Circus of the Dead: Book 1

by Kimberly Loth

  “The what?”

  “The Obeah man. A dark voodoo priest. He’s also the ringmaster.”

  “Samuel?”

  Lorena nods.

  Oh, hell no. He’s been leading me on this whole time, and he’s the one trapping people here. Wait, I’m starting to believe it. I shake my head. I have to focus and not lose my mind, which I’m dangerously close to doing.

  But all roads lead back to Samuel.

  I stand abruptly.

  “Where are you going?” Lorena asks.

  “To see Samuel.”

  “Be careful. He’s as tricky as they come.”

  “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”

  In Cali, I was the fiercest girl on the waves. Boys never messed with me, and when they did, they always paid for it.

  I hand Lorena the towel back and head out into the rain. Except, it’s stopped. The air hangs heavy, and mosquitoes buzz around my head. Obviously, there is no good weather here. Ever.

  At least it smells better out. More like clean air and less like elephant poop.

  I slap at the bugs as I walk the way down the trail and across the grassy patch to the circus. I find Samuel in one of the worn-down tents, watching the acrobats.

  I storm up to him. “We need to talk.”

  “Ah, I was wondering when I’d see you again.” His eyes linger on my body, and I swallow, thinking about Lorena and that lovers card. I wonder what it would be like to kiss him, to have him touch me. What his lips taste like. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I have to focus.

  He motions to the benches behind us, and we both sit.

  “I want off the island.” I straighten my shoulders and hold my head high.

  “What makes you think I can help you?”

  “Lorena and Luke both said you are the reason everyone is trapped here.”

  His eyes sparkle, and he leans forward. “Do you finally believe?”

  “Yes.” Lies. All lies, but hopefully he’ll believe me.

  He studies me for a moment, and I blush. I like having him look at me. “I’m not sure you really do, but if not, you’re close.”

  “So. Are you really the reason we’re all trapped here?”

  He nods for a second. “Yes. And no. You’re trapped here because you drew the wrong card. It’s a different kind of magic.”

  “Why do you trap people here?” No wonder everyone has been warning me about him. I can’t believe he actually admitted it. Maybe he’s the one behind the mass illusion.

  “They come to me and ask for something. In exchange, they live on the island forever. Most of them feel the exchange is worth it. I trap no one here without their consent. The island would not allow it.”

  I chew on my bottom lip. I want to ask about Luke, but I don’t want to show all my cards yet.

  “Why would anyone agree to be trapped here?”

  “Love, money, protection, health. The reasons are endless. One man wanted a tail. So I gave it to him.”

  This is all a bunch of BS. “So, if you have the power to trap people here, you have the power to get me off.”

  “I don’t actually. But I might be able to find a way.”

  “How do I know you won’t trap me here?”

  He scowls. “I don’t like trapping people here. The island…it makes me. You’re stuck, but it was because of the cards. I’ve been researching it, and you present a new challenge.”

  I stare at him, looking for any indication that he’s lying. I can’t find it. “So you’ll get me out of here on the new moon?”

  “It will take longer than that. I’m afraid I haven’t had much luck. I need a spell of some kind. A complicated one that I will have to create on my own. There is no precedent for this. Give me a month.”

  I gape at him for a moment. “A month? I want to go home today.”

  His eyes soften. “I know. But that’s not possible. Do you trust me?”

  No. “Yes.”

  “Okay. I promise to get you out of here. But I don’t know how long it will take. Can you wait?”

  Not really. But I don’t see that I have a choice unless Mom and Dad decide to help me. “I guess.”

  His face lights up. “Excellent, in the meantime, I need a fire dancer.”

  That’s random. “Excuse me?”

  He taps a finger on his boot.

  “You’re stuck here for a few more moons, and I’d like to see you dance. I don’t want you to get bored.”

  “Right. You just want me to burn myself.” I smirk at him to let him know that I’m kidding, but then his words sink in…a few more moons. That’s too long. Longer than a month.

