Circus of the Dead: Book 2 Read online

  “You probably have. No one believes that it could possibly be real, so they write strange things off as something else. But I can almost guarantee you that you’ve seen it. Most witches keep it pretty quiet. Generally, you have to have a natural ability.”

  “How do I know if I can do it?”

  She huffs. “You’re not going to give up, are you? We might as well get this over with. But I hope you’re not disappointed when I prove to you that you can’t do it. Most people can’t. We’ll start with a simple protection spell.”

  I follow her into her house and pause for a second to let my eyes adjust to the soft light. Her living room is full of crystals and lamps.

  “Let’s see if you can create a protective circle.” She goes into the kitchen and comes back with a bottle.

  “What’s this?”

  “Pure sea salt.” She hands it over to me. “Pour it in a circle clockwise around you, and repeat three times out loud ‘protect me from harm.’”

  “That seems a little basic.” I feel like there should be more to magic than that. Some strange words for sure. Not just something I could do on accident.

  “Magic isn’t so much about the words but the intent and power behind the words. I like to keep it simple.”

  I can’t believe it’s that easy. I clench my hands to keep them from trembling. I’m about to do magic. Once I make a full circle and repeat the words, I face Lorena again.

  “Now what?” I ask.

  She slaps me across the face, and I rock back.

  I bring my hand to my burning cheek. “What the hell?”

  “It didn’t work. Either you didn’t believe it would, or you simply don’t have the skill.” She’s so calm that it’s annoying.

  This was one spell. She has to give me another chance. I’m sure I can do it. “Okay, let me try something else.”

  A light knock comes on the door. Lorena gives me an exasperated glare and goes to answer it. She comes back followed by Juliette, her hair a mess and her face pale.

  “You look like crap,” I tell her.

  Juliette winces and sinks down into a chair. “I’ve got a killer headache. This is worse than when I had a hangover. Lorena, can you help me out again?”

  “That’s usually Ruth’s department. What I did before was specifically for a hangover.” Lorena shakes her head, and I hope she doesn’t rat us out to Amy.

  “Please. I don’t want to go to Ruth,” she whines.

  Lorena purses her lips and then goes rummaging through a cupboard and comes back with a book, some candles, and a lighter. She flips open to the middle of the book and then hands it to me. “So, smarty pants, see if you can do this.”

  I look at the spell. It involves a blue and white candle. Lorena hands me the candles and lighter, and I set the candles down in front of Juliette.

  She glances at them and then up at Lorena. “Since when does Callie do magic?” She seems confused.

  “She doesn’t. We’re seeing if she’s got the talent,” Lorena drones on like we’ve been through this before.

  I look down at the spell and light the white candle. “Tame thou flesh and bone.” Well, that was freaking weird. Maybe I shouldn’t have complained about the simple words on the other spell. Then I light the blue candle. “Headache be gone.”

  I look up at Juliette. “Blow the candles out. The white one first.”

  She blows them out and leans back in her chair. “How long does it take?”

  Lorena raises her eyebrows. “Should be immediate.”

  I’m not about to be deterred. “It’s only my first day. I’ll get it.”

  Lorena grabs another book off her shelf and hands it to me. It’s old, and there is no title on the cover. “Let me take care of Juliette. Go home, read this, and we’ll try again tomorrow. But for the record, I don’t think you have any talent. Juliette doesn’t either. She’s tried several times.”

  I take the book and rush home because I want this more than anything. If I have magic, I can protect myself from Samuel and maybe even Benny if necessary. I flop down in bed and start to read. It is a history of magic and how it’s evolved over the years. While fascinating, I don’t understand how it will help me.

  It only takes me a few hours to read the whole thing. There are a few elementary spells at the end of the book, and I decide to practice with those instead of bugging Lorena.

  The spell for conjuring fire looks interesting. At least with that one, I’ll know if I’m successful right away. Also, that would be super useful in my show.

