The Curse Keepers Collection by Denise Grover Swank Page B

job.
    “You should be scared. And this has only just begun.” He laughed and looked toward the ocean. “Fine. I’ll give you your one night, and we’ll come back tomorrow, but if it doesn’t work, we do things my way from here on out. Agreed?”
    Did I have a choice? If I were cornered by a spirit and had to decide between stealing the cup or dying, I’d steal the cup without hesitation. But I wasn’t cornered by an evil spirit. At least not yet. “Agreed.”
    He slunk down the stairs in his quiet way. I wondered if he were a ninja. The descendent of a Croatan Indian chief, a ninja. If I weren’t so freaked out, I would have laughed.
    Once I knew he was at the bottom of the steps, I leaned over the deck railing to catch my breath. If Collin and I were supposed to be working together, why did he consider me the enemy?

C HAPTER N INE
    After I got my wits about me, I found Collin waiting in the truck. He didn’t say a word, merely started the engine and drove back to Manteo. An accident blocked the highway for a while, making the drive home uncomfortably long. Whenever I tried to ask Collin for more details about the curse, he refused to tell me anything, saying, “It was your responsibility to learn this already. So for now, I’ll tell you what you need to know when I think you need to know it.”
    I couldn’t help wondering if Collin’s decision to keep the information from me was less about proving his superiority and more about ensuring I’d be as uninformed as possible so I’d be at his mercy. But then again, weren’t we working on the same side?
    We passed the dead birds on the side of the highway, and I couldn’t help thinking that could be me in a few days.
    But I’m a Curse Keeper.
    I was destined to be one of two people who would fight the spirits. I just needed to learn how.
    When Collin pulled his truck into the parking lot in front of my apartment, the sun had begun to set. I got out and started up the stairs without a word, surprised when Collin followed behind me.
    “That isn’t necessary,” I said over my shoulder. “I’m perfectly capable of going upstairs on my own.”
    “It’s getting dark, Ellie. Don’t you feel the spirits lurking in the shadows?”
    A retort would have been so easy, if I hadn’t felt the presence of something just out of reach. If I was still having trouble believing all of this was real, the moving shadow in the corner of my porch would have convinced me.
    I unlocked my door with a shaky hand.
    Collin stood next to me, but keeping his distance. “Ellie, listen to me. When you go inside, don’t come out until the sun comes up.”
    The blood rushed from my head to my feet. I looked up into his anxious face. “Why?”
    His gaze locked onto mine. “You know why.”
    I turned toward him, the keys still in my hand. “What’s out there, Collin?”
    “You’ll be safe tonight. If you stay inside.”
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    His voice lowered. “You know what’s out there.”
    But I didn’t. Not really. I knew there were creator gods, four wind gods, one of which probably killed a bunch of birds, and other even lesser spirits, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough to help me protect myself.
    “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Now go inside and close the door.”
    “But—”
    He leaned an arm against the wall. “I realize you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. I haven’t really given you reason to. But trust this: I need you, and I need you alive. If I didn’t think you’d be safe tonight, I’d stay with you. But I don’t believe the spirits are strong enough to do anything to you. Not yet. In a few days, they’ll be strong enough to roam during the day as well, but you’re okay tonight. Now I need to go take care of some things, and I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Then we’ll get your cup, one way or the other.”
    I nodded, a lump of fear in my throat.
    “Now go inside. And don’t open the door for anyone until the