by Trudi Jaye
Garth looked up at Maddy in surprise. “It’s not like that, Maddy. It’s just… There are certain things you have to know about, to understand, before I can tell you.”
“Bullshit. Just say the words, Garth. It will help, whether I understand what you’re talking about or not.”
“I…” He paused, staring at her for a long moment. “I had a vision. I saw Rilla being shot by Hugo Blue, and I know it’s happened. One of my closest friends is lying hurt somewhere, maybe dying, and I can’t do anything about it because I feel like I’ve just been hit by a train.”
Maddy held her breath, waiting to feel shock or disdain or even disbelief. What he was telling her was crazy. Her scientific brain should be rebelling, sending out alarm bells and telling her to get out of there fast. But instead, something warm flowed through her body, curling into its edges. She stepped forward to lay a hand on his arm. “Thank you for telling me,” she said.
Garth frowned at her. “You’re not freaked out?”
Maddy paused, thinking. “I should be. But there’s something about being here in the Compound that makes things like parapsychological visions seem normal.”
Garth shook his head as if to clear it. “That’s not what I expected you to say.”
Maddy took a step closer. “You need to trust me, Garth. For all that you’re surrounded by others in the Carnival, I don’t think you trust enough people.”
Garth just stared at her, his gaze heating up, making her cheeks flush. Maddy couldn’t look away, and she jumped when Viktor stormed through the front door a moment later.
“What happened? Garth? Are you okay?”
Viktor’s concerned face made Maddy smile. Garth might not have blood relations here at the Carnival, but they cared for each other like they were family. He just needed to put his trust in them a little more.
Garth gave her a meaningful look, then turned to Viktor. “I’m fine. But I had a vision. Rilla’s been shot.”
“More than a vision, son. Did you feel the rest of it?”
Garth nodded. “It’s trying to save her.”
Viktor nodded, glanced at Maddy, then turned back to Garth. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” he asked, raising his brows.
“She knows about my vision. You can talk in front of her.”
Viktor harrumphed and then came forward, grasping Garth under the elbow. “You need to sit down before you fall, young man. Come on.” His gruff voice held real affection. He glanced down the hall. “And we have other ears besides hers around here.”
Maddy raised her eyebrows. Was he talking about Simon? She’d assumed the boy was part of the Carnival, but Viktor’s words made her wonder.
***
“Since when do you have visions?” asked Viktor as he led Garth to the big leather chair in the far corner of the room.
Garth sank gratefully into the soft cushioned seat. Having the weight off his legs made him realize how close he’d been to falling over. His body ached all over, and his brain still felt like he was thinking through cotton wool.
“I’ve never had one before. But I know what I saw.”
“How do you even know that? It’s crazy, all this talk of visions. That’s not how it works.” After shutting the door carefully, Viktor began pacing around the small lounge, zigzagging through the mix of new and old furniture.
Garth put one tired hand up to his forehead. “I don’t really know what’s happening. Maybe a connection through Simon? But somehow I just saw Hugo shooting Rilla and I know it’s real.”
“I felt it pulling my power out of me to give to her. And it’s worked. She’s not dead. We’d feel it.” Viktor stated the obvious, trying to reassure them both. “But if she’s wounded, she needs more help, and we don’t know where she is.”
Garth tried to not let the panic rising up through his chest overwhelm him.
But Maddy spoke first. “You said it was the magician, Hugo Blue. If we can find him, we can find her.”
Garth looked over at Maddy sitting in the corner. As her words sank in, he realized she was right. There was a way to find and help Rilla and the others. He took a deep breath.
The door banged open and Alfie and Missy appeared at the entrance to the lounge. “What happened? What did the Carnival just do to us? Alathea said you had a vision?” Missy strode over to Garth, concern in her eyes. She knelt beside him, putting one hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”
Garth nodded and smiled, patting her hand. “I’m fine. It just knocked me around a little.”
“Good.” She leaned in and gave him a hug, then stood and walked over to sit on the couch. “So what’s happening? What was your vision?”
Viktor broke in before Garth could say anything. “Hugo Blue, that’s what’s happening… He’s shot Rilla.”
Missy surged to her feet again, anger in her eyes. “What?” She turned to Garth. “What the hell did you see?” she said.
“Not enough to help us find her. Bright light, the pain as the bullet went in. I saw Hugo. He had this crazy look in his eyes.”
“They’re somewhere in Vegas, and one of them has been shot. What the hell are we going to do now?” said Missy, her long braid swinging at her back.
“The Carnival is doing what it can to help her. In the meantime, I’ll call my contact.” Garth tried to think around the pounding in his head.
“And then what? We’re supposed to merrily go on our way as if nothing’s happened?” Missy’s voice held an angry edge.
“Then we find them and save them.” Garth’s voice cracked, and his fingers clenched in his lap.
“What if that’s just what he wants? How do we know he hasn’t planned all this from the start?” Viktor scraped one agitated hand through his hair.
“We can’t sit around worrying and second-guessing ourselves. Keep looking forward. That’s all we have right now.” Garth’s head started spinning again and he leaned it back on the chair.
