Briar Rose

by Jana Oliver

  Once they headed down the street, Briar leaned forward over the seat.

  ‘So what’s really going on?’

  Lily sighed, a slight wheeze at the end of the breath. ‘To get inside the curse, my Reena here summoned the Dark Rider. That’s a spirit that lies at the crossroads and he’ll share his power with those who call him proper like. But he is a trickster and that’s where it went wrong.’

  ‘You summoned a spirit?’ Briar said, her eyes widening. ‘Wow. I’m impressed.’

  ‘It went OK,’ Reena said. ‘Well, at least until Josh turned round. He wasn’t supposed to see the dude. The Dark Rider made him agree to a horse race so I could get the power we needed to enter the curse.’

  ‘OK, so where’s the problem? Arabella can beat any horse out there.’

  ‘It’s not just the horse – it’s who he’s riding against,’ Reena explained.

  A cold shiver curved up Briar’s spine.

  ‘Once Reena was awake and told me what had happened, I did some scryin’. The Dark Rider has another spirit sharin’ that ground with him, and he wants that one gone.’

  ‘If this guy’s got all that power, why doesn’t he do it himself?’

  ‘That’s not how the Dark Rider works. He likes messin’ with people.’

  ‘Who is Joshua racing against?’ Briar asked as the car turned south on the old road.

  ‘Someone this town hoped they’d never see again.’ The old woman adjusted the seatbelt across her bony shoulder. ‘Back in 1864 we had a traitor in our midst, a fella named Jebediah Rawlins,’ she explained. ‘Rawlins was an evil man and he’d made a deal with the enemy that he’d show them where all the jewels and silver were hidden, if they gave him a cut.’

  Briar remembered some of this from her history class. ‘He killed a couple of sentries so Bliss didn’t get any warning that the Yankees were coming.’

  ‘That’s right. What he didn’t know is that most folks had moved their family treasures out of town and buried them. That way when the Yankees came callin’ they didn’t find much, except some food and livestock.’

  ‘They still burned most of the town.’

  ‘True, but Rawlins paid the price because his neighbours knew he’d betrayed them. When he was wounded, the bluecoats left him behind and he was taken prisoner. The townsfolk didn’t bother with a trial – just strung him up in the square.

  ‘From what my great-gran told me, he didn’t die real quick; they made sure of it. Right before they dropped him, he swore he’d come back from the grave and take his revenge. That frightened the townsfolk so much that he was buried at the crossroads so his spirit wouldn’t ever rise again.’

  Briar had never heard that part in history class.

  ‘Rawlins will be the one racin’,’ Lily said. ‘If he wins, his ghost will be set free and he’ll roar through town, hacking and killin’. If ya believe in them, a haint can murder folks just as easily as the livin’. And this town does believe in Jebediah Rawlins.’

  Hacking and killing? She realized exactly what Lily meant. My mom, my dad, all my friends. ‘What if this Rawlins guy loses?’

  ‘I’m bettin’ he’s not gonna go back to the crossroads without a fight.’

  ‘And Joshua?’ Briar asked, fearing the answer.

  ‘He’ll be the first to die. Rawlins hates Quinns, even though they were relations. He hates you Roses too. It was yer families that hung him and my family sealed his spirit at the crossroads. All of us will be in his sights.’

  ‘Does Joshua know all this?’ Briar asked.

  ‘I told him just after he woke up. He said he’d honour his word, though we had to do a bit of lyin’ to his folks or they’d never let him out of the house.’

  ‘No wonder he was so upset,’ she murmured.

  ‘I’m sure that findin’ out that yer mamma was the one who brought down the curse didn’t help.’

  That’s for sure.

  ‘I admit, I set my Reena up to do the summonin’ on purpose, wantin’ her to take the next step in her trainin’, but I didn’t anticipate Rawlins’s part in this. That’s my mistake.’

  ‘Lots of blame to go round,’ Reena said softly.

  Lily slowly turned her head until she could see into Briar’s eyes. Hers were bloodshot and revealed the strain. ‘We can leave ya off at my house if ya don’t want part of this, now that ya know what yer facin’. We won’t think poorly of ya if ya did.’

