mystic caravan mystery 01 - freaky days

by Amanda M. Lee

  “You can be anything you want to be, Sabrina,” I said. “You have to decide what’s important to you.”

  “I just told you.” I internally chuckled at Sabrina’s irritation. “I want to be rich.”

  “You have a lot of options in front of you,” I said, tracing my fingers over the cover of the course catalog. “Do you want to know your options?”

  Sabrina nodded.

  “Do you really want to know your options?” I pressed.

  “Duh!”

  I tugged on my limited patience and sucked in a breath. “You have the potential to be a doctor if you wish,” I said. “You could go to medical school and be a surgeon. You have the skill set to be a sought-after commodity.”

  “That sounds good.” Sabrina looked happy with the suggestion.

  “If you follow that course you will spend the rest of your life alone and miserable,” I said. “You will tell yourself you have time to settle down and start a family … but you’ll never actually do that.”

  “Maybe I don’t want a family.”

  “I believe that for now you could live with that decision,” I said. “I don’t believe that’s going to be your decision forever. There will come a time when you want a child. You will want a husband, but you’ll be willing to settle for the child. You will get what you want, but it won’t fill the void in your life.”

  “Fine. What else have you got?”

  She was an impatient little thing. “You could become a lawyer,” I said, following another potential future thread. “You could pass the Iowa bar examination with top scores on your first try.”

  “That sounds promising,” Sabrina said, smiling.

  “You could become a top attorney in your field and try a number of high-profile cases.”

  “Will I get a husband and child in that future?”

  “You will.”

  “Okay, so I’ll become a lawyer,” Sabrina said. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “In your zest for media coverage you will start taking on dangerous clients,” I said. “One of those clients will be guilty – well, actually, almost all of them will be guilty, but we really only care about the one for today’s purposes. You will get him off on a technicality and as payment he will snuff out your life and that of your husband and child.”

  Sabrina’s mouth dropped open. “Are you making that up?”

  “No.”

  “I … well … that sucks,” Sabrina complained. “Don’t you have a career path that works out perfectly for me?”

  “No,” I replied, opting for the truth. “There is no such thing as a perfect path, Sabrina. No matter what choice you make you will not have a perfect life. You have to decide what you want most in this world. Is it fame? Money? Family? What is most important to you?”

  “I want it all.”

  How did I know she was going to say that? “You can’t have it all.”

  Sabrina sucked in her cheeks and glanced around the tent. We were the only ones there, so I had no idea who she was looking for. “I want a second opinion,” Sabrina announced.

  “This isn’t a doctor’s appointment.”

  “I want someone else to read my future.” Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest, adamant that I bend to her will.

  I sighed. Youth is one of those things you can’t overcome by sheer will. “Get a degree in business,” I suggested.

  “Will that get me everything?”

  “That will get you the best life you’re capable of having.”

  “Is there someone else here who can verify that?” Sabrina pressed.

  “No.”

  After a few more minutes of arguing, Sabrina left. She wasn’t happy with my prognosticating, but she decided to visit a psychic in a neighboring town to get the answers she was convinced I was hiding.

  I ushered her to the tent flap, relieved she was my last customer of the day, and watched her as she trudged down the aisle of tents and booths toward the exit. She was talking to herself.

  “Good news or bad?” Kade asked.

  My smile was in place before I heard the question. His soul was getting easier to recognize. “It depends on who you ask.”

  “What does she think?”

  “She wants a second opinion.”

  Kade chuckled. “What do you think?”

  “I think she’s going to be successful to some degree no matter what she does,” I replied. “I don’t think there’s any way for her to get everything she wants. It’s impossible.”

  “What did you tell her to do?”

  “Get a business degree.”

  “And what will that get her?” Kade asked.

  “A lot of money – which she’s obsessed with – and a child she will adore.”

  “What won’t it get her?”

  “True love.”

  Kade pursed his lips, his gaze following Sabrina until she disappeared from sight. “Do you think she would give up the child or money for true love?”

  “I don’t think it’s in her nature.”

  “Would you give it up?”

  His question was pointed, and when I turned to him I wasn’t sure how to answer. In the end, I went with honesty. “I’ve never been that fond of money.”

  “Can you read your own future?”

  “No.”

  “Can you read mine?”

  “I already told you I’m not going to do that,” I said. “You don’t want me to see your future.”

  “I think you’re worried about what you’ll see if you do it,” Kade argued.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re worried you’re going to see yourself in my future.”

  That was a bold pronouncement. “Kade … .”

  “Don’t shoot me down,” Kade ordered. “I get it. You’re involved with Luke. I’m not trying to step on his toes here.”

  “I don’t think you understand my relationship with Luke,” I said, momentarily considering unloading a whole lot of truth on him. “It’s not what you think.”

  “What is it then?”

  “Complicated.”

  Kade sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I think everything about you is complicated.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I’m going to walk you back to your trailer.”

  Uh-oh. That didn’t sound like a good suggestion. “I have to meet Luke at the big top,” I said. “I believe Max wants to have a word with you if I’m not mistaken.”

