by Dani Rei
“Stop it, Blake.” Mishkin places a hand on his arm. “There’s no way you could’ve known this would happen.”
“She’s going to cry tonight. She’s going to cry herself to sleep, and she’ll probably have nightmares about it, with no one to be there for her. She’s going to be alone. Terrified and alone.”
“I’ll check in with her tonight and make sure she’s okay. I’ll try to get some details out of her while I’m at it. Don’t worry so much.” He pulls Blake’s head onto his shoulder and scratches his head. “We’ll figure it out. This will all be over before you know it, and you two can go back to being all cutesy.”
Blake closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Mishkin’s hold is cooling the boiling in his blood, but his heart is still too heavy to speak.
“Hey,” Mishkin coos, “you know, you still need work on your form.”
“My what?”
“Your poi. You still have a lot to work on.”
Blake’s head shoots up to look at Mishkin, a small smile curving his lips, giving his heart a tiny glimmer of hope.
That’s right. The poi!
Chapter 27
“I
nez!” Blake calls as Inez gathers some dinner plates from the table. She looks at him with flat eyes.
“Are we on cleaning duty again?”
“Yeah,” she says, holding out the plates. “You can help Ronan with these.”
“Sure, of course!” Blake takes the plates from her hands. “By the way, do you want to get up early to practice poi tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow we have our fittings with Victor,” Inez sneers as she continues to gather dishes and pile them onto Blake. “He has the basis for our ball clothes ready, so he needs the final measurements.”
“Great! Will I see you there?”
“It’s a fitting, you creep, much more half-nude time than the dressing room. Your appointment is at ten, and his room is on the third floor. Don’t be late.”
“Right, got it. So when do we practice?”
“You don’t need practice. You’ve graduated from poi school. Congratulations.” She turns and saunters off toward the kitchen
“How can I have graduated?” Blake follows. “Mishkin said I need to work on my form.”
“Mishkin isn’t the Fire Goddess here, I am.”
“But it’s an art form! You’re never done learning with art!”
Inez whips around and glares into his eyes. “I said you’re done! Quit following me!”
“I’m on cleaning duty too, remember? I have to follow you!”
Inez jumps back a bit, blushing as a few members of the mansion stare at them with raised or furrowed brows.
“Fine,” she mumbles, continuing on her way. “But we’re done here. Practice in your room if you want.”
Blake follows her down the hall, trying to hold back the scowl forming on his face. “We did pretty well with our partner fire routine. Maybe we should practice some more before it gets too cold out.”
“You said yourself you don’t need partner work. Besides, I have a date with Allistair. Now stop talking.” Inez walks through the kitchen door and heads to the broom closet.
“Blake!” Ronan waves him over, and Blake focuses his eyes on Ronan’s welcoming smile to avoid turning his gaze back to Inez.
It doesn’t take long to get the chores started, and Blake is talking to Ronan more about the work backstage and his previous work as an acrobat. He’s careful with his eyes, keeping them on the dishes he’s washing and occasionally on Ronan.
He can hear Inez making light conversation with others in the group, listening closer when he hears Mishkin’s voice.
“So, Inez, when exactly did this sudden change of heart happen?”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“You’ve spent most of your life saying you and Allistair are just friends and that you don’t have those feelings for him.”
“I guess I was just afraid to admit it. I mean, when people talk about these things all the time, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit they’re right. But I don’t really care anymore.”
“Is that so? If I recall, you were pretty relieved when you turned him down for good. Even happier when he got the hint and stopped trying. Why would you be so happy to have a crush leave you alone?”
Inez goes silent, and it’s taking every ounce of Blake’s energy not to turn around.
“Nice try, Mishkin,” she says, “I know what you’re trying to do, and I know the Pup is listening.”
Blake fumbles a plate, splashing water on his shirt, and lowers his head, refusing to look back.
“But it won’t work,” she continues. “There’s nothing to figure out. I didn’t want to admit my feelings for Allistair before, but now I’m happy to. I’m madly in love with him, and you’ll all see that on Friday at the Blasphemer’s Ball, when we share the Midnight Dance. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have cleaning to do, and so do you.”
“I think you’re a great couple,” calls Maya as she dries the dishes.
“Thank you, Maya. I’m glad you understand.”
“Hey, Pup,” she continues, “maybe you should just mind your own business. Allistair is a great guy. I get that you’re new here and all, but trust me when I say that there’s no one else for Inez.”
“Leave the man alone,” says Ronan. “Inez probably told him how she came here, and he just wants to make sure that she’s safe. Isn’t that right, Blake?”
“Yeah.” Blake smiles. “I don’t butt in just to be a nosey bastard. Inez is my friend, and what friend wouldn’t worry? Like you said, I’m new here. I barely know the guy.”
“Yeah, alright,” Maya responds, continuing her work. “I promise you, though, Allistair is a good guy, just like his father.”
“Just like his father,” Blake echoes through gritted teeth, hardening his gaze at Inez. She flicks a wide-eyed glance back but quickly forces her eyes shut as she continues to sweep.
Blake glances at Ronan, who looks like he’s fighting back some words of his own.
