Hex

By Lynnie Brewer

Ellie and Thane have escaped the feud circling their families. They are finally free to do as they please, to search out new adventures and travel the world.

Not far into their journey, they encounter a traveling circus, which takes them in and provides a home when one is desperately needed. But the circus is not the cure it seems. Dark craft that happens only late at night, a woman warning Ellie of a powerful curse, and a murder attempt threatens to ruin Ellie's happiness forever and drag her back to a life she desperately needs to escape. Can her past ever be forgotten? Is freedom truly possible?

Hex is the second book in the Cursed Trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynnie Brewer
• Release date: Jul 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301483426

Lynnie Brewer

Lynnie is the author of The Watchers Series and The Dreamer Chronicles. She enjoys stories that feature found family, strength of character, and idiots figuring it all out and saving the world along the way. Her favorite past times are movies, music, and talking on her podcast that she runs with her friends (Stop and Fangirl). Follow her on Twitter for more updates on her books and writing projects.

Book preview

Hex

The Cursed Trilogy: Book 2

By: Lynnie Purcell

Edited by Benjamin Locke

Illustrated by Tatiana Vila

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Lynnie Purcell

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For Celeste Bartlett – thanks for your love and support!

Chapter 1: Train

The rickety train rattled and rolled across the never-ending landscape of forever flat with purposeful, steady speed. Cities, towns and an endless row of farms and fields passed by under the eager eyes of Ellie, her crafted bird, Caw, and her best and only friend, Thane.

Ellie was not certain if the train was headed north or south; she didn’t really care if it were headed for the moon. She was just glad to be free and to feel the rush of wind on her face as she travelled.

She had never seen the world. The only place she had ever known was the old, white house that had been in her family for generations – a house she had burned down in order to save Thane’s mother. It had been only a month since she had discovered for herself there was more to the world than her house and chores, and only hours since she had stood up to her sister. Despite the drama and sadness of the latter, her eagerness to discover more of the world was at the forefront of her mind. She wanted to start living life according to her terms.

Nothing would stand in her way.

Her desire to see the world was not the only reason she had hitched a ride on a rickety, old train headed anywhere. Her story was more complicated than that. It was full of betrayal, blood feuds and a sister who had tried to kill her simply for saving a woman’s life. She wasn’t running from the past as much as she was from the certainty that the future would never change if she stayed. Running away was the only way to make sure she didn’t end up as crazy and consumed by hate as her sister.

Everything, she could truthfully say, had begun with Thane.

He had not always been a friend. The month that separated her from the truth of the world was the same amount of time that separated them from being mortal enemies who were destined to kill each other because Ellie held the name of Bumbalow and Thane held the name of Cooper.

The Coopers and the Bumbalows had been fighting a blood feud for as long as anyone could remember. It didn’t matter that no one knew the cause of the feud, or that its purpose was so muddled that no one could rightfully say how it began. The fight had taken on a life of its own; it breathed its way into every good moment until the bad moments were considered par-for-the-course.

Violence was everything to her family – it was something she had always known. It was the reason her father was dead and her mother had taken to wandering the world in search of peace. And it was certainly why she was so eager to flee the only life she had ever known.

Thane’s friendship had changed her world for the better. He had been her ticket to see town – something she had wanted for as long as she could remember. That one act of kindness had led to their friendship and Ellie’s betrayal of her family. He was the reason they were watching the forest roll past them instead of fighting a bloody war where no one ever truly won.

Despite Ellie’s eagerness to see what was beyond her front door, the bloodiness of the feud was the major reason she did not care where the train was headed. Ellie never wanted to see the pain and death that circled their families again – pain that caused a never-ending circle of retribution and drama. They had broken free of the cycle, and she was eager to begin a new life with no limitations; a life without hate clouding every thought and moment.

While Ellie eagerly accepted the fact that she would never return to the only place she had ever known, Thane was in shock. He had contemplated running away from the feud, from his father, and creating a new world for himself that did not consist of maintaining the family business of murder and mayhem for a very long time, but he had never found the courage to run away and mean it before. And he certainly never thought that his courage would come in the form of a sixteen-year-old girl he had once been sworn to hate. He stared at the trees without seeing them, his mind full of doubt and fear as they rode toward the horizon.

