by Trudi Jaye
Perhaps she was.
His hands were gentle in hers, and her gaze caught and held Sam’s eyes. She tightened her grip, wanting to let him know how important this felt to her.
Time stopped. It hung in the air around them, and Celestine used the time to get herself under control. Bright lights flashed and sparked around her, and rainbows of color filled the air. She felt the warmth of the sun on her face, and then she was standing in the field outside the Carnival. Sam and Veronica were standing opposite each other. Veronica held a small handgun pointed at Sam’s chest.
“You’ll never win,” said Sam.
“I already have,” replied Veronica. “Everyone you hold dear is dead, and while you were unconscious, I replaced the block on you with a stronger one. You’re mine again now.”
Sam took a step toward Veronica, his face a mask of rage, and then he stopped. Panic and a horrible kind of fear appeared on his face. He was straining to move another step in her direction. His face went red, and veins stood out on his neck.
“There’s no point trying, Sam. It’s done.”
“No! I won’t. You can’t make me do it anymore.”
“Oh, but I can, Sam. You know I can.” Veronica turned and started to walk away. She turned back. “Come, Sam. We’re leaving.”
The raw desperation on Sam’s face was enough to make Celestine cry out. But no one could hear her in that place, a future that hadn’t happened yet.
Sam started moving after Veronica, his feet moving in an awkward shuffle that suggested he was struggling against every step he took. He glanced back at the Carnival behind them, as if hoping someone might see.
No one came running.
The vision ended, but Celestine went back to the rainbow brightness. She needed more than that to convince Sam. She needed something concrete, something that would happen soon, that would convince him to listen to her. For the first time ever, she tried to focus her talent. She needed a vision of the next day.
She floated into another vision. This time it was the familiar surroundings of the Carnival’s main strip, in the middle of an afternoon show. Crowds of people were wandering through the area, eating popcorn, hot dogs, and candied apples, laughing and chattering as they enjoyed the Carnival atmosphere. Sam was standing with Frankie, the Chancemaster, next to a food truck selling churros. Frankie was munching on one of the long donut snacks and had a dusting of sugar around his mouth.
“We need to keep watching her. She’s up to something strange,” Frankie was saying.
“Alfie’s worried about her too,” replied Sam. “He told Jack we need to keep a watch on her.”
“I’ll keep monitoring the video surveillance, see if she does any more nighttime walks. And I’ll have one of the kids watch her during the day, see if we can discover anything useful.”
Celestine’s skin tingled. They were talking about her; she knew it. Sam thought she was a danger to the Carnival. Not only was he suspicious of her talents, he was suspicious of her, full stop. She wanted to let go of his hands, to move away from him right then. But she couldn’t move while she was inside the vision.
Sam nodded absently. “It can’t hurt to keep an eye on her. Just to make sure.”
Frankie finished the churro and wiped his face with one hand. He pulled out a deck of cards and started flicking them in his hands, the cards blurring, they were going so fast. “The chances are good that she’s hiding something. And with the way our luck’s been recently, it’s likely she’s stirring up trouble for us.”
“She’ll never know we’ve been watching her, will she?”
“No. Joey and the other runners are subtle. And she doesn’t know about the cameras around the Carnival, does she? No one else does. Jack was pretty clear on that point.”
“Then we watch and wait, see what she does.” Sam glanced around as if looking for someone in the crowds. His eyes settled on Celestine, staring right back at her as if he could see her even in the vision; goosebumps rose along her arms.
Frankie was nodding at Sam as the vision faded out.
The rainbow lights appeared briefly again before she returned to her shaking body. She was on the ground, lying in Sam’s lap, his arms holding her steady. She blinked.
“You were shaking so badly,” said Sam, his voice uneven. “It lasted longer than last time.”
She stared up at him, her hazy after-vision thoughts focused on the warmth of his bare skin against hers, and the delicious feeling of lying in a man’s arms. Sam’s touch against her body was gentle, like she was a fragile flower he didn’t want to break. He gazed down at her; this close she could see flecks of gold inside the deep brown of his eyes. She wanted to reach up and caress her fingertips across his cheek, feel his lips against her skin. She never wanted it to end.
“Are you okay?” asked Sam. His arms tightened around her.
Celestine realized she’d been staring. She blinked again and the things she’d seen came flooding back. He’d been talking about her with Frankie. Agreeing to have her followed like she was a suspect in a criminal case. It was like having a bucket of cold water thrown over her. She tried to sit up, to move away from him and get her traitorous body back under control. As soon as she moved, a huge wave of dizziness overcame her and she fell back with a moan.
Covering her eyes with one arm, she told herself that it was nothing to do with him and the safety she felt in his arms. He was going to betray her. It might not have happened yet, but it would. She just needed a few moments to recover from what was essentially the first time she’d ever had a double vision. No wonder her body was taking a while to recover.
“You need to speak, Celestine. I need to know you’re okay.”
She nodded slowly. “I’m fine. That was just... It took it out of me.” Her voice sounded weak, even to her own ears.
