Page 253 of The Defiant Curse

Jesus.

That was terrifying.

In the darkening woods, among the mist, the place seemed to be alive with a weird electricity.

Elizabeth crossed herself because when in Hell, pray for your life. Oh, and this was her kind of Hell—where she couldn’t fight it.

As the box gave way under the fourth hit, the lid shattered apart, falling into the box.

And they could see the bones.

“Can I suggest we get this done?” Graham asked. “I don’t like the feeling out here. It feels like we’re in the middle of a battle.”

Yeah, that was exactly the vibe they were each getting. Someone was NOT happy.

As they flipped the box over, the bones all came out, and with them, a very small burlap sack. It was worn, old, and threadbare.

Hopefully, this would have what they needed. So, Elizabeth picked it up.

As she did, she could feel something moving around inside of it, and she knew what it would be.

“I think this is the necklace,” she admitted. “If it’s with Oison, it’s safe to say my theory is right. He took it from Ceit before she died, or he stole it from her body when she hit the ground.”

There was sobbing.

“Okay, well, then, let it be noted on the record that he robbed it from her dead body.”

Dumping it out into her hand, the second it touched her flesh, the thing that had been watching them appeared. Oh, and it was PISSED.

It moved right at Elizabeth, as if it was going to hurt her. She gasped, but before it could slam into her, Ethan grabbed his wife, pulled her out of the way, and the two of them rolled across the ground.

And all Hell broke loose.

They heard thundering hoofbeats, and as they looked up, there were two apparitions heading their way on horseback.

Only, not horses that they owned here at the castle. They were ghostly horses, and one could see through them.

Wails began all around them, as Oison’s spirit was fixated on Elizabeth.

It moved at her as she held the necklace, but the two horsemen got in the way.

Michael had put Gabby behind him, and he and Graham backed away from the bones.

Oison kept popping in and out, closer and closer to Elizabeth.

Then, they heard it.

“CEIT! You whore!”

Well, shit.

Looking like the dead woman was likely a very bad thing at that moment.

When something grabbed her and physically tried to pull her away, Ethan grabbed onto her wrist and refused to let go. He dug in his heels and fought for his wife.

“I have you,” he said, doing one hell of a battle to keep his wife with him.

She looked scared, and he didn’t blame her.