The Cardkeeper Chronicles: Books 1-5 (Complete Collection)

by A. C. Nicholls

  I felt like a stage actress illuminated underneath a brilliant spotlight just in time to forget my lines. In truth, I didn’t know too much about this Brythnel character myself. I also felt bad for Jason, being humiliated like that. Still, we needed Ernie’s help, so I had to play ball.

  “Hamish Brythnel was a scholar from the fifteenth century,” I explained to Jason. “When he was poisoned by his wife, he returned as a spirit to seek vengeance. Somehow, he found a way to exchange places with her; he inhabited her body, while her soul was cursed to remain a spirit forever.”

  Jason’s forehead creased up. “So this Hamish… he’s one of the spirits we’re after?”

  “Not at all,” Ernie said, and thank God he had taken the reins – I didn’t know anything else. “The spirit of his wife reappeared in bits and pieces. Sometimes she would be fully formed and able to physically move the objects around her, but other times she could barely communicate. Hamish went on to further his efficiency with this curse, using prisoners and the terminally ill as his subjects. Over the centuries, many have replicated the curse and used it as a weapon. Now, there’s not a single being who can’t inflict it on another. With enough practice, that is.”

  “Wait,” I said. “So these spirits aren’t just your everyday ghosts?”

  “Exactly. Somebody went out of their way to make them this way. Just a moment.” Ernie got up from his seat and left the room again, this time coming back with one of the leather-bound books I had noticed on the way in. “Take this.”

  “What is it?” I asked, feeling the great weight in my arms.

  “Everything you need to know about the Brythnel curse is within these pages.”

  “It can tell me who’s responsible for them?”

  “I’m afraid it won’t tell you that much.”

  A whole lot of good this is, then. I leafed through the pages, careful not to tear the ancient yellow paper. Although it didn’t look as though I could – it was made of something thicker. Papyrus, perhaps. “What am I looking for in here?”

  “Anything. Everything. There isn’t a single thing to learn about the curse that isn’t written down in this book. There’s information on the spirits, how to find them, how to discern the locations of their deaths. Even how to replicate the curse, should you be so foolish.” Ernie leaned over me, closing the book with his hands on mine. “Keira, I do ask that you proceed with caution.”

  “Of course.” I brought the book to my chest and held an arm across it while I stood. I was eager to get reading, to learn everything I could about these spirits. I could tell from the way Jason looked at me that he thought I was delving too far into forbidden territory, but he was wrong. After all, if there was nothing to find – no secret looming behind these vicious spirits – then why had it turned out that they’d been cursed?

  It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  I thanked Ernie and headed for the exit with the book clutched tightly in my arms. Jason held the door for me, but before I could leave, Ernie came springing from the back of the store, rushing to my side.

  “Keira,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Please be careful with these spirits. They are known to be hostile, especially toward those who wield magic. If you find yourself involved with them, do everything you can to turn and run.”

  “It can’t be that bad,” I said, but I remembered the two painful battles I’d already been forced to fight. I didn’t know if I could survive another. “Can it?”

  Ernie nodded once. “Just stay out of trouble.”

  I smiled politely, planted a kiss on his cheek, and then turned for the door. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The Mercedes sped through the middle of nowhere, the headlights diving into the dark of the night. Jason steered, meandering around the long bends with expert hands. A forest surrounded us; empty, barren trees, their leaves stripped by the winter weather, the frozen tundra beautiful to look at, but horrible on any exposed skin.

  I broke from my trance, my eyes returning to the heavy book in my lap. My investigation had come up empty – I was finding it difficult to concentrate after all I had been through today. I was exhausted, and needed to come at it with a fresh eye.

  “Nearly home,” Jason said, as if he had read my thoughts.

  But I was the one with the mind-reading ability.

  “Good.”

  I reached forward and fiddled with the knob for the heating. The hot air blasted at my face, making my skin dry. I switched it off and opened the window, letting the cold winter air creep through and ease my discomfort. The purr of the engine, combined with the hypnotic warmth of the car, made me realize just how much I needed to sleep.

  Sighing, I closed the book.

  “Can’t focus?” Jason asked.

  “No.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  I smiled weakly. “Not unless you have a gallon of Red Bull in the trunk.”

  “Then I guess I’m useless to you.”

  “I suppose so,” I said, smiling.

  It felt odd to me, having a minute to breathe and simply enjoy Jason’s company. Although we weren’t doing much – between him focusing on driving and me trying to stay awake – it was a refreshing change of pace. I imagined more moments like this; a possible future where we would spend Sundays in bed, talking about how our kids were doing in school and what time the gardener would show up.

  As soon as I realized I was fantasizing, I stopped.

  “Keira, I need to ask you something.”

  There was no chance of sleeping now. I looked to him, watching his face as he studied the road. Whatever he had to ask that sounded so serious, I was sure it could wait. “Is it something to worry about?”

  “Not really.”

  “Then I would rather just hang on until morning.”

  Jason’s face strained, like he really wanted to talk. “Fair enough.”