Sam moved restlessly. “I’ll tell Jack you’re going to cancel your show today.”
“No. I’m fine. This is a normal reaction. I’ll be fine in a few moments.” Celestine tried to control the accelerated beating of her heart, to force her body to recover faster.
“This is the fourth seizure you’ve had in as many days, Celestine. That’s not a normal reaction.”
Celestine hesitated. He really didn’t believe her. He’d arranged with Frankie to watch her using secret cameras hidden around the Carnival. That was more than just not believing in her ability to see the future. He thought she might be in league with their enemies.
“I saw you with Veronica again,” she whispered. “She had you outside the Carnival. She’d put a block on you again.”
Panic flared in his eyes before being doused again. “You can’t see the future, Celestine. Your brain is sending you crazy messages while you’re having seizures. That’s all.”
She gritted her teeth together. “I saw you talking with Frankie about me. He was eating a churro. You saw me on the secret cameras that Jack has had placed around the Carnival,” she ground out. “You arranged with him to have me watched.”
Sam stared at her wide-eyed for a second or two. But then he shook his head. “I don’t know how you know that, but it’s not because you can see the future. I’m sorry, Celestine. I don’t believe you.”
Chapter 11
Sam couldn’t get the idea that Celestine knew about the cameras out of his head. It meant she was working with someone who knew more than they should, or that she was way more observant than anyone else at the Carnival... or that she really was able to see the future.
Instead of heading back to his trailer like he’d planned, he headed toward Frankie’s.
“What are you doing here?” were Frankie’s only words before the younger man let him in. As always, it was dark inside, lit only by the blue light of the multiple screens.
“Do you ever turn a light on in here?”
Frankie glanced back at Sam as he sat down in front of his huge monitor. “You don’t like my place, you can always leave.”
Sam held up his hands. �
�It’s not that. It’s just... You could hurt your eyes, living constantly in this kind of environment.”
“What are you, some kind of doctor?”
“Um, yes?”
Frankie let out a bark of laughter. “Oh yeah. I forgot.”
Sam peered over Frankie’s shoulder as he pulled up the multiple camera monitor showing the people around the Carnival. The crowds were starting to filter in for the thrill rides and the sideshow. The actual circus performance would be later that night.
“Have you seen anything interesting?”
“Aside from the Carnival protecting your fortune-teller?” Frankie shook his head. “No.”
“Do you know Celestine?”
Frankie shook his head, turning in his chair to face Sam. “Not really. I’m here most of the time, except when Jack can get me out. I don’t meet a lot of new people. Except on the screen.” He gestured to the computer screen behind him.
“Do you think she can tell the future?”
Frankie shrugged. “People can do all sorts of things around here. Magic’s all around us. Who knows what she can do.”
Sam nodded. “What about Veronica? Have you found anything through your networks yet?” He needed to think about something other than Celestine and her predictions.
Frankie shook his head. “She’s gone to ground. I’ve searched online for her family and have only come up with an uncle she hasn’t seen since she was a kid. She has no friends, no other connections aside from her brother. The Experiment is closed up and is being offered as a foreclosure sale for the land.”
“Her parents are dead?”
“Her parents died in suspicious circumstances not long after her brother had his accident. Knowing what we know about her now, I’d say she killed them.”
“She never talked about them. She was focused on Marco and making him better,” said Sam, thinking as he spoke. “What about some of the other people in The Experiment? Have you managed to locate any of them? Could they be helping her?”
Frankie shook his head. “They’ve all dispersed. She no longer had power over them, and they disappeared. From what you’ve told me, it was a fragile ecosystem based on fear and intimidation, not loyalty.”
“Have you checked on the uncle?” asked Sam, beginning to pace in the tiny space. Nothing seemed to be going their way.
“He’s part of a circus that runs a circuit down near Florida. I’ve done the numbers, and I think it’s unlikely she’d go down there. She hasn’t seen him in a long time and had a grudge against her parents. Given the way she thinks, I’m pretty sure she’d consider her mother’s brother culpable somehow.”
“She might go to him if she’s as desperate as we think she is. Someone needs to go and check it out.”
“And you want to be that someone?” asked Frankie drily.
“Who else?”
“Maybe someone who isn’t focused on getting revenge? You’re not thinking clearly, and she’s still powerful. We don’t know if she could get another block on you, especially given the amount of time you were connected to her last time. It’s too dangerous.”
A chill curled down Sam’s spine as he recalled what Celestine had said. According to her, Veronica did get him back under her power. He clenched his fists. He refused to be afraid of his former captor. “I can go down there and do some recon. I won’t confront her without backup.”
Frankie shrugged. “You need to convince Jack, not me. But I don’t think the odds are on your side in this one. You need to be careful around her.”
Sam nodded. “I will. And I’m going to talk to Jack right now about going to Florida.”
Frankie lifted a hand in farewell.
Sam was already halfway out the door and didn’t slow down. He needed to be doing something, to have some kind of forward action in the hunt for Veronica. If this uncle was all they had, so be it.
He walked with long strides to Jack’s trailer, not paying attention to anything else around him. When he banged on the door, it was Rilla who opened the door.
