Mark of the Bear (Hades' Carnival)

by N. J. Walters

  Wrapping the towel around her, she left the bathroom behind. It didn’t take her long to dig out some clean clothes. She stuck to jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt, casual and approachable. Exactly the look she was going for.

  Another quick trip to the bathroom and she slicked back her hair, pulling it into a simple braid, and applied some light make-up. Giving her reflection a satisfied nod, she turned and stubbed her toe of the edge of the wall. “Damn. Damn. Damn.” She said worse curse words as she bounced off the sink when she grabbed her poor, abused foot.

  “Sneakers next,” she muttered as she limped toward the bed. She sat there and pulled on her footwear. By the time she was done her toes were no longer aching quite so much and the excitement of meeting the crew was setting in.

  She left her script behind, knowing she could run back and get it later. This was about eating and doing a meet-and-greet with the others. Kellsie tossed the covers over the mattress and smoothed them. It wasn’t great, but it was good enough. She opened her trailer door and took her first step into this new, exciting project.

  He stood motionless, half-hidden by the bulk of the oak tree he was leaning against. The rest of him was lost in shadows. This was the woman Hades had sent him to watch, and to kill if it became necessary. But the Olympian god had other plans for Kellsie Morris if the warrior she freed couldn’t be turned. That’s assuming Hades was right and she was one of the chosen few women who could indeed free one of the warriors from his imprisonment.

  He wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. He didn’t want to be in his own, but he was a warrior and had made his choice. This frail human had no choice in what was about to happen to her.

  “What do you think?” Brittany, the little succubus who had been sniffing around his bed for the past few weeks, sidled up closer to him. She was a tempting tidbit, the perfect woman, unless you knew what lurked beneath the exterior packaging.

  Mordecai didn’t bother to look at her or answer her question. It didn’t matter what he thought about her. He was here to do a job.

  Brittany’s hand grazed his chest before slowly sliding downward. He didn’t think she’d be very happy to discover he wasn’t the least bit aroused. He struck hard and fast, grabbing her wrist before she reached her destination. She laughed, a low, sultry sound with a hint of promise. The wicked tone had lured more than one male to his doom.

  He slowly turned his head, his dark eyes boring into her. “I have work to do.” He dropped her hand and strode after Kellsie. It was time to meet her and begin this latest farce. The clock hadn’t started ticking yet, but it would. And soon.

  The chatter and noise in the dining tent came to a complete halt when Kellsie stepped inside. She was used to being stared at so it didn’t bother her. Or at least she pretended it didn’t. Plastering a friendly smile on her face, she strode over to the cafeteria line that had been set up on one end. The smells coming from the shiny metal warming trays made her mouth water, so it wasn’t a lie when she smiled at the man behind the table and greeted him. “Boy, am I happy to meet you.”

  He laughed, a loud, boisterous sound that made his rather large stomach jiggle. “Hungry, are you?” A huge smile wreathed his face and brought attention to his rather impressive handlebar mustache.

  “You bet.”

  “Grab a plate.” He indicated the stack to the right. “Help yourself.”

  “I’m Kellsie Morris.” She stuck out her hand and it was immediately engulfed by his much larger one.

  “Harold Ackerman. Now eat before it gets cold.”

  “Thanks.” Kellsie went down the line, filling her plate with a serving of scrambled eggs and some whole-grain toast. She was reaching for one of the prepackaged fruit salads when she realized she needed a tray. As if by magic, one appeared on the serving line next to her.

  “I think you might need this.” The voice was male and tinged with a slight accent she couldn’t quite place, and she was very good at placing accents since she’d met and worked with folks from all over the world.

  She turned to thank him and almost dropped her plate. He was gorgeous. She’d worked with her fair share of good-looking men, but this one put them all to shame. He stood over six-feet tall and was all lean, hard muscle. His hair and his eyes were black and his skin had an olive cast to it that made her immediately think of the Mediterranean—Italian or possible Greek.

