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  “Cleo? What are you doing roaming around in the middle of the night? Why do you have that rifle?” Thad held his breath. He listened to the stammer in Cleo’s voice.

  “You startled me, Mr. Porter. I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.”

  “Why do you carry a weapon? Do you not feel safe amongst your own people?”

  “It’s not my own people I’m cautious of.” Her fake smile turned Thad’s stomach.

  “I shall speak to your father tomorrow and arrange guards to be posted around the camp, so his wayward daughter will not feel it vital to wield a gun.”

  “Do you deem that is necessary, Mr. Porter? Everyone in camp is a bit nervous over what happened to Thad. It was clear to us all someone who is a non-gypsy is responsible.”

  Thad bit back the surge of anger coursing his veins. Cleo actually sounded convincing. But he knew better. He had watched as she pranced off with the gaje a few hours before. A loud thud from outside and then the vardo shook as if it were in a windstorm. Jumping from the bed with his pistol in his hand, he ran out the door to see Robert Ray scurry down the path into the woods.

  His gaze met Cleo’s for a few seconds. She lowered her rifle, and then she disappeared into the darkened shadows. He could only pray she would never show her face again. If the gaje wanted her, he could have her along with her blackened heart.

  Thad yelled out an alarm for help. The blood from his father’s head stained the ground. The woman had crossed the line. If she wanted a war, she now had one. Nobody attacked his family and got away with it.

  Rustles of feet gathered around him. His mother’s screams ripped at his heart. Mrs. Porter cradled her husband’s head to her chest. Thad stood and faced the congregation surrounding him and his father. He chose his words wisely as he relayed the events to the clan. Their mumbles roared behind the vardo. Cleo’s father stomped off muttering he would convince her to tell her side of the story.

  Greta pushed through the crowd and sidled up next to Thad. She slipped her arm through his elbow. He felt her shaking. They stood watching the men pair off. Greta’s father glanced down the path. “Let’s take that route. We will find Robert Ray and bring him to justice.” Mr. Smith patted Thad on the shoulder.

  “Mr. Smith…” Thad glanced at Greta who gave him a nod. “Cleo Little and Robert Ray have targeted your daughter. We don’t know why. When Cleo shot me, the bullet was intended for Greta.”

  “How do you know of this?” Andrew moved toward Thad.

  “Greta overheard them speak of the shooting. Cleo admitted she was trying to hit your daughter.”

  “I’ll kill her if she harms one hair on my daughter’s head.” Andrew Smith’s eyes narrowed. His venomous words sent shivers down Thad’s spine.

  “Sir, you may also be in danger. We don’t know all of her plans.”

  “We are wasting valuable time, my son. Now let’s go.” Andrew turned to follow the path.

  “Papa, please listen to what Thad is trying to tell you.” Greta pushed around Thad and grasped her father’s arm.

  Andrew glanced down at her hand and then back to her face. His eyes dulled with anger. “Tell me quickly what you have to say. I do not want these two to get away.”

  “They are after Greta’s gold coins and could very well be after your wealth.” Thad rushed his words hoping to slow the actions of his future father-in-law.

  “Why would Cleo want what Greta has? She has her own wealth through her father.”

  “Greed, Mr. Smith.”

  “That’s absurd, Thad. To threaten the life of one of our own for greed? Are you sure?” Andrew wiped the sweat from his brow.

  “If she is after Greta’s coins, she will kill you for yours.”

  “Papa, when you were at the dance tonight, Cleo and Robert Ray came here. I had fastened the door before I heard them come up. They tried to come in without knocking. I believe if they would have gained entrance, you would have found me and Thad either dead or gone.” Greta’s lashes held her tears before they slithered down her cheeks.

  “We can’t stand around here doing nothing. We should help the others in the search.”

  “Mr. Smith, if they were coming after my family, I’m positive they would have killed my father instead of knocking him on the head. It would be safer if you and Greta go back to your vardo and protect your family from there. I will go in search with the others.” Thad leaned against the vardo. His knees grew weak from the strain of standing.

