AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Curse Keeper’s hood had fallen off his head, and his wavy dark hair and dark eyes resembled Collin’s. But when this man’s eyes locked with mine, the ugliness there was nothing like the expression in his son’s eyes. He shouted at the other man and hurried down the hall and then the stairs.
The little girl in me tried to break free from the invisible band holding me back. “Not yet,” Ahone said, his anger now gone.
“What are you?” I whispered.
“Not what, butwho. And you will find out soon enough.”
Finally, the hold broke free and I stumbled as I ran out of the closet and landed in the pool of blood in front of the closet door. I screamed.
“Ellie!” Momma called out in fear.
“Momma!” I got to my feet and rushed to the hallway.
She lay on the floor, her clothes covered in blood. I called out her name, light-headed with fear. Her head turned toward me and I gagged as I took in the puddle of blood around her.
“Ellie, call 911.” But I was too terrified to move, so Momma told me to sit with her. I stared at the blood on the floor, feeling like I was about to throw up.
My mother comforted me, and although I knew she was dying, I could only hold her hand and listen to her last words of advice and love. Her voice broke and fear filled her eyes. “There’s so much to tell you and not enough time.”
“Momma, please,” I cried. “Pleasssse…”
“Oh, Ellie,” she whispered. “I wanted to protect you from the ugliness of the world, and I brought it to your front door.” Her eyes fluttered and her grip on my hand loosened.
The next thing I knew, the shadowy figure of an older man with white hair and a white beard floated over the staircase. Ahone.
“Ellie, you are strong and brave. When it is your time, you will make an excellent Curse Keeper.”
“You said the man who killed Momma was a Keeper,” I said, lifting my head to look at him. “I don’t want to be a Keeper anymore.”
“Elinor, you aredestinedto be a Keeper. It was foretold from the beginning of time. You are more special than any Keeper before you. I’ve been waiting centuries for you to arrive. The forces of nature have finally heard my plea and sent you so that I may finish the job I began with your ancestor, Ananias Dare. Tonight begins a chain of events that brings us to the end.”
“I want my momma,” I wailed.
“Daughter of the sea and witness to creation, your first sacrifice has been made.” His light faded slightly, and he sounded sad.
“It will be the first of many. The unraveling of the curse begins tonight, but I will take all memories associated with the curse from you, so that the events of tonight will be locked deep in your mind. I need you to be willing to accept your role when the time comes.” He moved closer and his voice softened. “But you will also lose all other memories of the curse. They’ve already begun to slip away. You will believe it is because you told Claire, and you will be filled with a heavy burden of guilt. I’m sorry, but it is the best way.”
I looked up again, shaking my head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I know, but one day you will. When the time comes for you to know, you will remember everything.”
And then I began to scream.
Chapter16
Iwas back in the forest, lying across the log, my face covered in tears.
“Did you see it all?” Tsagasi asked standing next to my head, his knife in his hand. My other guardians stood at four points, their backs to me. Their weapons were in their hands, ready to be used if necessary.
“Yes.” I sat up, still in shock. “Collin’s father killed Momma.”
He didn’t respond.
“You knew?” When he still didn’t say anything, I asked, “How could you know? You were locked away.”
“We are not clueless to the events that have occurred over the past four hundred years, at least the ones that affect us.”
I knew his answer was the best I was going to get.
