by Candra Kylar
Rynna laughed bitterly, “Overwhelm him and his power? You must be clueless on Fae magic because we’re a large tree of different branches. I don’t have destructive power. Mine is probably from a different line, a defensive and psychic line. He is a full fledged assault.”
“They were never taking us to Dimples, Abbie. They were waiting to spring this trap on us so we can be offered up to their master for brownie points”, Braeden said venomously.
“He’ll want you to perform here. A mender werewolf and a hybrid witch. He can have his own little pack with Max leading you all in the fight”, Rynna said, toneless yet again.
“Did he feed you more lies about us? He most likely lied to Dimples to convince her that she was some monster. We came looking. I have friends that know where we went, know about this circus, and they’ll come looking for us. Your next performance will end in a real tragedy”, I told her.
She backed away from the bars, “That’s the only way any of this will end. Dimples will go down with this circus. We will all pay for the sins that rests in our blood.”
Alexei shuffled where he stood, “Abominations, the lot of us.”
They left us in our newly formed cage to ponder what they said. Rynna was terrified of Voldini and orchestrated this trap to appease him. She wasn’t as manipulative and malicious as I had thought. As for the mechanical ringmaster, he was just going through the motions as some form of self punishment. There was likely nothing Voldini could do to physically harm him. He had a limbo of immortality as a sentient machine. He could still feel emotional pain as his friends were punished in his stead. Men like Voldini who built up investors both political and personal to fund this sort of set up had no low that they wouldn’t stoop to. We were all puppets now and I hadn’t planned for this twist.
“What do we do now, Abbie?”, Braeden asked, a thickness in his voice.
I felt the cold chill of the bars trapping us, “We wait until Voldini returns and decides what to do to us.”
Eleven
We were the prisoners of Vander Voldini and my mind raced with the thought of what he would do to us once we came back. Rynna had escaped with the mechanical Alexei, leaving us to brood silently. Braeden started pacing the area and I strained my eyes in hopes of seeing Dimples past. Surely she wouldn’t be so settled with the circus to see her close friends held against their own will. She would likely use her magic and I could then do the unbinding charm that would free her. Our capture could actually be a good thing if it shook her from her current morose view of the world. I should have hunted down the author to Meredith Marble and dragged her to the circus. If emotional appeal didn’t work, then a celebrity encounter could. It helped to look at this with humor.
In my mind, I thought of how angry Elizar would be and felt guilty that I hid my initial plans from him. By the time he spoke to Ethan and Frankie, he would learn about Stubin Station and be on his way to save us. Voldini would likely move the circus again before he could get there. For all we knew, it could have already moved. Magic worked in many unseen ways and I always had something to learn. Unfortunately for Voldini, I had a few things to teach him myself. Braeden wasn’t the only one holding in visible anger. I wanted to get my hands around Rynna’s neck and make her beg for our forgiveness.
There it was again. To my surprise, that dark wave of energy flashed through my body and made itself known. Instead of a chill to somber me, it was a heat to amp me up. It felt good to give in to the raw power just a little. I couldn’t become my father if I used it in moderation. I wouldn’t go down his path and turn my family against me. I would just use it now to stop Voldini and save Dimples, maybe punish Rynna and the rest for conspiring, and then go back to being the reasonable Abbie. The darkness inside liked that idea and warmed to my cheeks at the prospect. Release, it whispered to me, and let them see what a show you can put on. I wanted to give in so badly.
“Miss Everlaine and her mender companion have come back to my humble circus to partake in the festivities”, said a cold voice with a slimy tinge.
I strained my eyes in the darkness, “Come closer so we can speak more intimately.”
“And let you kill me? Not likely. I know what an Everlaine can do by reputation and the apple never falls far from the tree”, he replied.
