The Cursed: Book Three in The Tainted Series

by Anna Hill

  “Emily,” Rebecca whispered. The mere mention of her best friend’s name made Rebecca’s chest feel unbearably empty. “But I haven’t spoken to her in months. She has no idea where I am or what I’m going through. I can’t ask her to be a part of this. She’s safe and she needs to stay that way.”

  A mixture of sorrow and fervor lit Faolan’s piercing, wolf-like eyes as she stared down Rebecca. “I lost my sister forever. You’re lucky enough to still have yours. Trust me, don’t push her away.”

  Unnerved by Faolan’s words, Rebecca turned away, focusing her gaze on the trees that surrounded them. She’d rejected the idea of reaching out to Emily for help a long time ago. She’d become too dangerous and unpredictable to be around Emily. If there was even a chance that she might harm Emily, then it wasn’t worth the risk. And yet, why then was she so eager to find her father, knowing that doing so would almost certainly bring about his death?

  “We should head back to the house.” Faolan moved herself to the edge of the rock and leapt off. “It’s getting late.”

  Still struggling to digest their conversation, Rebecca followed, pushing off the rock and landing a few feet from Faolan.

  “Listen, what we spoke about today, please don’t--”

  Rebecca swiftly raised a hand, stopping Faolan. “It’s not my story to tell.”

  “Thank you,” Faolan sighed, her voice laced with pain. She turned as if to begin walking but paused, spinning back around to face Rebecca once more. “Before you decide to leave, think about what I said. If none of us can help you conquer this darkness, then maybe it’s time to reach out to Emily.”

  Without waiting for an answer, Faolan turned again and began walking in the direction of the house.

  Rebecca, however, remained still, watching Faolan’s form retreat into the woods ahead. She’s wrong, Rebecca told herself. She means well, they all do, but she’s wrong. My father is calling to me because he knows he can help. He knows how much I need him and he’s willing to take the risk. Emily is safe where she is, away from all this madness…away from me.

  Rebecca saw Faolan slow her pace and hazard a quick glance back. With a final, deep breath, Rebecca started walking toward her apprehensive friend. Though she wasn’t running off this very second, she realized her moment of departure was quickly approaching. With every passing day, she lost more control of herself. And, if the crew was going to continue to incessantly push her to join their ludicrous cause, then she needed to leave before they pushed her too far.

  They hiked through the woods in silence, Rebecca lingering a step or two behind Faolan the entire way. There was tension in their reticence, a discomfort that made it feel as though they weren’t a few paces apart, but miles. At first, Faolan had attempted to fall into stride with Rebecca, but the more she tried, the further back Rebecca fell. Finally, Faolan gave up, seemingly resigned to the fact that Rebecca was pulling away, that no matter what she did, she could not affect her friend’s decision.

  After over an hour of uncomfortable trekking, they crossed the tree line at the edge of the grand front lawn. They immediately slammed to a halt as their eyes fell upon an unexpected sight parked in the driveway.

  “Is that Maverick’s truck?” Rebecca asked, taking a curious step forward. “I haven’t seen that since--” She suddenly fell silent, realization hitting her stomach like a freight train.

  Faolan’s shocked gasp seemed to echo within Rebecca’s terrified ears, “Etain…”

  Chapter Twenty

  “I came all the way out here because you said you were ready to negotiate,” Etain’s irate voice echoed out of the house.

  “I never said that!” Maverick bellowed back as Rebecca and Faolan cautiously made their way up the front steps. Stopping just shy of the wide-open doors, they saw the pair facing off in the opulent entryway. Etain was standing with her back to them, fists planted firmly on her hips. Maverick was squared off with her, rage clearly fueling his newfound strength.

  “I asked you to come so we could speak, so you could tell me to my face the lies you’ve been spreading behind my back.” Maverick took a menacing step forward. “After everything that we’ve been through together, how can you justify what you’ve done?”