  “No. I want you to perform. You’re beautiful, and with the right costume, you’d have incredible sex appeal. You need to perform outside the fire-breather’s tent. His tent has been far too empty lately. Your job is to lure people to his show.”

  I try not to focus on the fact that he called me beautiful. “And how would I do that?”

  “Simply by doing a show.”

  “Is he only here when the circus is?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then how will I learn?”

  “I’ll train you.”

  “Does he die in his act?”

  “Yes, he does. He swallows fire and burns from the inside out. One of our more gruesome deaths. People eat up his act, but no one thinks it’s going to be very good, so they don’t go inside. But with you doing a sexy dance outside the tent, I’m hoping to help him out a little.”

  “What makes you think I’ll do it?”

  “What else are you going to do? You’re stuck here,” he says matter-of-factly. Like it’s totally normal.

  “I can just hang with Juliette. You don’t need to find things for me to do. I’ll be fine.”

  “Come on, you know you want to.” He gives me one of those charming grins of his. I actually miss having something to do. Since I’ve been here, I feel like all I’m doing is spinning my wheels. I’m itching to get back on the waves, but that’s impossible. At this point, Samuel seems to be my best shot, so if I go along with his plans, I might be able to figure out a way home.

  “If I do this, you’ll get me out of here as soon as possible.”

  “I’m already working on it, but of course.” He brings a hand to his chest and gives a little bow. In the end, I’ll have to do this on my own, but I might as well have as many possible exits as I can.

  “Fine. When do the lessons start?”

  He motions to the exit. “Right now.”

  I’m nervous to spend time with him. He makes my blood sing, and he’s obviously much more experienced than I am.

  I swallow and move outside. Samuel leads me into another smaller tent. It’s dark but has small tables set up with ropes, sticks, and mason jars full of foul-smelling liquid.

  He hands me a rope with a block on the end. “First, you’ll need to learn how to do it without fire. We should keep the dance simple. Once you master this, then you can try other things. You should ask the ghost you work with for tips and tricks.”

  Ghost. Right.

  He spins the block around, and it seems simple enough. Then he picks up another rope and twirls them at the same time. He moves with the ropes, whirling them above his head and in circles around his body. The whole effect is mesmerizing. When I get home—because I will get home—I’m going to have an awesome beach party trick.

  “You ready to try?” he asks after explaining how to do it.

  “Sure.”

  I attempt it, but I can’t seem to get the motion right like he does.

  “Stop,” he commands and steps behind me. He presses into my back, and I suck in a breath. He slides his hands down my arms, and I nearly bolt from the room. This is exciting and scary all at the same time.

  He moves my hands with his, and the rope spins easily. I try to concentrate on the motion of the ropes and not his breath on my neck. Slowly, he lets go, and I’m able to do it on my own.

  After a
few hours, I’ve got the motion down. Samuel’s blue eyes never stray far from me, but he doesn’t touch me again.

  “You ready to try with fire?”

  I shake my head. I might set the whole place ablaze. But maybe I should. Maybe then I’ll get out of here. “We have two weeks, right?”

  He nods. “Meet me here tomorrow at noon. For now, run along to Ruth and tell her you need a costume. She’s a talented seamstress.”

  After I stop at Ruth’s, I trudge back to my boat. My muscles are sore. They shouldn’t be, but I’ve stopped exercising here. I need to run or something and clear my head. It’s filled with images of Samuel and the way his hands felt on my arms.

  He’s dangerous. Of that much, I’m certain.

  But I want him.

  There is no denying that.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Two days before the new moon, Samuel wants me to do a full performance for him in the dark, costume and all. I think about inviting Juliette but then realize I want to be alone with him. Which is so bizarre. He can’t be that much older than eighteen, but he acts like it. The question is how much. It’s almost enough for me to believe all the supernatural stuff. Almost.

