Stardust: Tales from Cirque Macabre Page 4

  "So you want to get them all in the same place and hope they starve to death?" If that was the case, my work here was done.

  "More or less." I didn't expect Lucille to agree. "But they'll never let it get that far. They're foolish and vain, like Sleeping Beauty in there. They'll want her because she has what they need. A source of renewable energy. The fire."

  That bitch duped me. "They'll kill her."

  Lucille shook her head. "Vampires can't survive fire."

  6

  “I’m worried about Lucille.” This apartment was way too small. Holly and I had no privacy, and nowhere to sit but on our bed. We sipped tea while we brushed up on our non-existent vampire expertise. None of my books talked much about them. I’d curated a collection of spells and wizardry. Vampires weren’t even on my radar until Lucille made the spell request. “If she’s having visions, she could be mistaking people for vampires. We could be rounding up a collection of very dangerous people for no good reason.”

  No good deed went unpunished.

  Holly put her mug down on a bookshelf. “This is the most sense she’s made in a while. She’s got a lot of information about how the vamps operate, and it’s not the cliché crap about sucking blood and rising out of graves. An energy war? Killing them with fire? Not gonna lie. I’m kinda into it.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. Holly was sexy when she had a purpose.

  I shook my head. “My visions are screaming to me that danger is coming for you if you take this show, but it’s not clear if it’s because of the vampires or another threat. I can’t See everything to figure out how it happens.”

  “Like parts have been scribbled out, right?”

  “Right. I don’t See any vampires in any sort of battle, or even bumping into each other and not saying excuse me. Like, not a vampire in the bunch. I’d think I’d be able to see them if they existed.”

  “How would you know? Vampires, as far as we know, look like people. Unless their energy centers...” Holly bounced on the bed. “That’s it.”

  “They’re creating a black hole in my visions.” I considered her theory. “When they eat the energy around them, it creates a void.”

  “Exactly.” She bounced on the bed. “Those are the black spots you haven’t been able to See. It never happened before I got the show. It all makes sense.”

  But it didn’t exactly give us a happy ending. “Something in that void intends to harm you,” I reminded her. “And if I can’t See them, we can’t figure out how to stop them.”

  “The important thing is we have proof that Lucille isn’t totally off her rocker. We figured out the math problem. But you’re probably right. They aren’t friendly. Your visions aren’t always literal. There’s a huge vampire show at the Alta Vista. It could be as simple as pissing them off that we’re stealing their fire. Pun intended.”

  It would be much funnier if I could unSee the look on Holly’s face in my visions when those scribbled-out energy suckers got to her. “We need a plan to keep you safe.”

  She shrugged. “Simple. I’ll burn them.”

  “You barely have enough fire to light a match.”

  Holly refused to be scared about this, generally an admirable trait, but the absence of fear bred stupidity. She leaned forward and kissed me, sparks zapping my skin when she put her hand on my thigh. “Maybe a spark is all it takes.”

  “You’re coming, right?” Holly bit her lip, but it wasn’t enough to stop a hopeful smile from spreading across her face. It was her first rehearsal with the band that had been named after her, Fire Dancer. She’d been stretching, strutting, and twirling around the bed, barely bumping into any bookshelves at all. Even though she’d only gone back to see Bette once since her original trip, her dancing had gotten so much better. With the music playing, I couldn’t concentrate on anything but watching her.

  She was going to be a star. Her moves weren’t perfect yet, but she had the confidence she needed to pull it off. No one could teach that, it came from a mystical center of light, a place deep inside. It was probably the same place her fire came from. Seeing it in motion made my heart beat faster.

  Her clothes covered the bed as she packed, and I pulled my knees to my chest to give her enough room to spread everything out. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said.

  But it had to be her idea for me to come. My visions surrounding the show had been nothing but gloom and doom, and Holly wasn’t listening anymore. She only digested the parts when I told her she’d be famous. It was most likely a conscious choice, and as much as I needed to be there to make sure she was safe, she needed to show me that she had this.

