Magician's Muse

by Linda Joy Singleton

  “Of course not! I came to help you both escape.”

  “I know … and thanks. I’ve seen what Grey can do …

  and he’s beyond cruel.” Jade closed her eyes, shuddering. Then she took a deep breath, as if cleansing a horrible memory. “After we got here, Grey let on that he thought it would be a fun thing for me to be his magician’s assistant. Since I wanted to find Josh, I played along, flirting. I was dumb enough to think his bad-boy attitude was hot. But he persuaded me”—she grimaced—“to assist him with magic acts where he did cruel things to animals … and even to me.” She took off her leather jacket and showed me strange jagged cuts on her arm. “He likes to play with knives.”

  Knives? I remembered Penny-Love and Thorn saying that Jacques had been stabbed. Could Grey have anything to do with it? And there was also my vision of Josh stabbing himself. This was not looking good.

  “Oh, Jade.” I reached out to hug her. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But that only proves how we really need to get going. Now.”

  “Just listen, okay? You need to understand that I came here with Grey because I imagined myself as a hero, bringing Josh home when you couldn’t. But it turns out I’m not very brave. And I’m worried about Mom, too. What if she’s gone off on another gambling binge since I’m not there to make her go to her Gamblers Anonymous meeting? I watch our money and pay all the bills. Don’t you see, Sabine? I need to check on Mom, but if I leave now, Grey will go psycho-slasher on Josh.”

  “So let’s get Josh and we’ll all go together.”

  “Josh is locked up.”

  “Then we’ll break him out!”

  “Don’t you think I’ve tried? But it’s impossible—until after the ceremony.”

  I shivered. “What ceremony?”

  “There’s no time to go into that. But you’re right. If Josh doesn’t leave, he could get hurt.”

  “Why do you even care about Josh?” I asked. “You barely know him.”

  “Weird, huh? I’m losing my edge.” Jade gave a grim laugh. “I’m impressed that Josh does magic tricks at hospitals for sick kids. He’s one of the good guys—and I’ve dated enough jerks to know the good ones are rare, like an endangered species. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

  “Neither do I. But if we can’t get him out now, we’ll leave and bring back help. We’ll tell the police or Dad.”

  “Can they move faster than Grey’s knives?”

  My breath caught as I remembered my vision of Josh in a rustic building wearing strange, old-fashioned clothes—similar to what Blue Cape was wearing—and stabbing a knife into his chest. My visions weren’t always literal, but usually they held prophetic meaning. I’d learned to pay attention … or regret it later.

  “Okay, Jade,” I said. “What should we do?”

  “Trade jackets with me.”

  Her tone was forceful yet scared, too. I didn’t understand or like it, but I did as she asked.

  As Jade fastened my jacket closed, she pointed to my backpack. “What’s in there?”

  “Cell phone, keys, bottled water, snacks, other stuff we might need.”

  “Good prep.”

  “Jade, what are you thinking?”

  “You already know, or you wouldn’t be wearing a red wig.” Her words were light, but her expression was dark enough to eclipse the sun. “Be me a little longer … please.”

  I stared at her. “I thought I was supposed to dress like this to sneak in, in case someone saw me.” My heart sank as I noticed that even our boots matched.

  She skewered me with a sharp look. “Do you want to help Josh?”

  “Of course I do!”

  “Then find him and convince him to leave,” she insisted. “I’ll only be a few hours—long enough to check on Mom. I’ll send help back for you and Josh.”

  Before I could argue, Jade shoved the dog’s leash into my hand and slung my backpack over her shoulder. Then she fled into the woods.

  And vanished.

  I clung to Roscoe’s leash, too stunned to react.

  Jade’s “let’s trade places” plan was crazy in so many ways I could hardly believe it was really happening—and I’d agreed to it! I didn’t know anything about what she’d been doing this past week. Looking like her might fool some people, but when I didn’t know someone’s name or got lost trying to find a bathroom, suspicions would rise.

  Bury me now, because I was sooo dead.

  A shrill cry and pounding footsteps made me whirl around. A blur of blue was lunging down the path directly toward me. Crying out, I tossed the leash aside and stumbled backwards, shielding my face with my arms.