  I sit in the middle of my floor and hold my hands out in front of me. This spell involves no objects. Just me. I close my eyes.

  I visualize the fire inside of me and see it dancing up and down my veins. It fills me until my body feels like it’s about to burn out. I force it out of my hands.

  I peek.

  Nothing.

  I try again, this time focusing on the heat of the flame. My hands burn, and I’m positive this time I’ve got it. I open my eyes and find nothing once again. My palm is not even red.

  Dammit. I toss the book across my bed. Maybe I don't have what it takes to do magic. But I want this to work so badly. If I can figure out magic, then I can beat Samuel at his own game. But without skills of my own, I’ll never stand a chance.

  I suppose I did have some success. My hand got hot at least. And I’ll never know if I don’t keep trying.

  I let out a sigh and pick the book back up. I try a few different spells but keep coming back to fire. I try again, and again, and again.

  I practice for two freaking hours, and while I think I might have seen a spark, that could’ve just been my imagination. Delusions after trying so hard. I have to get out of my boat for a bit.

  I set the book on my table.

  I’ll try again tomorrow. For now, I’m going to find Luke and play with the tigers.

  Chapter Five

  After a couple of hours, Luke gets out Fiona, and I hightail it out of there. That tiger and I will never be friends.

  Just before I turn the corner to my dock, I run right into a spider web.

  I shriek and brush it away, but it sticks to my hands. I rub my palms against a tree to remove it and run my hands all over my head and body to make sure no spiders are taking a ride. My heart is beating far too fast for something as silly as a spider web.

  I continue on, chuckling at my fear, and stop dead in front of my boat. My door is slightly ajar. Weird. I should run and get Luke in case someone’s in there, but no, I’m just being paranoid. I cautiously push the cold, damp door open farther and step inside. Samuel sits at the table with his feet propped up. He’s cleaning his fingernails out with a wicked-looking knife.

  I stay close to the door in case I have to bolt. My hands start to sweat. I wonder what he’s planning with that knife.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  He points to the book. “You want to learn magic?”

  I shrug. “Maybe. I thought it would be interesting. But I haven’t been able to do anything yet.”

  His eyes light up. “I could help you.”

  Sure he could. And there is bound to be a catch of some kind. “I don’t need your help.”

  He scowls. “I’m tired of this little game you’re playing.”

  “That didn’t take long,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. I wonder what he plans on doing about it.

  “What’s your fascination with Benny?” He leans forward and gives me his full attention. If me being friends with Benny is getting to him, I will definitely have to continue that. “He’s sweet.”

  Samuel snorts. “Benny is many things, but sweet is not one of them. How did you take my most deadly ghost and turn him into a pansy?”

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “That’s a lie.” He stands up and stalks toward me. I stand my ground. I’m not about to be driven out of my house by some bastard. He stops a few feet away, his knife glinting in the weak light.

 
; He drops his voice so that it’s low and sultry. “How I want to make you part of my collection.”

  I should run, but I can’t back down now. I swallow. “Why?” I need to buy some time while I figure this out. Does he mean to turn me into a ghost and throw my body into the swamp?

  His face lights up, and he’s giddy. “You’re beautiful and tenacious. Also, I want to see you kill. You in your fierce warrior costume. You could rip a soul limb from limb. Or I could see you being slow about it. Carving out the skin and waiting until the last moment to draw a knife across the throat.” He mimics the motion near my throat with his knife.

  I gulp. This man is sick.

  “You could kill me right now, so why don’t you?”

  He laughs and draws even closer. “You tempt me so.” He runs a finger along my jaw and breathes in. I find the action both disgusting and alluring all at once. “If I kill you, your soul will simply move on. For you to join my hosts of souls, Benny must do it.”

  “Why Benny? Why not someone else?”

  “Oh, someone else certainly could, but it’s become a matter of principle for me now. I control Benny, and if I allow someone else to kill you, then Benny gets away with not listening to me. No, it will be Benny.”

