Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  I abruptly sat up and scrambled away from Isach. I was in some sort of room with a cement floor. The air was musty and tinged with something else… a familiar metallic scent.

  Blood.

  My eyes widened, and I pulled my knees to my chest. Other than sore muscles, I didn’t feel any injuries, so the blood probably wasn’t mine. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

  “Oh, good.” Isach smiled. “You are alive. I worried my spell might have been a tad too strong.” He stood and crossed his arms. “Chloe, meet Hannah.”

  Hannah stepped out of the shadows. Long black hair framed a flawless, pale face. A wicked smile curved her blood-red lips, and her eyes were darker than a midnight storm.

  Nausea swept over me. “You’re supposed to be dead,” I said, shocked.

  “Technically, I am.” She strolled toward me, each step more graceful than the last. She was like a lioness strutting for a mate, seductive and deadly. “But my friend Isach here saved me. Promised me I could have whatever I wanted so long as I helped him get even with the Halsteads.”

  “You…” I swallowed around the lump in my throat. Everything was suddenly so clear to me. “You killed Rachel and Marc and all those other people? Why? What did any of them ever do to you?”

  “Nothing.” She licked her lips, her tongue peeking out over a protruded fang. “A girl’s gotta eat, though.” Inching closer, her gaze lowered to my neck, a low grumble coming from somewhere deep in her throat.

  I whipped my head around to look at Isach. “Marc? He was like you.” Shock clouded my mind, making it difficult to form my question. “Why…? Wasn’t he family?”

  Isach shrugged. “He was in my way.”

  My jaw dropped. “So, you let her kill him?” I couldn’t hide my disgust at his blatant lack of loyalty. “How could you?”

  A flash of something—regret?—sparked behind his eyes. That was my only chance, to appeal to whatever emotion I’d just seen. Even though he was a Zoya, he was still human. There had to be some compassion left in him.

  “Isach, please. You don’t want to kill me. I know you don’t.”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Hannah’s eyes were no longer black, but a unique shade of hazel—more green than brown. “But I do.”

  I whimpered. “Why?”

  Isach kneeled next to me and brushed a strand of hair from my face. I flinched away from him, disgust twisting my expression.

  “I’m really sorry, Chloe. Trent should’ve stayed away from you, but he didn’t, and now you’re caught in the middle of this. It’s nothing personal.” He stood again. “Pace yourself, Hannah. Don’t kill her yet.” And then Isach walked out of the room, pulling a heavy metal door shut behind him.

  “No,” I screamed. “Isach. Isach!”

  “He’s not coming back.” Hannah grinned. “It’s just you and me.”

  I scooted away until my back hit a wall. Using it for support, I slowly got to my feet. From what I could see, the only way out of here was the door Isach had used, and it was clear across the room. No way I could get to it before Hannah got to me. If I could distract her for a little longer… Aunt Beth would realize I was missing. She’d look for me. And the second Trent found out, he’d look for me, too. I just had to stay alive long enough for that to happen.

  “Does Jax know you’re alive?” I asked.

  She stopped and tilted her head; then she snarled. “It’s Jax’s fault I’m like this.”

  I placed my palms on the wall behind me, forcing myself to remain still, to appear as calm as possible. Everything Trent had told me about vampires was a jumbled mess in my mind, but I remembered they had heightened senses. I couldn’t let her smell my fear.

  “He still loves you, Hannah. He lives with the regret of what happened, so does Trent,” I said.

  “I loved him, you know,” she said calmly.

  “I know. He loves you, too,” I said, praying I could keep her talking as long as possible.

  “That’s why Trent shoved a stake through my heart while Jax stood by and watched?” She let out a piercing, evil cackle. “Lucky for me, Trent’s aim isn’t very good.”

  I closed my eyes against the mental image she painted. “They were only trying to help you, to make the madness stop.” My voice was low and soothing. I took one tiny step toward the door. “If there had been any other way—”

  “There was,” she shouted. “Isach saved me. He lifted the bloodlust, gave me back my sanity. And then he promised me vengeance.”

