Pride of the Lion: Hades' Carnival, Book 3 (6 page)

Decision made, she headed down the hallway toward the elevators. The muted sounds of laughter, voices and music echoed from the still-hopping ballroom. She ignored it and hurried past, not wanting to run into anyone. The corridors were surprisingly empty considering the crowd that was here for the convention.

One of the doors to another ballroom stood open on her left and she hesitated as she passed by. The sign outside said
AUCTION
in bold letters. The information beneath it said the sale was taking place tomorrow afternoon and they would be selling off the remains of an old-time carnival. Curious as to what was being auctioned off, she took a peek inside.

At first glance, the room seemed empty, other than what appeared to be a ticket booth with chipped and faded paint off to her left. But as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed a light was on in the far corner of the ballroom. She took a few hesitant steps before her feet faltered and she came to a halt. She blinked, certain she couldn’t be seeing what she thought she was.

In the corner of the room, beneath the light was the carousel from her dream.

But that was impossible. It was only a dream, a figment of her imagination. It wasn’t real. Maybe she’d passed the open door yesterday and caught a quick glimpse of the carousel. She might not remember seeing it, but her subconscious would. That made perfect sense and explained her dream.

She took a step back toward the doorway and stopped, chewing on her bottom lip. She really should head to her room, shower and pack. But the carousel beckoned, pulling at her as if with invisible threads.

“One minute,” she promised herself. She tiptoed into the room and glanced around to make certain no one else was here. Heavy tarps were piled in one corner covering other pieces of equipment, but she was definitely alone.

She thought about closing the door but decided against it. She wasn’t staying long and she didn’t want to shut herself into the room by herself. There was something about the entire thing that was giving her the shivers. This was like something out of a horror movie—woman leaves safety of party to explore by herself and ends up being killed by a psycho serial killer.

“Get a grip.” She’d definitely done too much reading about demons and curses for her new series. It was turning her into one of those women afraid of her own shadow. She wasn’t having it.

The warning the fortuneteller had given her earlier this evening went through her head. Beware. Danger. Things aren’t what they seem. Maybe Sabrina Wolfe was the real deal. Maybe she was right.

“Don’t think about it.”

A carnival sign was propped up against one wall. It was meant to be lit, enticing men, women and children to come and play and spend their money for a few hours of fun. But was currently dark. Still, she could read the words. “Shade’s Carnival.” Must be the name of the carnival the carousel had come from.

She’d decided against using Hades’ Carnival or the Devil’s Carnival in her book. Too obvious. She’d settled on Black’s Carnival, naming it after her new agent during the rewrites of the first book before it was published. Too bad she hadn’t thought about the name Shade’s Carnival. It was close to Hades. Would have been cool to have several of the lights go out when one of the heroines saw the sign. But it was too late to change now, and she was happy with the name she’d chosen for her fictional carnival.

Beside it sat another faded sign that listed the prices for various rides and the sideshows. She ran her finger over the lettering, trying to imagine what the carnival would have looked like when it was set up and everything was running.

It was easy to envision the flashing lights and blaring music, the laughter and squeals of the crowds, the smell of the grease and sugar from the food and the mechanical
whoosh
from the rides. She’d done a lot of research on old-time traveling carnivals for her last two books, and these signs were definitely from the forties or fifties, maybe even older. It was hard to say.

Maybe she should stick around tomorrow long enough to bid on one of the signs. If they didn’t sell for too much, it would be cool piece of Americana to hang on her office wall.

She left the signs and cautiously crept across the room to the carousel. It was uncannily like the one in her dream, right down to the chipped white, red and gold paint and the two remaining animals sitting on it. The wolf appeared just as vicious as the one from her dream did. His mouth was open, exposing sharp fangs, ready to rip at his prey or his enemy.

A shiver raced down her spine and she rubbed her hands over her arms. This was crazy. She really should just turn around and leave. She started to, but something compelled her to carry on.

Araminta slowly walked around the carousel. It would have been spectacular in its day with the beautifully carved wood, vibrant paint and gilt trim. And this was no children’s ride. The animals had both been carved larger than life, suitable for an adult to sit on.

There were many empty spots and she looked down, wondering what had been there. A small plaque caught her gaze. “Serpent.” She wondered what that would look like. It was hard to picture a large snake. Maybe it was more dragon-like. It was hard to say.

She went around the carousel, reading the various metal plaques. There was a phoenix, tiger, jaguar and a bear missing. She was almost around the carousel when she came to the other remaining animal.

She knew what it was, but was half afraid to look at it. Would the lion be like the one in her dream?

Araminta slowly raised her head and met the gaze of a huge, majestic creature—a lion, the king of the beasts. And he did indeed look like a king with his thick chest, muscular legs and enormous paws. But it was his face that held her attention. His mane was thick and shaggy, done in shades of yellow, orange and brown. His mouth was open on a silent roar, exposing sharp fangs and a pink tongue.

She shivered as memories of her dream man rushed through her. His tongue had been clever and the texture had been like fine sandpaper. “Forget him,” she admonished herself. “Concentrate on what you’re doing here and now.”

She peered into the creature’s eyes and took a step back. They were molten gold and they seemed to be staring right at her.

Chapter Four

Araminta was overwhelmed with the urge to run but was unable to move. She was rooted to the spot.

The lion’s eyes were so realistic. Whoever had carved the animals for this ride was a master craftsman. She’d never seen anything quite this spectacular. The lion was so lifelike she felt as though she could reach out and touch his thick mane and the smooth, heavily muscled flanks of his body and feel a creature of flesh and blood instead of wood and paint.

She licked her lips and glanced nervously over her shoulder. All she’d need was for hotel security to find her somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. She really should leave.

