Circus of the Dead: Book 2 Page 14

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The first thumping at my door comes less than an hour later. I peek out. A dozen or so people are camped out on the dock to my house. I wonder why they haven’t come closer, but then I see all the birds. There are so many of them that I can’t even see the floor of the porch. A rock hits the window with a thud, and I drop back down. At least, it didn’t break.

  I clean up and go to bed. The people can’t stay there forever. The thuds on the house come at irregular intervals, and I wait for the glass to shatter. I can’t stop my mind from racing through what could happen if they got through my birds. They’d tear my body into shreds and throw me into the water with the alligators and zombies. My whole body shakes uncontrollably in a way it never has before.

  Sleep will not come. I try to imagine happier places like the ocean, mountains, or the massive California forests, but those images come with sharks, mountain lions, and bears. Because I can’t shake reality.

  The islanders are going to kill me.

  I get up when it feels like morning, and the clock says five a.m. A crowd still gathers on the dock outside, and they continue to pelt my house with their rocks.

  I try to do some yoga, I play with Raptor, and I eat what little food I have in my fridge. When darkness falls, they are still there, and I’m not sure how much longer I can stay in my house. I try to sleep again, but of course, the constant thuds make that impossible. Every single one of my muscles is tight and sore down to my fingers and toes. I can’t do this.

  I wonder why Luke or Lorena haven’t been by to see me.

  Then a horrible thought occurs.

  Maybe the islanders turned on them for being on my side. I can picture people pelting them with rocks. I have no way of knowing what happened.

  Two days later, the thumping stops.

  I can’t hide out in my house forever. For one thing, I’ve run out of food. For another, I need to make sure Luke and Lorena are okay.

  I take a deep breath and step outside, armed with the longest kitchen knife I can find. Raptor squawks and nudges my knee. I pet his head and step onto my dock. Nobody is right here, at least.

  I take a deep breath and head down the shortest path to Lorena’s, surrounded by my birds. I’m nearly there when something hits the back of my head, but it only stings a bit. I duck, and another rock flies past me. I spin.

  Jane stares at me. In her hand is a bigger rock than the one that hit my head. She glances down at it and smirks.

  “You better run, little girl.”

  I sprint away. The rock whistles past my ear, and footfalls follow me. More than one set. Out of nowhere, someone hits me from the side, and I’m flat on the ground, eating dirt. Margaret pulls my hair and growls in my ear. “You’re dead.”

  Flapping wings descend, and Margaret curses. She gets off me, and I wait. Slowly, I get to my feet. I’m surrounded by my birds, but beyond them stands a gang of half a dozen acrobats glaring at me with rocks and clubs. I swallow and turn toward Lorena’s house.

  A bird squeals. He’s been hit with a rock. With tears streaming down my face, I pick up the injured bird and continue running.

  I rush inside without knocking, and the birds settle on Lorena’s porch except Raptor and the bird in my hands.

  Lorena looks up from her mixing bowl of herbs, her face surprised.

  “Can you fix it?” I sob, holding the injured bird toward her.

  Lorena carefully takes the bird out of my hands and examines him. “His wing is broken, but I’ll do what I can. What happened?”

  “Jane and some of the other acrobats attacked me. The birds intervened, but they got him with a rock. What am I going to do?” I sink onto her couch. This is my life now. All because I tried—and failed—to kill the most powerful man on the island.

  Lorena looks down her nose at me. “I don’t know. I wish I did. Luke and I have been discussing ways to help you, but so far, nothing is coming. We’ll make sure you have food and whatnot, but for now, you stay in your boat. Don’t come out under any circumstances. I’m surprised you’re here. Why did you risk your life to come here?”

  “I needed to make sure you were okay. Luke, too.”

  “We’re fine. You should go back home.”

  The thought of staying cooped up in my boat indefinitely seems torturous. There has to be a way to fix this. Maybe if Amy forgives me, then the rest of the islanders will, too.

