I have no idea what time it is or even what day it is. I don’t care. I stroke Raptor’s feathers as I think. Why were all the ghosts after Maddie?
That should be obvious. It is because of me. But why?
Books are still scattered over my table and at the foot of my bed. I read everything there was on Obeah before Maddie died, and there are zero reasons those ghosts shouldn’t have listened to me. None.
Samuel’s face pops up in my head. Not the one he normally had, with his crooked grin and lying eyes, but the one just before he died. His complete sincerity.
Congrats, Callie, you’re the puppet now.
That phrase keeps coming back to me. Maybe that is it. Maybe I can’t control the ghosts because Samuel never really could either. I’m such an idiot.
I killed the wrong guy.
But how the hell was I supposed to know that?
That doesn’t explain why every freaking ghost went after my sister. But it’s not just that. Benny said that, for him, the compulsion to kill someone specific had only ever been with me, and none of his ghost friends had ever experienced it. Plus when Juliette died, she was left on my porch. If I am a puppet, then whoever is in charge really wants me to suffer.
From the moment I showed up, someone has been after me. Hell, maybe even before. Someone brought me to the island and made sure I didn’t leave. It was someone here, but who?
Ghost or human?
The only people with magical powers are Ruth and Lorena, so it could be one of them. But that doesn’t make sense. Ruth stitched me up after the tiger scratched me, and Lorena has helped me every step of the way. Are there others with magic that I don’t know about? If someone else went through that much trouble over me, they’re probably hiding their magical powers.
The thing is, someone brought me to the island. Someone wanted me here. But I had zero ties with anyone on the island before I got here.
Except Luke.
My stomach tightens. I hate to think he is behind it. There are zero reasons why he would do anything like that.
It could literally be anyone from Elias to Benny.
I hate thinking that someone is out to get me. Especially if it is someone I love. Obviously, I have no love for Elias, but he has no magical powers. Benny. I suppose he could’ve. But why would he? Besides, he didn’t try to hide the fact that he was trying to kill me. If he was behind it, he would never have admitted it.
No. I can’t believe that either of them had anything to do with it.
Someone brought me here to kill me. Then when I took steps to prevent that, they went after the people I love.
My heart flutters again.
Maddie is dead.
If I could bring her back, I would. In a heartbeat. Even if it means the end of myself. But that is impossible. The only way she’s coming back from the dead is if she kills thirteen people, and she won’t even kill one. That would destroy her.
I can’t change her death. I have to accept it and move forward.
And I need to find this person before they kill other people I love. This person, who could be anyone, on or off the island.
My mind starts to drift, and sleep threatens again. I peek outside the window. It’s dark. Maybe when I wake, I’ll be clearer on things. I thought that once Samuel died, I’d be able to relax, but that is the furthest thing from the truth.
My mission has gotten even more urgent now, but I’ll be better after sleep. Tomorrow though, I’ll find out who has made my life a living hell. And I really, really hope it’s not Benny.
I also hope against hope that he isn’t the one who killed Maddie. He probably is, but I push that thought far away.
I love him, and the betrayal would be too much.
Chapter Nine
I wake hours later when the sun is high in the sky. My air conditioning is working overtime, but it’s still sticky in my little boat. My head is clear for a few seconds, and then the reality of my situation slams into me. I am a puppet Obeah woman. Maddie is dead. And I have way more questions than answers.
I sit up, and Raptor squawks. I can’t trust anyone, and everyone is a potential suspect.
I get up, shower, and eat breakfast. It’s just Froot Loops and the last of my milk. Time to make a grocery list again, but who has time for that?
I want to talk to Maddie, Juliette, or Benny, but I have to wait until the full moon to see them again. I twist my hands. What am I going to tell Maddie? Will she be angry or confused? Maybe Juliette will explain things to her. She didn’t change at all after she died, so maybe Maddie won’t either. Maybe Benny will help her.
Benny.
I gasp.
If he killed Maddie, he won’t be here because Maddie would be his thirteenth kill, and he would be resurrected. And I’m sure if he was, he is far, far away.
If he did kill her, then that means I’ve lost him, which tugs at my heart. I feel like I shouldn’t hurt for him. I should be holding all my grief for Maddie, but Benny... I liked him a lot. Maybe even loved him. And he could be gone. I should hate him. But I don’t want to.
I don’t even know if he did it.
I can’t stay here anymore. I step outside and inhale the wet air. It smells like the swamp. I take off down the docks, not really sure where I’m going. Frogs croak, and birds sing all around me, and the shady trees keep it slightly dark even though it’s the middle of the day.
I don’t trust Luke right now even though I want to. He was the only one who knew me before, and he’s my biggest suspect. But he took care of Maddie when I couldn’t, and he’s my only family on the island. He is who I should trust above everyone.
But.
He makes the most sense as a suspect.
I head to Lorena’s, the sun beating down on me. No one is outside. It’s too hot.
I knock on her glass slider, and she answers, her face full of questions.
“You look like the world has ended.” She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “I haven’t seen you in a few days.”