  A blue cape flapped behind the running man like he was a superhero (super villain?). I braced myself for impact, but only felt a whoosh of air and a splatter of dirt and pine needles. Blue Cape swept by me like I didn’t exist—and went straight for the dog.

  “Roscoe!” he sobbed, crouching on the ground and hugging the giant poodle as if he’d been lost for months instead of a few minutes.

  Roscoe responded with a wagging tail and slobbery kisses.

  “Naughty, naughty puppy,” Blue Cape cooed in a girly voice that seemed odd coming from a guy with stubble on his chin. “Shame on your for running away and making Frank very worried for my cutesy-doggy-sweetums.”

  Instead of escaping, which would have been the smart thing to do, I watched from the shadow of a cypress tree. Anyone who crooned baby-talk to a giant fur ball didn’t scare me. Besides, Blue Cape (Frank) was puffing hard, like he’d run a marathon instead of a short distance downhill. If he gave me any trouble, I could easily outrun him. Cane Man (who must still be hobbling this direction) was elderly and frail enough to get knocked over by a swift breeze. Jade could have escaped from these two easily. Yet she’d waited till today.

  Waited for me.

  “Jade, you’ve been naughty too.” Frank said disapprovingly.

  I glanced around, hoping that Jade had returned and was standing behind me—but no such luck.

  “What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?”

  “Nothing.” I pitched my voice lower to sound more like Jade.

  “You shouldn’t have run off. There are snakes and other dangers, so we have to stay together.” Frank stood up swiftly, his expression reminding me of a teacher catching a trusted pupil cheating. “You broke the rules, but since you did it to catch Roscoe, all is forgiven. It was very sweet of you to look out for my baby puppy.”

  While Roscoe wasn’t as gigantic as Josh’s Horse, he was far from a puppy and reminded me of a bear with a bad perm. But I kept these thoughts to myself.

  “I won’t mention this to Arturo,” Frank added with a conspiratorial wink—like he was doing me a favor.

  “Um … thanks?” I said uncertainly.

  “You’re welcome. And thank you for catching my cutesy-fuzzy Roscoe. Bless his heart, he’s still a puppy even though he’s nearly twelve.” He petted the dog’s curly head. “Aren’t you my special big guy? You just want to run and run, but you’ll have to be content with our daily walk.”

  So that’s why Frank, Cane Man, and Jade went on walks—not for fun or health but for the dog. These people had strange priorities.

  “Do you need help?” I asked as Roscoe’s leash wound around Frank’s ankles.

  “No thanks, I don’t.” The dog jerked the chain so that Frank appeared to be getting down with some funky zombie dance.

  “Sure you do.” I covered my smile with my hand.

  “Henry probably needs assistance. He took a nasty tumble.”

  I stared at him blankly. Henry?

  “I hope he isn’t bleeding. He has enough trouble keeping up on our walks.” Frank gestured toward the path leading down from the dam, where Cane Man was slowly inching his way, leaning on his cane. “Jade, make sure he’s okay. He wouldn’t have fallen if you weren’t so clumsy.”

  “I’m … sorry. It was an accident. I tripped on something.”

 
; “It’s always something with you, isn’t it?” Frank’s tone sharpened, as if reminding me of previous grievances.

  He turned his attention back to Roscoe, who was tugging on the leash, and tried to keep up as the dog scampered down the path. I glanced up toward the dam and Henry. He’d never catch up with me if I took off running. I could get the hell out of here now.

  But I bit my lip, hesitating. The image of a bloody silver knife flashed in my head, and I knew in my gut that I couldn’t leave yet. Call it destiny, karma, or a guilty conscience, but I owed it to Josh. He was in danger and it was my fault he was here. He never would have left everything he cared about if I hadn’t hurt him by loving Dominic and admitting I liked being psychic. Josh couldn’t change me—so instead, he’d changed. And now he was in serious trouble. For the sake of our friendship, for the price of guilt, I’d stay long enough to find him.

  I still didn’t understand Jade’s role in this place. But I had to give her credit for wanting to help Josh. Just when I thought I had her figured out and was comfortable hating her, she said stuff that didn’t fit.