  He was wearing dark khaki pants that clung to the thick muscles of his thighs. The black T-shirt he wore stretched at the seams, barely containing his wide shoulders. Scuffed black boots covered his feet.

  How was this guy not a huge movie star? Maybe he couldn’t act or maybe he was new to the Hollywood scene. He could certainly be a model. She’d buy whatever he was selling and so would the rest of the female population.

  One corner of his mouth was also quirked up as if he was used to females making fools of themselves over him.

  Kellsie wasn’t about to provide amusement for him or for any of the other people watching them. She set her plate on the tray he’d provided and held out her hand. “Thanks, I’m Kellsie.”

  He inclined his head as he wrapped his fingers around hers and lifted them to his lips. “Mordecai,” he murmured just before his lips brushed across her knuckles.

  Kellsie waited for the rush of sexual awareness. Not that she’d do anything about it. She never slept with someone she worked with. It was a hard and fast rule. She’d seen too many sexual liaisons go sour and ruin perfectly good working relationships, not to mention movies.

  He flicked his tongue over her index finger and she frowned.

  Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

  She tugged on her hand, perplexed by her lack of response to such a prime male specimen. Maybe she really was working too hard these days. “I need that back if I’m going to eat.”

  He jerked his head up and she could see she’d surprised him. She’d clearly been right in her assessment of him. Women probably fell at his feet when he did little more than smile. Well, she wouldn’t be one of them. He obviously wasn’t used to a member of the opposite sex not being bowled over by him.

  His mouth quirked up a little higher and, for a brief second, his eyes twinkled with humor. Not too full of himself then, she thought. Which was a good thing if they had to work together.

  “Oh, you’ve met.” Brittany slipped her arm around Mordecai’s waist, gaining her a glare from him. “This is your leading man.” She laughed as if she’d said something funny. Her fingers crept up his chest in a very familiar way.

  Not wanting to step on any toes if Brittany and super hunk had anything going on, Kellsie nodded. “Just did.” She glanced around and found that most of the remaining people had gone back to eating. A few were watching avidly, probably hoping for some kind of catfight or something. Not the auspicious beginning Kellsie was hoping for on the set.

  “Thanks for your help,” she smiled at Mordecai. “Maybe we can run some lines later after I’ve had a chance to look at the script.” She grabbed a juice and some cutlery and loaded it onto her tray.

  “Whenever you’re ready.” Was there a suggestive undertone to his words or was she simply imagining things? Frowning, she grabbed her tray and hurried over to one of the tables, leaving Mordecai and Brittany to hash out their relationship. Whatever it was. As much Kellsie wanted to sit by herself and gather her thoughts, she knew she couldn’t. That would only give her a reputation of being standoffish, and that was the last thing she wanted. The movie-making community was a tight-knit one and people talked.

  Taking a fortifying breath, she chose a table with an older man and woman. She approached it slowly, giving them plenty of time to acknowledge her.

  The woman smiled and angled her head toward the couple still standing in front of the serving line. Kellsie glanced over her shoulder to find Mordecai watching her and Brittany pouting up at him.

  “She puts on quite a show, doesn’t she?” The older woman smiled at Kellsie even as she shook her head over Brittany
’s actions.

  Brittany chose that moment to flounce out of the tent. Mordecai didn’t even watch her leave, but continued to watch Kellsie. A shiver raced down her spine and she turned away from his penetrating gaze.

  Kellsie chose her words carefully. She certainly didn’t want to disparage the younger woman, who’d been nothing but kind to her. Nor did she indulge in gossip on the set. It was only a matter of time until it was her they were talking about and it was never fun to be on that end of things.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  The man laughed. “Sit down. I’m Frank and this is Bessie. I’m in set design and she works in makeup.”

  “And we know who you are.” Bessie straightened her wire-rimmed glasses, making no pretense that she wasn’t staring. All Kellsie could do was chuckle.

  “Give the girl some space, woman.” Frank nodded to her tray. “Eat up.”