Despite her eagerness to be headed away from the fighting for the first time in her life, and her intense vigil over the moving landscape, Ellie could not fight the exhaustion when it came. Her day had been filled with drama, fighting and ultimate sadness that her escape had been marked by even more death. She was beyond tired, and even the idea of a new adventure could not keep her awake against the forcefully lulling rhythm of the train forging its path on the iron tracks. She fell asleep five hours after they hopped the train.

There hadn’t been any sort of beds to sleep in on the train car they had hitched a ride in but that was not a problem for Ellie. Where others had to depend on the world as it was, she had craft. It was the one thing she had confidence in; it was the only thing she had ever felt she was good at doing.

Ellie simply waved her hand and two very large, very comfortable beds appeared in the car. She was asleep the moment her head touched the fluffy white pillow.

Thane did not relax nearly as easily. He tossed, and turned, and tried to fight the comfort of the bed, afraid that the moment he dozed off something bad would happen, or he would discover that this miracle of freedom was just a dream, but it didn’t take him very long to follow Ellie into sleep. He could not watch over her the way he intended – to follow through on his self-appointed role of protector. He was too human to deny himself the pleasure of a good night’s sleep for very long. He was too overwhelmed by the journey they had undertaken.

Caw, however, did not sleep. He spent the hours on her headboard, watching for dangers in the rolling night. He was their silent guardian – the careful eye that would steer them away from danger. He watched the dark landscapes beyond the car door, heard the sounds of other animals in the dark, and felt every shift of light around them. Once or twice, he dove through the open door to circle the train, catch a bug or two, and find freedom in the wind, but he never went far, and he always kept an eye on things.

It was still dark outside when the train began to slow. Caw was sitting on the headboard again as the sound of the brakes on the tracks surrounded the train. He jumped down to Ellie’s bed and tried to wake her when he realized what the sound meant. He pulled at her dress and made sharp clicking noises with his beak, but Ellie did not wake. She was too tired and too lost in her dreams to pay the bird any attention.

Not giving up, Caw hopped over to Thane’s bed and repeated the moment with him. Thane waved his hand in sleepy irritation and a spark of electricity accidentally surged out. It hit Caw on the foot and the bird took flight through the open doors with an angry squawk.

By the time Caw had calmed down enough to come back, the train had come to a slow, grinding stop. Ellie and Thane were still oblivious of danger. Despite the pain and irritation of the shock, Caw was determined to wake them. He sucked in a deep breath and gave the loudest call he could manage without alerting the entire train to what he was doing.

Thane awoke with a start, his eyes wild and his hair even wilder. He took in the train, Ellie, Caw, and the fact that the train was no longer moving. Even in his groggy state, he knew it was time to go. He jumped out of his bed, immediately fully awake, and went to Ellie. Ellie mumbled incoherently as he shook her, but she didn’t wake up at his touch.

Ellie, the train’s stopped! We have to go! Thane called in a loud whisper right in her ear.

Ellie mumbled something about ivy and rolled over on her side. Thane heard the sound of people starting to get off the train and animals stirring. He frowned at Ellie, wondering how she could possibly sleep so soundly in such a time, and held up his hand. He thought about what he wanted to do for a short second, then he waved his hand once. A pair of cymbals appeared over her head. There was another beat of silence, then Thane waved his hand again. The cymbals crashed overhead in a way that rattled the entire car.

Ellie sat up as if she had been electrified. Her face was full of sleep, and her eyes were wide. All the color had drained out of her.

Don’t kill me! she said wildly.

Her heart was racing and her mind was swirling with dread. It was not because of the cymbals, or the uncomfortable feeling of waking from a dead sleep. She had been dreaming of Neveah’s death – it was a moment that filled her with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She was sad that Neveah was gone, sad that the war had claimed her sister, but Neveah had been trying to kill Ellie at the time. She was not certain she would have survived had Neveah’s murder attempt not been unwittingly stopped by Thane’s brother. It put a damper on her normal emotions of sadness to know how close Neveah had come to killing her. She also felt guilty for feeling relieved that Neveah had been the one to die instead of her. It was torture for her to feel so relieved and so sad over a singular moment.

We’ve stopped, Thane replied, fully focused on the present for the first time since leaving. We need to go before someone finds us here.

Oh… Ellie said, carefully pushing the memory of Neveah from her mind.

The past was done and there wasn’t a whole lot she could do to change it. She had made her choice to save Thane’s mother; Neveah had likewise made her choice. There was no going back, no matter how guilty or conflicted she felt. What mattered now was the present, and getting caught and sent back home was definitely a risk of the now. Getting sent home would be a death sentence. It would be the single most dangerous thing she could do.

