[Mystic Caravan Mystery 04.0] Freaky Games

by Amanda M. Lee

  Do you see?

  “I saw what happened, but … what’s down here?”

  The beginning.

  “That’s not really an answer.”

  That’s the only answer I have. Now … come.

  “Where are we going?”

  You must go back. This is only the beginning … and it’s coming.

  “What’s coming?”

  The darkness. You’re almost out of time. Now … go. Find the light.

  17

  Seventeen

  “Poet!”

  Three things happened at once. First, I realized I was flying through the air – flashes from the time the men spent in the mine after the initial attack hacking at my mind with invisible and yet ridiculously sharp swords. Second, the dimness turned to daylight and I no longer had to strain to see what was right in front of me. Third, I heard Luke and Kade screaming my name. They sounded as if they were about to completely melt down.

  I slammed into a heavy tent wall, my head snapping back as I tried to find my footing. I was discombobulated, though, and it didn’t go as planned. I tilted to the side, extending my hand in an effort to break my fall. My head felt so heavy – heavy and overloaded, as if my circuits were about to fry – that I overcorrected and smashed into the ground with a loud thump.

  “Ugh. Son of a … .”

  “Poet!”

  Feet pounded against the ground before I felt gentle hands wrap around my shoulders. Someone pulled me into a sitting position, propping me against a broad chest as strong arms cushioned me. It took me a moment to realize it was Kade.

  “Poet?” He sounded anguished, his handsome features twisted as he pushed my hair from my face.

  “I’m okay,” I managed to grit out, my stomach revolting against the statement. For the first time this morning I was glad the chaos happened after Kade promised to take me to breakfast. If it had happened in the opposite order I’d be throwing up all over his legs right about now. “I … what happened? Where’s the storm? I … wasn’t there a storm?”

  “We were just about to ask you that,” Luke said, his eyes filled with concern as he kneeled in front of me. “You disappeared … and as soon as you did, the storm went with you. It just … vanished as if it had never even started.”

  “Disappeared?” Hmm. That was interesting. I thought I was merely knocked unconscious, my body remaining behind while my mind took a whirlwind trip to the past. Apparently, things weren’t quite how I imagined them.

  “You literally poofed into nothing,” Nixie replied, hunkering down next to Luke. She was clearly intrigued, worry giving way to curiosity as we locked gazes. “Where did you go?”

  “The past.”

  “The past?” Kade’s voice cracked as he stroked my hair, his eyes red and glassy. I couldn’t be sure if that was because of the storm or my disappearance, but I had a feeling it was a mixture of both. “I didn’t know that was possible. I … does your head hurt?”

  I forced a smile for his benefit, cocking my head so I could see him out of the corner of my eye. “I don’t think I hit my head. Er, well, I hit my head against the tent when I was coming back. It doesn’t hurt, though.”

  “What does hurt?”

  That was an interesting question. I tested my fingers and limbs, rolling my shoulders as I took stock of my body. “Nothing really. My face hurts a bit from where it smacked into the ground when I landed, but it’s not unbearable. How does it look?”

  “Beautiful,” Kade answered immediately, choking back a sniffling sound that he probably believed would unnerve me.

  “Oh, don’t lie to her,” Nixie chided. “She’s been through enough and now isn’t the time to start lying. The truth is, it’s a little red on the cheek there. You’re going to end up with a scrape … and possibly a bruise. We should be able to cover it with makeup and I just made a batch of my special ointment, so it should be mostly back to normal tomorrow afternoon.”

  That, at least, was something. “I see.”

  “I don’t see,” Luke prodded, adopting a bewildered expression as he wildly gestured. “Where did you go?”

  I fixed him with an even look, memories from the previous night rushing back and forcing the immediate problem to the back of my brain for a bit. “Where did you come from? I thought you were at the casino.”

  Embarrassment flooded Luke’s features. “I went to the casino … and then I came back earlier than I thought I would.”

