Devlin's Curse Read Online Free PDF

that stood between her and a horrible hunger. “Please, I need your help.”
    Grandfather Woo shook his head and waved his hands. “You go, I no help you.” 
    Esmeralda reached into her reticule again and pulled out a thick dark coil, a braid of human hair and flung it down on the counter. “Remember Hop Woo? Your son? Give me the tincture and I will tell you how he died.”
    Grandfather Woo stared at the braid. Then with a gnarled hand he reached out and stroked it. Over his shoulder he shouted in Chinese to someone beyond the curtain. A diminutive Chinese woman with an ageless, doll like face and dressed in dark silk came forward. They spoke rapidly in Chinese. The woman shook her head over and over clutching the braid to her breast. Tears filled her eyes and she fled behind the curtain again.
    “Tell me how my son died and Grandmother will make you medicine.”
    Esmeralda took a deep breath. Terrible images crawled through her mind.  She saw the pale bloated face of Hop Woo staring up at her from the bottom of the pond. “Your son was the slave of an undead demon, one who walked upon this earth in the guise of a man.  I found his body at the bottom of the pond on my farm. He is buried next to my father near the town of Red Bluff.”
    “And the demon? Where is he?”
    “I saw him die, burned to ashes.”
    For a long moment Grandfather Woo just stared at Esmeralda puffing on his pipe. She could feel his thoughts piercing her aura like razors.
    “Come, Grandmother make you cure.” He gestured towards the curtain.
    Jamie’s eyes went wide. “I don’t reckon you should go in there, Miss.”
    “Don’t worry, Jamie. Wait for me out here I will be right back.”
    Esmeralda followed Grandfather Woo through the curtain and down some dark stone steps. The steps led to a dank cavern filled with incense and opium smoke. Padded benches lined the walls were the shadowy figures of men and women alike lay smoking pipes in a euphoric haze.  A door at the end of the cavern opened into a small treatment room with a cot in the middle. Grandfather Woo gestured for her to lie down on the cot.  Out of the shadows Grandmother materialized with a leather bundle. They whispered in Chinese and repeated the word “Jaing Shi.” Grandfather Woo opened the bundle to reveal a handful of long fine needles. Grandmother began to grind some herbs in a brass pestle.
    Esmeralda tried to relax as Grandfather stuck the needles in various places in her hands neck and face. With a stick of burning herbs he heated the ends of the needles. The pain in her bones started to drift away. She began to dream.
    She floated back to the night she had her very first vision. She remembered sneaking out of her bed in the middle of the night and walking through the house in the dark. She always loved the dark for it was soothing and mysterious full of night sounds. Barefoot and clothed in a long white nightgown she unlatched the door and went outside to the well behind the barn. Owls hooted and the farm animals stirred restlessly. The well drew her to it like a magnet its circular stones gleamed white in the moonlight. When she reached it she leaned over and peered into the black water. The pale moon and a sprinkling of stars shone back at her. Frowning, she stared as the water trembled and rippled and the face of the moon disintegrated like smoke. She saw her mother with panic in her face. She was driving their buckboard with her hands pulling frantically at the reins. The buckboard swerved and hit a bump then careened out of control. Her mother screamed as the wagon went airborne then flipped over. Terrified at what she had seen she ran into the house.
    “ Mommy! Mommy!”
    She yelled as she ran into her parent’s bedroom.
     
     
    The Gilded Bird mine was indeed rich. A bloated mound of dirt saturated with golden bounty. It was also well and truly cursed. A sweltering hellhole who’s steaming depths had taken the lives of many unfortunate miners.