The Patriot's Curse, page 9
He had said he was trying. Did I want to try as well? Could we fix this—fix us?
My heart pounded, blood rushing in my ears.
“Theo!” I called down the street, sprinting in his direction.
He turned toward me, stopping. I ran into him, slamming my body into his and almost knocking him over with the impact. His arms instinctively wrapped around my shoulders, holding me in a tight embrace. I rested my face on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beat. It felt like home.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as I slowly pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice quaking.
“Sorry for what?”
“For not giving you a chance.” My voice broke as a single tear rolled down my cheek.
I felt the power in my body swell with my rising emotions. My hands began to tremble as the heat rose to the surface of my palms. Taking a step back, I squeezed my hands into fists, and my eyes searched Theo’s with a silent plea for help.
“Is it your power?” Theo asked, keeping his voice low.
I nodded, my chest constricting in fear.
“I’m starting to think I’m cursed,” I said, showing him my palms.
The heat grew intense with my pounding heart. Each pulse intensified the heat, and a sudden glow emanated from my palms. I turned them upward, hoping to keep them away from Theo. If my power manifested here in the streets, I didn’t want to hurt him.
Panic swirled around me like an obnoxious cloud on an otherwise beautiful day. I couldn’t stop it. The glow was growing with my power, and light began to shine from my fingertips and into the air.
It had been a long time since my power openly manifested. The light was a constant companion when I was a child, but as I grew older, I learned to conceal my magic. My abilities. My power.
“Morganne,” Theo said.
His voice was muffled, barely audible over the ringing and pounding in my ears. I swallowed a lump in my throat.
“Close your hands,” Theo shouted, breaking through my foggy hearing.
I tried. My hands refused to budge like a muscle contraction that held them open as light poured off of my palms. The light turned into an oozing liquid of light—fire or molten metal. All of the days I had spent holding back my power compounded into this one moment, and my magic fought against me, seeking a way to escape the bonds of my body.
My body trembled. I crumpled to the ground. Weak.
Something cool touched the backs of my hands, making me recoil. As my hands shook and the light poured from my palms, the cool sensation began to surround my hands calmly—water to quench the flames.
Before I could register Theo’s touch, my hands were being closed by his own, extinguishing the effects of the power. His touch was soothing. Comforting.
Gasping for breath, I hesitantly looked up at Theo, tears streaming down my face. I expected him to be afraid, but he was strangely calm, his expression serious.
“I think your power might be back,” Theo said, flashing me the smallest of grins.
In the light of day, my explosion of power seemed like a distant memory. Theo had not forgotten about it, and he had insisted on sleeping beside me in the large bed to keep his eyes on me. I knew from his bloodshot eyes this morning that he had barely slept.
Guilt washed over me. It was my fault again.
We stood alone in the center of the street as the sun began to creep up over the horizon, sending beautiful rays of orange glow throughout the port city. It had a strange ethereal look to it that would be etched into my memory forever.
“They should have been here by now,” Theo said, pacing back and forth on the side of the street.
His nervous pacing was making my antsy. My hands were busy, and I bounced on my toes to keep myself from panicking.
“Give them a few more minutes,” I said, trying to convince both Theo and myself. “Thomas mentioned getting breakfast, and he likely ended up getting more than he anticipated. You know how he is about his breakfast.”
Theo sighed heavily. “But he knew we were on a mission. He wouldn’t have put that mission at risk for a hot meal.”
“He would do a lot of things for a hot meal, I assume,” I grumbled.
“What was that?”
I smirked, shaking my head slowly. “Nothing particular.”
Before I could create some fake excuse, Thomas and Grady came sauntering toward us, rubbing their eyes as if they had lost sleep. Thomas carried a handful of muffins, still steaming.
“Sorry,” Thomas said, stifling a yawn. “I didn’t sleep well, and I had to wait on these muffins to bake. The publican’s daughter bakes them fresh every morning.”
“How many drinks did you have last night?” Theo questioned, a little too harshly.
“None, actually,” Thomas said, glaring at his brother. “I was going to offer you a muffin, but not anymore.”
Theo rolled his eyes.
“Hey!” I said, stepping between them. “We will have absolutely none of this, you two. It doesn’t matter how many drinks Thomas had because you clearly didn’t sleep either. So instead of arguing over it, let’s just get to the jungle and try to find Gulliver before it’s too late.”
I paused, staring at the muffins in Thomas’ hands.
“And give me one of those muffins,” I said, snatching one from his grasp.
Thomas waggled his eyebrows and took a large bite from one. He grinned with a full mouth.
I pursed my lips and turned on my heels toward the direction of the jungle, putting my tricorne hat on top of my head. I didn’t wait to see if anyone was following me. Walking forward, I ate my muffin slowly, savoring the hot food before we entered the uncertainty of the jungle. The only thing on my mind was the map and my treasure. I had come too far to stop looking now.
Chapter
Thirteen
The jungle was just as I expected it to be—dark and sticky. Small drops of water lightly dripped from the thick trees overhead, and though we had only been walking for half an hour, my hair, forehead, and back were drenched in a heavy sweat.
Gulliver was still missing and the map with him.
