by Robbie Cox
Wyatt turned and saw his grandfather slip into the big top. Turning back around, he was surprised to see the redhead almost on top of him, causing him to take a step back.
“Who is that man?” she asked, pointing to where Wyatt’s grandfather disappeared into the tent. “The one with the top hat?”
Wyatt glanced back at the tent, but his grandfather had already vanished. “That’s Professor Compton,” Wyatt said, smiling as he turned back to the redhead. She had to be a curious fan, probably attended the circus every year. “He’s the ringmaster of the Phantom Circus. Did you want to meet him? I could introduce you. He’s my grandfather after all.”
The redhead closed her eyes as her friend finally caught up to her. When the inquisitive woman opened her eyes again, pain pinched her face. “Your grandfather,” she whispered. “That explains it.” She looked up into his dark eyes. “He’s in danger. Fatal danger.”
Wyatt felt his brows pinch over his nose. “Danger?” he asked, cocking his head to the side as he studied the woman. “What are you talking about?”
The redhead took a deep breath. “Your grandfather is going to die.”
Seven
April stepped across the street, tossing her cardboard cup into the nearest trash receptacle as she did, Reina beside her chattering on about her night. “I’m telling you, April, if you ever get a chance to go home with two ogres, do it,” Reina said. “I’m telling you; size does matter.” She giggled as she stepped up onto the curb at the gate to Professor Compton’s Phantom Circus.
April shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face as she looked around for the man she visited a couple of nights ago in her banshee form. The roundabout, usually a quaint, quiet bastion of tranquility, was now a frantic turmoil of kids on too much sugar and parents already worn out. She even saw a capuchin monkey scampering across the grounds, hopping off toward a row of trailers off to the side. Who she didn’t see, however, was the young man with the dying...
Then she saw him, and the man in her vision, the older man stepping into the big tent. He even wore the top hat with the bright purple band. Leaving Reina behind, April raced across the grounds, dodging the kids darting from booth to booth, screaming and laughing. The dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder, and when he turned back around, April was almost on top of him.
As he took a step back, April asked, pointing, “Who is that man? The one with the top hat?” Her words were rushed, she knew, adrenaline pumping through her at the decision she made last night. Whatever the consequences turned out to be, she would deal with it. This time, she would give a true warning and not a wailing string of gibberish.
The young man in front of her glanced back at the tent, his brows pinched in confusion for a moment. “That’s Professor Compton,” he said, smiling as he turned back around to April. “He’s the ringmaster of the Phantom Circus. Did you want to meet him? I could introduce you. He’s my grandfather after all.” Pride covered his face.
April closed her eyes as the man’s words gripped her heart. She heard Reina step up beside her, her friend’s breathing heavy from the rush to catch up to April. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes again, the realization of what she saw in her vision twisting her features a little. “Your grandfather,” she whispered, wishing she took more time to figure things out before she approached the younger man. Too late now. “That explains it.” She looked up into his dark eyes. For better or worse, she had to warn him of his grandfather’s impending fate. “He’s in danger. Fatal danger.”
She saw the man’s brows pinch over his nose as he gave her a puzzled look. “Danger?” he asked, cocking his head to the side as he studied her. “What are you talking about?”
She wished she could avoid what she was about to say next, wished there was a better way to tell the man in front of her what she knew, but there wasn’t an easier way. There was only the truth. Taking another deep breath, she blurted out, “Your grandfather is going to die.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t how I would have gone about it,” Reina said, shaking her head, her hands on her hips. “This is probably why we keen.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” the man snapped as he took a step closer to April, panic now twisting his features. “Why would you say something like that?”
Now for the crazy part, April thought with a sigh. “Because I saw it happen. Or rather, I saw the prediction of it happening. I don’t know when he will die, just that it’s soon. That’s why I visited you two nights ago, to warn you.”
The man shook his head, looking at her like she lost her mind. “Lady, I’ve never seen you before. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
April nodded. “Yes, you did, just not like this,” she said. “You saw me in my true form, not as you see me now.”
“Like that’s not creepy at all,” Reina said. “You sure you want to keep going down this road? Even I think you’re crazy, and I know what the hell you are.”
April shot her friend a warning look before turning back to the man in front of her. “Obviously, you’re familiar with the paranormal, or you wouldn’t be here. I’m a banshee. I warn people when their loved ones are about to step into the next life. I warned you Friday night.” She gestured toward the tent where she saw the older man disappear. “I saw your grandfather in my vision.”
The man’s eyes went wide as he took a step back again. “That...that was you Friday night?” He raked her with his gaze, settling on her dark red hair. “I thought that was a nightmare. You definitely don’t look the same as you did then.” He shook his head as if dislodging thoughts he didn’t want clogging up his mind. “So, you had a vision of my grandfather dying and warned me instead of him? Why? This doesn’t make sense.”
“I have a theory about that,” Reina started, but April cut off her friend’s long tirade of explanation. This man didn’t need that right now. “I don’t get it, either, but that’s how it goes. We also don’t usually get the chance to tell the loved one in English, but when I saw you yesterday, I just had to tell you. I know what you saw Friday night was frightening. I’m sorry, but now you truly have a chance to prepare for the inevitable.” April wasn’t sure her words helped the man or not. She could only follow her heart, and right now, her heart told her he needed to hear the truth where he could understand it. At least he wasn’t running away calling for the police chief. Of course, she knew Sebastian would do nothing except roll his eyes and walk away.
