The Curse: Touch of Eternity (The Curse series) (23 page)

In my mind, I could see Payton wading through the icy river, sitting on the rock. His eyes had invited me to follow him. Back then, I thought that I was going to have the most exciting summer of my life. Well, it had definitely been exciting—but also so unbelievably painful! I couldn’t stop thinking about him: that enigmatic Scot with his gold-tipped hair, that voice that went right into my soul, and his kiss that had moved the ground. How had he managed to first win my heart, then to tear it out of my chest and trample on it, all in such a short time?

I must have looked upset, because Kim’s speech came to an end. “Oh, sweetie. How stupid of me. I’m going on and on, and you look miserable. What’s wrong?”

I collected my thoughts while Kim laid out a blanket. When we sat down next to each other, she gave me her full attention. “Tell me everything. Start from the beginning. What did that Scottish guy do to you? Should I ask Justin to beat him up? He’d do it, you know.”

There was no way Justin could strike down an almost invincible, immortal Highlander, and as I imagined the fight, I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a little laugh. I didn’t know what I’d do without Kim. She always managed to say something to make me feel better.

“It’s a very long and very complicated story,” I began.

And so I told her everything.

We were only interrupted once, when Lisa’s crowd paraded past us and let out a few nasty remarks. But Kim, whose self-confidence had risen dramatically, shot back with a barbed joke, and the Barbies quickly went on their way.

When I’d finished, tears were running freely down my face and I had to blow my nose.

Afternoon had slid into evening, but the sun was still high and hot. The sky was so different here than in Scotland. Although it was often cloudy in Scotland, the sky radiated such a bright blue that you felt you could see all the way into space. Above Milford, there wasn’t a cloud to be seen, but the blue seemed washed-out and milky. I wondered if that meant the air in Scotland was cleaner, with less smog. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I missed what Kim had just said.

A jab in my ribs catapulted me back to reality.

“Ow! What?”

“Are you listening to me at all? I said, I’m finding it difficult to believe all this stuff about a real curse. Could it be that they were only pulling your leg?”

That thought had occurred to me, too, but I couldn’t deny what I had seen.

“No, I saw myself how quickly Payton’s cut healed. That isn’t something you can fake. And that guy, Alasdair, you
should have seen how he looked at me. I don’t doubt for a second that he wanted me dead.” I wiped my eyes. “So what do you think I should do?”

Kim shrugged.

“I don’t think there is anything you can do. You’re back home now, where you’re safe. Maybe you can just forget about everything. School’s going to start soon, and that should help.”

She was right—I had to move on. But my heart tightened, and all I could think was, How can I forget?

“Sam,” Kim whispered, “let go. Forget Payton. Don’t think about him anymore.”

“But I love him! I can’t breathe, I can’t sleep, I don’t want to live without him. Something connects us. The amount of pain he felt when he was close to me, I think it’s a punishment for what he did. And I am sure that fate led me to him!”

Oh brother, I sounded just like Roy. Did I believe in fate? Destiny? There was only one logical explanation: I was losing my mind. That thought must have just occurred to Kim, too, because she was giving me a strange look.

“Sam, seriously, calm down. You’re beginning to sound a little out there. Try to do normal things. Go on a date with Ryan. Go to the mall. Jeez.”

This wasn’t helping. Of course she couldn’t understand. She didn’t have weird dreams or magic necklaces to contend with.

I stood up. “I think I’d better go home. I need to clear my thoughts.” I started walking away.

“Hey, Sam, don’t be mad. I’m sorry—mentioning Ryan again was a stupid idea. Hey, wait,” Kim yelled, stuffing everything back into her bag. She rushed after me.

I didn’t feel like fighting with my best friend, but I certainly wasn’t going to wait for her. I was still limping, though, so within moments she had caught up with me.

“I told you I was sorry!”

“I know. I’m sorry, too. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. There have just been so many crazy things happening lately. I do need to go, though. My dad said he has something important he wants to talk about. With my luck, he probably wants to let Ashley live in my room forever!”

“No way. They wouldn’t do that to you. You’ll have your little empire back to yourself very soon.”

“Yeah, fortunately… See you!”

“Bye. I’ll call you tomorrow!”

When I got home, my parents and Ashley were already having dinner. I grabbed a plate, served myself a large helping of chicken and corn on the cob, and sat down with them. The atmosphere between Ashley and my parents was still pretty chilly. They had the right to ground her, but I know she felt they were being unnecessarily harsh.

“Well, what did you want to talk about?” I asked with my mouth full, looking expectantly at the grumpy faces surrounding me.

My mom pushed her empty plate slightly away and smiled.

“Daddy and I have decided to go away for a few days. Alone. By ourselves!”

I stopped eating and waited for an explanation. Ashley looked up, too.

“As you know, it’s our twentieth anniversary,” my dad said. “And we have decided we deserve a little vacation splurge. That is, if we can rely on the two of you.”

