Freaky Fangs Page 2

  With those words, he was gone and I was left to stare at what was left of the mangled truck.

  “Is anyone alive down there?” Kade asked, his hand automatically moving to my back.

  “I don’t know.” The feeling of dread that had overtaken me as we drove grew. “I just don’t know.”

  2

  Two

  It took the state troopers longer than I would’ve liked to arrive. Kade and Luke had to stop me three times from trying to climb down the embankment. Finally, Cole pointed toward the jagged rocks and asked if I wanted to split my head open. I didn’t like his methods, but it was a convincing argument.

  It didn’t matter. Everyone in the truck was dead.

  I didn’t even get their names. The troopers weren’t keen to share information. All they would say is that it looked as if the truck had somehow gone off the road in the middle of the night — perhaps because the driver fell asleep — and they would take over now. They thanked us for being conscientious drivers and sent us on our way.

  That was it.

  There were no insightful questions or even accusatory stares.

  There was simply … nothing.

  I was annoyed at the brushoff, especially since something about the scene bothered me. It was with great reluctance that I climbed into Kade’s truck as the heavy machinery to pull the wrecked vehicle back to the road arrived. Both of us were subdued after that, our argument long forgotten.

  Thirty minutes later, we arrived at the fairgrounds that would serve as our home for the next week. The rest of our group was already there. They’d seen us pulled over at the side of the road when they passed. Given the law enforcement presence, they didn’t stop. That was probably wise.

  “What was it?” Nelson “Nellie” Adler was excited as he approached us. He wore a floral dress that showed off his hairy shoulders, pairing it with a set of combat boots that didn’t match the overall theme. He didn’t care. Honestly, he never cared. He went his own way on fashion and we were fine with it.

  “A wreck,” Luke replied as I continued to pout. “I heard one of the troopers talking even though he was trying to keep it quiet. He said it was a family, at least four people.”

  “Were they dead?”

  Luke nodded. “Yeah. It’s sad, but at least Poet found them so they weren’t down there a long time. The troopers said it likely happened last night. I still don’t understand how you knew to look.” His eyes landed on me. “I understand if they were alive and you sensed one of them in pain, but they were all gone. I’m guessing they went instantly given the incline and what was left of the vehicle.”

  “I don’t know what caused me to stop,” I admitted as I accepted the metal chair Kade handed me. He had been largely silent since the incident and was now unloading the back of his truck. We were getting a later start on the unpacking than normal, so we needed to get everything unloaded and then start on dinner. Darkness would fall faster than any of us were prepared to deal with. “I just sensed something.”

  “Well, it’s good you did.” Nellie shot me a sympathetic smile. There were times I thought he could read me better than most, but there were other times I wondered if he knew me at all. “At least now any family they have won’t be stuck wondering what happened to them. Given the way that road was set up, it could’ve been months before anyone found them.”

  “Weeks anyway,” Cole agreed, moving to my side and accepting the bistro table Kade handed him. He was the type who pitched in right away and didn’t have to be told what to do. That was a plus on his side, but I was still leery of him. “Once hunting season hits, it’s likely someone would’ve found the vehicle. But it’s definitely better that it happened this way.”

  I wasn’t so sure. The family being dead had been a blow. I wanted to save at least one of them, but that could’ve been my hero complex. Given the fact that we fought monsters on a weekly basis, we all suffered from the same mental malady. We wanted to help people and save the day. It was something I couldn’t shake.

  “It’s sad,” I said finally. “I don’t understand how they ended up down there. I mean ... did anyone see any tracks?”

  Cole’s gaze was thoughtful as he slid his eyes to me. “You noticed that, too? I couldn’t figure out why you guys were pulling over. Tracks would’ve caused me to do the same, but I keep forgetting that you’re a powerful seer. The echo of what happened called you.

  “Once we realized what we were looking at, I searched for tracks because I assumed they had to be there, perhaps only hidden. Couldn’t find any,” he continued. “I’m not even sure which direction they were coming from to end up at that angle.”