  “What I’ve done? It was you who brought her into our lives.” Etain pointed an accusing finger at Maverick. “It was you, and your pathological need for revenge that tore us all apart. If you weren’t so hell-bent on making the Aillil pay for what happened to you, you’d be able to see the truth about her. She’s a monster, Ricky. She’s brought nothing but death and destruction since the moment she arrived, and you’re too blinded by your feelings to see it!”

  “Rebecca!” Maverick’s livid glare faltered as he finally noticed her, fear flashing across his green eyes. “I never meant for you to--”

  “Well, speak of the devil herself,” Etain spat out as she spun around, fixating her heated scowl on Rebecca. “So kind of you to join us. We were just discussing your imminent departure.”

  “Stop it, Etain!” Fury again lit Maverick’s face and he marched forward, taking a defensive position between her and Rebecca. “Remember you’re a guest in this house.”

  Sorrow flickered across Etain’s wrathful face. “And you need to remember who helped you build this crew, who had your back since the very beginning.”

  “I do, which is why what you’ve done hurts all the more,” the anger in Maverick’s voice had subsided. As furious as he was with Etain, she was still his oldest friend, the first person who had ever believed in him. “I know all about the lies you’ve been telling the other Truaillithe. Fina told us everything. I invited you here so we could fix this, so you could apologize.”

  “Apologize?” Etain laughed contemptuously. “I have nothing to apologize for. Why don’t you ask your precious Becs about my lies?”

  “I had nothing to do with Breaden’s death, and you know it!” Rebecca snapped as she stepped out from behind Maverick. Her cheeks burned and an intense rage bridled inside of her. The dark power was building, causing her skin to tingle and her pulse to race, but she didn’t care. She was tired of silently tolerating Etain’s cruelty toward her. It was time to put an end to it, once and for all.

  Sensing Rebecca’s rising fury, Maverick placed his hand in front of her, blocking her path. “Rebecca, stop. Don’t let her bait you,” he implored, his passionate eyes laced with fear,

  Etain’s brow furrowed, her hateful gaze narrowing as she matched Rebecca’s glare. “As always, protecting your vulnerable Becs. Heaven forbid someone actually speaks the truth about poor, helpless Rebecca.”

  “Enough, Etain!” Faolan demanded as she too stepped forward, falling into a protective stance on the other side of Rebecca. “I think it’s time you leave.”

  “But we’re just getting started!” Etain looked almost manic as she threw her hands wildly in the air, her face growing a deep crimson as she continued to yell, “If she’s not willing to admit the truth about Breaden’s death, then why don’t we ask her about Aeden? Or about all the Elites she killed? Or what about you, Maverick?” Etain took a threatening step forward. Though she was addressing all three of them, her glare remained fixed on Rebecca, pure hatred lighting her vengeful eyes.

  Rebecca stared right back, never once looking away. She could feel her rage growing beyond her control, triggering her Feiceann strength to course freely throughout her body, mounting dangerously within her. Her true self began to falter as the darkness gradually seeped into her mind, consuming her whole. And yet, for the first time, she did nothing to stop it. She didn’t even fear it. She wanted it…

  “I warned you about what you were capable of!” Etain took another menacing step toward them, her hands clenched so tightly at her sides that her knuckles had turned a bloodless white. “I told you to leave before you caused any more harm, but you didn’t listen. Now look what you’ve done! Aeden and Maverick were nearly killed! And the Aillil won’t give up until--”

  Etain abru
ptly stopped, her eyes springing wide in sheer terror and shock. Her mind was no longer her own, nor was her body. She was utterly paralyzed, incapable of even blinking her now burning eyes. No matter how hard she screamed within her head, no matter how hard she fought against the hostile presence within her brain, she had lost all power over herself.

  “I’m finished putting up with your lies and intimidation!” the enraged voice rung out within Etain’s head, causing intense pain to split through her skull. With every passing second, she felt her strength draining, her will to live being sucked away. “I never asked the crew to choose me over you! I wanted to leave! I wanted to run away!”

  “Rebecca! Stop!” Maverick’s panicked voice sounded miles away. His strong hands came down heavily onto her shoulders and he anxiously tried to rip her attention away from Etain.

  “Get away from me!” Rebecca yelled at him, her rage filled glare never once wavering from Etain’s terrified expression.

