The room was dark, a limited glow emanating from the alarm clock on the nightstand. I shifted my eyes to Kade, watching as his bare chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He slept heavy most of the time, and tonight was no exception.
What woke me?
I couldn’t be sure. My internal danger alarm wasn’t exactly dinging but it wasn’t quiet either. It was more of an insistent murmuring at the edges of my mind. The dreamcatcher remained silent. Even if the enhanced one failed, the older version was in place as a form of backup. It hadn’t gone off. That’s not what woke me.
I spared Kade another glance before sliding out of bed, grabbing a T-shirt and a pair of cotton sleep shorts from the floor to cover myself before moving toward the trailer door. Kade would be angry I didn’t wake him, but with nothing concrete standing out as a warning I had no reason to rouse him. All I had was my intuition. He’d insist that was enough to wake him, but the last thing I wanted to do was interrupt his sleep cycle knowing how much work we had to do the following day.
I was quiet when I flicked the lock on the door and stepped outside, opening my mind the second I hit the ground. My powers aren’t all encompassing. They give me a leg up when dealing with someone dangerous, but they’re hardly infallible. Still, something didn’t sit right in my psyche when I sent out mental feelers and felt them bounce back.
My stomach flipped as I moved to the back of trailer row and stared into the vast darkness of the desert, the lights from Vegas twinkling behind me but offering no illumination on what lay out there. When we hit a new site, we essentially create a wall of trailers on three sides and then split into the various factions that make up Mystic Caravan Circus.
The midway folk and performers don’t get along – both thinking they’re the heart and soul of the operation – so the game barkers and runners take up one side of the fairgrounds while we take up another. The fourth is always adjacent to the parking lot, so it’s left exposed to create an opening while the rest of the site appears closed off. That’s on purpose.
The final wall belongs to the irregular workers. Those would be the people who nobody can stand for even a few minutes of interaction. Mostly clowns. No, the distinction hasn’t escaped me.
Tonight, though, it wasn’t clown worry getting to me. Clown row was quiet. Midway central was silent and still. Our row didn’t register a hint of movement or sound. Nothing so much as stirred in the middle of the site, which wouldn’t begin resembling a circus until the following day.
So what woke me?
I stayed close to the trailer as I stared into the darkness. Clouds shrouded the moon, so I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of my face. When I gazed in the direction of Las Vegas, the lights shone clearly, yet seemed so far away.
I scratched my cheek as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Something about this didn’t feel right – other than the obvious, I mean – and I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. Part of me felt I should alert my co-workers to danger, but I had no concrete evidence that we were in danger.
No webbed-footed monster lumbered out of the darkness to attack me. The dreamcatcher didn’t alert. And still … .
Something was close. So close all I had to do was reach out to touch it. Instinctively, that’s what I did. My fingertips brushing over something ethereal and creepy – red eyes flaring to life only two feet away – before a wall of mayhem slammed into me and caused whatever was out there to disappear.
Something bigger was upon me before I realized what was happening. It wasn’t a creature attack – although something had definitely been out there before the new threat made itself known – but a sandstorm. I instinctively covered my face the second the first blast of sand smacked against my tender skin, letting loose with a whimper as I turned to protect myself.
I hadn’t ventured far from the trailer, yet it felt like a huge distance as I attempted to trudge my way back. I couldn’t open my eyes for fear I’d be blinded by grit. I had my inner senses to lead me – which was a relief – but it still felt as if I made very little progress despite taking regular steps.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt hands on my arms and had no choice but to snap open my eyes.
“What are you doing out here?” Kade looked furious as he pulled me toward the steps that led to my trailer. “Do you have any idea what this is?”
“It’s a sandstorm,” I gritted out, stumbling twice due to the wind as I tried to climb the steps. Kade caught me both times. Neither one of us spoke again until we were inside, the door shut, and Kade’s furious and filthy face had nowhere to look but at me.
“You could’ve been hurt!”
I sank to the couch, pressing the heel of my hand to my forehead as I prepared for what was sure to be a loud diatribe. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was a sandstorm.”
Instead of maintaining his shrill tone, Kade adjusted, although only a bit. “That doesn’t explain what you were doing out there.”
“I’m not sure what I was doing out there,” I admitted, wiping dirt from my face as I tried to find words to explain my evening. “Something woke me, and I needed to check the perimeter before I could go back to sleep.”
“Why didn’t you wake me to go with you?”
“I … you were asleep.”
“That’s why you would’ve had to wake me.”
“I know, but … I can’t explain it.” I held my hands palms up and shrugged. “Something woke me and I had to look. I didn’t want to wake you, because I thought there was a good chance I was imagining things.”
Kade wasn’t about to be placated. “And you didn’t want me to laugh at you?”
“And you need your sleep. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
Kade blew out a frustrated sigh as he sat next to me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it as he got comfortable. “Poet, you have a really good heart, and that’s one of my favorite things about you. Still, you should’ve woken me up. It’s my job to make sure you’re okay.”
“Because you’re head of security?”