  I had no plans of sitting back and letting vampires attack us like we were damsels stuck in a video game. My bag was already packed with rose quartz, cat’s eye, and sphalerite to protect us if the creatures we attracted weren’t keen on being summoned. I’d tiptoed into the kitchen in the small hours of the morning to make a satchel full of anise, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves. The aroma coming from the pouch made my stomach rumble, and I hoped it wouldn’t have the same effect on a pissed-off, hungry vampire. No need to season myself as an offering.

  The spells in my book were meant for humans. Holly and I had something in common with the vampires—we bent the biggest rule of all. We wouldn’t die. The effects of the spells weren’t as strong on us, but I couldn’t take any chances.

  Protection. That was what we needed. From ourselves, those who supposedly had our best interests in mind, and especially from the unknown. Which pretty much accounted for everything—a strange city, people we’d never met, and expectations that had yet to make sense.

  It took Holly forever to get ready, and even though we didn’t have to be at the theater until ten o’clock, I worried we’d be late. I didn’t give her any crap. I was nervous, too. I dressed like I was going to work—all black, with a flowy top and leggings. No one would pay attention to me once Holly took the stage, and that was how I liked it.

  “Are you coming with us?” I asked Lucille, and Holly nudged me.

  “No.” That was all the explanation I expected. All Lucille cared about was that the shit storm was in motion.

  “Have any vampire destruction advice for us before we go?” The tension made it hard to breathe and I had to do something to lighten things up.

  “You’ll know what to do.” She didn’t even look at us as we left. Ugh. I couldn’t shake the feeling she’d sent us to our funeral.

  The Riviera came alive at night. Crowds of people surrounded the tables, and I jumped as they cheered for their victories. Holly hooked her arm in mine and led me to the theater. That worked to our disadvantage when a woman bumped into me, knocking my bag off my shoulder.

  “Sorry!” she called back, but the damage was done. My little pouch of herbs was already being ground into the rug. There was no saving it.

  “What were you planning on doing?” Holly asked. “Marinating a chicken?”

  “Protecting you. But for that comment, I should leave you on your own.” I grinned, but my mind was full of numbers. “Do we have a minute?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  I glared in the direction of the lady who’d knocked into my bag. She and her friends had gathered around one the gaming tables. The wheel spun, and they let their frustrations be known when it didn’t stop in the place they wanted it to. “Do you know how to play roulette?” I asked.

  Holly narrowed her eyes in confusion, but a smile spread over her face. “All you have to do is pick a number and a color.”

  “Let’s go get some of our luck back.”

  The woman who bumped into me bristled when we approached the table. I peeled three twenties and a five out of my wallet, and it was close to all the money I had. I put the twenty down on the table and the dealer gave me chips. I had no idea what to do with them, so I handed them back to him. “Fifteen black.”

  “You mean black fifteen,” someone scoffed as they corrected me.

  “What are you doi
ng?” Holly was as broke as I was, and neither of us spent money thoughtlessly.

  “Testing a theory.” Handing the chips over was physically painful, but I needed some proof before I walked into the theater that the images in my head meant anything, or if I should have Lucille pick out a new mental facility for me.

  The noise the ball made as it rolled over the dividers danced on every nerve ending in my body, making me dizzy. I closed my eyes and clutched the table.

  “Black Fifteen!” the dealer called out.

  Holly grasped my arm. “You won!”

  Now I was the proud owner of three times as many chips as I started with. Flash decisions were working for me, and I pushed all the chips back at the dealer, ignoring Holly’s gasp. I glanced over at her before making my next pick. “Red one.”

  To ignore the spinning ball, I threaded my fingers between Holly’s and concentrated on how we fit together.

  “Red one.”

  We both squealed, turning to each other in disbelief. Holly kissed me on the cheek and my heart pounded as I collected too many chips to count.