  As if an invisible force had taken hold of him, Maverick released her immediately and began hurtling himself backward. Even after he slammed brutally into the far wall he could feel his body continue to forcefully press back, still trying to retreat further away from Rebecca. She’d done this to him. She’d commanded his body and didn’t even realize it.

  “You think I want to be like this?! You think I want to be a freak?!”

  “Enough!” Faolan lunged toward Rebecca.

  “Don’t touch me!” Rebecca cried out, enraged. Instantly, Faolan flew backward, colliding headfirst with the solid, stone floor. Her limbs fell sickly limp as her unconscious body rolled to a twisted halt, but Rebecca didn’t even notice.

  “I’m done!” the crazed voice echoed again within Etain’s fading mind. “I’m done with all of this!”

  Etain felt her brain falter, the final fragments of consciousness slipping away as the ever-encroaching darkness smothered her. Panic and pain surged within her. She wasn’t ready to die. She wasn’t ready!

  Suddenly, a soft presence pierced Rebecca’s focus. “Please.” The word was like a distant frightened whisper within her mind. “Please…don’t.”

  Like shattering glass, the world around Rebecca broke into a million tiny shards as she severed her mind’s connection to Etain. Realization threatened to suffocate her and she stumbled backwards in shock. Scanning the hushed room, she absorbed the chilling scene that surrounded her. She watched in horror as Etain’s dulled eyes rolled back in her skull and her limp body crumpled heavily to the stone floor. Faolan was lying nearby, unmoving in a small pool of blood that had collected beneath her head.

  Rebecca pivoted her petrified gaze toward where Maverick was still forcefully pressing himself against the far wall.

  “I--I--” Rebecca stammered, unable to think, let alone speak.

  “Rebecca,” Maverick again tried to wrench his body away from the wall, but as soon as he advanced forward, he was slammed back yet again. “Becs, please. It’s OK, it’s going to be--”

  “I--I can’t do this anymore.” Rebecca’s eyes brimmed with tears as she lunged forward and grabbed the keys that had fallen from Etain’s grasp.

  “Becs! No!” Maverick cried out as Rebecca hurtled herself toward the open doors. She could still hear him shouting after her as she wrenched open the truck door and leapt into the driver’s seat. Jamming the keys into the ignition, she flung the car into drive and slammed on the accelerator. She whipped the steering wheel around and peeled down the driveway, never once looking back.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Aileen!” Rebecca screamed into the darkening forest. “Aileen, come here now!” Panic gripped Rebecca’s chest as she frantically rushed forward, sprinting through the dense, clawing undergrowth and thick, shadowy tree trunks.

  She’d only driven a mile from the house before slamming on the breaks, bringing the truck to a skidding halt beside the road. Since the moment she’d broken her connection with Etain, she’d been desperately fighting to regain control of herself, to subdue the Feiceann instincts that were clouding her mind. She’d surrendered to her Feiceann side before, allowed the evil to spike within her, but she’d always been able to push it back and reclaim her true self. This time something was different. The darkness that had lurked at the edge of her mind for so long was now spreading, unabated, throughout her conscious, twisting her thoughts, devouring her psyche. Unleashed by the rage that had overwhelmed her at the house, the intoxicating power was now running freely within her veins, pulsating as it coursed throughout her body. It wouldn’t be long before her Feiceann side fully consumed her, before the last true bit of herself was snuffed out.

  “Aileen!” she cried out again, opening her mind and propelling her persuasion ability as far as she could into the surrounding woods. Every time she used her ability, the Feiceann hold over her mind grew stronger, but she had no choice. She needed to find her mother before it was too late.

  “Aileen! Come here now!”

  A twig off to Rebecca’s right cracked and she spun around to see her mother marching quickly toward her. Aileen’s face displayed a mixture of anger and fear as she approached Rebecca, her body obviously not moving of her own accord. “How dare you--”

  “Shut up! Don’t come any closer!” Rebecca barked, and Aileen immediately fell silent, her possessed body freezing, rigid, in front of her daughter. “You will only speak to answer my questions.”

