The Curse Keepers (Curse Keepers series)

by Swank, Denise Grover

“Stupid human, I’m not here to kill you now. I need you. We seek our revenge and it’s much too early for that.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  Collin was twenty yards away, desperation and fatigue straining his face.

  The wind god created a vortex of air, circling around me, blocking out everything in sight.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “To make you fear me.” Cold tentacles wrapped around my arms, icy cold seeping into my body. I shivered violently.

  The vortex closed tighter, lifting the board—and me along with it—a foot into the air.

  I held up my palm, the nerve endings at the edges of the mark burning with power. “I am the daughter of the sea, born of the essence present at the beginning of time and the end of the world. I am black water and crystal streams. The ocean waves and the raindrops in the sky. I am life and death and everything in between. I compel you to leave my sight.”

  The vortex disappeared, as did the wind god. I collapsed on the board, my heart pounding furiously against my chest.

  Collin reached me within seconds, his eyes wild with fear. “What did you do?” He leaned over the opposite side of the board, grabbing my arms as though if he let go, I’d get attacked again. His eyes widened in shock when he felt how cold they were. “Ellie, what happened?”

  “I sent it away.”

  “How?”

  “I remembered.”

  “Remembered what?”

  “Everything.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Collin stiffened, his face tight. “What does that mean?”

  I searched his eyes, hesitating. “I remembered the words of protection. I sent the wind god away.”

  “What else?”

  No, I wasn’t imagining it. He was worried about what I’d discovered. “I remembered the birth of creation. I was there.”

  His mouth dropped and awe replaced his anxiety. “The memory of a pure soul.” His hand reached for my face, and he pulled my lips to his. “You scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever do that again.”

  “What happened?”

  “You completely zoned out, and I couldn’t pull our hands apart. It was as though they were magically sealed.”

  “After my vision ended, I was aware that I was still melded to you. Then my hand broke free. When did the wind god show up?”

  “Right before you broke free.”

  This was the second time I’d encountered him. Two of the three times Collin and I had pressed our palms together, the wind god showed up. The third time, we’d been behind Collin’s protective symbols in my apartment. “He was here for me. He told me that he was.”

  Collin’s face paled. “What did he say?”

  I shivered. “That he wanted to make me fear him.”

  Fear filled Collin’s eyes as he turned from side to side to see the dead fish floating on the surface of the water. “Did he try to take your Manitou this time?”

  “I felt a tendril curl around me, but he told me he wasn’t going to kill me. That he needed me.”

  Collin took a deep breath. “He’s grown in strength. He’s out in the daylight. You’re not safe anymore.”

  Did Collin know that the gate was only partially open? And why was I always the target? “Why doesn’t he come after you?”

  “What are you talking about, Ellie? We were together. Both times.”

  “Exactly. We were together both times. The first time he only attacked me. This time he said he specifically came for me.”

  “It’s because of your pure soul, I told you that last night.”

  “Why did you wait to tell me that I had a pure soul? Why didn’t you tell me when you found out?”

  He gave me a grim smile. “This isn’t something I want to discuss hanging off a surfboard in the ocean while we wait for gods or spirits to return to finish you off. Let’s go back to our room and change and get something to eat.”

  “Why are you evading my question?”

  Collin’s eyes hardened. “What part of trying to get you to safety constitutes evading your question?”

  “You could have answered it already, Collin.”

  “Fine. I didn’t tell you because I figured we’d close the gate, and you’d never need to know. Happy now?”

  He was lying. Everyone else in the world would have believed him, but the slight twitch of his left eyelid told me he wasn’t telling me the truth.

  I nodded, but I was far from happy. Collin was still hiding things from me. In fairness, there were things I still hadn’t told him. But there came a point when it was difficult to say, Oh by the way, I forgot to mention I saw the gates of hell in a vision.

  “Let’s just go back, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know. We were lucky this time. I don’t want to take any chances.”

  He was right, and I was too suspicious. Collin had done everything within his resources to help me and protect me, even before when I had annoyed the hell out of him. How could I expect less of him now? Especially now.

  Collin had unstrapped his surfboard to reach me faster, so he retrieved it and we made our way to the beach. He handed me a towel and watched me dry off, but our earlier playfulness was gone. Collin was on edge.

  We left the surfboards where we found them and went back to our room. I stood by the bathroom door and watched Collin lean his arm against the wall, staring out the window with an anxious look.

  “I’m going to take a shower.”

  He looked up in surprise, almost as though he were so deep in thought he’d forgotten that I was there. Worry etched lines across his forehead, drawing down his mouth.

  I moved to him, pressing my chest to his, and stroked the side of his face. “Don’t worry. We’ll get the bowl tonight, and then we’ll close the gate. We’ll be okay.” I stood on tiptoes and drew his bottom lip between my own.

  He released a deep sound in his chest and brought me closer, his tongue plunging into my mouth.

  My tongue joined his as my heart pounded, lust coursing through my blood. His hands cradled my head, tilting it back to give him better access for his demanding exploration.

