Evermore (6 page)

"Not this one. It's ancient and few people
know of its existence let alone the precise words. It's considered
so dangerous that the custodians of the curse have never written it
down."

"Custodians?"

"A Romany clan."

"Gypsies!"

"What about gypsies?" George asked.

"Thieves the lot of them!" Theo spat.

"Steady on," said George. "Surely not all of
them are as bad as their reputation suggests."

"They are. Every single one." Theo crossed
his arms. "They're taught how to pick pockets when they're barely
out of the cradle and graduate to horse stealing and worse by
Cara's age. A group of them camp near our farm every summer, and
every summer we lose sheep from the fields and tools from the barn.
One year they stole the bread right out of the kitchen."

"Brazen," muttered George.

I told them what Jacob had said about the
ancient curse causing the havoc in the Waiting Area. "You said it
was shocking," I said to him, "but uttering an old curse is not
terribly earth-shattering."

"The manner in which it’s delivered to the
Waiting Area is," he said. "The Administrators had difficulty
determining how it was happening because the method of its delivery
is so astonishing." He shook his head. "I still cannot believe
it."

"Tell me. I am in suspense."

He set his unblinking gaze on me. "The one
delivering the curse must be dead."

"Dead!"

"Who's dead?" George asked.

"Aside from the obvious." Theo indicated the
book Jacob had been flicking through.

"The cursor is dead," I told them. "He or she
delivered the curse into the Waiting Area by dying first. So that's
that then. The villain is dead and most likely somewhere in the
Waiting Area right now. Goodness knows why they would want to
destroy the very system they're now dependent upon to crossover.
All you need to do is tell us how to reverse the curse, or who we
need to speak to. If we must find a Romany, then so be it."

"You won't get a straight answer out of a
gypsy," Theo said. "They lie as adeptly as they steal."

"You don't understand," Jacob said. "The
curse has not been spoken only a single time, it has happened twice
now, and the Administrators are none the wiser as to who did
it."

"Twice? So there were two people involved?
How remarkable to have two people prepared to die to achieve such
an end. At least they're gone now. Oh Jacob, this means your
murderer is dead!" I clasped his hand but he shook his head.

"You're right in that there may be more than
one person involved, but not in the way you think. You see, both
times the culprit has not stayed in the Waiting Area after he has
delivered the curse. He, or she, returns here to the living
realm."

"Here!" I shook my head. "That's not
possible. Dead is dead."

"Unless he's brought back to life."

CHAPTER 4

Good lord! Brought back to life after
intentionally dying? To put oneself through such an ordeal in order
to deliver a curse was truly extraordinary, and incredibly
dangerous. It was the act of a desperate individual.

"Emily?" George bobbed down to look me in the
eyes. "Are you aware your mouth has flopped open?"

"What did he say?" Theo asked, resting a
steady hand on my shoulder.

I repeated Jacob's words and was met with
gasps of horror.

"But...why?" Theo asked. "Why go to such
lengths?"

"Because he hates me," Jacob said. I did not
repeat his words for Theo and George. We all knew the story of
Jacob's murder, of how his killer blamed him for Frederick's death
although we were not sure how that could be his fault.

"Because he has nothing to lose," I said,
answering Theo.

Jacob's gaze held mine. "Or nothing to live
for." He may have been faint, but I could see violent waves of
emotion rippling through him. He knew he was the cause of the
turmoil in the Waiting Area, albeit indirectly, and it troubled him
deeply.

"If he must die to deliver the curse," Theo
said, frowning, "why can't anyone up there identify who it is?"

"A good point," I said. "Surely the
Administrators have seen them come then go again."

Jacob shook his head. "There is a moment of
uncertainty, where life hangs in the balance and death has not
fully taken hold. It's very brief, but in that time, the spirit is
in transit."

"In transit?"

"Traveling from this realm to the Waiting
Area. It's like a long, dark tunnel with a light at the other end.
No one in the Waiting Area can see into it, including the
Administrators, yet the spirit cannot see out either."

