Freaky Reapers (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 8)

by Amanda M. Lee

  His lips curved mischievously. “Who doesn’t love talking about me and eating s’mores?”

  No one I wanted to associate with.

  IT WAS ALMOST TEN BEFORE WE decided to call it a night. Nellie and Dolph doused the fire as the members of our group dispersed to their trailers. Raven and Percival were the first to retire, but since everyone recognized they were obviously going to play weird clown-and-chaps games, no one said anything when they departed.

  As for the rest of us, we would need to start early to get everything done. That meant a late night was a bad idea. No one put up a fuss, so it was obvious they agreed. Kade and I were the last standing as we double-checked to make sure the fire was out and slowly walked to our trailer.

  “Are you still haunted?” he asked, his voice low.

  I shrugged, unsure what answer he sought. It was entirely possible that he was trying to be romantic and wanted me to say yes so we could play our own set of games once inside our trailer. Or, he could be genuinely concerned. I was tired enough that I was having trouble deciphering his reaction.

  And then it didn’t matter.

  A scream so bloodcurdling it caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end tore through the night, causing me to snap my eyes toward the cemetery.

  “What was that?” Kade asked, readjusting his stance. He looked ready for action … and yet dubious all the same. “Do you think they’re trying to coax us away from the safety of the dreamcatcher so they can attack us?”

  He was overthinking it. I couldn’t really blame him. This wasn’t the sort of environment he was used to, and keeping everyone safe was his responsibility.

  “I think it’s someone in the cemetery.” I moved closer to the property line and peered into the gloom. Unbidden, an image of Tawny floated through my mind. What if she was the one in trouble? What if she really had been there and didn’t disappear of her own volition? “We need to go over there.”

  Kade didn’t offer up a word of argument. He once told me that he trusted my instincts above all else and didn’t think they would lead us astray. True, at the time he’d been trying to romance me and we were saying schmaltzy things to one another to see how much we could make the other laugh. Still, the statement felt true then … and he was continuously ready to prove it.

  “Okay. Stick close to me. I don’t want us getting separated.”

  I couldn’t agree more.

  Traffic was practically nonexistent this late at night, so it wasn’t difficult to jog across the road. The men who had been holding court earlier were gone, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were responsible for whatever was happening beyond Eternal Sunshine’s fences.

  There were five of them. I’d counted earlier. Kade and I would have no problem taking five of them. Er, well, at least if they weren’t paranormal. If they had gifts, it might be more difficult. As the son of a half-mage, Kade was still growing into his powers. He wasn’t comfortable using them most of the time and insisted he needed more practice. I thought the best way to practice was throwing him into the middle of a battle to see how he reacted.

  He respectfully disagreed.

  We were flying high on love and gooeyness these days, so we didn’t push things too far.

  “Which way do you think?” Kade’s eyes scanned left to right once we were beyond the wall. It was dark, but the location of the cemetery – so close to busy areas – meant there was a decent amount of ambient light.

  Slowly, I raised my finger and pointed to the right. “I think it’s that way.”

  As if to prove me correct, another scream ripped the air, this one much closer.

  “You stick close to me,” Kade repeated, breaking into a jog. “There’s something off about this situation.”

  He wasn’t wrong. Screams in the middle of a cemetery rarely led to good news.

  I sensed a presence before I saw it. When we crested a hill, we found ourselves surrounded by old mausoleums. This part of the graveyard reminded me more of a New Orleans cemetery. It was clear the graves here belonged to wealthier individuals.

  “Where … ?” I didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence. Another scream assailed my ears, causing me to look to the right.

  A woman in a white dress – no, seriously – raced through the cemetery. She had long black hair and unnaturally pale skin. Her eyes were dark, almost onyx, and she wailed as she tried to evade the man following her.

  Kade instinctively moved to help her, his features ashen, but I grabbed his arm before he could intercede. I understood what was going down … and it wasn’t good. It was, however, necessary.

  “Don’t.”

  Kade widened his eyes as he looked at me. “He’s going to kill her. He’s carrying a freaking sword.”

  I hadn’t missed the sword. On the contrary, it was one of the first things I’d seen. “Of course he’s carrying a sword,” I replied dryly. “That’s one of the only ways to kill her.”

  “What?” Kade’s eyebrows practically flew off his forehead. “You’re just going to sit back and let him kill her?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  It didn’t take the man long to back the woman into a corner. His dark hair gleamed under the moonlight and his eyes – which seemed an odd purple color – were harsh and pitiless as he stared down the woman.

  “You shouldn’t have stayed after you killed him,” the man intoned. His smirk told me he was enjoying himself, which set my teeth on edge. “You were greedy and wanted the soul. You should’ve run. Your kind isn’t known for its intelligence, is it?”

  “What does he mean?” Kade queried. “What is she?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but the man picked that moment to attack. He swiped in a broad arc the blade of the sword – which looked to be genuine silver – cutting through the woman’s chest and causing her to let loose an unearthly scream. It sounded as if a coven of witches were about to be burned.