Ellie rubbed the sleep from her eyes and set her bare feet on the cold metal of the car. The reality of the cold on her feet woke her up more than the cymbals had. Caw flew to her shoulder as she stood, and she touched him on the wing in greeting. He clicked his beak once as if to say ‘hello,’ though he was still too irritated to be genuinely affectionate.

After a wave of her hand to change her dirty dress, put her boots on, and make the beds disappear, Ellie followed Thane to the door and peeked out. There were lights in the darkness that surrounded the car they were in. Some of the lights were far away, while others were very close. Most of the light came from the interior of the train, where rows of windows revealed that the train was not just a cargo train. It held quite a few people. They moved around inside the train, casting long, eerie shadows over the dark train yard. There were a few small lights on the outside of the train, one of which was closing in on their car.

Thane pulled Ellie back around the door before the person with the light noticed them. They’ll see us if we try to run, Thane said in a low whisper.

So? It won’t hurt nothing, Ellie said. They’ll have to catch us for it to matter. And I’d rather be outside than caught in here with no way out.

That’s true, I guess, Thane said dubiously.

Ellie went to the door again and peeked out. The light was much closer; it was only a train car away. She could sense that there was only one person behind the light. They had plenty of room to run away and not get caught. It was now or never.

Ready? Ellie asked, feeling a bit excited despite the seriousness of their situation.

She didn’t see the man as a legitimate threat. All he could do was chase after them and maybe yell a little. He didn’t have a craft, which was the only way she could see someone stopping them. Ellie was convinced she could outrun him. He was just their very first bit of fun on their new journey to anywhere.

Thane grabbed the bag he had brought along off the floor – which held all the precious belongings from their previous life – and nodded. Caw stretched out his wings in preparation for flight. Ellie tried to hide her grin, knowing he wouldn’t like it in such a serious situation, and went to the door. She took a deep breath, looked at Thane to make sure he was ready, and then stepped forward.

Go! Ellie called.

Thane and Ellie jumped down at the same time, their feet hitting the tracks in unison. Caw jumped off Ellie’s shoulder as she landed and took flight. The light had moved close enough for Ellie to see the dark shape of a very large man. He was the largest person she had ever seen. A quick shiver of fear went down her spine as she realized her first assessment of him had been wrong. If he caught them, he would certainly be capable of causing trouble.

The man swore in surprise when he saw them, but Ellie and Thane didn’t wait around for him to come to his senses. They took off running in the opposite direction. There was a moment of shocked silence, then Ellie heard the man start chasing them. The sound of his feet on the rocks was alarmingly loud.

Another train had parked parallel to theirs, so they were forced to run between the two. It cut off their escape route, but there was hope at the end of the second train. There, they would be able to disappear and leave the man in their dust.

The flash of color and shape were peripheral as they ran. They didn’t have time to focus on any one thing in particular before the next thing appeared next to them. Logos, gear, and people appeared around them then were gone again as they ran full speed for whatever safety they could find.

The train that was blocking their escape finally ended. Thane took a sharp right, jumping over the rails as if he knew exactly where he was going. Ellie followed after him, trusting that he knew where to go despite the fact that it was his first time hopping a train as well. Thane always seemed to know what to do. It was one solid thing she could count on in a world she knew nothing about. He would always guide her away from trouble.

Despite running from a man who could quite possibly kill her with the sheer strength of his body, Ellie felt a wave of amazement as the horizon opened out in front of them. She was suddenly caught up in the newness of the wonder in front of her.

The rows of iron tracks looked like spines as they stretched out across the flat landscape. Train cars were parked on some of the tracks, while most of the rails were empty and stretched out for what seemed like forever in both directions. A large structure was at the far end of the spiny tracks opposite to where their train had stopped – it was a warehouse of some sort and too far away to be of use. There was a profound sense of history and movement that Ellie could not ignore.

Another structure, designed like a house but way smaller, stood between the tracks and was at the epicenter of the skeletal web. It was the closest place of refuge in an area that was entirely without cover.

Thane pulled Ellie toward the smaller structure, his eyes sweeping the yard in desperation. There was no other place to hide that would keep the man from finding them. Someone had done a good job of clearing the area of trees and brush. It was the house or the warehouse, and Thane was certain that they could not reach the warehouse in time. The large man was deceptively fast; his long legs ate up distance theirs could not. He would catch them soon if they didn’t find a place to hide.

