mystic caravan mystery 02 - freaky lies (13 page)

“Arf!” Kade barked out the short taunt as he passed behind Luke, grinning as my best friend scorched him with a dark look. “See, that’s funny because you’re really a … .”

“Hound dog when it comes to women,” I interjected hurriedly, cutting Kade off before he could mention Luke’s shifter ways.

Kade’s forehead crinkled as confusion washed over him. “What?”

I nodded my chin to the spot over his shoulder, gesturing toward Percival as he chatted up an obviously enamored Nixie. He was far enough away that I didn’t think he could overhear our discussion but close enough that I didn’t want to risk it.

“We need to deal with that situation,” Kade said, lowering his voice. “We’re either going to have to tell him the truth or cut him loose.”

“We haven’t even seen him work yet,” Luke pointed out. “We can’t tell him the truth if he’s a dud. We don’t want to hire him, tell him we’re magical monster hunters, realize he sucks and then fire him. That’s opening us up for discovery if he has a big mouth – which he obviously does because he won’t stop talking about himself.”

“Oh, you’re so wise,” Kade deadpanned.

Luke turned his wide eyes to me. “Tell him I’m right.”

I did not want to be a part of this conversation. “We’ll watch Percival over the weekend shows and make our decision.”

Luke puffed out his chest. “See. I’m right.”

“That’s not what she said,” Kade shot back. “Stop putting words in her mouth.”

“Poet!” Luke’s voice was shrill. “Tell him I’m right.”

See, this is what sucks about having a male best friend. When you finally get a new boyfriend after a long drought – don’t ever tell Luke I owned up to the drought – you’re forced to choose between them because their egos won’t have it any other way. Luke might be gay. That doesn’t mean he isn’t over-laden with testosterone – or doesn’t fancy himself in competition with Kade – so I had no choice but to intervene.

“Did you hear that?” What? I’m bad with confrontation when it comes to people I care about. Sue me.

“Oh, I’m not letting you get away with that,” Luke snapped. “You tell him I’m right – and that I smell like a dream – or I won’t be your best friend ever again.”

We both knew that was an empty threat. “No, I’m serious,” I said, scanning the pathways of the rapidly growing circus. Our workers know how to get things done. In two hours everything should be erected. In five hours everything should be put away. In eight hours the carnival would open the midway for a short preview before the next day’s full operation gets into swing. “I swear I hear something.”

I didn’t hear anything. I was desperate for some crisis – real or manufactured – to get me out of this conversation, though. I didn’t want to be put in a position to choose between Kade and Luke. My stomach flipped just thinking about it.

“You don’t hear anything,” Luke scoffed. “You’re just trying to avoid an argument. Tell him I’m right or … .”

I had no idea what threat he was about to unleash but I wasn’t worried in the least he would end our friendship. He loved me as much as I loved him. Some things are forever.

“Tell him I’m right or I’ll show him those photos I took of you in the cheerleader costume,” Luke said, an evil grin washing over his features as my heart sank.

And some things are better left forgotten. Crud on toast!

“W-what?” I’d forgotten about those photographs. Okay, that’s not exactly true. I didn’t forget about them. I tried to forget about them. When that didn’t work – and multiple searches of Luke’s trailer didn’t turn up the incriminating evidence – I forced the photographs out of my mind.

Everyone has a low point when drinking, a rock bottom, if you will. That’s when the fun stories switch from “I laughed so hard” to “I will never live down the shame.” The cheerleading photographs are my moment of shame.

“What’s he talking about?” Kade asked, intrigued. “What photographs?”

I licked my lips as I ignored Kade’s question and focused on Luke. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Luke arched a challenging eyebrow. “Wouldn’t I?”

He would. Crap! “You promised me you would never show those photographs to anyone,” I reminded him. “You … swore an oath.” That was laying it on a little thick, but I was desperate.

“Well, now I must see these photos,” Kade said, pursing his lips as he glanced at Luke. His mind was clearly busy. “I concede you’re right and agree to wait on the Percival situation.”

I was flabbergasted. How could he give in that easily? “What?”

Kade held his hand up to silence me. “In return, I need to see these photos you’re holding over her head. They’ve got to be good.”

Luke’s impish grin caused my heart to sink. “I’m sure we can work something out. Thank you for admitting you were wrong, though. More importantly, thank you for admitting I was right.”

