by Trudi Jaye
“How do you know it’s her?”
“Look at the dragon.” Joey was practically bouncing beside him.
Jack’s breath caught in his chest. The creature glowed in the twilight, and its head was turned in the direction of the young woman. Its scales were individual blue diamonds across its back and multifaceted eyes sparkled like rubies in the dark. Jack looked around at the crowds of people. Why did no one else notice it?
“But how do you know it’s her particularly? Why not her friend?” He took a step closer, trying to keep the woman in his line of sight. The tips of his fingers tingled.
“Garth. He’s watching from the other side, see?” Joey pointed, and Jack saw Garth standing in the shadows across from them, completely still, his black eyes focused on the woman in the queue.
As they watched, the woman gave her ticket to the attendant at the entrance to the Carousel and climbed to the platform with her friend. The dragon watched them, turning its head ever so slightly to focus on the Mark. Jack craned his neck, trying to see the woman among all the other punters scrambling for their ride. What would happen if someone else got there first? What would the dragon do? He caught a glimpse of deep-red hair approaching the dragon. This was it.
But they walked right past. The Mark’s friend pulled them both toward a pair of mermaids on the far side, and she followed without protest.
They hadn’t even glanced at the dragon. There had been no dramatic pause next to the blue-jeweled creature. No mesmerizing spell had been cast over the woman, forcing her to stop and climb aboard.
Jack swore.
He’d been caught up in it. Like a fool, he’d started to believe. It had begun in Viktor’s caravan and continued in the circus tent, watching Rilla as she held the audience in the palm of her hand. The glowing dragon was probably some trick devised by the thrills team. He clenched his hand where it was hidden in his jeans pocket. He’d almost bought into this whole damn charade. He’d been drawn into the magic of the circus, the tricks and illusions, and he deserved to feel stupid. What had happened to him?
But Viktor had seemed so certain earlier that day, and it had been hard not to feel a chill go down his spine, hard not to believe the old man when he talked about the repercussions of having the dragon in their midst. And Rilla… She’d seemed so alive, so mesmerizing in the ring. He’d been enthralled by her, sure it was part of the magic around him.
He’d been caught up in the excitement. He’d wanted it to be true. Dammit, he probably had been hypnotized by Garth at the Ferris wheel.
Jack looked over at Garth and narrowed his eyes. The Giftmaster didn’t seem worried or upset. His black eyes were focused on the woman with a level of concentration that was almost scary. Garth seemed to think that just by watching her, he could will the woman to pick the right Carousel ride.
Well, he couldn’t. No one could. But if Jack needed anything to prove they were full of crap, this was it. For some reason, instead of being relieved they were frauds, he felt a knot of disappointment in his belly.
A flash of red out of the corner of his eye made him turn back. The young woman had stopped by the second mermaid, one with long green hair and sparkling eyes. She put one hand up and ran it down the glossy sea siren’s painted hair. For a split-second, the mermaid appeared to lean over and whisper in her ear. Jack shook his head, knowing it wasn’t true and trying to get his focus back. This place was getting to him.
Then time stopped. The noise of the Carnival flattened out and everything became muted. The punters around them froze in place, all except the Mark and the Carnival folk watching. The woman turned in slow motion toward the dragon. She said something to her friend, but the other woman was a statue, and there was no response.
The Mark walked slowly back to the dragon like she was being pulled by an invisible rope, and climbed on carefully. The tail of the dragon wrapped itself around her leg, and Jack swore he could hear a low, humming purr.
For a moment, he forgot to breathe.
Then it was as if the air had been knocked out of the Carnival and everyone in it. A sonic boom went off over the whole area, at a level just too high to be heard. All the hairs puffed out on Jack’s body and his vision blurred. Blinking, he forced his eyes back into focus and glanced at Joey. The young boy’s face was pale, and he was shaking.
Then everything around them started back up and carried on as normal. People continued talking, rides whirred back into action. Food made it into children’s mouths, and mothers continued telling off their kids. It was as if nothing had happened.