  The answer came without thought. ‘No, Joshua needs me. I’ll be there.’

  Even if he doesn’t love me any more.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Briar stared out of the side window at a pale landscape lit by a quarter moon and scudding clouds. According to Lily, another storm was coming in from Alabama, but she didn’t think it would hit until later.

  Probably at dawn, just in time to wash the blood off Bliss’s streets. At least that might be case if they didn’t get that ghost back in the ground.

  Now that she thought about it, she’d been too caught up in her part of the curse to realize it had the power to ricochet through their lives like a stray bullet.

  Please let Joshua win this race. I can’t handle all those people’s blood on my hands. I would rather die than let that happen.

  There was no answer, as was often the case when she prayed. Briar just hoped someone upstairs was listening and would maybe give them a hand tonight.

  Near the intersection of the two roads, Reena pulled the car off to the side, careful to avoid the ditch. While her friend pulled a bag out of the trunk, Briar walked to the crossroads. It appeared that it’d rained that afternoon so the earth was damp, but not muddy, which would be good for Joshua’s horse. Too wet and it would be really slippery. As she studied the red clay, nothing about it suggested that a magical spirit lived underneath. Or, for that matter, a Civil War traitor.

  Briar turned in a slow circle, like a compass wheel. Three miles to the west was Bliss. The South Carolina state line a number of miles north, and to the east traffic barricades indicated that the road ended about a half-mile down the way. Facing south now, her eyes tracked the stretch of road as it headed along the river, where it would eventually pass by the old bridge, the lane to Lily’s place and Potter’s Mill.

  ‘Here he comes,’ Reena called out.

  As Briar returned to the car, a horse and rider came up the road from the south. Joshua drew closer. She could see his face – he seemed different, his jaw set and eyes dull. Nothing like the adventurous guy she’d come to love.

  Just hold it together. He needs me here.

  Joshua climbed down from Arabella, his heart pounding, feeling sick inside. He’d awakened to find his parents at war with each other, his dad blaming it all on his mom, and his mother furious that Joshua would risk his life for that Rose girl.

  Apparently even Lily’s intervention hadn’t helped, only stoking the fires more. His return to the real world had given them something to rejoice about, then it’d fallen apart almost instantly.

  My fault. He’d totally lost it at his mom, furious that she’d kept the truth from him all these years. If he’d known Mrs Rose had tried to kill him, he’d never have helped Briar. Why should he? Her family hated his people.

  But he’d been doing a lot of lying recently. First, to his parents – he’d told them he needed to go for a ride tonight to get his head straight, which wasn’t entirely wrong. He just failed to mention the race and the possible outcome.

  Joshua had been lying to himself as well. No matter how mad he was, he wanted to believe he would have gone into the curse to save Briar. That he was better than Briar’s mom, who had taken her deep grief and fashioned it into a potent weapon.

  At the heart of all this was that Rose girl. If Briar really had known about the curse and who had placed it on him, how would that have played out?

  Hi, I think you’re really cute, Briar, and by the way my mother ran over your aunt and then your mom cursed me to die. But I didn’t die so now you get to. No
big deal, right?

  ‘Hey, Josh,’ Reena called out, breaking his dark thoughts.

  It was then he noticed Briar standing by the car, her stance rigid, as if fearing another wound to her heart.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded.

  Lily waved a bony hand. ‘Come on, child, let’s give ’em some room. Just keep it civil, ya hear?’

  As Reena went by him, she whispered. ‘Don’t be an asshat. I won’t ever forgive you if you are.’

  ‘I’m not the one who curses people,’ he fired back.

  ‘Neither does she.’

  To his surprise, Briar made the first move, moving towards him. Her face was paler than normal, with blotchy colour on her cheeks.

  ‘Uh, hi. Uh . . . where’s Kerry?’ she asked.

  ‘Home. Didn’t figure she should be here.’ Like you shouldn’t be.

  Briar blinked rapidly like tears were in her future. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Joshua. I really didn’t know, not until tonight.’

  ‘Lot of good that does,’ he replied, his arms crossed over his chest now.

