Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  His slow smile was pure arrogance. “She has everything to do with this.”

  My blood ran cold at his words. “I mean it, Isach. Stay away from her or I’ll—”

  “You’ll what?” he snapped, his tone biting and viscous. He straightened and towered over me.

  I stood paralyzed with fear but unwilling to back down or show him an ounce of weakness.

  “You can’t do anything to me, Chloe.” He laughed, then leaned over, his face much too close to mine. “Oh, I see. You’re going to send your beloved vampire after me.”

  In a flash, Isach was no longer standing in front of me. He was pushed against the locker, Trent’s hand around his throat. “Leave. Her. Alone.”

  Isach’s laughter was cut off abruptly, and his face turned crimson. Trent was going to kill him. My brain kickstarted my body into action.

  “Trent!” I grabbed his arm, but trying to get him to loosen his grip was like trying to pry a boulder with a toothpick. “Stop. Let him go.”

  When Trent didn’t respond, I squeezed myself between him and Isach. My breath caught, and my mind momentarily froze. Trent’s eyes were pitch black; it was the most disturbing thing I’d ever seen.

  “Trent,” I said as calmly as possible. “You’re going to kill him.” I cupped his cheeks with my hands and forced him to focus on me. “Please stop.”

  He blinked a few times, and his eyes returned to their normal color. Slowly, he released his hold on Isach’s throat. “I will kill you if you ever put your hands on Chloe again.”

  Isach gasped for breath and rubbed at his neck. Then he looked at me as if expecting me to speak up and correct Trent’s assumption. I would. But not now and not here. A crowd was forming.

  “C’mon,” I said, tugging on Trent’s hand.

  He finally walked away from Isach, and we headed to Algebra, but instead of going into the room, he ushered me away from the door. “Did he hurt you?” he asked.

  “He didn’t even touch me.” I took a deep breath, not wanting to confess what I’d said to Isach, but I couldn’t hide it. “I… threatened him.”

  “What?” he said much too loudly, garnering curious looks from other students.

  “Abby picked him up for school this morning, so I was stuck in the car with him. The way he acted and the things he said… He’s manipulating her and coming between us. I got angry and told him to leave her alone.”

  “Chloe.” Trent groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “He just makes me so mad.” I curled my hands into fists. Even now, thinking about it had rage pooling in my gut.

  “He’s doing it on purpose. That’s what he does. He wanted to provoke you, and I’m certain he did it so he’d get a reaction from me, too.”

  “I know.” I hung my head. “I’m sorry. It was stupid.”

  “Hey.” Trent put his finger under my chin and tilted my head back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I was scolding you. That’s the thing about the Zoya—they mess with your mind, and that ends up messing with your emotions. You can’t let him get to you.”

  I nodded.

  He pulled me in for a hug and kissed my forehead. “I need to go get my books. I’ll be right back, okay?”

  “I’ll save you a seat.” I turned to go into the room when someone grabbed my elbow and spun me around. I half expected to feel Trent’s lips on mine, but instead, I was greeted with Jax’s angry scowl.

  He yanked me close enough so only I would be able to hear him. His body was hard but warm, and my traitorous body heated at our closeness.

  “That little scene back there was because of you, Chloe. We’re going to be exposed because of you. Because Trent’s in love with you. He thinks you’re his soulmate, and he won’t hesitate to sacrifice himself. Think about that next time you pick a fight with a Zoya.”

  I jerked my arm from his hold. “Yeah, and where were you, Jax? You could’ve stepped in and stopped it, but you did nothing.”

  With a huff, I stormed into the room and took my seat. Then I let my head fall to the desk with a painful thud. Was Jax right? Would Trent risk exposing what he was if it meant keeping me safe? I’d never dream of asking him to do that, but that was the problem—I’d never have to.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:

  Tricked

  “YOU’RE QUIET,” TRENT SAID AS HE pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.

  I’d gotten a ride home with him today because Abby was with Isach again, and I wasn’t invited. Not that I would’ve gone with them anyway. It still bugged me, though, how she was always so quick to ditch me for a guy. First Marc, now Isach.

  “Are you sure everything’s okay?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “I think I liked it better when you asked too many questions.”

  I cracked a smile. “It’s been a long day. I’m tired. That’s all.”

  But that wasn’t the whole truth. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Jax had said to me today, and I couldn’t tune out all the worst-case scenarios running through my mind. I wanted to be with Trent more than anything, but not at the expense of his very existence. Or mine.

  “Come here.” He reached for me, and I slid across the seat. “If I frightened you this morning, I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t.” Not really, anyway. I was a bit freaked out, but nothing that was going to scar me. “I shouldn’t have provoked Isach, but I’m really worried about Abby.”

  “I know you are.” He draped his arm around me, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

  Moments like this, I could pretend we were both normal human teenagers navigating the ups and downs of high school and first love. But we weren’t, and nothing about our relationship would ever be normal. I drew in a shaky breath.

  “I should probably head inside. I still have a lot of back assignments to catch up on. And I need to work on our History project, too.” I straightened and moved over to the passenger’s side. I hadn’t even gotten out of the truck before Trent was in front of me.

