The Curse Keepers Collection (118 page)

He sat back, looking slightly alarmed. “What do you want to do? I really think you should be there. You might have some insight that I don’t.”

I had to admit that I wanted to see whatever it was that she had in her possession. “How about I go, but if things get too tense, I’ll leave.”

He nodded, but he didn’t look happy about it.

We ate in silence for several seconds before I decided now was a good time to tell him about my recent discoveries. “Yesterday, when Claire and I were supposed to be cleaning, she told me about something that happened on her honeymoon.”

He laughed. “She’s not urging us to try another new sexual position, is she? Why she cares so much about our sex life is beyond me.”

“No.” I chuckled nervously. “Nothing like that.”

“Why do you look so anxious? Should I be worried?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I told him about her seeing the ghost of poor Mr. Murphy at my apartment building and her experience at the cemetery in Charleston. “She used to hear voices when she was a little girl,” I said. “They stopped right around the time of Momma’s murder. Apparently she told me about it when we were kids, the day I told her about the curse. Only I don’t remember her telling me.”

His eyes widened. “Claire’s ability to talk to ghosts is related to the curse?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. All I know is that her ability has suddenly returned, and she says a voice is telling her that we need to move out of my parents’ house, that there’s a darkness there.”

“How do we know we can trust this voice?”

“When Claire was a little girl, the voices used to say ‘you have to help her.’ Claire didn’t know what it meant then, but now she thinks it means she needs to help me.”

He looked skeptical. “I still don’t know if this voice is a credible source.”

I cocked my head. “It also told Claire that I need to stay with you.”

A sly grin spread across his face. “I suddenly like this voice.”

“Besides, Claire says she sees the darkness too. It could be nothing, but you know I don’t feel comfortable there. Especially since Myra left for Durham.”

“I know, love. It might be because you miss her so much.”

While I had to admit it felt empty without Myra and Daddy in the house, I was sure there was more to it. I rubbed my greasy hand on a paper towel. “I’ve put more thought into selling it.”

He looked surprised. “But you haven’t found all the notes from your father. And what about it being in your family for generations?”

“Those are all still issues, but I trust Claire.” I paused. “I trust the voice.” I knew I should tell him that Okeus had said Claire could help me, but that would mean telling him more about Collin.

“Okay.” He looked lost in thought. “Do you have any idea where you want to move?”

“I think I’d like to be closer to the ocean.”

He was lifting his wine glass to his mouth, but he lowered it, his face expressionless.

“I know it’s expensive, and we don’t have to find somewhere that’s oceanfront, but if I could find an apartment—”

“Ellie.”

“—and real estate is cheaper since the last hurricane—”

“Ellie.”

I stopped talking and started twisting my hands in my lap.

“I think it’s a great idea. I don’t know why I hadn’t considered it before. If you’re closer to the ocean, you can swim in it every day. The spirit world is getting stronger, which means you’re going to have more and more contact with them. I think you’re right. I think we should do it.”

I released a heavy breath. “Thank you.”

His brow furrowed. “Did you think I’d be upset?”

“It’s so expensive. But if I manage to sell the house quickly, I can use what little money I get from the sale toward a down payment on a new place.”

“Ellie, we’ll sort it out. I think we should start looking right after we get back.”

“There’s something else.”

“Something bigger than Claire’s newly awakened ghost-whisperer ability?”

“Today I remembered something about the night Momma was murdered.”

“You did?” He set down his wine glass. “When? What did you remember?”

“The man who was downstairs with Momma was looking for a ring. I think it was the one I’m wearing now.”

David stared at the wall behind the table, concentration wrinkling his brow. “That would definitely tie her death to the Ricardo Estate.”

“And there’s one more thing about my memory.” I waited until I had his full attention. “Ahone was there, and he kept me from going downstairs.”

“
Ahone?
Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“This
is
a big deal. Do you remember anything else?”

“He told me that the man would hurt me.” I bit my bottom lip. “David, if he was there, he could have prevented Momma’s death. He’s using me. He’s been using me since I was a little girl. I think he knew I was a pure soul and he’s been waiting for me to be ready. He was the one who convinced Collin to break the curse.”

David looked skeptical. “That’s a lot of suppositions.”

“You’re the one who said there are no coincidences when it comes to the curse.”

“True enough.”

I needed to tell him what I’d discovered. “When I saw Collin today, he told me that Ahone came to him as a glowing ball of light two months before the curse broke. He’s the one who wanted Collin to come and see me.”

“Can you trust him?”

“I didn’t at first, but then he made a good point. All the other gods and spirits were locked behind the gate to Popogusso. It had to be Ahone. He was the only one who was free.”

“And how do you know that Collin isn’t lying to you, that he didn’t come up with this plan all on his own?”

“Because I felt it through our connection. He’s telling the truth.”

He hesitated. “You touched marks today?”

Damn my mouth. But David deserved to know. “Yes.”

He gave me a soft smile, but sadness filled his eyes. “You’re the Curse Keepers. You were meant to use them.”

I threw my arms around his neck. “I need you, David. You have no idea how much I need you.”

He pulled me back and cupped my cheek. Disappointment covered his face. “I know, Ellie.”

