate closed.

I pressed our still joined hands onto the metal bars. “We are daughter of the sea and son of the earth. I am witness to the birth of the earth and the birth of the sea, magic more ancient and powerful than that of the gods. Our union gave rise to their birth and our union will give rise to their death. I call upon our primordial power to seal the gate to hell.”

Sparks flew from the melding of the gate to the wall of the spirit world.

When I was sure it was sealed, I dropped Collin’s hand, and we stood under the giant oak tree, on trampled grass and overturned candles. The sun’s rays had begun to peek over the horizon.

Ahone stood next to the tree, Daddy’s body at his feet. “The universe strives for balance. The son of the earth has paid his sacrifice. The daughter of the sea has also paid hers. Daughter of the sea, you may now bear my mark.” Ahone disappeared into mist.

I rushed to Daddy and dropped to my knees. I reached a tentative hand toward him, terrified he’d be frozen. “
Daddy
,” I wailed as I stroked his face, thankful to find it still warm. He looked so peaceful, as though he were asleep. “Daddy. Wake up.
Daddy
!” I shook his shoulders, leaving bloody smears on his cheek and his pajamas. “Wake up!”

“Ellie, he’s not asleep.” Collin’s voice cracked behind me.

I pressed my cheek to Daddy’s chest, listening for the dull thud I’d hear when I was a little girl. The only sound was my own ragged breath from my sobs.

“Ellie, we have to get out of here.” Collin squatted behind me and gently gripped my shoulders.

My body stiffened. “
Get your fucking hands off of me
.”

His fingers slid slowly off of my arms, and he rose, but remained inches behind me.

I stood, spinning around to face Collin. “What was
your
sacrifice? Was it your brother?”

A hint of anger mixed with the pain etched on his face. “No. God, no.”

“What? What did you give Okeus?”

The morning hung pregnant with pause. “My soul.”

I gasped. It all made sense.

Are you a witch, Ellie Lancaster? Have you cast a spell to entrance me? Or are you an angel sent to save my soul?

“Why would you do that, Collin? Why would you sell the devil your soul?”

“You don’t understand, Ellie.”

I shook my head in disgust. “You’re right. I don’t understand. I thought I knew you.”

His eyes hardened. “I told you not to trust me.”

“That’s the only thing I should have believed.” The cool morning air hit my flushed skin and I shivered, then spun around, looking for my shirt.

“Ellie. I swear to God I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Don’t you mean you swear to Okeus?”

“Ellie,
please
. Just let me explain.”

I ignored him as I bent down to pick my T-shirt off the ground. Dizziness swamped my head as I stood back up, and I realized how much blood I had lost. My right arm was covered in it.

Collin reached for me, but I slapped him away with my left hand. “Don’t you touch me. You lost any right to touch me.”

“Ellie, please.” The pain in his voice almost broke me. Almost.

I tugged my shirt over my head. “You lied to me. You endangered my life. You endangered humanity for what?
You sold your soul.
What did Okeus promise you, Collin?”

“Ellie.”

“You
knew
. The day you came into the restaurant, you knew. You did this.
You did this to me
. The contents of hell have spilled upon the earth and every single creature has vowed to hunt me down and make me pay for their imprisonment. All for your selfish greed.” I found my purse on the ground and picked it up, pushing through another wave of dizziness. “I hope you’re happy, Collin. I hope it was worth it.”

“If I could do it all over again—”

My heart twisted with pain and grief. “You’d do the exact same thing. You told me that last night.” My voice caught on a sob, but I swallowed it. “You wouldn’t change any of it.”

He held out his palm toward me. His mark was there, covered in both of our blood. Hours ago it was a symbol of hope; now it was reminder of my idiocy. “I didn’t know, Ellie. I swear I didn’t know.”

“And now you do. But it doesn’t change a fucking thing.”

I turned around and took a deep breath. I was about to walk away from the one person in all of eternity who could make me whole. My literal other half. The pain was excruciating, a thousand times worse than any physical pain I had ever felt. I choked back a sob. Could I do this? Could I walk away from him?

How could I not after what he’d done?

I took a step, nearly collapsing from the pain of separation.

“Where are you going?” Collin called after me, his voice broken.

I stopped and looked over my shoulder. “I’m going to do what my father raised me to do. I’m going to save the world.”

The idea for
The Curse Keepers
came to me in March 2012. The end of my urban fantasy series—The Chosen—was on the horizon and I was looking for a new project to start on when the series was finished.

Although I wasn’t sure what I would write about, I
did
know that I wanted to write another urban fantasy without vampires and werewolves. My friend and critique partner, Trisha Leigh, suggested I base it on the Lost Colony of Roanoke. In my version, the colony disappears because of a curse.

This story is based on historical events and figures. Manteo is real. He was a Croatan Indian who befriended the English when they first arrived in what is now North Carolina, years before the colony landed onshore. Manteo sailed to England with Wanchese, another Croatan Indian, and spent several years in England before he returned to the New World on the ship with the first colony. A ragtag band of 118 men, women, and children determined to create a new life free of religious persecution landed on Roanoke Island on July 22, 1587. Their governor was John White, but he soon returned to England to get more supplies, leaving behind his daughter Elinor/Eleanor (both spellings found interchangeably), newborn granddaughter Virginia, and son-in-law, Ananias Dare, along with the rest of the colonists, less one man who was murdered by a neighboring Native American tribe.