Shadow Prophecy (The Magic Carnival Book 6)

by Trudi Jaye

  “Not forcing me…to do what you wanted…me to do.” Her breath was coming in gasps, and Sam just wanted to bundle her into his arms and take her back to her trailer.

  Instead he just gazed down at her. “I would never do that. As much as I might want to, I would never do it.”

  And he meant it.

  Chapter 44

  Her whole body was burning up in the flames emanating out from her shoulder. Every time she took a step, it felt like someone was sticking a hot poker into her shoulder. Sweat dripped from her face, her back—everywhere.

  But they were going to save the Carnival from Veronica, so it didn’t matter. Beside her, Sam’s comforting presence helped her focus on what was important. He kept her moving one foot in front of the other.

  Viktor’s inventing van, when they arrived, was surrounded. Frankie had called in reinforcements, trying to make sure Viktor stayed inside.

  “What took you so long?” asked Frankie, the lines on his face deeper than she’d ever seen them. Garth stood to his right, black eyes focused on Celestine.

  “You’ve been waiting for us?” asked Sam.

  “Of course. Garth said the Carnival was doing something through Celestine and you.”

  Celestine stumbled, and Sam grabbed her tighter against him. “We’ve got Jack’s sister with us. She’s going to block the magic around us, so whatever Veronica’s done to him won’t work. Then we can try to get Viktor away from her.”

  Celestine swallowed hard. “She’s got his grandchild. At least... In my vision, she did.”

  Frankie flicked a startled glance at Celestine. “Are you sure?”

  She shook her head. “No. But we need to check on his family. Make sure.”

  Frankie called over Joey and whispered in his ear. Joey took off at a run, grabbing two other young runners with him as he went.

  “Let’s do this. We don’t have time to waste,” said Frankie. “The longer we leave it, the worse the odds become.” He finally glanced over at Hannah and stopped. “You’re Jack’s sister?” he asked in surprise.

  She scowled at him. “Yeah. So what?”

  Frankie shook his head. “Nothing. Just not what I was expecting.”

  “What were you expecting?”

  “Some one... older.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I’m plenty old enough,” she said, scowling at Frankie and suddenly seeming much younger.

  Frankie shrugged and turned back to Sam and Celestine. “How do we do it? What did Jack say?”

  Celestine took a deep breath. She felt the smooth energy of Sam’s power curling around her, building her up and making her stronger. “On her own, Hannah isn’t strong enough to absorb anyone’s magic. But with the rest of us helping, including Jack, we have a shot at it.”

  “But if she’s absorbing magic, won’t it absorb all our magic too?” asked Frankie, frowning at Hannah like it was her fault. She scowled back.

  Celestine shook her head and tried to ignore the waves of nausea lapping over her stomach. “Hannah’s going to absorb Veronica’s magic through one of my visions. She’ll be doing it in the future, and we’ll be back here in the present, protecting and supporting her, so it shouldn’t affect us. While she’s doing that, we have to get Viktor out of that trailer, and bring him physically close to us. We’re all going to be linked together, you, me, Sam, Garth, and Hannah.”

  “How?”

  “Through the Carnival dreamscape. The Carnival and I are going to try to control what I see in my vision, then I’ll link with Hannah and draw her in. She’ll absorb the magic in the future, leaving the present alone. By the time we catch up to the point where she’s absorbing, when all our magic will be absorbed as well, it should be over. Theoretically.” Celestine winced as a wave of pain rolled across her body.

  “Is that even possible?” asked Frankie.

  “The Carnival believes it is.”

  “What if it’s not enough? What if Veronica’s stronger than us?”

  “She’s not as strong as she’d like us to think.” Celestine licked her dry lips. Frankie’s face blurred in front of her for a moment and then cleared. The Carnival’s magic was weaving itself around her, holding her close, and helping with the pain.

  “But where is Veronica?” Frankie asked with a frown.

  “Jack says she has to be close by,” said Sam, tightening his arms around Celestine’s body. She slumped against him gratefully.