  “I’m worried, Chloe.” His hands were on either side of my neck, holding me gently. “You’re still with me, aren’t you? One day at a time, right?”

  An involuntary shiver worked through me at the sudden, unexpected memory of his mouth on my neck. “One day at a time,” I said.

  His only response was a kiss. Slow and soft, but its effect was devastating to my senses. When he released me, I swayed on my feet, slightly dizzy and in love more than I had been a moment ago. Was that even possible?

  “Can I pick you up tomorrow morning?” he asked.

  “God yes. Please.” I laughed. “I do not want to get stuck riding with Isach again.”

  Trent smiled. “See you in the morning.”

  I could feel Trent’s gaze on me as I walked inside. Only when the door was closed did I hear his truck pull away. I blew out a breath and went to find Aunt Beth. She was in the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch, eyes glued to the television.

  “Hey, I’m home,” I said.

  “Isn’t this terrible?” She inclined her head toward the TV.

  I glanced at the screen. She was watching a special report about the four missing students from the neighboring town.

  “They’ve been missing for weeks, and there’s absolutely no trace of them. They were last seen here, in Keene Valley. None of them ever made it home. I can’t imagine what their parents must be going through.”

  I studied the pictures of the missing kids, and something nagged at the back of my mind. All four of them looked strangely familiar, and I wracked my brain trying to figure out if I’d seen them before. But I came up blank.

  Aunt Beth clicked off the TV and focused on me. “How was school?”

  “Same as usual.” I shrugged.

  “Where’s Abby?”

  “Oh, um, she drove Isach home.”

  That was technically true, so I didn’t feel too bad, but Abby and Isach weren’t going straight t
o his house. Now that I thought about it, I had no idea where they were going. I should’ve asked… in case Isach did something to her. My breath caught; he wouldn’t hurt her, would he? I’d never doubted he liked her—that was evident in the way he’d acted with her this morning—but I’d provoked him, and if he was angry enough, he might lash out at her to get even with me.

  “How’d you get home?” Aunt Beth asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

  “Trent.”

  Aunt Beth shook her head and sighed. “I really wish you girls would call or text me if you’re going to split up like this. With the recent murders and missing kids…” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if trying to get rid of a chill. “I wouldn’t know what to do if anything happened to either of you.”

  I gave her a hug. “I’m sure she’ll be home soon. Do you need help with dinner?”

  “No. But thank you.” She smiled.

  “Okay, then I’m going to go do some homework.” I headed upstairs and shut myself in my room.

  Sitting at my desk, I twisted the chair around to stare at my mother’s urn, debating whether I should tell her about my day. It was a ritual I had, but I had no idea what to say to her. Would she be disappointed in me if I told her the truth about Trent?

  She’d always had so many hopes and dreams for me, many of them I shared with her, and they were things I wanted to do so she’d be proud of me. Was I destroying my future by being with Trent? Was I deluding myself thinking I could have any sort of normal relationship with a vampire?

  I was being ridiculous. Mom loved me no matter what, and I knew she would have adored Trent. As long as I didn’t screw up my life beyond repair, everything would be okay. “Love you, Mom. I miss you so much.”

  I turned my back on the urn, dug my algebra book from my backpack, and opened to the chapter on quadratic equations. It took me over an hour to finish the assignment. Flipping the book closed, I stood and stretched my arms over my head, working out my stiff muscles.

  “Chloe.”

  My name was a distant, harsh whisper. I spun around, looking for the source of the sound. The room was silent, though, and the only noticeable sound was of my rapid breathing. I was hearing things. All the stories Trent had told me were messing with my head. Shaking it off, I returned to my desk to work on the final English paper I had to write.

  “Chloe.”

  I froze, waiting for the noise again. Nothing. Get a grip.

  “Chloe! I know you’re up there.”

  My eyes widened. I know you’re up there? What the heck? Straining to listen, I stood and tiptoed around the room. As I passed by the window, it happened again, only much louder.

  “Chloe.” Abby stood outside of my window, waving her arms.

  Blowing out a pent-up breath, I opened the window and leaned out. She was alone. Where was Isach? And why was she lurking in the backyard instead of coming inside?

  “What’re you doing down there?” I asked.

  “I need your help.” She whipped her head back and forth as if she were terrified of something. Or someone. “I’m in trouble.”

  My heart raced, and the hairs on my arms stood on edge. I had that sinking feeling something wasn’t right. “What happened? Are you all right? Come inside, and I’ll help you.”

  “I can’t. Tell Mom you need some air and come out here.” She glanced around again and shifted on her feet. “Please, Chloe. I don’t have anyone else to turn to.”

  Unease twisted my insides. Was she being truthful? Why would she lie to me about needing help? I could see with my own two eyes that she was upset and jumpy. If I didn’t help her and something bad happened, I’d never be able to live with myself. But why hadn’t she texted me? Why was she standing outside of my window like a lunatic? I had no choice—I had to try to help her.

  “Okay, I’ll be right down,” I said.

  What kind of trouble had Abby gotten herself into? I swear, if Isach hurt her… I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my favorite hoodie from my closet and yanked it on as I headed downstairs. Every instinct in me was telling me to run, to hurry, but that would alert Aunt Beth that something was wrong, so I forced myself to move casually.