  I returned my gaze to the window, following the line of trees that ran alongside us on this lonely road. In the distance, deep in the dark, mysterious woods, I could have sworn I’d seen something move.

  My mind and body snapped to attention. I stiffened, sitting upright and staring hard into the gaps between the trees.

  “What’s wrong?” Jason asked.

  I didn’t answer him, too busy trying to identify the object. Whatever it was, it moved fast, keeping up with the car. It grew larger, as if it were coming toward us. I squinted, focused my eyesight, and looked harder.

  By the time I knew what it was, it was too late.

  “Vampire!” I screamed.

  It struck the side of the car, knocking it out of control. Jason fought for the wheel, turning it hard to steer us away from a tree. I held on tight, gripping the armrest and trying not to get slung from the car as it toppled onto its side and ground across the road sending sparks flying into the icy air.

  Just as we began to slow down, the car struck something else. We spun out of control as we held on tight. Even with my strength, I could feel the uneasy motion of being thrown around. Wincing, I endured the crash as the car hit something solid, and then lingered, swaying back and forth

  We ground to a halt. Everything was deadly silent, but I could hear something new. Something active. I forced open my eyes and peered over the dashboard to explore our new surroundings. When I saw the rushing water below, I winced.

  The car hung off a bridge, dangling a few yards above the perilous and frigid water.

  “Are you hurt?” Jason asked.

  I reached for my temple, setting off a stinging sensation as my fingers met the wound. It’s nothing that won’t heal. “No. Are you?”

  “No.”

  With the book still held tight against my lap, I unclipped my seatbelt and tried to open the door. It wouldn’t budge, and I cursed under my breath. I was desperate to escape before the vampire returned to finish us off. Pushing my luck, I leaned my head out of the window to climb through when the car w
as knocked again.

  I fell across the front seat, landing on my side with the steering wheel jutting into my hip. Jason flailed around, his face pressed against the weak, shattered window on his side. I craned my neck, looking up toward my own window, and saw the foul monster reaching in with its claws scratching at the air.

  “Get the hell away from us!” I screamed.

  God, I wish I kept those fire powers.

  The vampire, its pale skin bright white in the moonlight, hissed and came deeper inside, wrapping its fingers around my ankle. I kicked and thrashed, but with each movement the car creaked and tipped further toward the river.

  “Don’t move,” Jason said.

  I didn’t have a choice. If I stopped moving, the vampire would pull me from the car and sink its teeth into my neck. I knew that doing so would cause the car to plummet into the river, but I would rather risk falling than guarantee my death.

  Hissing again, the vampire pulled hard against my leg. The Mercedes groaned beneath our weight, and I felt the car begin to topple. To strengthen my grip on the steering wheel, I let go of the book that Ernie had given me, letting it fall to the windscreen with a cracking sound. Oh God, I thought. Please don’t let me lose it.

  The blood rushed to my head as I lost control.

  “Get the hell away from her,” Jason said, his voice deep and commanding.

  But the vampire only continued to pull at my thrashing leg.

  Before I knew it, Jason transformed. His chest grew to twice its natural size and his nose elongated into a strong, hairy muzzle. Fur sprouted from his skin and even his bones seemed to grow. His hand became a claw, and he reached out and swiped at the vampire, making it whimper as three fresh cuts appeared on its bare arm.

  “Jason, don’t!” The precarious balance of the teetering vehicle held my attention, as it leaned over the edge of the bridge with less and less timidity. Any further movement would cause us to plummet into the freezing water below.

  I slid backward, the grooves of the steering wheel grinding across my back as I fell, and my back hit Jason’s window. I looked down at my feet and saw the vampire climbing in, chasing me down while its arm swung around wildly to reach for me.

  I’d remember it as our last moment of stability.

  Jason roared loudly in the confined space, and shot out to attack the vampire. As he moved, piercing the vampire’s neck with his razor-sharp teeth, I felt the car’s weight begin to shift. Blood splattered across the windshield with a wet sloshing sound, and the vampire gave a final whine before it fell from the car and into the river.

  But it wasn’t alone.

  I felt weightless as the car finally tipped over the edge of the bridge. I struck the leather seat with Jason by my ankles, and against every effort not to, we plunged into the dark, icy waters of the river below.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Eyes squinted, breath held, I fumbled around under the icy water, looking for the book. Not only did I need it to locate the spirits, but I wanted to return it to Ernie. Unfortunately, the more time passed, the less likely that seemed.

  Low on air, I swam upward and broke the surface of the river.

  “Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Jason asked.

  I afforded him the briefest of glances, unable to face him just yet. He stood on the bank of the river beneath the bridge, having used the water to wash the vampire blood off his lips. I did pause to ponder whether that impure blood would affect him in some way, but I guessed that it wouldn’t – he seemed far too relaxed for that to be true.

  “Just stay put.”

  Kicking my legs, I dove back down to the bottom of the river. The ice-cold temperatures bit at my skin like gnawing beavers, but I couldn’t let it bring me down. I fought the need to gasp, to suck in a deep breath. The last thing I needed now was to drown.

