The Curse Keepers (Curse Keepers series) (23 page)

Tourists had flooded Manteo, even more so than usual, and the New Moon was packed. I was busy nonstop with people waiting thirty minutes or longer for a table. I had the outdoor patio section, which I liked from time to time. Sure it was hot, but it fed my people-watching obsession. And working the patio meant I could keep an eye on things, not that I’d know what to do if a spirit showed up. It was hard to believe that only a few days ago I was looking for adventure.
Be careful what you wish for, Ellie
.

Claire’s ghost tour started and ended a block away. She waved to me when her group—the largest I’d ever seen—passed by so I wasn’t surprised she dropped in half an hour later. The sun had begun to set, and I was getting nervous. What if a spirit attacked with all of these people around? The responsible part of me wondered if I should take off from work, but now was very bad timing. The New Moon had never been busier and Marlena needed me. Not to mention I really needed the money.

Claire leaned against the exterior wall and gave me a mischievous look. “Well?”

“Well, what?” I asked, picking plates off a table since our busboy had called in sick.

“Did Collin Dailey ever show his face again?”

I looked at her dumbfounded for a moment, my brain scrambling to catch up. The last time I’d seen or talked to her was when Collin had walked out of the back of the restaurant the day before. That seemed like a week ago. I shook my head with a snort.

“Is that a yes? What did he say?”

“You have
no
idea.”

“So tell me!”

I held my palm out to her. “Try this for starters. It’s so much more than just a mark on my hand.”

Her eyes grew as large as quarters. “So what is it?”

“It’s how we send the spirits and gods back. Collin has one too.”

“That is so romantic.”

I laughed and carried the plates to a plastic tub. “There isn’t a single romantic bone in Collin Dailey’s body. Trust me.”

She moved next to me. “Ellie, that man is hot. You have to fight evil spirits together. You share a mark on your hands and possess supernatural powers. What’s not romantic?”

“Trust me. Collin isn’t anything like that. He’s…” I paused. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about Marino or Mrs. Abernathy in Rodanthe. “His moral compass is questionable.”

“Moral compass?” This gave her a second pause. “That’s only important if you want a relationship with him. Just sleep with him.”

My mouth dropped open. “Will you listen to yourself? No, I will not just sleep with him. I won’t be one of many women Collin Dailey screws and then throws to the side so he can screw another one.”

Her eyes lit up. “You like him!”

“No! Maybe. I don’t know.” I crossed my arms.

“At least admit that he’s hot.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, he’s hot. Even a blind woman could see that. But it doesn’t matter if I like him or not. He’s not interested in
that
with me, and he’s made his indifference perfectly clear. Multiple times.”

She scrunched her nose. “
Really
?”

“Really. I don’t make the Collin Dailey cut.” And damn if that didn’t sting my pride. “Look, it doesn’t matter. We’re together because we have a job to do. Close the gate to the spirit world and save our world. End of story.”

Claire pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“You knew that years ago.”

She laughed. “It’s not for my lack of trying to corrupt you.”

“Maybe I can corrupt her instead.” Collin stepped out of the shadows dressed in dark jeans and a black T-shirt and looking even sexier than usual. His voice was low and seductive, like hot oil sliding down my back, making my knees weak. His statement was more than flirtation.

How much had he heard?

He stopped in front of Claire, whose mouth now gaped. “I’m Collin. I don’t think we’ve been officially introduced. Yesterday in the storeroom doesn’t count.”

“Claire,” she mumbled.

“What are you doing here, Collin?” I forced irritation in my voice. I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I was glad he was here.

My tone didn’t faze him as he continued on his seduction track. “I can’t let you wander around in the dark alone, now can I? And we have a date.”

Our date was my henna tattoo application, but Claire didn’t know that. She beamed with excitement.

Before I realized what was happening, Collin pulled me to his chest. I had to put my hands on his shoulders to keep from stumbling. He wrapped an arm around my back, his hold tight enough that I couldn’t get loose without a fight. I searched his face, trying to find signs of head trauma. Because brain injury was the only explanation I could come up with for his behavior.