It didn’t help that Ellie was having trouble keeping up. Thane pulled her after him, but it was not enough. She tried to keep up, but his desperation made matching his speed tricky. He had adrenaline in his veins that she did not. It didn’t help that she was wearing shoes. She was used to running barefoot; the shoes just made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. With the darkness obscuring the ground, she stumbled over unseen obstacles, and more than once, Thane’s hand was the only thing that kept her on her feet. Her stumbling slowed them considerably, but they still managed to stay enough ahead of the man to reach the house without being seen by him.

Thane threw back the door and dove inside without looking inside first. Ellie followed him with Caw close behind her. The bird swooped in and landed on Ellie’s shoulder as she slammed the door shut. She immediately turned and peered through the lonely, dirty window on the door for signs of the man chasing them. The light had disappeared behind one of the train cars as he searched for them to their left. They had lost him. Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.

He’s gone, she told Thane.

Thane was breathless but he nodded in agreement. He held onto the wall as he tried to catch his breath and figure out what to do next. They had a world of options in front of them, which just made their choices seem that much more overwhelming. He wasn’t sure where to go next – mainly because he didn’t know where he was. The weight of his burden was heavy. The success of their adventure rested on his shoulders, and he had no clue what he was doing.

Who’s gone? a voice laced with humor asked from behind them.

Ellie and Thane spun around at the same time. Caw gave a startled squawk at the sudden movement and flew off Ellie’s shoulder and onto a large dresser to the right of the door. He ruffled his feathers in agitation and peered down at the man who had startled them all.

The man was thin and wispy and had the good-natured air of someone used to accepting people by the truth of their word and manner; he was used to giving people breaks and showing them kindness. Behind that good-natured face, though, there was the intellect of a shrewd businessman. The man had long ago learned the importance of kindness first and shrewdness second, but he definitely was not the sort of man people took advantage of for very long.

The biggest part of the wispy-seeming man was his bristling mustache. It caught Ellie’s attention immediately. She had never seen such a well-groomed mustache in her entire life. It curled up into perfect, thick question marks and looked as if it were oiled daily. It held as much character as his shining eyes and kind face. He wore simple clothes – black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt. By Ellie’s estimation he was somewhere between forty and fifty, though his twinkling eyes held the joy of youth.

Ellie looked at Thane, uncertain of what to say or how to act. The man was obviously full of humor, but she did not know if he would take kindly to them sneaking on board a train. He had the air of someone official and could get them in trouble just as quickly as the large man could. He definitely had the power to send them home. Thane looked back at Ellie helplessly. He had no idea what to say either. Ellie realized in that second that she had more experience than Thane with lying. She had spent her life sidestepping Neveah and telling lies to keep herself out of trouble.

I was just kidding, Ellie said innocently. You know how kids are with their jokes…

Ellie looked past the thin man and saw a grumpy-looking man sitting at a cluttered desk. He did not seem nearly as entertained by the interruption as the first man. He scowled at Ellie and Thane. He especially looked upset at a bird being inside. He kept glancing at Caw as if he desperately wanted to take the broom to him. Ellie moved closer to Caw just in case he decided to follow through on that instinct.

There’s no playin’ on the rails! the man at the desk barked. This is a dangerous area. No trespassin’! And no birds inside!

We weren’t playing, Ellie assured him. We were, uh…just going, actually.

The door swung open as she spoke and a bright light shone on their faces. The light was from a flashlight and was very familiar. The large man had finally caught up to them.

Mr. Salt, a rumbling voice came from beyond the light, I wanted to let you know that a couple of kids…

The voice trailed away as he took in Ellie and Thane. Ellie’s eyes widened, and she began to think of all the ways out of the tiny building. The only thing that seemed likely to work was craft. She would have to use magic to get away. She did not want to hurt anyone, but she also did not want to be hurt. She had no idea what the people on the outside world were capable of, and this giant seemed entirely capable of hurting her. He frightened her more now that he was so close. The single meaty hand she could see spoke an uncanny ability to find and produce violence.

She was afraid, and her fear made her desperate in a way it did not make Thane. He knew that they couldn’t murder them for trespassing. The worst thing they could do was hold them somewhere until they figured out who they were. And they could definitely escape before that ever happened. At least, that was the hope. He cursed mentally at himself for having brought his wallet, which contained the very identification that could betray them both. The men only had to take it from him and everything they had worked towards would be lost.

