“So what do you think we should do?” Naida asked. “I guess we could drop a veil so everyone doesn’t see us, but that comes with its own set of risks. It works on the people underneath the veil, but if more people move to join us … .”
She had a point. “What if we employ the veil and combine it with a lullaby?” I suggested. “We can design the lullaby to lull the people underneath the veil and turn away any late joiners.”
Raven’s eyes sparked with interest as she tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear. “Now that right there is an interesting suggestion.”
“Do you think it will work?”
Raven licked her lips as she surveyed the area, slowly nodding as the plan took form. “I do. I’ve seen the interest from the other groups. They’re going to come check us out before long. We’re the newest element. They’ll want to get to know us.”
“Then we’ll let them get to know us. I think we should provide drinks for those who come, drop the lullaby first when people are comfortable, and then Naida can add the veil once we’re sure the lullaby is working. After that, we need to move quickly.”
“I’ll eat dinner with everyone and then disappear to mark the lines for the dreamcatcher,” Raven offered. “You keep the people who join us distracted. When I come back, you’ll know the lines are drawn. We can move forward with the rest of it from there.”
I nodded, pleased with the plan. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
BARNEY TOLLIVER WAS a local historian and stained-glass artist who liked to tell tall tales. He was the first to approach us, and then he proceeded to make himself at home around our fire as we plied him with drinks and snacks. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and once he made nice with us it was only a matter of time before the others approached.
I stood at the edge of the fire and watched the artisans converse with our group, sparing a glance over my shoulder to study the bonfire on the other side of our site. The midway folks and clowns set up shop on that side, so I wasn’t exactly surprised to see the carnies congregate there. Carnies and midway workers were unique breeds … and they seemed to like each other.
As for the clowns, no one liked them. They were tolerated by the other misfits, so they stayed with the midway workers and carnies, content to be tolerated. Well, except for Percival Prentiss, our newest clown. He spoke with a fake British accent and sparked a romance with Raven that defied all logic. They seemed an odd couple, but I opted not to put too much thought into it because Percival’s presence kept Raven’s focus off Kade. I considered that a win.
“What are you thinking?” Kade moved to my side and watched as my eyes shifted back to Barney. He was a natural storyteller and I couldn’t help but like him. His daughter, Paige, was another story. Barely out of her teens with a surly attitude, all she seemed to do was roll her eyes when she thought her father wasn’t looking and bend her head together with Melissa to giggle and snicker. In fact, as the crowd grew, the girls increased the distance from the gathering, not stopping until they were closer to the crafts fair and almost completely hidden from view when they wanted to duck behind a tree. For some reason, the two of them pairing up made me nervous.
“It won’t be long,” I replied. “Once Raven gets back we’ll know the lines are drawn. We’ve already started with the lullaby.” I inclined my chin in Naida’s direction. She stood behind the crowd, tapping her fingers on her arms as she weaved a soft song into people’s heads. She was so good at it no one seemed to notice. Except for Paige. The young woman kept shifting her eyes and looking around, as if she heard a whisper she couldn’t identify. I was starting to think it was because she heard the lullaby … even if she didn’t recognize what it was.
“And is this lullaby working on me?” Kade asked.
“I honestly don’t know.” I dragged my eyes from Paige and focused on him. “Do you have the urge to leave the area?”
“You’re here. I don’t want to go anywhere.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. “That was smooth.”
“Thanks. As for your question, I don’t feel the urge to leave. I don’t feel the need to stay, either. I’m sure I could leave if I wanted to.”
“You’re aware of what’s going on, though,” I pointed out. “You could force yourself to leave because of that. The lullaby isn’t a control spell. It’s merely meant to inspire. In this case, we want to inspire the guests already in the veil to stay. We also want to inspire those outside to stay outside … at least until we draw the dreamcatcher.”
“How long will that take you?”
“About twenty minutes. Raven is handling the boundaries. We should be okay.”
“I’ll wander up front while you’re doing it, just to be on the safe side. When you’re done, come and get me. I’ll be ready for bed … and my massage … after that.”
The warmth I’d been feeling only moments before dissipated. Luke had refused to move his trailer, saying it was too much work and I could simply suffer through my obsessive compulsive issues on my own. He and Kade seemed to get along during dinner, so I couldn’t help but wonder if my boyfriend bribed my best friend to get his way. It was a concern I filed away for later, when it came time to start talking to the locals.
“And then – I swear this woman was the size of a bear – she grabbed the front of my shirt, lifted me off the ground and said, ‘Do you want your kiss now or later?’ I said I wanted it later … like thirty years in the future … and she said she would be back to give it to me then.” Barney wrapped his story with a flourish, causing everyone sitting around the fire to roar with laughter. We’d acquired quite the eclectic bunch during the course of the evening and they seemed to be having a good time.
I flicked my eyes to Paige, who seemed to be one of the only people in earshot not laughing. She made a face at the end of the story, and turned back to Melissa to whisper something. They were away from the fire – hidden in the shadows of some nearby trees – and I couldn’t help believing that was on purpose. They were outside of the dreamcatcher boundary, but not so far that I felt Melissa was in danger.