A sexy grin spread slowly across his face, as though he had a secret. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I can’t wait to get another look at your ass.”

Irritation rippled through my body. He was playing me in front of Claire. This was payback for casting him in the role of my flaming gay friend Enrique. I wasn’t about to admit defeat.

I lowered my eyelids and looked up through my lashes, putting some heat in my voice. “I’ve been thinking about you too.” I lifted my hand to his cheek, my fingertips trailing over the stumble of his five o’clock shadow. “And I can’t
wait
for you to see my ass.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes, and then he grinned. The player was getting played and he knew it. The question was how far were we going to take this before one of us called uncle?

His other hand found my waist and skimmed up my back, pulling me even closer. “I’m going to undress you slowly so I can take in every inch of your perfect body.”

Holy shit
, he played dirty. I reminded myself this was a game, but my body refused to listen.

Claire continued to watch us, practically melting into a pile of goo. Collin was obviously quite pleased with himself.

I ran my fingertip over his over his lower lip and looked into his eyes, smiling seductively. “You have no idea
how much
I want that.” I slid my hand to his neck and stood on my tiptoes, my mouth so close to his, I felt his breath on my cheek. “But won’t your boyfriend get jealous?”

He laughed, still holding onto me.

I’d won. “Good try, Collin. You’re a terrible con. Stick to the thievery.”

“Maybe you’re just immune to my charm. Like a mutant.”

I was most definitely
not
immune to his charm, but the mutant issue was still up for debate.

He dropped his hold and stepped back. The hot night air pushed between us, but my body felt cold and lonely without him pressed against me. With all the men I had dated, I had never once felt a fraction of what I felt in Collin’s arms. And
that
was dangerous.

Claire shook her head in confusion. “What just happened here?”

I gave her a face. “Collin was paying me back for something I did to him this afternoon.” I had no doubt he had heard more of my conversation with Claire than I would have liked. “He has zero interest in me.”

Collin smirked until Claire turned to him with her steely gaze. “You’re shitting me, right? You claim to have no interest in her? At all?”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise and he stammered. “I…” There was no right way to answer her questions, but it was fun to watch him sweat.

“I saw the chemistry between you two, and I’m pretty damn sure I need a cigarette now. Or two. I definitely need to go home and get laid.”

“
Claire
!”

“You two keep lying to yourselves, but what a waste.” She turned toward the sidewalk. “Call me later.”

As she walked away, I turned my wrath on Collin. “Not funny, Collin.”

His gaze found mine, his face completely serious. “Who said I had no interest in you?”

I couldn’t deal with his games right now. “My shift ends in fifteen minutes. You can either wait for me here or wait in my apartment.”

“You’d let me into your apartment without you?”

I shrugged. “Sure, why not? It’s not like you’d steal anything from me,
would you
?”

He grinned. “And face your fiery, redheaded temper? No thanks. With it getting dark, I’d rather keep you in eyesight. I think I’ll get a beer and wait for you here.”

I tossed my head. “Whatever. What do you want?”

“The house pale ale.”

I put my hand on my hip and leered. “And here I took you for a stout man.” I spun around before he could answer, but I heard his laughter when I went inside.

I had to work about ten minutes later than scheduled, but Collin sat on the patio, drinking his bottle of beer and watching the crowd. His shoulders were tight, and I knew him well enough to know that he was on edge. I suspected it had nothing to do with what happened between us earlier and more to do with the fact that I was fair game to vengeful gods.

Marlena, who had seen the whole incident on the patio, was beside herself. “While I don’t usually encourage that type of behavior in the workplace, I can’t say that I’m sorry it happened. Please tell me he’s waiting for you so you can take him home.”

“Yes, I’m taking him home.” I was sure I’d later regret telling her, but it gave her momentary happiness. Who was I to take that away from her?

Collin stood when he saw me come out, ever the attentive date. Hardly anyone was around to pay attention so I wasn’t sure who the show was for. We walked to his truck, the windows down as always.

