Craig came over. I handed him the charm to get into my place. When I explained why he needed to keep it with him, he tilted his head and gave me a patronizing grin.
“I’m serious. You could get hurt,” I said.
“Yes, dear.”
I punched him on the arm. “Don’t just humor me. Okay, smart guy. The door is open. Just reach your hand inside.” I folded my arms and gave him my cockiest smile.
Obviously humoring me, he walked over and waved his hand into the doorway. There was an electric snap, and his hand flew back and hit him in the chest. “Oww,” he said, rubbing his fingers.
“Now, put your charm on.” I was being a bit smug, but I had a headache and needed to get to work.
He gingerly repeated the hand in the doorway, and nothing happened. “I know, I know. I should listen to you. You’re a psychic.”
I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Actually, I’m a better witch than a psychic. Another reason you should listen to me.”
Chapter Forty-Three
The marks were lining up by the time I got to my tent. I prognosticated my brains out for the next several hours. Something must have been in the air, because my love potions sold out. The marks were happy. I was so busy, I almost didn’t have time to remember that Big Mike was gone, and Myra was dying.
Almost.
The Bandstand show started at eight, so the crowd thinned out about seven thirty. I was leaving to replenish my potions when a tall, dark-haired man in a three-piece suit met me at the door. He looked familiar. I felt the jaw-rattling buzz of a powerful fairy.
“You have not replaced the banners your mother painted.” He’d adjusted his looks for this world. He was clean-shaven, but the cleft in his chin and the eyes were the same.
“Hello, Daddy. What brings you to my tent?”
“I hoped to learn more about you, daughter.” His deep voice was soothing. He still smelled of spice and cookies.
“Okay,” I said brightly. “My name is Ariel. I’m twenty-three. I have a degree in psychology. I work and live in a carnival. I’m broke, my friend was just killed, and two of my friends are dying. Oh yeah, and a psychotic serial killer wants me dead. Other than that, everything is great.” I looked him steadily in the eye. “There you go. We’re all caught up. Thanks for coming by. See you in another twenty-three years.” I pushed by him and started for my motor home. “By the way, thanks for keeping me from getting killed in the Wild Hunt. I guess that makes us even for me stopping the war between you and the Water Fae,” I said over my shoulder.
I felt my charm deflect a mild compulsion spell. I stopped and stood rigidly. I refused to turn.
“Sylvan would be proud of your skill, my child.”
I kept walking. Dear old dad came along behind me.
I saw Craig on an intercept course. He was frowning, his eyes intent on the man following me. FBI verses King Paralda of the Air Fae was not a fight I wanted to see. I changed course and caught Craig’s arm. “Father, this is my friend Craig. He is with the law enforcement. He is helping protect me.”
Paralda took Craig’s hand and made a courtly bow rather than shaking it. “Your service to my daughter is appreciated.”
“No problem at all. Your daughter is worth protecting.” Craig gave me a questioning look.
“I just met my father a few days ago. He’s foreign. I have to get more supplies and get back to work.” I scooted in the door and gathered the potions. “Craig, there is stew in the pot if you’re hungry.” I pulled a box of bottles from under the couch.
“What do you have there?” Craig was standing in an unconsciously defensive posture, obviously uncomfortable being near my father. A fairy as powerful as Paralda probably triggered an involuntary warning, even in someone as head blind as Craig.
“It is some flunkum I sell—love potions. They’re harmless. They just makes people’s skin soft.”
Zach strutted up. He tilted his head, looking at Paralda. “Hell’o.”
The King stooped and held his hand out to Zach. Gestures like that usually got people a peck. Instead, Zach jumped on his hand and laid his beak alongside Paralda’s fingers. The half-fledged feathers along his back and wings began to grow out. Within seconds, the crow was back to his shiny black self. He flapped his wings experimentally, cawed loudly, and soared off into the waning autumn light.
Craig’s jaw had dropped open. I could see the pulse at his temple beating rapidly.
“Neat trick, Daddy. You see that? Magic tricks run in the family. Eh, Craig?”