  Everyone and their dog have warned me against Samuel, but my entire body turns to jelly at the thought of him. Plus, I’ve never quite wanted a kiss as much as I want one from him, and that’s as good a sign as any that I should just go for it. Maddie will appreciate the story, too.

  I arrive at Ruth’s workshop, and she hands me my costume.

  “Uh, uh. No way.” I’m not usually one to worry about modesty. I’ve lost my top plenty of times in the waves, and I’m used to running around in nothing but a bikini. But this looks like I should be walking the catwalk at Victoria’s Secret—not performing in a circus.

  “Where on earth did you get the idea to make this costume like this?”

  “You said sexy fire dancer. That’s sexy?”

  “This is lingerie.” It’s a bit like a one-piece strapless bathing suit but with a corset that makes me wonder if my boobs are going to pop right out the top. It’s red with black stripes and a full black bustier.

  She rolls her eyes. “No, dear, it’s a costume. I’ve made many of them over the years.”

  “I’m not wearing this.” If for some strange reason Mom and Maddie show up, Maddie would take a thousand pictures of me just for kicks, and Mom would drag me outta here so fast her shoes would smoke.

  Ruth waves her hand. “Just put it on. I don’t have time to make you another one.”

  I stomp my foot and duck into the small changing area and squeeze into the costume. It feels two sizes too small. I step out, feeling utterly ridiculous.

  “Whooie, girl, the fire swallower is going to be the most popular attraction.” She hands me a pair of fishnet tights that I slip on. The clips bite into my skin. I feel like an effing stripper.

  “I’m not wearing this.” Icky men will stare and see things I don’t really want to reveal here.

  “Yes, you are.” She gives me a robe, and I slide it on, feeling a hundred percent better. But in just a few minutes, I’ll have to perform for Samuel. I liked the tension we had, and I was definitely hoping for that kiss, but I wasn’t ready to jump in bed with him.

  Looks like Ruth wants me to, though.

  I look at her for a moment and wonder how she got stuck here.

  “Do you like being on the island?” I ask.

  She cocks her head at me. “No one likes being on the island.”

  “Then why do you stay?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear her say it.

  “Because I can’t leave.”

  “Why?”

  “Same as everyone else. I made a deal with the Obeah man.” It’s odd how she talks about him as the Obeah man instead of Samuel. She hands me a pair of six-inch heels.

  I shake my head and put on my galoshes. Clearly, we will need to do a shoe change. Maybe I’ll just go shoeless and ruin these pretty tights. I think about Ruth’s words all the way to the tent. Why does everyone believe that ghosts haunt the island? Maybe they are insane. That would explain a lot.

  Something whistles, and I turn, expecting to see a creepy man because only creepy men whistle at girls like me. But instead, it’s just a bird.

  Samuel is already in the tent when I get there. He gives me a wink, and I blush. In just a moment, I’m going to show him more of myself than I want to.

  “I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with the costume.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s pretty revealing.” A huge understatement.

  “Most costumes are. Let’s see.”

  I slide off the robe and let it fall to the ground. Samuel’s eyes burn into me. The way he stares makes me want things I shouldn’t want. Things I’ve never really thought about before I met him. Things that only girls who’ve had thousands of kisses would think. These aren’t the thoughts of one who’s never even kissed a boy before.

  “Ruth knows how to do her costumes,” he says, jarring me out of my thoughts.

  My skin flushes, and I hold out the spike heels. “The shoes are impractical, and I’ll sink right into the mud. I’m going barefoot.”

  “Fair enough. Fishnet is cheap.”

  I grab the ropes I’ve been practicing with and dip them into the foul-smelling fuel. Quickly, I light both and spin them without thought as to the man watching me. I can’t, or I’ll mess up. I twirl them in circles around me and do a slow rotation. The whole motion is cathartic and exhilarating. I complete my rotation, and the flames go out.

  Samuel doesn’t say a word, but his eyes are locked on mine as he makes his way closer. He picks up two more ropes and dips them into the fuel.