  “You did?” Nixie looked surprised. “I thought I wouldn’t see you for hours once I loaned you that money.”

  I gripped my hands together on my knees, anger hitting me in the face full force as I grinded my molars against one another. “You have got to be kidding me. You loaned him money?”

  Nixie balked. “Only five hundred dollars. He said he’d pay me back. I trust him.”

  “That’s not the point,” I growled. “I … .”

  “Poet, I know you’re upset about the Luke situation and I do think we need to talk about that before things get even more out of control,” Kade said gently, scorching Luke with a dark look. “What happened earlier is not acceptable and it’s definitely something we need to talk about. That said … that’s not our biggest concern right now.”

  “What happened earlier?” Nixie is oblivious sometimes. It made sense to her that whatever gossip she was missing out on when it came to Luke was more important than the fact that I had traveled through time. “What did I miss?” She was practically salivating.

  “Later,” Kade growled, running his hands up and down my shoulders. “Your skin is cold, honey. You’re a bit clammy. We should get you inside … maybe into a shower.”

  I pursed my lips. “That sounds good, actually.” I groaned as I tried to get to my feet, Kade doing the bulk of the heavy lifting as he hauled me up. “A shower is exactly what I need.”

  “Wait a second … .” Luke’s eyes flashed as they hopped between faces. “Aren’t you going to tell me what you saw?”

  “I think you have other things on your mind,” I replied, my fury returning.

  “Nothing is more important than you,” Luke shot back.

  “I think you proved otherwise several hours ago,” I countered. “Perhaps you should explain to Nixie what happened to her money while I’m in the shower. I think that would be beneficial to all of us … or at least mark one thing off my to-do list for the day.”

  Luke lowered his eyes, his lips curling into a sneer. He was furious, and I really couldn’t blame him given the tone I adopted when talking to him. “So you’re shutting me out because you don’t agree with me going to the casino?”

  “Why doesn’t Poet want you to go to the casino?” Nixie asked, blinking rapidly. “Is there something wrong with the casino?”

  “No,” Luke automatically answered.

  “Yes,” I corrected, keeping my gaze firm. “Nixie, don’t give him more money. I don’t care how much he wheedles or begs. Don’t do it. It’s important.”

  “But … why?”

  “Because I said so.” It was something I never thought I would say – my mother said it all of the time and I had tried to push the phrase out of my brain because it reminded me of her – but I couldn’t find the energy to utter anything else. “I’m not joking. If Luke wants to waste money at the casino, he needs to take it out of his own account. You’re not to give him money again.”

  “You can’t boss her around like that,” Luke snapped. “It’s her money. I’m going to pay her back.”

  I ignored his outrage. “It’s important, Nixie.”

  Nixie sucked in a breath as she debated. I understood she felt caught between the two of us, but I refused to back down. This situation was spiraling as fast as the one I visited in the past, although in different but still terrifying ways. Finally, Nixie offered me a curt nod. “Okay.”

  “Make sure everyone else knows, too,” I said, leaning into Kade as he slipped his arm around my waist. “I don’t want anyone loaning Luke money.”


  “You can’t do that,” Luke argued. “You’re the boss of the circus, not what everyone does in their private life.”

  “That’s true,” I conceded. “Nixie, make sure everyone knows that I’d consider it a personal favor if they didn’t share money with Luke. Can you do that for me?”

  “Yes.” Nixie shrugged when Luke turned on her, his rage palpable. “She seems serious and if she’s worried about you after traveling through time with some weird monster, I think there’s obviously something wrong.”

  “There’s nothing wrong!” Luke bellowed.

  “He’s lying,” I said, trudging toward my trailer. “There’s something very wrong.”

  Kade remained quiet until we were out of earshot – I could hear Luke and Nixie yelling at one another even as the distance between us increased – and when he spoke he seemed broken down, almost beaten. “You scared me.”

  I patted his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

  “I know you didn’t mean it. You just … disappeared.”