“Any idea where we’re supposed to be going?” Thomas asked. “Or are we wandering aimlessly in the jungle? Because if it’s the latter, I’d like to go back to the port now. I’m getting hungry again.”
Theo snapped a look at his brother. “You just ate.”
“Yeah, so?” Thomas asked.
The heat in the jungle was getting to everyone’s heads.
“You’re welcome to go back and wait on the edge of the jungle if you’re going to complain like this,” I hissed. “I’m tired, sweaty, and hungry. I don’t need you making this worse.”
Thomas’ mouth gaped open at my response. A heavy silence fell on our little group, and Thomas snapped his jaws shut.
“You know,” Thomas said again after a moment of silence. “I wish I had a hygrometer out here. It would probably be off the charts with this water vapor.”
“Hygrometers don’t exist, Thomas,” Theo said.
With a snort, I added my own thoughts. “I think da Vinci built something like that, but I doubt it would really work in the jungle.”
“I bet it would,” Thomas said, waggling his eyebrows.
Theo gave his brother a playful punch and rolled his eyes, and our small crew fell back into an easy silence as we walked forward.
The sounds of insects and animals gave the jungle a musical sound. The noise covered our steps. Heat was a true fear, and as the day continued, the temperatures rose until we all dripped with sweat.
“I don’t think the map was showing it being this far into the jungle,” Theo said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. His hair had long since fallen from his ribbon, and it was now swirling around his face, sticking to his neck.
“We should’ve brought Morton,” I said.
“I agree with that,” Thomas added.
The three of us started walking again when I noticed one of our party was missing.
Grady was missing.
“Wait,” I said. Everyone stopped walking abruptly. “Where is Grady?”
Thomas and Theo exchanged a worried glance. I scoured the jungle around us looking for him. Something in my gut warned me that this wasn’t right.
“I thought he was behind you,” Theo said to Thomas.
Thomas shook his head. “I thought he had gone ahead of you earlier.”
Tensions were growing, whether from the confusion of our lost crew member or from the extreme temperatures. The longer we stood still, the thicker the air felt around us like the trees were closing in on us. Just as I started to speak, a familiar face popped up in the distance.
“I think you all need to come and see this,” Grady said.
Curiosity nagged at the back of my mind, pushing my feet forward even when I didn’t feel comfortable.
I wasn’t alone. Thomas and Theo were right behind me. I didn’t know what to expect when we stepped into the thick tree line up ahead, but what we found—or what Grady had found—was not what I had anticipated.
A gushing waterfall spilled over the edge of an outcropping of tall, sharp rocks, water falling into a pool of bright blue, crystal clear against the edge near our feet. The trees were thin here, whether by man or by nature, I wasn’t sure. But, the view was breathtaking.
Theo stepped up beside me, glancing over the pool and to the waterfall. I couldn’t help but lean into him, getting his attention. When he looked down at me, he smiled.
“It’s beautiful. Don’t you think?” I asked, looking out over the view once again.
I could feel Theo’s eyes on me, staring at me. “I’ve seen more beautiful.”
My ears felt hot, and I knew they were turning red with blush. Theo was gazing down at me, his lips parting slightly.
“I’m talking about you, Morganne,” Theo explained.
My stomach flipped in utter happiness. I shifted my body to face Theo, meeting his eyes. We leaned toward each other slowly, as if time itself stood still.
Theo’s head dipped toward me, and I parted my own lips in anticipation of his kiss.
Suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder from behind me, startling me from the moment.
“It’s too beautiful,” Thomas said, narrowing his eyes in the distance.
Theo groaned as we broke apart. “Really, Thomas?”
“Oh, did I interrupt something?” Thomas’ sly grin made me blush. He definitely interrupted something.
Grady joined up, oblivious to what was happening. “I thought you might agree. Something feels wrong here.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I commented, looking around at the scene before me.
Everything looked serene and peaceful. Being in the middle of the jungle, it was covered in lush overgrowth with insects and animals everywhere. The waterfall splashed hard into the pool below, creating ripples until a certain point where the water seemed to turn to glass. Still. Calm.
“It looks perfectly fine here,” Theo said.
Thomas shook his head while pointing toward the waterfall. “Would you expect a random cabin to be in the middle of the jungle right next to an oddly peaceful waterfall?”
The heads of the group, including my own, snapped in the direction of Thomas’ point.
I saw it then—an old, run-down cabin just near the waterfall. It seemed a little strange to have a wooden house in the jungle. The cabin was oddly intact, despite the waterfall and the heavy water vapor in the air. There should have been some sort of weathering or rotting.
A chill swept over my arms at the sight of the cabin.
“I wouldn’t be foolish enough to live in the jungle,” Theo said with a shrug. “But, I don’t suppose it makes a difference to us. We’re looking for Gulliver, not a jungle dweller.”
We heard a rustling that sounded like feet on the jungle floor. Oh sudden high alert, Thomas and Grady dashed toward a large rock, dipping behind it. Theo pushed me toward a large tree, getting as close to me as possible to keep hidden.
The thrashing continued, sounding spooky in the quiet forest. Being careful not to be seen, Theo peeked around the tree as the noises of shuffling feet turned into screams.