He looked at me wide-eyed.
“Father, Craig is new to the carnival. He doesn’t know how we misdirect and pretend we are doing magic.” I gave my father a clenched jaw look and tilted my head toward Craig.
“Ah, yes. Our magic is all misdirection, of course.” Paralda made a slight gesture, and Craig blinked rapidly. I could feel the slight frission of a spell.
“That was a neat trick,” Craig said in a normal voice. “You know, I think I’ll get some of that stew. Do you want me to bring you a bowl, dear?” I shook my head. He went inside.
Back in my tent, I said, “Thanks for fixing Zach and helping Craig accept what he saw. He is a good man. He just doesn’t understand about magic.”
“Most humans do not.”
I thought of Myra lying in the hospital. “Can you fix people, like you fixed Zach?”
“Sometimes, wounds can be healed and bones mended, but most would not care to pay the price for a complicated healing.” His voice was so mellow, I felt myself calming. Even though, essentially he just told me that the fairy magic to save Myra and Doc would probably cost them their souls.
He stood at the door of my tent while I slammed my potions onto the shelves. “Why are you here?”
“It is as I have said. I want to learn more of you. Why are you angry?” He tilted his head like a bird listening for a worm.
“I don’t need you. I have done fine without a father. You will just add difficulty to my life. I don’t need more complications.”
He stood looking at me with his head still cocked. “I only recently learned you existed, my daughter. The Mother of Sylvan told me before her final battle, but time passes so differently in your world. It wasn’t until I felt the power of your magic that I realized I should meet you. You have done well. You are a strong mage, perhaps stronger than your mother.”
I sat gingerly on my chair. “I see. So, I wasn’t any use to you until you knew I had some power.” He wasn’t an easy read, but his eyes flicked down slightly—I hit a nerve. “Don’t think you can do to me what Mechtán did to Amanda. I will fight you with all my ability.”
“Ah, my child, I would not want to control you. It is as I said.” Perhaps he was contrite. “Of course I value your strength. I wish only to end complications to your life, not add more.”
“Good luck with that. In the past few weeks, fairies and magic have done nothing but make a mess of my life.”
“Your brother tells me that you have lost revenue during the time when you released the sylphs held by King Mechtán. Will this help with that complication?” He pulled out two wads of bills and set them on my table. If the bills were all hundreds like the ones on top, there was probably close to forty thousand dollars in front of me.
“I can’t accept magically produced money. I explained to Sam, it would cause problems with the government.” I got up and started unnecessarily straightening things around the tent. I didn’t want to think about the money on the table. It would definitely smooth a couple of complications in my life.
“Your brother is new to this world, but I know its ways. Sylphs collected the money from drug dealers. It is, as they say, clean.”
He looked at me.
“I…ahh…I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you will accept this gift.” He smiled encouragingly.
I remembered a warning I had read about accepting gifts from fairies. “I can’t take a gift from you, but I could take payme
nt for helping my brother learn about this world.”
King Paralda threw his head back and laughed. Zach flew into the tent through the back flap. He landed on the King’s shoulder. “Daughter mine, you truly are your mother’s child. Yes, this money will be payment freely given. Teach your brother what you may. We will have no debts between us.”
Zach jumped down to the table and croaked, “Caww haw haw haw.”
“I will go now and leave you to your life.” He took my face in his hands and kissed me on my forehead. Unconsciously, I hugged him. He smelled like cookies. “Your mother would be proud of you, as am I. May we visit again, child?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. His money had just made my life a lot easier. It was only polite to agree to see him again.
He smiled and turned to leave. “You are almost of the age that you must make the choice. Think well, my child.” Then he opened a way and disappeared.
Typical cryptic Fae, get me feeling all warm and fuzzy, and then drop a bomb on me. What was the choice I had to make? I flopped into my chair. The money taunted me from the table. Zach wiped the side of his beak on one of the bundles. I picked up a wad and flipped through it. It was all hundreds—more cash than I had earned in any two years. A safety net, I wouldn’t be living from week to week. I stuffed the cash into my pockets and decided to take an hour off.