Braeden shifted next to me, the dark wolf ready for a good fight. He would likely shove me out of the way to get to Voldini himself. That had to be his voice. Staying invisible in the shadows, watching us with his own sick amusement, making plans to profit off of our situation. He could ask a ransom and get it without seeing jail time. The Council had no problem looking the other way when it was in their best interest. It’s not like my father would protest to my mistreatment. He’d gain a deep satisfaction from someone teaching me a lesson. Voldini would elevate his status in the eyes of some very political people. All he had to do was sit back and torment us. Braeden wouldn’t get his chance but I could.
“I never took you for a complete coward”, I said simply, “but I guess I was wrong. Hiding away and poking at a caged beast is a pathetic tactic for a spineless man. Aren’t you supposed to be the master behind this macabre mess?”
“A profitable macabre mess that brings back old time traditions.”
“Just because something is an old tradition, doesn’t mean it deserves a revival. Some things are better left to dust”, I said.
“Like Elder Fae magic? Then what should I do with these hopeless outcasts that society doesn’t want? Should they starve to death looking for an employment no one would give them? How easy your ideals are when not put into action.”
I pressed against the bars, “And how brave you sound while hiding away.”
That had shaken something in him. He stepped forward and I got a good luck at the ominous Vander Voldini. He was taller than expected, lankier, his features more angular. Any promotional material had portrayed him as a more handsome man with a stronger jaw. The man in front of me looked as if he could barely lift a jug of sweet tea. His shirt was buttoned so loosely that his sallow skin appeared underneath, dark trousers tight and unflattering, skin stretched across his face. Dark hair was tied back and an impressive mustache made the only feature that anyone would notice. His smile was all teeth and his eyes were hidden under an impressive amount of eyeliner. It was all an effort to hide his age. Voldini wasn’t in his prime.
“I have no reason to fear you. As of now, you belong to my circus and you will work to earn your keep until I see fit to retire you. Seeing as how you’ll make up a freak’s pack of wolves, I can’t say that will happen any time soon.”
“You need willing performers and we are from from willing. In fact, the moment these bars come down, my friend and I will join forces to kill you. I think the world will be fine without Voldini’s traveling spectacle”, I asserted.
He brushed it off, “Anger will turn into appreciation once the world starts laughing. Once you see how they spent so long tolerating you for your differences instead of appreciating them. You and the mender belong here. You’re both novelties. Rare magic at work though sadly not of the Fae kind.”
“Looks like you’re trying to broaden your portfolio.”
“So I am”, he smiled wide, “and what a performance it will be! The mender werewolf versus the hybrid witch.”
Braeden surprised me by shifting back into his human form. He did it so quickly, so effortlessly, that I was envious of the skill. Mine always took a minute and my conversion back to two legs was shaky at best. I couldn’t just roll with it like he could. His face was red and the veins on his hands bulged out as he gripped at the bars. I had never seen him so furious and the sight made me take a few steps back. This was Braeden’s darker side, the one that was trapped and vicious, the one who could tear down this tent with his teeth while it was on fire. I was amazed and a bit scared at the same time.
“Let me make one thing clear you frail, poorly dressed piece of shit. There is nothing some low life like you can do to me that w
ill make me hurt Abbie. No pain you can inflict, no threats you can make. I won’t harm her. Ever”, he spat out the words.
“Are you so sure of that?”, Voldini asked not phased in the slightest.
Braeden attempted to bend the bars, “Absolutely. I’ve known pain and I can take whatever some hollow boned snake like you can throw at me. You want to see a fight? Pit me against your lone wolf with the two identities. We’ll make the crowd clap. Just leave Abbie out of the ring.”
“So noble of you”, Voldini licked his lips, “but three wolves fighting summoned monsters from an unknown abyss is far more entertaining than a werewolf fight club. I just want you two to have one opening act to show off your capabilities. Her with that magic, you able to heal the wounds she inflicts and keep fighting. It’ll add an extra half hour onto my show.”
“Forget it! We’re not going to fight for your entertainment!”, I cried out.
Braeden moved to shield me, “Oh, I’ll fight if you let me out of this cage. I’d give you about five seconds before you’re blubbering and pissing your pants.”
