Cursed (Enchanted Gods #1) - K.K. Allen Page 0,54

large glittery blue fin swims by. I scream, causing water to bubble around me as I use the last of the air in my lungs.

I’m jolted from my sleep and forced to adjust to the morning light. I shudder, feeling as if I’m not alone, like someone was just here watching me. I swivel my head, surveying my surroundings. My suspicions are somewhat confirmed. Someone was in my room. The French doors are wide open, allowing the warm morning breeze to float in from the bay.

With a swift kick, I throw off my covers then sit up, senses on high alert. Something tells me the windows haven’t been open for long. It only takes a second to spot the green emerald necklace lying on my balcony. I look at my vanity mirror, where I remember placing the necklace last night, then back to the balcony rail. How did it get there?

At a snail’s pace, I move toward it, heart pounding rapidly. I say a silent prayer that my imagination has gotten the better of me, most likely triggered by the previous day’s events. Up close, I examine the odd-shaped necklace. I know nothing about jewelry, except that this piece is stunning. It glimmers radiantly as the stone’s facets catch the sunlight. The imperfections in the long jagged edges are mesmerizing. Lifting it, allowing the gold chain to dangle, I watch the emerald glow once more. The stone doesn’t frighten me anymore. I place the chain around my neck because it somehow feels wrong to be without it, and the stone now hangs lightly upon my chest, unlike last night. It’s as if my acceptance of the grand jewel makes the weight manageable.

I rest my elbows on the balcony rail, reflecting on the events from the previous day. Rose outdid herself with the elaborate party filled with eccentric costumes, all for my birthday, an occasion she believed to be some sort of enchanting. A laugh bubbles up my throat at the ridiculousness of the way she demanded I levitate a cake in front of her and Charlotte. Such utter foolishness.

Discomfort snakes through me when I remember the invisible force that pushed me back and onto the couch so hard that I lost control of my own body. Rose and Charlotte seemed to think Rose caused that, but how is that even possible? There has to be another explanation.

Maybe Rose is the head of a cult. The thought reassures me in a way. It’s something that actually makes sense. What doesn’t make sense are how some of my visions and dreams have been coming true. That’s a chilling realization since last night’s dream ended in my death.

My thoughts are interrupted by something far out in the bay. A boat sails by with two men standing near the bow. They’re holding fishing poles, but that’s not what sends a shiver through me. I’m able to follow the fishing line that runs from the tip of a pole down into the water.

“Impossible,” I say on a hushed breath. The boat has got to be at least a mile away, but my vision is weirdly perfect. More than perfect. It’s as if everything is magnified.

I look down the beachfront, and I swear my eyes are playing tricks on me. I scan the houses down the row from ours, unsure what I’m looking for. I’m just searching for some kind of clue that I’m not going crazy—then my eyes lock on a warning label on an electrical box ten houses down. It’s blurry at first, but as I begin to focus on it, my sight adjusts to perfection, and I can read it clearly.

I suck in a deep breath and remember what Rose mentioned about heightened senses. Can it be possible that all of my senses are more powerful now? I look down at the beach and spot an elderly couple. They appear to be in mid-discussion as they walk side by side at the water’s edge. The voices are amplified the second I focus in on them.

Their conversation is as clear as the water running onto the shore. Their grandchildren are coming into town and staying for a few days while their parents vacation in the Hamptons. The old man wants his wife to stop at the store and get a few things before they arrive. I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again, muting the radio in my head. I scold myself for invading their privacy.

Okay. So my vision is excellent, and my