“Aren’t you worried someone will steal it or anything in it?”

“No. The beauty of driving something like this is that no one wants it or thinks anything worth stealing is inside it.” He reached in the window and pulled out a shopping bag.

“Where are the henna supplies?”

“In here. Along with other things.” He lingered on the words. What did that mean?

After we went upstairs and into my apartment and Collin began to pull candles out of his bag and set them on the coffee table. “Where do you want it?”

Why was he putting out candles? “Want what?”

“Your mark. Have you decided where you want it?”

“No. We were so busy tonight I didn’t have much time to think about it. Why is yours over your heart?”

He stood several feet way. He simultaneously felt much too close and agonizingly too far away. “It’s a reminder that the Curse Keeper magic flows within our blood, and that our hearts must be pure to carry out our duty.”

Collin Dailey’s heart pure? I wanted to laugh, but he was so close he was stealing my breath.

He studied me with a serious expression. “I’ve been thinking about it and I think the tattoo should be close to your heart. There aren’t any rules about it, but the heart holds magical powers. The closer to your heart, the safer you’ll be.”

“I don’t want to put it on my chest.”

“You don’t have to.” How could he make four ordinary words sound sexy? Did he even know what he was doing to me, or was exuding pheromones as natural as breathing for him? “I don’t want to put it there anyway.”

“Why?”

His gaze dropped to my chest and he started to say something, then stopped. “I think we should put it on your back. If we put it on your left shoulder blade, it will still be over your heart.”

“And the henna will be temporary?”

“Yes.”

Why did this make me so nervous? “So what do we need to do?”

“I need to set everything up. Do you have to go to the bathroom or get something to eat?”

“Still concerned about my bodily functions?” I teased.

Again he started to say something and stopped. “So are you telling me that you’re ready?”

“No.” I disappeared into the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror, caught off guard. I looked different. My cheeks were slightly flushed, my eyes brighter than usual. Had Collin done this to me? Was it the Curse Keeper magic?

I considered changing clothes. I was wearing a khaki skirt for work and my white blouse, the same one I’d worn all day. It was still dirty, but I hadn’t had a clean white shirt to wear to work. Besides, I wasn’t sure what one wore to a marking ceremony, and I didn’t want Collin to think I cared about what I wore around him. Even if I did.

When I went back into the living room, the smell of lemons practically knocked me over. Collin was at the kitchen counter mixing a brown paste in a plastic bowl. He looked up as I walked in. “I’m mixing the henna.”

“Okay.” I reminded myself this was temporary. Claire had several tattoos, but they were too permanent to suit me. I couldn’t even commit to a shampoo brand. How could I permanently mark my body?

When Collin finished, he set the bowl on the coffee table as well as a spray bottle and several wooden sticks. “I’m going to start now, so you can’t talk, okay? We want this to work and we want the protection symbol to be strong. I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen. I’m going to add some elements that aren’t in the normal ceremony. Usually the mark is just a symbol of our commitment. For the first time in four hundred years, its purpose is real.”

I nodded.

“Stay over by the bar until I motion for you.” He began to set white pillar candles in a circle around the sofa, lighting them while he chanted something in his ancient language. One candle remained unlit. Collin stood in front of it and reached a hand toward me.

I hesitated while Collin studied my face, his hand still extended. I was placing my life in his hands. He had the power to protect me. And the power to condemn me. Why should I doubt his intentions? He needed me just as much as I needed him. While I had no delusions that he cared about me, I also couldn’t believe he wanted to cause me harm. In the end, it didn’t matter. I needed this mark of protection. I was as good as dead without it. But I
also realized that I could never go back to who I was before. I’d never be that Ellie again.

I reached my hand toward him but held back just inches away. Why did this feel so significant? So pregnant with possibilities and heartache? I looked into his eyes and saw a man I didn’t recognize. He wasn’t Collin Dailey, the man of questionable character. He was Collin Dailey, descendant of Manteo, Keeper of the Curse.

I put my hand in his and stepped inside the circle.