  Andrew Smith glanced toward the sky. He paused. Thad couldn’t imagine what was going through the man’s head. When Greta told him of her suspicions, his anger burned deeper than he could fathom. To learn his family was in danger had to have an undesirable effect no man should have to face.

  Thad tucked his pistol into the waistband of his pants. “Please, Mr. Smith. Take your daughter home, and I will join the others.”

  With slow, deliberate movement, Andrew Smith caught his daughter by the elbow and guided her in the direction of his vardo.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Greta stood beside Doriya. The amulet turned ice cold. “Quick, Doriya, attach to my mind.”

  “Why would I want to do that?” Doriya narrowed her eyes at Greta.

  “Something is going on, and I want you to see what it is. It could help us plan on how to stop this sort of thing.” Greta’s heart pounded as she waited for the answer.

  A warming calm passed through Greta as Doriya entered into her mind. Doriya laid her hand on Greta’s arm, and then the paralyzing sensation washed over them.

  The vision began immediately. Doriya gasped.

  Hurried footsteps rounded the corner of the Porter vardo. Cleo’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart picked up a beat. A gasp escaped her lips when Mr. Porter’s sudden appearance startled her. She leveled the rifle to his chest. Her finger twitched against the metal trigger. He stopped abruptly. Mr. Porter’s eyes widened. Excitement ran through her as she watched the fear cross his face. The power and control of the gun consumed her. Lifting her shoulders, she stared him in the eyes.

  Greta glanced at Doriya. She wondered if the Shuvihani was breathing. The old witch’s fingers tightened around her arm.

  Cleo tried to keep her voice pleasant and unsuspecting. By the look on Mr. Porter’s face, she knew he doubted every word she said. She pushed her anger aside and repeated to him her fear of the gaje. Her thoughts swirled as the lies poured easily off her tongue.

  “Mr. Porter, I am a simple woman. What kind of protection do I have against a gaje? They are mean and ruthless when they steal women of our kind. You know what they intended to do to Aisley. And look what they did to poor Aleandro and Rosanna. Killing them the way they did. I still have nightmares from the gruesome stories I’ve heard.”

  Cleo sucked in a quick breath. It was against the gypsy rule to speak of the dead. She gritted her teeth and hoped he had missed her mentioning their names.

  Greta wondered if Cleo had a hand in the murder of her aunt and uncle. No one in the clan knew much about what happened that day. Cleo sounded as if she knew every gory detail. Besides, nobody talked about it. How dare her for even bringing it up.

  “You should be under your father’s protection if you feel that way Cleo. I will speak to him about posting guards around the camp, so our young folks don’t feel so vulnerable when they decide to take a late night stroll…alone.” His brows narrowed as he stared into her eyes. She shivered.

  Cleo thought he should mind his own business and quit asking questions. When the time is right, he will have all the answers he needs. Cleo caught sight of Robert Ray as he crept up behind the man and raised his hand. The butt of his pistol came down hard upon Mr. Porter’s head. Blood gushed from the gash. She stared at the slumped body.

  For a moment Cleo froze to admire the red liquid flowing from the man’s head. A strong desire came over her to reach down and let the sticky, warmth of life settle on her fingers. The twigs crushed beneath Robert’s feet as he hurri
ed down the path broke her trance-like state. Cleo knew he would wait for her at Cherished Silence. She pulled her thoughts together and then followed Robert’s retreating form.

  Greta’s breath became labored. She could feel Doriya trying to pull away, but she couldn’t. Doriya’s eyes widened.

  “Let’s go.” Cleo scurried past Robert.

  “What? You can’t go with me.” As he spoke, Cleo whirled around and glared at him.

  “I can’t stay here now that you have hit Orin Porter on the head.”

  “You would have shot him! Cleo, you are a dangerous woman. You’re evil, and I don’t think I like you much.”

  “Keep your voice down. The clan will hear you. You’re in this just as much as I am. Now let’s get out of here before they find us.” Cleo reached out and grabbed Robert’s hand. She pulled him toward the path he always used when he came to meet her.