My heart pounded as I searched Theo’s face for any indication of what he might be seeing around the tree.
Theo’s eyes grew wide as the screams continued. Suddenly, I heard a loud splash of water. Glancing to the rock where Thomas and Grady were hiding. They cringed at the noise but didn’t move. The screaming, just as suddenly as it had begun, stopped, and the jungle grew eerily silent once again.
“What was that?” I whispered to Theo.
His face was pale. His eyes were vacant.
“It was Gulliver,” he whispered.
I put a hand to Theo’s chest to steady myself. Dizziness overwhelmed me. Panic was speeding up my heart.
Theo’s heart was racing, matching the beats of my own. He reached for my hand, grabbing it and squeezing. I don’t know who needed who more—me or Theo.
“I told you something was wrong with this place,” Thomas said, standing to his full height. Grady followed suit as they looked toward the pool of water near us.
The waterfall was still cascading, and the pool was rippling again just until the edge where it stood still. Nothing looked amiss until the body floating in the middle of the pool disrupted the view. It was Gulliver. He was dead.
Several things flew through my mind at once. Gulliver was dead. He was alone. He had the map to my treasure.
Theo and Thomas set to work getting Gulliver from the water to search him for the map. I sat down on a large rock near the bank, watching. The jungle was still and quiet.
My eyes settled on the waterfall, the water lapping over the edge of the rocks and spilling into the pool in a steady pattern. I always admired waterfalls. They were beautiful and powerful. I gazed around the clearing, taking in the scene. The cabin caught my eye again.
I faintly heard Theo and Thomas talking to Grady about finding some branches or something to help them get the Gulliver’s body out of the water, but I wasn’t fully listening. My entire being was focused on the cabin.
A flash of movement inside one of the fogged over windows sent my heart racing. Something or someone was in the cabin.
As if in a trance, my feet began to move toward the cabin, shifting around trees and moss and moving beside underbrush. I wasn’t watching where I was walking, but I was somehow moving without issue toward the cabin. Curiosity overruled my fear, and something unexplainable began to draw me in. My palms began to react as my power seemed to initiate. The heat spread throughout my body, pooling in my hands where the light always shone forth.
I was no longer in control of my body.
The cabin was closer than it had seemed before. I was already standing at the front door. Shaking my head, I looked down to grab the knob and found my vision blurry and distorted. An inkling in the back of my mind began to send off bells of warning. This isn’t safe, my mind seemed to yell at me. But, my body wasn’t listening. I reached for the door.
Slowly, I turned the wooden knob.
When the door opened, a rush of cold air hit my face, sending me gasping and stumbling backward. My arms and face turned to ice. I shivered.
The darkness on the inside intrigued me. I couldn’t wait any longer to go inside. Something, that I can’t explain, pulled me closer. Taking a single step over the threshold of the cabin, a rush of cold air behind me pushed me forward.
I stumbled inside just as the door to the cabin slammed shut behind me. The daze I was trapped in was gone, and panic set in as a bright light began to shine behind me.
Turning slowly, I gasped.
One by one, candles—set precariously on the edges of shelves lining the walls of the cabin—lit up by their own accord, filling the small cabin space with eerily warm light. I began to take in my surroundings, finding an overly decorated cabin with herbs and flowers hanging in corners. Ivy and other plants filled spaces that weren’t stacked high with dusty, dirty books or empty bowls. Various sized glass bottles of liquids covered the counter space and the wooden table in the center. A small bed was fixed in the corner beside a fireplace, void of logs and flame. The air in the cabin became sticky and thick—the rush of cold air completely gone, replaced by the same stickiness of the air outside.
“I knew it was a matter of time before you graced my doorstep,” a voice called behind me.
The air was sucked from my lungs in an instant.
I spun around quickly, my hair whipping with my movement. I was alone only moments ago. Gasping for breath, I tried to speak. Nothing happened.
“Don’t be afraid, Morganne,” a woman said.
Fear rippled up and down my spine. This woman was beautiful, ethereal, with white hair that stood in perfectly wild curls. Her dress was simple but elegant at the same time.
The longer I stared at her, the more calm I felt.
“How do you know my name?” I finally asked.
The cabin was bathed in warm light from the candles, but it was still dim. The woman raised her arm and swept her hand toward the fireplace. With her movement, a wash of heat filled the place as fire sprang up from the dark ash. My body relaxed.
“I’ve been waiting on you for centuries,” the woman said, catching me off guard. Centuries?
“That’s impossible,” I said, my voice barely croaking out the words. “You can’t be centuries old.”
The woman smiled while sweeping around the table to fidget with some things on the surface. I could only describe her way of walking as floating.
“You would be surprised by what is possible in the world, Morganne.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
Surprisingly, I wanted to know the answer. She had somehow drawn me in to her cabin, and she knew my name, though that was impossible. Wasn’t it?
“I am Esme,” she said. “You won’t know who I am, but I know who you are.”
I rubbed my temples and squinted my eyes. My head ached. Dizziness overwhelmed me. Weren’t we in the jungles of Jamaica?