He lifted his arm and ran a hand along the hairs still standing at attention. He felt shaky, his breathing uneven. He’d never seen anything like it. The crowds of people around them weren’t reacting at all. Not a blink, not a glimmer. They didn’t know they’d been held motionless for at least a minute while the dragon found its Mark.
“Does that normally happen?” he asked.
Joey’s long hair dangled in his eyes, and for once he appeared serious. “That was a pretty big one. We was stopped for ages. It was a difficult wish.”
“A difficult wish?” There were different levels? This got more complicated every time he spoke to someone new.
Joey nodded. “Her Gift ain’t run-of-the-mill. Don’t want the usual. It’s big, and it’s gonna be difficult.”
Jack looked over to where Garth had been standing. He was gone, but the next second, the Giftmaster appeared at his side. “It appears Viktor might be right about this Gift. We need to plan. Get your father and meet us in the food hall.” Garth strode off, not checking to see if Jack would carry out his orders.
Cocky son of a bitch.
“Blago was at the gate last time I saw,” said Joey. “You want me to get him?”
Jack shook his head. “No, you go tell Rilla. She’ll want to be there, as well.”
“Damn right.” Joey raced off toward the big top.
He found his father relaxing with two older men around the side gates. They were sitting companionably on foldout chairs, cigars clamped between their teeth, arms crossed as they leaned back.
“Howdy, son. You met Johnno and Bower yet?” He gestured toward the men, who both wore official ticket-booth outfits, a parody of the Ringmaster red, white, and black.
Jack nodded his head in greeting. “Dad, we’ve got to go. Garth’s called a meeting.”
Blago shook his head. “First break I get all day and it’s interrupted. No rest for the wicked, eh?” He stood and folded the chair behind him. “See you boys later.”
They had walked a few paces before Blago spoke. “What is it, son? You’ve got that freaked-out look on your face again,” he said around the fat cigar in his mouth before pulling it out to hold in front of him. “Is it about the Mark? That was a big shock that went around. It’ll be a difficult Gift.”
“Garth says it is. We’re meeting with the others to discuss it.”
His father seemed so relaxed and happy it was hard to keep the seriousness of the situation in his mind.
Blago waved his cigar. “Better finish this fast, then,” he said and took another puff.
“You’re picking up some bad habits.” Jack glanced down at his father sternly. “The doctors were pretty clear about smoking, Dad.”
“When in Rome, Jackie. I’m just trying to make friends.” Blago looked around them at the crowds of people still in the Carnival. “Where are you taking me?”
“Food tent.”
“Food tent? Well, that’s all right, then. I’ve not eaten all night. Those ticketing boys worked me hard.”
“Dad, focus. This might be our chance. If you play it right, you could end up leading the Gift and proving you’re the best person for Ringmaster.”
Blago lifted his eyebrows. “My, we do catch on quick, don’t we?”
“I’m a fast learner. You gave me that skill, making us move all the time.”
Blago winked and took another puff on his cigar. “Once a traveler, always a trav
eler.” He stubbed the cigar out on a dumpster, putting the remainder in his pocket. “Just in case,” he said when he caught Jack watching him.
Jack studied his father’s face, trying to see a trace of remorse for the life he’d forced them to lead.
Who was he kidding? His father didn’t have regrets. And perhaps he was right. What was the point in always looking back? Except that was why they were here. To get something back that Blago had lost all those years ago.
The food hall was buzzing with people, mostly performers from the circus show. Garth was up front, along with Rilla and Joey and a few of the others. Jack and Blago pulled out a chair and sat down at the long table.
“So, what’s the problem, fellas?” Blago’s style had always been blunt. Jack realized he hadn’t told his father what Viktor had said about the dragon Mark.
Garth glanced to Rilla, then at Blago. “The Mark has arrived.”
“Yep, we felt it out by the ticket booth. Big one, huh?”
