Page 130 of A Curse On Black Lake
I rub my hand up and down her spine, and her body slowly relaxes.
God brought us together for a reason. There is no other explanation. The hits keep coming, but together we can weather the storm.
“I’m sorry, Killian,” Eliana says against my skin.
“Why are you sorry?” I ask her.
“You were lied to your entire life, and you can’t ask why.”
I let her go, running a hand through my hair. “I’m angry, but what’s the point? I’m hurt, but that doesn’t make sense either. Yet, I don’t blame them for not telling me because in the scheme of things it doesn’t actually matter.” I pause, taking a breath.
“Though I have to admit, one of the strangest parts of all of this is my great-grandmother is the one that put the curse on this town. My grandfather, the one who died. It’s … too coincidental to be ignored.”
“And my grandmother was the one that helped deliver your great grandpa. Yeah, that’s no coincidence,” she says.
“We’re no further ahead than when we started,” I mutter.
“Yeah, but we are further behind,” Eliana says, giving me a sarcastic smile.
She scoots off the counter and grabs her water, drinking the glass dry. She opens her mouth, and then the color bleeds from her face. The cup drops onto the table and rolls off the edge. I catch it before it shatters on the floor, and she groans, pressing her hands to her head.
I snatch her up before her knees hit the ground and carry her into the living room. “What’s wrong?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm, but I can hear my own panic.
“Baby talk to me. Is it the Spirits? A headache?” I ask her while I check every part of her body. Maybe she hurt herself when she got home, and she’s only feeling it now? Maybe a snake bit her? I know all of those options are wrong, but I have to dosomething.
She shakes her head, her eyes squeezed shut. “Please,” she cries.
“Please stop, I hear you, please,” she says.
Realizing it’s the only thing I can do, I grab her hand, and she grips it as hard as she can. She’s in pain, and I have to watch her suffer. If I could take it away I would, but she asked me not to do the only thing I can think of.
Eventually, she stops crying, begging the Spirits to stop while her head rests on my lap. I drag my fingers through her hair until her body finally relaxes.
Her beautiful eyes open, and she looks up at me. “Did they stop?” I ask her.
She nods and takes a deep breath. “They weren’t trying to hurt me. It was all a lot at one time, more were … there, I guess is the best way to put it.”
“Does that happen often?” I ask.
“No, it’s happened only a handful of times, when they first came to me, a couple times over the years, and then now.”
“Do you know why?”
Her eyes close while I play with her silky white hair. “No, I don’t know why, but I’m sure it’s a terrible reason. They haven’t said anything clearly, but I did pick up on what they kept repeating.”
I wait for her to say it, but she obviously doesn’t want to.
“You can tell me.”
Her eyes open, full of fear, and my mouth goes dry.
“He walks in darkness.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask.
“See? I have no idea, and it’s best we don’t look too deeply into it. Sometimes they can scream things, and it can be absolutely nothing.”
Exhaustion covers her face, and I help her sit up. “I’ll get you some water.”