His eyes drilled their way first into Ashley, and then into me. What did he think we would do, I wondered. Burn the house down?

“We can’t possibly leave until you two promise to get along. And that you will behave well. That means no cigarettes, no alcohol, and no boys. Is that clear?”

Ashley shrugged disinterestedly, as if this part of the speech weren’t meant especially for her.

I nodded demurely. I wasn’t planning to smoke or drink—and boys, well, I’d had enough of them anyway.

“Good. Then it’s settled,” Mom said. “We’re leaving in two days.”

S
ean stormed into Payton’s room, knowing full well that he would find it empty. But when he saw for sure that his brother had already left, he lost his courage. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked around the room while he considered what to do next.

The bed was untouched, the door of the wardrobe was wide open, and several shirts were strewn carelessly on the floor. Payton’s cell phone was on the table. He hadn’t taken it with him deliberately, Sean realized. He’d shut his family out of his life.

Sean swore. Perplexed, he paced around the room, lifting up a few things here and there, trying to think what he would have done had he been in Payton’s shoes. Where should he start looking for him? He’d said something about Fair Isle; maybe he was on his way there? He just couldn’t believe that his brother, who had always been so close to him, had left without saying a word. He couldn’t have gotten very far yet, Sean thought. After all, he had seen a light in Payton’s room during the night.

He desperately needed to warn him.

In the morning, Sean had been cleaning up some broken glass under the table when suddenly a group entered the
big hall. He had been about to back out and say hello when something they said caught his attention, so he pressed himself farther under the table and tried not to make a sound.

“Nathaira, I gave the others my word and I don’t intend to break it.” Cathal’s voice echoed through the quiet room.

“Brother, I am not demanding that you break your word, but it can’t harm us to keep a closer eye on the girl. Alasdair sees it the same way.”

“And what does your fiancé say about your and Alasdair’s plan?”

“Cathal, are you our chieftain, or are we to now turn to Blair?”

Some men in the room also voiced their approval for Nathaira’s proposition. Cathal seemed worried about losing his authority should he turn against his sister, and he reluctantly agreed.

“All right, then. Some of the clan will fly to Delaware and find the girl. And I will be among them. No one will act without my approval on this matter.”

Sean, who couldn’t believe his ears, clenched his fist. A shard of glass dug deeply into the palm of his hand, and a thick drop of blood oozed out.

Cathal left, and the hall started to empty out. Only Nathaira and Alasdair remained.

Sean shifted around on his knees, trying to quietly find a less uncomfortable position. His head was spinning with questions: Should he tell Blair? Should he try to warn Payton?

Nathaira started to speak again.

“Alasdair, I must say I am disappointed with you. I would have thought that a man like you would easily be able to
deal with a fledgling like Payton. And the girl—how could she get away from you?”

“We have changed, Nathaira. Things aren’t like they used to be. That fight was more difficult than you can imagine.”

How different he was than Blair, Nathaira thought to herself. She was so confused. Her feelings were beginning to return, too, and she was starting to feel desire again. She wanted to throw herself into the strong arms of her former lover. To feel passion for the first time in 270 years.

She approached Alasdair and put her hands around his neck. Their faces almost touched.

“When I look at you, I can’t see any change,” she said. “You are still the most handsome man I have ever seen. No other man awakens the same desire within me. The nights I spent with you are the ones that I dream of. What was so bad about the old Alasdair that you had to change?”

Her green eyes fluttered as her lips brushed his.

Alasdair fought for his composure. He wasn’t made of stone. The way Nathaira was pressing herself against him made him almost willing to forget what she had done. Tenderly, he stroked her back, her hips, and finally, her rear. He pulled her close, letting her know that he felt desire, too.

Nathaira gasped.

“Alasdair, let’s just forget everything, leave everything behind and start over.” She was nearly breathless. “You’re
right. Things have changed. Cathal no longer needs an alliance with the McLeans. There is barely even a clan any longer. His power is declining, and sooner or later each of us will go our own ways. It is time for me to leave Blair. You and I, we could have a second chance. Can’t you see that?”

Alasdair didn’t know what to say. He wondered if Nathaira really meant it or if she was only playing with him. At that moment, he couldn’t care less. He wanted her and, whatever she was after, he would have her first. He clasped her willing body in his muscular arms, kissing her and lifting her up. Without interrupting their kiss, he carried her to the door, but Nathaira freed herself from his embrace.

“Darling,” she murmured, “I am so happy that we have each other again. But you must promise me one thing: you mustn’t let that girl live, under any circumstance. You mustn’t allow her to destroy everything, now that we have finally reunited. Please.”

Alasdair’s heart sank. So that was what she was after.

Then again, he thought, what did it matter? Soon Nathaira would belong to him. Who cared what happened to some girl as a result?