  “Yeah, I got a note from him,” Kade said. “He can wait.”

  Max wasn’t going to like that. “Max is your boss,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “I know you’re less than thrilled with his reaction to Johnny’s death. I can’t fix that for you. Discussing the situation with Max might give you the insight you’re looking for.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “One of your co-workers was killed a few feet from your trailer last night,” Kade reminded me. “I would feel better if I could walk you back to your trailer and lock you inside before I see Max.”

  That seemed a reasonable compromise. Unfortunately, it messed with my plan. “I’ll be fine. You should go to Max now. He doesn’t like it when people are late.”

  “He’ll survive. You might not.”

  Kade was insistent. I had to give him that. “Fine,” I said, gritting my teeth. “You can walk me back to my trailer. Will that make you happy?”

  “I’d be happier with a kiss.” Kade was overtly flirting now. Despite his protestations that he didn’t want to move in on Luke’s purported territory, he was doing just that.

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Because of Luke?”

  “Because of a lot of reasons,” I replied.

  “Is Luke one of them?”

  He was relentless. “I … this is not a discussion for now,” I said. “You need to talk to Max. I can’t answer your questions until … .” Until what? Until Max told him the truth? Wa
s that what I wanted? Did I want Max to clear the obstacles between Kade and myself?

  “You’re confusing yourself as much as you are me,” Kade said. “I can see that.”

  “My life is confusing at times,” I agreed. “While I can see the future of others with remarkable clarity, when I think about my own I can’t decide what I want on any given day.”

  “Does that mean I’m in the running?”

  There were those dimples again. “That means you are … .”

  Thankfully, I didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end anyway. The sound of a terrified scream split the night sky and Kade and I broke into a run as we headed toward the midway. I recognized who the scream belonged to. It was Raven.

  “Do you think it’s the same guy who killed Johnny?”

  I reached out with my mind, scanning Raven and her surroundings as we pounded toward the other end of the circus grounds. Because Saturday’s main event was almost over, we didn’t have a lot of time to act. I couldn’t sense anything around Raven. There was nothing but a void.

  “I think Raven is in trouble. Hurry.”

  Kade didn’t need to be told twice. We rounded the corner, the pathway to the House of Mirrors clear. I scanned for Raven again. She was alive. I could feel her terror. She wasn’t alone.

  I slowed my pace, tilting my head to the side as I zeroed in on Raven’s mind. She was powerful in a different way than I was. That didn’t mean we couldn’t communicate.

  “He has her behind the building,” I said. “He’s trying to draw me in.”

  “How can you know that?” Kade was flustered.

  “It’s something I feel.” I glanced at him, unsure how to proceed. Max would want me to find a way to get rid of him. He would encourage me to prod his mind until he did what I wanted. I couldn’t do that. The time for hiding was over. “Are you ready for this?”

  “For saving Raven’s life? Yeah, I’m ready.”

  I couldn’t press him further. “You go around that side,” I instructed, pointing. “I will go around the other. We’ll trap him between us.”

  “Is it wise to separate?”

  “The … man … holding Raven is Dale Morgan,” I said. “You met him yesterday in my tent. Remember?”

  Kade nodded.

  “He’s evil. He will kill Raven without a second thought. When we approach, keep in mind that he’s stronger than he looks.”

  “Why does he want you so badly?”

  “He thinks he can possess my gift.”

  “Can he? Is that even possible?” Kade was confused. I had to give him credit, though; he wasn’t panicking in the face of uncertainty.

  “No. He’s unclear on the rules of the game. What he is clear on is his path. He wants to destroy me … and he’s willing to take out Raven in the process.”

  “Will this work? I mean, will splitting up and approaching him from different sides save Raven?”

  “Morgan believes he’s ascertained our best approach,” I said. “He thinks we will go inside the House of Mirrors first. That’s the door he’s watching.”

  “What do we do when we get to him?”

  “Evil needs to be eradicated,” I said. “We cannot plan for an uncertain scenario. We’ll have to play it by ear.”

  “You sound like a fortune cookie sometimes,” Kade mumbled.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I said, gripping his hand tightly.

  Instead of returning the gesture, Kade grabbed my shoulders and kissed me firmly. I didn’t have time to respond – or fight him off – because he pulled away before I could register what happened. All I was left with was the memory of a brief, hot kiss.

  “That was nice,” Kade said. “The next one will be better.”

  “How do you know there will be a next one?” I was flustered, not a good thing when I was about to go into a fight.

  “Let’s just say I have my own intuition.”

  Kade and I separated. There was a lot to say and yet no time to say it. His world was about to change. I couldn’t stop that, though. To save Raven, I needed his help.

  By the time I got to the rear of the House of Mirrors, Morgan was at his wit’s end. His control was slipping, and he ranted as he clutched Raven’s hair. “Where is she?”

  “You’re going to wish you never asked that question,” Raven hissed. We were often enemies, but in this situation she had no doubt I was coming for her. “Do you even know what she is?”

  “No. Do you know what she is?”