  So I’d do my best to convince Frank and Henry that I was Jade.

  “I’m sorry for knocking you down,” I told the elderly man as he hobbled toward me. “Would you like to lean on me?”

  “I can manage fine on my own, but I do appreciate the offer, sweetheart.” His voice rang out deep and resonant, like a TV announcer. Stage presence, I thought, and guessed he was a magician like Arturo.

  When he winced, I went over to his side. “Are you in pain?” I asked gently.

  “No more than usual.” He waved me off.

  “Here, take my arm.”

  “Forget about me. Seize the opportunity, sweetheart.”

  “Opportunity?”

  “To get the devil out of here.”

  “You want me to leave?” I asked, astonished.

  “Why else would I go through this pretense? Sure, you bumped me, but I staged the fall so Frank wouldn’t get wise.” He stood up taller, no longer leaning on the cane. “When it comes to the art of diversion, I’m as smooth as a silk scarf.”

  He twirled the cane with a practiced pinch of his fingers—it was a magician’s prop, not an invalid’s crutch. The cane was carved with intricate stars, half-moons, and cryptic symbols, the top curved into a wolf’s head with sharp carved teeth. Henry had seemed like a harmless old man, but looks could be deceiving, as I knew too well.

  “You only pretended to fall, so that I could get away?”

  “You bet your cute derrière I did. Danged good at it, too,” he boasted. “Now get moving, sweetheart, while you can.”

  “Why do you want to help me?”

  “Purely selfish motives.” Henry smiled wryly. “Nothing personal, sweetheart, but I don’t want you here. You’re not one of us.”

  I bit my lip. Did he know I was an imposter?

  “Call me old-fashioned or a chauvinist, but I don’t support Arturo in this madness. Women don’t belong in the brotherhood. Arty isn’t thinking with the right organ,” he added with a wink. “Arty and I go way back, so I understand his weaknesses and step in when he’s headed for trouble.”

  I sensed undercurrents here, ones that Jade might understand but which only confused me. I shook my head. “I appreciate everything, but I can’t go yet.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  I thought of Josh locked up like a prisoner. “Can’t,” I answered.

  Henry frowned. “It’s your grave.”

  My grave or Josh’s? Either way, I had a strong feeling of doom.

  Henry leaned slightly on his cane. We continued down the path at a brisk pace, easily catching up with Frank, who had gotten tangled in Roscoe’s leash.

  The path widened and flattened. Slowing my pace, I tried to numb all my emotions, but I couldn’t shake an acute sense of dread. My worries increased with each slap of my boots. How could I keep pretending to be Jade? I wouldn’t know anything about the people here, except what I’d read online about Arturo and his wife. And no way could I fool Grey. I’d have to stay far away from him.

  I expected Frank to make a right on the path I’d seen leading to the cabins, but instead he kept going straight, deeper into the woods until the trail turned to gravel, widened, and suddenly we were at a large sprawling house—if you could call the enormous structure a house. It was more like a gothic mansion, although its slanted roof, jutting into sharp angles like wings half-hidden in the thick pines, glinted with solar panels. A walkway paved with rocks and bordered with stone figures—all men in long cloaks—led up to the wide wooden front steps and a massive double oak door with stained-glassed windows.

  Frank strode up the steps, almost tripping over energetic Roscoe before going inside.

  “Wow,” I said softly.

  Henry patted my shoulder. “You act like you’ve never seen it before.”

  “Every time is like the first time.”

  “It is a beautiful resort, or hideaway, depending on your viewpoint,” he added with a sly wink at me. Was this a joke Jade would understand?

  When I started up the steps, Henry looked at me with puzzlement. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Um …” I glanced down at a crack in the step.

  “Did you forget your afternoon lesson?”

  “How could I forget?” More like—how could I remember?

  “Well, get to it before she blows a gasket. You should have escaped when you had the chance, sweetheart.” He chuckled ruefully. “But since you’re here, you have to stick to the schedule.”

  A lesson? A schedule? What sort of weirdness had Jade gotten herself involved in? And how could I find someone I didn’t know in a location I’d never been to?

  Playing sick might work, or faking an acute case of amnesia like I’d seen in TV soap operas. I swayed back and forth, then draped my hand across my forehead. “I’m not feeling very good … why is everything spinning?”

