“That makes sense. Once you knew I was staying, though, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew if I told you that I would get attached to you and I was afraid that would … be too much.” This honesty thing is humbling. I don’t like it.
Kade sighed, running his hand over the back of his head as he regarded me. “That might be the sweetest thing you’ve said to me since we met.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“I’ll try to refrain.”
We lapsed into silence for a few moments. It was comfortable and uncomfortable simultaneously. How does that even happen?
“I should probably go to bed,” I said finally. “They’re going to be burning the body for a few hours, and I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“I’ll help you,” Kade said, leaning forward so he could lift me.
I arched an eyebrow. “You’re going to help me go to sleep?”
“Yup.”
“Doesn’t that sound a little … dangerous to you?” I asked.
“Are you worried about rattling the headboards and giving yourself brain damage?” Kade teased.
“I … .” Crap. I was kind of worried about that. What if I got him into my bedroom and couldn’t stop myself from ripping his clothes off? That’s happened to other women. I’ve heard about it. Okay, I’ve seen it on soap operas. It could happen.
“Don’t worry. I promise to contain myself,” Kade said, pulling me to my feet. “No matter what you do, I won’t make a move.”
“Well, good.” My head told me that was a good thing. My heart – and other places – needed more convincing. Of course, I could have a concussion. My head was probably wrong on this one. “Are you going to tuck me in before you go?”
Kade followed me into the bedroom and remained quiet as I tugged the blankets down and climbed under them. He watched me for a moment, his expression unreadable.
“So, um … goodnight,” I said.
“Goodnight.”
I thought he would lean over and kiss me. I looked forward to it. Instead, he flipped the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. Well, that was a bummer.
I jumped when I felt the other side of the bed dip down. Kade stretched out next to me, turning on his side to face me. Well, this was … different. “What are you doing?”
“Going to sleep.”
“But … .”
“You might have a concussion,” Kade said. “Someone has to watch you while you sleep.”
“And you think that should be you?”
Kade ignored the question and slid closer to me, slipping an arm under my waist and tugging me closer to him. He was warm … and he smelled divine. This was such a bad idea.
“Go to sleep,” Kade whispered. “I promise your virtue will remain intact.”
“I lost that when I was a teenager.”
“Funny.”
“I … not that what you’re doing isn’t incredibly sweet, but what happens in the morning?”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone will know you spent the night here,” I said. “Do you want to put up with that?”
“Do you honestly think I care what anyone else thinks?”
“You will when Raven pitches an unholy fit and threatens to shrivel your nether parts,” I said.
“I can deal with Raven,” Kade said. “I’m trusting you to protect my nether parts.”
“You say that now but … .”
“Poet, go to sleep,” Kade ordered.
“I’m not sure I can sleep with you next to me. I’m afraid my hands will wander.”
Kade snorted. “Well, at least I have something to look forward to,” he said. “Now … go to sleep.”
I wanted to argue, but was too tired. Despite that, I was convinced sleep would evade me. I was wrong.
“WELL, well, well. What do we have here?”
I shifted, the morning light hitting me square in the face as Kade’s arm slipped from around my waist. Luke stood in the doorway between the hallway and bedroom, and the look on his face was … evil.
“What time is it?”
“It’s time for my breakfast, you little sex fiend.”
I glared at him. “Nothing happened.”
“That’s not what I’m going to be spreading around the fairgrounds in exactly one hour,” Luke said. “Once you’re done with my breakfast, that is.”
I was going to spit in his pancakes. “Go away.” I glanced up to find Kade staring down at me, his eyes bright. “I thought you were still asleep.”
“I’ve been up for about a half hour,” Kade said, stretching as he rolled to his back.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you needed your sleep and you’re adorable when your mouth is shut,” Kade replied.
Luke snorted. “Oh, so cute.”
“I will beat you,” I warned, tossing the covers back and rolling to a sitting position. “Oh.” I grabbed my head as a wave of pain washed over me.
“Are you okay?” Kade asked, rubbing my neck.
“I’m not sure.”
“Unless your head is going to fall off, you owe me breakfast,” Luke said.
“I hate you sometimes,” I grumbled.
“You love me and you know it,” Luke said, his gaze roaming over me. “You’re in the same clothes you wore last night.”
“So?”
“So you’re doing it wrong,” Luke said. “When you climb into bed with a man you take your clothes off. It’s too hard to get to the naughty bits with all this fabric in the way. I will make a to-do list for your next all-nighter. This is just … disgraceful.”
“Are you always this upbeat in the morning?” Kade asked.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m going to help her kill you,” Kade said. “You’d better start running now.”
“Oh, now it’s even cuter,” Luke said, his hand landing on top of his heart. “You’re both crabby in the morning, too. It’s like it was meant to be.”
“Run, Luke. Run.”
TWENTY minutes later Luke and Kade sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee while I mixed pancake batter and watched them eye each other.
“It must be nice to have such short hair,” Luke said. “You never have bedhead.”
