The Thousand Year Curse (The Curse Books)

by Taylor Lavati

  "Come with me. Now." He demands, the look in his eyes warning me to shut the hell up. Once we get outside of the school, his grip loosens as he deems me able to walk.

  We walk in silence until we get to his bike. He hands me my helmet, our hands brushing for only a second yet my feelings for Ari rush to the forefront of my mind in a tidal wave. My stomach flutters anticipating being pressed against him on the bike. The electric current bounces off him and into me leaving me energized and on high alert.

  Wordlessly, he gets on his bike faces forward, waiting for me to get on. I'm not going to budge—I want some answers first. "Where are we going?" I ask, tapping my foot on the ground. I cross my arms and wait. He turns to face me and I glare at him, refusing to get on the bike until he starts to be nice to me.

  He jumps off of the bike, looking quite frustrated and walks right up to me. His gaze softens for a moment but then he picks me up—literally lifts me up by my elbows and places me onto the bike. I squeal under his touch, hating the way he affects me.

  As he walks by me, I catch his gaze, his eyes filled with humor. Reluctantly, once the bike starts again, I place my hands around him and settle in for the drive. As we start going I realize where he's taking me—our spot on the beach.

  Once we are at the beach, we walk in silence towards the water. I take in the scenery, breathing in the fresh air, wishing it wasn't so awkward and tension filled.

  "I know what you are." He says to me, dead serious, staring at the sand in a daze.

  "Me too. Nephilim." I answer, smiling at the shocked look that appears on Ari's face.

  "How'd you…" The wheels turn in his mind until it finally clicks. "Ollie?"

  "Yeah, he talked to someone who said I might be. He left to get some answers today." I explain to him, kicking around the warming sand.

  "He left you?" Ari asks, perplexed at the idea.

  "Yeah. Under two conditions. One, I stay out of trouble and two, away from you." I laugh a little to hide the guilt that I feel, since I've already broken one. Although he can't be mad at me, Ari basically kidnapped me!

  "Do you want to know the best thing about you being a Nephil?" He asks me.

  "What?" I ask him back.

  "You can live to be up to five hundred years old. The oldest Nephil recorded is about five hundred and thirty but on average you guys are about five hundred then start to age again naturally." He says, dropping the third or maybe fourth bomb on me.

  "Are you kidding me?" I ask him, hoping that I'm hearing him properly.

  "Nope." Silence comes after, until he speaks again. "Want to know what else?" My eyes widen, trying to figure out what else he could have to say.

  "Tell me." I beg, craving more information. I want to know who I am, what powers I have and how long I'll live. I need to know everything about the new me.

  "When you turn eighteen you will stop aging and gain all your powers." He says, bombing me again. It's like a freaking battlefield around here. I'm not sure if I'll have any brain cells left after this week.

  "What powers?!" I practically shriek, grabbing his shoulders around me. I am going to faint if I get anymore news like this.

  "I'm not sure. I talked to a Nephil, she said you have to go to a special school soon." He explains, making me focus on him.

  "I do?" I ask, not wanting to go to a new school. I don't have much time left here. I am so close to being done.

  "You have to learn all about your gifts. She said if you don't you could hurt someone. Once your powers start coming in, they'll be hard to control unless you have some help." I try to grasp what he is telling me. I can't just pick up and leave my town. How would I be able to explain it to normal people? How will I explain it to my dad?

  "I can't go." I say, realizing that I can't leave my family.

  "Why not?" He asks, his face pinching.

  "I can't leave my dad, or Junior. They're all I've got. My dad needs me." A new thought pops in my head. My mother and him were in love. What if my dad knows? He had to have known she was a God, unless she hid it well from him.

  "It'll be okay. I promise you." Ari affirms, meeting my gaze. He steps towards me but pauses, waiting for me to okay it. I nod and he envelops me in a tight hug. Even though I'm crazy attracted to Ari, I like the friendship blooming between us.

  "Do you know who my mother is?" I ask into his chest, almost as a whisper.

