Cursed: A Supernatural Thriller (Legend Hunters Book 4)

by JL Terra

What had Bella gotten herself into?

  Pregnant.

  The word brought a fission of fear to her.

  Why? Because of how you feel about having kids?

  The question nearly stopped her short. No. I do want kids. But that kid? She wasn’t sure what exactly was growing inside Bella. Maybe she didn’t want to know.

  You’ve seen far too many horror movies.

  That was true. Still, Mei almost couldn’t fathom what must have happened between Barnabas and Bella. Some kind of Stockholm syndrome, or another method of persuasion. One that was as old as time—a way for someone to get exactly what they wanted from a person of the opposite sex.

  Slow down.

  She heard the words in her head and knew inherently that they came from Malachi. Requesting that her body respond was another matter entirely. Mei felt a moment of panic as she realized how fast she was traveling.

  Now. Slow down, Mei.

  She almost stumbled, but didn’t, only touching her hand to the grass for a second before coming, finally, to a smooth stop. Each breath heaved in her chest. It should’ve been painful to breathe this hard, but no. It was as though everything in her had come alive.

  Malachi’s blood had changed her on a fundamental level. The amount he had given her had unlocked synapses within her and gifted her with abilities she couldn’t have ever imagined. Yes, he had saved her life. But he had also given her so much more than that.

  It dawned on her then that the high lord could be providing people with this kind of experience. And yet, instead of gifting them powers they did not possess, he trapped them as his slaves. Bending them to his will for his own selfish purposes.

  She lifted her chin and stared up at him. “This ends tonight.” He wasn’t going to hurt anymore people.

  The glint in his eyes indicated he was determined otherwise.

  Mei continued, “It doesn’t matter what you think is going to happen. You’re going to be dead, and Bella will be free.”

  Bella glared at her. “You think that’s gonna happen?” The teen laughed, and the sound that emerged from her throat had an ancient quality to it. As though she, too, had been changed. Or, more, as though something entirely different resided inside her.

  She hasn’t been possessed. She was acting out of her own free will.

  Whether Malachi was correct or not, this had to be done. The only way to end this was by the sword that appeared in her hands after the burning sensation, but now Bella had it. Not only that, but it had never once appeared when Malachi was close by—except when Bella had been in the room.

  The teen girl could summon the sword and it would appear. Bella had walked into the Community Center with the sword. She must have been able to negate the magic Malachi had used in order to hide the sword in his presence. It would appear.

  Of course, all this was totally a gamble, and she had no idea the idea forming in her mind would even work.

  It’s a good idea.

  She didn’t look at Malachi. His brother couldn’t know they were able to communicate with each other. I have to make her believe her life is in danger so the sword appears.

  He knows we’ll attack her first because she’s his weakness. He’ll have accounted for that.

  Then you’re going to have to distract him.

  Malachi said, “You can’t possibly have believed you could continue to operate without this happening.”

  “You took an oath. Do I need to remind you of that fact?”

  “Your actions nullify the terms of our agreement.”

  “Ah, I see,” Barnabas said. “You believe your far more exemplary actions of the last few centuries outweigh all those stains on your soul. It’s an interesting theory. A little hubristic.”

  “I know I owe you nothing.” Mei heard him continue speaking in her mind. And I owe Him everything.

  “How lovely. You have exchanged the freedom we gained for subservience.”

  “We’re all slaves to something,” Mei said. “Even if we attempt to convince ourselves otherwise. Believing we owe no one anything, only serving our own wants and needs, and yet, not realizing we are controlled by our own selves.”

  Malachi said, “You have been a slave to your hunger since the beginning. And even before then. And I was no better. We both craved what we did not have, worshiped what we believed we deserved, and could not see what was right in front of our faces.”

  “Then I am supposed to be like you, I suppose? Repent and change my ways?”

  It was Bella who began to laugh.

  Malachi’s hands whipped up, swirling in the air. Suddenly, Bella’s laugh cut off abruptly in a gagging choke.

  Barnabas glanced quickly at her, and then back at Malachi. “You don’t dare.”

  He stalked toward Malachi, fully aware that the fate of the girl carrying his child was in jeopardy.

  Thank you. Mei rushed toward the girl, pulling a knife as she closed in.

  Bella tried to gasp but could not get air into her lungs. Still, her eyes widened, and she was able to bring her hands came up in a protective stance.

  Aware of what was about to happen, Mei shifted, dipping her entire body to one side in order to avoid the swipe of the sword as it appeared in Bella’s hands. Mei whipped up her hand, twisting as she moved, and grasped the hilt of the sword. Lifting straight, Mei brought her elbow up toward Bella’s diaphragm and jerked it backwards into her sternum.

  As the teen gasped at the blow and began to cough, Mei divested her of the sword. Mei grabbed Bella by the shoulders and spun her around so that she faced away from her, then pulled her in close and tight. She held the sword in front of the girl, trapping her arms against her body. “I will kill her.”

  Barnabas turned, swinging a hand impulsively out in her direction. Whatever he sent their way slammed into Bella first. The two flew back and Mei hit the ground with the girl on top of her.

  Bella turned into her and her fingers grabbed at Mei’s neck, curled around in a tight grasp.

  Mei couldn’t breathe. She drew the sword up and thumped Bella’s head with the hilt. Once did nothing. Bella continued squeezing her neck. Spots edged her vision, and she knew she was going to pass out. She had to act fast.

  A bead of spittle ran between Bella’s clenched teeth and over her lip, dripping onto Mei’s cheek.

  She lifted the sword and again slammed it into Bella’s head with all the strength she could muster. Bella didn’t even budge from her. Through his blood, the high lord had gifted Bella his strength. The same way Malachi had done for Mei, though Barnabas’s intentions were not even close to pure. Mei was given blood as a lifesaving tonic. Bella had been made into a shield for his own selfish purposes.