  As she stared into her daughter’s wild, panicked eyes, terror and grief spilled over Aileen like a drowning wave. Her greatest fear had come true. Rebecca had relinquished herself to her Feiceann side. Her daughter was gone…Rebecca had lost…

  “Where is my father?” Rebecca demanded, drawing upon the power that surged within her, forcing her mother to speak.

  Aileen shook her head and bit her lips so hard that she tasted blood, desperately trying to prevent herself from speaking.

  “Tell me! I know you know! You’ve always known!”

  Aileen shook her head again, her vision blurring as tears formed at the edges of her anxious eyes. Employing every bit of her remaining strength, she fought against her daughter’s persuasion, her body trembling with the strain of holding back the truth. She couldn’t allow this to happen. Rebecca couldn’t know the truth. If she knew, if her daughter went to him, it would mean the death of everyone she’d ever loved.

  “Now!” Rebecca screamed, her pulse racing in her ears and her cheeks burning with rage.

  Aileen felt her teeth tear through flesh as her lips were forcefully ripped apart, “975 34th Street, Astoria, Oregon.” Her terror surged the instant the words escaped her mouth. She wanted to scream, to reach out and grab her daughter, to do anything to stop Rebecca. She needed to save her daughter, to save Charley. But no matter how hard she resisted the persuasion, she couldn’t make a sound or move her body. The tears she’d held in her eyes now cascaded freely down her face, absolute agony crushing her soul.

  Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat. She had him! After so many nights of hearing him call to her and so much time spent anxiously searching for him, they would finally be reunited. Her father would save her from herself.

  Rebecca trained her intense gaze on Aileen, who was struggling frantically to speak. She watched the tears flow unabated down her mother’s cheeks, saw the agony and grief in her mother’s eyes, but she felt nothing. Only fury filled Rebecca’s heart, feeding off of the malicious energy that ran wild through her veins. “You won’t speak of this to anyone! You will not follow me. You will not look for my father. Understand?”

  “Yes,” Aileen whispered in forced response, as misery and despair pressed down upon her chest. She’d failed. She would lose them both. All she loved would, yet again, be ripped away from her; only this time there would be no second chance. This time, it would be forever.

  Without another word, Rebecca spun and raced back to the truck, her crazed mind completely captivated by her crucial mission. From behind, she heard her mother collapse to the gr
ound, her heartbreaking sobs resonating in the dark, hushed forest.

  * * *

  As soon as he heard the distant sound of his truck speeding off the gravel driveway, Maverick felt the hold over his body release. He stumbled forward, his ravaged body wracked with such intense pain that he could barely remain standing. Every muscle throbbed excruciatingly, pushed to its limit by the incessant strain that had been forced upon it. Resting his hands on his knees to steady himself, he sucked long, deep gasps of air into his aching lungs as his vision shifted in and out of focus. Rebecca…how could she--

  “I heard shouting, what--“ Liam rushed in through the still open front doors, but slammed to a halt when his eyes landed on Etain’s and Faolan’s motionless forms. “Rebecca,” he whispered fearfully, his stomach plummeting with dread. But as quickly as it had arrived, his fear disappeared and was rapidly replaced with fury. “You!” He spun to face Maverick and, lunging forward, he grabbed the front of Maverick’s shirt and hoisted him upward. “What have you done?!”

  “What have I done?” Maverick’s furious glare matched Liam’s and he wrenched himself backwards, away from Liam’s grasp. His rage forged within him a newfound strength. “You were supposed to be helping her! You were supposed to save her from herself. But you didn’t! You couldn’t! And now she’s gone!”

  “Faolan!” The frightened cry caused the boys to whirl around, momentarily forgetting their fury. Fina sprinted into the entryway and knelt down beside Faolan. Her hands were visibly shaking as she anxiously checked for a pulse and felt for breath. Finding both, she quickly shifted her attention to Etain, doing the same. Her pulse was very slight, but it was there. “How did this happen?” she demanded as she raised her terrified eyes toward the boys. “Why is Etain here? Where is Rebecca?”