Freaky Hearts

by Amanda M. Lee

  I did as instructed, tilting my head to the side. Max ran his fingers over the sore flesh and frowned.

  “What do you think?” I asked. “Is it a vampire?”

  “Did the dreamcatcher alert?”

  I shook my head. “That would’ve woken everyone. A vampire can’t cross the boundaries without us knowing.”

  “Unless it was already here and we somehow missed it,” Max pointed out.

  That was a sobering thought. “Is that possible?”

  “When you’ve been around and long as I have, you’ll learn that anything is possible,” Max replied. “As for the bite … I’m not sure what it is. I know I don’t like it, though. What does Raven say?”

  “Oh, well … .” I shifted uncomfortably on my chair. “Raven and I aren’t exactly getting along right now.”

  “Because of Kade,” Max surmised, chuckling. “I will never understand the follies of women.”

  “Hey!”

  “I’m talking about Raven,” Max supplied. “She knows in her heart that she can never get my son, but she goes out of her way to do it simply because she wants to win. Kade realizes that. You don’t have to worry about him falling for her act.”

  “That’s what Luke said, but I’m not so sure.”

  “Luke is wiser than you give him credit for.” Max struggled to his feet. “I promise to show my face more often. When Kade is ready, I will tell him whatever it is that he needs to hear. If you need something, don’t hesitate to stop at my trailer. I will be a more hands-on boss going forward. I won’t shirk my duties again.”

  “That’s it? What about the vampire … or whatever it is?”

  “I want to make a few calls,” Max answered. “I know a local historian who might have some information. I never pictured Utah as a vampire haven. A wolf one, yes. The mountains call to those with wandering spirits. Vampires, though? I would think they’d prefer an area with higher population density to hide their nocturnal feeding activities.”

  “If it’s not a vampire, what do you think it is?”

  Max shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m going to find out, though. I promise you that.”

  I FOUND Kade and Luke working on my screen when I returned from my rounds, taking a moment to hide behind the corner and eavesdrop to determine if they were discussing me. As it turns out, they were … just not in the way I hoped.

  “She’s so freaking stubborn I can’t stand it,” Luke complained. “She knows what happened is odd, but she won’t admit it.”

  “She wants to be strong,” Kade said, holding the screen in place so Luke could lock it into the slots from inside. “I get it. It’s frustrating, but I get it.”

  “We need to watch her,” Luke said. “After what we heard in town … .”

  “I don’t think I’m in a position to watch her without her permission,” Kade pointed out. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Luke agreed, hunkering down in the window. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Is it personal and none of your business?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then no, you can’t ask the question,” Kade said, causing disappointment to fill my chest.

  Luke didn’t appear bothered by Kade’s tone. “I’m going to ask anyway, because she’s my best friend and I love her more than anything. Are you ever going to forgive her?”

  “Luke.” Kade growled and shook his head, forcing me to collect myself before clearing my throat and walking around the corner. I didn’t want to hear the rest of the statement. I knew what he would say, and I couldn’t hear it. Not again. Things were too tense to add to my snowballing issues.

  “Where have you been?” Kade asked, shifting his eyes to me. “We looked for you when we got back, but you weren’t around.”

  “I was checking out the midway,” I answered, adopting a breezy tone. “I know it may come as a shock, but I do have a job to do. Not everything in my life revolves around … my personal life.”

  Kade rubbed his cheek as he regarded me. “You’re very good at your job. I don’t think anyone would argue with that assessment.”

  “I would,” Luke countered, pushing against the screen to make sure it held. “I checked all of the screens, Poet, and they seem to be in working order. Still … I would run your air conditioning at night and keep the windows closed until we’re sure what’s going on.”

  “I think you’re overreacting,” I argued.

  “Yeah, well, we found out something interesting while we were in town,” Kade interjected. “That’s why we were going to hunt you down as soon as we finished this. We need to talk.”

  The way he said the words caused my stomach to flip. “Okay, but I have something to talk about with you, too.”

  “Is it private?”

  I nodded.

  “Luke, take a break,” Kade ordered. “I’ll fill Poet in on what we found out while we were in town. You two can catch up later.”

  “Oh, geez,” Luke complained, making a face. “You guys really know how to kill a party mood. You’ll make really annoying parents.”

  I ignored the pointed comment even though I could feel my cheeks burning, and focused on Kade. “Do you want to go first or should I?”

  “Ladies first.”

  “I don’t really consider myself a lady, but fine.” I exhaled heavily, blowing my sweaty hair away from my forehead. The sun was high in the sky and the heat and humidity were steadily building. I could take the heat. The humidity was another story. “Max came to see me.”

  Whatever he expected me to say, that wasn’t it. Kade arched an eyebrow and rested his palm on the side of my trailer to remain steady. “I see. What did he say?”

  “Not much. He apologized for being AWOL and said he would be around more. He let me yell a bit and refused to yell back. He said he’s going to place a call to see if he can figure out what kind of creatures are running around this area. We’re at a disadvantage, because we’ve never been here before.”

  “Did he ask about me?”

  “He did.”

