Page 17 of The Curse Defiers

The blood drained from my head. “What?”

“You told me that two spirits and one god escaped when we cracked the gate. Who was the god?”

“Wapi,” I whispered, horror washing over me.

“The ball of light came to mebeforethe curse broke. Before the spirits and god were released. Four hundred years ago only one god escaped being trapped in Popogusso by the curse, and he ascended to the heavens to wait for hundreds of years. You saw it in your vision.” His voice was low and insistent. “Who was it, Ellie? Who convinced me to break the curse?”

My mouth gaped in dismay and the edges of my vision went black.

“Ellie, who was the god who escaped being trapped in hell with all the others?” he asked again, more insistent.

Tears stung my eyes and I shook my head. “No.” Everything I’d been led to believe was an outright lie.

“Who deceived me and told me that you would be safe when you are anything but? What sick and twisted god withheld his mark from you until you finally came to me, and I took you out on the ocean?”

My mouth opened, but I couldn’t make the word come out. If this was true, what did it mean? Notifit was true—I knew in my gut that it was. I’d seen the proof of it. Only I’d been too stupid to put all the pieces together.

Sympathy filled Collin’s eyes. “You know. I can see the horror in your eyes, but you have to tell me, Ellie, you have to tell me who betrayed you. Who betrayed us both. Which godreallywanted to break the curse?”

My shell of control was cracking. The black edges were creeping into my peripheral vision.

“Ellie whoreallydestroyed your life and killed your father?”

“Ahone.”

Chapter4

Iwas in the upstairs hallway, my pretty white princess nightgown billowing around my legs. I clutched Bunny to my chest, terrified.

I could hear my mother crying downstairs as the rain beat against the windows. A crash of thunder made the whole house shake.

“I’m going to ask you nicely one more time:Where is the ring?” a mean man asked Momma.

“Do you want my wedding ring?” my mother asked. “Here. I’ll give it to you.”

A man slapped her and she cried harder.

I knew I had to help Momma, but I was terrified.

“Amanda, I thought you were smart. Isn’t that why Higgins asked you to come to Charlotte?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’d hate to cut up that pretty face. All you have to do is cooperate.”

I couldn’t let the man cut Momma. I ran to the staircase and set my foot on the top step, but an older man’s voice stopped me. He whispered in my ear, “No, Ellie. Don’t go downstairs.”

Ahone.

“Ellie.” Collin’s insistent voice filled my head.

My eyes blinked open, and I was blinded by the sunlight glaring in my eyes. A shadow crossed over my face and Collin’s worried face blocked out the sun. I was on my back and he was leaning over me, his hand by my shoulder, bracing his body. “He was there,” I whispered in horror.

Collin shook his head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Ahone. He was there the night Momma was murdered.”

Collin’s eyes flew open in astonishment, and he gently helped me sit up, keeping his arm around my back for support.

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