Stardust: Tales from Cirque Macabre

by Kristen Strassel

  It looked an awful lot like one of my visions. Being able to See the vampires didn’t make it any better. “I think we just walked into the lair.”

  “I promise to make you forget all about vampires,” Holly’s voice was low, and her breath hot against my ear. My knees buckled when she drew back and smiled at me. Every person who passed us wanted her, and she was mine.

  I nodded.

  Inside, we were greeted by the red and purple glow of the casino floor. “I think it’s good that we’re attracting vampires,” Holly continued, swinging our hands between us. “It means your spell worked.”

  “The first part of it, anyway.” I thought she was supposed to make me forget about vampires, and I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate little victories.

  “Don’t listen to Lucille. She’s wrong. I predict they’ll bring us prosperity.” Holly’s optimism was fueled by the fact she didn’t See the future. “And we can start by taking their money.”

  We stuck to roulette. It was a game of pure luck with few rules. An older man handed Holly a chip when we approached the table. “Be my lucky charm, gorgeous,” he said. I rolled my eyes.

  Holly gave him the same smile she’d given that lecherous singer during practice; it was an act. “This is my lucky charm,” she said before handing the chip over to me.

  He couldn’t protest without looking like a giant asshole. I blurted out the first combination that came to my head and played nice with our sponsor.

  “Black Twenty-two.”

  “She is a lucky charm.” The old man marveled as the dealer pushed a pile of chips at me. My heart pounded; I had no idea we’d wandered into the high stakes area.

  I attempted to hand him the chips, but he refused. “Keep it. Luck like that that doesn’t last forever.” He winked before disappearing into the cacophony of the room.

  Holly nudged me. “It’s free money. Bet it all.”

  My mouth was dry. I put most of the chips back down on the table. Holly had much more faith in my abilities than I did. One of these chips would pay the rent.

  The other gamblers surrounding the table cheered as the dealer eyed the pile. “That’s an awful lot of money.”

  I nodded and borrowed a page out of Holly’s book, flashing a fake smile. “Red nine, please.”

  Other gamblers dropped chips and placed bets, eager to take my money. The wheel spun forever, the ball bouncing along. My body temperature shot up, and each bounce of the ball echoed in my head. It wasn’t really our money, but losing it would still hurt. A lot.

  Holly put her hand over mine. “Come on, big money.”

  “Red nine,” the dealer called, and a gasp rose from the table.

  “She’s cheating.” A woman at the end of the table pointed at me and sneered. A hum of disapproval swarmed around us. The dealer stayed neutral, pushing a giant pile of chips at me.

  “How? It’s a game of chance.”

  The woman’s mouth gaped. She couldn’t believe I was getting away with it, and neither could I. “If I knew how, I’d do it too. Call the pit boss over,” she said to the dealer.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Holly muttered.

  It dawned on me that if vampires ran the hotel, this was not the kind of attention we wanted to attract. I panicked when the woman who converted our chips to cash asked for my ID, but she assured me it was standard procedure for big winners.

  A quick count of the cash netted seventeen thousand dollars. I didn’t hesitate to ask for the suite at the front desk. We’d splurge tonight, but then the rest of this money would go in a box with my stones and idols. We were playing with fire.

  Holly tugged on my arm when we passed a lingerie store. “Let’s buy each other presents.”

  “We can’t blow through all our money.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What’s it going to cost? A couple hundred bucks at most? It will barely dent what we have. And we know how to get more. Live a little.” She winked and sauntered into the store, leaving me in the lobby.

  Her crimson hair swished between displays, and the closer I looked at the lacy panties and glittering bras and teddies, I realized everything in the store would look hot on Holly.

  “Don’t look at what I’ve got.” She jerked her body so I couldn’t see what she held. “Give me some money though, so I can check out.”

  I peeled a couple hundreds off the stack and handed them over. It’s not really our money, I reminded myself. It belongs to the casino and that old man. Didn’t make it feel any less dirty.