  He snakes a hand across my back and pulls me into him, his body hard against mine.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, breathless. My whole body trembles, but this time it’s out of fear.

  “Making Benny jealous.” His lips meet mine, and my body explodes into a torrent of desire and emotion. I draw him into me as my lips grow hungry and needy. His hands move across my back, sliding up my shirt. I’ve never felt quite so turned on before.

  A breeze ruffles my hair, and the smell of whiskey assaults me. I shove away from Samuel. “No. This is not what I want. Get out.” This has to be some kind of crazy magic. There is no way I would want someone like him.

  He draws closer to me again. “Ah, your lips and your hands tell a different story. I came here tonight to make sure you were mine, and I’m not leaving until you are. Tonight, I will master your body, and after the new moon, I will have your soul.”

  He is a lunatic. There is no way in hell I’m giving him anything. Even if my body yearns for him, my mind does not. I can’t figure out how those things could be so disconnected, but perhaps it’s a spell or something. I move away in hopes that I can get him closer to the door and shove him out, but that’s just put me closer to the bed, and he pushes me down onto it.

  “That’s a good girl. You know what you want.”

  No, this is not what I want. I struggle against him, and he laughs. “Oh, feisty. I like that.”

  He climbs on top of me and purrs into my ear.

  I try to push him away. I will not be taken advantage of. “Get off.”

  He leans down and whispers in my ear. “Now, there are a lot of things you can deny me, but this isn’t one of them. Look at your odds, princess. You can’t report me to the police, and no one on this island is going to do anything about it because they all belong to me.”

  He kisses my neck, and I gag. My heart races. This isn’t happening.

  His hands creep all over my body, and I push and shove and claw, but he’s far stronger than I thought he could be. He seems immune to my fight.

  I let out a scream, not that it will do any good. I have to find a way to get away. But where could I run to? I could jump in the lake, but would being eaten by an alligator be better than raped by this freak?

  Yeah, probably.

  He leans up, and I drive my knee into his groin as hard as I can. He grins.

  “I don’t feel pain.”

  Lovely.

  I take advantage of his momentary distraction and slide off the bed, scrambling for the door. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me into him. I stomp on his feet and wiggle around, but he just kisses the back of my neck and squeezes my body tighter. I try lunging for the door and make it halfway there. I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, and my lip trembles. I don’t know if I’ll be able to escape this. I look to the window and swear I see a ghostly face there.

  Just before we reach the door, Samuel laughs softly in my ear. “You think you can get out? Then what? We’ll just have our fun amongst the trees.”

  He doesn’t get it, which is good. He’s expecting me to do one thing when I’m really planning another. If we can get close enough to the glass door, I’ll swivel around and slam him into it, hopefully shattering the glass. And then when he is bleeding on the porch, I’ll shove him into the water. It won’t kill him, but it will give me time to get to Juliette or Luke’s boat. Luke’s is farther away, but he’ll protect me.

  We inch even closer to the door, and I see my opening. A hint of whiskey floats in front of my nose. Without warning, the door flies open, and Samuel is jerked away from me. He flies out the door and lands with a thud about twenty feet away.

  Samuel sits up, rubbing his head. I throw my door closed and lock it. I put the stick in, rush to close the curtains, and then check all the windows and make sure they are locked, blinds closed.

  My breathing comes in low rapid bursts. I was nearly raped, had my virginity ripped from me by a madman. I have no control here at all. I don’t know how I’ll survive.

  I’m safe for now, but what if Samuel finds another way in? I should’ve run.

  The door handle jiggles, and I jump. I don’t move, just watch the door as it rattles and shakes, but it does not open. He slams on the door, and I’m afraid it will break.

  There is a thump on the roof and then another. Did he climb my house? Several more thumps. What the hell?

