by Lea Nolan
“Cooper’s in trouble.” I stroke the cover of my closed sketchbook. “Like, really bad trouble.”
She scoffs. “I doubt that is the case.”
Jeez, what’s with her? She practically drags it out of me, and then doesn’t believe me? I set my jaw. “Trust me. He’s cursed. He’s going to lose his soul when he turns sixteen.”
The smirk slides off her face. “How did you learn that?” Finally I’ve gotten her attention.
“Miss Delia worked a Psychic Vision charm on this knife we, uh, found, and it showed us its last memory.” There’s no need to get into all our felonious details. The fewer people who know what we did, the better. “It was from a few hundred years ago when this African slave lady helped Lady Beaumont give birth, but then she turned around and cursed the baby and all the future Beaumonts for the rest of eternity.”
Maggie’s brows stretch upward. She looks like she’s been struck by lightning. “She was a root doctor?”
“Yeah, they called her Sabina. She said she was a queen in her country and was cursing the Beaumonts for spilling royal blood or something.”
She nods, her face vacant. “She avenged a despicable act.”
“Apparently. But come on, what could be so bad that a whole family should be cursed for centuries? It’s not fair.”
“That is precisely what it is. The Beaumonts have always been unscrupulous. They deserve what they’ve got.” Her mouth puckers as if she’s tasted something bitter.
My cheeks flush red, and it’s not because the midday sun is beating down from the sky. “How can you say that? Granted, Beau’s disgusting, and maybe his father was, too, but how do you know it wasn’t because of this curse? Sabina said she’d take their souls when they come of age so they’d do horrible things. So how can anyone know what they’d have been like if she’d just left them alone?”
She shrugs. “Their depravity goes back further than the recent occupants of High Point Bluff. It is legendary.”
“You know what?” My neck cranes to the side, and I jam the charcoal pencil in the sand. “The Gullah tell their stories and think they know everything, but they don’t. Things handed down over generations get mixed up and distorted. Maybe the stories about the Beaumonts are the same. Maybe they really weren’t that bad.”
Maggie glares. “You buckrah comeyah think you know everything. You don’t know what the Beaumonts did to my people here on this island. What they did when they purchased human beings to grow rice and indigo. They sowed a dark legacy in this soil, on this very shore, for which they must pay.”
I mash my lips into a tight line. Okay, slavery was indisputably bad. Evil, even. But how can she be so callous about Cooper? He’s never done anything to anyone. “So Cooper should pay, too? Is it fair for him to lose his soul?”
Maggie swallows whatever words she seemed poised to utter. Her shoulders sag, and she stares at her feet for a long moment.
“Hello? Maggie? Are you going to answer me?”
Her long eyelashes flutter. Is it the wind blowing off the Sound, or is she batting back a tear? “No, it would not be fair. Cooper has a good heart.”
“Exactly. But we’re running out of time, and that’s precisely what’s going to happen if Miss Delia can’t work some miracle to stop it.”
“She is very capable. I am sure she will discover a cure.”
My throat constricts, and a familiar sob wells in my chest. But I swallow it because I’m tired of crying. I’ve moved on to anger. “It’s not that easy. The vision didn’t give us any clues about how she cast the spell. All we know is she threw some crushed-up powder on Lady Rose and the baby, then ran away. Miss Delia’s trying to figure out what was in it. But in the meantime, I can’t bear to tell him the truth.”
She leans close. “Surely you saw more than you think. Perhaps there were other details you didn’t recognize as important. Think, Emma, what did S-s-”—she trips on Sabina’s name then gives up, probably because she doesn’t remember it—“the root worker say to the mistress when she cursed her.”
I bite my lip and search my memory for something that might make sense. So much happened in the vision—a lot of it super scary—it’s hard to keep track of it all. “Um, well, besides the royal blood-spilling thing, Sabina said she created The Creep, but that wasn’t much of a surprise…” I scan the images stored in my brain. “Oh, yeah, she was really mad that Lady Rose was wearing a necklace. Which, I’ve got to agree, was kind of strange. I mean, seriously, who wears a fancy ruby like that when they’re giving birth?”
