Circus of The Darned (14 page)

Ben put his hands on each side of my head and leaned in, his breath brushing my face in a soft

caress. Despite being angry at him, my stomach was twisting and turning happily because he had

that look in his eye that he got whenever he kissed me. "How could any mortal man resist such a beautiful, alluring girl as you?"

"I don't care about the mortal ones," I said, my breath coming short and fast as he leaned in even closer. I put my hand on his chest and let his feelings flow into me.

Tell me I'm interested in anyone but you
, he commanded, and as an answer, 1 brushed my lips against his, sliding my arms under his until we were pressed so tightly together, I couldn't tell where I ended and he began.

I
might have overreacted a little
, I admitted as his tongue flicked over the corner of my mouth.

I'd never been one for French kissing before Ben because, I mean—tongues! But it was different

with him. It was exciting and wonderful and he tasted like the spicy mulled wine Mom had let

me have a sip of last Christmas. My whole body went up in a rush of tingles as I kissed him

back, intent on showing him that I appreciated his honesty.

And?

All right, I take your point. I wouldn't like you to be jealous of me being around other guys. So I
will try very hard not to care if Desdemona corners you again.

His lips curved against mine in a smile.

But you could tell her hands off, you know! It wouldn't hurt.

He pulled away enough to laugh. "Ah, Fran, you never fail to delight me."

"That's me, good ole entertaining Fran… oh.Hi, Mom."

Over Ben's shoulder, my mother's face loomed angry and scowling. He pulled away and half

turned to see her.

She tossed down her bag of Wiccan stuff and stood glaring at Ben. "I thought we had an

agreement?"

Ben inclined his head slightly."My apologies. Fran was upset with me, and I was simply trying to straighten things out."

"Agreement?"I asked, licking my lower lip. I could still taste Ben on it, which made my legs feel like they were made of Jell-O. "What agreement?"

"If it happens again, you will leave me no choice," Mom said in a cold voice. She moved aside so the open door could be seen, her arms crossed over her chest.

Ben turned back to me for a moment, caressing my cheek.
Good night, sweet Fran. Sleep well
.

"Hey, wait a sec—Ben! You don't have to leave."

He nodded at my mother, said good night to her, and without another look at me, left the trailer, closing the door behind him.

"What agreement?" I all but yelled, so frustrated I wanted to scream.

"I have told you before that he is not allowed in our trailer," she answered, snatching her bag and brushing past me to get to her room. "I won't have you putting yourself in a dangerous position."

"Dangerous position?"I said, following her to the door to her room."With Ben? How dangerous can he be? I'm his frickin' Beloved!"

"He's a man," she snapped, whirling around and marching back over to me. "I've seen the way

he looks at you, and I will not allow him to use you that way."

My mother has gone insane
, I told Ben.

She's concerned for you.

Did she tell you that you couldn't come to our trailer?

We have an agreement, yes. I am allowed to continue seeing you so long as I abide by the

boundaries she has set for you.

"You set boundaries for me?" I yelled, so angry I felt like I was going to burst. "I am not a child!

You can't treat me like one!"

"You are a minor and my daughter, and I will continue to look out for your interests so long as I need to," she said, slamming her things into a drawer. "Yes, I set boundaries. Someone had to. It was clear to me that you are naive enough, and smitten enough, to allow Ben any liberty."

My mouth hung open for a few seconds. "This is about sex, isn't it? You think I'm going to have sex with Ben? I just barely learned how to kiss him!"

"From what I saw a few minutes ago, you're very well along in your lessons. I will not have you throwing away your life on a… a…"

"Dark One?"I said,my arms wrapped tight around myself. I was so angry, so hurt that my mother didn't trust me one little bit, my body was shaking, my eyes puddled with tears of

frustration.

"Vampire."Mom spat the word out. "He may try to wrap it up in clean linen, but he's a vampire, Fran. Born of the dark powers, he is a parasite on the living, an abomination in the eyes of the goddess."

I grabbed the doorknob. "You can take your goddess and stick her up your—"

"Fran!"Mom shrieked, her face black with anger.