  Frankie nodded. He gestured to another of his young runners, and spoke in an undertone near the boy’s ear. He ran off.

  It was time to begin. Celestine took a breath, trying to gather courage around her like a cloak. “Hannah, can you hold my hand? Gently.” Celestine couldn’t move her wounded arm, but Hannah slipped her hand into Celestine’s fingers without incident.

  Time stood still, but with the faintest smell of cotton candy on the breeze. Everything hung in midair for a miraculous moment in time. Celestine glanced down—even the drops of blood seeping out from her wound seemed to sparkle with an incandescent magic. She breathed in, and as she exhaled the rainbow lights burst around her. But they were different this time; they moved faster, with more purpose than they ever had before. The presence of the Carnival lay heavy over everything.

  The vision came into focus. This wasn’t a far-distant future; this was only minutes ahead. Everything was almost the same as it had been, except Celestine saw herself lying on the ground, midseizure. Sam had her in his lap, and Hannah sat on her other side, still holding her hand for all she was worth. She’d never seen it from this perspective before, and for the first time understood why it was so disconcerting for the others to see her jerking and moving uncontrollably.

  Through the physical link between their hands, Celestine drew Hannah into the Carnival dreamscape again. This time it was made up of many more lights than Celestine had ever seen there. They were surrounded on all sides by the glowing balls that represented the souls of the Carnival folk in this alternate landscape.

  For Hannah to be able to use the absorbing talent from Jack, she had to have a cushion around her, people to protect her from the punishing waters that almost overwhelmed Jack when he fought the magician Hugo Blue. The Carnival had brought everyone to help her.

  Celestine saw Hannah’s light, then felt her presence inside her vision. They wouldn’t have long, seconds really, before the real absorbing talent of Jack and Hannah would catch up with Celestine’s future seeing, and render all of their abilities useless. It would have to be enough to allow them to create a layer of protection around Viktor.

  Inside her vision, Frankie and two other men were using a crow bar to open the door to the invention van. They went inside and pulled a dazed looking Viktor out of the small space, dragging him over to Celestine and the others. Garth put his hands up to Viktor’s head, and his all-black eyes glowed with the power of the universe for a single second.

  Viktor cried out, then the whole vision disappeared.

  Celestine felt a wooshing sensation all around her, like she was being sucked down a pipe. It was as if all her magic was being forced out of her, leaving her small and weak. She struggled to open her eyes, her own body fighting against her desire to wake. A part of her half expected to find that she was somewhere she didn’t recognise.

  She let out a small relieved breath when she saw Sam above her, holding her tight in his lap. “Did it work?” she asked softly. Hannah clenched her fingers around Celestine’s hand, sending painful shockwaves up her arm.

  Sam nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. “Viktor seems okay, but we haven’t heard back about Veronica or his grandchild. We don’t even know which one it might be.”

  “Has Hannah stopped absorbing?” Celestine had to force the words from her mouth; they felt sloppy and slurred.

  Sam glanced at Hannah. “I think so. As soon as Viktor’s block was destroyed, the Carnival turned the flow of energy from Jack off.”

  Celestine tried to lift her heavy head to peer
around them. The area that had been buzzing with activity only moments before was almost empty.

  “Just keep still, Celestine. Don’t try to move,” said Sam sternly. He brushed one hand along the side of her face to push back her wayward hair. “We’ll rest here a moment, let you recover, then go back to the trailer.”

  “Where is everyone?”

  “Frankie and Garth are with Viktor, everyone else is searching for Veronica. Jack is determined to get her this time.” Sam leaned closer and searched her face. “Your eyes are full violet. The strongest I’ve ever seen,” he said.

  Celestine blinked and tried to focus on Sam. He wavered in front of her for a moment, like a shimmering optical illusion. “I…” She swallowed against the dryness in her throat and tried again. “I think I need to go home,” she whispered.

  “Of course,” said Sam, scrambling awkwardly to his feet. He gently gathered her into his arms, and cradled her against his chest.

  Hannah stood next to them, glancing uneasily around at the now-empty trailer alley.