"But they can speak?"

"Yes, if they have their wits about them.
Most spirits are so shocked by their death and frightened about
what will greet them at the end of the tunnel that speaking is the
last thing on their mind. Whoever is saying the curse is aware of
the transition process and aware of how long they have until
they're completely dead and cannot return."

"Someone must be bringing him back to life,"
I whispered. "That's why you think more than one person is
involved."

Jacob nodded and I repeated what he'd said
for Theo and George's benefit.

"Amazing," George muttered. He pushed his
glasses up his nose and squinted at the bookshelves. "Surely one of
these has something useful."

"I doubt it," Theo said. "If this is a gypsy
curse, then we'll need a gypsy to learn more about it. The ones
I've met cannot read or write."

"Why hasn't the Waiting Area been completely
destroyed?" I asked Jacob. "A minute is long enough to utter a
curse so one trip should have sufficed, yet our villain has been
twice and still the Waiting Area exists."

"Each utterance of the curse is only enough
to do partial damage," Jacob said. "It doesn't seem strong enough
to destroy it completely."

"Which begs the question, how many times does
it need to be spoken before the Waiting Area disappears
entirely?"

"The Administrators don't know. It could be
done on the next visit, or it could take a few more. Certainly not
more than a handful."

We fell into a heavy silence until Theo broke
it. "Let me walk you home, Emily. We don't want your sister to
worry."

"Go," Jacob said. "He's right and there is
nothing more we can do today."

I passed near him and brushed his fingers.
His hand curled into a fist and he turned away, ignoring me.
Ignoring the spark between us.

"If I learn anything else, I'll come to you
immediately," he said.

If you can.

My stomach rolled and I
felt a little faint myself. The thought of not seeing Jacob again
for the rest of my life was awful enough, but knowing I would not
see him again in the Otherworld after my death made my heart ache.
We could
not
allow the destruction of the Waiting Area to
continue.

Jacob blinked off and George walked Theo and
me to the entrance hall. His mother breezed through as the footman
opened the door. "You're still here?" she said, although whether
she addressed me or Theo I couldn't tell.

"We were just leaving," I said, edging around
her wide burgundy skirt.

She untied her hat and handed it to the
footman hovering at her elbow. "You were quite the topic of
discussion today among my friends, Miss Chambers."

"Oh?"

"Mother, you know that Emily is a medium,"
George said. "Do you need to bring up your views now?"

Mrs. Culvert didn't believe in the
paranormal. Or rather, she didn't care for it. She may have been
married to a demonologist and have a son who shared his interests,
but she didn't like discussing anything of that nature. It was
social suicide as far as she was concerned, and so she never
chatted to me about ghosts. We all preferred it that way.

"Your recent entertainments
have become quite the talk among ladies of consequence," she said,
pouting sympathetically at me. "Or rather, the
lack
of entertainment."

"Mother," George ground out. "Don't."

"Such a shame. When I first told my friends
that we'd become acquainted they were all aflutter, wanting me to
host one of your displays."

"It's called a séance," George said.

I could feel Theo's hand at my back, the
gentle pressure reassuring.

"I was never overly keen on
the idea, myself," she went on. "I endured enough hocus pocus when
Mr. Culvert was alive. Anyway, it seems it no longer matters
because no one wants me to host a séance now. You see, Lady
Willoughby was quite disappointed that you could not summon her
father's ghost, and of course we all know how prone to
gossip
her
friends can be. The whole of London has heard about your
failure." She placed a gloved hand on my arm. "Do tell me when
you're able to see spirits again. My friends will be most
interested to be first in line and I'm prepared to accommodate them
this one time, for your sake. No need to thank me." She trotted off
toward the grand staircase, her heels click-clacking on the
tiles.

"I'm sorry, Emily," George said. "Ignore her.
She's not got the faintest idea what you do and how the spirit
world works."

I sighed. "Not many do."