  ‘My mom didn’t mean it to happen that way.’

  ‘That’s what Lily said, but I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around that.’

  ‘You don’t know her. She leaves flowers on my aunt’s grave every month. She just can’t let go.’

  ‘So killing me was going to make it better?’ he demanded.

  ‘No. She never thought that way. She made a big mistake.’

  ‘There’s a lot of that going around.’ He dropped his arms. ‘You haven’t answered my question. Why are you here?’

  ‘Because when I was stuck in some hellish nightmare, you did me a solid. You were there for me, and I won’t ever forget that.’

  ‘You’re here just because you feel you owe me?’

  ‘That and . . . yeah, that.’

  Joshua looked away, annoyed. Why had he hoped it was more than gratitude? Wasn’t he over this girl? Why did he feel guilty now?

  Near the crossroads, Reena and Lily were talking back and forth, ignoring them.

  ‘I . . . know it’s not your fault,’ he said, looking back. ‘That doesn’t mean you have to be here. This could get real bad.’

  ‘I know that.’ Briar took another step closer. ‘Do you remember what you said when they were going to execute you?’

  He held his breath.

  ‘Well, I do.’

  Another step closer. He could see her shining eyes so clearly now, awash in tears.

  ‘What of it?’ he snapped.

  She winced, but his cruel words didn’t deter her. ‘I think I love you, Joshua. In fact, I’m sure of it. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?’

  His mouth dropped open, then slowly closed. ‘You love me even though I’m a Quinn?’

  ‘Yeah, even that. Can you ignore that I’m a Rose?’

  ‘No,’ he said, years of training making that answer automatic.

  Briar’s expression flattened as the light drained out of her eyes. ‘Then it won’t work. It has to go both ways. We both have to forgive.’

  As she turned away, she hesitated at the last moment. ‘Once this is over, I’ll give you space. I won’t chase after someone who hates me.’

  ‘Hate? Oh God, Briar, it’s not that. It’s—’

  ‘What? What else would it be if you turned away from me now?’ She shook her head. ‘I had hoped we could end this, tonight. End it forever.’

  Forever? He just wanted to live until dawn.

  ‘I don’t hate you,’ he admitted. ‘I can’t even hate your mom, and that pisses me off. What I don’t like is what it took to get us here tonight. All the death and suffering, for everyone, Quinn and Rose.’

  ‘I’m there with you. I’m just trying to make it right.’

  Like he’d wanted to when he went into the curse.

  Joshua ran a hand through his hair, agitated now. ‘You serious, you really do love me?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m thinking so,’ she said, a faint smile trying to claim her face. ‘You’re in my heart now and I’ve never felt that way before.’

  ‘Just kiss her, you wimp!’ Reena called out. Lily promptly shushed her.

  A faint blush appeared on Briar’s cheeks. ‘Good luck with the race. You’ll win. I know it.’

  As she began to walk away, Joshua dismounted, caught her arm and pulled her towards him.

  ‘No more hate,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘We start over, tonight. You and me. Our folks will just have to catch up.’

  Briar reached out to touch his cheek, her hand cold and shaking. He caught it in his own and kissed it.

  ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ he said. ‘I missed you.’

  That shy smile he loved came alive again. It was so sweet and innocent, though he knew she had a tough streak that toppled tyrants.

  They drew together. He had meant the kiss to be gentle, but it seared their flesh. It didn’t end there, but built in strength until he felt his lungs would burst.

  The instant the kiss ended he felt empty again. No, not entirely. Briar’s eyes shone with happiness. With desire. All of it was for him.

  He bent over and kissed her delicately on the tip of her nose. ‘I’d best go get ready.’

  She refused to release him and the next kiss was deeper, stronger, filled with so many promises. When they broke apart, Joshua smiled.

  ‘Wow. That was amazing.’

  ‘You get another one like that when you win,’ she said coyly.

  ‘Promise?’ he said.

  ‘On the Rose family name.’ Then she grimaced. ‘Sorry.’

