“Here, let me change, and I’ll show you the job.” Veronica dropped the robe and threw it across the bed, quickly dressing in a simple pullover gown. In under a minute, they were out the door.
Raven gulped fresh air, feeling a bit green, swallowing compulsively so as not to be sick. They travelled through the maze of tents and trailers, people edging out of their way, avoiding looking at them directly, something usually they only reserved for alphas, and everything inside her froze.
Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs.
They couldn’t know the truth.
Raven quickly scanned for her beast, but she couldn’t find hide nor hair … er … scales nor tail of the stubborn creature. She chalked the reaction up to her imagination.
Instead of proud warriors, they were cowed and so submissive they didn’t meet anyone’s gaze. Afraid to draw attention to themselves. Violence hovered around them, drawing their beast closer to the surface—not a healthy place to be for a shifter, not when they could go furry and rip out your throat at any second.
Every shifter she saw had been a rogue at one time, and less than a handful of them could shift.
“What’s wrong with them?”
Veronica glanced around and shook her head, a tinge of sadness clinging to her. “The circus used to be booming. We had our choice of pledges, but people have gone missing in the last few months.”
Raven glanced around the park, seeing it through new eyes, the way the people scurried in fear. She’d assumed the circus itself was the threat, and couldn’t help but wonder if she’d gotten things wrong.
“Since we’ve been targeted, our attendance has plummeted. We move every few weeks, but trouble follows us everywhere we go.”
Raven wasn’t sure she believed the woman, but couldn’t sense a lie. “When did Clancy take over?”
Veronica raised a brow at the impertinent question and snorted. “I like you.” Then she waved a hand. “But you’re wrong. Clancy took over years ago. The trouble only arose a few months ago.”
Raven wanted Clancy to be the root of the problem so she could go after him. “Then how do you explain the kidnappings?”
Veronica shrugged, smiling at a few male shifters constructing a small tent. They ducked their heads away, pretending not to see. “We need workers. It’s a lot better life than most of the rogues can expect.”
Abducting people to protect their pack didn’t make it right, but at least she could understand. She’d do whatever was necessary to protect her people, too. Raven noticed all the closed, boarded-up trailers. “And those?”
The mermaid’s face fell. “Gone missing.”
The prospect of an investigation to keep her occupied perked Raven up, and her senses sharpened. “They just left?”
Veronica ducked her head when a group of rowdy humans charged past. “We used to be overflowing with workers, turning shifters away. Now we’re more human than not. We thought one or two of the crew might have just left, but everyone who vanished left all their belongings behind.”
“Has anyone ever seen anything or survived an attack?”
“No.” Veronica lifted her face and met her gaze head-on. “Something is hunting us. Soon, there will be no one left.”
It would be one way to get rid of a circus. Raven could easily envision a couple of packs joining forces to eliminate a possible threat, but none would abandon their own territory for months at a time.
The group of humans that had passed less than a minute ago whooped like a bunch of hyenas on the hunt. Raven twisted to see them circle a shifter ten feet to their right, shoving the poor rogue from one man to the next. She waited for the beast to retaliate. One swipe could kill them, but the guy only lifted his arms to block the blows raining down. No shifter would take such abuse from someone weaker, not when they were at the top in survival of the fittest.
Raven stopped dead, her feet rooted to the ground at the wrongness.
Veronica stepped in front of her, only inches from her face, blocking the show. Raven sidestepped to see around her, ready to shove her out of the way when she spoke.
“Humans are the beasts here. They might not be physically superior, but in numbers, they are in charge. They enjoy the power, the small cruelties they inflict.” She met her gaze directly. “They won’t do permanent damage to the property.”
Raven couldn’t believe what she was hearing, especially from another shifter. “That’s not good enough.”
Veronica grabbed her arm when she went to move again. “The humans are the dredges of society no one would miss if something goes wrong. Criminals you don’t want to mess with. Harm one of Clancy’s minions, and he’ll have your head.”
“So we’re not supposed to do anything?” It took everything in her not to react. Pretend to be human. She was supposed to be afraid of shifters, not confronting them.
Veronica waved a hand and rolled her eyes as if she thought the whole thing absurd. “If you want to survive here, you’ll need to learn that there is nothing you can do. You should be more worried about yourself.”
Veronica gracefully skirted around her and continued their walk, her eyes lowered demurely, all innocent and simpering as they passed the group of men. She gave a nod to each, acting like the princess she’d portrayed last night.
And the guys ate it up, stopping the fight to stare.
No one showed her any disrespect.
Even on her best days, Raven wasn’t that good of an actress. She would’ve gutted them at the first opportunity.
They neared the now-silent circus, the place creepy in the daylight with everything so still and empty. The earth appeared trampled and beaten … like the very people who worked there. The charm from last night was tarnished, the tents dingy and faded by too many days out in the sun.
Trash lay scattered everywhere, the booths banged up and splintered, the air tainted by the grimy smell of grease from the derelict rides. The paint on the rides was chipped, rust marking every bolt. No way in hell would they ever get her to ride any of those deathtraps.
