The Curse Keepers Collection (114 page)

I shook my head, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. “No. You’re not altruistic. You want something in return. Even if it’s a long-term payoff.”

He shifted in his seat. “Ellie, you know what I want. Perhaps you’ll be more compliant if I make a goodwill gesture.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. “I’ll never agree to become pregnant with your child, so you might as well send me back now.”

His elbow rested on the arm of the chair and he set his right cheek on his upraised fist. “I think I’ll overlook your rude and shortsighted request and help you anyway.” He sat up slightly. “I believe you want to know about your friend’s ability to see the souls of those who have yet to cross over to the spirit world.”

My mouth gaped. “Claire?”

“Yes, her. And the answer is yes, there are some who possess this gift. You can use your friend to your advantage.”

A cold chill shot through me. “Did Ahone set her up too?” I was already positive that Ahone was responsible for bringing David into my life; was it too much to think he’d involve Claire in his plans too?

“No, I suspect not. She has the potential to be useful in sniffing out his deceptions. The souls of the departed are not easily fooled.”

My father instantly came to mind. The last time I’d joined hands with Collin in the ocean, I’d seen my deceased father, who had given me a message from Ahone. My back stiffened. “Are you calling my father a fool?”

“Did Ahone send your father to you after my plan failed?” Okeus laughed, shaking his head. “So unoriginal.”

“The man with you was not my father.”

Okeus shrugged like it was nothing of concern. “Your father believed I was evil incarnate. Besides, Ahone took your father’s soul. It
belongs
to him, thus Ahone controls him. He is not a normal spirit.” His expression darkened. “You would be wise to remember that in any future encounters.”

Would I see Daddy again? How much would this revelation cloud my perception of him?

He paused, turning serious. “Your friend will help you navigate the waters of what to believe and what not.”

I shook my head in disgust. “Let me guess. All the souls will tell her that you’re the good guy and Ahone is bad.”

He laughed again, this time more genuine. “You are a fearless creature, aren’t you? Most beings tremble at my feet.”

“Cut to the part when you tell me that you’d never try to get Claire to dupe me like that.”

His mouth lifted on one side. “The answer to your question about good and bad isn’t so simple, Ellie. There is no perfect good or bad.
You
are neither completely pure nor completely evil. Your level of selflessness or self-centeredness varies from day to day. Some days Ahone will want something that is for the good of his creations. Other days he will want something that benefits him and his own needs and desires.” He gestured his hand toward me. “Just like creating and using you.”

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. I’d been stupid to blindly accept Ahone, but I’d seen no other choice at the time.

“All is not lost, little Elinor Lancaster. Your friend is now your shield of truth. She will be your counsel.” His mouth lifted into a smirk. “And yes, sometimes she will counsel you not to trust me.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

He leaned back his head and gave me a calculated glance. “To prove to you that I have something of worth for you, just as you have something of worth for me.” His eyes narrowed and glowed red. “Do not think for a moment that if I grow weary of waiting, I won’t take what I want when I want it.” His eyes returned to their usual dark brown. “But for now, I will remain patient and wait for you to change your mind.”

“Why do you seem so certain that I will?”

His eyes twinkled. “Because I know something about you. You love deeply, and
that
is your greatest weakness.”

Suddenly, I was whisked back into the ocean, Collin’s left arm supporting my dead weight. Our right hands had broken contact. He was still standing in the same place, but we’d gathered a small crowd of curious onlookers.

I looked up into his worried eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked, helping me regain my footing.

I nodded. Three times now I’d joined marks with Collin in the ocean, and three times I’d had some type of vision involving the gods. But each time I’d been completely unaware of my surroundings, leaving me utterly vulnerable. I might have been the daughter of the sea, but I wasn’t sure it made me invincible to drowning, as ironic as that seemed. I couldn’t ignore that Collin had protected me each and every time. Didn’t that constitute a type of trust?

But while I might have been able to trust Collin to protect me when he was with me, there were too many other things I couldn’t count on him for. One constant with Collin was his secrets. “Did Okeus tell you to bring me out here and press our marks together?”

Guilt flickered in his eyes.

I jerked out of his hold. “Why couldn’t you have just been honest with me?”

“Do you really think you would have agreed to come out here if I had?”

“I don’t remember agreeing in the first place!” I shouted.

“Ellie, you’re making a scene.”

The crowd had begun to grow, the families staring at me like I’d grown a second head. I rolled my eyes in disgust. “Leave it to you to turn this around and blame everything on me.” I stomped out of the water, Collin following close behind me. Our connection was even stronger now and I could literally feel his presence. What would it be like if we were together all the time?

I stopped at the blanket and bent over to pick up my flip-flops. I had to get away from him. The draw I felt to him was too strong. I could barely stop myself from turning around and throwing myself into his arms, begging him to take me right there, in front of everyone. But another part of me hated every fiber of his being. He was the reason why my life was utter hell. I couldn’t ignore his betrayal and dishonesty, even if Ahone had tricked him.

He stopped next to me, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. “We’re not done here, Ellie. We have more to talk about.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my hands to myself. “Well,
I’m
done.”

