Her face remained passive as ever, only looking out the door at the trees. “Mom, do you think I can go for a walk—just a small one! I need to stretch my legs.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides, we’re trying to move everything in right now and I can’t have you walk by yourself.”
“Please Mom. I won’t even go that far. I’ll take my phone and a bottle of water!”
Her mom gave an exasperated sigh. “No! I can’t risk you fainting on your walk and not be able to call for help. You don’t know the roads and someone could jump out and kidnap you or murder you or rape you!” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
Odette clenched her jaw and looked to the side; she felt tears welling up in her eyes. There was no point in arguing with her mother—this is something she learned after spending countless hours cooped up in her old room.
You wouldn’t understand anyway, Mother.
“Fine, whatever. I’ll just go lock myself in my room and contemplate my wonderful existence,” she snapped.
Her voice was heavy and strained but she refused to cry. Sticking her head up with false pride, she walked down the hall but didn’t go back up the stairs like she said she would. Instead, she walked to the back of the house where the kitchen was, nearly bare like everything else in the house.
There were snacks that littered the kitchen counter but none of them appealed to her.
In the back of the room there was a door with a small window covered by a gauzy white curtain that casted pretty shadows over the room.
A surge of defiance took over her and she made sure to grab a bottle of water (like she said she would) and opened the door.
The grass reached up to just under her knees, desperate for a mowing, and swayed with the humid summer air. Everything was very green, like a highly saturated photo, and it was near impossible to look at without squinting.
She looked over her shoulder once more and stepped outside. The warmth was never something she particularly enjoyed, but it was better than just being locked inside like a fictional princess.
Odette trudged through the grass and through the trees, so she would not be caught by her parents. She looked around her surroundings, taking in all the beauty that she beheld.
She never really liked the forest or nature in general before she was sick. It was filled with bugs and—ugh—dirt. Saying that she was a bit of a girly girl was an understatement. Now, things were different. When you spend so much time indoors, you can’t help but want to be anywhere else, even with mosquitos and flies.
When she was a safe distance from the house, Odette exited the “safety” of the trees and onto the open road. It obviously wasn’t traveled much except for those who lived in this area. The road was mainly dirt and gravel, which was annoying as the little rocks would get in her sandals.
She walked for less than ten minutes when she came across her (only) neighbor’s house. Odette’s eyes went wide. It wasn’t a house, it was a mansion.
There was a large wrought iron gate, the metal mimicking twisting ivy and leaves and honeysuckles. No name had been welded into the bars, though. None that she could see anyway. The house itself was humongous, with a large wraparound driveway and a fountain in the center.
She had only ever seen places like this in pictures or on television, but being so close to it in real life was breathtaking. Ivy crawled up the dark stone walls but it was clearly a well taken care of house. Nothing looked out of place from the outside. There was a garden further down the way but it disappeared around the corner of the house and Odette couldn’t see any more of it.
One car sat in the driveway, it looked very expensive. That made sense, though. Whoever lived in the mansion must make good money.
Something in one of the upstairs windows moved. Odette squinted to make out the person. It was hard to see anything with the sun beating down on her like it was, but she just knew that they were looking at her. Neither of them moved for several seconds.
It was that person who moved first. They disappeared behind the curtains and Odette felt herself sigh in relief. She didn’t want to loiter any longer, though, and tore herself away from the house. She had to get back before her parents realized she was gone.
The back door was still open slightly, allowing her easier entry. Odette cautiously peeked through the door, sighing in relief upon discovering that it was empty. The movers still made a ruckus, bringing things in the house.
She knew she wasn’t in the clear just yet, especially if either one of her parents had gone looking for her during the fifteen minutes she had been outside.
Odette sat down on the counter, chugged her water bottle, tossed it in the trash, and braced herself for a fit.
Her mom saw her and sighed, shaking her head. “We’re almost done; they have to bring in the kitchen table and chairs but they’ll be finished really soon. Then, if you want, we can look through town for a place to eat.”
Odette bit her lip but the yelling didn’t start. “Yeah, yeah, that’s great. I’ll just get freshened up.” She walked up the stairs two steps at a time, just in case, and reached her room with her frail heart beating way too fast.
She noticed that her bed frame had been brought up the stairs along with her desk and a mirror. Her mattress had already been laid out and folded up sheets sat on top, waiting to be fitted. Odette didn’t bother with this and went to the mirror, inspecting her sweaty face.
I’m surprised she didn’t interrogate me, Odette thought to herself. But who am I to question good luck when it comes my way?
The diner that Pamela had chosen was not at all what Odette expected. She had pictured greasy tables, trash littering the floor, and a bathroom that you could catch an illness from. What she got was a quaint little ’50s themed restaurant, very clean and, unlike the Lighthouse of Christ, actually had a lot of young people around.
Their waitress was a thirty-something woman with lively red hair. After placing their drinks on the table, she began to speak. “So, are you guys here for the Tent of Mystery?” she asked enthusiastically. She smiled at Odette but the girl was lost on its meaning.