  “What did you say?”

  “He noticed you leaving my trailer this morning – which proves he’s been watching us like a creepy stalker – and asked if we were back together,” I replied, refusing to hold anything back. “I told him we weren’t and that you couldn’t forgive me. He really didn’t ask about anything other than that.”

  “I see.” Kade rolled his neck until it cracked, taking a moment to digest the information before pulling himself together. “I guess that’s something, right?”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” I admitted. “I would tell you whatever you want to hear, but I don’t know what that is.”

  “I’ll settle for the truth.”

  The statement was simple and to the point … and it almost bruised my ribs when it slammed into me. “I told you the truth.”

  “And I believe you,” Kade said. “As for us, we heard some people talking when we were in the hardware store. It seems a young boy has gone missing from his home. It happened last night about a mile from here.

  “The boy is nine. The screen was pried out of his bedroom window,” he continued. “The police believe it was an abduction, but they’re not ruling out the parents. That’s if you believe the gossip, of course. As of now, we have no idea what happened to the boy.”

  “The screen was pried out?”

  “That’s what caught our attention, too,” Kade confirmed, bobbing his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the police showed up to question us, given our proximity. The bigger issue is whoever took him.”

  “You think the person – creature, perhaps – tried for me first, don’t you?”

  “I think that’s a definite possibility.”

  I scratched my cheek as I considered the story. “If it was a supernatural creature it would’ve alerted on the dreamcatcher.”

  “And if it was an evil human?”

  “Then the dreamcatcher wouldn’t have alerted,” I
replied. “I generally sense evil humans when they’re close, though. I didn’t sense anything.”

  “You sensed something at the Great Salt Lake yesterday.”

  “Yes, but that wasn’t defined. It was more of an uneasy feeling.”

  “Well, we have a situation on our hands,” Kade said. “We have a missing child that may or may not be tied to an assailant that went after you first. We have a city on edge, because a lot of the people don’t want us here. We have magical beings running all over the place. We also have so many personal issues we can’t help but be distracted.”

  “Is that what you think happened?” I prodded. “Do you think I’m so distracted I missed the signs of someone being that close to me? Even if that’s true and an evil human crossed the dreamcatcher, that doesn’t explain the bite marks. I would’ve woken up if a human bit me.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Kade said, taking me by surprise when he rested his hands on my shoulders. “You need to keep your windows locked. I’m going to increase patrols around the fairgrounds tonight just to be on the safe side.”

  “Do you think he’s coming back? If he took a boy then he should be satiated. Killers like cooling down periods.”

  “Except we have no idea if we’re dealing with a killer,” Kade pointed out. “All we know is that a boy is missing and something funky happened to you last night. We have more questions than answers.”

  He had a point. Still … . “I’ll be careful.”

  “You do that. I’m not happy with you, but I’ll be extremely upset if something happens to you.”

  That made me feel better, if only a little. “You need to be careful, too,” I said. “If we are dealing with a supernatural creature … .”

  “Then I’m out of my element,” Kade finished. “I’m well aware. We can only do what we can do. Right now I’m taking things one step at a time. I advise you to do the same.”

  10

  Ten

  Dinner was an intimate affair, only the people in my immediate circle settling around the picnic tables. Even though the circus is a close-knit community, there are still cliques. The midway people, for example, keep to themselves and set up their own row of trailers to one side. The clowns – who everyone hates – take their own row. Percival should be spending time with them, but he prefers hanging around us, and I can’t help but be a tad suspicious about his motivations given the fake accent. Still, it was nice to have our core group together for dinner.

  That sentiment lasted exactly five minutes, until Raven flounced over and planted herself in the open spot on Kade’s left.

  I tried not to stare as I helped Naida and Nixie at the grill, doing my best to keep my shoulders squared even as the lamia raised her voice to flirty levels that should’ve been outlawed for reasons of public sanity.

  “I missed you,” Raven announced. “I haven’t seen you all day.”

  “I’ve been busy.” Kade was clearly aware of Raven’s intentions, yet he seemed caught. He wasn’t keen on hurting anyone’s feelings, but he’d never overtly encouraged the woman. The benefit in the chase was clearly one only Raven could ascertain.

  “Doing what?” Raven asked, grabbing a slice of bread from the basket at the center of the table.

  “I ran into town with Luke,” Kade replied. “Someone tried to break into Poet’s trailer last night. We’re not sure who or what we’re dealing with, but Luke and I stumbled across an interesting story while we were in town.”

  “If by ‘interesting’ you actually mean ‘creepy,’ I’m right there with you,” Luke intoned, his expression dour.

  “I was going to wait until after dinner to bring this up, but I guess now is as good a time as any,” Kade said, raising his voice. He repeated the story he heard in town for those assembled, and when he was done I could hear the current of excited whispers rippling through the crowd. “We don’t know what it means yet,” he finished. “We only know that it’s enough to worry us. The boy’s name is Joshua. Right now the police have no leads.”

  “It has to be a human,” Raven noted. “The dreamcatcher would’ve alerted to a paranormal entity.”

