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fail, another will
succeed.”
    “You have no idea
what I want,” the man snarled, holding out the blade.
    “Do not think me stupid ,
son of the land. You wish to break the curse. You are not the first, nor will
you be the last.”
    The hooded man
turned to Ellie, lifting his blade over his shoulder as though ready to strike.
    Ellie screamed.
    “ If you harm a hair on her head, I will kill you
and your sons .”
    The man froze,
his knife poised to strike.
    The white light
pulsed. “Look at her, Curse Keeper. She is an innocent child, not much younger
than your eldest son. I know it was your original plan, but can you really kill
her?”
    The knife still
loomed over Ellie and she pressed her back into the wall, sobbing.
    “You attacked her
mother when she tried to stop you. You hurt her out of reflex. But to kill this
girl will be in cold blood. Can you look into her eyes and do it?”
    The man glanced
toward the open door, his arm still raised.
    The white light
expanded and contracted. “You and the child are the only ones who can hear me.
Your friend will not come to help you. No one will.”
    The man crouched
again, lowering his arm as he searched Ellie’s face. Blood dripped from his
bloody hand, and Ellie realized the drops were from his own wound. The
hood lowered over his brow and shadows covered most of his face. Hatred filled
his eyes, and his mouth pressed into an angry line.
    The light shined
brighter. “You are mistaken if you think that I will let you hurt her. I need
her for another purpose.” The orb moved closer to the man. “The curse will be
broken, but not today. It will happen when I deem it
so.”
    The man’s grip on
the knife tightened and he shifted his weight. “I’m sick and tired of being at the
mercy of the curse. I want this to end. Tonight .”
    “It began with my will and will end when I wish it.”
    The man’s face
contorted with rage.
    “I do not condone
you forcing my hand, Curse Keeper, and you will pay for this
transgression, just like the others before you.” The light glowed bright white.
“ T his girl changes
everything . If only you had shown patience and restraint,
you would have seen this. You will get what you want, but not during your
tenure. At a time of my choosing, I will find your son and help him break the
curse, only because it serves my purpose.” The voice lowered and the
glow pulsed. “But because of your treachery, he will rue the day I sought him
out, and he will curse you for the sacrifices he must make as penance for y our betrayal.
    The hooded man
rose to his feet. “With the help of Okeus, my son will defeat you, Ahone.”
Pride and anger drenched his words.
    “He will try, and
he will fail. The girl will be his downfall.”
    “No!” A guttural
sound rumbled from the man and he lifted the knife, lunging for Ellie.
    She screamed and
the orb exploded, filling the room with a light brighter than Ellie had ever
seen. The blast of light sent the man flying out the door and into a crumpled
heap in the hall. His head rose and his face twisted with fear.
    “I have let you
live out of my infinite mercy, Curse Keeper, but my patience has worn thin.” The
light’s voice boomed, shaking the walls.
    “Dailey! Where
the fuck are you?” the bad man downstairs shouted. “Did you find her?”
    The man’s hood
had slipped from his head, puddling on his shoulders and leaving his dark, wavy
hair a ruffled mess. A dazed look filled his eyes, and his gaze landed on
Ellie.
    “Dailey!”
    The light pulsed. “ Go ! ”
    The man slowly
got up off the floor. “No,” he answered, then paused before speaking louder. “The
bitch was right. She’s not here. Let’s get out of here.” His footsteps hurried
down the hall and to the bottom steps.
    The ball of light
folded in on itself until it became a soft, glowing orb about the size of a
baseball floating in front of Ellie’s face. It blocked her path, moving with
her as she tried to get around it. She cried out