  “I didn’t even know that was possible,” I admitted, hitting the steps that led to my trailer. “I’ll tell you about everything … at least as far as I understand it.”

  “Did you get the answers we need?”

  Of course he would ask a question I didn’t have an answer to. “I got some answers and even more questions. The important thing to know is that we’re dealing with two entities … and one of them is definitely evil. It was also in the mine before the men became trapped there.”

  Kade was dumbfounded. “What does that mean?”

  I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Let’s get that shower and the breakfast you promised me. We have a lot to talk about.”

  WE OPENED that afternoon.

  I saw no reason for the schedule to shift despite what happened.

  Kade wasn’t keen on the idea. In fact, he wanted to call off the entire endeavor and run – not walk – away from Vegas, never looking back. Part of me wanted to give in to his fear. Worry over Luke and the way he was acting fueled that inclination.

  Mystic Caravan is a circus, but that’s only its secondary priority. Catching and eradicating evil beings is our primary focus. It was clear something roamed the desert surrounding Las Vegas – it probably had for a very long time – but now that we knew about its existence we couldn’t ignore it.

  In truth, I was fairly certain two entities stalked the area. The first was a figment, something that remained from one of the miners I saw in the past. I wasn’t sure which one. I wasn’t even sure the figment remembered who he used to be. He remembered the terror, though. That was something he’d never forget, and that’s what forced him to remain even though his physical remains had long ago disappeared into the earth.

  The figment wasn’t our main worry. Whatever killed the men a century before, that’s what escaped when Partlow sent down the new excavation team. Perhaps that’s what the mine was named after in the first place. I wasn’t ruling it out. That was the malevolent force. Odds were that once that creature was removed from the locale the figment would fade away. It seemed to be acting as a guide, even a barrier of sorts. It didn’t retain enough language or comprehension to serve as a tutor, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t eventually help eradicate the problem.

  With nothing more to do than wait, I enjoyed my breakfast with Kade and then returned to the fairgrounds to prepare for the day. He remained agitated by what had happened – I understood that, but refused to run away – and increased security around the perimeter while I pretended not to notice that he was constantly muttering to himself about “bullheaded women.” I spent the morning in my tent arranging things, and the afternoon walking the midway to make sure everything was ready for the big show.

  We had a line in the parking lot when we opened. Mystic Caravan employees know exactly what they’re doing – even in times of strife – so I wasn’t worried we wouldn’t be able to pull it off. What did worry me was another dust storm. But I couldn’t control the weather, so I focused on what I had to do and let the rest fall by the wayside.

  “I want to know if we’re going to live happily ever after.”

  Jasmine Ludwig had a dreamy look on her face as she leaned forward and stared into my crystal ball. Her hair was so blond that it gleamed under the twinkle lights lining my tent ceiling. Her eyes were wide and blue, and she extended her left hand so I could admire the honking diamond she boasted on her ring finger.

  “We’re getting married in two months,” Jasmine explained, gesturing toward the sour-looking man sitting to her left. “I’m very excited, but I want to know that we’re going to live happily ever after.”

  Joshua Ellsworth was at least ten years older than Jasmine – I would guess fifteen if someone put a magic wand to my head and demanded I choose – and he looked completely over the entire endeavor. He wore an expensive suit, which seemed the perfect thing for an evening at the circus, and the look he shot me was one of tolerance rather than excitement.

  “I told you that we’re going to live happily ever after, Jasmine,” he chided. “I don’t see why you won’t believe me.”

  “She’s an expert.” Jasmine beamed. “What should we do?”

  I returned the smile, indulging the woman’s excitement even as her paramour made me want to kick him in the head. “When is the big day?”

  “Don’t you already know that?” Joshua sneered, disdain practically oozing out of every pore.

  I ignored the sarcasm. If I wanted to glean the date I could easily pick it out of Jasmine’s mind. I saw no reason to do that. “You’ve been dating only three months, huh?”

  Jasmine’s eyes widened to saucer-like proportions. “How did you know that?”