“Added to what Viktor was able to tell us about the dragon, I think this is going to be more than just difficult. It’s going to be dangerous.” Garth’s voice was soft, measured.
“We had a few of those in my day. Managed to get through them okay. Just a matter of keeping the Gift moving forward. Managing it right.”
Jack almost winced at his father’s words. What was he doing?
Garth narrowed his eyes. “Managing it right?”
Blago didn’t even blink at the tone in Garth’s voice. “I used to be pretty good at running the Gifts in my day. I could help out, take over the more difficult parts.”
“As far as I can tell, that wouldn’t help,” said Garth.
“The offer’s there should you need it.” Blago’s voice was abrupt.
Jack realized his father was being brash on purpose. Blago was usually a rather suave negotiator. What was he up to?
Garth nodded at Blago but carried on as if he hadn’t spoken. “So, we know what she wants. Now, we have to figure out a way to give it to her.”
Jack raised his eyebrows. He’d missed something. “How do we know what she wants?”
“You didn’t feel it?” Garth raised his eyebrows. “I was sure you felt the aftershock.”
“I felt something.” The strangest feeling in his life, that’s what he’d felt. But apparently, that wasn’t enough. “I still don’t know what she wants.”
Garth glanced at Rilla.
She shrugged. “If he felt the aftershock, he should know.” She paused. “Unless he’s a blocker.”
Blago’s face paled. “A blocker? Not my boy. He’ll be a charmer like his old man. Or a techo. He’s into all that computer stuff.”
Jack could feel the anxiety rolling off his father. “What’s a blocker?”
“Someone who… blocks,” said Rilla. “They stop us from using our abilities, our talents. It’s not a common talent to have.” She seemed reluctant to say more. “I’m sure there’s another reason.”
Jack frowned. “But wouldn’t you know already? I’d be blocking everyone right now, wouldn’t I?” Was Rilla making this up to get back at him? He watched her closely as she replied.
“You don’t have a full connection to the Carnival yet,” she said softly. “You’ve only just arrived. You’d have to bond with the Carnival, become part of the Gift, before we’d know.” She looked around the table at the others, and then shrugged. “Even then, the Carnival is so weak, we might not even feel it,” she added almost reluctantly.
Jack stared hard at Rilla. She didn’t seem to be gloating. “And it’s bad? To be a blocker?” Jack felt a tightening in his chest. He couldn’t believe he was so upset about this, when earlier in the day he’d been positive magic didn’t even exist at the Carnival.
“Well, it’s not easy. For the blocker or for the people around them.” She didn’t take her eyes off him, and for some reason it calmed his frantically beating heart. She didn’t look like she was freaking out.
He took a breath, trying to steady himself. “And the only way to know is for me to stay here, make a connection to the Carnival and to help with the Gift? And then potentially start blocking everyone?”
Rilla nodded.
“What if I leave right now?” His hand clenched in his pocket. He was planning to leave as soon as his father was named Ringmaster, sure, but that was his choice. He didn’t want to be forced to leave right now. Not when it was just starting to get interesting.
She shook her head sharply. “No. Nothing was ever settled by running away. Dad always said that. And he’s right.” Her eyes were large, but she had a determined expression.
Jack nodded, relieved. “So, what was her wish?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
How on Earth were they supposed to make this wish come true? Even Jack had looked a little daunted when they’d told him. Rilla peered at him through her lashes. He was talking to Christoph, who had just arrived to represent the sideshow crew at the meeting. In a roomful of people who used big gestures, Jack was motionless. Instead of making him seem quiet or still or even submissive, it was like having a large wild animal among them, with sharp eyes and a body coiled to pounce at any moment.
He might be a greenhorn, but she was damn sure she needed to be careful of him. She was going to watch Jack closely from now on.