Chapter Forty-Four
Craig was sitting outside my place. He had gone to Wal-Mart when I was at the hospital. The jeans, polo shirt, and tennis shoes he wore looked more fitting than the T-shirt worn over the remnants of a suit ensemble. He looked like such a normal guy.
I sat next to him and took his hand. We watched the lights from the spinning, whirling rides for a while. The cinnamon smell of the funnel cake stand next to my tent wafted over to us on the breeze. The sky was cloudy, but the occasional star winked celestial Morse code through the clouds.
“So, that was your dad?”
“Yep.”
“You just met him?
“Mmhmm.”
“Why did he come tonight?”
“He said he had just found out about me and wanted to pay retroactive child support.” I wanted off the “Dad” topic, so I said, “I thought you were getting a friend for Frank?”
“I did. It only took five bucks worth of Ping-Pong balls. I think I’ll name him Gill,” Craig said.
“You know, Janie would have given you another fish if you asked?”
“It wouldn’t have been as much fun.”
“You’re such a goof. Next, you’ll be shelling peanuts.” I squeezed his hand.
“I love shelling peanuts.”
“Don’t admit that to anybody around here. It’s bad luck at a carnival.”
“But they sell peanuts here.”
“That’s for the marks. You’re not a mark anymore. You’re with me.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
Craig pushed a strand of hair off my face. “Since I’ve met your father and brother, I’ll have to introduce you to my folks.”
“Mmhmm, where do they live?” He smelled like apricot shampoo and new clothes.
“They retired down in Florida. They’re good people. You’ll like them.”
“We winter in Florida. Maybe you can come visit and introduce me. Though, I doubt your parents will approve of you dating a Carney.”
“Nonsense. They’ll love you. They think I’m boring, so you would spice up my reputation.”
“Spice, huh? I wish I was in better shape. I’d show you some spice you wouldn’t want to discuss with your mom and dad.”
“I won’t tell my family if you won’t tell yours.”
This was such a normal, silly conversation—no tension, no drama. I had seen Tom and Amanda sit while bantering like this a thousand times. I never thought I would find someone who I didn’t have to be cautious around. I was just about to come clean about being a witch when Sam walked up to us through the darkness behind the brightly lit stands.
“Janie said to tell you there are marks waiting for you.”
I sighed. “Guess I’d better get back to work.” I didn’t rush to get up.
“Father said I should listen to you and learn all I can about this world.”
I almost heard Craig’s eyebrows rise. I said, “Of course you should listen and learn, but not just from me. Everyone you meet will teach you something if you pay attention.”
“Yes, Sister. I have learned a lot already. I learned that if I don’t get back to work, Tom won’t be able to do his show.” Sam walked off into the shadows.
I got up and kissed Craig on the cheek. “Sam’s a couple puppies short of a pet shop, but he’s a good guy.” I felt Craig nod against my lips. “Speaking of work, I have marks to fleece. Uhm…I mean clients to see.” I headed back to the lights of the midway while Craig closed up the motor home.
As I started around the side of my tent, the light from the Falafel stand across the way was in my eyes. I felt the movement in the dark behind my tent more than I saw it. I swung my best right cross at the shadow bearing down on me. I connected with someone’s ribs. My hand went numb from the blow.
There was the flash of a knife. I ducked, scrabbling for the arm holding it. A sound like a tornado siren was coming from me. My assailant grabbed my hair and dragged me deeper into the dark behind the tent. I couldn’t reach the knife hand, so I scratched for his eyes, pulling his fake beard loose. It was Parris. The knife began to descend again.
Craig barreled into us, and we all went down, taking out the back end of my tent. I heard breaking glass as the shelf with my potions crashed over. I pulled away, losing some hair in the process. Crawling from under the collapsed tent, I screamed, “Hey, Rube.”