  “That’s my job.” I kept my smile in place. “It was a fast courtship, wasn’t it?”

  “When you know, you know.” Joshua’s smile reminded me of Oscar the Grouch’s grimace. “I knew the second I saw her that she was the one for me.”

  “Joshua never thought he would get married before me,” Jasmine volunteered. “He said it was love at first sight, and that made him realize he’d been thinking the wrong way his entire life. Isn’t that romantic?”

  It was … something. Sadly, it was nothing akin to romance. It was more like a steaming pile of horse excrement, and someone was about to step in it because she wasn’t looking where she walked. “What about you, Jasmine?” I asked. “Was it love at first sight for you?”

  “Of course it was.” Joshua puffed out his chest. “I’m an investment banker. What’s not to love?”

  That had to be a loaded question, and from the furtive look Jasmine darted in his direction I was fairly certain that “love” didn’t enter the equation until Joshua started wining and dining the young woman. She was from the poor side of town, working as a cocktail waitress in one of the ritzier casinos to make her way. Her looks got her through the door and Joshua took advantage of her naïveté as soon as he realized that he could manipulate her. It wasn’t love fueling him. He wanted a pretty accessory to display on his arm at business parties. His personal taste ran a bit more … risqué.

  I considered my options. I could tell Jasmine what she wanted to hear and let her go on her merry way. In two years’ time she would be divorced, but only after signing a prenuptial agreement that would leave her penniless and searching for a job. Joshua, out of spite, would blackball her at all of the casinos and make it impossible for her to find employment. He wouldn’t overtly mistreat her, though, and I’d seen far worse when looking into futures.

  Still … it had already been a long day and I didn’t like his smarmy attitude.

  “Okay, here’s the situation, Jasmine,” I volunteered, leaning forward. “He doesn’t love you. He wants to be able to parade you around as a prize and tell all of his business associates that he’s a stallion in the sack and that’s why you married him. We both know that you’re marrying him because you think he can give you a comfo
rtable life. That won’t last.”

  Jasmine’s mouth dropped open. “W-what?”

  I ignored the fury emanating from Joshua and pushed forward. “He is a stallion of sorts,” I continued. “He likes to be ridden … by chaps in chaps. He doesn’t want anyone to know that. He keeps it a secret because he thinks it makes him seem like less of a man, which is ridiculous in this day. Dude, if you like dudes it’s okay. No one is going to judge you. Er, well, no one who matters is going to judge you. You’ll be happier if you just embrace who you are.”

  “You take that back!” Joshua snapped, jerking forward. “That is an abominable lie.”

  “Really, Desperado?” I smirked when I saw the color flooding his face. “Isn’t that what Ethan called you just last night when you got out the riding crop at that little hotel, the one out on the freeway where you can rent by the hour?”

  “That’s not true,” Jasmine protested. “He had a business meeting last night. I mean … .” She risked a glance at Joshua and furiously blushed when she read the truth on his face. “Oh, no!”

  “Listen to me, Jasmine,” I prodded, drawing her attention to me. “Don’t quit your job. You’ll regret it. Don’t marry him. You’ll regret that more. Also, don’t give back the engagement ring. Consider that the price of doing business and pawn it. You’ll be glad to have the money when he goes out of his way to make sure you can never work in Vegas again.”

  “You unbelievable whore!” Joshua spat, slapping his hands to the table as he rose on shaky legs. “I will show you a little something about being ridden.” Joshua murdered me with a look as his face flushed with enough color that I briefly worried he might have a heart attack.

  “I would like to see that,” Nellie announced, slipping through the doorway. He clearly had heard raised voices while passing by. Even though he was in a pink evening gown with matching pumps, it was clear he meant business. “Would you like me to show you out, sir?”

  “I want her to tell Jasmine she’s lying.” Joshua wasn’t ready to concede defeat. “Jasmine, honey, you know that’s not true. She’s trying to play you.”