But she couldn’t. Not until she touched the lion. She’d never really had a fascination with any animal before, but she did now. She’d had that incredible dream last night and now this. Her next shifter book would definitely feature a lion as the hero.

Her hand shook as she raised it and reached out. Fingers stroked over wood and a deep sense of disappointment struck her. She’d really expected to feel fur and warmth. Which was really stupid. She’d blame it on the alcohol except all she’d had tonight was ginger ale.

“You really are quite handsome.” That was a tame word for such a majestic creature. “Wild and feral and very impressive.” She trailed her hand over his back and stroked his mane. She wondered what it would feel like if he were real. Would it be thick and soft or coarse and rough?

She sighed and let her hand fall back to her side. As much as she could stay all night and study the carousel animal, it was time for her to go back to her room and pack for the trip home.

It was disappointing, and for a brief moment, she imagined this is what Cinderella must have felt like when the clock stroked midnight. This weekend was all about fantasy, but the fairy tale was over and reality waited.

“Fierce, isn’t he?”

Araminta whirled around and felt her face heating. She was caught red-handed. “Ah, yes, he is.”

Luna sauntered across the room, her high heels clicking on the hardwood floor. She was wearing another form-fitting dress. This one was a burnished gold and looked striking with her ebony hair. Her eyes tilted up the slightest bit at the outer corners, adding to her exotic appearance. Her makeup was flawless, her clothing runway caliber and the gold and diamonds at her neck certainly looked real.

Araminta felt frumpy in her black dress and costume jewelry.

Luna’s lips curved up into a sensual smile when she reached Araminta’s side. “He really is something special.” Luna reached out and touched the lion’s head, and Araminta suddenly wanted to smack the other woman’s hand away, to tell Luna that the lion belonged to her.

She wanted to protect him.

This night kept getting weirder and weirder.

“I saw you leave the party earlier. I thought you’d only gone to the ladies’ room, but you didn’t come back.” Luna sauntered around the carousel and trailed her fingers over the wolf’s flanks. “There’s nothing wrong, is there?”

Araminta blinked when she thought she saw the wolf tense beneath Luna’s touch. She shook her head. “No, nothing at all. I just thought I’d call it a night. I’m not much of a partier.” For some reason she felt the need to apologize, which wasn’t like her. It was probably because she didn’t want Luna to think she wasn’t enjoying herself. “It’s been a wonderful weekend.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun.” Luna’s painted fingernails stood out against the wolf’s black and gray fur. With their deep-red color they looked almost like drops of blood spilling over the animal’s side. “I thought you might have decided to have a really good time tonight.” Luna flashed another smile. “I saw the bartender chatting you up earlier.”

Araminta snorted. “Me and several other women apparently.”

Luna’s lips flattened into a grim line. “Is that so?”

Crap, she hadn’t meant to make trouble for the guy, even if he was a jerk. “I knew it was just harmless flirting. It didn’t mean anything.”

Luna smiled again, but this time it seemed brittle, not quite as natural.

Araminta took a step back and let her hands fall by her sides. “I really should be getting to my room. It was a lovely evening.” And the quicker it was over the better.

“You should ride him.” Luna’s words stopped her cold. Araminta glanced longingly at the carousel but shook her head.

“I shouldn’t. This piece is old, museum quality really, and I don’t want to damage it.” As much as she longed to sit on the lion, she didn’t want to do it with Luna watching her. She’d feel too self-conscious and silly.

“Nonsense,” the other woman replied. “I know the owner of the carnival who is auctioning off all this stuff and he wouldn’t mind at all. In fact, he’d insist.” She moved closer and laid her hand on Araminta’s arm. “You must try him. I won’t take no for an answer.”

Araminta sensed the underlying command in Luna’s voice and didn’t understand why it was so important to her. She almost refused, but she thought of her agent, her publisher and her upcoming book. She didn’t want to make an enemy out of Luna Starquest by refusing such a simple request. It would make her look petty considering the honor Luna had given her by inviting her to her special author’s weekend.

“Sure. Why not?” She smiled at Luna even though she could think of a half dozen reasons why she shouldn’t. “Thank you.” As soon as she was done, she would say goodnight to her host and end this bizarre evening.

“Excellent.” The satisfaction in Luna’s voice gave her pause, but there was no turning back now.

Araminta wished she were wearing pants and not a dress. It would make this so much easier. But she could do this. A quick on and off and she’d be on her way back to her room in no time.

She stepped up onto the side of the platform, almost pitching forward when it tilted with the extra weight. The lion really was quite large and it wouldn’t be easy to climb onto his back, especially not while wearing a dress.

“Go ahead. No need to be shy.” Luna waved her hands in a shooing motion.

The lights seemed especially warm beaming down on the carousel and Araminta began to sweat. The whole room seemed hotter than it had been only moments before. Luna had moved out of the direct light, more into the shadows. She seemed almost malevolent standing there, watching, waiting.

Now she was being utterly ridiculous. The woman was giving her the chance to try out an antique carousel animal. It was a wonderful thing and would be a great opportunity. All she had to do was climb on and enjoy herself. She could definitely use the experience in her next book and the writing would be all the more realistic if she’d actually sat on the lion’s back. The heroines in her books had ridden a carousel animal. Now she was being given the chance to do it too.

“The clock is ticking,” Luna reminded her.

Once again, Araminta felt like Cinderella, except this time in reverse. In the fairy tale, Cinderella’s life went back to normal at the stroke of twelve. Araminta had the feeling her life would never be the same if she did this. She could sense Luna’s growing impatience.

“Just do it and get it over with,” she whispered under her breath. She shoved aside all her misgivings, hiked up her skirt and threw her leg over the back of the lion. It wasn’t easy, but she grabbed his neck and pulled herself upward until she was sitting on his back.