Lizzy Ford: Cursed

“Addy.” The woman’s soft voice made Adrienne stop.

A tall woman with blonde hair moved from the shadows on one side of the attic. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, her hair tied at the base of her neck. Her skin was clammy and pale, her eyes glazed but trained on Adrienne.

“Jax brought you to visit me.” Her words were faint, as if they came from far away.

Like the woman from Saturday, this woman was pretty – and not quite right.

“I’m sorry if I scared you last time.”

Adrienne shifted, not wanting to connect the bloodied altar and Samedi shrine with what happened Saturday.

“Therese?” she asked.

“Yes.” The stranger smiled. “Jax brings me back every month.”

“You left me the notes.”

“I did.” Therese’s nervous glance at Jax made Adrienne think the gang leader didn’t know about the notes. He hadn’t known about the journal, either, until Adrienne brought it up.

Why was Therese keeping secrets from the man she claimed to love?

“I, uh, didn’t have much time Saturday,” Therese rushed on. “Can I … hug you?”

Adrienne hesitated, scared by the idea of hugging a possessed zombie. She waned to ask more questions but wasn’t certain she should, unless she could get her sister alone.

“Hug your sister, Adrienne.” Jax’s low voice held a note of warning.

Adrienne moved to the woman housing Therese’s spirit. Therese hugged her hard, and Adrienne was relieved that she felt real, alive. She closed her eyes, trying hard to pretend like it really was Therese.

“I don’t understand,” Adrienne murmured, pulling her head back to view the face of the woman holding her. Up close, the woman’s features held the pale blue tinge of death.

“We’ll explain,” Therese promised. “Right now, I need to ask you something.”

“Of course.”

“I never figured out the journal. Jax says you have.”

“But didn’t you write it?”

“I did. I used to call upon the spirits to take me, to show me how to break the curse,” Therese explained. “When they came, I’d write.”

Adrienne gazed at her, wanting to believe Therese was really there, even if only in spirit form. The hopeful look in the woman’s eyes was too real for her to be pretending.

“I’m going to try,” Adrienne said. “I’m marked now.” She pulled away and pushed down her white shirt to show Therese the number written on her shoulder.

“Oh, no. No, no!” Therese whispered, staring at it. “Jax, we didn’t do it. He just chose another to take my place!”

“It’s okay, Therese.” Jax’s deep voice was soft. “I brought Adrienne here so she can help you. She’s going to stay and work on it. Right, Adrienne?”

Adrienne turned to him, unwilling to be trapped in the attic with a zombie and a black magic wielding gang leader.

Jax’s sharp look, however, made her reconsider refusing.

“Yeah,” she forced herself to say.

“Oh, Addy! Thank you!” Therese hugged her.

“We need to talk, Therese,” Adrienne said.

“Next time,” Jax said quickly, calmly. “Therese, we need to give Addy time to figure things out.”

“Yes, Addy. I can’t stand the idea of losing you to the Red Man,” Therese said, her face growing sad. “You can save us both.”

No pressure. Adrienne nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Come on, Therese. We’ll go to your favorite spot beneath the trees.”

Therese’s attention went to Jax, and the look of affection on her face was enough for Adrienne to understand why her smile was so large in the picture. Jax’s gaze warmed, a smile touching his lips.

He held out his hand, and Therese went to him.

“Go downstairs, baby,” he told her warmly.

She smiled at him and went. Jax watched her until she’d reached the bottom of the staircase.

They really loved each other. Adrienne wasn’t certain what to think, knowing Jax was using black magic to bring her sister back from the spirit world.

When Jax faced her, her fear returned. The smile was gone, the predatory threat back.

“I’ll help you, but please don’t make me stay here,” Adrienne said.

“This is where you should be.”

“What’s going on?” she whispered. “What did you do to that woman?”

He didn’t reply.

She wasn’t able to see his face in the darkness of the attic. He moved towards her, and she tried to skirt around him to get to the stairs.

Jax blocked her.

“I just needed a bokor . I didn’t mean to … intrude,” she said, struggling to keep calm. “Whatever’s going on here, I swear I won’t tell.”

His hands rested on her shoulders. He gripped her hard enough to keep her still. His intensity and size scared her.

Adrienne’s breathing was harsh in her own ears.

“You’re safe here, Adrienne. The Red Man can’t get you. The girl from school can’t get you,” he said quietly.

“Jax,” she whispered. “Please take me home.”

“Candace says you can break the curse.”

She swallowed hard. “Maybe.”

“How?”

“Therese’s journal. I’ve been working on it on my iPad.”

“I’ve got something better.” He released her with one hand. A moment later, he pressed the familiar leather journal into hand. “How long do you need?”

“For what?” she asked.

“To break the curse.”

“I don’t even know if I can. It’s just … just a theory. Maybe, if I could talk to Therese some more …”

His hand slid from her shoulder to her neck, and he pulled her closer.

Adrienne stopped speaking, scared. She braced her arms against his chest, silently praying he wouldn’t kill her, at least not with her sister upstairs.

“You better have more than a theory.” Jax’s voice was low, calm. “I’ll give you two days, Adrienne. If you can’t break it, I’ll save the Red Man a trip.” He squeezed her throat in warning. “You understand?”

“Y…yes.”

“Good.” He released her.

She sagged, catching herself against a stack of boxes.

Jax moved away towards the stairs. “I’m going to Coffee Loa with your sister.”

“Can I do this at home?” she said in a trembling voice.

“I’ll be back tonight. It’s in your best interest to have something to show me.”

“Jax, wait!” she cried, panicking. “Please don’t leave me here!”

“Do what I say, Adrienne!” he snarled, striding towards her.

Adrienne tried to duck away, but he snatched her arms and shoved her hard into the wall, nearly knocking the breath from her. Lowering his head to meet her gaze, he glared at her, his eyes hard.

“You will do this. You will bring her back or you will take her place. I don’t give a damn which it is, Adrienne,” he growled. “Because of who you are, I’m giving you one chance to fix this. If you can’t, you’ll be the next girl the police find in an alley.”

His words terrified her. Adrienne said nothing, struggling to register the horrors that had occurred in this cellar.

“I can’t stand seeing you,” he added, a note of despair in his voice. He released her roughly and moved towards the stairs. “Too much like Therese. We tried every black magic spell there was to break the curse. Spirits help you, you better be able to do what we can’t.”

“Can I talk to her again?” Adrienne asked uncertainly.

“Maybe.” He jogged down the staircase. “Show me some progress.”

A moment later, she heard the heavy metal door slam shut and the sound of it being bolted.

Adrienne dropped to her knees, hugging the journal and breathing hard. It took a long moment before she was able to master her emotions enough to stand without sobbing. She pulled herself up with the help of the boxes and looked around.