“Maddie’s dead,” I say and completely lose it. She steps outside and wraps her arms around me, and I sob into her shoulder. She doesn’t say anything, just holds me tight against her. I’m grateful for her comfort. I miss my mom.
My mom. Who has now lost not one but two daughters.
After my tears subside, Lorena steps back. “Come on, let me make you some tea. I was wondering where you’d been. I just thought you were recovering from the last few weeks.”
I sniff, follow her into the house, and collapse onto her couch. Her living room always reminds me of Mom’s office with all the crystals and dream catchers. Dad never let her put them all over the house though she tried on several occasions.
Lorena comes back a few minutes later with two steaming cups. She hands me one and sits next to me, the couch cushion tightening. I scoot closer to the edge so I sink into her. I crave the human touch.
“Can I tell you a story?” she asks.
I nod and take a sip of the scalding liquid. It’s surprisingly sweet with a hint of cinnamon.
“I was married when I came to the island many years ago and absolutely in love. Sileas was the best man I’d ever met. He was kind, gentle, and tender. We came here because I was dying. As a young girl, I contracted tuberculosis, and while I had been fine for several years, it had taken its toll as I got older. We heard of the healing miracles that took place at the circus, which was very different in that day.”
I close my eyes and lose myself in her story. It must’ve been nice to find a circus full of healing instead of death. I wonder what changed. I try to picture a happy circus. Maybe it was just a cover for what was really going on.
“The contract we signed was that I could be healed, but we’d have to live on the island for the rest of our lives. No big deal. We had each other, so we didn’t need anything else.”
I find this image of Lorena odd. She always strikes me as so bitter. Young and in love seemed strange.
“The seco
nd we signed the contract, Sileas dropped dead. Samuel laughed at my shocked face and explained that one life cannot be saved without the sacrifice of another.”
My eyes fly open, and I look at her. Her face is twisted, and she brings a hand to her mouth. The healing was just a cover-up then. At least now it’s obvious what the circus does. No illusions anymore.
“I’m sorry. I had no idea.” I drop my eyes, pick up my cup, and inhale the cinnamon. I try to determine what else is in there, but I can’t get any other smells. The cinnamon is too strong.
She pulls herself together, and her face calms. “It was a long time ago. I know you grieved Juliette, but Maddie’s death will be different. Grief can wreck you. It did me. I became a different person, one that I barely recognized. And guilt. I killed him the second I signed that thing. You know, he’s buried on the island in an unmarked grave, and I never visit it. I take careful pains to avoid it. It’s too hard, even today.”
I remember walking across the island one day with her, and she abruptly turned and headed the other direction. When I questioned her about it, she acted dumb, but I bet that’s where he’s buried.
She stares deep into my eyes for a few moments. “Don’t let it ruin you. Don’t let the grief change you. You are a good person, and you care deeply about those around you. You’re the best shot we have of this island becoming something good again. Don’t let your despair ruin you.”
I stand up, not being able to stand her scrutiny, and start pacing, Raptor bobbing along behind me.
“Except. I’m basically useless.”
Lorena snorts. “Hardly. You’re the most powerful witch I’ve met.” She levels her gaze at me, and I know she means business.
“No, you don’t understand. You’ve been helping me figure out how to control the ghosts, and I can’t. What I didn’t tell you is that before Samuel died, he told me that I was a puppet. That someone else was in charge. I thought he was messing with me, but he might be right. I can’t control anyone, no matter what you teach me and how hard I try. I had to stand by and watch the ghosts murder my sister.” My voice cracks around the words.
Lorena sips at her tea. “You’re telling me you believe Samuel was not in charge?”
I take a deep breath of Lorena’s incensed air. Am I really committing to this theory? I clench and unclench my fists, and my chest tightens.
I think I have to.
“Correct. I believe he was just the face. Forced to play that role so we don’t know who’s really in charge. Samuel knew who it was, but he didn’t tell me. Do you have any ideas?”
I sink down onto the couch, relieved to finally put it out there. At least I can stop pretending now.
Lorena leans back and rubs her forehead. “He and I were the only ones on the island with any real magic, and I’m pretty good at sensing it.”
“They’d be pretty good at hiding it. I know it’s not you, but Ruth has magic too.”
“She’s weak.” Lorena tilts her head. “But maybe. She’s asked me to help her grow her magic, but nothing has ever worked.”
“Maybe she was just faking it.” I think for a few moments. I don’t want to express my doubts about Luke. “It could be someone off the island as well.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Someone has had it in for me since before I came here. My parents would never have sent me here and not listened when I begged to come home. It’s magic. It has to be. Then Benny was forced to try to kill me, and they killed Juliette and left her on my porch, and now Maddie is dead. Every ghost on the island went after her.”
Lorena studies me over her steepled fingers. “Well, when you lay it out like that, it does seem like someone is very focused on you.” A bit of compassion and sadness seep into her normally abrasive expression.
“How are we going to figure it out?” Everything seems so difficult.
She pats my knee. “We should call another meeting with the islanders. Tell them everything.”
I sit up, surprised by her suggestion. I don’t want to call another meeting. I hate those things. “Why? Won’t that tip them off?”