Voldini gasped, “Such images you invoke. You’re clearly an educated man with too much brute he just couldn’t breed out of him. You’ll be the most entertaining wolf we have. And I wasn’t asking for permission.”
“You can’t force us to fight so it looks like we’re at a stalemate”, I said from behind Braeden.
“Not so. I have just one little advantage on you. A demonic one”, he gestured behind him, “she will probably be here any minute to beg for your lives. You do know that her body is breakable. Stone is tough but, with the right spell, that binding stone will make her body explode. What happens to a demon when she’s free of a body? Who knows!”
It was the hardest punch I had ever taken to the gut. I practically fell on Braeden at the vision of Dimples exploding into pieces. I didn’t believe that she was really a demon capable of the atrocities he claimed, so I knew that her soul would go into the spirit world. She was a person and she would be dead. We didn’t have a choice as far as I was concerned. The stiff way that Braeden positioned himself told me that he would agree. We would have to play Voldini’s game by his own rules. We would have to get in the ring and fight each other in front of an audience for their entertainment. Braeden would pull a lot of punches but I didn’t know any pyrotechnics when it came to spell work. Everything I could cast would be effective, would hurt him, even if he could heal himself.
“Understanding clears a clouded mind”, Voldini toyed with his mustache, “and now you see while you’ll be here for a while. Keep the crowd happy and I’ll refrain from destroying Dimples once and for all.”
Braeden fumed, “I’ll kill you without hesitation.”
“You won’t get away with this for long! We have friends that will hunt this circus down and help us destroy it”, I snapped my fingers, “faster than you can blink. The first thing I’ll do is shave off that stupid mustache.”
“I can see why you and the demon became friends. You have a mouth like she does”, Voldini sighed in irritation.
“Let them go, Vander! NOW!”, yelled the familiar voice of Dimples.
I pushed past Braeden so I could see her for myself. If she could see me, if our eyes could actually meet, then maybe she would listen. If she was close enough, I could undo the binding stone on her head and make Voldini’s threat pointless. I squinted to see her in the darkness but Voldini had turned to have the conversation. He was tall enough to completely block her from view. I didn’t need to interrupt them. She already knew we were here, likely told by another performer, and she wouldn’t let him keep us as prisoners. I knew Dimples well enough to say that, as much as she had changed because of this circus, she still cared about. She still knew we cared about her.
“Now hold your temper, you pint sized demon. I won’t actually hurt them. They planned to burn this circus down and steal everyone away. You know what that will do to some of them”, he told her, “and we can’t have that.”
“Abbie would never bring harm to innocent people. Braeden might if he was pissed off enough but I’ll tell him to behave. Please! Let them go or I’ll…”, she didn’t finish.
Voldini chuckled, “Or you’ll what? Run away with them and lose any chance you have of undoing the evil inside of you? I promised to help cleanse you of it one day and I keep my promises. You would be a danger to the world outside. Think of how your powers keep growing. Think of the damage it could cause.”
“I’m a trained witch and you’re surrounded by friends who love you!”, I called out to her, “Don’t let him poison you with his lies! How can he possibly know what you really are? Frankie and Ethan have been doing a lot of research and have developed their own theories!”
“There’s also the binding stone that I could activate to turn you to rubble in a second”, Voldini reminded her, “and that’s just your body. Think of how it will effect Miss Everlaine and the mender. Oh, it’d be blood on your little hands.”
“It’s blood on yours you spineless fuck”, Braeden snapped.
“Don’t put the stones on them! I let you do it by choice but...not them. If you promise not to put the binding stones on their body then I’ll go back to my habitat. I won’t kill you in your sleep or try to free them”, she said frantically, “or turn everyone against you and cause a revolt that will see you hanging from the roller coaster like a rag doll. Or communicate to the portal monsters you summon for the show and convince them to ascend on you for vengeance.”
