Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  Grinning, I said, “You really are a bad influence.”

  He put both hands above my head, palms flat on the locker, and leaned over even farther, his face inches from mine. “Is that a yes?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY:

  Interrogation

  “YES,” I WHISPERED. “I NEED TO tell Abby, though.” I turned around, put my books away, then closed my locker. “Give me a minute, and I’ll meet you back here, okay?”

  “I’ll be waiting.” He leaned against the locker and crossed his arms.

  I hurried off to find Abby, my heart thumping loudly. Hopefully, she wouldn’t get upset or refuse to help me. I rounded the corner and stopped. She was red-faced and laughing. And there was Isach, standing in front of her, laughing, too. My heart sank. I wanted to yank her away from him and tell him to leave her alone.

  With slow, purposeful steps, I approached. “Abby, can I talk to you for a sec?”

  “Oh, hey, Chloe.” Isach smiled.

  I didn’t bother responding as I took Abby by the arm and led her away from curious ears. “What’s up?” she asked.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to warn her to stay away from Isach, but one look at the blush coloring her cheeks, and I swallowed my words. Until I knew why, I wasn’t going to ruin her happiness, not when she’d been miserable for so long. And it was good that she was moving on after losing Marc.

  “Um, Trent asked me to skip the rest of the day and hang out with him. Aunt Beth will freak out, though, so…” I rocked on my heels.

  She laughed. “Go. Have fun. I actually have to stay after today so I can get caught up on all the stuff I missed. Be back here by four, and Mom will never know.”

  “Thank you.” I gave her a hug. “You’re the best.” I rushed to where I’d left Trent. He was standing in the same position. “Okay. I need to be back here by four,” I said, drawing a deep breath.

  What little breath I had left was knocked out of me when he pushed away from the locker. He took my hand, and as soon as we were out of the building, away from curious eyes, he had us at his truck. I hadn’t touched the ground once.

  When he put me down, I swayed on my feet. “Whoa,” I said.

  “Sorry. Figured we were less likely to get caught this way.” He opened the passenger’s door.

  I climbed into the truck and hooked my seatbelt. Moments later, we were on the road. Now that we were alone, I couldn’t contain my curiosity, and every question I’d been trying to repress fought for dominance.

  “Okay, so you could literally go anywhere and do anything. Why on earth are you in high school?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Old Man Moore, my nosy neighbor. He noticed Jax and I weren’t in school, so he called the truancy officer.” He rolled his eyes. “Dad gave us an ultimatum—go back to school or move again. Enrolling was easier. And I’m really glad I did.” He sliced a look at me, his gaze heated.

  Butterflies swarmed my stomach. “I’m glad you did, too.”

  Relief settled over me like a warm blanket. He could’ve killed the old man and solved his problem that way, but he hadn’t. He’d chosen compassion and humanity instead. And to suffer through high school.

  “What else? That can’t be the only question on your mind,” he said.

  “No, it’s not.” I shook my head. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  I shrugged.

  “Look, the only way you’re going to be okay with this… with me… is to know everything. So, ask away. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

  Chewing on my bottom lip, I nodded. “Jax isn’t happy I know, is he?” I hesitated, debating whether I should say more. I doubted Jax confessed he’d cornered me and given me an ultimatum.

  “No. But he understands why I told you. He’s worried you’ll tell people about us, and that could be very bad,” Trent said.

  I let that information settle in my mind. Trent had entrusted me with his greatest secret—a secret that could quite literally destroy him if the wrong person found out.

  “I won’t tell anyone,” I promised.

  Even if I did, no one would believe me, but I wouldn’t betray Trent like that. I did, however, need to start asking the tough questions. My encounter with Jax could wait until later.

  “How old are you?” I asked.

  “I was born in January of 1915. I became a vampire on my eighteenth birthday.” He checked his rearview mirror. “I’m a hundred and two years old.” He turned off Route 73 and headed down the road that would take us to his house.

  A hundred and two? A huge part of me wanted to be completely creeped out by that, but as I sat there, studying his face and his mannerisms, he was simply an eighteen-year-old guy. I couldn’t see him as anything else.

  “Your father?” I asked.

  “My biological father is long dead. Sean is our adoptive father. He’s two hundred and nine.”

  Two hundred and nine? I had no idea how to respond to that. What does one do with their life when it never ends?

  “What… why did you lie to me when I showed you that picture? That is your adoptive father, correct?”

  “Yes.” He rubbed the back of his neck, then flexed his hand on the steering wheel. “I never imagined you’d stumble upon that picture, and when you did, I had no idea what to tell you. So, I lied. I was hoping I could buy myself a bit more time to figure out how to tell you the truth.” He reached for my hand. “I’m sorry for that, Chloe.”

  “And your brother?”

  “A hundred and two, just like me. He’s my twin.”

  “Well, that explains why you two look exactly alike.”

  “I’m insulted you think Jax is as sexy as I am.” He gave me a wicked smile, his eyes sparkling.

  I laughed. And it felt good, like a massive weight had been lifted. This right here was the Trent who made me forget my loss and grief, who made me want to move on and live, the Trent I was falling for. But the answer to one pressing question had the power to undo everything I felt for him.