  “Done with your homework?” Aunt Beth asked.

  “Almost. I’m taking a short break, going to get some fresh air.”

  “Don’t go too far, okay?” She had her back to me, stirring something on the stove. “Abby texted and said she was having dinner with Isach tonight.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Confusion mixed with concern in my gut, and the worry that had been steadily building in me was seconds away from exploding.

  Abby had gone out of her way to text her mom and lie about where she was—which meant whatever trouble she was in was huge. I had no idea what she thought or expected me to be able to do about it.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I called over my shoulder as I walked out the door.

  As soon as I was outside, I raced around the house toward the backyard. “Abby?” I half whispered half shouted. “Abby! Where are you?”

  “Over here.” She peeked out from behind the tree that stood as a marker between the backyard and the dense forest beyond.

  “Why are you hiding?” I grumbled as I trudged toward her. If this turned out to be a prank, I was going to wring her neck. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I rounded the tree trunk and stumbled over a knotted root that stuck out of the ground, stubbing my toe. “Ouch.” I lifted my foot to shake off the sting but ended up losing my balance.

  Someone grabbed me around the waist, lifting me completely off the ground. I yelped and kicked.

  “Easy, Chloe,” he said.

  “Let me go,” I shrieked, flailing and kicking. But it was no use. Isach was too strong, and I couldn’t free myself. “Put me down.” My heart thrashed in my chest, and my breaths were coming hard and short.

  Isach set me down, and I took off on a dead run toward the house. Behind me, he shouted, “Prohibere, stop.”

  My entire body instantly froze. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream. My arms hung by my sides like useless weights. But I could hear and see everything around me. I knew something was wrong; I never should’ve come out here. And now I was at Isach’s mercy. What was he going to do to me?

  “Wonderful job, Abby.” Isach positioned her to stand in front of me and stroked her hair like she was his pet.

  I wanted to vomit at how he was treating her, and then I wanted to beg her to help me, but I was paralyzed. The only motion I could make was to widen my eyes. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She attempted to look away, but Isach held her firm, forcing her to watch me. And even though she was facing me, she wasn’t actually looking at me.

  “I’m proud of you, my queen,” Isash said.

  Instantly, her expression went blank, and her eyes glazed over. She was no longer looking at me, and I wondered if she even knew I was there. Then the truth smacked me hard in the face. Isach had her under some sort of spell or he’d hypnotized her, because the moment he’d said, “my queen,” she’d changed. Bitter bile threatened to choke me.

  “Now, go on inside and do exactly as I’ve instructed.” Isach kissed her forehead, turned her away from me, and gave her a gentle nudge.

  No! Each step Abby took away from me shattered my heart a little more. She’d tricked me and given me to Isach without a second thought.

  “Abby.” It took all my energy to mutter her name, but as soon as I did, I started to regain control of my limbs. “Abby,” I said louder, and then I screamed.

  “Chloe.” Isach tsked and wagged his finger in my face. “If you keep screaming like that, I’ll have no choice but to kill her. You don’t want that, do you?”

  My knees buckled, and I bent over, dry heaves shaking my body. “No.”

  “Good.” He took my arm, forcing me upright, and then jerked me away from the house. “There’s someone who’s dying to meet you.”

  “Who?” I asked.

  The
more steps I took, the clearer my mind became. Whatever voodoo he’d used on me was wearing off. I needed to run, to get as far away from him as possible. And I needed to find help. I’d give anything to have Trent here right now.

  My phone! I could call 911. But as soon as the thought entered my mind, disappointment shoved it away. My cell phone was in the house. In my backpack.

  “If I tell you, that’ll ruin the surprise.” He grinned, his grip on my arm tightening. “You know, we could’ve been friends, Chloe. I gave you the opportunity.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, right. You never wanted to be my friend. You wanted to use me to hurt Trent.”

  He shrugged, making no excuses or apologies for his intentions. “If only I’d arrived a few days sooner. Things could’ve been different.”

  I glanced around, praying I could find somewhere to run. I’d have to take Isach by surprise, though, knock him down first, if I was strong enough. All I needed was a moment to get away, to hide or scream for help. Not that anyone would hear me in the woods. But I had to try.

  When he pulled me around a tree, I rammed my body against his, knocking him into the tree trunk and breaking his hold on my arm. I once again took off on a run, pushing my body harder and faster than I ever had before. My heart raced, and adrenaline propelled me forward. It was useless, though, because within seconds, I was frozen in place.

  This time when Isach approached, his expression was full of pure rage. “I really wanted to see the look on your face when you met my special friend, but if this is how you want to do it…” He waved his hands and recited something in a language I didn’t understand.

  And then, my mind went blank, and I was numb from head to toe.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:

  Tortured

  “C’MON, CHLOE. WAKE UP.”

  Someone lightly slapped my cheek and shook my arm. My eyelids felt like they’d been dipped in cement, and my throat was raw and scratchy. My entire body was sore, and a damp coldness seeped into my bones. When had I fallen asleep? Wincing, I forced my eyes open, and everything that had happened rushed back at me.