  I peek outside my window, afraid that he’s both going to be there and not be there. He is gone, but birds of every shape and size swarm my little deck. Is he using them to get into my house? No, Benny is the one with birds.

  Hundreds of birds bear down around Samuel, and he scrambles away. He doesn’t even look my way and just keeps his eyes on the birds. He turns the corner, and the birds follow.

  I collapse on the floor, feeling safe for the first time all night. Thumps still happen on my roof, but it’s just the birds. Hopefully they won’t sink my boat.

  I don’t know how or why, and ultimately it doesn’t matter. I’ll figure out their significance tomorrow and maybe find myself a pet bird.

  The smell of whiskey comes again.

  “I know that was you, Benny,” I say. “Thank you.” This is the second time he’s saved me.

  My hair ruffles.

  “It’s not fair, you know. This whole thing. I’m trapped in a horror show where a ghost decided to be my protector, but he’s pretty much useless except twice a month.” I’m rambling, but I don’t care. I’m angry at everything at the moment. I pace the room, my hands gesturing wildly. “You can’t just come in here and expect I’m going to worship the ground you walk on because you saved me from that monster. He’ll just come back. Maybe not right away, but tomorrow night or the next. Where will your birds be then? I have to learn to protect myself, but no one seems to want to help me.”

  My hair flutters again, and I slap at it even though I can’t feel anything. “I know you want to help me, but you can’t. Not really. You’re a ghost, for crying out loud. I just want to go home. I want to lose myself in the ocean and forget this nightmare ever happened. Is that too much to ask? What the hell did I do to deserve this horrid fate?”

  A hundred wings seem to flutter, and I jump. Have the birds abandoned me so soon?

  I head for the window then change my mind and flop onto my bed instead. More fluttering. Ugh. I get up and peek outside and see even more birds than before. They spill out over the porch and onto the marsh in front.

  Adrenaline still courses through my veins. I couldn’t protect myself. I have to figure this out because Benny or someone else might not always be around. My eyes land on the book on the table.

  I concentrate on the spell that eluded me this afternoon, the one for fire. I need this more than
anything.

  I close my eyes and flames dance in my belly. They flow out through my arm and out my palm.

  I open my eyes.

  A bright blue flame hovers over my hand.

  Chapter Six

  I open the door the next morning a little tentatively. There are birds everywhere. Tiny sparrows, ducks, flamingos, ravens, and tons of birds I wouldn’t know how to identify, all different colors, shapes, and sizes. An ibis pushes past me and flies up on the table inside.

  “Excuse me, I don't have food for you.” I wave my hands. “Shoo, shoo.”

  He looks up at me with mournful eyes and lets out a quack. It sounds strange coming from something that is not a duck. I don’t want to pick him up, but I don’t want him on my table either.

  I leave him and go brush my teeth while I think. The air in my boat is cool, so maybe that’s why he came in. But if that’s the case, then he’ll never leave.

  Maybe Juliette can help me with Samuel. I take off my sweater, grab a water bottle out of the fridge, and open the door. The ibis jumps off the table and lopes after me.

  I step off my porch onto the dock, and the other birds scatter to the trees and water, but the ibis follows me. The noise they make is almost unbearable—all squawking and screeching. People will hear me coming for miles.

  I make it all the way to Juliette’s house with a train of birds behind me. She answers the door with a messy bed head and a little B.O. I take a step back.

  “What’s up?” she asks.

  I point to the birds. She looks at them, creases her eyebrows, and waves me in. The ibis makes it in, too. Juliette sinks down on her leather couch. I join her, but not too close. She takes out a piece of gum and offers me one, but I say no.

  She sniffs herself. “I stink.”

  I laugh and nod. She opens a drawer and pulls out a perfume bottle and sprays it all over herself. I’m not sure that’s much better.

  The ibis flaps up and lands on my lap. He hangs his long beak over the edge of the couch, and I stroke his feathers absentmindedly. He’s a pretty bird with deep red and black feathers.