  Kellsie took him at his word and began to eat, listening as they chatted about the upcoming movie. Frank pointed out several other people, giving her their first names and job descriptions. She appreciated the effort they were both making to help her feel more at home. When she mustered up the nerve to casually glance back at the food line, Mordecai was gone. Kellsie breathed a sigh of relief.

  “The makeup and costumes are amazing for this movie.” Bessie removed her glasses and polished them before popping them back on. “So realistic.”

  Kellsie put down her fork and picked up her juice and sipped. The orange juice was tangy and sweet. Perfect. For the first time in days she felt pleasantly full. She set her drink aside and turned to Bessie. “I know the movie is about a carnival populated with demons.”

  The older lady laughed. “Sure is. Don’t be surprised if you see a demon or two running around outside. We’re still trying to perfect the look.”

  She’d seen plenty of dead bodies in her line of work and some very creepy makeup for deranged killers, but this was going to be her first demon sighting. “Should be fun.”

  Frank inclined his head. “It’ll be interesting for sure.”

  Kellsie stared at the older man. He looked harmless with his salt-and-pepper hair and rosy cheeks. But she thought she detected an underlying sense of malice for a brief second. She must need more sleep or something. He was smiling at her again now, radiating nothing but kindness.

  “I’ve got to get back to work.” Frank pushed his chair back and glanced at Bessie. “You coming?”

  “Sure am.” Bessie stood and patted Kellsie’s hand. “You should check out the rides and the attractions, get a feel for the set. It’s really quite something.”

  “Thanks, I think I’ll do that.” She watched them exit the tent, leaving her alone for the moment. “That went well,” she muttered.

  Could have been a lot worse if Brittany had decided to make a scene. Kellsie would have to watch herself around Mordecai until Brittany realized she wasn’t any threat to whatever relationship they had.

  Sighing, she gathered her tray and dishes and piled them on a rack that sat at the end of the serving line. It was time to have a closer look at the carnival setup. Kellsie was looking forward to this part. From what she’d seen so far, the whole thing looked incredibly real.

  She left the tent and strode to the edge of the carnival, nodding at several people as they passed. They’d used the trailers and the natural barrier of the surrounding woods to create a giant circle with the rides and attractions inside. Very effective and slightly claustrophobic. That would work well on film.

  The yellow and red paint on the signs was chipped and slightly weathered, giving them a more authentic appearance. A lighted marquee proclaimed it to be SHADE’S CARNIVAL. As she studied it the first S and the apostrophe flickered and went dark. Kellsie laughed. “Hades Carnival. Clever.”

  She made her way past the ticket booth, nodding to an older man who was manning it. He looked ancient and positively perfect for the role with his leathered, wrinkled skin and sparse, gray hair. His eyes were sharp as she passed. She smiled and waved. “I’m Kellsie.”

  He nodded and spit a wad of tobacco on the ground by her feet. The brown gooey mass stuck to a rock. She was just thankful it didn’t land on her. Well, that explained his stained teeth. “Be sure to check everything out.” Then he went back to whatever it was he was doing, ignoring her totally.

  Okay. Not exactly the friendly type. But that was his prerogative. Not everyone was. Some folks just liked to do their job and go home. Kellsie figured everyone had a right to work however they wanted.

  Delightful smells filled the air—spun sugar and hot grease. There was a glass-sided trailer selling cotton candy, candy apples, popcorn and drinks. Beside it was a vendor selling corndogs, hotdogs, French fries and other tempting treats. She could easily imagine the entire scene alive and filled with people enjoying what the carnival had to offer.

  The foul stench of diesel fuel mixed in with the more pleasant aroma of the food, creating a smell that was unique to carnivals. The motors on all the rides were rumbling, creating quite a din. Above all the noise was the music that was being pumped in over a speaker system.

  No worries about some poor wild animal sneaking onto the set. They’d be too afraid of all the lights and sounds. A scream ripped the air and Kellsie spun around and grinned as she watched Frank and Bessie flying high in some kind of rocket contraption. The eggs she’d eaten for lunch began to curdle in her stomach and she glanced away. Definitely not trying that ride.