  "I don't but I know someone who might." He admits reluctantly.

  "Who?" I ask, guessing that it isn't an easy answer.

  "Hades." He states after a couple of seconds pass. My heart sinks knowing that I have to find him to find out who my mom is.

  "How would he know?" I ask, praying there's another option.

  "I have a friend who is in the inner circle of the Gods. There have been recent rumblings of how pissed Hades is that he didn't pay close attention to you. Apparently your mother is hiding so that Hades can't find her. My bet is that he'll know who she is, at least." Ari explains.

  I already know that I need to talk to Hades just to end the curse. Now I want to go for a different reason—to find my mom. It is weird because I have never wanted to meet her before. I actually hate her for leaving my dad, but I need to know the real reason she left.

  "I'm coming with you." I tell Ari, leaning back on my elbows to meet his gaze.

  "Where, to Hell? No, you aren't." He states, crushing my hopes.

  "Please. I need to know who she is. This is really important to me." I beg him, taking his hands in mine, pleading with the best green puppy dog eyes ever.

  "I don't even know if I can get into the Underworld. My friend only told me where the portal is. It's too dangerous. I might not even make it down." He further explains, coming up with every excuse in the book.

  "Sounds like you need some help then. I'm strong. I can help you." I try sway him.

  "You will only be a distraction." He says to me. We have to journey down there, talk to Hades, find out who my mom is and why she left me, and then get back before Ollie comes home. He will be so mad at me but once we're safe, he'll understand.

  "Please." I plead with desperation, on the verge of tears. So many emotions run through my mind—the main one being hope.

  "I can't say no to you, damn-it." Ari says exasperated. "We leave tomorrow. I have to make preparations and so do you." He gives in.

  I jump up with elation and hug him around the neck, pressing myself against him. I can't believe he said yes.

  "We don't know how long it will take, you need to get ready."

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  preparations

  "Please, help me out here." I beg Junior, on the way up my stairs. I crash into my bedroom, flinging my limp body onto the bed, thinking of how liberated I feel. Tomorrow I will finally figure out who my mother is. Of course my dad said her name was Brenda but the likelihood of that is slim to none.

  "I'm not enabling you by telling your dad we're going on some ski trip." Junior says, hopping on the bed next to me after throwing his bag onto the floor.

  "I have to go!" I complain to him, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

  "You're not going to Italy." Junior says. God, just hearing Italy makes me nervous. Apparently the way to get to the Underworld changes constantly. This portal is located in Italy, for now. By the time we get there, the portal may have already changed so we're taking a huge gamble.

  Ari paid for the entire trip—tickets, hotel, transportation, everything. Ari knows what to expect. He said that there are a couple obstacles along the way but because we know how to get there we aren't supposed to hit any snags. I'm knocking on wood he's right.

  "You know how much I hate my mother. I have to find her." I tell Junior hoping that he understands my intentions.

  "They way you're doing it is all wrong. Don't you see that?" He asks me. I try to think about what's so wrong yet nothing comes up. How is finding my mother wrong? I know he's obsessed with Ollie and all but he should care about me more.

&n
bsp; "What's so wrong? I'm not cheating on Ollie nor do I plan on it. Ari is my friend and he knows that." I explain to Junior.

  "Prove it." Junior dares me.

  "How would you like me to prove it, Junior? I'm freaking leaving tomorrow." I say throwing my hands up in the air.

  "Call him up, put it on speaker and make him promise not to take advantage of you. Then, I will cover for your ass." Junior says sitting back on his butt, his arms holding him up.

  "Fine." I say grabbing my cell phone out of my backpack and dialing Ari's number. It rings only one time before he answers.

  "Hello?"

  "I need you to do me a favor so I can come with you tomorrow." I say into the mic.

  "What?"

  "Promise that you won't take advantage of me and that you know we're just friends."

  "I won't take advantage of you and we're just friends. Why are you making me say that?"

  "Junior needed to hear it for himself since he doesn't trust his best friend anymore. Thanks, Ari. See you tomorrow." I say before hanging up the phone. "Happy?" I ask Junior who has a very satisfied grin on his face.