"Come, Emily." Theo crooked his elbow. "Take
my arm and we'll talk of balls and gowns and happier things on the
walk."

Theo did indeed talk of happier things, but I
didn't listen very closely. My head was filled with miserable
thoughts.

"I've been poor company, and I'm sorry," I
said when he delivered me to my front door.

"No need to apologize." He pushed back a curl
of my hair that had come loose in the Druids Way breeze. "I enjoy
being near you even when you say nothing."

A little flare lit inside me, spreading its
warmth. "You're very sweet."

"And you are very interesting." He dipped his
head and lifted my chin with his finger. "I cannot stop staring at
you," he murmured.

He was going to kiss me, right there on my
doorstep. My body hummed with pleasure and my skin tightened at the
prospect. Yet I did not reach up to him. It would be disloyal to
Jacob. He was still a very big part of my life, even though he
wanted me to be with Theo, and even though I knew Theo would be
good for me.

But before I could step
back, Theo closed the gap between us. His lips caressed mine, the
kiss hesitant and uncertain. God help me, I did not pull away. I
wanted it. Wanted to be adored and cherished, wanted to hear his
compliments and
feel
how much he liked me.

He deepened the kiss and
his hands caught me round the waist, gently pulling me closer,
closer, until our bodies met. His tongue teased mine and one hand
gently pressed into my back, holding me to him. My mind reeled with
a riot of sensations and emotions that I couldn't separate or
identify. I couldn't think. Didn't want to. Theo was here and alive
and I
needed
him,
needed this.

"Emily," he murmured against my lips. "Oh,
Emily, I love you."

I broke the kiss and gasped.

"I...I'm sorry." He shuffled his feet and
looked down at his shoes. "I spoke too freely, you're not ready.
Forgive me?"

Air. I needed air. My chest rose and fell
with the effort to breathe. "No. Yes, I forgive you. I mean no,
there's nothing to forgive." I was such a bumbling idiot.

He chuckled. "I should not have declared
myself yet, but...I couldn't help it. Having you here, in the
semi-dark, kissing you...it's all quite exhilarating." He breathed
deeply and let it out slowly. "I had better go before I turn into a
blathering fool and tell you your eyes are prettier than the stars
in the sky."

I laughed. "Oh dear, that is bad."

He chuckled. "Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Theo."

He didn't leave immediately, but kissed the
back of my hand instead. His lips were as warm and soft as pillows.
Then, wordlessly, he bowed and trotted down the stairs. I waved and
turned to go inside.

The door opened and Celia's head popped
round. "Did he kiss you?"

"Celia!"

"I couldn't see from the window. Well? Did
he?"

"None of your business." I pushed past her
into the hall. Both Lucy and Cara stood there, watching. Lucy's
cheeks were a bright pink and her eyes twinkled. Cara looked grave.
"Have you all been waiting here the whole time?"

"From the moment we spotted you both walking
up to the house," Celia said as Lucy took my hat and coat. "Now, I
don't mind him kissing you, Emily, but perhaps not on the front
doorstep next time. You know how nosy the neighbors are, and
they're terribly old fashioned about these sorts of things. Not
like me."

I groaned. Celia would have me wed to Theo in
a trice if it were in her power.

"He did kiss you, didn't he?"

"Celia!"

She sighed. "Emily, I'm not prying. Really."
She waited until Lucy disappeared into the kitchen area at the back
of the house then she took both my hands. "As your elder sister, I
need to know what that young man's intentions are. Has he declared
himself in any way?"

I withdrew my hands. "Not yet." I would not
tell her he'd declared his love for me. The memory made me hot all
over and a little light-headed. I didn't know what to think. It was
too much to take in, and I wanted to keep it to myself a little
longer. Something just for me.

"Very well." She pressed her fingers to her
temple and rubbed. "We must focus now on the ball. If he has not
given you an indication of his intentions by that night, you'll
have to make yourself available to the other gentlemen in
attendance. Do not dance more than once with Theo. We'll discuss it
more as the evening approaches."