The man crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the ground, his brows pinched in thought. “You say you saw a vision of my grandfather’s death?” He glanced back into her eyes, and she found herself drawn into his pale-red eyes, wondering what type of paranormal being he was. “How does he die? Is it natural or an accident?”
As soon as he asked the question, April knew why the Powers That Be forbade the banshees from actually telling the loved one what happened. The loved one would naturally want to stop the death from happening, changing the course of even their own life if they succeeded. Death was an inevitable fact of life. It couldn’t be thwarted, just postponed. Even the majority of paranormals in Black Hollow died, eventually; it just sometimes took a few centuries to happen. However, postponing someone’s death could screw up the future. If this man saved his grandfather, he could inadvertently doom himself. “Look...I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
“Wyatt.Wyatt Compton.”
She nodded. “Look, Wyatt, you can’t do anything to stop what will happen. I’m sorry, but when a banshee warns someone, it means the death is destined. I know it sucks to hear that, but it’s the way things work. I’m truly sorry.”
“She’s telling you this, so you don’t waste time, thinking there’s plenty of it left,” Reina said, her face one of sympathy for the man in front of them. “We think there will always be tomorrow. Now you know those tomorrows are running out. Don’t waste them.”
Wyatt straightened, his face twisting into a mask of rage. “You’re telling me my grand
father is going to die, and you don’t expect me to do anything about it? If it’s natural causes, I can get him to a doctor. If it’s an accident, I can make sure it doesn’t happen. I don’t give a damn what it does to the future. Now, how did you see him die?”
April sighed. She should have listened to Reina; this was a bad idea. She never should have approached Wyatt, knowing how people were about these things. Still, she was here now, the warning made real by her telling him so he could understand it.
Reina gripped April’s arm, shaking her head. “Don’t,” she warned, cocking her head as she stared at her friend. “You know you can’t do what you’re thinking of doing. You know the consequences. Death can’t be cheated or deprived.”
Reina was right, of course, but how could April just walk away now? She already said too much. There was no way she could keep the rest back. Besides, she didn’t really know how Wyatt’s grandfather died, just that he did. Taking a deep breath, her arms over her chest to give her some sense of support, she said, “I don’t know how he dies.” Wyatt opened his mouth, probably to call her a liar, but she rushed on before he could accuse her of deceiving him. “I promise, I don’t. All I saw was your grandfather standing in the big tent, full of life one moment and dead the next. It seemed to happen suddenly, and he had blood trickling out of his mouth, which probably means he dies in some sort of accident. I’m sorry, that’s all I know.”
Wyatt closed his eyes, shaking his head. “An accident,” he muttered. “Just like my father.”
It was like a fist punched April in the stomach as she heard his words. Oh, god, why did she tell him? She only added to his misery. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.” And she was sorry. Knowing that his father died in an accident, April wished she could tell Wyatt more, so he could somehow try to circumvent it, no matter the consequences.
“You told me enough,” he said, his lips pressed into a grim line. “You told me my father’s accident wasn’t really an accident. Someone is going after my family.”
Eight
The lady was crazy if she thought he wouldn’t do something to stop his grandfather from dying. How did she expect to tell him something like that and then just sit back and allow it to happen?
“What do you mean, someone is going after your family?” the redhead asked, her brows pinched in confusion. “Why would someone want to hurt your family?”
Wyatt ran a hand through his dark hair as he took a deep breath. “Because some of my family wants my grandfather to sell the circus, and there’s no way he’ll do that. This circus is his family, his whole life.”
“They want it bad enough to kill for it?” the dark-haired woman accompanying the redhead said. He really needed to ask them their names. Referencing them by their hair color would get tedious real fast.
Wyatt nodded. “They’re afraid the longer my grandfather holds out, the lower the payout goes. Circuses aren’t exactly a hot commodity like they used to be.” He turned, hoping to see Barnabas scurrying about. No luck. “I need to find my grandfather.” He glanced at his watch, realizing he was running out of time. “Damn. I need to get ready for the show.” He could feel his nerves tighten, unsure whether he should do what he was supposed to do or go find his grandfather. Of course, with the time, his grandfather was more than likely getting ready himself.
“You’re part of the show?” the dark-haired woman asked. “Trapeze artist? High-wire? Lion tamer?”
He turned to face the woman. Why did they always suggest the more flamboyant roles, instead of what he truly did? “I’m a clown,” he told her, expecting the burst of laughter that usually accompanied his statement. Instead, she just stood there, blinking. Okay, that’s better than laughing at me, I guess. “Look, I have to get going. Thanks for giving me a heads up about my grandfather. I appreciate it, but I’ll handle it from here. Enjoy the circus.” He was already walking away as he said his goodbyes. He didn’t need them asking more questions or following him, trying to stop him from doing what he knew he must do. He had every intention of keeping his grandfather from dying, especially since he knew someone was behind it.