  "Definitely. Let's go downstairs to talk with your daddy-o." Junior says. He reaches over and help me up off the bed and then walks me downstairs as we hold onto each other.

  My dad isn't home yet so we sit in the family room watching reruns of old shows on netflix. Finally after I'm starving and exhausted, the front door swings open revealing none other than, my god 'ole dad.

  "Hey!" I say springing up in my seat nervously.

  "Hey, Mr. Mason." Junior says being polite as ever. "Stop being so cheeky" Junior whispers to me when dad is busy putting his stuff down by the doorway.

  "Who's hungry?" Dad asks.

  "I definitely am." Junior says following dad into the kitchen. I silently follow behind them, my palms starting to sweat, my heart rate spiking. I'm a sucky liar.

  "How was work?" I ask dad when he pulls out a frozen pizza from the freezer and then pre-heats the oven. I plop myself down on the stool in front of the island and Junior does the same, next to me.

  "Mr. Mason do you know how to ski?" Junior asks—not subtle at all. I elbow him in the rib but he just shrugs me off.

  "I can't say that I do. Why?" Dad asks back sitting on the opposite side of the island than us.

  "There's a ski trip this weekend and I'm trying to get Ryder to go. She said she's scared." Junior says rolling his eyes in my direction.

  "I'm not scared!" I speak up, not liking to be weak.

  "Sweetie, you should go. Experience life. Junior, do whatever you have to do to get my little girl on that trip." Dad says reaching across the table and taking my hand in his. He squeezes it reassuringly and then turns to put the pie in the oven.

  When his back is turned, Junior glances in my direction giving me a wink and a heads up. Looks like I'm going into the Underworld tomorrow, all thanks to my best friend, Junior.

  After dinner, I excuse myself to my room. Junior leaves picking up on my odd mood and promises to see me tomorrow before we leave. I kiss dad goodnight and then lock myself in my room.

  I get in my sleep clothes and then jump into bed, letting myself relax into the down comforter. I grab my cell to plug it in and notice a light blinking on top telling me I have a message. Ari's name lights up my screen.

  We will NEVER just be friends…

  I open my eyes realizing I'm in a vision by the similar blurry edges of my sight. I'm in a cave like looking place, but instead of being cold and damp like my first vision, this one is hot and dry. I can almost feel my skin sizzling. I check out my clothes and realize I am in clothes from my real life.

  I have on a simple tee shirt and my favorite pair of black leggings. I look around, not knowing how I got here and find Ari propped up against a rock in a corner. His eyes are closed as he sleeps. He has some bruises on his body that scare me, making me think he's in pain. I want to run up to him to make sure he's okay but at the same time I know he won't be able to see me.

  I stand up, dusting the flakes from my butt. Rock chips scatter the floor as piles of dust swirl around after my movement. I start walking around when Ari starts to stir. I hear him mumble, moving in his sleep. When he wakes himself up, his eyes instantly find me. He runs to my side as his hands grasp my face, inspecting me.

  "What's the matter?" He asks. I don't know what to say since I've never been seen in a dream before. In all of my other dreams I am simply a bystander.

  "Nothing." I mutter, giving him a fake smile, unsure of the circumstances. He seems much more comfortable with me in the dream than in real life. He has no issues touching me or showing affection which makes me think something happened between us.

  "Are you upset?" He asks me, clutching my hands to him. He gives them a reassuring squeeze and then envelops me in a tight hug. He whispers in my ear, "we'll get there, I promise."

  He's never been the easy going, touchy feely guy with me. He's always so guarded. I feel the current I've grown to love snake up from where his hands hold me.

  He lets go of my hand, taking my face between his hands, resting them on either cheek. The warmth soothes me, making me relax and lean into his touch. I don't know what to do or what is going on so I just stand there. He starts moving in closer towards me and kisses me softly, our lips barely touching.