“Paige and Melissa seem to be getting along,” Kade said, following my gaze. “I think it’s good for Melissa to have someone close to her age to hang around with for a bit.”
“Hmm.” I made a noncommittal sound as I watched them, knitting my eyebrows when Paige cocked her head as if she was listening to something only she could hear. “I think Paige has some witch in her.”
Kade straightened, surprised. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m almost positive she can hear the lullaby.”
“Is she dangerous?”
I slid my eyes to him, genuinely amused. “Witches aren’t good or evil. They’re like people. They choose their destiny. I’m sure Paige is fine.”
“Yeah, but you don’t look convinced of that.” Kade took his role of protector very seriously. “Maybe I should collect Melissa.”
“I wouldn’t worry about Melissa,” I said. “She’s fine. I’m not even sure Paige realizes she’s a witch. She was probably born into it and part of her recognizes the magic. I’m going to guess she has no idea what she’s hearing. She’s merely confused.”
“You don’t know that, though,” Kade hedged. “If Melissa is in danger … .”
“I don’t believe Melissa is in danger,” I soothed. “I didn’t say that. I simply said I catch a whiff of witch when I get near Paige. It’s okay.”
Kade didn’t look convinced. “Fine. I’ll watch them while you’re gone.”
“You do that.” I bit back a smile as I caught Raven’s gaze over the bonfire. She was back and ready for action. “I shouldn’t be gone long.”
Kade nodded before giving me a quick kiss. “Be safe.”
“I’ve done this hundreds of times.”
“And I still want you to be safe.”
“It will be fine.” I cast one more look at Paige and found her laughing hysterically with Melissa. They looked like tw
o young girls having a good time. “You don’t have anything to worry about. We have everything under control. This is going to work and absolutely no one will notice. Have faith.”
“I have faith in you. That’s enough.”
4
Four
We knew our jobs, so erecting the dreamcatcher wasn’t an issue. We simply put our heads down and did it, stretching ourselves to the corners of the site and weaving the necessary magic to set the trap.
In truth, Naida, Nixie and Raven supplied the bulk of the magic. I oversaw anchoring the power threads, reforming it and then designing the dreamcatcher so it was tight in the center and grew wider as it expanded outward.
It took us twenty minutes, about what I expected, and I rolled my neck when the task was complete, planting my hands on my hips as the dreamcatcher sparkled and settled. Only magically-inclined beings could see the dreamcatcher, and then only if they were specifically looking for it. Anyone else watching, even from a distance, would’ve seen nothing but us separating and talking to ourselves if they were paying attention.
I was about to head back to my trailer, thoughts of a quiet night with Kade dancing through my head, when a sound in the trees behind me caught my attention. I swiveled quickly, narrowing my eyes, and focused on the darkness.
I didn’t see anything. The noise didn’t repeat. It was as if I could almost see something and almost hear something. I never really managed either. That didn’t stop me from wondering if someone – or some thing – was in the dense foliage watching me. The hair on the back of my neck stood as I stared. I licked my lips as I debated stepping away from the relative safety of the dreamcatcher to investigate.
Ultimately the choice was taken out of my hands because Kade appeared from behind the House of Mirrors, his eyes keen as they scanned the darkness, his face lighting when he caught sight of me.
“Done?”
I forced a smile and nodded. “Yup. Ready for bed?”
Kade didn’t fall for my fake bravado. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. It wasn’t exactly the truth either.
“Poet, I can tell something is wrong.”
I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead. “I don’t want you to think I’m an alarmist.”
“I’ve seen you in action. I would never think that.”
“Okay. Well, I thought I heard something in the woods. I was debating going over to check when you showed up.” I risked a look in Kade’s direction after a few seconds of silence and found him looking grim. “And now you know why I didn’t want to mention it.”
“I’m not upset about you hearing a noise, and I certainly don’t think you’re an alarmist.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Why would you even consider going over there alone?” Kade’s eyes flashed. “I mean … are you trying to drive me crazy?”
Of course. I should’ve realized that would set him off. “You know I’m capable of taking care of myself, right?”
“That doesn’t mean you should do something stupid like take off into the woods in a strange location to check out an odd noise. You should’ve called me.”
“I was considering it.”
Kade’s expression was dubious. “I think you’re lying.”
This time I didn’t flinch at the word. “I guess we’ll never know.”
“I guess we won’t.” Kade grabbed my hand. “Come on. We’re going to check near the trees.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yup.” I followed him toward the area, doing my best to relax my senses so I could pick up any anomalies. I knew right away that whatever I sensed there – if I indeed truly sensed anything – was gone.
We searched for ten minutes and came up empty. Kade wasn’t agitated that I wasted his time. In fact, he was relieved when we didn’t stumble across an evil magical being, and he pointed me toward my trailer when we emerged.
“I’m sorry. I swear I thought I heard something.”
“I’m fine with it. I’m glad we looked. Now you can focus on your big task for the evening.”
“And what’s that?”