Maggie’s eyes flash with interest. “A ruby? What did it look like?”
“Oh, it’s giant. A big, round flaming ball set like a blooming camellia with gold leaves. Sabina called it a blood stone, but Beau says its ‘eighty carats of pure fire.’” I do my best Beau impression, mimicking his exaggerated good-old-boy accent. “Of course back then, the chain was really long and thick. Now it’s on a much shorter necklace.”
Her jaw drops. “Beau Beaumont still has the necklace?”
I snort. “Yeah. It’s like his most precious possession. He loves to flash that thing around and tell everyone how it’s been passed down to every mistress of High Point Bluff since Lady Rose. But none of them ever owns it for keeps. It always stays in the family. So far, four of his wives have worn it, but the latest, Missy, wears it every day. At least the others had some class and only took it out on special occasions.”
She nods. “It certainly seems like an important piece of Beaumont history.”
“Yeah.” I grow quiet, revisiting the vision and scouring my memory for details. Then suddenly, disparate pieces click together in my mind like tumblers in a lock. I gasp, struck by a bolt of mental lightning. It’s so obvious, I don’t know why I haven’t realized it until now. I grab my sketchbook and pencil, and shove them into my bag.
“Sorry, I gotta go.” I jump to my feet. “I know how to save Cooper.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Cooper scratches his head. “So let me get this straight. You want us to steal my stepmother’s ruby pendant?” The porch swing creaks under his weight as he leans forward.
Jack snorts. “Dang, Em. One museum heist and you’re going hard-core. What’s next? A bank robbery?” He laughs, delighted with himself, then squeezes Maggie, who insisted on following me home from the beach. She snuggles into him, tucking her knees up on the cushion, and strokes his temple with her elegant finger. I’m working to be more accepting of their relationship, but their coziness is a little hard to take, particularly as I’m leaning against the door, the only one standing because plopping next to Cooper on the swing would feel too much like a bizarre double date. I wish I could be that giddy and carefree. But I can’t because I know what’s at stake.
I glare at Jack. “Don’t be a jerk.”
He shrugs. “Hey, I’m not the one pursuing the life of crime, Gangsta.” He pounds his chest with his gloved fist and flashes me a sideways peace sign. He’s an idiot, but now that he’s wearing Cooper’s brand-new, bright white golf glove, he’s an idiot with style.
“I doubt that is the case,” Maggie purrs, tracing the curve of his ear. “Perhaps we should hear her out.”
Despite the fact I’m totally grossed out by their uncomfortable PDA, I forgive her because she’s on my side. I think.
I turn to Cooper. “I didn’t say we should steal it, exactly. I just said we need it.”
Cooper hitches his brow. “But why? I don’t understand what it has to do with The Creep.”
Well, neither do I. And in all honesty, I don’t completely know how it fits in with the Beaumont curse either. But thanks to my talk with Maggie, I do know two things: the curse started with Lady Rose’s son and has affected every generation since, and every mistress of High Point Bluff since Lady Rose has worn that ruby. It can’t be a coincidence. Somehow, they’re connected, and the necklace is central to undoing the curse. But I can’t exactly explain all that right now, unless I want him to hate
me forever for lying to him. It would be better to get the ruby, give it to Miss Delia, and let her figure out how to combine it with the antidote. Maybe we can take care of this on our own, and he’ll never even need to know. But for now, I’ve got to come up with a good story to convince him.
“Uh, I can’t really explain how they’re connected, but they are. You just need to trust me.”
Cooper shakes his head. “I’m not sure about this. Missy really loves that necklace. I doubt she’ll just hand it over.” He crinkles his forehead. “Why are you standing over there by yourself, Emmaline? Come sit down. You’re making me nervous.” He scoots over, making room on the swing.
Great, now I have to sit, otherwise I’ll look like a total dork. I cross the porch and ease into the cushion, trying not to sit too close. Just being near him makes the temperature rise at least ten degrees, which is saying something because the thermometer’s already pushing ninety. Despite the heat, I’d love to imitate Maggie and nestle next to Cooper, draping my arms around his neck, but that’s an impossible fantasy since I threw away the gris-gris bag. It’s probably just as well, anyway. Jack would make a nasty crack, and after all the drama of the last few days, I’m not sure if I’d punch him or cry.