  “Maybe they somehow careened over the bridge and never hit the brakes,” Kade suggested. He’d finished emptying the back of the truck and was climbing down. “If the driver was asleep, it’s possible he never woke up.”

  “I guess.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m just feeling unsettled. I would’ve preferred being able to save someone. I know that’s not always possible, but ... I just would’ve felt better if one life was saved.”

  “That’s because you’re my little hero.” Kade slung his arm around my neck and kissed my temple. “You can’t let this bother you, baby. You did the best you could. Expecting more from yourself is unreasonable.”

  He had a point, but I was still bothered. “Yeah, well ... .” I pursed my lips and glanced at the setting sun. “I hate to do this to you, but I need to start dinner with the others. Can you put all this away without me?”

  Kade arched an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of work.”

  “Yes, but you’ll starve if I don’t start dinner.”

  He looked caught. We were very food-oriented. Mealtimes were a big deal at Mystic Caravan, and Luke and Kade were two of our hungriest members. “Fine.” He blew out a sigh. “I’ll expect a massage tonight for my sore muscles. You’ve been warned.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Maybe I’ll want a massage. Have you ever considered that?”

  “Yes, but it’s my turn.” He gave me a quick kiss, taking a moment to hold my chin and stare into my eyes. He seemed to be searching for something.

  “I’m fine,” I reassured him, wrapping my fingers around his wrist. “I would be lying if I said that I’m not upset about the accident. But you’re right. There was nothing we could do. I’ll get over it.”

  “You’d better.” He flashed a smile and then turned to the mountain of furniture that needed to be distributed. “My back already hurts.”

  Cole chuckled as he moved to join him. “I’ll help. Just point where everything goes.”

  Kade looked uncertain. “Are you sure? This is your vacation. You don’t want to spend all your time working.”

  “I don’t mind. I’m curious about how the circus runs. I’ve learned a little bit, but it’s a fascinating operation. You can pay me back by telling me how things run from a security standpoint.”

  “No problem. Let’s do this.”

  RAVEN MARKO, OUR RESIDENT LAMIA, was already shucking corn when I joined her in the area that had been designated as the kitchen. We’re careful when setting up the circus, essentially creating a huge square with rows of trailers on the outskirts. There, our people self-segregate into groups.

  Our group, which consists of the performers and security, takes the side closest to the parking lot for obvious reasons. We like to be in control and watch for invaders. The clowns take another wall, while the midway workers take up the third. We keep empty animal tents between the clowns and the midway. We have animals performing in our shows but they’re shifters, so it only has to look as if we’re transporting animals. Keeping the animal tents at the very back cuts down on looky-loos. The magical wards also help, but we’re diligent that no one gets back in that area. The final wall is made up of “others.” We’re talking janitors, ticket sellers and other menial jobs. We’re extremely cliquey.

  The only exception is Raven’s boyfriend, Percival Prentiss. He’s a clown who utilizes
a fake British accent. He stays in her trailer. I’ve never understood what she sees in him, but they seem to be quite tight. That means Raven isn’t sniffing around Kade, so I’m happy to put up with Percival and the wacky things he says.

  “It’s too bad about the accident,” Raven noted as I started unpacking the burgers we’d made and put on ice the previous evening. When you move as much as we do, meals become an adventure. We were used to it, though, and there was no argument about who did what.

  “Yeah.” I took a moment to glance over my shoulder and make sure nobody was eavesdropping before continuing. “Something called to me down there. It wasn’t a voice or anything, but I definitely sensed something.”

  “You have strong mind skills,” Raven mused, her fingers deft as she stripped the corn husks. “It’s possible you heard an echo of the accident and that’s what caused you to pull over.”

  I frowned. “That’s what Cole said.”