  “I know what you are,” Raven said. “You’re a ghoul. You’ve been living off the life force of others and shunning your heritage.”

  “How can you possibly know that?” Morgan asked.

  “Because I’m not what I seem.” Raven was terrified. It wasn’t in her nature to show fear, though.

  A hint of movement behind Morgan caught my attention. Kade was in place … and he was moving. I had to draw Morgan’s attention before it could land on Kade. I wasn’t close enough to protect him if the Wendigo decided to attack.

  “Couldn’t you wait until the circus was empty?” I asked, my voice echoing across the flat earth.

  Raven arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow when she saw me. “It’s about time.”

  “It’s hard to run in heels,” I said, pointing at my sparkly shoes.

  “Honey, you’re preaching to the choir,” Raven said. “Our friend here jumped the gun. We were expecting him later, but he surprised us.”

  “I think that was his plan from the beginning,” I said, lessening the distance between us. “He knows I can read minds. He wanted me to believe one thing while he was doing another.”

  “Why can he cross over the dreamcatcher without setting it off?”

  “He’s not fully of either world.”

  “That’s what I figured.” Raven’s expression was rueful. “You picked the wrong circus to mess with, pal.”

  Morgan’s gaze bounced between us. “What’s a dreamcatcher?”

  I wasn’t in the mood to explain it to him. “You have a choice, Mr. Morgan,” I said. “You can unhand Raven and we’ll put you down with minimal pain.”

  “I’m going to veto that,” Dale said, an evil grin splitting his face.

  “Then we’re going to put you down hard,” I said. “My boss wants you to go through excruciating pain after what you did to Johnny. I would say it’s only fair.”

  “And you think two women can overpower me?” Morgan was incredulous. “You have no idea the power I possess.”

  “They’re not alone.”

  Kade was on Morgan before the Wendigo registered his presence. Kade was strong, and because Morgan was caught off guard the former Marine had the upper hand. It didn’t last long.

  Even though he wasn’t yet a full-strength monster, Morgan was still stronger than a mortal. He used Kade’s weight against him and flipped him to his back, his hands moving to Kade’s throat.

  “Stop,” I ordered.

  Morgan ignored me. “I need you to see what I’m capable of,” he said. “I need to drink you. I want your power.”

  “That’s not how it works.”

  “You have no idea how it works,” he seethed.

  Kade fought against Dale, but his strength waned as Morgan’s hands cut off his oxygen supply. Raven and I needed to work together to save him. We moved in unison, only ten feet separating us from them when a pink blur raced in front of us.

  The moon wasn’t full, but it was bright. It glinted off the blade of an ax as it swung in Morgan’s direction. The Wendigo’s eyes widened, and for the first time I saw true fear there. It was too late, though. The ax separated his head from his body, the head hitting the ground as the rest of the Wendigo collapsed on top of Kade.

  I shifted my attention to the interloper, not surprised to see a happy combatant staring back at me.

  “Well, who wants to label me now?”

  Nellie looked a little too pleased with himself while Kade loo
ked as if he was about to pass out as he shifted the Wendigo’s dead weight from his chest.

  This wasn’t good.

  Sixteen

  “What just happened?” Kade’s face was white. He was sitting on the ground, his knees drawn up to his chest, and he was fixated on Morgan’s body. Actually, to be more precise, he was focused on Morgan’s torso. The head had rolled into the brush to our left during the melee. I made a mental note to look for it before we forgot.

  Kade was clearly in shock, so I shifted my attention to Raven. “Are you okay?”

  She rubbed her wrist and nodded, casting the occasional look in Kade’s direction. She appeared as worried as I felt. “He didn’t hurt me. I think he thought he was, but he had no idea I wasn’t human. I thought Wendigos could sense things like that.”

  “I don’t know his story, and I’m not sure we’ll ever know the truth about him, but I’m starting to think he never met another Wendigo,” I said. “He seemed to be alone.”

  “I wonder why.”

  “As near as I can figure he never actually ate anyone,” I said. “He killed them and drank their blood, but he never ate their flesh.”

  “Maybe he thought he was a vampire,” Nellie suggested. His eyes were bright as he surveyed the carnage. “That was fun. Did you see the look on his face right before I chopped him? Wham! See you later, freak.”

  Nellie was always exuberant after a kill. I wasn’t sure now was a good time to put that exuberance on display. “Where did you come from?” I asked.

  “I heard Raven scream,” Nellie replied. “I saw you come running in this direction and followed you. Somebody had used the fire ax to prop open the side door so I grabbed it. I thought it would come in handy.”

  “How did you know it was a Wendigo and you had to chop off its head?” Raven asked.

  “I didn’t know it was a Wendigo,” Nellie admitted. “I’ve learned that most things die when you chop off their heads, though. Well, except for cockroaches. He didn’t look like a giant bug so I figured I was safe.”

  I rubbed my forehead as I debated how to deal with the mess. “We need to get the people out of the main tent and off the grounds as soon as possible,” I said. “I don’t want to risk moving the body – either part of it – while someone could see.”