“Wait!” one of the women called out, but he had no idea which one. He hoped it was the redhead; she seemed like someone who cared about people, someone he would like to get to know better if she hadn’t just told him about his grandfather’s death. Or if she hadn’t scared the shit out of him Friday night. He still had a hard time believing the two people were the same person. The thing—the banshee—he saw Friday night was scary as hell.
Wyatt walked past the clown, Chuckles, at the front of the big top before sliding inside, closing the flap behind him as he did. People filled the stands, pointing to the clowns as they entertained them before the main show began, the children laughing and bouncing up and down on the bleachers. Wyatt knew he needed to shift into his clown face, but he needed to find his grandfather first, make sure he was all right.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Professor Compton’s Phantom Circus!” Chester’s voice boomed from the center ring, jerking Wyatt’s attention to where his grandfather stood, one arm in the air, his top hat gripped in his fist as he circled, taking in the cheering crowd. “Be prepared to be amazed! Dazzled! Mesmerized!” He kept turning, his arm still in the air.
“That’s just how I saw him in the vision,” the voice came from beside Wyatt.
Turning, he saw the redhead—what the hell is her name?—and her friend sliding up beside him. “In the middle of the ring?” he asked. “Just like this?” He pointed in the direction the others looked, panic gripping his heart. He spun back around, facing his grandfather as he continued to build the crowd’s excitement.
“We have amazing acts on the high-wire. Our acrobats will shock and titillate you with their death-defying feats on the rings high in the air. Animals will scare the hair on your head on end,” Chester cried out, his face a red mask of exertion and excitement as he continued to sweep in the entire crowd. Then he leaned in, holding his top hat to one side of his mouth. “But that’s not the scariest part of the show. Don’t forget the phantoms.”
As he said that last word, a howling whistled through the tent, stirring papers on the ground, tousling people’s hair, setting the rings in the air swinging. The crowd jerked their attention in every direction in the hopes of seeing what caused the ruckus, but nothing appeared.
“You never know where the phantoms will be or when they’ll make their presence known,” Chester continued, his arms down at his sides now. “But, never doubt that they are here. Watching. Listening.” He grinned. “And waiting!” He threw his arms back in the air as he shouted that last sentence.
The crowd cheered and another burst of wind washed through the tent, stirring the flaps and rustling the wings of the griffins huddled at the top of the tent.
“But for now, let’s bring out the greatest trapeze artists to swing through the air,” Chester cried out. “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome the great, the death defying, the Amazing Sinestros!”
The crowd went wild as Chester pointed toward the back of the tent as five tall men and women came racing toward the center ring, hands held high as they waved at the people in the stands. Wyatt watched as his grandfather slid into the shadows, leaving the spotlight to the elves climbing the ladder to the trapeze stands.
“Nothing happened,” the redhead’s friend said. She turned to the other woman. “The vision was wrong?”
Wyatt shook his head. “My grandfather will be in that ring, just like that, dozens of times before the circus closes. The accident can happen at any of those times.” He turned his attention to the redhead. “So, it would make sense that if we wanted to avoid his death, we just have to keep him out of the center ring, right?”
The redhead shook her head, her auburn locks swishing along her shoulders as she looked at him with sad green eyes. Why did he have to meet her like this? “It doesn’t work that way,” she said, her voice a bare whisper of regret. �
��Once the banshee is called out, the death is inevitable. From there, the grim reapers are sent to collect the soul at the designated time.”
Wyatt stared at her a moment, his mind churning. “Black Hollow wouldn’t happen to have a grim reaper living here, would it?” Perhaps going to the collector of souls would give him a better idea of when his grandfather was meant to die.
The redhead nodded, and not for the first time, Wyatt noticed the light dusting of freckles covering her cheeks and nose. If circumstances weren’t so dire, he would love to see how far down her body those freckles traveled. “We actually have two,” she said. “A pair of fraternal twins who run a pet store now. They’re retired, but they may be able to help.”
“What are their names?” Wyatt asked, then blurted, “What is your name for that matter? Sorry I didn’t ask sooner.”
She smiled as she gave a slight shrug. “It’s not like I gave you much time with what I said. I’m April, and this is my friend, Reina.”
Wyatt shook both their hands, saying all the normal statements, like “Pleased to meet you,” and “Thanks for telling me.” He then took a deep breath, knowing he needed to shift into his clown face—more like a court jester, really—and join the others. Their act was almost up, and his grandfather would kill him if he ducked out on it, even if it was to save the older man’s life. “Did you say a grim reaper owns a pet store?” Not exactly what he pictured when he thought of creatures dealing in death, but he had seen crazier things.
“They wanted something that was the complete opposite of death,” Reina said. “Misha and Vasily own it, and if they can help you, they will, but I’m not sure what rules bind them. Ginger here should never have told you, so if they turn you down, don’t be upset.”
He cocked an eyebrow at April. “You weren’t supposed to tell me?”
“Well, not in English, anyway,” she replied with a slight shrug. “However, after seeing your reaction the other night, I had to do something. We’ve never actually came face-to-face with the people we visit as banshees before, so I honestly didn’t know what to do.”