Free The Curse: Touch of Eternity (The Curse series) by Emily Bold Page A

window. Black sunglasses covered his eyes—and those circles. Maybe he was out late partying, I thought.
    When he noticed me staring, he smiled and turned on the radio. “Get the Party Started” by Pink was on, one of my favorites, so I turned it up and laughed. Oh yeah, I said to myself. The party was starting.
    Payton raised his eyebrows. “You’re in a good mood.”
    “Well, yeah. Aren’t you?”
    “Yes, but I’m not exactly the get-the-party-started kind of personality. Though, I must admit, my mood has improved since you’ve been sitting next to me.”
    We smiled at each other.
    We made one more twisty turn, and suddenly, we had left the hills behind us. To the left was the crystal clear Loch Duich. And right in the middle of the lake, to my great surprise, was a castle, accessible only by a footbridge.
    “Right, then. Here we are.” Payton pulled into a parking spot and got out. “Do you know where we are?”
    I shook my head and shut the door behind me. “No, but it’s amazing!”
    “You’ve never seen the film
Highlander
then?”
    “No, when it comes to eighties movies, I’m more of an
Indiana Jones
fan.”
    “Well, anyway, this is the famous Eilean Donan Castle. And some of the movie
Highlander
was filmed here.”
    I stood still and looked around. The scenery was so pretty, it was overpowering. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful setting for a castle.
    “Come on, let’s go in,” I said, pulling my smartphone out of my bag and getting the camera ready. I had to document this day for posterity, for sure. Payton paid the entrance fee, waving off my offer to pay my own way.
    “Listen, I have more or less abducted you. Nobody knows where you are, and therefore, you are helplessly bound to my will. I think you should just obey me.”
    “Obey you? You’re crazy! But all right, I’ll pay for our food then.”
    I reached for his arm to lead him toward the entrance, but he immediately moved away. Man, I thought, for a cool guy, he was awfully stiff. Every time I touched him, whether coincidentally or on purpose, he pulled back.
    Grumpily, I went on ahead. “Are you coming?”
    My good mood—and ego—had been given a huge blow. But in just a few minutes, I wasn’t mad anymore. The castle was fantastic. The grounds were much smaller than around the ruins near Loch Ness, but inside this castle, the rooms were partially furnished. I tried to imagine what life must have been like back then. If I’d had Payton by my side, I fantasized, I would have been well protected.
    “How old are you?” I suddenly asked him.
    He took a long time to answer.
    “Nineteen. May I also ask questions of you, or am I the only one to be interrogated?”
    “That, in itself, is already a question.”
    He arched an eyebrow.
    “All right, I have an idea,” I told him. “Today you answer all of my questions, and then I’ll answer three of your questions.” I gave him my best smile and batted my eyelashes.
    “Three doesn’t seem very many,” Payton said. “But I will agree under one condition. I will try to answer all of your questions, but your three answers must be the absolute truth.”
    I was silent for a moment, wondering why he would think I wouldn’t tell him the truth in the first place. It didn’t matter, though. I didn’t have any secrets to keep.
    “Deal!” I stuck out my hand to him. And after a brief hesitation, he shook it.
    I leapt at my opportunity, peppering him with questions for nearly a half hour. As promised, he answered them all. I heard about his brothers Sean and Blair. I learned that his childhood dog was a giant wolfhound named Lou. I found out that he loved the beach at night.
    “Same here,” I told him. “I live at a place called Silver Lake. There’s nothing more beautiful than a summer night by the water!”
    Suddenly, I felt very homesick. I’d been away from home for almost two weeks. I missed my parents and my friends—especially Kim. Was she still seeing Justin? I