“Okay, everyone, he’s exhausted.” Maddy stepped into the center of the room. “You’ll have to plan without him. Or come back later.” Her voice carried around the room, and despite low murmurings, everyone stood to leave. Garth blinked slowly, his lids heavy. He just needed a quick nap before he phoned his contact in Vegas.
***
“You’ve seen him?” It was almost too good to be true. Garth felt his fear lift marginally—the first time since his vision of Rilla.
“Sure, he used to be a regular around here. Him and his blue hair.” The voice on the other end of the phone was warm and smoky.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Last night. Came in for a few drinks, moped about, then left about midnight.”
“That’s pretty specific.” Garth had sudden doubts about Tilly. Would she really tell him the truth? It had been a long time since they’d seen each other.
Tilly sighed. “He was a star around here, you know? People crowded around him, and he kind of got a kick out of it. But last night, he came in alone, and no one went to him. It was like he was invisible. And that’s something to watch.”
A shiver of fright smacked straight into Garth’s heart. Not only was Hugo a hunted man, on the run from the police, but he had lost his power. He would be getting desperate, and Simon would be his next target.
“You know where he lives?”
“Used to be that he had a fancy mansion on the outskirts. You want me to organize to watch it?”
Garth paused. “Yes. But more than that, I need you to get someone to find out if he’s there. I need to know where he is. And fast.”
“It ain’t gonna be free. You know that, right?”
“It never is, Tilly. Just do what you have to, and I’ll arrange the payment later.”
“Sure thing, Garth.”
The line went dead in Garth’s ear, and he slowly put the receiver back in its cradle. If anyone could, Tilly would find Hugo. And when they found him, they’d find Rilla.
The flashes he’d seen in
his head swept through his consciousness again. Bright lights, yelling, a loud bang, and then fierce pain. There should be some kind of clue in all of that, some point to the vision, but he just couldn’t find it.
“Did you get in touch with your friend?” asked Maddy from the doorway.
Garth glanced up, his face clearing when he saw her. “Yes. She’s going to have a look for Hugo.”
“Will it help, do you think? If you find him?”
“It has to. If Rilla isn’t with him, we’ll make him tell us where she is.”
Maddy stepped toward him. “Garth, are you really sure…?”
Garth took a deep breath. This was it. The point where she mentioned it was crazy to have these visions. “Yes, I know what I saw really happened. Just wait until we find Rilla to make a judgement.”
He held out one hand to her, and she took another step forward, grasping it. She looked up at him and nodded silently. She would wait.
“Thank you for staying. And kicking them all out,” he said against her hair as he put his arms around her body, holding her close.
He felt her smile against his chest. “It was the least I could do.”
“They wouldn’t have left.”
“I got that.” She pulled back to look up at him. “But I do have to go now as well. I have work to do at home.”
“Stay.” Garth couldn’t believe how much it meant to him, to his peace of mind. The emotions that had been swirling around him all day seemed to have disappeared, and the only difference was Maddy. He needed her to stay.
Maddy’s eyes widened slightly and she gazed back up into his face. “I don’t know…”
He leaned down and placed his lips softly against hers. “Stay,” he whispered.
Maddy closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. Garth deepened it, tasting her mouth, trying to persuade her without words.
She sighed against him but pulled away. “I can’t tonight. You need your rest, and I have to finish off a few reports. But I’ll come back tomorrow morning to check on you.”
Garth sighed. “You’re too conscientious.” He pressed another soft kiss to her lips and then let her go.
***
Garth breathed out, trying to let go of the tension hanging about his shoulders. He was sitting outside on the veranda, on the old porch swing. He had memories of his father doing the same thing all those years ago, sometimes with his mother lying across the seat, her head in his lap. Always content, peaceful, the summer buzzing of insects in the warm air.
After his mother died, his father never sat on the porch again.
He gazed out at the trees that filled in the view across the gravel road in front of his house. They sat still and silent, holding their secrets, soaking up everything that happened around them. He breathed in, the rich smell of earth and leaves calming his senses in a way nothing else could. An insect buzzed past his face and he swiped at it lazily.
And then suddenly, everything around him was brighter, like a Photoshop filter had been placed over his eyes. For a moment, all he could see was a myriad of colors, none on the normal spectrum. He blinked once, twice, just to make sure. His breath caught in his throat.
A Gift.
It was the last thing he needed, on top of everything else. He hadn’t even planned for the idea that they might have a Gift for the Winter Spectacular. They weren’t on tour; they were at home in their Compound. It was a one-week-only show. Panic made his pulse spike.
How could they possibly carry out a Gift in the midst everything else, including finding Rilla and the others? He put one hand to his head, trying not to think about the binding connection about to click into place.
Garth took a deep breath and sat forward, his arms resting on his knees. Usually, he rejoiced in the Gift. It was like a drug; it made him feel high on life and emotion. But he also relied heavily on the others in the Carnival to keep him grounded, to lead him along the right path. Abba used to be a strong connection for him, and then Rilla after that. Even Blago was a solid connection. Without any of them near, heady fear mixed with his anticipation.
