Page 22 of Carnival of Crows

I had the idea to take Luci up there when she was feeding the crows. So, I texted him.

Damien

Need the tower at ten.

His response had arrived almost immediately.

Jack

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Followed by:

You finally got a girl?

Then:

Don’t worry, lover boy. I’ll clear out.

Luca would know within the hour. Jack would make sure of it. I would try to convince them that I was trying to impress Luci for the business, but I could not care less about her review right now.

Not when Luci was walking beside me, looking around with the kind of wonder that made every sleepless night restoring this place worth it.

When we got to the base of the tower, she stopped.

“You brought me here?”

“Ladies first.” I gestured up the steps.

She peered upward. The staircase disappeared into darkness. Then she looked back at me.

“You didn’t bring me out here to murder me, did you?”

A laugh escaped before I could stop it.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I knew it!”

Then she stepped inside. The iron staircase circled the tower in tight switchbacks. One hand gripped the weathered railing while the other brushed lightly against the center post as she climbed. I waited until she’d gained a little distance. No sense making the climb awkward.

I leaned my cane carefully against the base of the tower before following her upward.

The stairs creaked beneath my boots. A cool breeze carried the scent of pine and woodsmoke through the open slats. She climbed steadily, her denim shorts and her fishnets catching the moonlight between the beams.

I politely kept my eyes on the steps. For approximately three seconds. Then they betrayed me. The worn denim hugged her as she climbed, one careful step after another.

October had always smelled like apples. Somehow, watching her disappear farther up the staircase, I understood why. This was an apple I wanted nothing more than to take a bite out of.

I cleared my throat and forced my attention back to the iron beneath my boots.

You are a goddamn professional, Damien. Remember?

When we reached the top, Luci stepped onto the platform and immediately stopped.

“Oh…” The word escaped her like a breath. “Whoa.”

The entire park stretched beneath us. The Ferris wheel turned slowly through ribbons of fog. amber lights stitched together the midway below. Guests wandered between attractions like tiny shadows. The lake shimmered beyond the trees, smooth as black glass beneath the moon.