19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Greg and I frowned dubiously at the brightly coloured sign, but this was the address Jess had given us all right. ‘The Other Circus?' Greg read the sign aloud.

Suddenly I went cold. ‘Nina kept talking about the circus. That's where she shipped off anyone who tried to take the crown of Torr.' I licked my lips. ‘What if she meant this circus?'

‘It's a bit of a leap,' Greg said slowly.

I shook my head, certain I was right. ‘No. Nina said she sent some people to an underground circus and this is where Jess said we'd find Clark Farrier – or Cain, as he's now known. What are the chances that there are two secret magical circuses?'

‘If this is a secret magical circus, then calling it "Other" isn't exactly subtle,' Greg complained.

‘Hiding in plain sight,' I suggested. ‘Who would think a hidden circus would be so brazen?'

‘A double bluff.'

‘Exactly.'

‘Well, let' s go and see if we can find ourselves a dead man walking.'

We paid the entrance fee, though we were a solid half an hour before the next performance was due. ‘Excuse me,' I asked the young man on the gate. ‘We're looking to speak to Cain Stillwell. Can you direct us to him?'

The young lad eyed us dubiously. ‘Follow me,' he said finally. He collared a colleague to take his place on the door and led us around the back of the circus where a number of caravans were set out to the swanky new black one in the centre. He jogged up the metal steps and knocked respectfully. ‘Boss?' he called. ‘You got some people here to see you. You want me to let them in?'

‘Who are they, Stu?' a grumpy voice called back.

Stu flushed. ‘I knew I forgot something,' he muttered. He turned to us. ‘Who are you?'

‘I'm Lucy, and this is Greg. We want to talk to him about … wolves.'

Stu paled and started shaking visibly; I would have happily played poker with this kid all day long. He opened the door to Farrier's caravan and went inside. I couldn't hear what they were saying because they were whispering but a moment later Stu opened the door and showed us in.

The boy made a swift exit, leaving us to size up the man in front of us. He was sitting at a table dressed in a red military jacket, ready to go on stage in his role as the ringmaster of the circus. The dude was a handsome silver fox but his glare was off-putting.

‘Hi,' I said in a friendly, perky voice. ‘I'm Lucy Barrett and I'm—'

‘I know who you are,' he interrupted. ‘What are you doing here?'

I blinked. So … were we being open about the werewolf thing or not? ‘I'm here to see you,' I said finally. ‘Jessica Sharp sent me. I'm her best friend, and I was told I'd die without your help.'

‘By whom?'

‘A seer.'

Farrier grunted, took out his phone and made a call. ‘Victoria, come to my caravan.' He paused a beat before belatedly adding, ‘Please.' He hung up without waiting for a response. Oh yeah, this guy had alpha energy allllll over him and yet, according to Jess, he'd been one of the good ones.

There was a rap on the door and in strode a woman dressed as fortune teller, complete with a starry robe and matching starry turban. Neither she nor Farrier had the mark of the Other realm on their heads, yet I was still somehow certain that they were magical.

He's an alpha, Esme agreed.

And her?

She snorted. A seer, of course.

How much can she see whilst she's in Common?

The strongest can still wield a little magic in Common. Don't touch her, Esme warned.

Farrier shuffled up on his bench seat so that Victoria could perch next to him. ‘Sit,' he finally said to us, pointing to the seat opposite. We sat.

‘So,' I said lightly, ‘are we being open about the fact we're all Other or not?'

‘Just say your piece,' Farrier growled.

‘I just did. A seer told me I needed to see you or I'd die. So here I am.' I sent him a finger wave.

‘May I?' Victoria held out a hand to me.

I balked but one glance at Farrier's glowering visage told me he wasn't going to help me worth a damn unless his pet seer told him to.

Sorry, Esme, looks like we're getting touchy with a seer. I felt her reservations, but she didn't try to stop me.

I laid my hand on Victoria's. She gave an audible gasp then clasped her other hand on top of mine and held me in a vice-like grip. I had to fight the urge to pull away as she stared off into the middle distance but I was here because I needed help and I couldn't afford to piss them off just because they were getting handsy.

She gasped again and I clenched my teeth. Could she just not do that? What was it with seers and all the drama? Finally, she released my hand and sat back, looking stunned. ‘You need to tell her about the Domini,' she said to Farrier.

Farrier's jaw dropped. ‘Jesus fucking Christ. That's a name I hoped I'd never hear again.' He licked his lips and shook his head. ‘No, I can't. They took everything from me and I can't put my head above the parapet again. Not even for my supposed Queen.'

‘You know it's less of a title when you put "supposed" in front of it,' I said wryly.

‘I don't know you and I haven't sworn fealty to you. I'm not in a werewolf pack.'

My eyes narrowed. ‘Did you hear me when I called the lones to me?'

His jaw worked but he didn't answer; I wasn't sure if he'd heard the call whilst he was in the Common realm. After a beat he turned to Victoria. ‘Leave us.'

‘You still don't trust me?' she asked softly, looking crushed.

‘It's not that, never that. I won't risk you; I won't risk you knowing what I know. I'm not painting a target on your back for anyone, not even her,' he jerked his thumb at me. ‘Go, Victoria. Please.'

She grimaced and shot him a hard glare but she didn't walk out; instead, she turned to me. ‘Candice is a strong woman,' she said obliquely, ‘She'll be perfect for him.'

‘Who the hell is Candice?' I asked.

Victoria smiled. ‘You'll find out.'

With that last piece of cryptic advice, the seer stalked out without so much as a backward glance at Farrier. She slammed the flimsy door as she left, making the ringmaster's poster of himself that was tacked to the door flutter. Wow, a life-size poster of yourself in your own caravan – that was some narcissism.

I refocused on the man, rather than his smiling picture. ‘You look friendlier on that,' I muttered, gesturing at the image.

He grunted but ignored my comment. ‘I don't know what to do,' he said finally.

‘What would your wolf do?' Greg asked.

‘I don't know,' Farrier sighed. ‘I haven't shifted in a very long time.'

My eyes widened. ‘I've restored the Great Pack.'

‘The what?' Farrier looked at me in confusion .

‘The Great Pack. It's like a hive mind, but for wolves. The witches' curse tore it from us centuries ago but I've restored it.'

‘So what? You want a medal?' he asked flatly.

It was my turn to glare. Clearly, he didn't understand the implications so I'd have to spell them out for him. ‘It means you can communicate with your wolf. Talk to him properly.'

His jaw dropped. ‘Are you serious?'

‘With all that I am. Shift and you'll see.'

‘God, I'm tempted, I really am. But I can't risk going to a hall – not now, not ever. If the Domini catch wind that I faked my death, I really will be pushing up daisies.'

Pipe him , Esme suggested.

What?

Pipe his wolf and loop them together. He'll be able to talk to his wolf then even if he doesn't have magic enough to shift.

Will it work with him in Common? I asked dubiously.

He may be in Common, but you're not.

But his wolf is wherever you go when you're not with me.

Esme snorted. You piped Roan from death. I think you can manage this.

She was right, I could. I looked up to meet Farrier's eyes, which were watching me curiously and with no small amount of jealousy. ‘You're talking to your wolf now, aren't you?' he asked.

I nodded slowly. ‘She thinks I should use my magic on you to link you to your wolf, even while you're in Common.'

His eyes went wide. ‘You could do that?'

‘I think so, though I'm not certain. And even with that link, I doubt very much you'd have magic enough to shift without going to a portal.'

He studied me. ‘You try your best to let me talk to my wolf, really talk to him, and I'll tell you what I know about the Domini.'