  Shopping with Holly’s show in mind, I picked out a black frilly pair of booty shorts, fishnet stockings, and a bra that wasn’t really a bra. It was all strings, exposing the breasts. Pasties would cover the business areas on stage, but she wouldn’t need them tonight.

  Opening the room to the suite felt like Christmas morning. I gasped. “It’s bigger than our apartment.” A spacious living room that didn’t have Lucille perched on the purple velvet couch and a wall of windows overlooking the city greeted us.

  “There’s a hot tub!” Holly called from the bedroom. I was sure we’d be up close and personal with that soon enough. I put my hand against the window and looked out at the city. It was so beautiful. But revolution rippled underneath the surface.

  Holly’s kiss brought me out of my trance. “Let’s exchange outfits. Me first.” She snatched the bag out of my hand. “Actually, I’ll go change into it in the bathroom, you can change in the bedroom.”

  I pulled the tissue paper from the bag after she trotted out of sight. She’d picked a high-necked bra for me that was more like a halter top. Sheer, embroidered fabric barely contained my breasts. The bottom was a tiny matching thong. I turned in the mirror, and my image reflected in the windows. For the first time, I understood why Holly wanted to be onstage. I had no audience, but my bare skin tingled with confidence and power.

  Holly was taking forever. I’d given her more a more complicated outfit, and I was too anxious to wait for the big reveal. I knocked on the bathroom door. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” Holly opened the door a crack, and only her face and arm were visible. “It. just hit me. That I have my own show. You look freaking amazing.”

  “Thanks.” A flush started at my cheeks and heat spread throughout my body. “I believe you promised me a dance.”

  Since when was I the one with the confidence and Holly the one with doubts? I could trace it back to one distinct moment. When that singer bathed her in his filthy gaze. I’d never felt more possessive in my life. I spun on the ball of my foot and ripped a page out of Holly’s book, strutting over to the bed. I leaned back when I sat, and crossed my legs.

  Our gazes locked, and Holly still clung to the door. She pushed it aside, and I let out a low whistle when I got a look at her.

  She was even more gorgeous than I imagined she’d be. Strutting over to me on those high heels, the stockings screamed danger lie ahead. The shorts clung low on her hipbones. And the bra, good gods. She pushed her hair off her shoulders, and her nipples were puckered and upturned. There was no music, Holly didn’t need it. After that horrible incident on stage, that song would be tattooed into her memory. The bag I’d given her was hooked over her wrist.

  It kept swinging when she stopped. “You going somewhere?” I asked.

  She set it down on the nightstand. “I have another present for you.”

  Goosebumps blossomed over my skin in anticipation, but I didn’t have time to think about what was in the bag when Holly straddled my lap.

  She circled her hips slowly, dipping down so the tiny strip of fabric between her legs tickled my thigh. I sucked in my breath as she grinded. Her nipples were so close to my face. I could’ve taken one in my mouth, kissed it, and sucked it so I knew how it felt against my tongue, but I was mesmerized. Holly’s eyes were heavy-lidded and completely shielded by her thick, false lashes. She must have refreshed her lipstick when she changed into this outfit because her lips were red and juicy. I couldn’t wait for i
t to be smeared all over my body. I wished we could go back to the theater and show everyone.

  Holly pushed me back on the comforter. My arms spread wide, and I grabbed handfuls of fabric to keep from touching her. This was her show, and I was going to struggle with these emotions every time I watched her take the stage. The longing and the jealousy.

  My pussy pulsed as she writhed against it, knocking the thin veneer of fabric off center. She drew a line with her fingers from my shoulders, between my breasts, until her fingernails scraped my belly. She hooked into the top of my displaced thong and licked her lips.

  “Is this how you’re going to dance on stage?” I could barely get the words out.

  She shook her head. “Only for you.”

  I lifted my hips as Holly dragged the delicate fabric away from my sex. She crawled to the side, and lowered the panties to my ankles. I kicked them off and spread my legs wide. I burned for her. It didn’t matter if a spark never flew from her skin.

