I smirked. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Don’t let him kid you,” Luke interjected, leaning closer to me and winking. “He’s going to fawn all over you when you get back. He’ll forget all about fighting. Luke knows all and sees all.”
“I hate to admit it, but he’s probably right.” Kade gave me one last kiss, this one brief. “Go. Be careful. I’ll be really angry if you don’t come back.”
I saluted. “Duly noted.”
Raven and I prepared ourselves to run while Max and Naida moved into position on either side of us. Naida looked excited for whatever she was about to do. Max looked grim and determined. Together they made quite the picture, and I was glad they would be the ones protecting those I loved most while I was gone.
“When I tell you to run, just do it,” Max instructed, raising his hands. “Don’t wait. Just run.”
“I know.” I rubbed my sweaty palms over my thighs. My heart pounded crazily. “We’re ready.”
“Okay.” Max threw his hands in the air and whispered something I couldn’t quite make out. I felt the magic gathering on the wind – a wind Naida created – and then he threw the power he was collecting at the ghosts. “Now!”
I didn’t have to be told twice. I bolted over the dreamcatcher, slipping through the opening Max created without a backward glance. I felt Raven next to me even though I didn’t look to her for confirmation that she followed. I focused forward, as I was supposed to.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the ghostly features twisting in agony as whatever spell Max flung at them took control and froze them in place. It was a curious sight to behold, but one I couldn’t fixate on.
Instead I focused on running. I was into the trees and heading straight for the trail when I finally allowed the tight grip of panic to relax around my heart. The woods were dark and desolate, devoid of ghosts … or specters … or whatever they were. We were free and on our way to Falk.
Now the truly hard part would begin.
RAVEN WENT WITH the group that returned to Falk after our first visit – the time when I took a detour to the library, which turned out to be horrific in its own way – so she knew exactly where she was going. She was a natural runner. I struggled to keep up with her.
We ran full tilt until we hit the outskirts of Falk. By tacit agreement, we didn’t light the path in front of us, instead relying on instinct to make sure we didn’t trip. In some ways it was better because we honed our innate skills and relied on inner determination rather than outer influences. In others it was more nerve-wracking because one wrong step could put us both at risk.
Still, despite the heightened anxiety, we arrived at Falk unscathed.
“No one followed us.” Raven stopped at the edge of town to catch her breath. The only reason I recognized our location was because I’d seen it during our tour. I knew exactly where I was – close to that foundation that intrigued Luke enough to point it out – and I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were alone.
“The ghosts either didn’t notice we left or chose to stay behind to watch over everyone else,” I noted, running the back of my hand across my forehead. “I didn’t sense them in the woods.”
“I’ve yet to sense them, which is how I know they’re not real,” Raven supplied. “They’re not ghosts. I don’t even think they’re shades.”
“So … what are they?”
“That’s the question of the evening.” Raven flicked her gaze to the pathway that led to the heart of Falk and pointed toward a glimmering light to the west. “You see that? That’s the other question of the evening. Why are people having a bonfire in a ghost town in the middle of the night?”
I narrowed my eyes as I stared. She was right. There was clearly a bonfire roaring. While I couldn’t see any movement around the fire that would suggest someone was tending it, I recognized right away that we were probably not alone. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
“No,” Raven agreed. “Someone is out here. Odds are, whoever it is, they’re intent on keeping us at the circus. That’s what the poltergeist and pony show is with the ghosts. They’re not real.”
“Any idea how they’re creating them?”
“No, but I plan to find out. If it’s something I can master it could be a useful trick for the House of Mirrors. Even more than that, it could serve as a distraction for us during a battle.”
I stilled. “Wait … you want to steal the ability, not stop it?”
“Oh, I want to stop them from using it on us,” Raven replied without hesitation. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to test it on someone else.”
“You’re a rare and fascinating creature.”
“I tell myself that every single day.”
Raven and I fell into step together as we picked our way along the path. We didn’t speak of it – it wasn’t necessary, after all – but we wove a camouflage web around us as we walked. It would hide our movements from whoever had started the fire, and it would also mask our scents. There was nothing we could do to quiet our feet, though, so we purposely picked a slow pace to make as little noise as possible.
The closer we got to the fire, the more apparent it became that we weren’t alone. Voices filtered through the wind as we closed the distance, although making out words was exceedingly difficult.
On a whim, I grabbed Raven’s arm and dragged her off the trail. We were far more likely to be noticed out in the open. It took longer than it should have to make it to a spot where we could crouch low and hide while observing what was going on. However, it was worth the effort because we had a clear view … and what a sight it was to behold.
“Wow!” Raven kept her voice low as she stared at the women dancing around the fire. They almost looked like ghosts themselves thanks to their filmy dresses and the way their shadows danced against the night sky. “It’s like a scene from Outlander.”