"Ben is not evil. He is not a parasite or an abomination. He's a guy who just happens to be made a little different from most people. And he's my friend. No, he's my boyfriend. And you can

make all the agreements you want with him, but I am not going to honor them. You may not

have any trust in me, but I believe in Ben. He'd never hurt me.Never!"

"You foolish, stupid girl," Mom said.

I slammed the door closed, tears running down my face. I thought for a few seconds about

running to Imogen's trailer and demanding to stay with them, but I knew my mother would drag

me back, and I'd die if anyone saw that. Instead I grabbed my iPod, blanket, and pillow, and

curled up on the couch, ignoring my mother when she came out a few minutes later.

Chapter Eleven

"Good morning, Fran." Imogen stopped on her way past where I was slumped at one of the tables. She looked around the area, then glanced at me, her eyes widening. "You look horrible."

"That's always so flattering to hear," I said, trying to shake my grumpy mood to give her a smile.

It wasn't Imogen's fault my mother was so biased she couldn't understand about Ben and me. "If you're looking for Tibolt, he went off for his run about half an hour ago. Mikaela and Ramon

went into town to have something with one of the chainsaws fixed. Peter is off buying supplies

for the horses… horse."

"I've always felt flattery wasn't needed between friends," she said, setting down her latteand taking a seat opposite me. Imogen wore a pair of white linen shorts, white tank top, and gauzy

white and silver blouse over it. "You must have been up early to see everyone about their

business."

I eyed the tan leg she swung next to me. "Why is it that female Moravians can get a tan, but the men can't tolerate the sunlight?"

"It has something to do with the nature of the original curse, I believe," Imogen said, shrugging slightly as she sipped her latte. "Now, are you going to tell my why you look so horrid this morning, or shall I have to guess?"

"Mom and I had a fight over Ben."

"Ah," she said, nodding.

I flicked a piece of orange peel from my breakfast into the nearby trash. "You're not surprised?"

"That your mother is threatened by Benedikt? No. She would not be a loving parent if she wasn't concerned for you."

"Oh, not you too," I said, rubbing my forehead. "I'm sixteen, I'm not a child! I don't need someone watching out for me. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself. I'm a Beloved, for

heaven's sake!"

"No, Fran, you're not," she said, setting down her cup and taking my hand in hers. I'd only

recently started allowing Imogen to touch my hands. She had a lot of emotions that I didn't think were any of my business, but I knew she loved Ben, and like me a lot, so I didn't flinch when she took my hand, giving it a little squeeze. "You were born to be hisBeloved , yes. But you have not yet completed the seven steps to Joining with him, and until you do that, you cannot comprehend what it is to bind yourself to one man for an eternity. You cannot imagine what you will be

sacrificing in order to be his Beloved. Your mother understands some of that, and she's just

trying to protect you as best she can."

I made a face. "I doubt it. She's just being a control freak and trying to keep me under her thumb. She still thinks I'm a little kid, and I'm not!"

"Of course you're not. You have great powers, but more importantly—" Imogen drew a ward over my chest—"you have a large, caring heart. You put other people before yourself, and no child would do that. But you do have to give your mother a little credit for wanting to keep you from being hurt. She has seen more of the world than you have."

"I know." I sighed, my anger melting slightly."Although she hasn't raised a herd of Vikings, or killed a demon. And she's not dating a vampire."

Imogen smiled. "I have an uncle she might like—but that's neither here nor there. Now, other than your fight with Miranda, what are you looking so very blue about?"

"Oh… everything."I flicked the last bit of orange skin into the trash."The date tonight. The Vikings I can't seem to send home. Teslamissing, and me helpless to find him.Ben keeping

secrets from me."

"Very well.I was going to have a swim with Tibolt today, but you need my help far more than he needs to pay attention to me." Imogen set her cup down.

I giggled at the way she phrased her plans for Tibolt.

"Let us take this step by step. Your date tonight with Benedikt—your mother has not forbidden you to go out with him?"

"No. And she'd better not," I said, thinning my lips.