Instead of entering the circus, they swerved toward the back and a section of five-foot square boxes, surrounded by a metal gate. As they neared, the overwhelming smell of feces and urine clogged the air. Veronica wrinkled her nose, her lips twisting in disgust. “The animals are kept here.”
Fifteen boxes.
So many.
But only half of them appeared full. Raven couldn’t help wonder where the rest of them had gone.
She rubbed the hollow ache in her chest at their plight. She knew what if felt like to be missing half your soul.
She’d lived most of her life that way
It was a horrible way to live, and she was surprised so many of them have survived this long. They were all in poor shape. “Is no one taking care of them?”
Veronica paused in opening the gate surrounding the boxes, her gaze flicking toward her before she opened the door. “The last one no longer wanted the job.”
A snort came from behind them. “You mean he was eaten, don’t you?”
Raven whirled and found a petite dark-haired woman standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at Veronica. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, the girl barely looked out of her teens.
Then Raven placed her. “The gypsy.”
Veronica tossed back her hair and sniffed. “Nothing so glorious, just a witch, and a poor one at that.” She pushed away from the wall and strutted forward, all snide and caustic. “Since you’re so interested, Eve, you can show her the rest.”
The princess sauntered away with a jaunty wave.
Feeling clueless at the animosity between them, Raven turned to Eve and raised a brow.
“Don’t get too close to the bitch. She’s Clancy’s lover, which gives her certain protection.”
Raven grimaced at the thought of that bull of a man touching her. Eve pin her under a narrow gaze, scanning her from head to foot in disgust. “You won’t last a s
econd with the animals. No one does.”
So not reassuring. “Then why not get someone else to do it?”
“No one else will take the job. Another shifter would only rile the animals.”
“Then I guess I don’t have a choice.” Raven was nothing if not stubborn. She would not be cowed. If push came to shove, she would shove back harder.
Eve grunted in grudging respect, dropped her hands from her hips, and marched toward the entrance. “Come on, then.”
As they entered the gate, the canopy overhead cut down some of the heat. She followed the woman who’d played a large part in trapping them in this hell. She waited for the vengeful urge to rip out the woman’s throat, but the volatile emotions she’d suffered through the last week never surfaced. She prodded her beast, but the dragon just gave a warning rumble and curled tighter around itself. Raven was beginning to suspect the creature was protecting her the only way it knew how. If she left without her pack, and the circus disappeared, she would be devastated. Without her beast for aid, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to find them, not if they continued to move every week.
So she was on her own to find a way for all of them to get out alive.
Tension vibrated off the gypsy, a brittle set to her shoulders. Her stark fear reeking in the enclosed space. Something was off. Determined to find out what was really happening, Raven provoked the woman in a way she knew would get a response. “You betrayed us.”
“I don’t know you.” The sharp reply came immediately.
Raven refused to retreat without answers. “True enough, but you knew what you were doing. That it was wrong.”
Eve whirled, thrust out her finger like a sword and poked it in her direction. “You don’t get to judge me. We all do what we must to survive. Your time will come when you have to make an impossible choice. Only then will you understand.”
Raven stepped forward, a sense of urgency scratching at her insides. “And if you have a chance to leave?”
Eve blanched, waving her arms as if to ward her off. “You can’t say something like that here. You’ll get us both killed. We’re all here of our own free will. You won’t get anyone to say otherwise.”
She scurried toward the workbench, setting out enough pans to cover each animal. She reached up, pulling down a binder, her movements jerky with agitation. “This page lists what each animal needs to receive. They get a portion of protein, dry food and vitamin powder once a day. Don’t feed them extra. We only have so much food. If they get extra now, they’ll starve later.” A tremor wobbled in her voice as if she knew from experience.
The process appalled Raven. She opened her mouth to protest when a heavy weight landed on her chest, crushing the breath out of her. The dragon wanted her to be quiet. Speaking now would only get them all killed.
Worry about her men gnawed at her. “What can I expect to happen to the men with me?”
When the woman didn’t answer, Raven grabbed her arm. “Please.”
The gypsy shrugged out of her hold, but her rigidness unbent a fraction. “Nothing will happen to them if they accept their fate and obey.”
The vise around her throat eased for the first time since the forced separation.
They were safe.
For now.
They had a week to find out the truth and leave before they were forced to pledge and the shit really hit the fan.
The beast sank back into her bones, her body growing heavy.
Completely unaware of Raven’s internal struggle, Eve opened the large freezer, systematically dumping packages into each tub before moving on to the next. When she disappeared around the corner, Raven quickly followed. Only to stop when she saw pans of thawed meat. Decay and rot clogged her sensitive nose. As soon as an animal died, the meat began to rot. The older the meat, the less appealing it became to shifters. It was why they preferred live prey.
Not to mention they enjoyed the hunt.
“Keep the blood in the pan. It leaves the food more appetizing.” She kicked a box under the bench as she worked. “The vitamin powder is under here. Next bin holds dog food. Mixing directions are here.”
