The Necklace

5: The Curse

"What's so funny?!" I snap, my irritation slipping into my voice as I glare at Calvin.

My chest feels like it's on fire, a strange, almost feverish heat pooling under my skin. A bead of sweat trickles from my neck to my collarbone, and I glance down. The necklace—that beautiful, innocent-looking necklace—is glowing, shifting from silver to a molten gold.

"What the hell is going on?" I demand, locking eyes with Calvin. His gaze, once warm and golden, has turned darker, almost predatory, the color of rich, burning amber.

With that infuriating calmness, he raises a hand to my cheek. "Easy, Ellie," he murmurs, his voice soft and strangely comforting.

"Don't call me Ellie," I mutter, smacking his hand away. As I do, my eyes catch on the ring on his middle finger—it matches the necklace, golden with a dark blue stone, faintly glowing too.

"Please," he says, his voice almost soothing. "Let me explain."

"Then start talking," I bite out.

Calvin's lips curl into a faint smile. "The necklace you're wearing is a binding necklace in my realm. You accepted it willingly, let me place it around your neck, spoke the words, and drank the potion. By doing so, you've bound yourself to its host."

"Bound?" I repeat, trying to process his words. "Bound to who?"

Calvin lifts his hand, displaying the matching ring. "To me, of course. The necklace only binds you to its bearer. In ninety days, we'll be married."

The word "married" hits like a punch to the gut. I give a short, humorless laugh. "Right. And I'm supposed to just accept that?"

"You will," he replies smoothly, a glint of something dangerous flickering in his eyes. "In time, you'll come to understand this... and me."

"Oh, I understand just fine. But I think I'll pass on the whole 'binding myself to you' thing," I snap.

Then Calvin turns to Jesse, who has stayed silent, his face pale and expressionless. "Thank you for bringing her to me," Calvin says, his voice dripping with irony. "You really are a man of your word. Too bad I'm not..."

"Jesse, what the hell is going on?" I ask.

"I'm sorry." Jesse says, looking like he's seen a ghost.

He glances at me, guilt written all over his face. "I'm sorry, Elina. I didn't know it was going to be like this..." Then, without another word, he backs away and bolts out of the bar, ignoring my calls.

I turn back to Calvin, my frustration bubbling over. Without hesitation, I grab the necklace, yanking at the clasp. The metal burns against my skin, but I force it off, letting it dangle from my hand.

"There," I say, voice laced with sarcasm. "Problem solved. I'm out of here."

But Calvin's smirk only deepens. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." His tone is almost lazy, as though amused by my attempt to defy him. "You'll need that necklace to survive. Once it's off, you'll start to feel its absence. Once you're bound with the necklace, you'll die after three consecutive days of not wearing it."

A chill runs down my spine despite my anger. "You're kidding. This is all just some sick joke, right?"

His expression is maddeningly calm, his eyes locked on mine. "Does it look like I'm joking?"

I push past him and storm out of the bar, desperate to put some distance between us. His footsteps echo behind me, a steady, relentless reminder that he's still there, watching me. I pick up my pace, breaking into a full sprint towards the beach. The moon casts an eerie glow on the water as I finally stop, gasping for breath.

I glance around, seeing no sign of him. I clutch the necklace tightly in my hand and, with a burst of defiance, hurl it into the ocean. I don't care about Calvin's threats. All I want is to be free of this madness.

The waves crash onto the shore, swallowing the necklace as it disappears beneath the water. For a moment, I feel a strange sense of relief, as if a weight has been lifted. I sit on the cool sand, letting myself breathe, trying to make sense of everything that's happened tonight.

As the adrenaline fades, I feel the chill of the night settle around me. I reach into my sweatshirt pocket, suddenly aware of the familiar shape of my phone.

I feel like I'm going crazy. I searched my sweatshirt pocket looking for that phone earlier. Confused, I pull it out and turn it on.

Twelve missed calls and several texts light up the screen. I immediately recognize Sienne's name. Great. She's probably worried sick. I quickly text her back, assuring her I'm okay, but before I can send another message, my phone buzzes as Sienne calls.

"Ellieeee, where are you?!" Sienne shouts, her words spilling out.

"Long story," I say, exhaustion weighing on my voice. "I'm heading back now—I'll explain everything."

"Kelly! Kelly! Ellie's coming back!" I hear her yell over the music, followed by Kelly's distant cheer.

I hang up, feeling even more exhausted than before. Tonight feels like a strange fever dream I can't wake up from. Just as I'm about to put my phone away, I feel a prickle on the back of my neck—a sense that I'm not alone.

I turn, heart hammering, but there's no one. Just the dark, empty beach stretching into the night. I'm sure Jesse is pulling a prank and will be waiting for me back at the house, ready to laugh at my expense.