The fallen part of the tent writhed. Tom and Sam came running. Janie wasn’t far behind with her baseball bat. She swung it against the roiling canvas. “Don’t! Craig’s in there,” I shouted, grabbing the bat. Eddie, Mister D, and a half dozen other Carnies showed up.
A gargled gasp came from under the tent. The guys pulled the fallen canvas away. Parris, his fake beard hanging half off, leapt up and tried to run. Carnies swarmed him to the ground. He screamed, “The witch must die.” Someone kicked him in the mouth.
Craig was doubled up, holding his side. A knife protruded just under his ribs. I dropped down to hold his head. “You hang in there,” I said fiercely, looking into his fading eyes.
“Yes, ma’am,” he croaked weakly.
Doc appeared from nowhere with a phone in his hand. He knelt next to me. He was already talking to the 911 operator. “We have an officer down at the Cook County Fairgrounds in Skokie.” He gently probed around the knife. “I’m a doctor. We have a male, thirty years old. Knife wound right side. It looks like a liver laceration. They need to get here quick. You might want to send a life flight. I repeat, officer down.”
Craig’s eyes closed. I felt him go limp. I laid Craig’s head down and stood up. I could feel every muscle in my body tense with an icy resolve. The guys had dragged Parris back from the tent. I could barely see him in the darkness. “You want me, you son-of-a-bitch?”
“I am an instrument of God’s will.” His voice was matter-of-fact.
I stalked toward him. “You think God is talking to you?” I spit in his face. “Guys, take him out of the light.”
The guys dragged the struggling maniac back into the darkness. I followed. Janie was at my back.
Mister D said, “What are you planning, Airy?”
“I’m not going to let this nut job get a couple years in the loony bin for killing Mike and knifing Craig.” My voice was steady. I felt oddly disconnected. I was ten feet from Parris. His glaring eyes told me he wanted to tear my heart out. “Let him go, guys. Let me show him how much God loves him.”
Tom had Parris’s arms behind his back. He looked at Mister D, who dropped his head. The rest of the crew made a rough semi-circle around us. The wind picked up a little. I could hear sirens in the distance. Zach cawed l
oudly.
Janie said, “Let him go, Tom.”
Tom released Parris and stepped back. Parris ran straight at me with his arms out, screaming, “Die, witch!”
I opened a way in front of me. I didn’t flinch as Parris charged. “This is for Mike and Craig,” I said quietly. His eyes were wild as he ran through the invisible portal a foot in front of my face. The guys around me gasped as they watched him disappear. I heard a scream from Parris as I closed the way.
My eyes were dry. Gooseflesh prickled my body. I was breathing rapidly and couldn’t seem to unclench my hands. Janie patted my back.
Mister D said, “It had to be done. We don’t need to talk about it. You all get to work.”
I walked back to Craig’s crumpled form. Doc had laid him on his back and elevated his legs. He was pressing on either side of the knife.
I strode the few steps back to Craig and fell to my knees. “Is he alive?”
“It’s bad, Airy. He’s losing a lot of blood.”
“Sam?” I looked around for my brother.
“Yes, Sister.” Sam was at my shoulder. Maybe he had been there the whole time.
“Can you stop the bleeding?”
“I can try. His wound is grave.”
“What’re you waiting for?”
“My loss of energy has a cost.”
“What payment?”
“I would know your child’s name.”
“Done. Now help him.” I would worry about the ramifications of making a deal with a fairy later. I’d take Craig over some hypothetical future child any day.
Sam knelt next to Craig. He laid his hands over Doc’s. His eyes closed, and his lips moved. Craig gave a gasp, and his eyes fluttered open.
I kissed his forehead. “I’m here with you. You’re going to be okay.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Parris’s scream died on his lips. He stood in a field pock-marked by hummocks of blue grass and curved rocks. The sun shone high in the sky. The chill breeze shifted his hair as he turned in a circle. A frown creased his brow. He’d just been about to kill the Carnival Witch, was within inches of choking the life out of her. Yet, now he was here. What was this place?
Carnival Charlatan Page 21