  “The elemental?” Raven hiked an eyebrow and shifted her odd gray eyes to the man in question. “I find him … interesting. I haven’t spent time with elementals in more than a hundred years, so it almost feels like a new experience. They’ve always been a mixed bag.”

  “What do you make of him?”

  She shrugged, noncommittal. “I don’t really know what to think of him,” she admitted. “He seems nice enough. I like that he’s been keeping Luke busy, which is a full-time job. He seems smart and he doesn’t freak out over little things. I guess I like him, but it’s a little soon for a final judgment.”

  That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I thought if anyone was willing to embrace my irrational dislike of Cole, it would be Raven. “That’s good,” I lied. “I want Luke to be happy, and Cole seems to make him happy.”

  “And keep him quiet. That’s the important thing. In fact ... ,” Raven trailed off as a familiar shadow covered her workstation. There was a grimace on her face when she lifted her eyes and focused on the oily midway manager, Mark Lane. He was a conman of the highest order, but he brought in a great deal of money for the circus. He was something of a necessary evil, but several of us were poised to take out the evil if he decided to cross one too many lines. “What do you want?”

  It was unusual for Mark to venture to our part of the fairgrounds. If he was here, he had something on his mind. That didn’t mean he was willing to forego an argument with Raven now that the opportunity had arisen.

  “Oh, you say the sweetest things,” he drawled, offering up a leering wink for Raven’s benefit. “You really must stop with the fake hostility. I know darned well that you’re only using hate to obscure love.”

  Raven and I snorted in unison.

  “The only thing I love about you is when you leave,” Raven shot back. “I’ll repeat the question because it’s possible all that smarm clogged your ear canals: What do you want?”

  “I’m not here for you,” Mark replied, his eyes shifting to me. “I’m here for the boss.”

  I was afraid of that. “I don’t really have time for you either, Mark,” I replied. “Maybe you could make an appointment for later in the week. Or, better yet, why not make an appointment with Max? He’s the one really in charge, so it makes sense he should be your liaison.”

  “Oh, don’t be daft.” Mark’s gaze turned dark. “We both know that Max is only along for the ride. He might pitch in for the occasional fight with you guys — and, no, I don’t want to know what it is you do when you go creeping around in the middle of the night — but you’re the one who handles day-to-day operations. That’s why I came to you. Stop dillydallying.”

  I pursed my lips, amused. He was obviously upset. I hated him on a basic level, so I was always happy when he was unhappy. “Fine. What do you want?”

  “I want to know how long the cop is going to be hanging around with us.”

  It was the one statement I wasn’t expecting. “What do you mean?”

  “The cop.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of Cole, who was helping Kade arrange the small bistro set outside the trailer we shared. “I want to know how long he’s going to be part of the gang.”

  “Why?” Raven challenged. “Are you worried he’ll arrest you?”

  “Actually, yes. Believe it or not, cops don’t like me. They always think I’m up to something shady.”

  “No,” Raven and I deadpanned at the same time.

  “I can’t believe it,” I added. “Who would think you’re up to something shady? That’s just preposterous.”

  “Keep it up,” Mark warned. “We both know I’m the one who brings in the bulk of the money in this operation. That means I’m more important than you.”

  “Keep thinking that,” I countered. “As for Cole, he’s here as long as he wants to be here. He and Luke are ... hanging out.” As much as I wanted to dislike Cole, there was no way I would ever take Mark’s side. I was hazy on Cole’s motivations. I knew exactly what sort of person Mark was. There was no way I would ever publicly — or privately, for that matter — agree with him.

  “I’m serious.” Mark lowered his voice until it was barely a hiss. “Having a cop hanging around is bad for us. You guys are always doing loopy stuff. What if he sees?”

  “He already knows.” I smirked at the look of surprise on Mark’s face. “In fact, not only does he know, he’s one of us. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “He’s one of you?” Mark furrowed his brow ... and then realization dawned. “Oh.”

