“Do you think I don’t know that? You’re the one person I can always talk to. The thing is, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how I feel ... or what to expect. I simply don’t know.”
“You could tell me that so I’m not left wondering if you wish we hadn’t moved in together.”
“Don’t ever think that.” Kade was firm as he shook his head and pressed his lips against my forehead a fourth time. “I’m fond of you, too, and am happy living with you. That won’t change.”
“You’re just afraid to touch me.”
“Not when I’m awake. I am a bit fearful something evil will crawl out of me in my sleep and hurt you.”
“We could always put an enchantment on you to make sure that can’t happen.”
Kade looked intrigued. “Is that really a thing?”
I searched his hopeful face and nodded. “I can make that happen.”
“Oh, if you could do that, I would be so grateful. It doesn’t have to be forever or anything, but just until I’m sure I won’t hurt you in my sleep. I’m so terrified of that, you don’t even know.”
I could actually feel the tension unknotting as he relaxed a bit, which made me realize he was more keyed up than I’d imagined. “I’ll take care of it. We’ll keep it on the down low.”
“Thank you.” Another kiss on the forehead. He relaxed quite a bit as we drove, and I melted against him. It was nice to have a few moments of quiet together. We needed it, and once we hit town, we would be too busy to engage for several hours.
I was so lost in the quiet comfort of the moment I almost missed it when Kade’s body stiffened. The sound he made in the back of his throat didn’t allow me to ignore whatever it was getting his dander up.
“What?” I asked, instantly alert.
“Look at that.” Kade pointed toward the woods to our right. There, as if she didn’t have a care in the world, an elderly woman strolled toward the trees.
“What do you think she’s doing?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but she has a shotgun, a combat helmet and a whistle. Why would you need a shotgun and a whistle?”
That was a very good question. “I don’t know. I’m more interested in her leggings. I think that’s a dragon on her ... you know. She would have to bend over for me to be sure. It seems to be breathing fire in her … nether regions.”
“Oh, why did you have to point that out?” Kade whined. “I don’t want to see that.”
“If I have to see it and know what it is, you have to see it.”
“Yeah, but ... .” Kade forgot what he was about to say as the woman disappeared into the woods. “Do you think we should tell someone that there’s an old lady wandering around the woods with a gun?”
I shook my head. “This is Michigan. I think that’s a normal occurrence.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he leaned back in his seat. “You’re probably right.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. I mean ... what sort of trouble could a woman with a whistle and a gun find?”
2
Two
The Hemlock Cove fairgrounds consisted of one main drag and a field at the far side of the town. We parked, a steady stream of vehicles flowing onto the property, and I hopped out of Kade’s truck to study the layout with an experienced eye.
“This makes me nervous,” a voice offered from behind. Raven Marko, our resident lamia and House of Mirrors enchantress, moved up next to me. She looked as concerned as I felt.
“It’s definitely different,” I agreed, rolling my neck until it cracked. “I don’t understand how a town this size is funding a full circus. I mean ... it’s basically one street.”
“And only thirty businesses,” Raven noted. “That’s including the library, the newspaper office, the police station and the stables over yonder.” She gestured toward a huge barn and livery yard about a block down. “This seems extremely odd. Are you sure we got full payment?”
“We got the appropriate down payment,” I clarified. “They don’t pay the final amount until the day we leave. They passed all the financial checks, though.”
“It still doesn’t make sense.” Raven narrowed her eyes. “I think we should make sure this is on the up and up before we start unpacking.”
I hated to agree with her — mostly because we irritated each other quite regularly and it was like ceding the first battle of this stop without a fight — but I was too tired to put the work into unpacking if this wasn’t going to work out.
“You’re right,” I said after a beat. “Our liaison owns the unicorn store. I’ll head over there while you guys stretch your legs. Don’t bother unpacking until I give you the okay.”
“I’m fine with that.” Raven flopped on the ground. “You’ll find me here when you return. Those cross-country drives are murder, by the way. I hate them.”
“Yes, but none of the drives scheduled for the rest of the year will be nearly as long, so now we can say it’s out of the way.”
“I hate it when you’re a glass-half-full person.”
I patted the top of her head condescendingly. “You’ll get used to it.”
I started across the road, and wasn’t surprised when Kade fell into step with me. “Are you serving as my protector?” I teased.
He grabbed my hand. “I’m head of security. That’s my job.”
“I doubt she’s a witch. She sells porcelain unicorns, for crying out loud. No self-respecting witch would go that route.”
“Actually, that would be the worst sort of witch, wouldn’t it?”
He had a point. Still, I was more than capable of taking care of myself. Of course, he was still recuperating from the last bout of witches. If he wanted to stay close, I wasn’t about to argue. “I guess you can be part of the team.”
He lifted our joined hands, pressed a quick kiss to my knuckles, and then released me. It was an oddly sentimental reaction. “We’re always on the same team,” he said. “Let’s get this done. We have hours of unpacking ahead of us and then I could use a good night’s sleep ... just as soon as you do that enchantment thing so I can’t hurt you.”