“Because I won’t be able to handle it if something happens to you,” Kade corrected, making a growling sound in the back of his throat. “You can’t always take on the world by yourself. It’s not necessary. I thought we were supposed to be dealing with stuff like this as a unit. Isn’t that what we decided? Isn’t that what you said a few hours ago?”
I chewed on my bottom lip as I nodded. “I didn’t think something was really out there.”
“I don’t believe that.” Kade pushed my tousled hair out of my face. “Honey, you went out there to check because something woke you from a dead sleep. You have tremendous instincts. That’s what your gift is about.
“As long as I’ve known you – which, granted, isn’t all that long – whenever you’ve had a feeling it’s turned out to be right,” he continued. “I think you knew you were going to find something out there. I guess we were lucky it was only a sandstorm.”
I opened my mouth to tell him about the red flashing eyes in the darkness, the figure I was almost certain I touched with my mind mere seconds before the storm hit. Ultimately I wasn’t sure that was the right decision.
Kade must’ve read something in my demeanor because he solved the problem for me. “If you saw something else … .”
“I’m not sure,” I offered, cutting him off. “I felt as if there was something out there, and a second before the storm hit I swear I saw red eyes.”
A muscle twitched in Kade’s jaw as he regarded me. “What do you think it was?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m not sure it was real. The entire situation was surreal. I’m not convinced I didn’t see the red eyes because something inside of me was trying to warn me to take cover.
“I couldn’t see the storm out there, but it was as if I knew something bad was about to happen,” I continued. “I kept waiting for the dreamcatcher to trip – but the dreamcatcher wouldn’t alert on a sandstorm.”
“So you think you imagined it?”
“I think I was trying to warn myself to get inside because I needed cover but I was too slow to listen,” I replied. “I thought something was there, but it was only in the split second before the storm hit. Then it was gone.”
Kade didn’t look convinced as he licked his lips and rubbed soothing circles on the back of my neck. “Well … I guess I’ll follow your instincts on this one. If something was out there I think it would’ve attacked when you were vulnerable.”
Something occurred to me. “Plus, I was still inside the dreamcatcher. It would’ve alerted if something was really there.”
“The dreamcatcher that we know works?”
“I … .” Hmm. That was a good question. “I’m almost a hundred percent sure. It was close, but I was on the safe side. I’m sure of it.”
“Okay.” Kade leaned closer and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’re okay. I’m okay. There’s nothing to get riled about.”
I managed to muster a smile. “That’s good.”
“Don’t do it again, though.” Kade wagged a finger in front of my nose. “I want to make sure you’re safe. If that means losing out on a few minutes of sleep because you have a feeling you can’t explain, I’m fine with that. What I’m not fine with is you getting lost in a sandstorm.”
He had a point. “Okay, well, are you ready to go back to bed?”
Kade nodded. “Just let me lock the door.” He moved in that direction, but never got the chance to flick the lock because the door flew open, allowing an excited Luke entrance. “Way to knock.”
Luke ignored the admonishment and focused on me. “I’m so glad you guys are up.”
“There was a sandstorm.”
“I know. We had to wait it out in the truck. I saw the light on here and knew you were still up. I think it’s sweet that you waited up for me.”
I didn’t have the heart to argue so I merely smiled. “How was your trip to the casino?”
“It was glorious,” Luke replied, his grin so wide it nearly swallowed his face. “I won five hundred bucks!” He dug in his pocket and removed a handful of bills, as if to prove it to me. “Can you believe that?”
“That’s great,” Kade enthused, clapping Luke on the shoulder. “What did you win it on?”
“Blackjack. It was so easy.” Luke looked as if he was ready to settle on the couch and launch into a long story, but Kade snagged him by the back of the shirt and pointed him toward the door.
“We’re looking forward to hearing about the entire thing,” Kade said evenly. “Over breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Even Kade’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t enough to diminish Luke’s smile. “Fine,” Luke said. “I’m going to reenact everything, including hand gestures and the little dance I did each time I won, tomorrow morning, though.”
Kade managed a wan smile. “That sounds like a plan.”
“It was so much fun, Poet,” Luke called out as Kade shoved him through the door. “I can’t remember ever having that much fun.”
I fixed Kade with a rueful smile when he shut and locked the door. “At least Luke is enjoying this locale.”
“I know I was worried about that,” Kade deadpanned, holding out his hand as he flicked off the light switch. “Let’s put this day behind us, shall we? We’ll have another long one to grapple with tomorrow.”
“That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” I linked my fingers with Kade’s and squealed when I felt his fingers on my ribs.
“I’ve clearly been doing something wrong if that’s the best offer you’ve had all day,” Kade teased, chasing me toward the bedroom. “Let’s see if I can improve on that, shall we?”
5
Five
“Morning.”
Kade looked rested and relaxed when we woke – other than the smudges of grime on his cheeks – and I returned his smile as I shifted and stretched.
“Good morning.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“I did.”
Kade grabbed my chin and stared into my eyes for a moment, as if searching to make certain I told the truth. He released me as he cracked his neck. “Good. We have a lot of work ahead of us today.”