  “You don’t need to worry about him,” I repeated, even though I’d been worried about the man — for entirely different reasons — for the better part of two weeks. “He won’t care about whatever scam you’re running. You’d just better make sure it doesn’t have a negative impact on the circus. If it does, I’ll be the one digging into your business, and it won’t be pretty.”

  Mark took a moment to absorb the news and then straightened his shoulders. “As long as you have things under control, that’s fine.”

  I glared at his back as he stomped off. “I really hate that guy.”

  “Join the club.” Raven looked amused when I glanced at her. “He is fun to mess with, though.”

  “Definitely.”

  DINNER WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND the only thing we had left to complete as the sun set was erecting the dreamcatcher. Essentially we were a circus by day and a monster-hunting squad by night. The dreamcatcher was something we’d perfected together. Raven, the two pixie twins, Naida and Nixie, and I worked together to weave a tapestry of magic. It called to evil creatures — both human and non-human — and alerted if anything crossed our boundaries. It was a security system of sorts, and none of us could sleep until the lines were firmly drawn and placed.

  “Dinner was good,” Kade offered as he joined me on my corner of the fairgrounds. “Thank you for being such a great provider.”

  He was trying to feel me out, see if I was still angry about the earlier argument. I wasn’t. I was keen to make sure things were okay.

  “Thanks.” I held up my glowing hands and modulated my magic. “I’m sorry about before.”

  His smile was rueful. “That was going to be my line.”

  “I don’t like it when we argue.”

  “I think we can both agree on that. The thing is, we’re always going to argue. That’s simply the sort of people we are. We’re also the sort of people who like to make up — which is exactly what I want to do as soon as we’re finished here.”

  I laughed at his earnest expression. “I thought you wanted a massage.”

  “I think we can fit in both. In fact, one might lead to the other.”

  I saw that coming. “I think we can make it happen,” I agreed, the sound of laughter drawing my attention to trailer row, where Luke and Cole sat at the bistro table sharing beers and having a good time. “They seem happy.” I hadn’t meant to utter the observation out loud.

  “They do,” Kade agreed. “I think maybe they’re going to figure out a way to keep this going after Cole’
s vacation. I don’t know how, but ... I really like him.”

  I searched Kade’s face for a hint of guile and came up empty. He was telling the truth. “I’m trying to like him.”

  Kade snickered. “No, you’re not. You’re having some sort of territorial thing over Luke. It doesn’t matter. He’s a genuinely nice guy and he’ll win you over before it’s all said and done.”

  “You sound pretty sure of yourself.”

  “I am sure of myself.”

  That’s another thing I was afraid of. Kade was a good judge of character. If he liked Cole it might actually mean I was the one at fault for the wall that had been erected between us. I didn’t want to consider that possibility.

  “Let’s not talk about that tonight, okay? Let’s just focus on each other.”

  “That’s how I think we should spend every night.” He chuckled as he swooped in and kissed me, ignoring the fact that I was still working on the dreamcatcher. When he pulled back, he was still smiling. “I really do love you.”

  The naked sentiment in his eyes was enough to make me warm all over. I was about to respond when the hair on the back of my neck started going stiff and alert. I kept my hands up, the dreamcatcher magic flowing through me, and peered into the darkness at my back.

  “What is it?” Kade was instantly alert. He’d been around me long enough to know when I sensed something.

  “I don’t know.” The trees at the far side of the field were thick. I saw no movement, no illuminated eyes suggesting animals had come to see what was going on. I saw nothing. I felt darkness, though, and it left me unsettled. “I feel as if someone is watching me.”

  Kade peered into the darkness, frowning. “Should we check it out?”

  That was the question. Ultimately, I shook my head. “It could be kids drawn to the area by the vehicles. Maybe they party in this field.”

  “Could be. Could be something worse.”

  “If it is, the dreamcatcher will draw it in and we’ll handle it that way. It’s best to let the magic do what we created it to do. There’s no reason to go on a hunt ... at least not yet.”