  Her hair tickled my bare, aching body as she lowered her mouth to my pussy. Pure liquid lava flowed through my veins when she made contact, and I writhed in time with the quick movements of her tongue. It was almost too much to bear, but I never wanted her to stop. She steadied herself with her hands on my thighs, trapping me in place. She giggled against my swollen clit when I cried out in frustration.

  It took everything I had to sit up. Holly tried to push me back down, but I grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her face up to mine. Our lips crashed together, tongues tangled, like it was part of her dance. I sucked the taste of myself off her tongue, but Holly’s lips were everywhere, sliding down my jaw to my neck.

  Shock rolled through my body when she pulled away. I was a throbbing, needy mess and there was no way that could be it. I planned on having her in every room of this suite, and we had a lot of ground to cover.

  “Time for your present.” She reached into the bag and pulled out something that looked like a belt. I narrowed my eyes, confused. The last thing either of us needed was more clothes. My mouth dropped when I saw what held it together.

  She grasped a dildo in her hand, flicking her gaze up to me as she let it fall on the bed so she could step into the harness. It was the strangest juxtaposition, Holly with her flowing hair and face full of smeared makeup, her breasts bared in the cage I bought for her, and a penis.

  “I couldn’t resist getting this,” she said as she pulled a bottle of liquid out of the bag and poured it on the dildo. Between that and my soaking wet pussy, the comforter was going to be out of commission for the night.

  My bones were jelly, and it took everything I had to sit up again. I stroked the length of the dildo, making sure the lube covered every inch. Holly was on her knees, and there was no way I could stop myself from taking her breast into my mouth.

  I loved the way she sounded when she surrendered to me. I didn’t want her to go easy on me, but I was too shy to find the words. Even with Holly. There was an avalanche of feelings I’d kept behind a giant wall, and once I started to let them out, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stop them. I tugged at her nipple, and she cried out. She steadied herself with her hands on my shoulders, digging her fingernails in when the sensation got to be too much, and massaging small circles in approval when I did something she liked. It was like learning a new language, and the words sounded beautiful rolling off Holly’s skin.

  She had me on my back again, with my leg hooked over her shoulder. “How’d you do that?” I laughed.

  “Consider it a dance move.” Her eyes sparkled, like at any moment they could ignite. “Ready?”

  “If you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to lose my mind.”

  “Say no more.” She bit her bottom lip to try to reign in her smile. Couldn’t do it. “I’ve already got Lucille to deal with, and I like you just how you are.”

  She steadied her fake cock and drove it into me slowly. She nodded, like she was having a hard time finding words, and I mimicked the motion. Rolling her hips back, she thrust inside me, again and again.

  “You have no idea how beautiful you look right now.” Her words were strained, and I could only answer with a moan. It was the most incredible feeling, and my only regret was that it wasn’t her inside me.

  The next thrust sent my head off the edge of the bed. I put my hands out to steady our slide onto the floor. Holly shrieked with laughter, but she never stopped. The lights of Vegas were upside down and blurry as fireworks exploded in my vision. Holly fell on top of me, panting and trembling. Our kisses didn’t quite connect, our orgasms had robbed us both of our vision, but never of each other.

  She pulled the comforter from the bed and covered us both with it. “Thanks for being there for me tonight. I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”

  “You don’t have to worry about it. I’m not going anywhere.”

  8

  Holly looked up from her phone, her face glowing. “Noah wants to help me with my routine.”

  “Who’s Noah?” I had a feeling he was someone I wished I could scribble over with a black marker, but that didn’t work in real life.

  “He’s the singer.” Holly landed on her stomach beside me on the bed, tapping on my thigh with nervous excitement. Our bedroom was claustrophobic after spending a scorching hot night at the Alta Vista. “Get that look off your face. I know, he’s a little aggressive, but I made it clear I wasn’t available. We’ve been texting back and forth about the show all night, and he’s got some great ideas.”