“We need to run to the store and stock up on supplies this afternoon,” I reminded him, flicking my eyes to the window next to the bed. It looked to be another hot day. “We should probably get as much work done as possible before it gets really hot.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Kade agreed. “What do you have on your plate today?”
“I have to set up my tent and check in with the others,” I replied. “Luke is tackling the big tent today – or at least he is if he can stop talking about his windfall from last night – but I’m sure he’ll want to go with us. He hates it when he’s cut out of shopping excursions.”
“I don’t see why you’re not happy for him,” Kade said, trailing his fingers through my snarled hair. “It’s five hundred extra bucks. I can see why he’s excited.”
“Luke gets excited for everything. He’ll forget about that five hundred dollars as soon as something more gossip-worthy springs up.”
“That wasn’t really an answer to my question.”
I shrugged, uncomfortable with the intensity of Kade’s gaze. “I’ve never really understood the appeal of gambling,” I admitted, rolling so I was on my hip and could run my fingers over Kade’s naked chest. “It seems like a waste of money. The house always wins over the long haul.”
“I’ve never considered myself much of a gambler either. I mean, I like fantasy football and occasional squares for the Super Bowl and stuff. But it’s not as if Luke lost a bunch of money. He was probably making dollar bets and had a good run. It’s Vegas. I see how he got caught up in the excitement.”
“The occasional five-dollar sports bet is different,” I pressed. “I grew up in the Detroit area and saw a lot of people lose their homes thanks to the casinos. I don’t think gambling is harmless.”
Kade pursed his lips. “I never thought of that. I thought you lived in the suburbs. How close were you to the casinos?”
“Close enough that one of our neighbors lost his house because he developed a Texas Hold ’Em addiction,” I replied. “His name was Don Lancaster. He was tight with my father. His wife was in a book club with my mother. I remember everyone made jokes about the fact that he went to the casino every weekend.
“He was always in a great mood when he won, which seemed to be often at the beginning,” I continued. “He’d buy everyone rounds at the bar and bring expensive imported beer to neighborhood barbecues. But on weekends when he lost he was quiet and moody.”
“And he eventually lost his house?”
“I overheard his wife telling my mother that she had no idea he lost so much money because he only ever mentioned the money he won,” I replied. “It was too late when she realized what was happening. I heard they divorced two years later – that was right before my parents died – and I never heard what happened to them after that.”
“I think you had other things on your mind.” Kade kneaded my shoulders as a form of relaxation therapy. “I’ve never known anyone who had that problem, so maybe I’m simply oblivious. Luke won’t lose the circus if he visits the casino, though, and we’re here for only a week.”
“I understand that.” I honestly did. “You know I was on the street for a time after my parents died, too, right?”
“Yes.” Kade tilted his head so he could stare into my eyes. “That’s where Max found you, right?”
He never referred to Max as his father. I didn’t blame him. He remained angry about the lies Max and his mother told. He couldn’t confront his mother, the woman who raised him and set the lies in motion, because she died before he joined us. Max was still around, however – despite the fact that he spent half of his time hiding these days – and Kade was more than happy to take out his anger on him.
“That’s where Max found me,” I confirmed. �
��I went to a few foster homes, but they never lasted. I was more comfortable on my own. If you wanted to make money by picking pockets, you had to go where the people were.”
“The casinos?”
“Yeah. I spent a lot of time outside the Detroit casinos, because if you hit people before they went inside or after they were flush with winnings as they came out you could steal enough to be safe for weeks,” I explained. “I’m not proud of it,” I added hurriedly, heat flushing my cheeks. “I don’t feel good about myself because I did it.”
“And I’m not judging you,” Kade said, his expression serious. “I don’t blame you for doing what you had to do to survive. You were a kid. You were afraid. You were on your own for the first time.”
And yet I still felt guilty. Now didn’t seem like the time to share that, though. “Anyway, you could always tell the people who won by the giddy way they walked and the smiles on their faces,” I said. “You could always tell the losers, too. They were unhappy and often mean. There was a third set of gamblers. We called them the ‘lifers.’ Even when they lost they still had a certain … set to their shoulders, I guess is the best way to phrase it. You knew they’d be back. You knew they’d keep gambling until they lost everything. What’s worse, you knew they were aware of that, yet they couldn’t seem to quit.”
Kade’s expression was serious as he brushed a kiss against my forehead. “I’m sorry you saw all that.”
“I’m fine.”
“Obviously not if you’re still dwelling on it,” Kade countered. “But it’s okay. It was one night at the casino.”
“I’m not worried about one night at the casino.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“Luke has an addictive personality,” I answered without hesitation. “Don’t ever tell him I said that, by the way.”
Kade shook his head. “I won’t. Are you saying he’s a drug addict? I’ve never noticed that about him.”
“That’s because we don’t allow drugs and have random testing,” I said. “He could easily be a drug addict, but he knows he can’t get away with it, so he doesn’t. I also monitor the alcohol where he’s concerned, although he never seems ready to fall off the edge when it comes to mixed drinks.”
[Mystic Caravan Mystery 04.0] Freaky Games Page 4