It took me a moment to get what she was referring to. Now that she mentioned it, though, it did look a lot like the pagan ritual at the beginning of Outlander, the one that drew Claire back to the stones that she would eventually pass through. “What do you think they’re doing?” It was a struggle to keep my voice low, but thanks to the singing and dancing around the fire, the odds of anyone hearing us unless they were directly on top of us weren’t great.
“They’re clearly casting a spell.” Raven tilted her head to the side and stared at the women. “I think most of them are human.”
“How can you be sure?”
Raven shrugged. “I can’t. It’s just … I usually get a feeling when another paranormal being is around. Even if I can’t identify what they are or the type of magic they wield, I can recognize them. I don’t sense that here. I … it’s weird.”
I tugged on my bottom lip as I considered her words. “I don’t sense anything either, but I’m not as strong as you are in that department.”
“Sometimes you’re stronger depending on the situation. This situation is … otherworldly.”
That was an interesting word choice. “Do you think they’re from another plane of existence?”
“I … um … no.” Raven finally shook her head. “They’re normal women. Sure, some of them might have a few magical abilities – maybe all of them do, for all I know – but they’re simply women. I have no doubt about that.”
My eyes fell on a familiar face on the far side of the circle and I extended a finger. “Remy Langstrom.”
Raven knit her eyebrows. “The woman from the library?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.” Whatever Raven was thinking she kept to herself as she watched the young woman (who I knew had an old face and soul) cavort with the others around the fire. “Well, I think we knew she was involved. You can’t be overly surprised that she’s here.”
“No, but … she’s creepy. She obviously has magic. I told you what she did with her appearance.”
“That could be a simple glamour,” Raven countered. “You use them all the time. In fact, if I reme
mber correctly, you made yourself look like a clown once. The image still haunts Kade from time to time.”
Of course she had to bring that up. “He’s mostly over it.”
“I don’t know why he hates clowns so much. I think they’re kind of fun.”
She was dating one that boasted a fake British accent, so that didn’t surprise me. “You know why he hates them. It’s the same reason we all hate the clowns, including you. There’s something unnatural about a grown man who wants to dress like that.”
“I don’t think Percival is unnatural.”
I decided to split the difference because now wasn’t the time to get into a fight. “I think Percival is the lone exception.”
Raven looked understandably dubious, but she kept her opinion to herself as she focused on the dancers. “Do you notice there are no men present?”
Subconsciously I’d noticed, but I hadn’t given it any thought. “That sort of makes sense,” I said. “Pagan priestesses wielded most of the magic. Historically, I mean.”
“Yeah, but … it’s the middle of the night.” Raven rocked back on her haunches as she concentrated on the dancing. “Don’t these women have husbands … or boyfriends … or even fathers? That one over there looks about sixteen. How can nobody be missing her?”
“Maybe her mother is here.”
“I guess that’s possible.” Raven didn’t look convinced. “Why are no men involved, though? Even the pagan practices of old involved men.”
I pictured Stanley and the glazed expression on his face. “Maybe they’re doing something to the men.”
“Like what?”
“Like sucking out their brains to use for … I have no idea what. Maybe they’re using the essence of the men in some sort of ritual.”
“I guess I could buy that, but how has no one noticed these zombified men walking around?”
“Perhaps you have to be looking for them to see them.” My eyes drifted to Remy, who seemed to be enjoying her younger form as she hopped from one foot to the other. Her dress was ethereal, seemingly from a costume shop, but it flowed around the fire, creating a beautiful tableau that made the eye dance. “It’s interesting.”
“I don’t know what to make of it,” Raven admitted after a beat. “I don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish with the dance, and I have no idea what sort of ritual this is. I also think there are too many of them to risk asking questions and drawing attention to ourselves.”
I wanted to argue the point, but I knew she was right. “Well … I guess we’ll have to do more research.”
“I guess. This isn’t the answer I was hoping for.”
We couldn’t risk staying longer. They would discover us if we didn’t make our retreat. I opened my mouth to tell Raven just that when an unearthly howl filled the air.
The dancers didn’t respond other than to throw their heads back and sing louder. It was a language I didn’t recognize, a melody that didn’t trigger a memory. The creature we couldn’t see howled again, as if urging them forward.
I slowly turned my eyes to Raven. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
She nodded without hesitation. “It’s a wendigo.”
“It’s a wendigo that has some tie to these women,” I corrected.
“Yeah, like a pet or something.” Raven wrinkled her nose. “We have to get out of here. We can’t risk them seeing us.”
“We need to be careful of the wendigo. Obviously it’s active.”
“They’re not afraid of it.”
“No, but we’re not them.”
Raven nodded in understanding. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here. I’m not sure how much more we can learn tonight.”
23
Twenty-Three
I sensed a presence behind us as we headed back to the circus. It wasn’t that I saw someone so much as I felt a mind brushing against mine as we hit the trail heading back. I did the one thing I wasn’t supposed to do and looked over my shoulder, widening my eyes when I caught sight of a young woman – she had to be in her mid-twenties at the most – following us. Thanks to the large moon’s illumination (and her cream-colored dress), I had no problem picking her out of the gloom.