I expected Kade to balk at Luke’s words. He was too distracted by the thought of the photos to even notice Luke’s swelling ego. “Where are the photos?”

I was about to lose my infamous cool if I wasn’t careful. “Luke, you promised me … .” That sounded a lot less whiny in my head.

“And you promised me help finding a man, and that you would always be on my side,” Luke countered, clearly enjoying his position of power. “I think you need a lesson in being a good friend.”

“Luke!”

Kade slung an arm over Luke’s shoulders, almost as if they were best friends. “I cannot wait to see these photos!”

I’d lost. I could feel it. “I … .” Whatever argument I was about to mount died on my lips as a shrill yell filled the morning air, causing everyone’s heads to snap in the direction of the midway.

“Did the dreamcatcher go off?” Kade asked, confused as he glanced around. “I didn’t hear it.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I … .”

The yell returned, louder this time.

“That’s Raven,” I said, pushing past Luke and breaking into a run. “She’s in trouble!”

12

Twelve

B
y the time I reached the House of Mirrors I realized Raven wasn’t screaming as much as yelling. I slowed my pace as I went through the open door, pulling up short when I saw Raven standing in the center of the room. Her silver hair was swept back in a simple ponytail – which meant she was in work mode rather than gearing up for a seduction – and she looked annoyed.

“What’s going on?” Kade asked, brushing past me as he moved to Raven’s side. “What are you screeching about?”

Raven generally put on a show for Kade’s benefit. Quite frankly, she often puts on a show for any man’s benefit. She didn’t look as if she was in the mood to perform now. “Good morning to you, too,” she drawled, her voice positively dripping with sarcasm. “By the way, I don’t screech.”

“Then you were doing a delightful impression of a screech owl in the hopes of adding it to your repertoire,” Luke said dryly as he moved to Kade’s side. “What were you yelling about?”

Raven rolled her eyes until they landed on me. “Men are … annoying.”

She wasn’t wrong, especially when referring to these men. I was beyond annoyed with both of them. “What happened?”

Raven didn’t immediately answer. “I don’t screech.”

I collected on my limited patience and reminded myself that Raven’s high-pitched wail – that’s not a screech, mind you – saved me from having to explain about the cheerleader costume and the unfortunate photographs. I was happy with her histrionics – at least for the time being. “You don’t screech,” I agreed. “You yelled, though, and given what’s been going on … .”

Raven made a face that would’ve been comical under different circumstances. “Why do you think I yelled? It certainly wasn’t for my health. I swear I’m surrounded by morons.”

I wasn’t sure how much more I could take this morning. “Raven, would you like to share what’s going on with the class? If not, I can leave you here with Luke and Kade to debate the difference between screeching and yelling. I have work to do.”

“And I have photographs to see,” Kade said, my stomach churning as he winked. There was no way he would forget Luke’s threat now. I wasn’t that lucky. “Why were you … calling out … to the Mystic Caravan masses?”

“Oh, that was a nice way to phrase it,” Luke said, his eyes twinkling. I will never understand men. One minute they’re fighting for alpha supremacy and the next they’re buddies without a care in the world. How does that even happen?

“Look in there,” Raven said, pointing toward the adjacent room. “I just came in to get things settled for tonight and found … that.”

I didn’t like her tone as I pushed between Kade and Luke and walked in the direction she indicated. I sucked in a breath when I glanced inside, frowning at the shattered glass littering the floor. It was everywhere. “What the hell?”

Kade moved in on my right, his eyebrows knitting as he took in the destruction. Three mirrors were smashed, shards of glass strewn in every direction. Even more disturbing was the discarded cornhusks tossed on top of the splinters. It was almost as if someone was decorating a Halloween display rather than destroying a circus attraction. “Who did this?”

“Ugh.” Raven made a disgusted sound. “Would I have yelled for help if I knew who did it? Of course not. I would’ve sought revenge on my own. I wouldn’t have called for you. Good grief.”

“Hey, I’m trying to help,” Kade snapped. “There’s no need to be a pain in the ass.”

Raven had the good sense to look abashed. “I’m sorry,” she said, adopting the pleasing tone I was used to hearing when a man was in her general vicinity. “I’m out of sorts. It’s a busy day and … this is my attraction. I’m understandably shaken.”

Luke and I snorted in unison as Kade’s expression softened.