“Whoever is in charge probably already knows you know. This way, the islanders can tell you of anything weird they’ve noticed. Things that wouldn’t mean anything to them before but might now. The islanders will be on your side, and they’ll help you.”
I scoff. “You mean the same ones who tried to tar and feather me?” Sure we’d come to terms, but I won’t forget how quickly they turned on me.
“You won them over with the fire show. Let them help you.”
She’s right. I just hate public speaking. Plus, I want to feel like I’m doing something, and all I’ve done lately is read books and talk to people. But I don’t know how else to get any answers.
“Ugh. Okay.” I think for a few minutes about some of the strange things people might have said to me already, and a conversation with Elias comes back. I can barely remember it, but it was something about a skull controlling the island.
“I’m going to grab Elias. I have a question for him. Can you send one of the acrobat boys to fetch everyone else? I’ll meet you at the big top.”
Lorena nods and gathers up the empty mugs.
I rush back and head down Elias’s dock. A few lizards skitter, and Raptor chases them. He’s careful not to go too close to the edge though.
I pound on Elias’s door, and he takes forever to answer. His porch is littered with cans, bottles, and old furniture. He finally opens the door, a cigarette hanging off his lips.
“What do ya want?”
“Tell me about the skull.”
He scratches his head, and his fingernails come back black. Ew.
“The what?”
“The skull. You told me once that the island was being controlled by a skull.”
He chuckles, showing off his mouth full of rotted teeth. “I was jes’ tryin’ to scare ya. It’s nothing.”
He moves to close the door, but I catch it. “It’s not nothing. Tell me more about it.”
He sighs and steps outside, dropping his cigarette into the swamp. Something comes up and snatches it. “It’s nothin’. Jes a story. A legend someone made up to scare the island kids. The circus gots all kinds of lights, right? Sometimes it looks like a green light is floating in the middle of the island where it’s all swamp. Supposedly there is a giant green skull there that controls the island. That’s all I gots.”
Well, it’s one theory and probably not the craziest story I’ll have before the day’s over. After all, I have seen a green light in the woods, but I just assumed it was from the circus.
After the meeting’s done, I’ll lock myself in Samuel’s boat and scour the library for rumors of green heads and whatever else the islanders come up with. I might as well move in there now. It makes no sense for me to keep going back and forth. I should’ve done it when Maddie was here, but I was too focused on helping her.
“Thanks. Meeting though. Big top.”
Elias groans. “’Nother one? Why?”
“Because I need answers, and it beats going around and asking everyone individually.”
I don’t wait for his response. I just tromp down to the big top, Raptor waddling behind me and several other birds flying around me.
Things almost look hopeful.
Almost.
Chapter Ten
“So why aren’t you in charge?” Edward shouts out. The smell of sweat permeates the already damp air, the islanders restless and angry. I hadn’t planned on this.
“Just before Samuel died, he told me he had been a puppet for someone and that he had no control over the island or the ghosts. I verified that on the new moon when my sister was murdered. Every single ghost on the island went after her.”
Amy stands up and addresses the crowd. “It’s true. I saw the ghosts all running to the dock after the sun crested. It was so odd.” She turns back to me. “Do you have any idea who is really in charge?”
At lea
st she is on my side. That’s good. The islanders all seem to defer to her a bit.
“It could be anyone on the island.” I pause and look out over the crowd. “At this point, everyone is a suspect.”
Elias jumps up. “That’s not fair. Are you gon’ treat us all like delinquents now? You may not be in charge, but neither was Samuel, and he wreaked havoc among us. You could too.”
I clench my fists and sigh. “I will be as fair as I can. But I have to get to the bottom of this. If I’m not in charge, then everyone is in danger. Does anyone have any idea who might be in charge? Someone who Samuel spent a lot of time with or maybe even just the opposite? Someone he avoided. Someone who should have no magical abilities but somehow demonstrated unusual powers. It might even be a ghost.”
Luke stands. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but Benny was his right-hand man.”
“I know. Benny is one of my top suspects.” My heart squeezes a bit. I don’t want Benny to be a bad guy. But if he is, he’s no longer a ghost, and I won’t even get to exact my revenge.
“Who else do you suspect?” Luke asks.
“I don’t know if it would be wise to show those cards now.” I don’t meet his eyes when I answer because he’s actually number two.
Luke nods. “That’s smart.”
“But I could use help. I’ll be staying in Samuel’s boat if anyone wants to talk. You may have information that seems irrelevant, but it might be key to figuring this out. Anything strange that you’ve seen or something odd Samuel might have said. Also, if you are the one in charge, and you want to reveal yourself, but not to anyone else, you know where I’ll be.”
Amy stands. “What’s your goal?”
“What do you mean?” Having her question me is disconcerting.
“What do you want out of all of this?”
“I want to protect the island and all those on it, including the ghosts.”
She purses her lips. “But people are still going to die. You can’t stop that.”
“The sooner I figure out who is behind all this, the sooner I can stop them. And I will.”
Circus of the Dead: Book 3 Page 6