  Isach was the cure? He could lift the curse? My heart raced with the implications of this knowledge. Of course, the possibility of Isach helping the Halsteads was more plausible than the possibility of Hannah not killing me. Or worse, turning me into a vampire.

  “I wanted to make it quick, you know. Find Trent and Jax and burn them while they slept, but Isach convinced me to wait.” She rushed forward and was in front of me before my brain even registered she’d moved. “Said it would be sweeter if I killed the next woman they loved.” Smiling, she took my hand and turned it so my palm was up. “But those pathetic jerks have been living like saints. Until you came along.”

  “Do you still love him?” I asked, ignoring the way she was tracing the veins in my wrist and instead focused on keeping my breathing even.

  She tilted her head as if seriously considering my question.

  “You changed for him, Hannah. You knew the risks, and you did it anyway. That kind of love doesn’t go away. Now that you’re cured, you could be with him. Isn’t that what you always wanted? That’s why you changed in the first place, right?”

  “Do you always ask so many questions?”

  Trent had asked me the same thing. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I closed my eyes again. My lips trembled. Trent. My heart ached at the thought of him. Would I ever see him again?

  “You love him,” Hannah said, a sort of bewilderment in her tone. “But not enough to become one of us.”

  All I could manage was a small nod.

  “Well, isn’t that interesting.” She resumed trailing her finger across my wrist, back and forth, up and down, her touch hypnotic. “If I didn’t want to see them suffer, I’d change you myself.” She paused, then added, “That would make you suffer, though, wouldn’t it?”

  I fought to keep my face expressionless. I was not going to divulge my most private thoughts about becoming a vampire.

  She lifted one shoulder in an effortless shrug. “Not that it matters. I’ve got other plans for you.”

  With an unearthly snarl, she flung her head back. Her face twisted and contorted before my eyes, and two sharp fangs extended seconds before they sunk into my wrist, ripping and tearing at my flesh.

  Agonizing pain shot through me, and I screamed.

  TIME CEASED TO EXIST. One moment bled into the next, and I had no idea how long I’d been trapped in this prison. My wrist burned with fiery pain, and I was too weak to lift my arm to assess the damage. My memories were getting foggier by the second, but I could feel every bite mark, reminding me I was nothing more than Hannah’s personal juice box.

  A quick mental check counted five bites—one on each of my wrist, one on my inner thigh, one on my calf, and another on my hip. But I was still human. That knowledge gave me some hope. If I were lucky, Hannah would drink a little too much next time and kill me.

  I lay on my side, shivering. The heavy door creaked open. My heart kickstarted, and I prepared myself for another attack. I curled into the fetal position and squeezed my eyes shut, as if that would somehow prevent the imminent pain.

  “Chloe?”

  I actually breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Isach’s voice. I hadn’t seen him since the day he’d locked me in here with Hannah… however long ago that was.

  “I brought you something to eat.”

  “Go away.” Even though I was starving, and probably close to dehydration, I wasn’t going to take anything he offered me. Besides, eating would give me strength, and what was the p
oint of that? So I could be more aware of having my blood slowly drained from my body?

  “Don’t be difficult. That will only make things worse for you.” He twisted off the top on a water bottle and tipped it against my lips. The icy cold water dribbled down my chin and pooled on the floor. “I can make it stop, Chloe. All you have to do is ask.”

  I drew in a deep breath and then coughed violently.

  Making a deal with Isach would be making a deal with the devil, and I knew he’d want something in turn—probably my allegiance. I’d rather die than help him.

  He cursed, then stood, kicking the bottle of water when he did. Without another word, he stomped toward the door. “Finish this, Hannah. I’m tired of the games.” Isach’s heavy footsteps disappeared, and then Hannah was in front of me.

  I groaned. “Just kill me already.”

  My tears had long since dried, but even if they hadn’t, I didn’t have the strength to cry anymore. I wanted the pain to stop. I needed the peace death would bring.

  “As you wish.” Hannah scooped me into her arms.