  “That girl didn’t even know how to call her bet,” someone said. “She’s cheating.”

  “How could I be?” I couldn’t break rules I didn’t know.

  Holly pulled me away from the table before a fight broke out. “We’re gonna be late.”

  A security guard stood in front of the door, and I wondered if that had anything to do with us.

  “My name is Holly Octane. This is my show,” she said to the guard.

  What the? I wasn’t the only one pushing my luck that night. Thankfully, he didn’t check her ID.

  “That’s not your name,” I said through gritted teeth once we were inside.

  “It is now. While I’m here, I’m Holly Octane. Every inch of me.” She walked quickly, on a mission. We didn’t have to worry about finding the stage—the theater was illuminated; drum beats and guitar riffs sliced through the silence as the band practiced. Five guys with long hair and leather outfits had assembled on stage. The first few rows of seats were filled in. I was surprised by how many people had come to watch the practice. I had no idea if it was the first one, or the first one with Holly…Octane.

  That would take some getting used to.

  No spotlight was necessary for Holly to turn on the charm. I slipped into a seat a couple rows back and watched her in action, shaking hands with people who were probably investors. She was absolutely stunning in her frilly bottomed mini-dress and cropped jacket. My cheeks reddened as she walked up the stairs, long legs and sparkly booty shorts on display. I crossed my legs to make the throbbing go away. It would remain bottled up until we were alone. No seasoning required.

  She towered over the singer in her platform Mary Janes. Even from my seat in the dark, I didn’t miss the way his gaze roamed all over her body. I burned with jealousy as he leaned close to her, saying something that made her laughter ring through the theater. The minute Holly Octane took the stage, she no longer belonged to me.

  A group of people joined Holly and the band on stage. All the nodding and laughing couldn’t hide Holly’s nervousness. I reached into my bag, rubbing the smooth, rose quartz stone in my grip. With all the people in the room, I wasn’t sure if I could transmit to her, but Holly always landed on her feet. At least I could untie the knots from my own muscles.

  Everyone left the stage but Holly and the band. They started playing again, and Holly’s shoulders rose with her breath. The song sounded nothing like the classic jazz she’d been using for practice. This was straight up heavy metal. Much to my surprise, she kept up with the beat, stripping her jacket off and thrashing it against the stage. The singer moved with her, his hips grinding in time with hers, so close but never touching her. A flush burned my cheeks. It was too intimate for an audience, but I remembered where I was. Sin City. Holly wagged her finger at him and turned away. Every eye in the room was glued to her high-stepped retreat.

  Even I wasn’t biased enough to think the dance matched the music. It was like watching a flower bloom in a war zone.

  The same crew that had been on stage before the song was back, and they cut the song short. Confusion broke out, and I moved up into the empty seats to hear more.

  “This is the girl we hired?” One of them pointed at Holly, sneering. “Didn’t you practice?”

  “I’ve been working my ass off getting ready for this show.” She had her hands on her hips, and she wasn’t taking any shit. I’d never been more proud of her. “If I’d been given the music—”

  “You were,” A heavy-set man said, his flat tone not inviting argument. “Don’t make excuses. We can replace you.”

  “Bullshit.” All eyes in the room fell on me. “She’s been given no information about this show, and—”

  “Rainey,” Holly interrupted me, shaking her head. She turned back to her critics and smiled like her future wasn’t on the line. “I didn’t get the music. But you can give it to me now. The next time we practice, I’ll have the routine nailed.”

  The group looked at each other; no one wanted to be the first to decide. “Who did you give the music to?” I asked.

  Holly shook her head.

  “We emailed it to the contact address on your contract,” a woman offered, not looking up from her phone.

  If Lucille had email, she had no idea how to check it. And we were never getting our hands on her password. “Send it again to this address.” I rattled off my email. “You can’t replace Holly Octane. No one else can do what she can.”

  If Holly lost this job, we were screwed.