  How could this man have this effect on me? I’d only known him a few days, but I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my entire life. My hands dug into his back, pulling him closer. I needed him closer.

  He kissed me—wild and desperate as though if he’d let go, he’d lose me. One of his hands dropped from my face and found the string to my bikini top at the base of my neck, then the one below. Collin backed up to the bed, pulling me with him, his mouth still possessing mine. He stripped off his swim trunks and my bikini bottom. He spun us around and pushed me down on the bed, his body over mine in seconds.

  He was between my legs when he stopped, breathless, staring at me with such intensity it was amazing I could still think straight.

  I reached my hand to his face, my thumb running along his stubble. “We’ll be okay.”

  His eyes glassed over. “Are you an angel or an enchantress, Ellie?” His voice broke and he leaned his forehead against mine.

  What did he need from me that I wasn’t giving? I remembered the first time he’d asked. Was I a witch who enchanted him or an angel sent to save his soul? Collin had been involved in a whole host of unscrupulous activities, most of which I hoped to never know, but that man contradicted the man I knew. Why? Was this the real Collin, the man he refused to show the world? He’d been forced to take care of his mother and brother since he was ten years old. Who was I to judge him for what he’d done to make ends meet? But the deeds he’d done were burned deep within his soul. Maybe he thought things could be different with me. Or maybe I was fooling myself and he’d be gone in two days. He’d break my heart one way or the other, but I’d known that going in. At this moment, he desperately needed something and I was the one he wanted to give it to him. “I’m an angel, Collin,” I whispered. “I’m an angel.”

  His mouth found mine as he entered me, both possessive and
demanding. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I struggled to keep up, but Collin slowed, smoothing back my hair. “I’m sorry.”

  I kissed him and began to move. “It’s okay.”

  Collin lifted his head, his eyes burning bright. “Ellie, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t lose you.”

  His words shocked me and made me want him more. This man, who never committed to anyone or anything, claimed to want me.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” It was my turn to kiss him with possessiveness. Could I hope for this to last more than a few days? I refused to let my mind dwell on it as my body responded to Collin’s touch.

  My response rekindled his desire. We made love in a frenzy of need and fear. Collin cried out my name, his arms around my back, pulling me as humanly close as possible, and yet it didn’t seem to be enough.

  I grabbed his hand, pressing our palms together.

  The now-familiar jolt rushed through my body, every nerve ending alive. I gasped at the sensation. While I was still aware of the Manitou of the living creatures around us, this experience was more centrally focused.

  Collin stilled, his mouth opening in surprise.

  I laced our fingers, holding tight, and slowly lifted my hips to his.

  Euphoria replaced his anxiety as he began to rock against me, more controlled and purposeful. He pressed my hand to the mattress, over my head.

  I felt his beating heart, and the blood rushing through his veins, the surge of hormones. The smell of him intensified, sweat and musk and sex filling my nose. I felt his desire as though it were a force of its own. Emotions, thick and heavy, settled over my body. Collin might have other secrets but he couldn’t hide this. Part of his soul was laid bare for me to examine. I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted Collin Dailey, but he felt the same way about me. His fear was real. He was terrified he’d lose me.

  His breathing slowed, and he rolled us so that I was on top again. I pressed our joined hands to the bed, leaning over to kiss him, needing him to fill every part of me as I began to slide against him, every movement intensified. Every nerve ending tingled.

  He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, and I straddled him like the night before, our two joined hands resting against his chest, his other arm wrapped tight around my back. His mouth lowered to my breast, and I arched back to give him better access as my hips began a new rhythm, gasping for breath as my body ached for more.

  The son of the land and the daughter of the sea.

  Collin’s head lifted, and his mouth found mine as we joined our bodies and our souls with forces older than the gods themselves. I had no idea of the consequences when I joined our marks together, but the rightness of this suffused every part of me, and my connection to Collin told me he wanted it too. We performed our own ancient ceremony, both aware of the reverence.

  I lifted my free hand to the back of his neck, staring into Collin’s eyes. Naked desire laid bare. We couldn’t hide our feelings. Not with this. We were two halves to a whole. Water, the mother of creation. Land, the father who supported it. We were forever joined, our souls tethered. In this moment, the truth came to life: Whether the gate closed or not, I would never be whole without this man by my side.

  My passion climbed to dizzying heights, and urgency took over, Collin’s pace matching my own. My lips sought his, our tongues joining the dance. I pressed my palm closer to Collin’s as I pushed hard onto his thighs, needing more. And as I teetered on the edge, I truly became one with Collin, losing track of where I ended and he began. A fusion of flesh and soul.

  When I fell, nerve endings exploded as wave after wave of ecstasy overtook me.

  “Ellie!” Collin’s hand dug into my back, and he followed behind me.

  I rested my forehead against Collin’s as I fought to catch my breath, our hands still linked. I unfurled my fingers, but Collin held tight, holding my hand to his chest.

  “Not yet.” His husky voice whispered in my ear.

  I kissed him lightly. “Am I an angel or an enchantress, Collin?”