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t do anything?” Kade wasn’t the sort to stand on the sidelines and do nothing when a woman was being slaughtered. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides as he watched the man rear back. “This is it.”

  I pressed my hand to his back to reassure him. “She’s not human.”

  Despite the woman’s best efforts, she couldn’t hold off the flurry of sword slashes. The man overpowered her within seconds and for the coup de grace severed her head with a flourish.

  “Oh, geez,” Kade muttered.

  Instead of her body dropping to the ground, glittering dust filled the air as the creature emitted one final anguished scream – even as her head detached – before ceasing to be.

  Absolute silence filled the cemetery after that. Kade was the first to recover.

  His mouth dropped open and his breathing turned into gasps. “What was that? Was that a vampire? Vampires turn into dust, right?”

  It was the same series of questions he’d asked before, although I hadn’t answered then. Not really. “It wasn’t a vampire.” I focused on the man, who didn’t appear bothered in the least to catch us watching him. “Who are you?”

  His grin was cheeky. “Who are you? Wait, don’t tell me. Are you a stripper? You’ve kind of got that look about you.”

  Kade was recovered enough to take offense at the remark. “She is not a stripper … and don’t you look at her that way.” He extended a warning finger, which the man seemed to accept with a good-natured shrug.

  “It doesn’t matter who I am,” he replied, returning my gaze. He looked as if he wanted to ask a question, as if he had suspicions of his own, but he clearly thought better of pressing me. “I should probably be going. All that screaming is going to draw a crowd.”

  “You can’t just leave without telling us who you are,” Kade argued, planting his hands on his hips. “I want to know what that thing was.”

  “A banshee,” I answered automatically, unfurling my magic and stretching it toward the stranger’s head. It wasn’t difficult to get
inside. He was supernatural, but not magically powerful. His mind was open … and apparently he thought about sex and food nonstop. “Did you really have Mexican and ice cream for dinner?” I blurted out the question before I thought better of it. “I mean … that’s a weird combination.”

  The man cocked an eyebrow. “How could you possibly know that?”

  I didn’t have an answer for him. “If you’re not sharing information, we’re certainly not.”

  “That’s a shame.” He looked me up and down, his grin widening. “You look interesting. You’re a little dressed down for my normal taste but I’m willing to make an exception.”

  “She’s already spoken for,” Kade snapped, his arm snaking around my waist as he puffed out his chest. “Don’t look at her that way.”

  Under different circumstances I would’ve laughed, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d just witnessed something important. I wanted to know more about it. “Do you have many banshees around here? I thought they were more of a West Coast thing.”

  “They’ve been popping up,” the man replied, frowning when he looked in the direction we’d come from. “Uh-oh.”

  I looked over my shoulder, my heart sinking when the familiar blue and red flash of police lights brightened the night air. “They must have heard the scream.”

  “I’m guessing that’s the case,” the man agreed. “We should run. They’ll never catch us.”

  That sounded like a horrible idea. “We’re staying at the fairgrounds across the road. It won’t be hard for them to catch us.”

  He didn’t look sympathetic. “I believe that falls under ‘your problem’ on the list of things I don’t care about.”

  He was a smug pain in the ass. “If you run, I’ll describe you and say you were chasing a woman around the cemetery with a sword. They’ll check cameras for you.”

  He sighed. “I can’t believe you’re a tattletale. You’re way too hot to be a tattletale.”

  “Try me.”

  He frowned, and then crossed his arms over his chest and jutted out his lower lip. His distaste for what was happening was obvious, but he must have read the stubborn tilt of my head correctly because he wisely refrained from fleeing.

  “You remind me of my sister,” he said after a moment.

  “She must be fantastic,” I drawled.

  “I guess it all depends on the direction you’re coming from. What are you going to say to the cops, by the way? I need to know which lie to spin.”

  I shook my head. “Just shut up and let me do the talking. I’ve got everything under control.”

  “Yup. That’s something my sister would say.”

  I kind of wanted to meet his sister.

  THE COPS SEEMED confused by my explanation of what had happened.

  “I’m sorry. My boyfriend and I were looking through the cemetery – the mausoleums are so pretty I couldn’t resist – and I accidentally tripped and screamed. He had to catch me so I didn’t bash my head in on one of the benches.”

  The uniformed officer closest to me blinked several times. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it,” I confirmed. “We’re staying at the fairgrounds across the way. I’m Poet Parker. I’m second in command at Mystic Caravan Circus.”

  “Ma’am.” The uniform tipped his hat and then looked to his partner.

  That allowed me to focus on the stranger, who gave me a silent hand clap and a smug smile when nobody was looking in his direction. I couldn’t wait to get him alone and wipe that smile off his face.

  “You should be careful,” the uniform said finally. “A cemetery isn’t the place to play games … even if they’re romantic games.” His eyes were on Kade when he said the words, causing me to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

  “You have my word,” Kade reassured him. “We won’t play games here again.”

