something,” Zora murmured. “I suppose it’s possible that Roman and Dorothy left behind a sort of . . . trail.”
Ash raised his eyebrows, and Zora, groaning, elaborated. “Okay, think of it like a boat cutting through the water, leaving a wake behind in the waves, right? It’s possible that you were dragged along in their wake and that’s how you ended up in the same time that they did.” Her eyes traveled from his hair to a spot on his abdomen, just below his ribs. She frowned at his bandage. “And, maybe . . .”
Ash lifted a hand, suddenly, stopping her. He’d just caught a scent in the air—engine grease and smoke—and the skin on the back of his neck pricked. He turned, but the morning was sunless and blurred at the edges, and he couldn’t see where fog became clouds and water became sky. The world seemed still.
“We shouldn’t be talking about this out here,” he said, feeling suddenly exposed. He took a step toward Dante’s. And then . . .
There. A creak of wood. A soft footfall. Ash reached for the gun he’d tucked into his waistband. Zora’s eyes were suddenly alert.
“Who’s there?” Ash called, struggling to breathe against the tightness in his chest. He closed his fingers around the gun’s hilt but didn’t pull it out. Unnerved, he searched through the soupy, gray light, looking for movement, listening for breathing.
Silence.
Zora nodded at something in the water out past the docks. “What’s that?”
Ash followed her gaze and saw a pinprick of light glimmering through the distant trees. He could hear a motor, low and rumbling, churning up black water in its wake. A moment later, a motorboat separated from the shadows and fog.
Ash caught Zora’s eye as the boat drew up alongside the dock and pulled to a stop. Something was wrong.
He took a step closer to the edge of the dock, pulling out his gun—
A hand shot out of the fog, and then Ash’s arm was being wrenched behind his back, the gun slipping from his fingers.
“Easy now,” said a cool voice. The hand was small, but strong, and Ash’s first thought was that Dorothy had betrayed him, that she was going to kill him now, prememory be damned.
But, when he turned, he saw pale skin and dark hair. Not Dorothy, but a girl he’d never seen before. Normally he’d be able to overpower her, but she’d caught him by surprise and had his arm twisted in a complicated hold behind his back. Pain shot through his shoulder whenever he moved.
She pointed his own gun at his temple, smiling wickedly. “We haven’t been introduced,” she said. “My name is Eliza. And that over there is Donovan.”
Ash glanced across the dock and saw that a boy had Zora in a similar hold, arms twisted behind her back, a beefy bicep curled around her neck.
“Can’t say it’s nice to meet you,” Zora breathed through clenched teeth.
The boat’s engine cut, but the sound of a rumbling motor still ghosted through the air, not quite willing to die. Ash’s gaze slid back to the edge of the dock as Mac stepped out of the fog. His crutches made hollow, clomping noises on the dock. As he approached, a few more Cirkus Freaks separated from the fog, their faces grim. Ash counted four, and then six, surrounding him, Zora, Eliza, and Donovan in a tight circle. He felt his first twist of fear. So this was going to be an ambush.
“Impressive,” Mac said, his eyes swinging from Eliza to Donovan. “I should have started recruiting Cirkus Freaks years ago.”
“Happy to help, sir,” Eliza said, holding Ash a little tighter. Ash grimaced.
“Good to see you again, Mac,” he said, hoping his light tone would cover his nerves. “Although your friends have been a little rude.”
“I figured it was about time to address that little stunt you pulled at my club.” Mac glanced lazily over at Zora. “She’s prettier than your last girl.”
Zora’s lips pulled up over clamped teeth, curling into a vicious smile. “Come a little closer and say that.”
“Bad tempered, though.” Mac stroked his jaw and shook his head. “You didn’t think I could let you get away without punishment for what that bitch did to my leg, did you? I’ve killed men for less than that.”
Ash felt a chill work its way down his spine. He clenched his shoulders to keep himself from shuddering.
“You’re not going to kill me,” Ash said. “I know how I die, and this isn’t it.”