Cursed to the Bone

18. Fair Game

As I stepped onto the leaf-covered dirt, I peered up into the towering tree-tops beyond Oktoberfest banners. The rides rose high into the fog, all of them contraptions brought in from The Mundane and built to inspire fear and nausea. Then they were taken a step further with magic. Naturally, I wouldn't be getting on any of them.

"Looks like we get our tickets here," Blake said, gesturing to the big tent. The sign above it read, Tickets.

"You think so?" Naomi said, laughing as Blake tried to slap her arm.

I dangled my lanyard in the air. "I'll wait inside."

"What?" Nix squawked, eyeing my lanyard as he was pulled into line by Rhett. I approached the gate where Lucien Lacroix stood.

"Miss Tate. What are you supposed to be?"

"A witch," I said, examining him. He wore his usual garb, too, so I gestured at him. "I take it you're a vampire."

"Indeed."

Silence fell between us. I peered into the fog, again. I didn't like fog. It gave me the creeps. Like deep water and absolute darkness, you could never be sure that nothing was lurking nearby. On the day I was cursed, it was a fog that blurred the line between our realms and spirited me into the Witchwood. What if it happened again? That would be worse than a murder attempt any day.

"You have nothing to fear." Lucien gestured to the fairgrounds. "We will observe you from afar. Enjoy the festivities."

That was easier said than done.

Naomi approached, an arm linked with Blake's, and offered the other to me. "Come on, Vee. We have rides to ride and games to play!"

Looping my arm around hers, I allowed myself to be dragged beyond food stalls that smelled of sugar and grease in search of a thrill. Thick plumes of sage puffed out of jack-o-lanterns with an eerie glow. A wave of screams rushed by. A roller-coaster. It dipped out of the fog and entered again, the wheels clanking on the tracks at high speeds.

"I want to go on that!" Nix yelled behind us.

Naomi nodded eagerly. "Same!"

"I'll watch," I shouted back, a little leery as the crowd around us grew busier the closer we got to the rides. Given a reason to stampede, I'd be toast.

Naomi's hand tightened on my elbow as I tried to flee. "No, Vee. Come with!"

My stomach twisted with guilt. I knew she just wanted to have fun, but this wasn't my scene at all. It was hectic, and therefore, too dangerous. What if my seat-belt came loose and I flew off the ride? No way. I gestured to a lowly populated game stand. "I can't. Have fun. I'll be over here. By this game."

Scowling, Naomi freed me and I slid through the crowd, careful of flying elbows and fists. I breathed easy as I got to the stand and turned to eyeball the ride. That one went high into the tree-tops. Yikes.

"You up for a shot, kid?" A woman with thick hair and sagging skin leaned on the glass bar. There were only a handful of seats occupied by struggling participants, most of them older. She gestured to a thin, metal disc that looked like a heavier version of a Frisbee. "Top prize is a disc."

"What do I do?" I asked, dropping into a seat.

The woman pointed at the enclosed area between us. "It's all about control. You supply your magic through the front and push the orb through the maze."

It didn't seem all that complicated of a game. I squinted at the maze. It was unbalanced, nailed to a block of wood that would surely make it tilt. The path to the end of the maze had holes throughout, too, making it all the more complicated. "All right." I flashed the lanyard. "I'll try it."