“Yeah. That’s why I cut my hair this short,” Kade deadpanned. “Bedhead is a terrible blight on humanity.”
Luke gestured toward me. “Bedhead can be frightening. Look at Poet.”
“I think she looks cute,” Kade said, winking at me. “I like the bedhead.”
“Ugh. I may puke.” Luke mimed throwing up.
“That would save me from having to make you sausage and bacon,” I said.
“Don’t skimp on either,” Luke shot back. “I’ve worked up a terrible hunger. You two would be more excited for a big breakfast if you did more than sleep last night. I’ll get you that list before the end of business today.”
“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered. “Don’t you want to punch him for saying that, Kade?”
“I kind of want to see the list,” Kade replied, unruffled. “I’m pretty sure I can handle you myself, but he knows you better than anyone. He might have some insight.”
“See,” Luke said. “I’m invaluable to both of you now.”
“Now I want to puke,” I grumbled.
“Don’t do it near my breakfast,” Luke warned. “That would ruin my day.”
I returned to my batter and raw meat, keeping an ear on Luke and Kade in case things turned nasty. I didn’t expect it, but Luke can turn people into verbally abusive jackholes without realizing he’s being irritating. Okay, he realizes he’s being irritating. He doesn’t care.
“How did your body burn go last night?” Kade asked.
“Well, it smelled,” Luke said. “I was worried it would affect my appetite this morning. It appears I worried for nothing, though.”
Kade smirked. “Did Nellie cut the monster open to study its bones?”
“I think that was the creature’s natural form,” I said, dropping half a package of bacon into one pan and then sliding sausage patties into another. “I don’t think it was taking on another form. I think that was its form.”
“That’s gross,” Luke said. “Why wouldn’t it take on another form?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “There wasn’t a lot of brain activity in its head.”
“It had to be thinking something,” Kade said. “It went after you for a reason.”
I hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t know,” I said after a moment. “Even if I hadn’t killed it I don’t think it had the answers we need. It was almost as if … someone sucked its brain out and left only base functions behind.”
“Meaning?”
“It could breathe. It could hunt. It could kill. I didn’t read anything else there,” I said.
“Hopefully we don’t have to worry about more than one of them,” Luke said. “Maybe it was feral … or damaged by something else. We’ve never seen one like this before. Odds are we won’t see one again.”
That was a nice thought. Too bad something akin to dread niggled the back of my brain as I tried to embrace it. I wanted to believe Luke was right. I couldn’t, though. I wasn’t sure our mute friend from the night before would be the only problem Omaha offered.
I didn’t get a chance to voice my concern because Seth picked that moment to let himself into my trailer without knocking. “I smell bacon,” he announced.
“My bacon,” Luke said.
“There’s plenty for everyone,” I scolded.
“Not on Luke Day.”
Kade snorted. “Luke Day?”
“It happens once a week,” Luke said. “Get used to it.”
“I guess you’d better get used to me being here for it then,” Kade shot back.
“Whoa,” Seth said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “What is with the testosterone overload?”
“The boys are just feeling each other out,” I answered. “They’re going to race to the top of the jungle gym before the day is out.”
“That sounds like fun,” Seth said. “Not that I’m not enjoying the sparring, but I do have a reason for being here – and the bacon is only part of it.”
“You’re not having any of my bacon,” Luke said. “I’m only sharing with this guy because Poet will cut me off from food if I’m mean to her love muffin.”
“I’m going to let that ‘love muffin’ thing slide for now,” Seth said.
That was a relief.
“I will revisit it later this afternoon,” Seth said. “However, we do have a problem.”
“I don’t want to know,” I said.
“I walked the woods this morning like we talked about yesterday,” Seth said. “I found another dissected owl.”
“Are you sure it was fresh?” Luke asked. “The changeling might have killed it last night before going after Poet.”
“It hadn’t been dead more than three hours,” Seth said. “That means there’s still something out there. Our monster was long dead when something killed this owl.”
Well … crap on toast. “I guess there’s more than one of those things out there,” I said, sighing. “You know that that means?”
“Everyone is on alert already,” Seth said. “I wanted to make you aware of what’s going on.”
“What do you think we should do?” Kade asked, his expression serious.
“I think we should extend the dreamcatcher and cast a wider net,” I replied. “At the very least that gives us more time to react.”
“How many of these things do you think are out there?” Kade asked.
That was a very good question, and I had no answer. “We can’t do anything about it right now,” I said. “All we can do now is have breakfast and go about our day.”
“She’s right,” Luke said. “Now, woman, get in there and finish my breakfast!”
“I’m going to hurt you, Luke.”
“Well, I’ll be easier to catch with a full stomach,” Luke said, not missing a beat. “It’s going to be a fun morning for everyone.”
Twenty-Seven
It was the last day before the circus opened, so I had a full work slate Wednesday afternoon. Kade did, too, although I noticed he found a bevy of reasons to cross paths with me. Every interaction was flirty and fun, and my head was in the clouds – don’t judge me – for most of the afternoon.