“No, we just moved to town, actually,” Pamela explained. “But my daughter and I will be seeing the show tomorrow evening for my work.”
The woman, whose name was Patti, gasped. “Oh! It’s wonderful to meet you guys. We are a pretty tight knit community and everyone gets to know everyone! You are both going to love the Mages’ magic show, especially you, hehe.” She winked teasingly at Odette again but she was still very much at a loss as to why.
“Are they really that good?” Odette asked. “I hadn’t heard of them before we came here.”
“Oh yes.” Patti nodded along, suddenly serious. “The Mages Twins are amazing. Their tricks are just … just out of this world. They are what bring in so much money to Sunwick Grove, you know? And it isn’t even the tourists that go and see them so often but the locals too. They’re celebrities.”
She held in a snort of disbelief, Yeah right.
Odette let her gaze shift from their waitress to the flyer advertising the twins’ show behind her. She had seen similar papers on their drive to the restaurant, in alternating purple and blue. They all just read the same thing—“Tent of Mystery” and then the times and dates of their shows for the summer.
“Those twins, they have a pretty charmed life, I’ll tell you that,” Patti continued. “They just popped up out of nowhere several years back and became instant stars. They just have this quality about them. Everyone loves ’em …. Ah, anyway, what would you, guys, like to eat?”
III
“My office, apparently, gave us some good seats. I did some research on the show and read through their fan pages. These two have been doing their show for about five or six years. Everyone loves them because their magic is so realistic,” Pamela explained.
Odette raised her eyebrows. “Wow, I guess we’ll just have to see for ourselves, huh?”
After their dinner o
ut, Odette had decided to look up the Mages twins to see what they were all about. They actually were celebrities despite what she had thought. The twins were widely known, they did tours throughout the USA, they had TV specials, and some people were even talking about a movie deal for them. How Odette had never heard of them seemed crazy.
Her mother pulled into the “parking lot,” which is a large grassy lawn out the front of a large tent. There were many cars, so they parked near the back of the lot.
The Tent of Mystery reminded Odette of a circus tent. It reached three, maybe four, stories in height with silver fabric covering the most of it. The second tier had purple stripes running up its sides, and purple poles held it upright. At the very top was a purple pentagram that seemed to stare down everyone who passed by.
The smell of cotton candy and popcorn met Odette’s nose, drawing her attention to a smaller tent that served the overpriced food. A ticket box office sat right beside it, and an old man sat there with a sly smirk on his face as he handed out tickets in exchange for the wads of cash the line of people handed to him. Odette reached the entrance of the tent and handed the man her ticket, then she slowly walked inside. She couldn’t help her jaw dropping.
The décor inside was a reversed version of the exterior with a deep mauve color lining the walls and silver accents here and there. Rows upon rows of seats lay out before her with plush cushions and armrests. In the front of the room was the stage, currently hidden from view by the heavy silver curtains. Several spotlights whirled around the room in a hypnotizing manner; some were a soft lilac color while the others remained regular white lights.
An arm intertwined in with Odette’s, making her jump. She looked over at her mother and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
“Did I scare you?”
“Little bit,” Odette admitted. She shook her head, calming her nerves. Her dark hair fell in her face but she swept it back with her hand and walked to their section of seats.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you,” Odette heard her mother mutter.
She couldn’t help but feel somewhat offended. “What is that supposed to mean, Mother?”
Her mom waved her hand, as though trying to clear the air physically. “I’m just worried. Yesterday, you fainted and now there are all of these lights. I just don’t want you to faint on me again—or worse—have a seizure.”
Odette shrugged, looking down at the program they had been handed. “I haven’t even had a seizure, so there’s no need to worry about that.”
A hand was placed on her arm. “But they said that you could. It’s just—we can’t be too careful, Det. Please tell me if you feel the slightest bit woozy.”
“I will.” Odette probably wouldn’t.
The lights began to flash, signaling the five-minute warning. People’s already hushed whispers almost quieted down, their excitement tangible. Odette saw a few girls her age with signs in their hands but she couldn’t figure out why.
It was getting quieter by the second until the lights started flashing again.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” a female voice spoke, silencing everyone. “Welcome to the Tent of Mystery!”
The crowd began to clap eagerly. Odette looked around, searching for any sign that the two twins had actually appeared yet, but it was just the same dark tent. Still, she clapped along.
Then, the heavy curtains rose up with one sharp yank. Two twin figures stood there, tall and strong. The curious thing was that they weren’t only twin in looks but in costumes, which mirrored one another in color and pattern, and in the twin jewels they wore in different spots of their clothing.
“My name is Greer,” said the girl who spoke before waving her hands with a flourish.
“And I am Grayson,” said the boy. He didn’t do anything more than prowl the stage, his face passive.
The teenage girls Odette had seen earlier started screaming, waving their signs around like mad. Obviously, his fan girls. Odette had to admit he was very attractive … but she wouldn’t have gone as far as making a sign for him.
“And we are the Mages Twins!” They shouted in unison. Their arms flew upwards and dozens of doves appeared out of thin air. The birds only flew a few feet upwards before exploding into purple and silver confetti.