  After a quick peck on Briar’s cheek, he returned to Arabella to prepare for what lay ahead. As Briar walked away, she kept sneaking glances at him, her eyes full of love. It made Joshua feel like a giant. For once, his heart and his mind were in total agreement: he was going to win this race no matter what it cost.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  ‘Move that white candle over a bit the other way,’ Lily instructed.

  Reena did as she asked, her knees more flexible than her great-gran’s.

  ‘That’s good,’ Lily said. ‘Tonight I’ll do the summonin’. Just know, we can’t help the boy. It’s his race.’

  ‘You have to do something to even the score,’ Briar insisted.

  ‘Nope, we don’t. That would be cheatin’.’

  When Reena looked up, Briar caught something in her friend’s eyes.

  I know that look. Reena wasn’t one to step back and let things go, but then neither was Lily, not when her great-granddaughter’s life was on the line. Briar bet they had a plan cooked up, but why weren’t they telling her about it?

  ‘If Joshua hadn’t made it back from the curse, there would be no race. So what happens if we don’t call up this spirit?’ Briar said.

  Lily was shaking her head even before she’d stopped talking. ‘Reena and the boy made a deal and that meant Rawlins was gonna be freed one way or another. The Dark Rider would see to that. It’s best we try to control how that happens.’

  Joshua, meanwhile, was patiently checking each of Arabella’s hoofs. He’d cleaned out a bit of gravel from one, then reassured himself that the saddle was well secured. In his own way, he was fidgeting. All Briar could do was gnaw on a fingernail.

  ‘We got company,’ he called out.

  In the distance the glare of headlights illuminated the dirt road. As the pick-up drew closer, Briar and her friends melted back into the shadows, Joshua keeping a firm hand on the horse’s bridle.

  Would the vehicle roll right over the crossroads, destroying all their work? Why wasn’t Lily trying to warn them off? The truck slowed, stopped, and then backed up. Instead of going south, it turned right, heading into town. As it passed, its lights caught them for a brief moment, making Briar blink.

  ‘Only crazy fools are out here this time of night,’ Lily muttered.

  You mean like us? ‘Why didn’t they come down here?’

  ‘I had Reena put a little so
mething on the road to send them in the other direction,’ the old woman replied, smiling. ‘Works every time.’

  More magic.

  Lily hobbled back to the very centre of the crossroads and double-checked Reena’s preparations. She nudged something with a toe of an orthopaedic shoe and then nodded her approval.

  ‘Good job,’ she said, and her great-granddaughter smiled at the rare compliment. To Briar, the roots and herbs and little strange things made no sense. Maybe some day she’d have Reena explain it all.

  ‘Do we need to turn round this time?’ her friend asked, her own voice thicker now.

  ‘No need. He knows who we all are.’

  Even me?

  Lily began to sing an old Negro spiritual, deep and resonant, even though her voice was frail with age. Briar could feel the power brushing across her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

  ‘This is it,’ Joshua whispered. He was standing beside her now and his hand took hold of hers. ‘No matter what, you’ll still be my girl?’

  ‘Forever.’

  ‘Then it’s all good,’ he said. After a hasty kiss, he was up in the saddle.

  Briar gently caressed Arabella’s velvety nose, then went up on tiptoes to whisper in the horse’s ear. ‘Run fast. Keep him safe. Don’t get hurt, OK?’

  The ear twitched as the horse bobbed its head, just like she understood.

  Maybe she does.

  The centre of the road began to quake, causing Lily to retreat. Though the magical stuff remained in place, the earth melted, and swirled like a whirlpool. Out of the centre of the swirl rose a spectral horse built of greyish black smoke, and, seated on it, a figure clad in mismatched clothes from another time. A thick noose hung round his neck.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Joshua murmured. ‘Lily was right.’

  The ghost of Jebediah Rawlins edged his horse off the crossroads, then came to a halt, his gaze never leaving Reena’s great-gran. ‘I know yer blood. Yer one of those old witch ladies.’

  ‘My father’s great-great-grandmama helped ya be born, Rawlins. She saw the mark of Cain on ya then, but didn’t tell no one. That was a mistake.’

  The ghost spat. ‘So ya say.’ His obsidian eyes moved to Joshua. ‘That the nag yer gonna ride, Quinn?’