Adversity (Cursed #2.5)

by Claire Farrell

  But the birth went easily, and Kali’s first glimpse of her baby changed everything for her. Her heart belonged to him. She knew it as soon as she felt that first whoosh of true love when his eyes had opened, dark eyes that didn’t waver from hers. Promise and possibility lay in his eyes. To Kali, he was pure beauty, and her heart swelled at the strength in his little fingers and the force behind his kicks.

  For six months, the three of them had the perfect life filled with love, happiness, and contentment. She had everything she ever wanted. She stopped looking over her shoulder, and started believing that maybe she deserved every second of the happiness she had stolen. She relaxed and learned to love her life.

  Until her father found them.

  He came while Andriy was gone with Dog, and he barged through her door as though it were made of cotton.

  “I heard you were here. Knew it had to be you. The clan wants me to take you back with me. Besnik wanted to call you before the Kris until the bandolier persuaded him otherwise.” He hacked up a laugh. “He wants me to pay him for what you did. And the wise old bandolier has decided he will not be harsh so long as I do. I’m being punished for your betrayal. I’m suffering for your devil antics.”

  The baby in the corner whimpered as the chovihano’s voice rose into a shout. Knowing the power of her father’s words, Kali positioned herself between her father and her son, and spoke evenly.

  “Calm down. You’re upsetting him. We’ll pay you back. Leave us now, and we’ll pay you whatever you feel you’re owed.”

  “Owed? I’m owed a life debt, daughter. I’m not here to take you back. I’m here to choke the life out of you.”

  “Leave me, coward. I’ll not listen to your ugly words. Sneaking around when Andriy isn’t here. You made your own promises; I didn’t help you with that. Suffer with them on your shoulders.” She could see the murder in his eyes, knew her time would run out soon, but if she could hold him off for a while, then Andriy would return to protect their son. All she cared about was her son.

  He watched her move protectively, and she saw her mistake. “Oh, I’m not here to end his life,” he said with a hateful sneer. “I’m here to curse every second of his existence. I want you to die knowing he carries the burden of your sins on his shoulders. I promise you he will live a long, agonizing life alone.”

  A shudder ran through her as the room darkened. The baby’s whimpers became sobs, and Kali could barely keep her eyes on her father.

  “Let him be. He’s no harm to you,” she said. “I’ll give you anything if you forget he exists.” Her voice shook because she knew what he would do. He wanted them to suffer, and he had the black magic to do it.

  “I cast you out.” He spat out the words, and their severity stilled the blood in her veins. “Your blood will never find peace. Your descendents will be hounded with the search for happiness and love. Like you, they’ll forget everything but their obsession, and it will slip from their grasp every time. They will mourn. They will suffer. They will never be guardians. They will never protect a soul.”

  His words hypnotised her, and she felt the power in the tremors of his voice. The shadows grew closer, clinging to her father, filling him with power.

  “No!” she screamed. “Leave us be!” She could take the pain, but she would never allow her child to suffer from it. The shadows touched her, exploring, cautious in their attempt to see if she would accept them. She had her son to consider. She would inhale everything they gave her if it meant she could save him from a life of pain.

  “My son will find his soul mate,” she said. “They won’t have eyes for anyone but each other, and they will do anything to protect each other. And his son will find a soul mate, and his grandson. Every single one through the generations will find true love, and when a daughter is born to take over my power, your words will be meaningless. Lost forever.”

  He laughed, a laugh full of madness, and he ran for her. His fingers found her throat and squeezed hard. Choking, she stuck her fingers in his eyes and pushed. He fell away, burned by the black magic in her blood, the very magic he had ensured she was gifted with, and the look of fear on his face only compelled her to go further.

  “You cast me out? You cannot take what’s mine, but your people will regret this day for eternity. They will see the dead at every turn, and there will never again be guardians for your clan to use,” Kali intoned. “My children will grow stronger while your people wither and die. You will be persecuted and turned away at every village. The blame for everything will rest on your shoulders. You will all suffer for this. Mark my words.”