She plopped the book on the tabletop, clearly wanting to get away from her as quickly as possible … as if stupidity was catching.
“We slide open the slot and shove the food into the kennels. While they feed, we drop down the gate, and clean out the cages. I’ll be back in an hour to show you the rest.” The clinical list was chilling, distancing her from the animals as if they were truly beasts and not shifters.
Raven stepped in her way but didn’t get a chance to say anything before the little whirlwind spoke. “Are you listening? ‘Cause if you don’t follow the rules, you’ll get eaten, just like the others.”
Raven had a feeling she was talking about more than just feeding the animals. She eyed the packages of meat suspiciously. “I understand.”
And she was beginning to understand a lot more, too.
The circus was run by terror.
“Good.” Tension eased out of her shoulders, but only for a second as Eve recovered. “You want to be sure you’re finished before the doors open at seven.” She darted around Raven, moving fast for a human. She halted by the door, her fingers clenched on the canvas, her body stiff. “I am sorry.”
Answer clicked into place. “Who do they have?”
Eve appeared startled, paling as if struck. “My son.” Her lips trembled before she firmed them. “If I don’t point out vulnerable shifters, I don’t earn our keep. They will hurt him. We’re forced to spy on each other, every infraction punished. Others are rewarded.” Her face twisted in distaste, and she glanced away, humiliation burning her cheeks. “Don’t give them anything to use against you.”
She disappeared before Raven could ask anything else. She curled her hands into fists, wishing for the power to do something. It was too soon. She had to bide her time and learn more before she could take action.
Something more was going on here.
If she reacted to the situation wrong, the people responsible for all this misery would get away.
Raven wanted to help these people, but not all were innocent. She wondered if that was why her dragon had vanished. She thought the creature had disappeared to protect her, possibly worried that her men would discover her beast was a real live dragon, but her beast would never put her pack at risk that way.
If she trusted the wrong person, she’d only end up putting people in more danger.
One thing was very real—someone was terrorizing these people. She just didn’t know if it came from within the pack or if they were actually being stalked.
No wonder the shifters didn’t act like a pack.
How could they when they were set at each other’s throats?
Chapter Nine
Raven unwrapped all the packages, doing her best not to look too closely at the mystery meat. She organized the pans, followed the directions in the book, ignoring the twinges in her ribs. When she lifted the lid on the powder, she reared back, the astringent stench like nothing she’d ever encountered.
That wasn’t vitamins.
She leaned forward and inhaled carefully, trying to sort through the smells. Acid burned up her throat as she focused on one scent.
Poison.
Shifters were notoriously hard to poison, but continual doses over an extended period of time would make it possible. Poison would keep the shifters docile.
Raven hesitated as she bent over the container, not sure what to do.
The quantity of food wasn’t enough to sustain shifters, the extra supplements needed to keep them alive. If she left it out, she would be responsible for them starving. If their roles were reversed, she knew what she’d want done.
She looked at the sink, then turned on the water and poured the exact amount for each down the drain.
The heat in the tent turned stifling as the mid-day sun beat down on it. The rancid smell of rotten blood increasing until the need for air clawed
in her chest. She threw open the tarp and nearly tromped on Eve in her escape.
Eve gave a startled yep.
Too late to backpedal, Raven spun without thinking, her moves fluid and controlled.
A blur to the naked eye.
Only a few rare shifters could move in sharp bursts that fast.
Eve’s mouth dropped open, her face a pasty color as understanding dawned in her dark eyes.
So much for pretending to be human.
Raven could silence her. Snapping her neck would be easy enough to do, but she held still and waited for judgment.
She would not be a monster.
Eve grabbed Raven’s hand and jerked her back inside the tent. “If anyone finds out you’re a shifter, both our lives will become sheer torture.”
Raven nodded at the harsh whisper. “Then don’t tell them.”
Eve reared back, quickly letting her go as if stung.
Raven lunged to stop her from fleeing but dropped her arm when the witch flinched.
“Killing me will only lead them to learning the truth all the faster.”
Raven carefully crossed her arms, offended by the words despite the fact she’d contemplated that very thing. The woman had been pushed around enough. Any more and she would snap, and Raven would lose a potential ally. “If I wanted you dead, I would’ve done it already.”
Surprisingly, that seemed to relax Eve.
She’d been around shifters long enough to know it was true.
“How could I have messed up my readings so badly? So stupid, I didn’t even think to check you. Female shifters are protected, much too valuable to be allowed to roam free without guards. They’re much too risky for us to grab.” The words were an accusation, as if it were Raven’s fault for being kidnapped.
The gypsy threaded her hands in her hair and tightened her grip, beginning to hyperventilate as she paced. “They’ll blame me. It’s too late to kill you and get rid of the bodies. Your pack will track you here. They’ll find us. It’s only a matter of time before we’re all dead.”
Raven’s heart gave a twinge of pity at Eve’s overwhelming dread, but she had to proceed cautiously. “Not necessarily.”
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 8