  “Do you… kill people?”

  “I have in the past,” he said, his words careful.

  The bitter taste of bile rose in my throat, and I fought not to gag. “But you don’t anymore?”

  Please let him say no.

  He raised a brow and gave me an incredulous look, like he couldn’t believe I’d be upset with the idea of him killing innocent people. “No, not unless it’s absolutely necessary,” he said.

  “Right.” I nodded like this was the most normal conversation in the world. “So, you didn’t…?” I inhaled deeply and blew it out slowly. “Rachel? Marc? The hikers?”

  “No,” he said firmly. “We only feed on animal blood.”

  That made me feel slightly better. “But they didn’t die of animal attacks or hiking accidents, did they?”

  “No, but I promise you it wasn’t me or my family.” He squeezed my hand, but it did nothing to comfort me.

  “Wait. There are others like you?”

  “More than you realize.”

  My chest tightened again, and my breaths became shallow. How many other vampires had I encountered without knowing it? I would never look at anyone the same ever again.

  “Isach?” My voice trembled.

  “He’s not a vampire, if that’s what you’re asking. As I said before, he’s something much worse.”

  What was worse than a vampire? I was afraid to ask. “Are there any others in town besides you and your family?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

  He shook his head, and I let out a pent-up breath.

  “But then…?” I tilted my head in confusion and narrowed my eyes. “How did all those people die? It was a vampire that killed them, right? And if it wasn’t you or your family…?”

  “There are no other vampires that live here,” he clarified. “But that doesn’t mean others don’t pass through.”

  “Pass through?”

  Keene Valley was in the middle of nowhe
re, a tiny town hidden by the mountains. Where could these other vampires possibly be going that would take them through the Adirondack Mountains?

  “Secrecy is our greatest weapon. We can’t stay in any place too long, otherwise, people will realize we don’t age, so we tend to move around a lot.” He slowed for the impending stop sign and waited for the other traffic to clear the intersection before going. “Places like Keene Valley are perfect for vampires. It’s secluded yet close to bigger cities, and it’s easy to feed. An inexperienced hiker goes missing, succumbs to the weather, gets attacked by an animal. A near perfect cover.”

  I shuddered. He talked about death and killing as if it were no big deal. For him, it wasn’t. But for me, it was the exact opposite. Life was too valuable to simply discard it the way he was. The way I had with my mother.

  I inched closer to the door, all but pressing myself against it. If Trent noticed, he didn’t say anything. “But that’s not how you…” I swallowed hard. “How you feed, right? You said you only feed on animals.”

  “Correct.” A small frown pulled at his lips, but he didn’t comment on the way I was huddled away from him.

  The first night I’d been here, I’d seen a full grown moose vanish into thin air. Had that been Trent feeding?

  His frown deepened. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Chloe.” He let out a heavy sigh.

  Thinking about Trent killing anything—human or otherwise—was enough to give me nightmares. He’d always been so gentle with me. I couldn’t imagine him as a hunter. A predator.

  “So, how does everything work? I mean, I know what I’ve seen in movies, but I have a feeling it isn’t even close to the truth,” I said, desperate to focus on anything other than his feeding habits.

  “Not all of it, no. In fact, most of it’s silly. We can enter a house without being invited. We have a reflection. Although we tend to avoid them for personal reasons, crosses and holy water don’t harm us.”

  “Neither does the sun?”

  “It doesn’t kill us, but it’s uncomfortable. It affects our vision a bit, and our skin turns red, like a sunburn. And like a burn, it’s painful, but bearable for short periods of time. If we’re out in the sun too long, though, our skin will blister.”

  “That explains the sunglasses and long sleeves,” I muttered, mostly to myself.

  He slowed and turned into his driveway. “All of our senses are heightened, so we can see, hear, smell things normal humans can’t. We move a lot faster than you, too.”

  “Yeah, I know. What I don’t know is how you’re not constantly dizzy.”

  He grinned as if amused with my questions. Cutting the engine, he rested his arms on the steering wheel and turned to look at me. “Are you okay with all of this?”

  “I don’t know.” I fidgeted with my hands and kept my head down. Slowly, I shifted away from the door and adjusted in the seat. “It’s a lot to process.”

  “I know.” His voice was tinged with sadness. “For what it’s worth, I really admire how you’re handling it.”

  I jerked my head up, eyes wide. “You are?”

  “Yeah. You were freaked out, and you didn’t give in, no matter how charming I was.” He smirked, and I couldn’t stop from smiling. “You’re making me work. Honestly, I’m not used to that.”

  That didn’t surprise me. With his looks and personality, I was sure girls didn’t push him away like I had.

  “Thanks, I guess. Do you have any sort of special powers? Like, can you read minds or anything?”

  He leaned back and let out a loud laugh. “That would certainly be useful, but no. I can’t read minds.”

  “But you can do something?” I didn’t know why I was pushing this issue, but I had a feeling he wasn’t being completely honest with me.

  “Yes,” he said after a moment.

  When he didn’t elaborate, I scrunched up my face. “You said you’d answer any questions I had.”