Sam had opened his mouth to start convincing Jack, but he closed it with a snap. He didn’t know Rilla as well as Jack, and he didn’t know how to approach her. “Uh... I was hoping to talk to Jack?” he said.
“He’s not here. But you can talk to me instead,” said Rilla. Her voice was neutral, but her eyes held an edge; she clearly wasn’t used to being passed over in favour of Jack.
“Uh. Okay, sure,” said Sam. He didn’t want to offend her this early in the season. He climbed the steps.
“So how can I help you?” asked Rilla. She waved him to the dinette but didn’t join him. Instead she leaned against the counter, one hand curled around a cup of coffee, her brilliant blue eyes focused on Sam.
Sam didn’t sit. He put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, wondering about the best place the start. “I was just checking in with Frankie on Veronica’s whereabouts, and he has a lead.”
Rilla nodded. “The uncle in Florida?”
“Yes. I want to go down and check up on him, see if he’s seen her.”
“By yourself?” Rilla’s eyebrows raised. “You think that’s wise?”
Her sharp eyes were focused on him. She clearly knew everything that was going on in the Carnival, possibly even more so than Jack. He steeled himself. He had to convince her that he was the best person to go. “You need everyone else here.”
“We need you here too.”
He let out a small laugh. “Not really. The Carnival protects everyone from the worst harm, and even if something happens, you all heal quickly. Celestine had a sprained ankle two days ago, and it’s almost back to normal.”
“Tell me about Celestine,” said Rilla, abruptly changing the topic. She took a sip of her coffee.
Sam opened his mouth to tell her he didn’t want to talk about Celestine, but Rilla’s expression brooked no argument. In this moment, she was the Ringmaster and he was crew. “What do you want to know?”
“Is she a real fortune-teller?”
Sam’s eyes widened in surprise. Hadn’t Jack said Rilla knew Celestine was a fake? “I don’t think so. Everyone says she’s not very accurate.”
“But what’s your assessment?”
Sam hesitated, not wanting to give in to the little tendril of doubt in his mind. “I hope she’s not a real fortune-teller,” he blurted. “Because every time she tells my future, it’s bad.”
Rilla’s eyes sharpened. “What’s she said?”
“First that I was going to die. Then that Veronica was going to force a block on me again.” Even just the idea of it made him start to breathe faster. He’d rather die than be under Veronica’s power again.
“Why would she tell you these things if she didn’t believe they were going to happen?”
Sam hadn’t considered that angle. “You’re right. She’s not mean or vindictive. I think she truly does believe she can see the future. But I think it’s more likely to be something to do with her seizures; her brain is taking the things she’s thinking about and turning them into these vivid visions. Everyone says she’s never accurate.”
Rilla nodded. “I have to admit, I’ve heard the same thing. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I need you to watch her closely, make sure she doesn’t do anything dangerous.”
“What about my trip to Florida?”
Rilla frowned. “There is no trip to Florida, Sam. Frankie needs to gather more information before we can act on that. To be honest, if someone is going to act on it, it’s not going to be you. You’ve already suffered too much at Veronica’s hands. I can’t risk sending you off after her just to be captured again.”
“I wouldn’t—”
“Sam, that’s my decision. When Frankie finds out more, we’ll revisit. For now, I need you to keep an eye on Celestine.”
Sam snapped his jaws together. His hands clenched into fists, but he managed to nod and turn away from Rilla, leaving the trailer without spilling any of the anger and rage he was feeling.
There was no way they could keep him here if he didn’t want to stay.
Chapter 12
Laughter bubbled in the alleyways between the sideshow acts. Punters were everywhere, going in and out of the stalls and sideshow tents. Celestine waited patiently in her darkened tent for her next visitor, the low light from the one lamp creating shadows in the corners and making the room glow red. The dangled beads glinted as they swayed in reaction to the movement of people outside.
She was in her full regalia. Scarf over her head, long flowing dress with another floaty shirt layered over it, and a shawl around her shoulders. Rings adorned her fingers, and bracelets jangled up her arms. A heavy layer of kohl surrounded her eyes, and smoky eye shadow made her seem otherworldly. At least that was the look she was going for when she put it on in the mirror.
In front of her on the table were her crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards. She didn’t need either to see the future, but they were the expected tools of the trade. She picked up the cards and started shuffling them absently. In a business like this, it was about giving the punters what they wanted, rather than giving them the unvarnished truth.
While she waited, she thought about Sam. She admitted to herself that she was hurt he still thought she could be a part of a plot to harm the Carnival. It was upsetting to realize he thought so little of her.
Her hands gripped the tarot cards. She had to remember that he hadn’t known her for very long, and he’d just been released from what was essentially indentured servitude to a woman who was unhinged. Of course he was suspicious of everyone.
He’d been through so much. She kept thinking of her vision and the terrified expression on his face when he’d realized Veronica had him under her power again. Her hand clenched. She was determined to save him from the future she’d seen. She would get him off the collision course he was on with Veronica—she just didn’t know how yet.