Then his gut twisted as he realized what this would mean for him and Maddy. She might be able to accept the possibility that he had a vision. Maybe. But a weirdo with full black eyes who was half drugged on a connection to another person? His insides felt like they were tearing in half. It was an integral part of who he was, and now it was going to be what ripped him away from the only woman he’d been interested in for years.
He banged his fist on the wood of the swing, making it jerk back and forth. What had he thought was going to happen? Of course it was always going to end between them, because how would an outsider ever accept him in the midst of his power? It was an integral part of who he was. Everyone in the Carnival accepted him, but outsiders always ran a mile. Better that it happen now before they got too involved.
A stinging sensation, like needles poking his eyeballs, told him the transformation was nearly complete. His eyes would soon be fully black, covering everything with the inky stain that announced his connection to the Gift.
A calm came over Garth. It was over between him and Maddy. She might find proof of his visions when they found Rilla, but his eyes would be too much.
He shouldn’t have asked her to stay last night. Now it would be harder to get rid of her today. He couldn’t bear the thought of her sea-green irises examining him with the usual expression—somewhere between fear and pity. It was a look he’d seen before, from outsiders, once his eyes turned. Almost universally, it freaked them out, made them flinch or look away. In recent years, he’d shied away from meeting too many ordinary folk while he was in a Gift, for his own sake as much as the Carnival’s—especially if he couldn’t cover his strange all-black eyes with sunglasses.
He couldn’t bear to see that look on Maddy’s face.
What had it been about her that had made him break all his rules? He hadn’t even thought about staying away, had invited her into the Compound almost without a second thought. Damn. He would pay for his stupidity now.
The stinging sensation died away, and a calm descended over Garth. Soon, Maddy would be a painful afterthought. He would be wrapped up in the emotions of some punter who would visit the Winter Spectacular. The wish could be anything, difficult or easy, literal or fantastical.
He would have to break it to the rest of the Nine. It would be an almost impossible task with Rilla, Jack, Frankie, and even Blago gone. Garth curled his fingers into a fist. An uncompleted Gift hurt. It took longer to recover and the painful tinge of burnt emotions lingered for months.
A familiar feeling uncurled from his stomach as the emotional connection kicked in. It flowed through his body, a soft warmth that felt so good he shuddered. It clicked into place, his bond with the outsider who had a wish the Carnival would work to fulfill.
He leaned back and let the emotions flow into his body. There was sadness, a sense of something missing, and a need for love. His connection was to a woman; he knew that already. He allowed his thoughts to roam, blending with the Mark’s, trying to find out what he could that would help them grant the wish.
Something familiar about the woman inside his head made him pause.
A pair of sea-green eyes flashed across his vision, and Garth felt like the wind had been knocked out of his lungs.
It was Maddy. Maddy was their Mark.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“I’m so sorry, Garth.” Missy patted him on the shoulder. The pity in her eyes was almost too much. But at least it wasn’t because she saw him as a freak.
Garth nodded. “It’s fine—just unexpected. We have too much else going on. We don’t need this.”
They were all back in his living room, bright and early. Simon was in the back bedroom with his door closed and headset on.
Maddy’s heartbeat pulsed through his blood.
“Still.” She tilted her head to one side. “When do you think we’ll feel the wish? I mean, we’re not doing the usual carnival
rides. So how will it work?”
Garth blinked. “I don’t even know.”
“It’s two weeks ‘til the show. We need to know soon if we’re going to have a shot at making it come true for her. Do you think you could get her to come to the Compound again? Perhaps that will be all it takes.” Viktor didn’t give him any leeway, even though he knew they’d been spending time together. The Carnival was everything to the old mechanical engineer.
He sighed tiredly. “I guess so. She was going to come back in today anyway.”
“How do we do it? Do you want me to set up the Carousel?” Even as Viktor said it, something sparked in the air around them. A flicker of certainty.
Garth nodded. “That’s it. That’s what we need to do. We give her a personal ride on the Carousel to pick her ride. How long will it take?”
Viktor looked at his watch. “I can have it done by early afternoon. It’s in the storage unit.”
“In the meantime, we need to talk about what we’re going to do about Rilla.”
“What did your contact say?” Viktor turned his attention to their other main problem.
“She said he’s not at the mansion. And no one knows where he is.”
“What does that mean for us?” Missy leaned against the door to Garth’s lounge, her arms crossed.
Garth took a sharp breath. “I think we need to get someone inside his mansion, to check for them, just in case. And then we beef up our security here and continue on. We have a Gift as well as a show to get ready for now.” His heart constricted as he mentioned the Gift. He still couldn’t quite believe it was Maddy. He could feel her now, humming through his body like a small bird through the air.
“It’s not going to be much of a show if we can’t find our Ringmasters, now is it?” Missy said.
“This isn’t the worst scrape we’ve gotten out of,” said Alfie, a small grin on his face.
Garth frowned over at the Beastmaster. “I don’t see how.”
Alfie shrugged. “Nothing ever goes according to plan around here—that’s just what I’m sayin’. We know they’re alive, and that’s the important thing. We know the Carnival sent her a zing of healin’. Get some of those contacts of yours inside his mansion and let us know what the hell has been happenin’.”