  The dark, dense trail through the thicket faded. Cleo’s heart picked up a beat. The eeriness of the shadows danced around them. The spirits called to her from the rustling treetops. Cold fingers of the dead reached down to touch her soul. She welcomed the demons invading her body. In a few days’ time, she would come back to this spot and pray for all the secrets it held to reveal themselves. Low mumbles of the living interrupted her from accepting the black magic pouring into her body.

  Greta didn’t want Doriya to be stuck in the mind of Cleo. She thought that Doriya would be able to escape when she had seen enough. It was her fault the Shuvihani couldn’t pull away. “I’m sorry.” She tried to send the message to Doriya, but the words bounced back to her.

  “How do we get out of here?” Cleo whispered.

  Greta drew in her breath. She had been trying to ask Doriya the same question. Had Cleo intercepted her thoughts?

  Footsteps rushed from behind them. Robert jammed his hands into the bushes. Within seconds he spread his arms to open a space in the undergrowth for her to crawl in. Cleo waited for Robert to follow her. They huddled in the darkness. Moist soil tickled her nose. Dried thorns from the shrubbery stung her legs and back. Her hair caught on dead branches pulled her scalp.

  Cleo sucked in a breath as the legs of gypsy men appeared a few feet from them. The barrels of their rifles poked and prodded the thick underbrush. Her grip on the rifle tightened. An excited pulse quickened in her veins. She envisioned the crimson liquid spilling from the men if she pulled the trigger on the gun.

  They were so close, how could she miss? Her left side turned very cold. She glanced over to see a beautiful apparition at her side. The woman with long flowing white hair reached out her arm and stilled the rifle at Cleo’s side. Shivers ran down her spine.

  “It is not time yet.” The apparition whispered near her ear.

  Doriya stiffened. Greta cried out silently as she glanced over at her face. Doriya’s lips thinned, and her brows furrowed. There was a darkness burning in her eyes that Greta had never seen before.

  The woman next to Cleo had white illuminating eyes. The icy coldness seemed hollow as she stared at Cleo. Cleo tried to push herself from the ground, but the woman held her down. “Are you Sherpa, the high priestess of black magic? I want to go with you. You have so much to teach me.”

  “Yes, I am. There will be plenty of time later. I have great plans for you, Cleo. I will come to you in the livery when you and your man get there.” The woman laid her hand on Cleo’s arm and smiled briefly. In the blink of an eye, the apparition was gone. Cleo ducked her head and listened to the shuffling of the footsteps before her. The men’s voices broke the silence.

  Doriya’s long fingernails dug into Greta’s flesh. Greta wanted to scream out or swipe the grasp from her arm. Like before, the only part of her body she could move was her head.

  “We need to check on Orin. Cleo and that gaje won’t go far.” Sam Grey’s voice was low.

  “Poor Mr. Little and his wife! I am glad I can’t imagine the disgrace he feels from the things his daughter has done. He loves her unconditionally. His heart has to be crushed. If it were my daughter, I know I would be,” Garland Tierney said.

  “Would you have married her?” one of the other clansmen asked.

  “Perhaps. I’m a firm believer things happen for a reason. It’s not for me to question. I know she didn’t wish to marry me, and I’m all right with that. I would never suspect her doing the things she’s done.” Garland breathed out a long sigh. “I suppose I’m a lucky man she didn’t accept me.”

  The footsteps faded as they retreated down the short trail toward Cherished Silence. Cleo let out a sigh. A laugh bubbled in her throat, but she swallowed back the sound.

  Greta struggled against the tight bonds that bound her to Cleo. Cleo’s mind seemed to flitter from one thought to the next with no connection between them. Greta silently gasped as Cleo’s selfishness became obvious.

  Garland considers himself lucky because I rejected him? Well, Mr. Tierney, we will see just how lucky you are when I am finished with the gypsy’s. You will not escape the wrath of the black magic witch. You will pay for thinking so lowly of me. I will prove to the clan I am a very powerful person. Just you wait and see.

  Robert pulled her from the hiding spot. His dark eyes narrowed as he glared at her. Without a word, he huffed out a loud breath and pushed the underbrush to the side as he led her through a maze of broken branches, thick berry bush and tangled tree roots.