  “You play with the darkness, but you know nothing of the consequences. You know not what the payment will be. But know this, as much as mine are persecuted, so will yours be. Hunted always because you didn’t know your place. Haunted by madness from loss. You foolish girl.”

  She didn’t see the flick of his wrist until it was too late. She felt the burn of the stab wound only when the blood ran down her skirts. His gaze flickered toward her son, and she forgot about the pain. She would never let that man hurt her child.

  She slapped her father’s face, but the force of the shadows was behind her. She felt the malevolence in her veins, and then she felt its glee as she decided she would outlive her father. They struggled for the knife, but her strength soon overpowered him. He managed to pin down her arms as he aimed for her throat again, but she could have sworn she saw Drina behind him, pulling him away.

  His hands released her, and a harsh breath filled her lungs, but blood spurted from her lips as she exhaled. Shadows edged her sight, but she heard struggling, grunting, and a whimper across the room.

  A death rattle.

  Andriy knelt by her side, his eyes wet with tears.

  “Is he dead?” she managed to whisper.

  He nodded. “Kali… what can I do?”

  “Take our baby. Take Dog. Run from here, and keep him safe. Promise me, Andriy. He’ll need guidance. When he’s sixteen, he will change for the first time. He’ll need help to tame the wolf. And my father managed to curse him.”

  “I don’t believe in curses. I believe in us, and I won’t leave you.”

  “You have to,” she hissed at him, mildly horrified by the way her blood sprayed across his face. He didn’t even blink. “My father cursed our son, Andriy. Said he wouldn’t find love. That he would suffer with loss and madness. I made it so he’ll find his soul mate, but others might come for him. You have to protect him.”

  Her heart slowed. Hazy darkness surrounded her, and when she delved into her own future, it didn’t exist.

  “I can’t do this without you.” Andriy’s tears fell on her, mixing with her blood.

  “They might come for you, as well. When he’s old enough, you must warn him of the curse. You have to help him understand. I tried to change it, but…”

  The last sounds she heard were the screams of a baby and the sobs of a broken-hearted man.

  ***

  Amelia

  I felt my heart start again and looked for the safety of my bedroom. But I was still there, in that tiny room, still seeing blood all over the floor. Except I was looking right at Kali’s body and at Andriy holding her in his arms, weeping silently.

  “It all went so wrong,” said Kali, an apparition before me. Though taller than me, she had dark eyes and long, wavy hair that closely resembled mine. Her doe-eyes and overly large features made her more interesting looking than pretty.

  “What is this?” I asked.

  “This is a glimpse at my life. The memories belong to your blood. You interpreted them in your own way, but ultimately, this is my life.” She laughed. “The highlights.”

  “Am I dreaming still?”

  “Do you see what I did?” she asked dreamily, completely ignoring me. “I should never have used the darkness to help me. To hurt him. My soul has been bound between worlds ever since. I’ve been waiting for so long.”

  She gazed at her baby, a mixture of love
and sadness in her eyes.

  “What happened to them?” I couldn’t help asking. I knew it made no sense, but I had to know what happened next.

  “Andriy took our son to his wife,” she spat. “He gave her my son. He told her everything, even the warnings I had given him. Then he walked into the lake and drowned himself. He moved on to the next life without me.”

  Wow, she sounded bitter. “So Marusya raised him?”

  “Yes. She emigrated with him and made up a fairy tale about the curse. Pretended Andriy had become a werewolf and killed me himself. She claimed my clan cursed Andriy’s bloodline to become werewolves—as if becoming a werewolf was a curse. It was a gift, a great honour. But she made my son feel as if he was a monster. Anything to avoid telling him the truth which was that I mothered the first, that I protected him, and that I loved him. She stole everything from me, to punish me.”

  “Why am I seeing all of this? How am I seeing it?”