Jack sneers and leans forward. “That’s total crap, Emma. We’re in this together. You can’t go all top secret on us now.”
My head snaps in his direction. “I’m not keeping anything from you.” Technically it’s true, since I’ve only directly lied to Cooper. “We’ve got a curse to break, and we need the necklace to do it.” I try not to sound as defensive as I am.
Cooper twists toward me and rubs his worried brow. “I’m not trying to be dense here, but I don’t get the connection. I mean, the necklace has been in my family forever, but no one until now has gotten The Creep. How do you know it’ll help find a cure?”
My mind sputters to answer.
Maggie quirks her brow. “Miss Delia needs it. Isn’t that enough?”
Jack narrows his eyes, unconvinced. “But how does Emma know that? She hasn’t been over there for two days.” He glares at me. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been doing your artwork instead of trying to save my life. I’m only dying over here, but it’s okay, you work on those pastels.”
He tugs on the long sleeve of his rash guard and reveals the new swollen and blistered ring around the bottom of his forearm. The all-too-familiar stench of rot floats through the air. I can’t help but wince. When this strip bursts, it’ll reveal both his radius and ulna, which will be a lot harder to hide than his hand. It’s a good thing he’s got a couple of those surfing shirts because they’ve become his new uniform. The long sleeves are uncomfortable to wear in this heat, but at least they provide camouflage.
“Shhh, Jack Guthrie.” Maggie smoothes the deep creases in his forehead. “Your sister loves you. She would not neglect you. I am sure she has her reasons for waiting to see the Grannie.”
Jack crumbles under her amazing powers of pacification, but I can tell he’s resisting them, desperate to stay angry with me. “Yeah, and what are those? Because I can’t think of anything more important than keeping my skin.”
Cooper nods. “I’d like to know, too, because after we went through all that stuff to get the mortar, I don’t understand why we haven’t been back to her house.”
Hey, what’s going on here? I expect the inquisition from Jack, not Cooper. Maybe I need that Follow Me Boy charm, after all.
No, I can’t think like that. It would be wrong to force someone to like me, even if it would make it easier to save his doomed soul.
I sigh as a pointy headache whittles a hole between my eyes. All this deceit is making me a little nuts, and it’s clear it’s made them suspicious. I have to tell them something, just not too much.
I huff. “Fine. Miss Delia worked this special kind of curse that let us see into the past.”
Jack and Cooper lean forward. “Huh?” they blurt in unison.
Jack laughs and slaps his leg. “Dang, hoodoo is cool.”
“Yeah, she created this Psychic Vision that let us see way back to when The Creep was started. I can’t get into the details because it’s sort of a hoodoo secret, but the necklace was there.” I’ve got to hand it to myself, that was pretty good—not exactly true, but not an outright lie, either.
Jack looks like his head’s about to explode. “Wait, you saw how The Creep was started? What happened? Who did it? And why? Did they make an antidote?” He’s on a roll, pelting me with so many questions I can hardly keep track of what he’s asking.
“Jack, hang on! The vision cut out before we saw everything. But I’m sure we’ll learn all that stuff the next time we work it. We just have to wait a little while before we do it because the equipment has to rest.” Their eyebrows hitch, and I raise my hand, anticipating their question. “Don’t ask me why, it just does. Miss Delia thinks we’ll be ready to try again tomorrow.”
Cooper’s lids widen, and he leans in close enough for me to smell the fabric softener on his shirt. “What did you see? Besides the necklace, I mean?”
There it is, the question I’ve feared all along. His gaze—today it’s the color of green sea glass—is so earnest, so innocent, my heart seizes. He doesn’t realize what he’s asking. “Uh, I can’t tell you.”
Jack scoffs. “That sucks. I’m only the victim, but I’m not allowed to know. Nice loyalty, Em.”
