Callie ran after me. "Im sorry, Stefan," she said, her voice cold. "Some people dont like it here. Theyre not comfortable. But somehow I thought youd be different. "
"No, its not that. " Even surrounded by these human curiosities, I was the biggest freak of them all: the vampire who pretended to be human. "Ive just got a lot on my mind. I promise you, I like it here. "
"Okay," she said, not sounding quite convinced. But she continued to lead me farther into the grounds. We passed a two-headed cat, a sad-looking monkey playing "Old Tom Dooley" on a harmonica, and the skeleton of what a sign declared to be a sea monster. Some freaks milling around were obvi
ously actors, wearing fabric tubes filled with straw to simulate extra limbs, while others had been born that way.
"Come with me," Callie said as she tugged on my arm. But I stayed. A black iron wagon rolled up to the tent, similar to the one Father had used to round up vampires during the Mystic Falls siege. It stopped, and the driver jumped from the cart. Immediately, five burly men rushed up with stakes. Once they were in place, the driver unlocked the back of the wagon. The scent of vervain wafted in the air, causing my joints to ache.
Damon.
"And theres your vampire," Callie said, her mouth set in a firm line as all five men dragged Damon from the back of the wagon. One burly man, his sweat-stained shirt rolled at the sleeves, kept a stake positioned firmly over his heart.
"Gentle now, Jasper! We need him alive before the fight!" Callie called, her voice sharp. Damon turned, baring his teeth in our direction. I saw surprise in his eyes, which quickly turned into contempt.
"My little brother, the good Samaritan," he whispered under his breath, barely moving his jaw. Luckily, he said it low enough that only I heard.
His voice sent a tremor through my body. Callie cocked her head, and I realized how risky it was for Damon and me to be in such close proximity. Would spite cause him to call me out as a fellow demon? "Are you sure I cant help with the vampire?" I asked her.
"You heard my father. Well start you at the ticket counter. And if anyone tries to sneak in, let Buck handle them," she said, gesturing to the hulking man hovering several paces behind her like a distended shadow.
A commotion sounded in front of the tent. Callie let out a whistle as we approached. The front flap was closed tight, and a mass of people had surrounded a wooden ticket booth. Some, dressed in tattered britches and with dirt-stained hands, were clearly from the shantytown surrounding the lake. But others were dressed in their finest: the men in top hats and silk smoking jackets, the women in feather-adorned hats and silk dresses, fur stoles draped around their bosoms.
Callie turned to me, her eyes shining. "Its never been so busy. Dads going to be so happy!" she said, clapping her hands together. "Now, go help Buck," she commanded before running back around the tent.
I stood in the wooden booth at the entrance, listening for Damon. But instead my ears filled with snatches of human conversation.
"Ive got a hundred dollars on the lion. "
"No, the vampire. Monsters always win over beasts. "
"Ive told this pretty lady here that she owes me a kiss if the beast wins. " One man hiccupped, obviously drunk.
I ground my teeth, wanting to lash out, to bite each and every one of them, to teach them a lesson. But I remembered Lexis words about revenge. Killing these men would not help Damon.
A hand clapped my shoulder. I whirled around, ready to bare my teeth.
It was Gallagher, his face flushed with excitement. "We have to hustle, son! The fights about to start, and the more we pack em in, the bigger the payday. " He hopped on an overturned apple crate standing just outside the entrance.
"Step right up, folks! Welcome to my Odditorium! See the worlds ugliest woman, marvel at the worlds strongest man! But thats just the warm-up act. Because tonight, we have a battle royale, the likes of which have never been seen. Monster versus Beast. Who will win? And who wants to bet? Because this is one death that will lead to riches for some. " The crowd pressed in more tightly around me, swarming like a mass of hungry insects.
Gallagher grinned at me. "Get em in, and get em bidding. "
And so I held out my hand, collecting their coins and orange stubs of paper, all the while resisting the urge to reach out and snap their necks, as easily as I would a twig branch, and drink the liquid within.
Chapter 18
As soon as Id taken every last ticket and accepted every last dollar, I slipped into the tent behind an overweight man clutching a sweaty wad of Confederate notes in each fist. The air was thick with the stench of sweat, sawdust, and, of course, blood.
People were milling around us, paying extra money to gawk at the Strongman and the Tattooed Lady, all of whom were hidden behind thick black curtains at various intervals along the perimeter of the tent. But the majority of the crowd was clamoring around Jasper. Large wagers were being placed, with lots of shouting and hand signals and stacks of greasy notes being passed back and forth. Jasper gleefully chomped on his soggy cigar and laughed.
Sailors yanked foreign bills from their billfolds. A few teenagers pooled their coins. Well-dressed men in ties waved gold coins.
"Fight, fight, fight!" one red-faced man began yelling. Instantly, the people standing by him began to chant as well. Three well-dressed women, their hair in curls atop their heads, glanced at each other, giggled, and echoed the cheer, their alto voices contrasting with the mens baritone ones.
Gallagher strode into the tent, his cane tapping a path through the sawdust. People turned and craned their necks to catch a glimpse of him; in the circus tent, he was just as much an attraction as the freaks. After all, this was the man whod caught a vampire.
Be strong, brother, I whispered under my breath, remembering all the times Damon had won fights back in Mystic Falls. Damon had never provoked those battles but had always been a good fighter, always landing a punch fast when a fight broke out. Thats why hed been so respected in the army. But now, in a battle against a mountain lion, especially after not feeding for days I shuddered.