  “You’re my blood. My kin.” She sounded surprised. “You’re the key to ending my father’s words. I wish now that I hadn’t spoken in anger. I made many people suffer with my mistakes. I spoke in a mindless rage. I swear I didn’t intend what was to follow. A wave of hysteria hit Europe, and my people were blamed. They suffered so needlessly, and all because of careless words spoken in anger.”

  “Blamed for what?”

  She smiled. “The dead walked. At least in the eyes of the gaje. They saw vampires and monsters in the dark, and all eyes turned to blame the gypsies. They were hated and persecuted, probably because of me. Every time I used my power it had consequences I could never have dreamed of. This time was no different. I tried to counteract my father’s curse, but I still didn’t manage to protect my son and his sons. Every single one of them fell to the madness that came with losing their soul mate. And I fear I made it worse by ensuring they couldn’t escape from finding their soul mate. My father and I disrupted the balance, and we all suffered. But you can change it. You can end this for good.”

  “End the whole werewolf thing? Or the soul mate thing?”

  “The wolf is in your blood. That can’t be undone. But the curse. His words. Mine. That can end. That can be resolved.”

  “What do I have to do?”

  “Take my responsibilities. A chovihani must pass on her essence. Mine remained on this plane, unable to move on. You can free me. Take it, so I can leave. Free me, daughter. Set me free.”

  “What do I do with it? I mean, I haven’t got a clue about magic.”

  “You’ll know,” she shouted. “Your wolf will know. Accept it, so I can find my son again. I want my baby. I…”

  I jerked back into my own body, my own bed, still screaming about Kali’s baby. Perdita stood in front of my bed, horrified, but I knew what I had to do next.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Amelia

  “Um, are you okay?”

  I blinked rapidly, wishing the thudding of my heart wasn’t so damn loud.

  “Perdita?” I said, still unsure if I was awake or asleep.

  She ran over and sat on the bed next to me. “You need to see a doctor,” she said. “You’re practically delirious.”

  “No. No, I’m not. They’re memories, Perdita. I’m sure of it. I think I’m dreaming about how it all began for my family. Everything we know is a lie.”

  “Okay,” she said, and I could tell she was humouring me. “So how does that change things for us?”

  I frowned. The details weren’t as clear as before. Everything had gotten a little muddled in my head. “It doesn’t. Not really.”

  “So why would anyone lie about it?”

  I shook my head. What was I supposed to remember? “I’ve no idea. But it’s important the lies stop.”

  “Amelia… you need some rest. Why don’t you go back to sleep?” She made me lie back before draping the covers over me.

  Sleep would be good. But why was Perdita in my room in the first place?

  “Wait! Why are you here?”

  She fidgeted at the blanket. “It’s time. They’re coming. We’re locked in with the dogs. Just in case.”

  “It’s now! Oh, no. I wanted to see my family first. In case… well, you know.”

  We exchanged glances that said we were both on the exact same page. My family would soon be fighting for their lives outside. Fighting for our lives, too.

  “I think it’ll be okay this time,” she said. “They have more on their side, and they know what’s coming. It’ll be over as soon as it starts. In fact, I’m going to watch out the window while you get some rest.”

  “Will you tell me if you see anything?”

  “Of course.” She hurried to the window.

  I called one of the dogs onto the bed. She reminded me of Kali’s Dog, and I wished Andriy had left him at home that day. I wished I knew exactly what I was supposed to do next. “I wish we could know for sure,” I muttered aloud.

  I tried to sort through my thoughts and memories. That last dream had been more than real, and I wondered what was supposed to happen. If I told anyone the truth, they would think I was crazy, but I felt as though I had to tell the truth. I had to make sure Kali was remembered, too.

  A stabbing pain shot through my body, making my body jerk uncontrollably. A cold sweat dampened my clothes, and I felt sharp echoes of the first pain sting my insides.

  “Are you okay?” Perdita looked absolutely terrified.