But Ellie didn’t know how far the danger extended. She figured that they would figure them out. In her world, people knew each other – a Cooper knew a Bumbalow, and vice versa. There wasn’t a lot in between. She was certain these men would figure out where she came from and send her back.

A couple of kids did what? the man behind the desk demanded. His eyes narrowed dangerously. These two ain’t stowaways, is they? he asked the mustached man.

The mustached man’s eyes swept across Thane and Ellie in a quick survey. The survey was enough to lead him to a decision. Compassion and empathy appeared on his face before he turned to face the man again. His expression hardened back into the business expression of a man who was used to getting the best deal in any situation.

Stowaways? the mustached man asked. Definitely not. I’m required by law to report all stowaways to you, Mr. Young. I would not risk my business on two children I don’t know. No…these two are new to my crew, the niece and nephew of one of my men. I hired them to clean after the horses and do other unpleasant jobs no one will take. My man here has not yet met them. He most likely just gave them a fright…As you can see, he is very big and intimidating.

Is this true? Mr. Young asked the still unseen man at the door.

There was only the briefest of pauses. If Mr. Salt says it is. I must have scared them. My apologies, he added to Thane and Ellie.

It’s nothing, Thane said with a nervous attempt at a smile. Just a misunderstanding.

Lovely, Mr. Salt, the owner of the very large mustache, said cheerfully. Now that the introductions are through, and we’re all caught up, I have business to attend to.

He turned back to Mr. Young, dismissing Thane and Ellie with a simple smile and a flip of his hand. With that, the lie was complete.

Ellie and Thane did not need to be told to leave twice. The large man with the light stepped out of the way obligingly and Ellie and Thane hurried out of the room. Caw flew after them and landed on Ellie’s shoulder again, slipping through the crack in the door before it closed. The large man jumped slightly as Caw passed him, but recovered quickly. He closed the door when they were all out, shutting out Mr. Salt and Mr. Young. Ellie could hear them start talking about paperwork for the train.

Ellie stood on the stairs for a short second, eyeing the train yard with equal parts fascination and fear. Her fascination could not be forgotten despite the trouble they had just walked away from.

Her first thought was that she could have never imagined so many trains in one place if she had tried. The idea that there was a whole yard dedicated to their care was impressive. She knew that her momma had left on a train when she had first taken to wandering the world, and they had been the biggest part of Ellie’s daydreams to leave the house and explore, but she had never imagined such a place. Momma had never mentioned it in all of her stories. The yard was where some of the trains would stay forever; for others, it was a place to rest for a while before continuing their journey elsewhere. The simple beauty of decay and unending movement fascinated her.

The fear that she knew so little of the world worked on her senses as well. It was the first time she truly felt lost. Unlike the trains, she didn’t know where she was or where she was headed – she didn’t know where to begin in her journey, she just knew that she had to take that next step. There was no looking back. She wondered when her fear of failure – and of the world in general – would die. She didn’t want to spend her entire journey afraid of everything. She was eager to start being part of the world instead of looking at it from the outside.

The towering presence of the man brought Ellie back to the present. He still made her feel uncomfortable and awkward. He was just too tall and too mysterious to make her feel entirely safe. He could turn into a threat at a second’s notice, and she wasn’t certain when that second would come.

She moved away from him when she realized she was blocking his path down the stairs. She hovered near Thane anxiously as she waited for the trouble to come. Thane looked up at the man questioningly. He wanted to know if he intended to punish them for the chase; he wanted to know if it was okay to leave.

The man stepped closer and Ellie was finally able to see his face. He was as tall as his shadow had suggested – he was close to seven feet and very broad. He wore a tank top and a pair of jeans covered in dirt. The tank top showed off his bulging muscles, which made Ellie feel as if he could snap their necks with a simple squeeze of his sled-sized hands. His eyebrows were thick and bushy; they were the same raven-black as his close-cropped hair. He had tattoos on his biceps and neck. He looked dangerous, like a monster out of one of her books. Despite that, his eyes held no malice or anger. He was calm as he took them in. He wasn’t full of vindictive fury for the chase they had led him on. His calm aura made Ellie feel less afraid. He wasn’t what she thought on first appearance at all. He was gentler than that.

You should get of here, the man said in a voice that was very soft. His voice was a contradiction to his large size.

No argument there, Thane agreed. He hesitated before asking his next question. He didn’t want to press their good luck, but the weight of their adventure still pressed down on him. He needed to know where they were. "Do you