“You are such a hypocrite,” he sneered in disgust. “You always accuse me of hiding things, but here I am offering you information and you’re running away.
Again
.”

“I can’t, Collin.” I looked up into his face, pleading. “Don’t you see? I can’t. I need to think. And I can’t do that around you.”

He shook his head, his irritation palpable. “You can’t run away from this.
This
is our lives now. We’re pawns being manipulated by selfish gods, and that means everyone and everything in our lives is vulnerable to them. Is that fair? Hell no, but there it is nevertheless. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you learn to adapt and roll with whatever these bastards throw your way, the better off you’ll be. I want to help you—I’m begging you to let me help you—but you rebuff me at every turn. Decide right now, Ellie: Do you want my help or not?”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “Are you saying you won’t mark my doors anymore if I say no?”

“Do you even
want
me to? You keep telling me that I’ve ruined your life, but mine’s been ruined too. Do you think I want to go to Manteo every couple of days to mark your door? Did you ever once think that
I
may need protection?”

The blood drained from my head. Finding out about Ahone, seeing Okeus, listening to Collin say he didn’t want to mark my doors anymore—it suddenly felt like I was drowning. I sank down to the blanket, too numb to know whether to be angry or sad.

“What do you want from me, Ellie?”

I slowly shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I
need
to know.”

I nodded. He was right. He’d been screwed by this whole mess too. He was an easy scapegoat, but I wasn’t guiltless in this either. I searched his dark brown eyes, again resisting the urge to touch him. “After what Okeus told me, I need some time to think. I’m sorry, but I do. I just found out my entire existence can be attributed to the gods’ ulterior motives. I need to sort this out in my head.”

He studied my face, and some of his guard fell. “Okay.”

“You’re not going to ask what he said?”

“No.”

My shock was wearing off, replaced by a profound sadness. “I’m going away for the weekend.” I paused and picked at a fold in the blanket, avoiding eye contact. “We’re going to Chapel Hill. David dug up some information he wants to check out.” I still didn’t trust Collin, so the less he knew about our trip, the better.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Part of me wanted to rise up and fight him. Who was he to ask me that? Was he doing it out of jealousy? But I was so tired of fighting with Collin. I lifted my gaze to his face.

“You’ll be a couple hundred miles from the ocean, Ellie. What happens if you need it?”

“I’ve never really needed it before. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“You
have
needed it,” he said softly. “What about the times you drive here before even realizing what you’re doing? You’ll be weaker that far away from the ocean, so be careful if you face any demons or spirits.”

I lifted my mouth into a lopsided grin. “I thought you weren’t going to help me anymore.”

A soft smile spread across his face. “I’m waiting for your decision. Until then, I’ll keep with the status quo.”

The thought of banishing Collin from my life was inconceivable, like cutting off an appendage. But I couldn’t resist him if I kept seeing him on a regular basis. So what was the answer?

One thing was certain: my life was a freaking mess.

C
HAPTER
F
IVE

My clothes had dried by the time I got back to the house, but the dried salt on my skin felt disgusting. As I walked up to the house, I stumbled and then spun around to see what had made me trip. That was the fifth time I’d felt my foot catch on something by that exact spot on the path, but nothing was ever there. I was not only losing my mind but also my coordination.

Grunting in frustration, I let myself in through the side door and checked the kitchen before climbing the stairs and heading for the bathroom. I stood in the shower, letting all that I’d discovered marinate in my head. I couldn’t change the fact that Ahone had been setting me up since before my birth. I couldn’t change the fact that Collin and I had been created to be—what? Partners? Lovers? What was Ahone’s end goal? But it didn’t mean that I had to sit back and accept it.

I stayed under the spray a long time, resting my head against the cool tiles. The shock was wearing off and anger was seeping into the cracks, filling the marrow in my bones with simmering rage. My life was part of some elaborate game. My mother had died for the amusement of a bored god. Was my father’s dementia part of the plan too? To keep me from having the information to stop Collin? Daddy’s death most certainly was. I knew what Okeus wanted from me, but what about Ahone?

My defiance swelled. I was done playing into the gods’ hands. The path they had chosen for me might or might not be inevitable, but it didn’t mean I’d go quietly along like a sheep to the slaughter. I would go kicking and screaming.

But I didn’t want to waste my energy on anger. Collin was right. This was my life, and I needed to figure out how to deal with it. I didn’t have to accept the gods’ plans, but lashing out in a blind rage wouldn’t help either. I’d figure out my own path. I lifted my face into the shower stream, letting the now-cooling water roll down my body. I needed to stuff my anger back inside, but that was going to take more than a few minutes in a shower. And one thing I didn’t have was time. I’d been with Collin for longer than planned, and David was going to be home in less than an hour. I still needed to pack.

Reluctantly, I got out of the shower and dried off. Thoughts whirred through my head as I got dressed and packed several days’ changes of clothes. I should never have gone to see Collin. At least not right before my weekend with David. Now I felt guilty and dirty. Sure, Collin had been the one to kiss me, but I’d welcomed his embrace and had been about to pursue more. I could attribute part of my reaction to him as part of our magical bond, but how much was really out of my control?