  “And I will. But some of the answers will have to wait until this weekend when we have more time. You did promise me two days, remember?”

  “Yeah, and you said we were getting a jumpstart on those two days, so you’re down to one and a half days now.”

  “I don’t think so.” He opened his door. “Today’s a bonus.”

  I stared after him as he climbed out of the truck. He met me around on the passenger side. Taking his hand, I got out of the truck. Movement across the street caught my attention. Old Man Moore watched us from where he stood on his front porch.

  “Does he know about you?” I asked.

  “I think he suspects there’s something different about us, but I doubt he knows we’re vampires. We’re very careful about how often we return to Keene Valley. We have to time it so everyone that could potentially see us right now is dead.”

  My breath caught at the meaning of his words. It made sense now, though, about why he knew so much about this town, and why he’d said he’d moved around a lot.

  “Do you come back here often?” I asked.

  “Yes. We have a long history here. Keene Valley is more of a home to us than anywhere else.”

  I glanced up at his massive house. I wished I could call some place home like he did, but nowhere felt safe since Mom’s accident. “Are we here alone?”

  “Dad and Jax are… out.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Is that okay? Or would you like to go back to school?”

  This wasn’t the first time I’d been alone with Trent, but before, I hadn’t known what he was. It was different now. Why, I wasn’t sure. Other than knowing the truth, nothing had really changed. Trent was still Trent, and he wouldn’t hurt me.

  “No, it’s fine,” I said.

  “Good, because there’s something I want to show you.” He walked at a normal pace until we were around the side of the house, out of view of Old Man Moore, and then he scooped me up.

  I put my arms around his neck to hold on. A split second later, we were somewhere on his property, a small clearing surrounded by trees, and there was a towering stone structure—an ornate grave marker.

  He’d brought me to a cemetery.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

  Emma Masterson

  TRENT LOWERED ME TO MY FEET, and I clung to him for a moment until I regained my balance and was sure I wouldn’t throw up. In addition to the gravestone, a marble bench with immaculately kept flower beds on either side occupied the space.

  This wasn’t just a grave—it was a shrine. It was breathtakingly peaceful, in a morbid sort of way. The massive, marble stone loomed in front of me, and I focused on the engraved name.

  Emma Masterson

  April 1891–January 1915

  “Emma was my mother,” Trent said softly, hands tucked in his pockets.

  “I’m sorry.” I looped my arm through his.

  He nodded but didn’t make any other movement. “She was twenty-four when Jax and I were born. In that day and age, that was old for a woman to be having her first child. My biological father thought something was wrong with her.” With a disgusted huff, he shook his head. “He was a strict man, always demanding obedience and perfection. He was impossible to please.”

  Trent moved to sit on the bench, and I sat next to him.

  He tucked his hands under his legs and stared straight ahead. I’d never seen him so tense. “Everything I know about my mother, I learned from him.” He nearly spat the word. “I watched him for years before I ever spoke to him.”

  Huh?

  “My mother realized what a jerk my father was, but back then, divorce was unheard of. She had no money and no way to get free from his abuse. So, she started to plan a way to escape, and she was days away from her freedom when she learned she was pregnant.” His voice was full of painful bitterness.

  “Oh, Trent,” I whispered.

  “Leaving her husband was scary enough, but being a single mom?” He shook his head. “She stuck around, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. But there was no pleasing that
man, and she knew she couldn’t raise us in his home. One night, after he’d passed out drunk, she gathered what she could carry and fled.”

  He blew out a breath and stretched his legs. “She wasn’t expecting to go into labor early, but she did. Thankfully, she stumbled upon a group of men heading east. They took pity on her and helped her leave town.”

  I listened with rapt attention, afraid to interrupt despite the questions forming in my mind.

  “When they stopped, she wandered off to find someone to help deliver her babies. The men left without her. She collapsed on Sean’s front porch.” Trent stood and paced. “Sean took her in and found a nurse to deliver the babies. Triplets.”

  “Triplets?” The hair on my arms stood on edge. But he’d said he and Jax were twins. How…? “Colt,” I said.

  “Colt.” Trent nodded. “Nowadays, it’s risky to have multiple births. Back then it was a death sentence. She bled out.”

  “Oh, God.” I covered my mouth with my hands. That was awful. After all she’d done to get free and protect her kids, she didn’t even get to spend a single day with them.

  “With her dying breath, she made Sean promise two things. To take care of us and to keep our names. Trenton, Jaxon, and Colton. We were named after the three cowboys who helped her flee.” He took a deep breath. “And because he was carrying a ton of guilt, he agreed, thinking that taking care of us would somehow absolve him of what he’d done.”

  Goose bumps erupted on my arms. What had Sean done that was so horrible he’d agree to raise three children that weren’t his?

  “He said we were his second chance. His redemption,” Trent said.

  “Redemption for what?”

  Trent turned toward me and gave a small smile. “That’s an entirely different story for a different day.” He returned to the bench and sat. “My mother didn’t realize what he was when she’d made him promise to care for us. I’m sure she would’ve done things differently had she known.”

  “The portrait in the living room… that’s her? Your mom?”