  I am completely shocked. I never imagined this happening, let alone in a vision. Since it isn't real, I decide to deepen the kiss. I kiss him back harder than he is kissing me, wrapping my arms around his neck. He meets me head on, letting his tongue enter my mouth and explore.

  We both tear away, gasping for breath, clinging to each other as if we'll never be together again. He looks at me with admiration, maybe even love, which takes me off guard. I mean this is a dream, right? I shouldn't feel what I do here. However, when he stares at me like that, I can't help but love him back.

  He opens his mouth to say something but shuts it before any words can escape. I think he might say he loves me but I can't be sure. My stomach flips at the thought, wishing he just said it.

  He grabs my shoulders, pulling me into him. I wrap my arms around his rock of a body as he strokes my hair. I'm not sure why but it feels like he is protecting me.

  I shut my eyes to take in the moment never wanting to forget this. All of a sudden I am drifting. I know by now what it means—the vision is ending.

  I wake up leisurely which is a nice change. Usually when I have these visions, I wake up scared or confused or crying or all of the above. This time I am just content. I'm sad it's over but happy that it happened at all.

  I'm not sure what exactly I saw, whether it was the past or just me having a dream. I am starting to think my mind conjured up that scene.

  I check the clock on my nightstand and it reads six thirty. I have to go to school today since dad would be curious if I skip it. The plan is for Ari to pick me up after seventh period and then we'll head to the airport together.

  The entire day is boring as hell and drags on. Neither Ollie or Ari are in school so I have nothing to look forward to and zero distractions.

  Ollie calls me when I am at lunch which is a nice surprise. He says he is making progress on learning about me. Apparently he found his friend Lara and she knows a lot about Nephilim. I don't have the heart to tell him everything that I've discovered.

  I feel awful but I can't risk him coming home right now. I have to find Hades and my mom. I know if he was here, he wouldn't let me go.

  I tell him that I am just hanging out with Junior all weekend. Of course he asks if I have talked to Ari. I try to answer somewhat honestly telling him I did since we share classes and that we talked after school. I just keep out the facts of what we talked about.

  I love Ollie so much, but he is a bit overbearing. He can't control my life. I mean he can try and of course, he does but it's not fair. If he trusted me then I'd be able to talk to him more about this stuff and he could take me himself.

  I miss him a lot
, more than I thought I would but I can't dwell on that. I have to stay focused on my mom and the curse. I have to do this.

  Finally, the last bell rings, signaling the end of my day. I all but run out of the school searching for Ari. I am disappointed when I can't find Ari's motorcycle in the parking lot. I go to my car to drop off my books when I hear a high whistle, making me turn. Ari is in the back of the lot, hanging out of a car window, gesturing for me to come over.

  I wave at him, letting him know I'll be right there. I purposely parked my car at the far edge of the parking lot this morning since it has to stay all weekend. The last thing I want is someone to notice it and tell my dad.

  "Nice wheels." I remark as I place my bag in the back of Ari's car. I smile at him when I buckle my belt and he returns it before reversing the car and heading towards LaGuardia.

  It's only about a forty-five minute drive and the talking stays light. However, he does tell me that I can't bring my bag so I'm forced to shove a change of clothes and my toothbrush in his carry on back pack.

  I hate flying. The whole process is dreadful. It takes us forever to get to the gate. Our tickets are at the right place and luckily, we don't have bags to check so we fly by the whole check in area. The metal detectors are semi easy but I get nervous by the amount of people and cops standing around. The airport is fairly packed which is weird because it's like three in the afternoon on a weekday.

  Finally, we get to our gate. My anxiety hits an all time high, making me feel like I am going to throw up all over the place. I hate the anticipation before a flight. "I will be right back." I tell Ari as I all but run to the bathroom to take a breather. I find an empty stall and sit there, practicing my techniques, needing to relax. Breathe in five seconds, out five seconds. Repeat.

  When I feel better, I head to the convenience store, stocking up on gum for my ears and soda for my stomach. I buy a book since stupidly I forgot one which has never happened before. I also get Ari a little gift.