  At long last, I saw the book on the bed of the river. I needed more air before I could reach it, so I surfaced again, crying out in pain as my skin suffered the cruelty of the water’s freezing bite.

  “I’m sorry that happened,” Jason said, calling out across the water.

  “What?”

  “The vampire attack.”

  “Oh.” I hadn’t realized he blamed himself. Did he think that the vampire only wanted him? Did he not know that they hated mages just as much as they did the werewolves? “It was after me. Not you.”

  “But I’m sure me being there didn’t help.”

  I splashed around, treading water. “Then go!”

  Jason’s face contorted. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Is… something on your mind?”

  I dove back into the water, breast-stroking my way to the river bed and grabbing the book. Damn right, something weighed on my mind. Had been since I’d first called him, too. I knew that I’d been the one to send him back to his pack – I knew that I’d told him we couldn’t be together – but why hadn’t he called? It bugged the hell out of me, but I had sat by the phone waiting. Waiting for nothing.

  When I swam back up and trudged my way up the bank, I tried not to look at him. Doing so would only cause me to unload, and a discreet part of me knew that he didn’t deserve my passive-aggressive rancor. That was what made it so much harder when he slipped off his coat – which had once belonged to me – and wrapped it around my shivering body.

  “You’re freezing,” he said, rubbing my arms.

  “I’m fine.” I shoved my way past him, shaking the book off and checking its condition. It seemed fine; drenched, but the ink hadn’t bled. Hopefully, airing it out would make everything okay.

  I winced when I heard Jason’s footsteps behind me.

  “Did I do something to irritate you?”

  “No,” I said, losing my nerve to speak up.

  “Then why are you acting so uptight?”

  “I’m just stressed.”

  “Well, I’m in this too, and I’m only doing it to help you. So maybe you should start showing me some consideration, because I sure as hell have better things to do than put my life at stake helping you chase some ghosts around town.”

  While my mouth hung open in shock, Jason stormed past me and climbed up the bank, heading past the trees and back toward the road. I deserved this, I supposed, but that still didn’t stop me from lashing out.

  “I’m grateful for that,” I said, catching up to him. “But where were you a couple of months ago? Why did I have to come to you? You could have called.”

  Jason began to hike up the empty road. “You told me to go.”

  “I didn’t mean to stay out of my life completely.”

  “Then you should have said that.” Finally he stopped, turning to face me with the moonlight glazing over his face. Only his expression didn’t read anger or contempt – it was a look of hurt, and nothing more. “I can’t read minds, you know.”

  “I…”

  “Look, I care about you, Keira. I wanted to be with you, and I was ready to do whatever it took to make that happen. But you told me to go. To me, that is a pretty solid statement that we’re not meant to be together.”

  I could feel myself welling up. He was right, and I knew it. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I had these feelings and built them up in my head. I guess I’m just acting on the way I felt all that time ago.” I breathed deeply, let it out in one big huff. “I’m sorry.”

  Jason stared me down, gazing into my eyes with… what was that? Understanding? Forgiveness? Whatever it was, I couldn’t make eye contact with him and risk falling into an emotional puddle at his feet. Not after being such a bitch. I turned and began to walk away.

  But then his hand fell on my shoulder.

  “You don’t feel that way anymore?” he said.

  “Feel what way?”

  “The way you did back then. I mean, you don’t have feelings for me?”

  I sighed. “It’s not that simple.”

  “It is.”

  Jason reached out to touch my chin, softly tilting
my head and capturing me with his gaze. When his hypnotic eyes met mine, I felt something stir inside me, something that I thought was long dead. My heart began to race and I trembled even harder now. But not from my body temperature. At least I could mask it under the cold shiver I’d been having in the first place.

  Then again, I could kiss him.

  Of course that was an option. There’d never be a better time than right now, while we both stood freezing in the middle of nowhere. The discussion had been opened and it was the right time to act on my feelings… wasn’t it? I wondered what would happen if he didn’t feel the same. I thought about how embarrassed I would be and I chickened out, erecting a wall between us.

  “We should go,” I finally said, knowing I would regret it later.

  Jason huffed. “You’re right. It’s going to be a long walk.”

  “It might not be.”

  “What do you mean?”

  My teleportation magic wasn’t exactly perfect, but if I tried real hard, I thought that I could maybe get us back to my apartment. And if anything went wrong – like one of us losing a limb or ending up in outer space – at least I wouldn’t have to endure the discomfort of walking down this long, empty road with him.

  It was worth the risk.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I went first, stepping through the portal with my heart in my throat, terrified of what would happen. Sure, I could see my apartment on the other side, complete with Link perched on the arm of the couch, but for all I knew, it could take me somewhere entirely different. Paranoia lingered in the back of my mind as I walked through the fire-like ring.

  Letting out a breath, I emerged safely on the other side, in the warm security of my apartment.

  “What’s wrong?” Link asked, obviously sensing my dismay.

  I ignored him for now, and focused on holding the portal open while Jason followed me through. When we were both inside in one piece, I dismissed the portal, and heard it go out with a hissing sound.