“My massage.”
I groaned. “Geez. You’re a pain in the butt when you win.”
Kade snorted and lowered his mouth so it barely skimmed my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you win, too.”
I had faith he meant it.
BECAUSE WE’D SPENT SO MUCH time organizing the previous day, we had very little to do when we finished breakfast the next morning. While some of our brethren had things to finish – mostly in the midway area and the sales booth row – Kade, Luke and I were largely without chores. We decided to look around the festival.
We started at the far end, where the car show was located, and even though all the vehicles weren’t yet present there was still plenty to wander about.
“I don’t get the appeal of old cars,” Luke said, staring with vacant eyes at a vintage purple Corvette. “The entire phenomenon is odd to me.”
“Old cars are great,” Kade argued. “I’ve always wanted one. In fact, if I ever get up enough money, I know the truck I’d buy.”
This was news to me. “I never knew you had an old car fetish.”
Kade wrinkled his nose. “You don’t have to say it like that. It’s not really a fetish.”
It sounded like one to me. “What truck do you want?”
“It’s a 1953 Chevrolet 3600. I want it to be green.”
I had no idea what that meant – or what the truck looked like, for that matter – but I made a mental note to research it later. It wasn’t exactly as if I could purchase the truck for him, but because I had control over magic and could make minds see things that weren’t there, I thought it might be fun to set up a mutual fantasy we could both enjoy.
“Did you work on trucks with your dad when you were a kid or something?” Luke asked, his attention on the Corvette. “That’s the only reason I could see for having an old car fetish.”
Luke was oblivious to what he’d said, his attention fully trained elsewhere. I took the opportunity to scan Kade’s face, readying myself to perhaps step in and remind Luke that Kade wasn’t raised by his father, but I saw neither anger nor bitterness on Kade’s face, so I opted to watch it play out.
“One of my high school friends worked on vehicles with his father,” Kade offered. “I never had that opportunity. It’s a nice idea for when I have kids of my own one day, though.”
Luke jerked up his head, realizing too late what he’d said. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.”
Kade waved off the apology. “It’s fine.”
“Still, it was a dumb thing to say.” Luke’s eyes tracked to me. “The good news is, Poet, Kade is open to having kids … and probably with you since you mentioned it in front of her.” Luke shot me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “Score!”
Now it was my turn to be embarrassed. “Thank you so much for pointing that out, Luke.”
Kade chuckled as he slipped his arm around my waist and directed me away from the classic car show. “I love spending time with you guys. Sometimes it’s as if I never left high school.”
I scowled. “I didn’t finish high school, so I wouldn’t know.”
“You didn’t miss much. It’s just like this.”
Our next stop was the crafts fair, and I was instantly happier with the shift in offered items. Cars weren’t my thing, but crafts were another matter entirely.
“Look at all of this stuff.” I was beyond excited, so much so I ignored the looks of mirth that Kade and Luke shared when they thought I wasn’t looking. Instead I focused my attention on each individual booth. “Oh, I love this.”
I held up a dreamcatcher so Kade could see it, grinning at the taut lines. They’d been treated with some sort of substance that sparkled, which gave the item an ethereal quality that I found appealing.
“What is that?” Kade knit his eyebrows.
“It’s a dreamcatch
er, dummy,” Luke replied. “It’s what Poet uses as a basis for what we do whenever we land in a new location.”
“Oh.” Kade’s expression was thoughtful as he took the dreamcatcher from my hand and studied it. “And what is a dreamcatcher supposed to do again? I think you told me, but I forgot in all the hoopla of learning the truth about the circus.”
“You’re supposed to place it above or near your bed,” I replied. “While you sleep, it collects nightmares before they descend and traps them in the web. Then, when the sun rises, it hits the trapped nightmares and causes them to dissipate.
“They were created by the Ojibwa, and then other tribes slowly started embracing them,” I continued. “I guess it depends on your belief system when it comes to having faith in them.”
“What do you believe?”
I shrugged. “I believe nightmares can decimate you if you’re not careful.”
Kade didn’t immediately respond, so I looked to him, expecting to find him laughing or sharing an exaggerated eye roll with Luke. Instead he handed the dreamcatcher to the woman behind the counter.
“We’ll take it,” Kade said, digging into his pocket for his wallet.
“You don’t have to do that,” I protested. “I don’t need it.”
“Maybe I want you to have it.” Kade was calm as he handed the woman the appropriate amount of money. “Besides, we sleep together every night so I think it will be good for both of us. No nightmares. Only good dreams.”
“Oh, geez.” Luke made a face. “I don’t want to hear this. You’re grossing me out.”
“I don’t care.” Kade accepted the wrapped dreamcatcher from the girl and handed it to me. “Only good dreams ahead, right?”
I offered up a sheepish smile as I accepted it. “Right. Thanks. It’s really pretty.”
“So are you.”
“Oh, I so want to gag,” Luke complained. “I thought things would finally get better when you started boning. Now I always want to vomit when I’m around you.”
[Mystic Caravan Mystery 05.0] Freaky Places Page 4