  His free hand rested on the side of my neck. “Angel. I hope to God you’re an angel.” He kissed me, then slid his hand from mine. “Ellie, do you know what you did?” Fear colored his eyes again.

  I nodded. I’d burned our souls together for eternity. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  He shook his head. “No. Don’t be sorry. Not now. Not for this.”

  “I didn’t realize… it wasn’t until—”

  His mouth stilled mine. “I didn’t know it would happen either until it was too late. It’s okay.”

  I smiled, thankful he wasn’t angry.

  Collin lay down and pulled me with him, our bodies curling together. I rested my head on his chest and dozed off, his arm around my back in possession and comfort. My entire life I’d been searching for my purpose and here it was in my arms. Collin and being a Curse Keeper.

  “Collin, why did you come to the restaurant that day?”

  He released a chuckle. “I was hungry.”

  “Very funny. You live in Wanchese, right?” I looked up into his face, and he nodded. “So why were you in Manteo?”

  “I heard the New Moon had a great beer selection.” The words were smooth and believable. So why did his eyelid twitch?

  “Did you know who I was when you came in?”

  He grinned. “If I remember correctly, and I admit my memory might have been addled from the air vacuum, but I found out your name from your name tag.” He paused. “And it was on a very lovely chest.”

  I propped up on an elbow. “Collin, I’m serious.”

  His smile fell. “Ellie, how would I know who you were?”

  I shrugged. Although I knew the likelihood was nearly impossible, I couldn’t help but wonder.

  “My turn.” He propped up on his side so that we were face-to-face. “Why didn’t you tell me that you lost all your memories of the curse after your mother died?”

  “I did. Yesterday. In the truck.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why did you let me accuse you of being irresponsible?”

  “It didn’t seem important why I’d lost my memories. I just had.”

  “But I thought you’d purposely been irresponsible, when in fact, you had no control over it.”

  “But I did have control over relearning what I needed to know. I purposely chose not to learn it again. That was irresponsible.”

  His mouth pursed, and I knew he disagreed, but he didn’t press the issue. “Okay, your turn. What else do you want to know?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me I had a pure soul?”

  He sighed and rolled on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He raised the arm he had around my waist over his head. He was pulling away from me. “It was in the warehouse when we joined hands, and I was intent on getting the map, Ellie. I still didn’t trust you. I thought you’d blatantly disregarded everything to do with the curse while I was the one who made sure to memorize every detail, make every preparation.” His arm lowered and his eyes found mine. “I was the worthy one, yet you were the one who received the gift. I guess I thought you didn’t deserve to know.”

  I was sure that was the most honest answer Collin had ever given me. Perhaps given anyone.

  “And then the god attacked you, and when I realized what he had done, I knew others would come after you. Of course they’d come after you, but now they’d be more zealous. You were a rare prize. I had to make sure you were protected. It was my responsibility. As a Curse Keeper.”

  “What happened in my apartment didn’t feel like responsibility.”

  He pulled my mouth to his, kissing me long and slow. “It wasn’t. I can assure you of that. By then I’d figured out why you’d forgotten. And after everything that day…” He kissed me again. “I wanted you more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my life. But you deserved better. You still do.”

  “Isn’t that for me to decide, Collin?”

  Fear and pain filled
his eyes. “Ellie, you don’t know what I’ve done.”

  “Shhh.” I leaned over him, my hair brushing his chest. “Your past? I don’t want to know. Let’s start over.”

  “How many times can we start over?” He was throwing my words from that day back at me.

  “Does it matter? As many times as it takes.”

  “We’re bound together, Ellie. I’m sorry.” His voice broke. Did he regret what had happened minutes ago? He’d just told me that he didn’t, and our connection told me that wasn’t a lie. He tilted my head back, searching my eyes. “One day you’ll hate me, and you’ll curse these past few moments. When that day comes, just know that I wish I could do it all over again. From the beginning.”

  What was he not telling me? I knew his past was ugly. Our encounter with Marino was all the proof I needed. Part of me knew I should ask, but I didn’t want to lose this moment with him.

  I gave him a soft smile. “Your turn. What else do you want to know?”

  He shook his head. “I know everything I need to know.”

  I licked his bottom lip. “Too bad. I was going to tell you that I had almost decided you were a better lover than Colin Firth.”

  He laughed. “Oh really? What about your research?”

  “I’ll need to do continuous research with you to make sure you maintain your standards, but you’re safe for the next few hours.”

  His eyebrows lifted playfully. “Only the next few hours?”

  “Not to worry. I’m sure you’ll prove your prowess all over again.”

  Collin rolled me over onto my back. “I caught that dig at my skills. You’ll pay for that Ellie Lancaster.”

  I smiled. I was counting on it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Collin was worried I’d get attacked again, and he refused to leave the room until he thought I was prepared. He ordered a pizza while I took a shower and we ate, sitting cross-legged on the bed while we discussed strategy.

  “I think you should get the symbol on your back permanently tattooed. Today.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You’re serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why would I do that? We’re going to close the gate. Isn’t that being pessimistic?”