  She meandered around the yard, checking out the other rides. She wanted to try something, but just couldn’t decide on which machine.

  “Why don’t you try the tilt-a-whirl?” The male voice came from right behind her, but she didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Mordecai. She’d expected him to seek her out, just not quite this soon.

  She tilted her head back so she could see him. Straight black hair, chiseled features and mysterious dark eyes tipped with ridiculously long lashes. Yup, just as gorgeous as he was earlier and still not a single spark of attraction.

  Maybe she needed a shot of hormones or something. This guy should be ringing her bell. Hell, a woman would have to be dead to not feel anything for him.

  She checked again. Nada. Shoving aside her lack of libido, she nodded. “Sure. I’m game.”

  He placed his hand on her back and guided her to the entrance. The warmth from his skin penetrated her shirt. The man certainly radiated heat.

  The guy in charge of the ride nodded at them as Mordecai led her to one of the metal seats. It had a high back and sides, almost a cup-shape, which gave support to her back and head. He settled her and then sat next to her, reached down and pulled up the metal handle. Immediately, the ride rumbled to life.

  The car rocked back and forth on its track, doing half-circles at first. Fun, but not much action. “Hang on,” Mordecai warned just as the seat whipped around doing a complete three-sixty.

  “Holy crap.” Kellsie gripped the handle tight as the metal car was whipped left and right, doing complete circles, sometimes several in a row. Once she got accustomed to the movement, she relaxed. It was exhilarating.

  “Having fun?” he asked her over the roar of the ride.

  “Absolutely.” The wind caught her hair, tugging tendrils free from her braid. It stung her cheeks and pulled at the shirt she was wearing. She hooted and waved at the operator as they passed by. He gave her a halfhearted wave in return.

  She half-expected Mordecai to put some kind of move on her while they were on the ride, using the excuse of their close proximity. And they were close. No doubt about it. The right side of her body was plastered against his left. The momentum of the ride didn’t allow for any other possible seating arrangement.

  He was all hard muscle and his spicy scent surrounded her, but there was still no spark, no nothing. Mentally shrugging, Kellsie enjoyed the ride. It was probably for the best. She wouldn’t be able to get involved with him even if she was attracted to him, not while they
were working together.

  The ride eventually slowed, the car rocking back and forth until it came to a stop. Kellsie felt slightly winded but totally exhilarated. “That was cool.”

  Mordecai didn’t quite smile, but it was close. “Yes, it was.” He offered his hand and she took it, allowing him to help her out of the car. She wobbled a bit as she found her legs again.

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up higher. “Any time.” His index finger caressed the center of her palm as he released her hand. Then he turned and walked away, leaving her alone again.

  “Weird.” Shaking her head, she put Mordecai out of her mind and headed off to try out some more of the rides. She had all afternoon to enjoy the carnival. Like a kid with an unexpected vacation, she planned to savor every minute of it. This was all research, after all. Getting used to the set and the people who worked the rides and concessions.

  Chapter Five

  Three hours later, she dropped onto the bed in her trailer, her body totally boneless with exhaustion. Kellsie’s head was spinning and her ears were ringing. She’d been on almost all the rides. Twice. Except for that rocket one that Frank and Bessie had been on earlier. That one was just too crazy for her.

  She’d sneaked a hotdog from one of the concession stands an hour ago. Smothered in mustard and ketchup, it had really hit the spot. She’d washed it down with lemonade and then topped it off with a cone of pink cotton candy.

  She was tired, but she couldn’t remember an afternoon when she’d had more fun. Like a kid who’d played too hard, she had a tummy ache and was sleepy but happy.

  But work called. Rolling over with a groan, Kellsie reached for the script at the head of the bed. Her hand bumped her book, almost knocking it onto her head. She caught it and stared at the cover. It showed a woman on the run for her life with some demonic creature chasing her. She’d read some of the authors earlier works and knew Araminta Davidson could certainly pen a chilling tale, making it so realistic Kellsie would get goose bumps at least once while she was reading it.