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“Oh, you know…keeping me busy.”
I waited for her to ask about my life, but she stayed silent. Trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice, I said, “David and I are coming to Chapel Hill this weekend. He’s meeting with a colleague to discuss some things. I thought maybe we could come see you. I’d love to see your new apartment.”
“Well, I’m fairly busy this weekend.”
Tears burned my eyes. Myra might have been my stepmother, but she’d spent more years with me than my biological mother. Myra had been the one to help me navigate the minefields of middle school and high school. She’d always sworn that while I may not have been born from her body, I was part of her heart. And now she wanted nothing to do with me. “Myra, have I done something to upset you?” My voice broke. I couldn’t help it.
She paused for several seconds before her voice lowered. “No, Ellie. I’m sorry. I’ve been insensitive. I just have a lot going on.” Her words were gentle and soft. “Of course I’ll make time for you. Why don’t you call me when you get to Chapel Hill and we’ll figure out a time.”
“Okay.”
“I have to go. We’ll have a nice chat this weekend. Bye.” She hung up and I stared at the dead phone. Why hadn’t she told me that she loved me? I shook my head. She was probably on her way to a class or something. I was making too much of this.
To get my mind off Myra, I decided to figure out my day. One, I needed to talk to Collin and two, I needed to reexamine my treasure chest of trinkets—which included Daddy’s pocket watches and the gold engraved ring I wore, which I’d found buried under the oak tree in the yard. It couldn’t be a coincidence that my mother had been murdered a week after being asked to examine the contents of a collection called the Ricardo Estate. Especially when I took into account that a thug in Buxton thought I was part of something he called “the Ricardo deal.” His goon had cornered me after finding my father’s pocket watch collection and showed me a photo of an almost identical watch from the Ricardo Estate. Now David’s colleague had seen a watch similar to Daddy’s only a few days ago.
Coincidence?
My mother’s death had happened years ago, so figuring out the circumstances seemed less important than wrestling actual demons, but as David had pointed out weeks ago, there weren’t any coincidences in this thing. And while her murder was a long time ago, she was mymother, and it was difficult to let go with so many unanswered questions. I needed closure. Nevertheless, I was clueless about how it all wove together. I hoped we’d get more answers this weekend.
My cell phone dinged. I picked up the phone and nearly choked when I read the text message.
I’m always here for you, Ellie. When?
What a fucking lie. He knew so much about the curse and its background, yet he refused to share any of that information with me. Instead, he used it as bargaining material, parceling out little bits at a time. But I had to admit that he seemed to have experienced a change of attitude the last time we saw each other, at Claire’s wedding reception. He’d given me the map and he’d given me his blessing to be with David. Maybe he’d changed.
In person. Anytime today
His answer came seconds later.
Noon. The foot of the Nags Head Pier
I stared at my phone for several seconds, wrestling with my conscience. David wasn’t the jealous type, and he’d actually called Collin to ask for his help when we were fighting the demon badgers Ukinim and Ilena. The cold hard truth was that I’d probably be dead if Collin hadn’t helped us. I knew David wouldn’t have a problem with me meeting Collin, so why didn’t I want to tell him?
Okay
Despite David’s suggestion that I take the day off, I spent the rest of the morning helping Becky clean the rooms in the inn and tidy the bathrooms in the main house. I just couldn’t lie around while she was working. It didn’t seem right, even if she was getting paid. Plus, working helped keep my mind partially busy. At eleven thirty, I checked my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a pale green sundress that made my bluish-green eyes greener than usual, and my long dark red hair was arranged in a loose French braid. My makeup was minimal—some mascara, a little bit of eye shadow, and blush. The brightness of my gaze gave me second thoughts. My bond to Collin was strong, and I found it difficult to resist him when he pursued me. I just needed to keep David first and foremost in my mind while the two of us were together.
The traffic wasn’t bad crossing the bridge off Roanoke Island toward Nags Head, so the trip was short. The closer I got to the ocean, the antsier I became. My bond to Collin wasn’t the only pull I had experienced since the curse broke. The ocean called to me, begging me to touch it. As the Dare Curse Keeper, I was the daughter of the sea. I had always been drawn to the ocean, ever since I was a girl, but after the breaking of the curse, the pull was irresistible at times.
I arrived five minutes early and parked in the public lot, where I was surprised to see that Collin’s beat-up old pickup truck was already in a space. After locking my purse in the trunk, I walked toward the pier.
Collin was waiting at the edge of the parking lot at the entrance to the pier restaurant. I stopped in my tracks, the sight of him sending an overwhelming yearning shooting through my body.
I still wanted him.
I’d been drawn to him from the beginning. It had been hard to admit that to myself when we first met; he’d acted so egotistical and arrogant, making no secret of the fact that he couldn’t stand me. But my attraction had taken root the moment we saw each other. He had felt the same undeniable draw, and when we finally slept together, Collin Dailey had been imprinted on my very soul. But our connection was more powerful than that. He was the literal other half of me. I was the daughter of the sea and he was the son of the earth—the yin and yang of the curse—and I couldn’t help but wonder if our strong mutual attraction was a chemistry that went back to the curse itself.
He watched me, his face expressionless. He carried two bags and had a blanket tucked under his arm. His dark hair was shorter than the last time I’d seen him, and he was tanner too. Short stubble covered his face. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a V-neck white T-shirt, and he looked sexier than I’d ever seen him.
Turn around and go home, Ellie.
That’s what I knew I should do, but my feet disagreed, and I took several steps toward him, stopping several paces away.
“You look beautiful, Ellie.”
I swallowed a burning lump in my throat. This was why I couldn’t be around Collin very often—not because of how drawn to him I was, but because I knew I could never be with him. David wasn’t the reason for that; Collin himself was. “Thank you.” I forced a smile, my eyes tearing up. “You look good too.”
His mouth pinched and I could see an inner battle wage in his eyes before he reached out his right hand—the circle and square paranormally tattooed into his palm clearly visible—and took my left hand, linking our fingers together. “Come sit with me.”