"Good. Your outfit you have taken care of. That just leaves the setting, and that's up to Benedikt.

I have given you valuable advice on how to act, so I don't see that you have any worries where

the date itself is concerned."

"Well… I'm a bit worried about the Vikings."

"Why?" Imogen asked. "I haven't seen them attack anyone lately."

Timing is everything. At that moment Isleif strolled by, wearing a pair of scarlet-and-orange

striped biking pants and purple tank top. In one hand he had his hunting bow, the other a book of

dog breeds. "Good morning goddess, Imogen. I'm going hunting for poodles. Would you like to join me? I hope to get enough to make a pair of poodle fur leggings."

I looked at Imogen.

She sighed.

"If we run across a herd of them, I should have enough pelts to make you a pair as well," Isleif generously offered.

"Are there any poodles on the island?" I asked Imogen under my breath.

"Not that I've seen. No one lives here but the archeologypeople, and they only have golden retrievers."

"Knockyourself out," I said to Isleif. He stared in surprise."Um. I mean, go right ahead. Have fun.Happy… er… poodling."

"Very well," Imogen said as he walked away. "I concede that the Vikings are an issue, although I'd like to point out that Finnvid has not been any trouble, and has a most delicious way with…

but that's beside the point."

"Not to mention way too much information." I smiled.

"Next on your list is Tesla, and I believe you and Benedikt have done all you can there. I wish there was something I know of to help, but short of hiring a detective to investigate—something that would be bound to cost a great deal of money—I'm at a loss."

I rubbed my forehead again. The headache I thought I'd gotten rid of this morning was

back."Yeah, me too."

"And as for Benedikt keeping secrets—you must realize, Fran, that he has commitments to

people other than yourself."

"I know that. He told me about his blood brother. Or rather, he told me that he couldn't tell me about him.Something about an oath. Which I understand, I really do. But it's still kind of

annoying to have him disappear for a month and pop back up and not say where he's been. Or go

off for the night and come back almost dead!"

"I admit that last annoyed me, as well," she agreed. "But you must learn to trust Benedikt. He would never do anything that would harm you."

"I know that. I just hate that he's off doing probably really neat things without me."

She smiled. "I sense that your feelings for him are becoming deeper than perhaps you realize."

"Not going there," I said, sighing again. Sometimes life seemed so overwhelming.

"All right, we won't. Out of your four issues, I believe only one is a legitimate concern, and I can help you with that."

"With the Vikings?"I stopped rubbing my forehead to squint into the morning sun that shown over her shoulders.

"Yes. You wish to send them toValhalla , correct?"

"Yeah."I told her what had happened the night before. "I was going to summon this Loki god guy, but Mikaela went off to get a chainsaw fixed, so I'm stuck waiting until they get back."

"Nonsense," Imogen said, drinking the last of her latte and throwing the paper cup into the trash.

She stood, dusting herself off. "You have me."

"I do?" I got up slowly, not sure what she was getting at.

"Yes, you do. I shall summon the god Loki, and you will lay your case before him."

"But… you're not a witch.Or a priestess, for that matter."

"No, I'm Moravian. That is infinitely better," she said without the slightest trace of arrogance. I followed her to her trailer, and waited while she dug out a book of invocations and grabbed a few odd items from one of the drawers under her couch. I glanced a couple of times at the door to her bedroom, knowing Ben must be in there since he usually slept through the early part of the day, when the sun was at its strongest.

"Shall we?"

I nodded and trotted obediently at her heels as we made our way through the just-waking-up fair to a small sandy area that jutted out of a rocky stretch of beach.

"This is a nice quiet place where we shouldn't be disturbed," she said, nodding at me to set my armload down. I helped her spread out a blanket, pour a little water into a metal chalice, and lay out some flowers, a big black feather, and a large curved animal claw.

"Have you done this much?" I asked, chewing my lip a little as she consulted her book.

"Not with Norse gods, no.But it can't be that hard if Mikaela did it. Now, let's see… for the earth we have purified water and—just grab a handful of dirt would you? Set it in that little cup.