  Though, knowing how or even why didn’t help her right now. Not when she was steadily losing consciousness.

  “Mei!” Her dad.

  She heard Remy, too. “Malachi!”

  “Let them go!” Knowing Shadrach, he probably had a gun.

  Darkness crept into her consciousness.

  Fire erupted. An inferno hit her with all the heat and intensity that now also threatened her family. She managed to look over and saw a wall of flames between her and the three teammates who had come to help.

  Help.

  Malachi bellowed in her mind. Powerlessness. Frustration.

  A tear of anguish rolled down her face.

  And then, suddenly, strength pulsed in her. Mei’s consciousness seemed to wake up. She let go of the sword, planted her feet down, and pushed up with her legs in a bridge. Bella was launched off of her and fell onto her back. Mei scrambled up and shoved the girl to her front, sprawling on top of her and pulled her hand back to secure them. The teen needed to be restrained until they could figure out what to do with her.

  And the baby she carried.

  But Mei had no idea what to use to tie her up. She had nothing, just the sword. And she wasn’t going to kill a girl who was barely out of her childhood years, now carrying a child of her own. Or whatever
the high lord had put in her.

  Malachi’s cry rang in her head and in her ears. He moved quickly as she watched, riveted, as he grabbed the high lord’s wrist and slammed Barnabas’s forearm down, making solid contact with his knee. Even with all the strength he’d given her, he still was capable of that?

  His brother cried out.

  Bella screamed under her.

  The high lord’s head whipped around and he glared, bringing up his hand. But it was limp and useless now. Shattered.

  “You’re done!”

  The high lord launched at Malachi, and the two went down.

  Though Bella struggled under Mei, she still she managed to hold the girl in place. She would have to keep doing so until this situation was over, as much as she wanted to go help Malachi. She couldn’t aid him. Doing so would put them all at risk. But was there a way to send strength back to him, the way he had with her. Was that even possible?

  She wouldn’t know unless she tried.

  Mei reached deep into the well of her heart where she kept her feelings for him. The ones she’d denied for so long. Drawing deep, she pushed all the strength she could summon and sent it back to him.

  Mei looked over at Malachi while Bella continued struggling under her, her hands still in Mei’s grip. She willed Malachi to feel all that strength she wanted him to have. Every part of her that wanted to connect with him.

  Barnabas snaked around to Malachi’s back and wrapped his broken arm around his neck. With his other hand, he pulled back and twisted, the deafening crack of bones filled Mei’s ears.

  Malachi’s neck went limp. And then his body went limp. Their connection, severed.

  He fell to the grass.

  Dead.

  Mei screamed. She let go of Bella, grabbed up the sword, and raced at the high lord like some kind of berserker.

  All of Malachi’s strength—the strength of his love, the strength of his blood—it all fueled her now. She crossed the space between them in a split second and swung the sword, removing the high lord’s head from his body before she, too, fell to the ground.

  His eyes stared for a moment. A single blink.

  Bella screeched. Mei turned and saw her run toward the wall of flames. She was immediately engulfed, and while the flames quickly banked, she screamed and fell to the ground. Silent.

  Mei remained on her knees.

  Head hanging. Gasping. She dropped the sword and bent forward until her forehead touched the ground.

  And then she cried.

  “Baby. Oh, baby.” Her dad gathered her into his arms, but she only cried harder. She didn’t know how long they sat like that. She cried until the tears were all used up. And then they huddled together. She listened to the hitch of Ben’s breath while she started, unseeing, at the empty shell of the man she had loved. Still loved.

  Until...movement.

  His eyelids fluttered.

  No, it couldn’t be. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

  She pushed away from her dad.

  Shadrach landed on his knees beside Malachi. “Hey, buddy. Uh…”

  Malachi shifted. Another audible crack sounded as he put his neck back together. Mei would have been nauseous had she not been so happy to see him moving around.

  And then he spoke. “Decapitation is the only thing that actually works. And he knew that. He just wanted me disabled. And he wanted Mei to be the one to kill him.”

  “What?” Remy crouched by Mei and held her hand, but turned to Malachi, “He wanted her to kill him?”

  Malachi stared at his brother’s lifeless head. “Mei was the one who cut his head off?”

  Shadrach and Remy both nodded.

  “Good.” He sat up, wincing. “Ouch.” After a second, he said, “He wanted to die. He knew it was over, but he was never going to admit that. And he’d have denied it to the last second. He just didn’t want me to be the one to do it.”

  “Well, it’s over now,” Ben said, gathering her up and supporting her to a standing position. She still had the sword in her hand.

  Shadrach helped Malachi to his feet. He looked at Bella, but Mei did not. She didn’t want to see her body. She was supposed to be tough, but she couldn’t handle any of this. It was too much.

  Malachi frowned at her, a small smile on his face. One that was just for her.

  Two people who relied on their connection to out-tough everyone else.

  He shoved aside Remy’s professional medical assessment and stood up, looking at Mei. Ben stepped aside to allow Malachi to get by and watched as he gathered her up and put his arms around her.

  Malachi touched her cheeks, leaned in, and pressed his lips against hers.

  When her legs gave out, he held her up.

  Dear Reader

  It’s been an interesting journey into a new genre for me. My hope is that you enjoyed this series that is now complete.

  In the future I would love to continue writing as JL Terra. My plan right now is to shift into fantasy in early 2022, with bi-monthly releases. As of summer 2021, I don’t have any plans to continue with contemporary supernatural suspense – but who knows?

  You can always email me at authorjlterra@gmail.com if you have comments, questions or suggestions. I’d love to hear what you think!

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