Those weren’t the three words he wanted to hear, but I couldn’t bring myself to say those
other
words yet. I dropped my gaze. “I can’t trust Ahone. He’s just as bad as Okeus, and I have no plans to align myself with him either, but now I’m stuck with his mark on my back and I’m not sure what that means. His messenger led me to believe that it meant I could go to heaven with my parents. But Okeus said my soul is bound to Collin’s, so I’ll end up in Popogusso with him. Which is it?”

David shook his head and said softly, “I don’t know.”

“I need to figure out how to do this without relying on Okeus or Ahone or even Collin. I’m the witness to creation. I must have some kind of power of my own other than the mark’s ability to send away spirits. I want to find out what it is and how to use it. I want to make my
own
destiny.”

“Perhaps Allison will have some information that will help us. If the Ricardo Estate really does have weapons that can kill demons, it will be a complete game changer.”

“You’re right and I hope it’s true, but Collin pointed out that while Ahone gave us the power of the earth and the sea, he had nothing to do with the fact that I witnessed the birth of the gods. I can’t help thinking that I can somehow harness my power as a witness to creation. I’m sure Ahone wanted to use it to his benefit, even if I’m not sure to what purpose. And we both know how Okeus wants to use it.”

He pushed his plate away and sat back in his chair. “Okay, Ellie. How do you want to go about this?”

“I want to scour those books at the library for any kind of clue. Not only about any prophecies, but also for any mention of a previous witness to creation. Do you remember ever coming across something like that?”

“No, not offhand, but I wasn’t looking for it then either. We’re investigating texts anyway, so we’ll just expand our search. But it might take all weekend. And then some. The books and documents in the archives can’t be removed, but we have full access to them during library hours.”

“Okay. Collin and I still have the power of the earth and the sea as well, but I’m not sure how to use the ocean either. Surely it involves more than being a power generator.”

His mouth pursed. “And Collin definitely has the advantage there since he’s the son of the earth. He can go anywhere to tap into his power. You’re tied to the coasts.”

“Exactly. Not very convenient, which is why I need to figure out how both sources can be used.”

He nodded and I could see him thinking my ideas through. His gaze lifted to mine. “Yeah, it’s a good idea. We’ll start looking into it tomorrow.”

I took a sip of my wine, feeling more in control than I had in a long time. It was good to take charge of my life and not feel like a leaf dangling in the wind. I watched the man across from me, reassured that he was the one for me. I gave him a sexy smile. “You haven’t shown me the rest of your house.”

He polished off the small amount of wine in his glass and set it on the table. “I take it that you have a particular room in mind.” He stood and reached for my hand, pulling me to my feet.

“I most definitely do.” I stood on my tiptoes, pressing my mouth to his.

“You’re being very assertive tonight,” he murmured against my lips, then grinned. “It’s very sexy.”

“You mean bossy?”

He lifted his head, still grinning, but his gaze was serious. “No, bossy insinuates that someone has overstepped their bounds. You’re a bloody Curse Keeper, Ellie. I think you’re right. There’s more power available to you than you know. That makes you a person of authority. Hell, demons need to bow to your wishes.”

I gave him a wicked grin. “Then I command you to take me to your bedroom and undress me.”

He took a step backward, pulling me with him. “It will be my pleasure.”

C
HAPTER
E
IGHT

I woke up disoriented, barely registering the banging on the front door.

David bolted upright. “
Bollocks
.”

With a groan, I sat up, completely naked, and checked the time on the clock on David’s nightstand. Three a.m. It had been too much to hope that I’d escape a nocturnal visit two hundred miles away from ground zero. Especially since my front door hadn’t seen any middle-of-the-night action in a couple of weeks.

There was more banging on the door, followed by a moan. “Curse Keeper.”

Climbing out of bed, I groped around in the dark for something to wear, finding David’s button-down shirt on the floor where he’d thrown it a few hours earlier. Slipping my arms through the sleeves, I fastened the middle buttons as I walked to the front door. David was on my heels, tying the drawstring of a pair of pajama bottoms he’d pulled out of a dresser drawer.

“David, stay back. I don’t know what’s out there.”

“All the more reason for me to be close at hand. You could be facing an entirely new set of spirits this far from the coast. If I recognize it, I can help you.”

“No. All the more reason for you to take cover. Even if the spirit can’t cross the threshold, it might be able to project its power.”

“If you think I’m just going to leave you to face it alone, you’ve got another think coming.”

I stopped at the front door. “If you’re going to stick around to watch, at least go hide behind a sofa or something.”

“Do you know how emasculating that sounds?” he asked, running his hand through his hair.

“David, please.” Some of the fight left my words.

“Fine,” he said, moving behind the sofa and crouching down. “Just
please
be careful.”

I flashed him a grim smile before opening the door.

A three-foot-tall bird with a human head sat on the front porch. A wind god. I was used to regular visits from Wapi, the white-haired wind god of the north, but damned if I could remember which one this was. His hair was red and his nose was wider than Wapi’s.

“Curse Keeper,” he groaned.

“Hello, wind god of—sorry, I’m not sure which one you are.”

The bird man screeched his displeasure. “You will fear Mekewi, god of the south, Curse Keeper. You will remember my name and it will strike fear in your heart.”