It was slightly macabre but stunning nonetheless. Odette gasped, applauding along with everyone else.
Their purple and silver attire enhanced their pale skin and dark hair. It made them look sharp—Or maybe cruel would be the best word, Odette thought even though they hadn’t done anything mean. It was an unapproachable look that one couldn’t help but, it was something they owned naturally.
“I think they are excited, brother dearest,” Greer commented, resting her hands on her leotard-clad hips.
Grayson raised an eyebrow curiously, “Let’s give them a night they won’t forget, darling sister.” He straightened the jewel on his neck before continuing. “For our first act, we are going to play with fire.”
There was a collective “oooh.”
“Something we were always told not to do, right? Now, fire symbolizes a lot of things but change is the most important one. At least … in my opinion. Fire can be a great companion if you know how to treat it right. It is a fickle being.” He snapped his fingers and, suddenly, a flame appeared in his hand. It wasn’t an ordinary one either, it was a blue flame. He flexed his fingers and the fire began to grow until it engulfed his whole hand.
“If you’re going to control fire, you have to be like fire—no. You have to be more powerful than it. You have to show the fire that you are the one that is in control and that it will be doing your bidding, not the other way around,” he explained. Grayson opened his mouth to say more but there was a loud and overly dramatic groan from Greer.
“Get to the point!” she exclaimed.
Grayson made a face, “Hmph. Perhaps it is you who must change.”
He acted in the blink of an eye. There was fire in his hand, blue fire, and Odette didn’t have time to wonder how it got there. He threw it fast at his sister, the flame streaking in the dark tent. Her entire body ignited in flames instantly; from head to toe, she was on fire. Odette clapped her hand over her mouth to hold in her scream. Greer didn’t make a sound, only thrashed about on the stage, staggering back and forth. Others in the audience screamed or gasped, some stood on their feet but no one ran. Everyone was paralyzed, watching the horrid scene unfold.
Then, the blue flame that covered the magician’s body flickered purple. It raged high, the blue being eaten away by a deep prune color, and then began to recede back into Greer’s body, as if she were absorbing it.
The whole tent held their breath. What was left … was Greer, not a pile of ash! She pushed her hair back in her blue headband and drew attention to her outfit, which had changed entirely. Her leotard, skirt, and tights were still there but now in reverse colors.
The two took a bow and everyone began to shout their praises. Everyone except for the Sinclairs who were shocked at what they had just seen. Odette couldn’t believe that he had just lit his sister on fire! She just couldn’t work out how he did it.
“Thank you, thank you!” Greer shouted. “Now, for our next act, we will need some volunteers.” Her lips quirked up into a sly smile, winking at the whole room as she stepped off the stage.
The spot lights followed them as they split up down the aisles.
Odette couldn’t help herself from leaning forward, interested as to what they might do next. It was like everyone in the audience had done the same thing, some of them subconsciously hoping that they would be picked while others were not so subtle about it.
Greer came down Odette’s aisle, looking through the mass of people. She stopped at her row and cast a strange look. “Hello there,” she greeted. “Would you care to join me on stage?”
Odette glanced around her to make sure she wasn’t talking to anyone else. Greer extended a hand to her and she took it gently, her face igniting bright red. Every
one was staring at her.
At the same time, Grayson walked up the opposite aisle with an older man beside him.
“Can everyone give a round of applause to our brave volunteers?” Greer asked, showing off Odette and the other man.
Odette blushed and looked down at her flats, embarrassment rushing through her. She silently wondered if she chose the right sundress, hoping that her underwear isn’t showing through because of the spotlights.
A hand came up and made contact with her chin, pulling her gaze up from her shoes. She had to keep tilting her head up to meet their eyes, but, judging by the clothes, it was Grayson.
Blue eyes met her heterochromatic ones and she momentarily lost breath. He was even prettier up close. It was unnatural.
“Are you with us, darling?” he asked, his pink lips mimicking that smirk his sister had given her before.
“I—uh—yes.”
Grayson turned to the audience, “It looks like we have a shy one.” This earned several chuckles.
“Now, dear, I think I should ask your name,” he said. “But where would be the fun in that? I’m going to guess your name, my dear, in front of this very judgmental audience. Please don’t laugh too hard if I get it wrong.”
The crowd laughed and so did his sister.
Odette swallowed hard and gripped her fingers behind her back. “Okay.”
The boy walked around her like a predator stalking its prey. “This is your first time at our show, yes?”
“Yeah.” Odette mentally frowned. Compared to his other stuff, this was very boring so far.
“You’re a dancer …. What was it? Ballet? Or … you used to be a dancer and then you injured yourself. Am I correct?” he asked, his eyes narrowing playfully.
That made her falter. What an odd thing to guess. “Y-yes, that’s right.”
Grayson chuckled at her hesitation and gave his sister a knowing look. “Let’s see … I promised you that I would guess your name, I haven’t forgotten but you’re pretty fun. Forgive me if I try and draw this out,” he cooed. “You don’t have too many friends. You just moved here.”
Violent Delights Page 2
