Corin & Angelique (After the Fall of Night) (18 page)

“He’s just looking out for you.”

“You’re sticking up for him again? Look at the way he treats you. I can’t believe you put up with it.”

“I’ve told you before, we have an understanding.”

“That’s right…friends who are enemies. I guess I’ll never understand you two and your dysfunctional friendship.”

“You look nice tonight.”

“Thanks,” she replied, pleased with the compliment.

She was aware of his
intent to sway the conversation to something other than Tomes, but she had put extra effort into looking good for him, and the fact that he’d noticed definitely scored points.

Approaching the fairgrounds, the lights from the larger rides came into view.
Pulling in, they parked and headed for a long admission line, not surprised to find the fair packed. The Jackson County Fair, after all, was one of the biggest highlights of the year.

Passing
through the gate, the smell of funnel cakes and smoked pork wafted in the air, making Angelique’s mouth water. Unable to resist the tempting aroma, she purchased a funnel cake and soda to enjoy while they strolled the grounds, sizing up the sights and rides. The place was perfect pandemonium. The racket pouring out from each attraction so loud Angelique thought she’d go deaf, but oddly, it didn’t affect her interaction with Corin. When he spoke, his voice rang clear, while everything else faded into the background.

“You should help me eat this.” Angelique offered him some
of the funnel cake.

“No, thanks. I’m afraid I’d have trouble digesting it later. Sugary muck doesn’t
agree with me.”

“Well, I love sugary muck.” Angelique took no offense, noticing again how his
voice magically floated above the blaring music and commotion. She compared it to walking in the eye of a storm—there was chaos all about them, but they strolled along in the calm center.

“What do you think of the Ferris wheel?”

“It’s my favorite ride,” she replied enthusiastically, hoping he could hear her over the noise the way she was able to hear him.

“I’ll get some tickets and we’ll ride.”

Corin left her sitting on a bench behind the ticket booths to finish off her funnel cake. A minute later, Louis Gomez appeared in front of her.

“Mr. Gomez,” Angelique acknowledged with surprise.

“How are you, Ms. Jaffler? I confess, I’m a bit embarrassed about missing our meeting this morning. You must convey my apologies to your brother. Something came up that prevented me from showing.”

“No harm done.” Angelique looked into his dark eyes, not entirely sure of his
sincerity. She didn’t mention how irritated Tomes had been, thinking he had purposely stood them up. “You have our number. Just give Tomes a call when you’re ready to reschedule. He’s flexible. Or, if you’re out our way, you’re welcome to stop by the farm. I can’t guarantee you’ll catch him home without a call, though. He comes and goes a lot.”

“I have a rather unusual schedule myself,” he replied. “So, are you here
alone?”

“No, my date is getting tickets. He’ll be back in a minute.” She motioned
toward the booth, bringing her hand back to her nose as a rancid smell floated her way.

Thinking that
Louis Gomez might be giving off the odor, and not wanting to offend him, she pretended to scratch an itch before lowering her hand. Her gaze then drifted past him to a trashcan sitting a few feet away. She supposed the smell could be emanating from there.

“Since you’re in good hands, I’ll be going. And I’ll be sure to get in touch with
your brother real soon,” he told her. “Have a great evening.”

Angelique observed his odd manner of walking as he left—practically slinking.
Watching as he gradually blended in with the crowd around him and faded out of sight, she couldn’t help thinking him a phantom…not a man at all.

* * * *

“Angelique.” The sound of Corin’s voice caused her to jump. “Is something wrong?”

“No. At least…I don’t think so,” she responded. “I
t’s strange…I just saw a man I met last night—Louis Gomez. He had expressed an interest in hiring Tomes. He was just here. We talked while you were getting the tickets.”

Corin turned and scoured the area for any sign of the brute. The fact that
the nightwalker had dared to make contact with her yet again vexed him to no end. It was apparent that the immortal knew of his affection for Angelique and that made the rival a real threat to her.

“Tomes told me about him. What did he want?” Corin took a seat next to her.

“He apologized for missing his appointment this morning. And I even hate to say this, because I know it’s going to sound crazy, but I’d swear he just disappeared…literally.”

“I imagine you lost sight of him in the crowd. There are a lot of people here
tonight.” Corin couldn’t tell her she was right, and that the nightwalker had probably dissipated into vapor. “Did he say anything else?”

“Only that he’s still interested in hiring Tomes. I told him he could call to
reschedule or just stop by the farm if he happened to be out our way.”

“You gave him an open invitation?”

“I’m not interested in the man, Corin. I’m just trying to ensure some work for Tomes. “The farm hasn’t been too productive as of late and Tomes needs the job.”

“I had no idea. If you need—”

“We’ll get by. We always do.”

“I just want you to be careful when it comes to dealing with this guy. I don’t
trust him.”

“You sound like Tomes. I think you two have been spending way too much
time together. Although…even I have to admit something peculiar about him.”

“I want you to promise that you’ll call right away if he does happen to show up
at the farm.”

“I’ve already made that promise to Tomes. But should he come around, I’ll call
one of you. Odds are I’ll probably reach you both with one call anyway. You’re practically joined at the hip lately.”

“He is working for me,” Corin reminded her.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s doing something, keeping busy. It’s good for him. And about Mr. Gomez, why don’t we put him, and everything else, out of our minds, and just have some fun. At least for tonight.” She took Corin’s hand and pulled him up. “The Ferris wheel awaits.”

