Page 53 of The Curse Breaker

“What kind of warning?” Gil asked, alarmed.

Aggy’s green eyes crinkled. “We’re running out of time. You need to get back to the cave now. Before that entrance disappears.”

Gil didn’t understand. He held tight to Sparrow’s letter. “But what if you get trapped here?”

“We won’t,” Aggy insisted. “The island entrances will keep moving, changing till the island disappears again.” She trailed off. “Now go help Benny with what must be done next while we prepare for her arrival. Go!”

Aggy wasn’t making sense. Wind rushed through the trees, the smell of flowers and coconuts making Gil inhale deeply. One thing he loved dearly about this island was its intoxicating smell. “Whose arrival?”

Aggy sucked in a breath. “Lady Adrienne, the pirate queen.”

Everly,

These pages are from before the island disappeared. My apologies for omitting them. Some secrets must stay buried till the opportune time.

You’ve probably realized there are others who want the treasure for their own personal gain. If you’ve met one in particular, you know how dangerous she is. There is another I know of who can surely stop her, but bringing this individual here is risky as well. May this diary entry provide some guidance while I search for answers.

With deep love and admiration,

Evelyn Terry

Entry 8

From Evelyn Terry’s Private Journal, Dated June 8, 1825

My dreams spoke to me like ghosts, making me wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Tonight’s was no different. Again, I dreamt of her. Our conversations didn’t feel like a dream—they were vivid enough that I awoke still thinking of them. It made me wonder—had my guilt manifested this person? Or was this individual out there, somewhere in the world, waiting for the chance to come to Greenport?

I was on the island. The sun was bright, the breeze was glorious. I was relaxed and happy thinking about Aggy and my friends, who would soon be saved. I walked alone on the beach, humming to myself. Then she appeared.

“Hello, Evelyn,” the woman said. I did not know her. She was tall and pale, her stance strong, her dark hair held back by a scarf tied around her head. She wore a waistcoat that was laced up the front and a dress so red it reminded me of blood. The white lace around her collar was bright, contrasting sharply against her dark, inquisitive eyes. Hanging from her waist was a sword that glinted in the light of day. She rested one hand on her weapon.

“Do I know you?” I asked, wondering how this woman knew my name.

“No, but I know you.” Somehow, she was instantly at my side, whispering in my ear. “You are the girl who is stealing some of my treasure.”

I inhaled sharply. Who was this woman? How did she know what I planned to do? “Your treasure? I thought it was Kimble’s.”

“Tesouro Eterno is meant to be mine,” she hissed, sounding like a snake. She turned my rigid body to face hers, her breath hot as she shouted at me. “Their job was to find my treasure and bring it to me! It was their debt to be paid! Instead, those traitors took it and cruelly left me stranded here! But they cannot trap me here forever! I am coming to reclaim what’s mine, and then they will face my fury! You all will!”

I started shaking. Her fingernails dug into my arms. “I’m sorry. Please. I didn’t know the treasure was someone else’s. I just want to save my friends. They’re ill.”

“Ill?” She stopped shouting and let go of me. She stepped back to study me curiously. “Are you saying the treasure you seek is not for your own gain?”

“No! It’s for my friends. I don’t mean to steal from you and Kimble! I know he just wants the treasure to be returned to its chest—but I can’t let my friends die.” I was yelling now too. That could have been unwise.

She was quiet for a moment. “Are you sure, child, that is what Kimble is trying to do with the treasure—return all the pieces?”

I nodded, silent tears falling down my cheeks. Guilt would eat me alive. “I believe so. I’m sorry for getting in his way,” I said again.

“Shhh… Don’t be frightened,” she said. She was somehow at my side again, stroking my hair. “Your truth gives me pause. We don’t have to be enemies. We can help each other end all of this. All you have to do is kiss my ring, and then I will come and take what’s mine.”

I blinked in confusion. Was that a code for something else? “I don’t understand.”

A hand waved in front of my face. On her index finger was a ring with a large green gemstone.

“When you need to call me, find this ring and put it on your right hand, then say, ‘Se é um tesouro que você procura, navegue esta semana.’ Repeat it back to me!” she commanded.

I didn’t know what language this woman spoke, but I tried my best to repeat the words back to her. “What does it mean?”