  I shook my head and curled onto my side as another pain clutched my insides. “I can’t take much more of this,” I said. “It hurts. Everything hurts. And I can’t sleep without dreaming of pain and worse things. I feel as though I’m on fire.”

  “It’ll be okay,” she said. “We’ll figure something out.”

  I groaned. “There’s nothing to figure out. I’m supposed to do something.” I couldn’t tell her I had to end the curse. I didn’t want to give her a chance to reject the idea.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Someone’s trying to tell me something, I think. Like this is a… a punishment, or a warning, or something. I don’t know. I feel like I’m being haunted or something.”

  “Is it really that bad?”

  I nodded, suddenly feeling as though I needed to outrun the pain.

  “There has to be something we can do to make it better,” she said. “Doing a reading might help.”

  “Tarot cards? You must really pity me.” I laughed in spite of myself.

  “I’m still your friend. If that makes you feel better, then I’m cool with it. We’re sitting around here waiting anyway. What do we have to lose?”

  “What if we don’t use the cards?” I knew what to do. “What if we use something else instead?”

  “Like what?”

  “Spirit board?”

  Again she made a face filled with horror. I had to persuade her it would be okay.

  “We could try to talk to Mémère,” I said in a hurry. “Maybe she can tell us if we’re safe or not.”

  She looked desperately uncomfortable. “I don’t know…”

  “Come on! What harm could it do? It would make me feel better.” I hoped she would give in, and sure enough, she did. I gathered the candles and some crystals. “For protection,” I told her.

  “Protection from what?”

  I heard her obvious fear, but I couldn’t stop now. Ignoring how all of my limbs burned, I crawled under the bed to fetch the spirit board. “I found the board hidden in my grandparents’ room.”

  “Well, maybe it was hidden for a reason.”

  Disregarding Perdita’s hesitation, I placed the board inside the ring of crystals and lit candles all around. A draught blew out the flames. I lit them again, desperately hoping the board would work for us.

  “Put your hands on the cup beside mine,” I said. Reluctantly, Perdita’s fingers joined mine, and I felt the jolt of energy. It would work. It had to.

  “Mémère? Can you hear me? Please, please, please talk to me. I need you right no
w. Can you see us?” I couldn’t ask for Kali. I still wasn’t absolutely sure she even existed. But I thought she might, and if she did, she could probably contact me through the board.

  The cup moved then jerked to a stop. “That’s not funny.” Perdita did not look impressed.

  “It wasn’t me.”

  “Crap,” she whispered.

  “Mémère? Is that you?”

  The cup moved to no.

  “Maybe we should stop this,” she said. Cú growled, but I ignored him.

  “No. I need this. Who are you?”

  The cup moved again, spelling out the word “you.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Perdita asked, sounding as interested as I was.

  “Can you help us?”

  Yes.

  I couldn’t help grinning. It would all work out.

  “Are we in danger?” Perdita asked.

  Yes.

  “From who?” I demanded. More danger?

  You.

  “Stop saying that!” I screamed as books fell from the shelves and onto the floor with ominous thuds.

  Dreams.

  “What about them?”

  Truth.

  “They’re the truth?” Perdita whispered.

  Past.

  “The dreams are real?” I had to make sure.

  Yes.

  “What do they mean? Why am I having them?” I needed Perdita to see the answers, so she would finally believe. The cup moved faster, so fast I could barely keep up.

  Cursed. Broken. Freedom.

  “How? How do I break it?”

  Fulfil curse. Take destiny. Free me.

  I understood. At least, I thought I did. Everything Kali told me was true, and I was the only one who could finish the story.

  “What does that mean?” Perdita sounded worried. I was kind of sorry she had to share the experience with me, but I was doing all of this for her. I would agree to Kali’s demands, because I didn’t want my best friend to die. I could stop the curse. I could redeem myself. I could help everyone.

  “I think I know,” was all I told her.