  The palm of his hand grew sweaty against her skin. His prolonged silence sent bone-jarring hatred to cours through Cleo. He continued to lead her through the forest, with several hard yanks to her arm when she slowed. The soles of her feet burned as though she had been walking on hot embers.

  “How much farther?” Cleo planted her feet in the ground. She hoped the witch didn’t have to wait long before she got to the meeting place.

  Robert whirled around to her. “Quit whining, Cleo. You got us in a fine mess when you shot that young buck, Thad. Now you think I should be able to snap my fingers and forget about it all. How did I get mixed up with the blackest-hearted gypsy in these parts?”

  “Shooting Thad was an accident. If I would have hit Greta, we would be reaping the rewards.” Cleo lifted her chin to meet his challenge.

  “How so? What would you have gained? Less competition from a beautiful woman? If it hadn’t been her, who would it have been?” Robert moved closer to her. His foul breath blew into her face like a gust of wind. She shook her head.

  “Will you stay mad at me forever, my sweet gaje? I would have gained the notoriety of the clan by being the greatest Shuvihani to take the place of our witch, Doriya. I would have gained power and respect throughout the caravan.” Cleo loved the lie as it fell easily from her lips. For many years, she had been fooling the clan. She even had the old witch puzzled.

  “Is that what you want? Power? Control?” Robert’s brows furrowed. He reached for her hand again and pulled her through more of the thick bramble. They came upon a clear pathway that led to the back of the livery. “Stay here while I make sure no one is in the area.”

  Cleo faded into the shadows as she waited for Robert’s return. His broad back stiffened as his shoulders rose. The swagger of his hips sent her heart to racing. Her heart swelled as she thought about how he had stood up to her. The assault of his words stung her pride, but also sparked desire coursing down her body.

  “You must work hard to pull him to our side, Cleo.” Sherpa sidled against Cleo’s side.

  “Why would you want him in the coven? He’s not a witch. Robert is just a simple man with no purpose.” Cleo turned her head toward Sherpa. Her long white hair blew back from her face. Sherpa’s icy white eyes had dulled since their meeting in the woods. The witch’s long, straight black dress shimmered in the moonlight. Her gray iridescent cape fluttered over her shoulders.

  “To gain power and control over the gaje. The gypsy are not the only souls we take. The non-gypsy also have some powerful souls willing to join us. You must work hard to convince Robert Ray. He h
as a black heart, but he’s torn between right and wrong. Your final initiation will be to pull him into our circle.”

  A flash of light from near the livery blinked in the shadows. Cleo spotted the lantern raised above Robert’s head and the wave of his free arm beckoned her to join him.

  “I’ll do my best.” Cleo took a step forward.

  “Your entry into our group depends on it.” Sherpa faded into the darkness.

  Cleo danced to the tune in her mind. Robert’s eyes fixed on her. She knew Sherpa was making sure the gaje was being pulled into Cleo’s soul. As the high priestess had said, gaje souls were as good as gypsy souls. Cleo’s sensual desires ran deeper as his trance-like gaze settled on her. The dance became one of possession and not mere entertainment.

  “He is trying to fight it, Cleo. Dance for Thad.” Sherpa whispered in her ear. Cleo closed her eyes. “Do you see him Cleo? He’s coming to dance with you. The scent of fresh carved wood is enticing. His hands floating close to you, quiver to touch you. Dance for him Cleo. Dance for Thad.”

  Greta’s stomach churned. She wanted to run to the men and tell them where Cleo hid. The desire to scratch out Cleo’s eyes burned deep within her.

  Cleo drifted into the vision Sherpa created. Her body melted into smooth tempting movements no man could resist. She didn’t care who she danced for now. The freedom to release all of her gypsy restrictions enlightened her. In her vision, all eyes were fixed on her as she twirled and shimmied. In the background she could see the tears running down Greta’s face as she reeled Thad into her demands.

  A strange laugh pulled Cleo from her tantalizing daydream. Her eyes snapped open. Clattering of overturned furniture filtered through the door of the small room she was in with Robert. He jumped from the chair and ran to the door. A crash banged against it just as Robert twisted the handle.