Something occurred to me. “Have you been sleeping at all over the past few weeks?”
He ignored the question as we reached the store, instead holding the door open so I could step inside. “Ladies first.”
I wanted to push him on the issue, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, I pasted a bright smile on my face as I entered the store ... and then did my best not to wretch at the mish-mash of cutesy tchotchkes and souvenirs. It looked as if a giant eight-year-old girl had exploded and the unicorns were the remains.
“May I help you?”
I jerked my head to the counter, where an elderly woman stood. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, not a strand out of place, and she wore a pink shirt that reminded me of a stomachache aid. “Hello.” I squared my shoulders and stepped forward. “My name is Poet Parker. I’m looking for Margaret Little. My understanding is she owns this place.”
The woman’s eyes darkened as she looked me up and down. I was dressed in simple yoga pants and a T-shirt — comfortable travel clothes are a must — and I distinctly sensed suspicion sparking in the air around her. “And why are you looking for her?”
“I’m with Mystic Caravan Circus,” I volunteered. “We just arrived and I want to make sure we’re in the correct spot before we start unpacking.”
“Oh, of course.” The woman exhaled heavily, relief palpable. “I’m sorry. I’m Margaret Little.” She wiped her hands on her hips as she moved around the counter. “I thought maybe you were part of a practical joke or something — you know how that goes. I’m sorry I was less than genial. I’ve been having difficulties with one of the residents and thought there was a chance she sent you.”
That was odd, to say the least. “Oh, well ... .”
“We’re not here as part of a joke,” Kade offered. He introduced himself and shook her hand, ignoring the way her eyes roamed his handsome face. He had an interesting effect
on women — it didn’t matter the age — although he often ignored it. “We just want to make sure everything is in place.”
“It is,” Margaret confirmed, bobbing her head. “You got the paperwork I sent?”
“I did.” I pressed the tip of my tongue against the back of my teeth, debating how far I should push things. Finally, I decided it was best to ask the obvious question. “It’s just ... this is a small town. We’ve never been in a venue this small.”
“And you’re wondering if we’ll have enough visitors to pay for it,” Margaret surmised. “The answer is ... yes. Don’t worry. We have a festival launching in a few days. My understanding is that it takes you that long to get everything set up properly.”
“It does. Do you really think you can fill the circus for an entire weekend?” I couldn’t quite fathom that. “I don’t mean to tell you your business or anything. We’re simply used to larger venues.”
“And we’re used to festivals,” Margaret pointed out. “I know the town ... and what it’s capable of providing when it comes to tourist numbers. We’re having an absolutely huge festival this weekend. Witches from around the world will be here.”
I felt Kade stiffen beside me but he held it together. “Witches from around the world?”
“Yes. It’s a huge witch festival.”
“What kind of witches?”
Margaret made an odd face. “Honey, there’s only one kind of witch.”
Something told me she wasn’t one of the real witches masquerading as a fake that I had to worry about. “Well, as long as you’re sure,” I hedged.
“We’re expecting ten-thousand people this weekend,” Margaret gushed. “Every inn in the area is sold out. Every inn in neighboring towns is sold out. There aren’t even any rooms available in Traverse City. That’s how many people are coming.”
The city name meant nothing to me, but she seemed impressed. “It sounds good. I didn’t mean to question your business acumen or anything. It’s simply a different location than we’ve ever visited for business purposes.”
“Of course. You’re used to metropolitan areas. I promise you’ll see something impressive when the festival kicks off. Some of the witches have already arrived.”
Unable to stop himself from asking the obvious, Kade leaned forward. “And what makes them witches?”
I saw the fear cascading through him, and it made my heart lurch. Margaret wasn’t a keen observer of the human condition, and she misread his expression. “I don’t like witches either.” She patted his hand, causing me to smile as she winked conspiratorially. “I’m part of the ‘only good witch is a dead witch’ contingent, but everyone coming thinks he or she is a witch. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Kade slid his gaze to me, genuine mirth lurking in the depths of his eyes. “Okay, well ... that sounds great. We should probably head back to the fairgrounds so we can get as much unpacked this evening as possible.”
“That’s smart.” Margaret’s smile was back in place. “I’ll come by to check on you later, make sure you don’t need anything.”
“Actually, we could use a market,” I said. “We need to buy food.”
“The nearest market that will have the amount of food you need is in Gaylord,” Margaret volunteered. “You can eat at any of the restaurants for free. That was negotiated into your contract.”
I’d obviously missed that tidbit while perusing the documents. “That’s good to know. Thank you so much for your time.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I waited until we were outside, safely out of earshot, before speaking again. “I was wrong about her being a witch.”
“She seems a little ... intense,” Kade said. “She’s not so bad.”
I had a feeling she was going to be a righteous pain in the behind before it was all said and done, although there was no reason to bring that up ... at least not yet. “Let’s get unpacked. I’m already exhausted. By the time we finish I’m going to pass out on the ground.”
“We can do it.” Kade’s mood was brighter than it had been in weeks. “I think we’ll like it here. It’s quiet, relaxing. We probably won’t even find trouble in this spot for a change.”