  “That’s all I ask.” The officers turned to leave but pulled up short when another man joined the group. This one was dressed in jeans and a simple black shirt … and he looked tired more than entertained.

  “What’s going on here?” the new man asked.

  “Detective Taylor, we didn’t know you were coming.” The two uniformed officers exchanged looks and then gestured toward us. “They were running around and making noise. We warned them to quiet down.”

  I kept my expression neutral as I caught the detective’s gaze. “We’re very sorry.”

  Instead of focusing on me, he turned his attention to the black-haired stranger. “I’ll take it from here, guys. Thanks for being so diligent and keeping the cemetery safe.”

  “No problem, sir.”

  The four of us remained silent as the two uniformed officers vacated the premises. Finally, the detective spoke.

  “What are you doing here, Redmond? Wait … I don’t want to know.” He held up his hand. “You’re supposed to be home helping your sister with the baby. You’re not supposed to be gallivanting about.”

  I was caught off guard. “Wait … you two know each other?”

  The man referred to as Redmond looked sheepish. “He’s my brother-in-law.”

  “Griffin Taylor.” The detective extended his hand. “And you are?”

  I introduced myself – and Kade – and then fixed my full attention on Redmond. “No wonder you weren’t worried about taking out a banshee in front of witnesses. You have a protector in the Detroit Police Department.”

  Redmond shrugged. “It pays to know people in high places. As for my sister, I’m heading back now. Cillian stepped in to take my shift in the baby rotation. You don’t have to worry about Aisling. She’s well taken care of … and that baby is already spoiled rotten.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Griffin muttered, shaking his head. “Either way, you need to be more careful next time, Redmond. Luckily it sounds as if Ms. Parker here covered for you. Yeah, I heard her story as I was coming down the hill. Next time you might not have it so easy.”

  Redmond brushed off the warning and winked at me. “I have to get going. I really am supposed to take care of my sister. She just had a baby and she melts down all the time. I’m a saint for helping her. Women like saints, so … I figure you’re probably already halfway in love with me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”

  “If you play your cards right, you could think a lot about me, too.”

  “I think I’ll pass.”

  He held my gaze for a long moment and then shrugged. “Fair enough. I should get going.” He clapped Griffin on the shoulder before skirting around him. “As for you, Ms. Poet, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it.”

  “Oh, never say never.”

  4

  Four

  Griffin stared at us for a few moments and then shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to you,” he said finally.

  “You don’t have to say anything,” I offered. “I get it. Your brother-in-law is a monster hunter and you cover for him.”

  Griffin shrugged. “Something like that. I need to head out. I’m working the late shift so I don’t have to the rest of the week. If I’m too late, my wife will melt down.”

  “Is your wife like her brother?” Kade asked pointedly.

  Griffin chuckled. “Sometimes. More often than not, she’s her own brand of terror. As for what you saw, well, I’m not sure what’s going on with you guys. You seem nice enough. You’re not screaming about paranormal creatures and the end times. I’m guessing that means you understand what was happening, and probably better than I do.”

  That was only half true. “We know enough.”

  “That’s good, because I couldn’t expand your knowledge base anyway. The only reason I bothered to come out here is because I’m familiar with the cemetery and figured it was possible whoever was creating the disturbance I heard about on the radio was now a member of my family.”

  He didn’t appear bothered by the admissio
n, which I found interesting. “We’re fine. Don’t worry about us.”

  “That’s great.” He flashed a weary smile and then turned to leave. “I wouldn’t hang around here at night,” he called back. “Weird things tend to happen in this place after dark.”

  He sounded as if he was talking from experience. “We’re leaving.” I cast one final glance over my shoulder and then slipped my hand into Kade’s for the trip across the road. “Just out of curiosity, what sorts of things happen here?”

  “Things that are best not talked about in mixed company,” Griffin replied. “You said you’re staying across the road, the fairgrounds? Why are you staying there?” He slowed his pace.

  “We’re with the circus,” I replied automatically. “We’re setting up for the festival at the end of the week. It’s supposed to be some big thing.”

  “Yeah. They’re trying to revitalize Detroit. To do that they have to draw people to the city. Most of the locals spend their time in the suburbs because they figure it’s safer and there’s more to do.”

  “I used to live here. I know how that goes.” The admission slipped out before I realized I was going to say it.

  Griffin arched an eyebrow, surprised. “You lived here? In Detroit?”

  “I grew up in the suburbs and then spent a bit of time in the city when I was a teenager,” I said. There really was no reason to tell him the story of my teenage woes. “After that, I joined the circus and have been traveling ever since. We’ve stopped in the city a few times since I joined up with the troupe, but … I haven’t really been in this area for a very long time.”

  “What’s a long time?”

  “Twelve years.”

  “Well, then you might be in for a surprise. A good one, I mean. The city is seeing a lot of growth. Young professionals are moving into lofts in the downtown area because it’s hip and trendy now. Unlike before, all the sports teams are housed in the city now.”