After setting up my tent and checking in with Nixie and Naida to make sure they were set, I headed for the midway. Unfortunately, Mark was the first person I ran into.
“Hello, little missy,” Mark said, sidling up to me. He had a red plastic cup in his hand and his breath told me he wasn’t drinking soda. “I heard you were the center of attention yesterday.”
Why does my skin crawl whenever I’m around this guy? If I didn’t know better I’d think he’s a human spider. Yes, I’m a wimp. I’m not afraid of bugs because they’re gross. I do live in fear of them crawling into my mouth when I’m sleeping, though. What? That’s a real fear.
“I wasn’t the center of attention,” I replied, irritated. “There was a minor … incident.”
Mark arched an eyebrow. “Minor? I heard a changeling slammed you into a trailer and knocked you out, and then you got horizontal with the new security guy. I saw that coming a mile away, by the way. I thought it would take you another week, though. I had next Friday in the pool.”
He’s such a tool. “Well, that’s too bad,” I said. “Finding out that you lost at something … well … it makes me feel almost giddy.”
“You’re a pill.”
“You’re a douche,” I countered.
Mark rolled his eyes. Insults bounce off him. He’s immune to anyone else’s opinion. That’s a good trait in some people. Where he is concerned, a little self-awareness would be welcome.
“If you’re sleeping with the new security guru, does that mean he’s going to ease up on me?” Mark asked.
“What has he been doing to you?”
“He’s always watching me,” Mark replied. “Every time I look over my shoulder he’s there … giving me that look. I’m sure you’ve seen that look.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific.” I’d seen a lot of looks. Most of them were downright adorable. Seriously, what is happening to me?
“He looks at me as if he wants to screw me,” Mark said. “Now, I’m sure it’s not as uncomfortable when he looks at you that way. It gives me nightmares, though.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth as I considered how to answer. Engaging with the slimy midway captain is always a dubious prospect. I should have walked away when I saw him heading in my direction. “Have you been doing anything that Kade should be suspicious about?”
“Do I ever?”
That had to be a trick question. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.
“I follow all the rules,” Mark said. “I never see a rule line and cross it.”
We both knew that was a lie. “Whatever you’re doing that you don’t want Kade to find out about you should probably stop doing,” I said. “He’s serious about his job.”
“I’m serious about my job, too,” Mark said. “I don’t need someone telling me how to do it.”
“Is Kade telling you how to do it?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I wouldn’t worry about it,” I said, turning to move away from Mark. “Do your job and you have nothing to worry about.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Mark said. “When the new guy wants to hover around you, it’s because he wants to blow up your skirt. When he hovers around me it’s because he wants to tighten the noose around my neck.”
“That’s a very colorful picture you’re painting,” I said, nonplussed. “I also think you’re only worried about this because you�
�re up to something. I have no idea what, but if history is any indication, it’s probably not good.”
“That is a horrible thing to say. I’m insulted.”
“And yet I have a feeling you’ll live,” I said. “I … .” I jolted when Sid Dorchester popped up beside me. He was decked out in full clown makeup and costume, and he leered as he invaded my personal space. “What the … ?”
“Hey, it’s my favorite fortune teller,” Sid said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and tugging me closer. I had a feeling he was drinking from the same bottle as Mark. That’s how it smelled anyway. “You’re looking especially hot today.”
I glanced down at my army green cargo pants and basic white tank top. He was either really drunk or he wanted something. “What’s up, Sid?”
“I’m happy to see you.” Sid grinned. “You’re my favorite person in the entire circus. Haven’t I ever told you that?”
“No.”
“I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
Yeah, he definitely wanted something. “Sid, this will go a lot faster if you tell me what you want,” I said. “I … why are you wearing makeup?” I’m not a clown hater like most everyone else at Mystic Caravan – okay, everyone else in the world – but walking around in full costume when you don’t have to smacks of … I can’t even think of a proper word. It’s weird.
“I’m trying out a new foundation,” Sid replied. “It’s different than the stuff I was using before. It’s supposed to be easier on my pores. I want to run around in it to see if it streaks. I don’t want to be caught off guard and have my face melt off if I sweat. That will make people uncomfortable.”
That actually made sense. Well, kind of. Not the “uncomfortable” part. People were already uncomfortable around him. Why don’t clowns know they’re creepy? “Okay. That explains the foundation. Why are you wearing eye makeup and the nose, though?”
“I felt incomplete without them.”
Okay, I admit it, clowns are freaky. They don’t terrify me, but I don’t want to hang around with them either. “That sounds very prudent.”
“That’s me. Sid the prudent clown.”
Weirdly enough, most people who knew him saw him as “Sid the diddles-himself-in-the-corner-when-he-thinks-no-one-is-looking clown” as they looked at him, but now wasn’t the time for that conversation. “Did you need something?”
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