“That would be a nice change of pace, huh?”
“Definitely.”
TWO HOURS LATER I was starting to wish for a monster simply to get a break from the tedium associated with unpacking.
“I’m not sure I like this,” my best friend Luke Bishop announced as he moved to my side. He was a shifter — and infatuated with being the most interesting man in the room — which meant he was high maintenance. I was so used to it I barely noticed.
“You don’t like what?” I challenged.
“This.” He gestured toward the layout. The heavy equipment was a day behind us and wouldn’t arrive until the next afternoon. Our personal trailers were already arranged in neat rows, essentially forming three and one-half walls to close us in. It was a layout we’d designed to protect our secrets, and that somehow seemed even more important now that we were trapped in the middle of Witchland.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” I said. “What don’t you like about the layout?”
“The fact that we’re so close to town.” He pointed toward our row of trailers. “You and Kade are right at the front there. Anyone passing by might see what you’re doing.”
“I guess that means we’re going to have to lay off the kinky sex, huh?”
The look Luke shot me was withering. “Please. You’re not inventive in that area. I’m guessing he’s a strict three-position guy. I’m sorry for that.” He patted my arm.
It took me a minute to realize what he was saying. “Oh, must you always take it to the lowest level?”
He nodded without hesitation. “As a matter of fact, I do. That’s my superpower.”
“And here I thought it was irritating your co-workers.”
“That’s an offshoot of my superpower.”
“Good to know.” We stood in silence for a moment, both of us staring at trailer row. “I thought it was best for Kade and me to be at the front so we can head off anyone if they try to cross the boundaries. This set-up is definitely weird, but I’m hopeful the town will be empty tonight so we can erect the dreamcatcher.”
The dreamcatcher was a magical net I erected with Raven and two of our other powerful circus friends, the pixie twins Nixie and Nadia, so we could lure evil creatures and trap them for easy eradication. You see, Mystic Caravan is more than a circus. We’re also monster hunters.
“Do you think we’ll need the dreamcatcher here?” Luke asked. “It seems like a quiet area.”
“An area that is thick with stories about real witches,” I reminded him. “Plus, I don’t know about now, but years ago there was a huge shifter population.”
“The shifter population is located in mid-Michigan now. They moved.”
“Maybe it was because of the witches.”
“I guess that’s possible.” Luke slung an arm around my shoulders. We were unbelievably close, and had been since we’d met. He would always be my best friend, and even though he was initially worried that my relationship with Kade would displace him, I knew it would never happen. We were stuck with each other for life.
“We have to be careful.” I kept my voice low. “That unicorn woman will be watching for odd things.”
“How can you tell?”
“It’s just a feeling. When we first went inside she thought we were there as part of a joke someone was playing on her. I’m guessing she’s not well liked in this town.”
“Small towns have their merits, but they’re filled with people spying on one another. That’s always something to worry about.”
“Yeah. I ... .” I tilted my head when I caught a hint of movement behind my trailer. “Did you see that?”
Luke was busy studying his cuticles. “See what? It’s too bad they don’t have a salon in this town. I could definitely use a manicure. We’re going to Detroit ne
xt, right? They’ll have good manicure places.”
I ignored his fixation with his nails. “That.” I pointed toward the woods directly behind the trailer I shared with Kade. “There’s someone over there.”
Luke followed my gaze. “Perhaps it’s the unicorn lady.”
I had my doubts about that. Margaret didn’t seem the outdoorsy type. I slipped from beneath Luke’s arm and headed in that direction, something calling to me. I was almost to the trailer when a figure stumbled out of the woods, and it was someone I recognized.
“You’re the lady with the whistle,” I blurted out.
The woman, a smile that reminded me of the evil clown from It on her face, took a moment to look me up and down. She had a shotgun slung over her shoulder and her combat helmet was slightly askew. “I go by many names,” she said finally. “Who are you?”
“Poet Parker.” I answered automatically. Lying was a waste of time. Even though I sensed something about this woman, something I couldn’t put a name to, she seemed friendly enough. “I’m with the circus.”
“I always considered joining the circus,” the woman said. “I fancied myself an acrobat. Do you have acrobats?”
I nodded dumbly. “In the main tent as part of the big show. The main tent doesn’t arrive until tomorrow.”
“Maybe I still have time to be an acrobat,” she mused.
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll break a hip?” Luke challenged as he moved up beside me. He seemed more amused than worried. There was something almost comical about the woman’s appearance.
Her face remained blank. “Why would I break a hip?”
“You’re old.”
She narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits. “Do you want me to show you how old I am?”
Something told me that was the last thing Luke wanted. “He didn’t mean that in a rude way,” I interjected quickly. “He simply thinks he’s funny.”
Luke was affronted. “I am funny.”
I ignored him. “Is there a reason you’re in the woods?”
She nodded. “I’m playing a little game with a friend of mine. Perhaps you know her. Margaret Little.”
Freaky Witches (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 7) Page 2