“That’s right,” Maya continues, eyes glued to her task. “There’s no need to worry. They’ll take good care of her.”
“Thank you for that, Maya!” says Mishkin, throwing his arms around Blake’s shoulders. “But Blake isn’t so bad either, so play nice, okay? He’s got his own problems to deal with.”
“Whatever.”
Mishkin pats Blake’s back as he steps away, and cleanup continues without another word.
The clanking dishes and hissing of the sink ring through the air. The sounds of cleaning are relaxing, something Blake enjoyed when he first arrived. Now his mind is racing, and the lack of conversation has spread a thick layer of awkwardness across the kitchen.
“Can I ask you something?” he mumbles to Ronan, who nods his head to let him continue. “Why aren’t you an acrobat anymore? What happened?”
Ronan freezes in his spot, and his eyes travel into an unseen trauma. Blake’s eyes flit to the scar near his ear, and he nods in understanding and gives his arm a small nudge with his elbow. “Never mind. It’s none of my business.”
“We’ve all had it tough around here,” says Ronan. “I went into state care when I was eleven. They arrested my parents for making and selling meth. A few weeks later, my mother died in prison, and last I heard, my dad is still there.”
“I’m so sorry,” says Blake.
“Don’t be. It’s because of that I got to try so many new things. There were programs and events for kids like me. One of them was a gymnastics day at a local dance studio. Met Rex there, and he loved how quickly I learned. He told me I could come back the next day. When I did, he let me play on the trampoline with the kids from the show. Xavier stood out to him too. We weren’t really friends before, but this new opportunity gave us a chance to bond. He’s like a brother now. We practiced together a lot. I fell in love with the trapeze. Did it for about three years before I became a techie.”
“So, you just
followed him home?”
“No.” Ronan laughs. “The state keeps track of these kids! He went through the entire adoption process, and we got to know him before we moved in. He listened to what I had to say. Then he figured I’d do better backstage, and the rest is history.”
“That’s pretty cool, to have a chance like that,” Blake says with a smile.
“I owe it all to Rex.” Ronan’s voice is grateful. Anyone only listening would miss the twitch in his forced smile, the pain in his eyes as they revisit part of the tale yet to be told.
So many stories of lost hope and Rex bringing them here. But the adoption process is harder than an application process for a job.
He knows that because of the trouble his own parents had to go through to adopt him. That’s the biggest reason they never adopted a second. They often warned Blake about it in case he planned to adopt in the future. Why would Rex put himself through that for nearly fifty people?
It would be much easier to start a circus troupe with two or three friends and hire performers who already know what they’re doing.
Could Mishkin be right? Did he adopt them as children to make sure they’re powerless? No, plenty of them can see what Rex is really about. They may not know how to make it out there, but it wouldn’t be hard to figure out. There has to be something bigger, something more threatening that keeps them under Rex’s roof.
Whatever Ronan’s reasons are, the King needs to go. They can’t live like this anymore. How can Blake convince everyone to stand up to him?
Ronan tries to ease the tension by talking about how tech life isn’t so bad, but Blake can’t hear him over the pounding of his heart in his ears. He understands Mishkin’s plan now. He can’t just sneak Inez out of here, as much as he wants to. With Mishkin being the one to have invited Blake here in the first place, he might end up in danger all over again, especially if Rex is directly assaulting people after all.
Blake hates this feeling of helplessness. He hates that he doesn’t have any idea what to do. The familiar burst of red hair appears in his periphery. Inez is getting the mop ready. He watches her with a side eye, doing his best not to be obvious.
We’ll figure something out, Inez. I promise.
Chapter 28
“I
lied, Blake. I want you!”
Inez’s words ring through Blake’s bones and he throws his arms around her, lifting and spinning her into his room. Her laughter in his ear makes his heart race, and he stops to kiss her. They fall onto Blake’s bed, and she moans as she makes herself comfortable on top of him. “I love you.”
Blake opens his mouth to say the same, but Inez’s face turns startled as a pointed blade pierces through the front of her chest, splashing warm red all over him. Blood pours from her head down the side of her face, and her body falls limp on his chest. The blade hits him, splitting his skin and sending a sharp pain through his torso.
Yelling and trembling, he looks up at the culprit, and Rex stands there, towering over them with an army of cobras upright at his sides, a sharp-toothed grin spreading across his face.
“Your turn, Pup,” he says. Blake tries to wriggle himself out from under Inez’s body, but he’s surrounded by hissing cobras, one stopping at his face and lunging forward.
Blake jolts up in his bed and searches desperately for Inez before remembering the events of yesterday. He flops back down, lungs heaving, unable to shake the images of his nightmare. Inez’s dreams must be even worse.
Inez!
He glances at his clock. It’s still early, but she should be awake by now. He shoots out of bed to grab an outfit from the scattered pieces of clothing around his room. After fumbling to pull them all on, he rushes to Inez’s door, banging furiously.
“Inez! Inez, please let me in!”
Silence.
He knocks harder. “Inez!”
“What are you doing?” the familiar voice calls from behind.
Blake whips around; Inez is holding a long fabric bag in one arm and a frown on her face.
“We need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you. Get away from my room.”