She’d been tempted to encourage him to leave because of his potential blocking skills, but her sense of fairness wouldn’t let her. It would be wrong to judge him without proof, just because she’d found his name on her father’s list. He had a traditional claim through his family and a right to bond to the Carnival if he wished. She just wondered if he realized what that entailed. One corner of her mouth lifted. He’d find out soon enough. She watched him from under her lashes, trying to catch a subtle shift, a giveaway movement that would help ease her confusion over him.
The positive side was that if he did bond with the Carnival, they’d know right away if he had anything to do with the sabotage—as long as they successfully completed the dragon Gift. If they were the saboteurs, they’d be doing everything in their power to make sure that didn’t happen. Rilla put one hand to her temple to massage it softly. Her head felt like it was about to explode, and she couldn’t see her way through the maze of possibilities.
She shook her head to clear it. Viktor would be here soon, as would Alfie. It was almost a full meeting of the Nine. She needed to focus.
I want to stop feeling dead inside. I want to live again. I want to be whole again.
Rilla recalled the plaintive sob that had followed the echo of the Mark’s wish, like it had been forced out of her unwilling subconscious. It reminded her that they had a lot to be grateful for in their life with the Carnival.
“Tell us about her, Garth.” Rilla studied the Giftmaster’s face. His black eyes shone as he rode the high of being inside another person’s head. Now that the Mark had been on the dragon, the full impact of the connection was hitting him hard. It was almost painful to watch.
“Her name is Kara. Kara Jenkins.” He paused and swallowed. “Her family—mother, father and brother—was killed in a car accident seven years ago. She was the sole survivor of the crash.”
I want to stop feeling dead inside.
It made sense. But how could they heal those kinds of wounds? It was far more difficult than any Gift Rilla could remember. The gaping hole inside her chest from the death of her father felt like it could never be filled, and this girl had lost three family members at one time.
“That’s not all. She had her leg amputated just below the knee. She wears a prosthetic.” Garth rubbed his left leg with his hand and his expression became pensive. For the duration of the Gift, he felt whatever the Mark felt. It was never easy.
I want to be whole again.
Blago let out a low whistle. “That’s a beauty. So, she wants her leg back? Never heard of anyone being able to grow a leg again.” Blago’s white bushy eyebrows came down over his eyes. “What if this is one of those
impossible Gifts?”
Rilla glanced at Blago, surprised. “I’ve never heard of an impossible Gift,” she said. “Our last couple of stops have been a little… problematic,” she looked at Garth, but his face was impassive. “But that was because of the weakness of the Carnival, not the Gift itself. We’ve always found a way. And if what Viktor says is true, we have no choice but to make this work.”
Blago shrugged. “Then let’s get planning.”
Rilla looked at Garth again. “Can we start by making her a better prosthetic than the one she has now?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s not that clear yet.” He rolled his shoulders and settled into his seat, closing his eyes. Rilla saw his hand shaking before he pulled it under the table.
Whenever he’d had trouble in the past, her father had helped Garth get through the block. He’d always been able to make the Giftmaster smile and relax in a way no one else could.
Now, it was up to her. She took a breath.
But Blago got there first. “Take your time, Garth. There’s nothing we can do tonight.” He looked around at the others. “In the meantime, we can start planning things from our end. Where shall we start?”
It was difficult, but she controlled the urge to snap at Blago for taking charge. She didn’t want Blago and Jack being so involved with the Gift. But no one else knew they were suspects, and she couldn’t tell anyone about it yet. They would just think she was resentful about Blago’s challenge, and she’d look like an idiot. Rilla took another deep breath, and silently forced herself to concentrate on the discussion.
Christoph cleared his throat. “Joey’s been shadowing her since she got off the dragon,” he said. “He’ll report in when she’s about to leave, give us any extra information. We need every last scrap we can get for this one.”
Rilla watched Christoph talking to Jack with growing unease. The Showmaster was too relaxed around the newcomers, smiling and chatting to them. They all were. Despite the fact she’d just finished assuring Jack he should stay, they needed to protect the Carnival. What if they were leading themselves to their own bad end? Should she really keep her lips sealed about her father’s suspicions?