  My head lolled to the side, and then her fangs pierced my neck. My body jerked, then went limp. A single tear slipped out of the corner of my eye and blazed a path down the side of my face. Hannah’s grunts of pleasure faded into the background, and a sense of calm settled over me. No more pain or heartache or grief. I was free, floating into nothingness, weightless and calmer than I’d ever been. I’ll see you soon, Mom. My heart soared with joy at our impending reunion.

  My body was yanked back to reality, every second of torture slamming into my consciousness. The damp air surrounded me like a thick fog, choking me, and I gasped for breath.

  “Chloe. Oh, God, Chloe.” Trent’s voice was frantic despite how safely he held onto me. “I’m so sorry.” He caressed the side of my face, his touch so tender.

  Trent! I tried to smile, but I couldn’t be sure if I actually did. Nothing felt real anymore. For all I knew, this was nothing more than Isach playing one final, cruel trick on my mind as I died. If it was, I didn’t care. I wanted this memory of Trent to last until my heart took its final beat.

  “Don’t you dare die on me.” Trent’s lips brushed mine. “Please, Chloe. Don’t die.”

  Something wet landed on my forehead. Was Trent crying? I wanted to reach out and comfort him, to tell him it was okay, that I was okay. But my body wouldn’t move no matter how hard I willed it to.

  “Get her out of here,” someone shouted. Jax? “Now!”

  “Hang on. I’m going to get you some help.”

  My eyelids fluttered open a crack, enough for me to see Trent’s gorgeous face, his blue eyes dark and tormented.

  “Trent, watch out,” Jax shouted.

  I fell to the floor with a lifeless whack. I cried out in pain, thankful I was still alive despite my deathly resignation moments earlier. With every last ounce of strength I had left in me, I managed to get up on my hands and knees. Every muscle in my body shook with the effort, and then someone yanked me to my feet. I yelped with surprise.

  “If you want her, you’ll have to kill me first.” Hannah laughed.

  My head throbbed, and my vision was blurry. I could barely make out the forms of Trent and Jax as they stood facing off with Hannah.

  “Stop,” I whispered, but the word was raspy and barely audible.

  My head slumped forward, and my eyes drooped closed. Exhaustion weighed on me. Why couldn’t this all end? I wanted to feel Trent’s arms around me, to hear his voice as I greeted my mother again.

  “Let her go, Hannah,” Trent said. “She has nothing to do with this.”

  “She has everything to do with this!” Hannah jerked my body, causing my head to snap back.

  And then her fangs sank into my neck again, the pain a million times sharper than before. There was a lot of snarling and shouting, but everything and everyone was distorted. Trent and Jax were a blur of movement as the sting at my neck disappeared, and I slumped to the floor in a heap. A sickening shriek silenced my thoughts. Hannah fell to the floor in front of me, her eyes vacant and lifeless, a wooden stake stuck out of her back.

  “We should burn her body, just to be sure,” Trent said.

  The room spun, nausea rolled through me, and then I blacked out.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR:

  Aftermath

  A SHARP PRICK AGAINST MY UPPER arm had panic clutching my chest and my body tensing. My eyes snapped open. “No,” I screamed, pushing at whatever was attacking me. “No, stop.”

  “Easy, Chloe. Try to relax, okay?” A woman in pink scrubs gave me a reassuring smile. “This will hurt a lot less if you don’t tense up.” She pushed a needle into my arm, and I cringed against the quick sting.

  Slowly, my surroundings came into focus. The steady beep of a heart monitor. The constant drip of an IV. The clean, sterile smell. Crisp white blankets. I was in the hospital. Relaxing, I eased back on the pillows.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “A rabies vaccine.” She put a bandage on my arm. “Your family went to the cafeteria, but I’ll let them know you’re awake. They’ve been waiting for you to open your eyes.” She moved to the foot of the bed and wrote something on the sheet of paper that was secured by a clipboard. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Confused.”

  “That’s to be expected. The doctor will be in shortly.” After filling a pitcher with ice water, she left my room.