  “I want to see Amy.” I can’t stand the thought that she might hate me now.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Lorena looks at me with pity in her eyes.

  “But I need to explain what happened so she might understand. And I need to apologize.”

  “Did you not just get attacked by a mob? It’s too soon.”

  I sigh and fling myself onto her couch. “I have to try. Can you help me bake something for her?” Food always works, right?

  Lorena raises an eyebrow. “I’m not a great cook.”

  “You’re probably better than me.”

  “Maybe. But I still think it’s too early even if you go bearing food.”

  I want to fix things with Amy. Her family has become my own, but everything bad that has happened to them has been my fault. “Somehow, I keep making things worse.”

  “I told you to kill Samuel.” Her voice goes irritable again.

  She’s right. I should’ve. If I had, none of this would’ve happened. And he was probably lying about the ghosts. He lies about everything else. But could I really take that chance? “Did you know about this clause in the contracts?”

  Lorena shakes her head. “If I had, I would’ve told you. Would you have gone through with it then?”

  I look down at Raptor. Would I? I don’t know.

  Maybe. He had threatened to tie me to his bed for eternity. I really had no choice but to do something.

  Playing this game is stupid, actually. I can’t change the past even if I wanted to. I can only move forward. And that means somehow making Amy forgive me and being able to walk down a path without people trying to kill me.

  All in all, impossible tasks.

  My life officially sucks.

  She peeks out of the curtains. “You should stay here for a bit. It’s not safe for you out there.”

  “People will know you’re harboring me. That’s not good for you.” I’m just waiting for the rocks to start pelting her house.

  “You let me worry about me.”

  I don’t tell her, but as soon as I can, I’ll go back to my place. I will not put anyone in danger.

  I’m terrified of unintended consequences. Look at what happened when I tried to kill Samuel. What if I find a way to fix my mistakes and bigger ones show up? Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I’m really scared I’m going to lose Benny.

  Just after dinner, Lorena leaves to gather some herbs she needs, and I wait until she’s out of sight before I sneak out.

  The birds flock to me, but I won’t put them in harm’s way either. “You guys draw too much attention. Meet me back at the boat. I’ll be fine.”

  They all take off. I hadn’t expected them to listen to me.

  I trudge back across the island and freeze when I catch sight of a flash of yellow. I duck down behind a tree. A group of people strolls down a path, dinner in hand. A few of them whistle as they walk.

  I wait until they are out of sight before I creep out of my hiding place with Raptor waddling behind me. The wind whistles in the trees, sounding like a waterfall, bringing fresher air, and I appreciate it, but the sky is very gray.

  The sun dips behind the trees, leaving only a ray of pink in the sky. I take the path through the trees, and darkness surrounds me. Raptor squawks behind me, and I jump.

  Nothing.

  “Geesh, bud, don’t scare me like that.”

  He cocks his head. He probably wants a treat, but I left them at home.

  Something rustles in the trees next to me. No birds perch there. I’m alone.

  Rough arms
grab me, and a hand covers my mouth. Edward appears in front of me, his eyes narrowed. “Missing your birds?”

  I struggle against the hands that hold me, but more figures crowd in. Raptor squawks up a storm. I can’t see him and hear a thud, and he goes quiet.

  I can’t catch my breath. I’m going to die here in these awful woods by a stinking mob who has every right to hate me. The man holding me removes his hand from my mouth. I wish I could see who it is so I can curse him later. That is if I survive this.

  “Please don’t kill me,” I beg. It’s pathetic and weak, but there’s no way out of this.

  Edward laughs. “Kill? Oh no, that would be too merciful. We’ll make you suffer like Samuel did to us.”

  I swallow. That’s worse. They’re about to torture me. They tie my hands up with a rough rope, and an acrid smell fills my nose. It reminds me of roadwork, but I don’t know what it is.

  “We’re going to turn you into one of those little birds that follow you around every day.”