“It’s okay,” Kade said. “I understand you’re worked up.” He’s such an easy mark. He hadn’t spent enough time with circus folk yet to know when they were shining him on.

“She is so transparent,” I muttered, causing Luke to offer me a sympathetic hand squeeze.

“I heard that,” Raven hissed, narrowing her eyes.

I ignored her and knelt down, resting my fingertips on one of the glass shards. It was cool to the touch, the edge jagged, but it didn’t emit any malevolent energy. “I don’t understand how this happened.”

“Oh, gee, someone alert the media,” Raven deadpanned. “Poet doesn’t understand something. Someone call
Ripley’s Believe it or Not
. This is surely a watershed moment. Someone snuck in here and broke my mirrors. What’s to understand?”

I fought the urge to pull her hair, and remained focused on the glass. “That’s not what I meant, you whore,” I seethed. Okay, maybe I wasn’t that focused. “How did someone get in here without tripping the dreamcatcher?”

“Don’t call me a whore!”

“All right, that will be enough of that,” Kade said, stepping between us and extending a hand to keep Raven from attacking. “We shouldn’t turn on each other. We’re a unit. We’re in this together.”

What a load of crap.

“You’re right,” Raven said primly, smoothing the front of her sparkly tank top and jutting out her boobs so Kade would have no choice but to look at her impressive cleavage. “I’m sorry. I’m just … out of sorts.” She rested her hand on Kade’s forearm. “I’m frightened. This has been a shock for me.”

“And I’m going to puke,” I said, brushing my hands off on my cargo pants as I stood, and shooting Raven a warning look for good measure. Apparently testosterone-fueled men aren’t the only ones with territorial issues. “If something supernatural crossed the dreamcatcher we would’ve known it.”

“What about someone human?” Kade asked.

“The dreamcatcher can alert in some cases,” Raven explained, her hand still touching Kade’s arm and causing my temper to flare. “They have to be really evil, though … like soulless evil. Poet generally senses when an evil human crosses the borders. Of course, she’s been distracted lately, so she’s not exactly on top of her game.”

Distracted my ass. She definitely wanted me to yank her hair.

“And you didn’t? Sense anything, I mean?” Kade shifted his eyes to me as I shook my head. “Are you sure? You said you were restless last night. Could this have been why?”

That was an interesting question – and would make a convenient excuse – but guilt kept me up the previous evening. I didn’t sense danger, not even when the figure was almost on top of me in the cornfield. “I didn’t sense anything,” I said. “The corn husks obviously tie whatever happened here to the field, though. Perhaps it happened when that … thing … chased me.”

“You mean the scarecrow, right?” Kade was adamant the scarecrow attacked me. I still wasn’t sure.

“Sure,” I said, opting to avoid a fight. “The dreamcatcher alerted when the thing in the field followed me over the boundary. Maybe something else crept over the line at the same time.”

“Is that possible?” Kade didn’t look thrilled with the prospect.

I shrugged. “Anything is possible,” I said. “I can’t get any psychic flashes off this stuff, though. I don’t … sense … anything.”

“Someone was obviously here, though,” Kade said. “Someone broke the mirrors.”

“I said I couldn’t sense anything, not that anything wasn’t here,” I reminded him. “I don’t know what to tell you. Whatever was here is gone now.”

“We need to double the wards,” Raven said. “We have to do it before we open the circus.”

Because she refused to increase the distance between Kade and herself I wanted to disagree with her. The safety of the circus was more important than my petty insecurities, though. “We’ll do it after lunch,” I said, nodding curtly. “Until then … I don’t know what else we can do.”

“I guess I’ll clean up then,” Raven said, heaving a frustrated sigh. “I’m still uneasy, though. I don’t suppose … .” She bit her lip as she regarded Kade with wide eyes. “Would you stay and help me for a little bit? I can’t quite let go of my nerves, and I know I would feel safer if you were around.”

I wanted to punch her.

Kade didn’t hesitate. “Of course,” he said, casting an uneasy glance in my direction. “I’m head of security. That’s my job.”

Okay, now I wanted to punch him, too.

I AM
not a jealous person.

That’s what I kept telling myself as I set arranged my tent during the next two hours. I am not a jealous person. So why did I want to rip Raven’s stupid hair out of her stupid head and shove it down her stupid throat?