  “Come with us,” said Celestine softly to her. “Jack won’t be able to see you for a while now. We’re all a bit wiped out.” She gave a half smile. “Thanks to you, we saved Viktor, and the Carnival.”

  Hannah shook her head. “Oh no. I didn’t do anything. I’m not even one hundred percent sure what we just did. I just stood there while everyone else sorted it out.”

  “Well, however it worked, we’re all very grateful you’re here.”

  Sam started walking, and Celestine couldn’t stop the small moan of pain that escaped her mouth.

  “What is it? Did I hurt you?” Sam said, pausing.

  Celestine shook her head. “Just get me home.” Once she was there, she’d be able to handle anything. The pain radiating out from her shoulder wouldn’t feel so bad. The headache that was forming inside her skull wouldn’t hurt so much.

  Sam strode swiftly through the alleyways and Celestine half closed her eyes, letting the motion soothe her battered body. He would take care of her. It would be fine. The agony would go away and she’d be able to curl up on her bed, with Artemis against her side, the cat’s purrs vibrating along her body.

  It was going to be fine.

  Celestine kept repeating the words in her head, even though she didn’t believe them. She felt like she was slipping away, leaving pieces of herself littered along the grassy alley.

  Moments later, just as she was slipping gratefully into sleep, Sam stopped abruptly. His hands slipped in his hold of her, and Celestine cried out as a bolt of fire burned its way down her body. Her eyes were forced fully open, and she immediately understood what had happened.

  Veronica stood in front of them, hands on her hips and a smile on her face, looking like the cat who’d got the cream. “If it isn’t my doctor and his new girlfriend,” she said in her most charming voice. “I’ve been looking for you.” The words flowed over them like liquid honey. Celestine shook her head, trying to get rid of the pungent charm magic Veronica was coating them in.

  Sam’s grip tightened on Celestine, but it didn’t matter anymore. The pain was secondary. Celestine’s whole focus was on trying to remember if she’d seen this scenario in one of Sam’s futures. Veronica had been wearing the same cream suit, her hair perfectly styled in the same manner. But had she seen it here? In this place with these people?

  Was it one of the times Sam had died?

  Her breath hitched. What if it was? There was nothing she could do. She was just a pathetic bundle in Sam’s arms.

  Through their link, she could feel Sam’s desire for revenge flare up, a bright light in an otherwise calm landscape. In all of her future visions it had been his downfall; his unrelenting desire to see Veronica pay for what she’d done to him.

  Celestine felt like she was breaking into a thousand pieces. She longed to step between them, to tell Sam he didn’t need vengeance. That Veronica wasn’t worth his life. But her body wouldn’t move. She could barely hold her head up.

  She couldn’t do anything to protect Sam.

  “What are you still doing here, Veronica?” said Sam. “Haven’t you learned that you can’t beat the Jolly Knight Carnival?”

  “Can’t beat them? I already have. They just don’t know it yet.” Veronica’s eyes glinted with a hint of madness and she smiled slowly, like she was picturing their downfall in her mind’s eye. “The only way for you to survive is to come with me now.”

  Celestine shivered. She felt every muscle in Sam’s body tensed to strike. He was staring at Veronica like she was a mouse and he was a particularly hungry hawk.

  Except Veronica was more like a snake than a mouse, and even if Sam was a hawk, she just had to bite him in the right place, and he would fall. “She’s just playing with your emotions, Sam. That’s what she’s good at, remember?” she said, her voice croaky and low. “Don’t let her get to you.”

  Sam glanced down at her, his expression unreadable. “She has no power over me anymore.”

  Veronica laughed. “Yes I do. I’ll always have power over you. We’re linked together forever—no matter that your new friends destroyed my block. I can still feel your emotions through our bond. I know what you’re thinking before you think it.”

  Sam’s whole body shuddered, and his hands clenched involuntarily against Celestine.

  “It’s not true,” said Celestine urgently. “Our bond is stronger. We blocked her out, remember?”