“I get the point, Dimples!”, Voldini shouted, “Now be a good little demon and shut up! Go back to your habitat where you can be contained and keep your end of the deal. I’m not the only one here who could bring them harm if you go back on it.”
“Yes, Vander”, she said in defeat.
I pushed my face against the bars and could make out her outline moving farther away from us. The sadness in her voice hurt me more than being trapped here. The bars were like ice on my fingers but I didn’t care about the burn. Dimples had ran to our aid only to be blackmailed back into submission. Voldini wouldn’t let her near us again. I would have to wait until our next performance and hope for an opening to get to her. I wouldn’t need long to undo the binding stone so she could leave the circus. That was our top priority. Until then, we had no choice but to play Voldini’s sick game. He had us where he wanted and would maneuver us like puppets until then.
“You’ll need some practice. Max! Go ahead and shift into your wolf. Let him completely take over and show these two what a good fight is”, Voldini chuckled again, “this will be fun to watch. Rynna, Alexei, come see!”
“I’d rather not”, Rynna said sullenly.
Alexei creaked, “I’m going to get some rest. My limbs are stiff.”
“You two are no fun. Here they are, Max, Just don’t kill them in your savagery”, Voldini said with a flair.
The gate moved like liquid as Max padded in, angry and snarling with pointed teeth showing. The Wolf side of him had his own identity and was much more prone to violence than the human Max. I didn’t know if the wolf had a name of his own but he didn’t look in the mood to communicate. I stumbled back and Braeden shifted, not hesitating to protect me. The two circled each other as my wand stayed at the ready. I couldn’t hold my own in wolf form against Max when he got in a frenzy. I remembered his way of fighting in the ring and how brutal it had been. Even the audience was shocked into silence at the sight of the gore. Braeden would need the advantage of my magic and I didn’t intend to play fair.
Braeden must have read my thoughts because he looked quickly to me with a firm snort that I could oddly understand. Stay out of this. He was an alpha protecting a member of his extended family and, if he had any hope of winning Max over, he wouldn’t do it by cheating with my magic. I could get it but the masculine ego of it all annoyed me. I leaned against the cold bars behind me and let the wolves have a stare off. Yellow eyes, sharp fangs, fur bristled. Braeden could heal his wounds bu
t I worried that Max could kill him. If it got too close, I would intervene. Braeden wouldn’t die because of his pride. Max made the first move and Braeden was ready for him. So it began.
Whenever one wolf would attack, the other would counter with a good defense. They were matched evenly in raw fighting skill. There was the human Max inside of there who didn’t want any of it. Voldini was leering and enjoyed the tumultuous situation. What a bastard. The dark power bubbled up again in me and I thought of the ways I could torture Voldini before he died. I thought of how loud Cecilia screamed when I got ahold of her that one time, my magic out of control, and how much louder I’d make him scream. Evil was relative when dealing with a monster of his magnitude.
Braeden got the upper hand when Max started to spiral into a rage. He was counting on it. With each strong move, Max became reckless and wouldn’t judge his attacks. Even I could have seen the openings he left. Braeden took advantage of them and took him down. The third time it happened, the wolf form of Max didn’t get up. He merely laid there, whining from a wound on his haunch. Slowly, he practically melted back into his human form and started to shiver. Braeden shifted back and was already summoning his mending powers to help. Voldini groaned and weaved his fingers in a web of dark purple strains that looked like infection spreading into our cage. The green light that accompanied Braeden’s mending started to fade.
“What the hell are you doing? He’s wounded”, Braeden didn’t look up from trying to heal Max.
“He’s dampening our magic because a coward always cheats”, I explained for him, “and Voldini is the most sniveling one I’ve seen. What purpose could he possibly have for allowing Max to endure a pointless wound?”
Voldini licked his lips again, “Smart witch. I can’t have you making alliances in your tenure here. Every time that Max moves that shoulder, he’ll think of the man who inflicted that pain on him. It’ll make the Wolf stronger so that he can one day take over both sides.”