  Henry moved quickly for an old man, dropping his cane and putting a wrinkled arm around me. “You okay, sweetheart?”

  “I—I don’t know … I’m just so dizzy. Could you take me to my lesson?”

  “You can’t walk ten feet? The cottage is right there.”

  I followed Henry’s gaze over to a two-story, wood-shingled building that blended into the woods. It looked like an upside-down bowl, and its round eye-windows seemed to be watching me. I almost felt it mouthing a silent welcome from its oblong, sky-blue door.

  I’d found the “cottage.”

  Would I find Josh inside?

  After a miraculous recovery from my illness, I hurried away from Henry to knock on the cottage door. No one answered. This had to be the right place, I assured myself, so I turned the knob—and it opened easily.

  High stained-glass windows sent glittery red, blue, and gold patterns down onto the tiled floor. I moved cautiously across the entryway, running my hand over the top of a marble cabinet and smelling the faint whiff of smoke coming from copper sconces trailing across the wall. My boots echoed like drum beats, slowing as I took in my surroundings. The entryway widened, and then led into a huge circular room with a vast domed ceiling. Balconies curved around two sides. From somewhere far above, lights flickered and I heard soft murmurs, like whispers.

  I turned slowly in place. The bone-white walls contrasted with dark, old-fashioned furnishings: a carved bureau, a heavy oval table, a high-backed burgundy couch with an ottoman and matching loveseat, oil paintings in gilded frames, and shelves lined with thick books or odd-shaped bottles. In the center of the room, a staircase spiraled up to the balconies. Faint sounds drifted down it, so I nervously started to climb.

  From the top, I peered back down for a better view, memorizing the layout of the first floor. There were two doors that led to bedrooms, along with a closed door that I guessed might be the bathroom. There was a kitchen, a dining nook, and the living room. It was almost an ordinary house—except for its shape, and the fact t
hat its furnishings and candles belonged to another century.

  “You’re late.”

  Startled, I turned toward the sultry-sweet voice behind me and saw a face I’d seen before—in the photo of the Amazing Arturo in Josh’s bedroom. But that photo was flat and lifeless; in person, the woman was incredibly vibrant, with gold-brown eyes, high cheek bones, and wide full lips. Her stunning pale-blond hair was twisted in queenlike braids around her creamy skin and, in the few steps she took toward me, her long slim legs moved as if she were dancing.

  Amazing Arturo’s wife and assistant: Genevieve LaFleur.

  “Where have you been, Jade?” she asked, folding her arms and tapping one foot on the floor. Her attitude was pissed but I didn’t care—she’d called me “Jade.” Score another point for the imposter.

  “I was walking and Roscoe took off. Frank was frantic,” I exaggerated. “So I raced after Roscoe. He went so fast I had to push through bushes and hop rocks to catch him, but I finally grabbed his collar and brought him back. I didn’t mean to be late.”

  Her smile was like rays of sun bursting through gray clouds. “That was sweet of you to help Frank. He dotes so terribly on that ridiculous dog. Poodles are supposed to be cute and little, not the size of a grizzly bear.”

  “Roscoe does look like a bear,” I replied, wondering what I should call her. Mrs. Amazing Arturo didn’t sound right. And LaFleur was probably her maiden name. Arturo’s real last name was Pizowitz but I couldn’t imagine calling this lovely, elegant woman Mrs. Pizowitz.

  “We have much to do this afternoon,” she said, leading me into a large room that opened off the balcony. I noticed two side doors, guessing they led to closets or another bathroom.

  Jade would know exactly what she was expected to do now. All I could manage was a small nod, crossing my fingers and hoping I didn’t screw up. Getting caught now would be embarrassing … and maybe even dangerous.

  “Fall gracefully this time, Jade. Don’t slam into the ground. I’ll show you a technique that won’t leave bruises and will completely fool even experienced magicians.”

  Slamming my body! Bruises! Again … what was I doing here?

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be great,” she told me with an affectionate squeeze of my hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She clasped her hands together, rubbing a diamond wedding ring with a finger, her mouth pursed as she stared past me.