Getting in
line, Corin kept an ever-watchful eye out for the nightwalker. He knew the fiend was there somewhere, watching their every move, no doubt following him since sundown. The clever creature spelt danger with a capital “D.”

When they got on the ride and reached the top of the first turn, the
immortal suddenly revealed himself in the crowd below, knowing Corin couldn’t do anything while trapped in the air with Angelique. And just as he’d suspected, the newcomer was the foreigner he’d met at Micky Joe’s Bar and Grill, only now he wore a long coat, showy, something Corin would have remembered.

You were playing me.

The immortal could have disguised himself, but he didn’t. It was obvious he wanted Corin to know who he was, instigating another challenge.

Their eyes locked and time slowed to a crawl. A
sneer contorted the nightwalker’s face while people moved around him in rapid time.

“You’re not scared of heights are you?” Angelique asked.

“No, I’m fine.” Corin pulled his eyes away from his adversary to respond. But when he looked back, his opponent had vanished.

Where are you?

Exiting the ride, Corin stayed mindful of their surroundings as they rejoined the crowd, spending the next two hours hopping from attraction to attraction. Claiming to have a worrisome knee, he avoided the funhouses and the many mirrors accompanying them, knowing that it might prove difficult to explain why he cast no reflection. Finally, with their tickets used up and satisfied that they’d seen everything, they headed for the exit. But just before reaching the gate, Angelique spotted a fortune-teller tent set back off the fairway, half-hidden in the background.

“Look.” She pointed, insistent on having her fortune read.

Corin, not caring for psychics, tried to persuade her otherwise, but she was determined. He followed her inside. It was quiet with no other fairgoers present. The interior, though open, was muffled and dim. He rotated a shoulder, feeling oppressed, as if someone had suddenly strapped a weight to his back. His gaze, drawn to the back of the tent, settled on a woman sitting at a small, round table. Half-shadowed, she stared their way. Her hair, long and white, was not synonymous with her visible age of no more than forty.

“I am Madam Monicca,” she announced. “I am a seer. You have come for a
reading?”

The woman peered at Corin causing him to shift with unease. Her chilling
eyes contained very little color, the lightest blue he’d ever seen. Her blank expression made him wonder if she saw beyond his façade—knew he wasn’t mortal, but rather, the living dead.

* * * *

“I would like a reading,” Angelique told the fortuneteller, noticing how the woman was focused on Corin. “And my friend as well.”

Madam Monicca transferred her attention to Angelique.
“I will read only you. I have nothing for your friend.” She offered no explanation.

“What?” Angelique started to protest, but Corin stopped her.

“It’s okay. I have no interest in this nonsense. You go ahead and I’ll wait outside.” He backed out of the tent, leaving Angelique alone with the fortuneteller.

Uncomfortable with the negative atmosphere, Angelique muttered that she’d
changed her mind and started to follow, but Madam Monicca called to her, prompting her to turn back.

“Wait! I do have a reading for you.”

“No thanks. I told you, I’ve changed my mind.”

“There will be no charge,” she coaxed, stepping out from behind the table and
moving her way. “Listen to me, child, I see things you cannot.” She now stood mere inches from her. “Let me see your hand,” the woman requested.

Angelique, though mesmerized, wasn’t cooperating, prompting Madam
Monicca to reach down and forcibly seize her right hand regardless of her unwillingness.

“No charge,” she said again. Turning Angelique’s palm face-up, she traced the
lines with her two middle fingers. “Yes. This is what I sensed. You are being drawn into a world of eternal darkness. I see you standing on the brink of a fall. Very soon you will be forced to choose between the day and the night.”

“What?” Angelique wished she’d listened to Corin
and bypassed the tent altogether. Attempting to pull her hand away, the woman tightened her grip.

“You may be fated, but a soul thrives within you, so hope remains. You walk
with danger, but you will be given a choice. Just remember, my dear, that once lost, the light can never be rekindled. When the darkness has fully claimed you, it will be for all time. The day will become a thing of the past and you will be left to walk forever in the night.”

With that eerily spoken warning, Angelique jerked her hand away and rushed
out of the tent. Spotting Corin leaning against a nearby fence, she hurried over to him, and clutched his arm.

“
You’re upset. What happened?”

“I’m not sure what to make of it. I tried to leave right after you did, but the fortuneteller stopped me, saying she’d do my reading for free. The next thing I knew, she was standing right in front of me. She grabbed my hand, babbling absurd gibberish, giving me the creeps.”

Corin looked back at the tent. The fortuneteller stood in the entrance, staring
their way.

“She said something about the darkness claiming me, and having to choose
between the day and the night. It was disturbing,” she went on, unnerved by the ordeal.

Corin ushered her toward the gate. “I’m sure it’s all just part of her act. Don’t
let this foolishness ruin your night.”

“If that’s her act, I’d recommend a new one, effective immediately. It’s terrible
to go in thinking you’ll get a fun, entertaining reading, only to have something so disturbing thrown at you. I just hope it doesn’t give me nightmares tonight.”

Already a restless sleeper, that was the last thing she needed. Shuddering, she wasn’t certain what
Madam Monicca had intended, but after tonight, there would be no more fortunetellers in her future. That she was certain of.

* * * *

Back inside the tent, Madam Monicca took a seat at the table, grabbed her deck of cards, and did a reading while traces of the girl’s essence were still fresh.

She laid several cards out on the table,
drawing back at the horror they revealed. It was even worse than she’d feared. The girl was being overtaken by darkness, but in that world of eternal night lurked not only one monster, but two.