  “A lot of girls in this city can shake their asses and take their clothes off.” A woman dismissed me, sneering at Holly. “She’s got one more chance before she’s fired.”

  7

  “They’re vampires.” Holly charged up the aisle, shoving her arms into her jacket. The theater was in chaos. The people in suits who called the shots were still clustered on the stage, arguing over how to handle their Holly problem. The guys in the band strummed and tapped on their instruments, antsy to get back to business. And that singer kept leering at her, one corner of his lip curled up in the smile.

  But that declaration trumped all of it. I walked double-time to catch up with her. The guard stepped out of her way as she blasted through the door. She didn’t stop until she reached an empty game table, leaning against it and closing her eyes.

  “Did that guy do anything to you? I hated the way he was dancing with you. It looked like he was fucking you.” The word was as obscene rolling off my tongue as it was to watch it happen. I’d never dealt with this before—full-blown jealousy. Like Holly’s routine, I’d have to practice controlling it. And like her routine, I couldn’t let my feelings put her at more of a disadvantage.

  The image would forever be burned in my head. No blacked-out figure—this scene was no longer in the future.

  “No. I can handle him.” Holly stared down at the table. “But if Lucille thinks I’ll destroy my livelihood to satisfy some imaginary vendetta, she’s wrong. She’s been gas lighting us our whole lives, and she’s the one who’s crazy.”

  A vision punched me in the face. I Saw Holly screaming, and nothing else but blackness. It was enough to make me want to stumble backward and try to catch my breath. Sharing it with Holly was useless. She’d already steeled herself against the threat of the unknown. She needed my support, not my suspicion.

  “What was it like to be up there with a bunch of vampires?” If I understood, I could help her. Stuck in between what Holly and Lucille wanted, I needed all the information I could get. I couldn’t figure a way out of this one. We’d landed in vampire central, and Holly refused to self-destruct.

  We had to work with them. The only thing I could think of on the fly was these weren’t the vampires we were meant to destroy. Which meant more vampires were on their way . And the sinking feeling they’d choose their own kind over us, especially if we killed them for real, was overwhelming.
>
  Either way, we were screwed.

  “It was a little creepy at first, the fangs and all, but then it was completely normal.” Holly dug in my bag for her purse and pulled out her hand mirror, checking her makeup. I could’ve told her she was perfect. “They’re cold. It’s gross when they touch you.”

  “Then don’t touch them.” I wished a black spot would cover the singer’s smirk in my memory.

  “This dance has got to be epic.” Holly sighed as we walked through the casino. “Can we go someplace? I don’t trust myself not to give Lucille a giant piece of my mind.”

  That was the last thing we needed that night. “Where do you want to go?”

  Holly’s face brightened. “How much money did you win?”

  “A lot.” To us, any amount qualified for that description.

  We couldn’t blow it on stupid stuff. Holly hung on to this job by a thread. Her teacher resided fifty years in the past and I needed someplace to set up my tarot table.

  “Let’s get a hotel room. I can practice being sexy and you can tell me if you like it.”

  “That’s the best idea you’ve had in a long time.” I didn’t need magic or spells when I had Holly.

  The warm desert breeze greeted us on Las Vegas Boulevard along with cat calls and wolf whistles. Holly hadn’t changed out of her stage outfit, and she caused a stir as we walked to the Alta Vista. We picked it for its convenience; it was within walking distance, and it was familiar because there were advertisements for it splashed all over the city.

  It wasn’t until we walked into the lobby that I realized what they’d been advertising.

  Vampires.

  Holly tugged my arm when I stopped short. She narrowed her eyes when she turned around. “Vision?” she asked.

  “Nope.” I pointed up at the giant billboard that advertised Immortal Dilemma, the resident undead. A guitarist spewed blood, then the image flashed to the singer cradling a dancer wearing an outfit like Holly’s in his arms, his gaze sinister as he looked up at the screen. His lips were attached to her neck, and she tumbled to the ground when he let go of her.