  She gave me a rabies vaccine? Why? Was that a common condition among vampires? I adjusted in the bed, and something tugged at my neck. A bandage. There was one on either side of my neck. I flung off the blanket and checked the rest of my body—more bandages.

  “Chloe?”

  “Trent.” I nearly jumped out of the bed, until I remembered I was tethered to an IV.

  He rushed to my side. “Chloe.” The relief in his tone was palpable. He pulled me into a hug, and I clung to him. “I was so worried about you.” He attempted to release me, but I held tighter.

  “You were there.” The events of my ordeal were becoming clearer, and while I wanted to be able to remember everything that happened, I didn’t exactly want to relive it. “You came for me.”

  “Of course, I came for you.” He kissed the top of my head, then tilted my face, kissing my forehead, my cheeks, and then finally, my lips. “I’ll always come for you, Chloe. You’re everything to me.”

  His words warmed me. “I thought I was dead.” Fear struck me. “Hannah.”

  “She’s dead. For good this time.” His tone was cold and hard.

  I should be relieved by that information, but all I could think about was Jax and what he must be feeling. To lose the woman he loved, only to find out she was still alive and hated him, to then have to destroy her again? He had to be crushed.

  “She was responsible for all the deaths, and the missing kids,” Trent said.

  “I know.” I rested my head on his chest, and he rubbed my back. “She was working with Isach. He’s the cure, Trent. He cured her.”

  There was a much too long pause, and my stomach clenched at whatever bad news Trent was about to tell me. “No, he didn’t. He manipulated her mind to make her appear like she was fine, but she wasn’t.”

  So, that was it then. There really was no cure, no way for Trent to ever have the love he deserved—even if it wasn’t with me. My shoulders slumped.

  “Hey.” He put his finger under my chin and lifted my head. “All that matters is that you’re okay. I—”

  “Oh my God, Chloe.” Aunt Beth barged into the room, shooing Trent away from me and wrapping me in a too-tight hug. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what happened, and then we couldn’t find you. You didn’t have your phone.” She pulled back, took my hands in her face, and scrutinized me. “Are you okay? What happened? Do you remember anything after you left the house that day?”

  My gaze sliced to Abby, who stood in the corner, head down. Did she remember what she’d done to me? Or had Isach fried her
brain beyond repair?

  “Go easy on her, Beth.” Uncle Dean gave me an apologetic shrug, but then he hugged me, too. “Glad to see you awake, kiddo. We were worried.”

  “I’m glad to be awake.” I laughed nervously. “Um, how long have I been here?”

  “Trent found you and brought you in late last night.” Aunt Beth sat on the edge of the bed and took hold of my hand. “You were in and out of consciousness, muttering about dying and being bitten.” She waved her hand as if to dismiss the horrible memory. If she only knew. “They kept you sedated to keep you calm. You’d lost a lot of blood, so they had to give you a transfusion.”

  “And how long was I missing?”

  “Six days.”

  I inhaled sharply. Six days? Dizziness overwhelmed me, and I closed my eyes. Hannah had been biting me and drinking my blood for six whole days? And Isach had let her! I was going to be sick.

  “When can I go home?” I asked.

  “Tomorrow. They want to keep you another night for observation.” Aunt Beth stood and fixed the blankets, tucking them in around me. She smoothed hair from my forehead. “They’re waiting for some of your test results to come back, but until they figure out what kind of animal attacked you and what damage was done, they want to be vigilant.”

  I looked to Trent, who now stood near the window, which conveniently had the shades drawn, blocking out the sun. He raised a brow. So that was the cover story, then. I’d been dragged into the woods by a wild animal. I supposed the bite marks and blood loss lent that story some credibility. But most importantly, it kept Trent’s true identity a secret.

  “So, that’s why the nurse gave me a rabies shot?”

  “It’s a precaution.” Aunt Beth nodded. “Are you hungry? It’s past dinnertime.”

  “Not really.” I yawned.

  “We should let her rest. Besides, visiting hours are almost over,” Uncle Dean said, gently ushering Aunt Beth away from my bed. “The nurses have strict instructions to call us if anything happens, but you call us if you need anything, okay?”