  I stomp on the foot of the man who holds me and throw my head back, hitting his nose. He squeals in pain and releases me.

  I run.

  Before I can even get a few feet, two other men grab me and throw me onto the ground. I buck up, but more hands hold me down. At least six men grasp my legs and arms. Edward appears with a large bucket in his hands. The awful smell assaults me again.

  I struggle against them, but I can’t move.

  Edward tips the bucket on the top of my head. Thick liquid flows over my hair, then my forehead. I scream.

  “Close that pretty mouth of yours, or you’ll be swallowing tar,” someone says. I squeeze my lips tight. My eyes, too.

  I’m being freaking tarred and feathered.

  No way.

  The sticky liquid burns a little, but I can’t cry out. I continue to fight against their hold, but it’s worthless. I lay there, just waiting for it to be over. After what seems like ages, the pressure releases on my legs, and footsteps run away from me.

  I sit up and rub the tar from my eyes. I’m covered in feathers, and everything burns. I’m not in as much pain as I expected to be, but it still hurts. I waddle back to Ruth’s tent.

  She gasps. “Goodness gracious, girl. What happened to you?”

  I can’t even open my mouth. I just stare at her and try not to cry.

  She brings a hand to her chest and motions to the table. It takes forever for her to get the sticky concoction off of me, and whatever she uses smells like gasoline. My skin feels raw and chaffed. Once she is finished, she slathers me in lotion.

  “All done. Maybe rest for a few days and avoid the mobs.”

  I swing my legs over the side of the table. Her floor is covered in feathers. I feel way better than I should. Chances are she used some sort of magic.

  “Thank you.”

  “Callie, love, it’s been too long.” Samuel somehow managed to get through all the birds and weasel his way into my house.

  I point to the door. “Get out. You have nothing to hold over me. Everyone already knows my secret, and I’m certainly not going to marry you.”

  He picks up the book I took from his library and chuckles. Raptor jumps up onto the table and squawks at him. “Why do you keep trying to best me? You have to know that it will never work. I am an Obeah man. I’m invincible.”

  “You forget that I know how to kill you.”

  He tenses for a moment but continues on. “Maybe. But I don’t think you have it in you. You’re too good.”

  “That doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to beat you. I have a long time to live on this island. Eventually, I’ll win. It might take years, but I’ll succeed. I promise.”

  “How? By trying to prevent my ghosts from killing? It will take you another year at a minimum to drop it by thirteen. What I think you fail to realize is that the number one hundred seventeen is the critical number. It will catch up next time. Two people will die. At any time that number could be brought back to normal, and you’d have to start all over again. You’re not that good. Especially with the islanders not on your side.”

  My stomach swoops. If he’s telling the truth, then all my plans are useless. It seems dumb that I never even considered this before. I open the door. “Leave now. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

  He chuckles. “Very well. I just came to let you know that my proposal is still on the table. When you get tired of being stuck in your boat, send a bird for me, and I’ll make sure no one can ever hurt you again.”

  He gives a little bow and leaves.

  Over my dead body will I marry him.

  I sink down onto my bed and try not to think of the enormity of taking him out. In order to best him, I’ll have to become like him but stronger. I’ll have to completely embrace the dark side. But more than that. He’s an Obeah man.

  This is something I’ll have to do on my own, though. Lorena would tell me I was nuts, and Luke and Benny would do everything they could to stop me because it’s too dangerous.

  No, I have to do this myself. I could probably even find a way to make it so Benny could stay with me.

  I could become an Obeah woman.

  And get rid of the circus once and for all.

  Chapter Thirty

  The next few days crawl by. Luke and Lorena bring me food, and the birds keep me safe from the islanders, but I don’t leave my boat. Luke sometimes brings cubs over to play, and Lorena brings me herbs to crush and books on Obeah men to read. I have no idea where she found them, but I don’t ask because I’m just grateful she’s bringing them to me.

