Page 132 of The Curse Defiers

My mouth dropped open. “How did you know?”

“The letter.” He smiled. “The one we sent to the Wilson Library in Chapel Hill several months ago.” He took a step forward. “We’ve watched your family since we stumbled upon the letter. We acquired the ring and the spear in the seventeen hundreds after one of your ancestors became careless with the ring. So we held the weapons for safekeeping and began to accumulate additional weapons that would help us to manage the demons. All in preparation for tonight.”

“So we show you the gate, the ring brings all the demons to the yard, and you trap them…how?” Their plan didn’t make sense. The letter in the library said the ring would seal the gate. From the sounds of it, that was the last thing the Guardians wanted to do.

He hesitated.

So they planned to control the demons with the sword. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out, but Jeremiah seemed uncomfortable with how much I’d already deduced. But what about the spear? “Okay, then tell me why you need my blood.”

Jerimiah’s mouth gaped and he sputtered, “How…?”

I glanced at the table. “It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

He swallowed and seemed to regain his confidence. “For the Great One. She has helped us set this in motion, and we have agreed to give you to her in exchange for her assistance.”

“Why?”

“The Great One has taken the form of her latest victim, but it comes with limitations. The Great One says your blood will let her stay in one body. She will choose your likeness as an homage.”

My blood turned icy, and I gaped at Collin. His eyes were wild with fear.

How were we going to get out of this? Why hadn’t Tsagasi shown up yet?

“Come, Ellie,” the man said, beckoning me again.

“I want the ring.”

“All in good time.”

“I want the ringnow.” My voice bellowed louder than I anticipated, but I had another resource. These nut jobs might be human, but I suspected they weren’t immune to my power as a witness to creation. If only I could figure out how to use it to save us.

He grinned. “Bring me the ring.”

A shorter figure stepped forward and placed the ring in the leader’s open palm. She looked up with a smirk. Miriam.

Hot anger burned away my fear, and I welcomed it. “I told you I’d make you pay for taking David,” I said, surprised to hear how cold my voice was. “I meant it.”

A flicker of fear flashed in her eyes. “No need for incivility, Elinor,” Miriam murmured.

“Yes, let’s keep this all nice and polite. I hope the Great One brought anapkin.”

Jeremiah released a hearty laugh. “Youareentertaining.”

Miriam shot him a frown of disapproval.

Rebuked, he lowered his chin and then lifted the ring between his thumb and index finger. I held out my left palm and he placed it in the center. As I pulled my hand back, I waited for the singing. Wasn’t the ring supposed to sing?

I put the ring on my left middle finger and still nothing. I hoped it was because I held it in my left hand.

“It is time, Elinor.”

This wasn’t the order things were supposed to take. Weren’t we supposed to show them the gate first? But even if I agreed to do that, David was tied to the tree. What would happen if we opened it while he was still tied there? Could we take the risk?

“We need to show you the gate,” said Collin, his voice loud and authoritative, obviously thinking the same thing.

“The Great One believes she only needs the ring. She has opened our eyes since she sought us out a month ago. She wants to help us enslave the wicked spirits, and she has the knowledge and tactics to make our dream a reality at last. You, Mr. Dailey, are here as insurance if something happens to Ms. Lancaster.”

“But Ellie needs to be alive for me to show it to you. I can’t do it alone.” I was amazed how much Collin’s voice sounded detached and in control.

---