Raven grabbed my arm when I stumbled, keeping me on my feet. “Look ahead,” she barked, obviously annoyed. “Don’t look back.”
“We’re being followed,” I gritted out, cursing myself for making such a rookie mistake. Thankfully I didn’t tumble head over heels and incur a head injury, because that would’ve left us in a world of trouble. “It’s one of the dancing women.”
“I know.” Raven remained facing forward. “I can sense her. She’s … curious. I guess that’s the best word. I don’t sense danger from her, but I don’t think it’s wise to stop.”
“What if she has information to share?”
“And what if she’s a distraction to stop us from getting back to the circus?” Raven challenged. “Do you want to take that risk?”
Part of me did. “If we can get answers … .”
“And what if we get attacked instead?” Raven wasn’t in the mood to capitulate. “What if we get overwhelmed and our friends have to come out here to fight for us? Do you think Kade will stay behind in that scenario? Do you want him in danger?”
I shrank back in the face of her fury. “No. It’s just … she’s freaking following us. There has to be a reason.”
“And we’ll figure out that reason when we get back to a position of power.” Raven was firm. “Now, come on. Pick up your feet and stop looking over your shoulder. If you trip again, I’m leaving you.”
Sadly, I was fairly certain she was telling the truth, so I focused on the path and forced thoughts of the trailing woman out of my head.
It didn’t take long to get where we were going. I saw the ghosts illuminated on the other side of the dreamcatcher when we closed the distance. They seemed to have recovered from whatever magic Naida and Max dosed them with, and they completely covered the boundary.
“Crap!” Raven made a face as she pulled up short and rested her hands on her knees. “We’re going to need help getting back in there.”
I took the opportunity to glance over my shoulder and found the young woman still following, although she slowed her pace when we stopped to watch us with wary eyes. I opened my mouth to call out to her, perhaps invite her to join us, but Raven slapped her hand over my mouth before I could say something stupid.
“Don’t even think about it.” Her irritation was off the charts. I could feel it sparking in her fingertips. “If you yell to her the ghosts will hear.”
I slapped her hand away and worked my jaw, tamping down my own frustration as I fought to maintain my cool. “We need to contact Max and tell him we’re ready to return.”
“I’m on it.” Raven briefly pressed her eyes shut. I had no idea what message she sent, but she was quiet for only a few seconds before she focused on me again. “He says we’ll know when it’s time to run.”
That was interesting. “I wonder what he has up his sleeve.”
“I don’t know, but it better be good.” Raven turned back to look at the woman. She was barely moving now, standing in the tall grass and openly staring. “Do you have something you want to say?” She kept her voice low, but it carried a bit through the eerie fog. “Is there a reason you’re following us?”
The woman looked around, her eyes briefly falling on the ghosts before turning back to us. “You watched the ritual.” Her voice was deep, throaty. She didn’t sound as young as she looked. “How did you get out?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Raven replied, looking to the sky when a magical barrage of sparks arced over us. “I think that’s our sign.”
“Yeah.” I cast one more look at the woman before turning and facing the melee in front of us. “Ready?”
“Go now.” Raven gave me a shove and we both started running. The ghosts remained where they were until right before we reached them, and then something – probably Max – sh
oved them to the side and created a path.
The ghosts screamed their disapproval as they flopped away from us, but we were already on the other side of the dreamcatcher before they regrouped enough to close the opening.
Kade was on me before I caught my breath, pulling me in for a tight hug. “Are you okay?”
It was hard to regain my breath but I nodded. “I’m fine.”
“What happened?” Nellie asked, appearing at my elbow. “Did you see anything good?”
“We saw … something.”
Kade smoothed my hair, some of which had come out of the rubber band, and stared into my eyes. “That was the longest hour of my life. You’re sure you’re okay?”
I nodded to appease him. “We didn’t get close to anything dangerous. In fact … .” I remembered the woman and jerked my eyes to the dreamcatcher line. She was still there, her hair blowing in the breeze as she stood behind several ghosts and stared.
“Who is that?” Luke asked, instantly alert.
“I don’t know, but she’s hot.” Seth, our resident tiger shifter, had apparently joined the group during my excursion with Raven and was clearly enamored with our new visitor. “Quick, someone invite her over the line. I want to see her up close and personal.”
“We’re not doing that,” Kade fired back. “You don’t know anything about her. In fact, she could be evil and deadly for all you know.”
“She’s hot.” Seth refused to back down. “It’s easy for you to draw a line in the sand and say we’re not going to invite her over, but you already have a woman. You don’t understand what true loneliness feels like.”
Seth looked earnest, but I knew him well enough to roll my eyes. “Stop being a pain, Seth,” I ordered, causing his lips to twist into a grin. “Kade is right. We don’t know anything about her … other than the fact that she followed us from Falk.”
“Was she the only one there?” Max asked, moving closer to me so he could give me a long once-over. “No injuries to heal?”
Freaky Rites (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 6) Page 21
