“She’s dreaming again,” Kingston whispers. “For the past few nights. She talks in her sleep.”
“And what does the dreamer say, my friend?”
“The end,” Kingston says. He looks into the depths of Kassia’s hatred and shivers against the flame. “She sees the end.”
“Well then,” Mab says. She reaches over and snaps the hat from Kingston’s hands. “It would appear our Vivienne is almost ready to remember who she is. Your work is almost done.”
Kingston says nothing. Mab drums her fingers against the desk. Moments pass.
“It’s time, love,” Mab says. Her dress shimmers into the sharp black and violet of her ringleader outfit. She stands and places the hat on her head. The ruby glows like the mouth of hell. “Places.” She smiles and holds out a hand to help Kingston stand. Kingston hesitates. Then he takes her hand and rises.
“The show goes on,” he says. There’s a flatness in his voice. He knows that no matter what, he is her puppet. He always has been, and always will be.
Mab winks at him.
“Oh, love, that’s an understatement. You have no idea what I’ve got in store.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Like all good shows, this one couldn’t have come about without the support and collaboration of a multitude of people. I couldn’t hope to list them all, but I’ll try to name a few. In no particular order…
To my parents and family, for keeping me afloat in more ways than one and not (publicly) questioning my dreams of A) running away to the circus, B) becoming a writer, and C) gallivanting across foreign countries. Which, of course, pretty much dictated the inevitable D) living as a broke artist.
To my agent, Laurie McLean, for having more faith in my work than I ever thought possible. Superheroes exist—she is proof. And to Pam van Hylckama Vleig, for adding her magic to the mix.
To my amazing team at 47North, who got this show on the road in six short weeks, and my editor David Pomerico, who decided a book about demented, murderous circus faeries was clearly a good
idea. You guys are miracle workers.
To Devyn, for 2 a.m. intercontinental plotting. Without him, this show wouldn’t exist. And Mab wouldn’t be nearly as fabulous.
To Adam, for reading this in a circus tent in Norway and demanding more.
To my circus family the world over: Julie, Mags, M.A., Zay, Allison, Rodolfo, Charmaine…everyone with Aerial Angels, Spinal Chord Projects, Aerial Edge, Circus Smirkus, Xanti, and SHOW, for making me feel at home no matter where I was. I love you all.
To Bea, for always being my artiste extraordinaire.
To my Scottish writing friends, for all the critiques and coffee and advice on what author photo I should put on my private jet.
To the YARebels past and present, for understanding my crazy.
To the amazing bloggers, tweeters, readers, and Internet friends who’ve supported both me and my work, with a special shout-out to Rockstar Book Tours for the greatest blog tour on Earth.
To Lendrick, for helping me find the space to breathe.
…I couldn’t have done this, any of this, without you. Thank you.
You’re the true stars of this show.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The first two books in The Immortal Circus trilogy—Alex Kahler’s debut novels for adults—have been international bestsellers in serial form. Martyr, the first book in his post-apocalyptic YA fantasy series called The Hunted, will be published by Spencer Hill Press in the fall of 2014.
Like Viv and the troupe, Kahler is a wanderer. As an aerialist, he has toured with circuses across America and Europe. Travel enables him to experience the wild and wonderful world, from drumming with Norse shamans to dangling from unexpected rafters. He received his master’s in creative writing from Glasgow University. Kahler writes, climbs, and spins dreams in Seattle.
This book was originally released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. Kindle Serials launched in 2012 as a new way to experience serialized books. Kindle Serials allow readers to enjoy the story as the author creates it, purchasing once and receiving all existing episodes immediately, followed by future episodes as they are published. To find out more about Kindle Serials and to see the current selection of Serials titles, visit www.amazon.com/kindleserials.
The Immortal Circus (Cirque des Immortels) Page 22