  “Let’s try this together.”

  I swallow, nervous about him being so close to me. “Okay.”

  I light up again, and so does he. We dance around one another, him inching ever closer to me.

  He pauses about a half a foot away. “How close can we get, do you think?”

  I shrug and step closer. He swings his ropes wide to the side, entering my space. I tense up. I’m going to hit him. But he’s close enough that his arms are over mine, and I’m spinning behind his back. He’s never been so bold with me before.

  I look up and find his piercing blue eyes staring directly into mine.

  “It’s been a long time since a woman tempted me the way you do,” he whispers. His breath is hot against my face.

  “What happened last time?” I asked, scared of what his answer might be.

  “I gave away everything.”

  “Would you give me everything?” Do I want everything from him? My heart and body say yes, but my head says no way in hell.

  He chuckles. “No, but I might give you one wish.”

  “Send me home.”

  His face falls for a second, but he recovers quickly. “I’m already working on that. But you do realize that everything has a price. Even home.”

  “What’s the price?” I ask.

  He drops his lips closer to mine. “Perhaps a kiss, perhaps more.” He presses his body against mine, and a thrill races up my spine. He doesn’t realize I’d give him the kiss no matter what. Never mind that he already promised to send me home with no talk of prices.

  The fires go out, and I drop my ropes, but I don’t move away from him. His eyes bore into mine, and his lips are a breath away. My body shivers. I’m ready for this.

  A gust of air blows in. “Samuel, we need to talk,” Luke says.

  I jump away from Samuel and rub my hands over my hair. Luke stares at me for a second. That man has the worst timing. “What are you wearing?” he asks.

  “A costume.”

  He stomps up to Samuel, his eyes promising murder. “You put her in that, didn’t you?”

  The temperature in the room suddenly skyrockets, and I do not want to be here with the two of them. I don’t even bother telling him that it was Ruth. I slide on my robe and race from the tent.


  The path back to my boat is second nature now, but I still stare at my feet so I don’t step on a snake or a gator. I wanted that kiss. Even the thought of it makes my skin tingle.

  I slam my door shut and strip out of the stupid costume and put on my pajamas. I fling myself into bed and just stare at the ceiling.

  The reality of my circumstances hits me. The people on this island are crazy. They have to be. All of them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be spinning all these tales. They really believe what they’re telling me is true.

  But Samuel.

  Before I came here, I certainly never wanted a boyfriend. They were too much work and took too much time away from surfing. But here, with nothing to occupy my mind but Juliette and fire dancing…here, I long for more.

  I want someone to sit on the docks with and be silly. I want to hold hands and kiss and watch the stars. I’ve become an emotional sap.

  I want Samuel in a way I’ve never wanted anyone before. Maybe I’m talking myself into wanting to be trapped here. Maybe that’s what happens to everyone. Something about this place makes them go mad.

  I let out a breath.

  I’ve been on the island for too long.

  I need to go home.

  The night of the new moon, I’m nervous and excited all at the same time. I haven’t seen the circus set up, and I want to see how it transforms so quickly, so I sit on a picnic table, staring at the pathetic tents. It smells like rain.

  The sun is an angry red color, and smoke is in the air. There must be a fire somewhere, and the few clouds in the sky are darker than they should be at this point.

  As the sun begins its slow descent behind the trees, I can hardly believe my eyes. The circus tents brighten and straighten all on their own. Then, a few more pop up in empty spaces. The lights gradually come on, and the smells of corn dogs and cotton candy fill the air.

  Then, all at once, a bright light flashes, and people appear as if they’d been there the whole time. A couple in front of the tent kiss, and a woman in a clown costume rushes down a path. Another man calls out to her, and she ignores him. It is as if they were already there.

  Electricity crackles in the air, and I lose my breath. When I get home, Dad and I will hunt down a logical reason for all of this. It’s definitely a hallucination or an amazing illusion. There is some sort of reason for this that doesn’t involve magic or voodoo kings.