  Something Max said earlier caused me to question that assertion. “What if it was already here when we arrived?”

  Raven stilled, confused. “I’m not sure what you mean,” she said after a beat. “Are you suggesting that something was already on the grounds when we arrived? If so, wouldn’t we have noticed it?”

  “In theory, yes,” I answered. “But what if it’s invisible? What if it’s not corporeal?”

  “Like a ghost?” Raven tilted her head to the side and considered the conundrum. “I’ve never really dealt with ghosts. I mean, I know they’re real, but I’m not current on the rules.”

  “Ghosts aren’t generally an issue for us,” Nellie pointed out. “They haunt places, and occasionally people, but fairgrounds aren’t often on that list. Besides, ghosts aren’t open threats to us. We can easily handle them.”

  “Do you have a better suggestion?” I challenged.

  “Well, last time I checked, ghosts don’t bite,” Nellie replied, not missing a beat. “Something bit you last night. Unless Kade got kinky between the time you screamed and we arrived, someone else put those marks on your neck.”

  I subconsciously rubbed my neck. “I … .”

  “Her screen was broken, too,” Kade added. “She doesn’t remember what happened, but that doesn’t mean nothing happened. She got violently ill after the attack – if it was an attack and not something else entirely – and then a child was taken less than a mile from here. I think it’s too much of a coincidence to ignore.”

  “But why?” Raven pressed. “The only thing I know of that attacks a neck like that is a vampire. A vampire would’ve alerted. Plus, well, Poet is capable.”

  I pushed out my lips and raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Thanks for the compliment.”

  “I said you were capable, not extraordinary or anything,” Raven grumbled. “Let’s not get crazy.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Anyway, Poet is mentally strong,” Raven pointed out. “She should’ve sensed something attacking her. She’s sensed vampires before.”

  “It’s not that I’ve sensed them,” I corrected. “I’ve felt uneasy and then followed a void to a vampire. There’s a difference.”

  “Did you feel a void last night?”

  “I … .” I broke off, helpless. That was a difficult question to answer. I’d felt empty for more than a week. I couldn’t control my emotions, because they were all over the place.

  As if sensing my struggle, Kade stepped in. “We cannot know what’s out there, but I’ll bet something is. Can you strengthen the dreamcatcher? I mean … can you make it more powerful?”

  “We can certainly try,” Raven said, chewing her bottom lip as she played with her napkin. “What if it’s not a supernatural being? Have you considered the option that it’s an evil human?”

  I nodded. “That was my first inclination. Humans don’t trip the dreamcatcher for obvious reasons. If they’re plagued by corrupted souls, though, they’re still drawn to the dreamcatcher. Perhaps a human showed up and went after me in some manner I don’t understand. When I screamed and everyone came running he might’ve gotten spooked and took off … although how he dislodged the screen and put it back in place without anyone noticing is beyond me.”

  “And then somehow he ran without us noticing and picked up an underage snack when he was done,” Nellie asked, scratching his chin.

  The suggestion made me sick to my stomach. “Which means a young boy is either dead or dying because of me,” I mused, rubbing the back of my neck.

  “Wait a second … .” Kade moved away from the picnic table, causing Raven to frown as he trudged closer to me. “This isn’t your fault. If that boy was taken after the fact, well, it’s a tragedy. But it’s not your fault.”

  For some reason I had a hard time believing that. “He was safe in his bed one second a
nd gone the next. His screen was missing. Odds are whatever started out here ended up there. It might not be my fault, but I certainly set a series of events in motion.”

  “You can’t beat yourself up over this.” Kade’s expression was earnest.

  “Who should I beat up?” I challenged.

  “Maybe it’s nobody’s fault. Have you ever considered that?”

  “No.” I sighed and shook my head to dislodge the worry and regret clouding my mind. “I guess we can’t focus on it now. We can’t change the past, right?” I shot him a rueful smile.

  “No, we can’t change the past,” Kade agreed. For one moment it was as if we stood alone. He reached up a hand to push my hair from my face, taking a moment to study my features before shaking his head. “I’m increasing nightly patrols around the property. I suggest everyone keep their eyes open if they’re out after dark.”

  “Ooh, it sounds dangerous,” Raven purred. “I think I’ll need a big, strong man to stay in my trailer with me to make sure nothing tries to steal my virtue.” She batted her eyelashes in Kade’s direction.

  He stared at her blankly for a moment, as if debating how to handle the situation. Finally he glanced at Dolph, our strong man. “I think that sounds right up your alley. You’re the strongest man here, right?”

  Dolph nodded, seemingly amused. “I’m on it.”

  Raven faltered, her annoyance obvious. “That’s not really what I had in mind.”

  Kade ignored her petulant expression. “So everyone is up on the current events, right? We need to keep our eyes and ears open. I don’t want anyone here to be a victim. Are we clear?”

  Everyone nodded, and Kade turned to me as he lowered his voice. “Are we clear?”

  “I’m fine.” I forced a smile for his benefit. “I know how to take care of myself.”

  “I know that. That doesn’t mean we’re not a team working together. Something is out there. We need to be alert.”