  “She’s never going to stop. She’ll keep coming after us.”

  “We’re stronger than her, all of us together.”

  Veronica laughed again, a strange unnatural sound. “You’re not stronger than me. I already have your defeat orchestrated. This is just a skirmish.”

  Sam took a step forward. “You’ve hurt too many people already. I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”

  “These people you’re with have hurt people too. They killed Marco. They stole Kitten from her mother.” Veronica’s voice softened and her words danced around Sam like they could seduce him just by being there. They probably could.

  He shook his head. “You’re twisting the truth.”

  Veronica held out her hand. “Come with me now, Sam. Together we could be more influential than you could ever imagine. Put the girl down, and come with me.” Her persuasive tone slid over them, curling into their minds, making her words seem the only logical option.

  Celestine’s eyes fluttered closed as she tried to resist the pull of Veronica’s magic. Part of her wanted to tell Sam to dump her on the grass and go with Veronica. For a moment, it made perfect sense.

  But Sam gave a defiant shake of his head. “I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.” He took a breath, and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Help! She’s over here!”

  Celestine’s eyes flicked open in surprise. Sam yelled again, and they heard answering calls from around the Carnival.

  Veronica froze, her eyes darkening. “You’re going to regret doing that,” she said, her tone low and sharp, like a knife. “I’ll make you watch as I kill your girlfriend and all your friends. And then I’ll keep you around as my pet doctor, doing my bidding.” Her words seemed to cut into their skin.

  Sam let out his breath in a whoosh. The tension in his body faded. “Thank you for reminding me what you’re really like,” he said. “I’m not your whipping boy. I don’t have to do your bidding. And I won’t be manipulated by you.”

  Beside Sam, Hannah stepped forward. “Is this the woman who hurt Jack?” she asked.

  Celestine blinked. She’d forgotten Hannah was even there.

  Sam nodded. “This is the woman everyone in the Carnival is searching for right now.”

  Hannah pulled a small gun out of her handbag and aimed it squarely at Veronica’s chest. “Then you better start talking, lady, and tell me why I shouldn’t just shoot you now.”

  Sam glanced at Hannah in surprise. “Where did you get that?”

  Hannah shrugged. “A girl’s gotta protect h
erself.”

  Veronica held up her hands, palms showing. “Now, now, calm down. I don’t know who you are, but I have no problem with you,” she said, her voice returning to its previous smooth charm. “I think both of you had better look to the psychic. She’s about to lose consciousness. If you’re not careful, she’ll die in your arms, Sam.”

  Sam’s grip on Celestine tightened as he looked down at her, his expression panicked. Celestine smiled woozily up at him. As much as she hated to admit it, Veronica was right. She could feel herself getting weaker and weaker.

  Everything started to blur, and time stood still around her. The rainbow lights from her pre-vision landscape closed in on her, and Celestine’s heart thumped in a staccato beat. Was she about to have a vision? Whose would it be? Or was this what happened to fortune tellers when they were about to die?

  For several seconds she wavered in that halfway land, dreading the next step, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to survive the after effects.

  But moments later she emerged back into the real world, Sam still clutching her to his chest, and Hannah watching over her with a concerned expression.

  Celestine frowned, trying to understand what had just happened. Glancing to where Veronica had been standing, she inhaled a tiny breath. “She’s gone,” she whispered.

  Hannah glanced back, and immediately swore. “How the hell did she get away?”

  “She did something to us. It was like she put us on pause for a moment,” said Celestine.

  “She’s a persuasion talent. She can get you to do almost anything without realizing you’re doing it,” said Sam softly.

  “I’m sorry,” whispered Celestine. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “For what?”

  “For being the reason Veronica got away.”

  Sam shook his head. “She didn’t get away. I let her go. You’re more important to me than some stupid vendetta.” A glow of emotion pulsed down their bond, encasing Celestine in the love he was sending her way. He pushed energy down their bond too, and her head cleared a little.

  Just then Frankie ran around the edge of the closest trailer. “Did you see her?” he said in a rush. “Which way did she go?”