  Most of them are creepy tales of the gross things the Obeah men do, like opening up human skulls and performing spells with brains or eating hearts of various animals for different powers. I find it odd that it doesn’t talk about Obeah women at all. Maybe because women aren’t willing to do all the horrible stuff.

  Even with Luke and Lorena visiting, I’m still bored out of my skull most of the time.

  Mid-afternoon on day four, a knock comes at my door. I open it because the birds won’t let anyone but Luke and Lorena through, but it’s not either of them.

  It’s Elias. The birds surround him, and a few have landed on his shoulders, but they aren’t hurting him. One word from me, and they probably would, though.

  “What do you want?” I ask, nervously.

  He holds up a book in Creole. “We neva finished yer lessons.”

  I cock my head at him, unsure of his true motives. “You don’t want to kill me?”

  He shakes his head. “Been talkin’ to Luke.”

  I nod and debate whether or not to let him inside. I do need to learn, but I’m not sure I can trust him. He eyeballs the birds suspiciously, but they hang back.

  “Okay, come on in.”

  He teaches me every day, and after a week, I know enough to make sense of most of the books. Lorena brings me a slew of new books, and I breeze through them but don’t learn much new.

  The night before the full moon, I’m pretty tired, but I pull out one of the books I took from Samuel’s stash that had been buried under the new ones. I hadn’t read it yet. Most of the book is fairly dull, and I have to fight to keep my eyes open, but I read on. Most books have been alluding to something, but all fall just a little short of explaining. My eyes flutter as I get near the end.

  Only the most evil of Obeah will steal a ghost army from another, but it is done. The spell is very similar to the one where you create the ghost army. Except, instead of creating voodoo dolls for those who would make up the army, you must use a voodoo doll of the Obeah himself. This is very difficult as most Obeah know this, and they protect themselves from voodoo dolls with a vengeance…

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Juliette pops into my house as soon as the full moon rises, scaring the snot out of me. I wonder for a second if Benny will still be here. Technically, Samuel could have made him move on. Juliette too for that matter.

  “Geez girl, can’t you knock?”
I put my hand on my chest and try to calm my breathing.

  Juliette has that look in her eye that tells me she’s up to no good. “Not tonight. Tonight, you’ve got a hot date to get ready for.”

  Of course. Hot date. How silly of me to even think that there might be more pressing matters to deal with. Like whether or not my blood will be spilled the second I step outside. Plus, Benny might not even be here. No. I refuse to think that.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Benny’s been planning this for a week. He’s all worried you’re too stressed out and upset and wants to do something sweet for you.”

  My heart flutters. I should be searching for a way to stop Samuel, but I want this. I want to go on a date like normal girls and kiss Benny at the end of the night and wait for him to text me and get impatient and text him first. I want to obsess over him instead of how to stop a monster from killing everyone. I want roses, valentines, chocolate, and teddy bears.

  And I feel guilty for wanting that.

  I search her face for any indication that she’s upset that it’s my fault she’s dead.

  “Aren’t you mad at me?” I ask.

  “For what?” She flips through the clothes in my closet.

  “For getting you killed.”

  She spins around, her face full of anger. “I’m going to have words with Mama tonight about that. You didn’t do anything. Samuel orchestrated the whole thing. I do not hold you responsible, and neither should anyone else.”

  I jump up and give her a massive hug, grateful that she doesn’t blame me. For one night, I’m gonna forget about Samuel and the murderous islanders. “Okay, I’m all yours.”

  She squeals and claps her hands. “You shower. I’ll get you a dress.”

  “From where?”

  “My closet. Your clothes are useless. I have one that will be perfect.”

  She’d better not bring me some slinky slutty dress. But before I can say anything, she’s out the door.

  I shower, and by the time I’m out, Juliette is back. The dress is a sleeveless, white sundress, and the way she does my hair and makeup, it makes me look young and innocent. The dress is far sweeter than anything I thought she had in her closet.