“Inez, I know you’re scared, but please just talk to me.”
“You don’t know anything.” Inez yells. “Stay away from my room and stay away from me. I have a boyfriend. If I catch you creeping around again, I’ll have Allistair kick you out of here.”
Good. Inez is looking at him head-on for the first time since that night. He swallows hard. “I know you didn’t mean what you said yesterday.”
“I meant every word. You’re nothing. You’re not a fool, you’re a spoiled pup who can’t take no for an answer. Get away from my room!”
“What’s going on?” Xavier calls as he approaches the two. “Is everything okay?”
“No, it isn’t. Pup here is blocking my bedroom, and I can’t get in. I’m getting a little scared, actually.”
Xavier shoots Blake an unimpressed look. “Let me guess, you like Inez, and she prefers Allistair, right? Come on, man. Don’t push your feelings onto people like that.”
“That’s not what I’m doing!” Blake stops to take a deep breath and regain control of his volume. “She looked shaken up yesterday, and I want to know if she’s doing alright, that’s all. I swear. She’s my friend, and I want to check in.”
Xavier shifts his jaw and turns his attention to Inez. “I think that’s fair. Are you doing okay?”
“I’m fine.” Inez spits out her words, crossing her arms and turning her head away. “Thanks for asking.”
“Good,” says Blake. “So how did your meeting with Rex go?”
Inez rolls her eyes and lifts her nose to the side, ignoring the newfound curiosity on Xavier’s face.
“Xavier, if you don’t mind, Blake has a fitting appointment with my uncle in a few minutes. Could you make sure he gets there in time, please? I’m not sure he knows the way.”
“Sure thing,” says Xavier, smiling at Blake. “I’ll show you where to go.”
“Don’t bother. I’ll just read the plaques.” Blake trudges off. His eyes flick to Inez in time to see her turn away.
He takes a deep breath, holding back every desire to turn around and beg Inez to talk to him. Fighting every urge to tell Xavier exactly what’s going on. Resisting every instinct telling him to barge into Rex’s room and beat him to the ground.
VICTOR’S ROOM IS TOO QUIET for comfort, and all Blake can do is stare at his reflection in the mirror. Shelves of books and trinkets line the walls behind him as black fabric covers his body. Light blue embroidery lines the cuffs and runs up both arms.
He hasn’t seen the symbol on the back yet, and his mind wanders through various possibilities. Rex has a lion, and Mishkin probably has a cat. Is Blake going to get stuck with a fuzzy little poodle because of his nickname? That would be a good way for Victor to mess with him. What would Inez have? Probably a phoenix, or a dragon—something related to fire. A tiny jab gets him in the leg, making him flinch. Victor apologizes and fixes his needle, reminding Blake of the awkward silence that’s been hanging between them.
He clears his throat. “So, are you glad Inez is going to the ball with Allistair?”
Victor’s face lights up. “Is she really? Shit! Now their outfits don’t match!”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“She never tells me anything,” says Victor, getting back to his sewing.
“I’m surprised too. She always told me she doesn’t like Allistair that way.”
“Did you tell her how you feel? Ask her to the dance?”
“Of course I did. She even said yes and that she felt the same way.”
“Did she?” Victor raises a brow at him through the mirror.
Blake winces. “Sorry. I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear from someone like me.”
“Don’t take it the wrong way,” says Victor, his face softening. “It’s a guardian thing. I want the best for my niec
e, and I know Allistair can provide that. Or at least I’d like to think so.”
“Well, you got what you wanted. She chose him. I just wish I knew why she would say yes to me and then change her mind so suddenly.”
“It is a mystery. She even swore to me she wasn’t interested in him.”
“Honestly, Victor, don’t you think it’s weird? I mean, she fought so hard to convince everyone that she doesn’t feel that way, then she goes to see Rex, and suddenly Allistair’s the love of her life?”
Victor’s body goes still, and the color drains from his face. “She went to see Rex?”
“Yeah, he asked her to meet him yesterday morning, and that’s when she started acting all weird. But see, the day before, Allistair seemed kinda suspicious. I think he might have said something to Rex, and that’s why she’s suddenly so gaga over him.”
“It wasn’t Allistair,” Victor mumbles, standing from his spot.
“What?”
Victor locks his narrow eyes on Blake’s wide ones. The frown on his face makes Blake shudder in his spot.
“You told Rex how you feel. You gave him your word that no matter what her decision was, you wouldn’t push her to reconsider. You promised him that the choice was hers to make. All he had to do was sway her choice.”
The room spins. Blake’s chest is getting tight, making him fight for air. Inez got hurt because of me. Allistair didn’t make this happen, I did.
Blake’s eyes sting as his brain floods with memories of trying to kiss her in the theater, begging her to stay in his room, and all those tiny looks and comments he made with others around. It wasn’t Inez. It wasn’t Allistair. It’s my fault.
I did this to her.
“It’s too late for regret,” says Victor, setting Blake’s arm in place so he can sew the sleeve. “You need to learn to keep your mouth shut until you’ve thought your words through. Especially since you don’t know what kind of person you’re dealing with. More importantly, don’t ever let Rex know you’re against him.”