Cooper cocks his head. “But you told us so much before.” He lays his hand on my knee, shooting a jolt of electricity straight to my brain. “Remember all the charms we used at the museum? You told me what they were for. Are you sure you can’t tell us anything? Is it really a hoodoo thing?”
I gulp, stunned by the ecstasy of his touch and the agony of his question. Sweat trickles off my forehead, and my overloaded brain locks. I glance at Maggie, pleading for a little help. Thankfully, she receives my distress call and jumps to the rescue.
“I am sure Emma will divulge all she knows when the time is right. But for now, we must respect the rules of hoodoo. We wouldn’t want her to lose her apprentice position, would we?” She brushes Jack’s jet-black hair off his face.
He shakes his head, but it’s obvious he’s not satisfied. “No, I guess not.” He winces and rubs his temple.
Cooper lifts his hand and sinks back into the swing. “Me, neither. I guess we’ve got to trust Miss Delia. There’s got to be a reason Emma can’t tell us what she saw.”
I heave a sigh of relief and send Maggie a mental note of thanks. She must read the gratitude in my eyes because she nods and flashes a smile before turning her attention back to Jack. As grateful as I am for the save, I can’t ignore the pain that’s twisting in my gut or the tightness creeping across my chest. I’ve lied to Cooper, again. Sure, there’s a good reason I can’t tell him, but it’s still a lie of omission. I’ve got to wrap this up before I get myself in any more trouble. Or he touches me again.
“Okay, so then you’ll get the necklace, right?” I hop off the swing and head for the door to the house. There’s air conditioning in there, which should make it easier to breathe.
Cooper sighs. “Sure, I’ll try.”
My brain throbs. Didn’t he hear what I’ve been saying? I stop and turn around to face him. “Cooper, you can’t try. You have to get it.” Dang, I sound a lot like Jack, which is never a good thing.
“I know, Emma, but it’s not going to be easy,” he snaps. “She loves that thing. It’s not like she’s just going to hand it over. Especially to me.” He picks at the metal chain suspending the swing as his eyes cloud with something dark.
Jack tears himself away from Maggie’s gaze. “You know, thanks to your dad’s prenup, it’s not really hers. Why don’t you just ask your dad to borrow it for a while?”
Cooper glares. “I’m not asking my dad for anything.”
Jack shrugs, totally oblivious to Cooper’s reaction. “Actually, when you think about it, it’s technically yours, since you’l
l get it after he dies. You should just take it.”
Cooper’s lip curls. “And how am I supposed to do that?”
I massage my temple, hoping to rub away the mounting headache, and work to contain my emotions. But my cheeks flush with irritation, anyway. Why can’t he understand how important this is? Granted, I haven’t explained everything, but he knows we need it to break the curse, not for some personal gain. He needs to get creative.
I cross my arms. “She doesn’t wear it twenty-four hours a day, does she? Grab it when she doesn’t have it on.” Hmm, maybe I am getting a little too comfortable with crime. I’ll have to work on that when all this curse stuff is over.
Cooper wrenches his jaw. “I thought you didn’t want me to steal it.”
His moral compass is killing me. I know this isn’t easy for him, but it’ll be way harder to lose his soul. Despite his principles, I’m going to save him whether he likes it or not. Anger and frustration boil in my chest as my patience wanes. It’s too hot for this crap.
My hands fly to my hips. “Listen, we all know stealing is wrong, but I wouldn’t ask you to do it if we didn’t really, really need it. Plus we’ll give it back. Eventually. And Jack can help. It’s not like he’s doing anything else.” I jab my thumb at my brother, who’s nearly hypnotized by Maggie’s stroking. His jaw hangs slack as her hand glides across his back, lightly tickling his skin through his rash guard.
Jack snaps out of his pleasure haze. “Hey, I didn’t agree to that. Maggie and I have plenty to do on our own.”
I narrow my gaze and shoot him a mental laser beam. “Are you kidding me? You’re the victim, remember? This whole summer has been about us saving your sorry butt. You’re going to help him, all right, and I don’t care if you have to follow Missy around all day to do it. Get that necklace.” Wow. I’ve never gone after Jack like that. But dang, it felt good.