  “I’m sure he does,” I muttered, not meaning for it to sound malicious, but not taking it back, either. Holly’s stare bore into me, but I didn’t break my gaze from the laptop. Not right away, anyway. I couldn’t keep a straight face, and we both knew I’d give into whatever scheme she’d cooked up, even if it involved Noah.

  I liked it better when he didn’t have a name. It made it too personal.

  “He does. This is his show, too. And he has an investment in making it the best it can be. That means we need to have some sort of chemistry when we perform together. Let’s face it, I’m not the best dancer, my fire is a little underwhelming in a giant room like that, and I completely messed up the first rehearsal. The least I can do is look like I want to work with the band.”

  “Can’t it wait until you go see Bette again?” I pushed the laptop onto the bed and rubbed my temples. Holly’s plans set off sirens in my head. Ones with lots of screaming and shadowy parts missing.

  I’d abandoned my spell books for the day. The show was out of my hands. Holly was under contract and my protests only added to her stress. Instead, I’d spent the afternoon researching roulette. Instinct told me it was much more than a game of luck, and that if I mastered the skill, I could maximize our profits. Give Holly the life she was meant for. Get us an apartment more like the suite at the Alta Vista and nothing like the sad debacle of a place we lived in now. Then she could go on all the shopping sprees her heart desired.

  What I was doing was as risky as Holly’s performance. It wasn’t exactly cheating, but I wasn’t playing fair. Giving my personal information to the casino to collect my winnings made me nervous, too. The cashier explained it was for tax purposes, but I wondered if the casinos compared notes.

  “It’s not that easy. I don’t automatically travel to Bette every time I try. It’s exhausting, and I need all my energy for the show. Like I said, the ball isn’t exactly in my court after last night.”

  “How do you get to her?” I asked. It was an imperfect science, and this wasn’t the first time I’d asked her this question. I expected the raised eyebrow. “You’ve explained it a thousand times, but it’s always a little different, like you find a short cut. Tell me again and maybe there’s something I can do to help. Cast a spell to open a portal or something.”

  I usually didn’t care much for things that only had one answer, but we didn’t have time to waste guessing on how to make Holly successful. With all the spells and travel at our disposal, we neede
d facts and talent to fight the people who wanted to replace her.

  She closed her eyes for a long blink. “It’s like meditation. I have to slow down my mind and focus on the place I want to go, which is why it’s hard. I can’t stop thinking about the show. I can travel regardless, but I can’t always guarantee where I end up.”

  “How do you do that?” If I could find a common thread between the two, I could put together a spell to help her focus it, and deflect some of the spent energy back to myself to make it easier on her.

  “It usually happens when I can’t stand being here anymore,” she said, waving her hand at our crowded room. “When I get frustrated and want to run away from my life. I’ve always been searching for a place where we belonged. I think this is it, Rainey. It’s all new and strange and there will be a lot of growing pains, but we have a chance here. Once the show gets going, you’ll be able to read cards, but you might not need to if you keep up your winning ways.” She angled the computer screen toward her. “We’re on the same page with that.”

  Holly needed to relax, which she hadn’t done since we moved. That would be my focus, so she could get back to 1960 to see Bette again. “We can’t rely on others too much. It’s as bad as relying on Lucille. We lose control, and we’ll have to go against what we believe in to keep the status quo. It will be impossible to get ahead.”

  “I agree. And this will get easier. It’s been a hell of a day.” She dipped down and kissed my knee. “We have to learn the rules if we want to break them. And production is training me. I’m meeting with a fire eater tonight. I’m so excited! She’s going to show me how she does it.”

  “You’re going to eat fire?” This was the first I’d heard of it. “Is that part of the contract?”

  “I’m the Fire Dancer. If I rub my fingers together, I can make sparks. Big whoop. In that huge theater, it won’t look like anything. The fire is the thing that will make them beg for more. That’s what we need. I want every single facet of it at my disposal.”