by Candra Kylar
“You know nothing about werewolves or the way a pack should be led. Cruelty will get you killed”, Braeden said sagely before adding, “you brainless fuckwit.”
“I’ll enjoy breaking you the most”, Voldini said wistfully, “the alpha with a foul mouth and a bad attitude. I may keep you here long after the witch gets dumped.”
“I just need one opening to kill you”, Braeden replied.
“And you’ll never get it. Your first performance is tomorrow night. Make sure to really give them a good show”, Voldini waved, “or else your friend will be in pieces that you can’t put back together. Max can stay with you.”
On the ground, Max shook as if he were freezing cold. I took off the jacket I had on over my dress and draped it over him. The wound on his shoulder was still bleeding and Braeden couldn’t summon up his healing powers to make it better. I could see that he resented the damage that he did. Braeden could be violent but he also had a heart of gold that he tried to keep hidden. He would never intentionally cause someone innocent harm. Voldini wanted this emotional turn of events to further manipulate us. I could see why the Council was singing his praises and throwing him gold. They loved these classless tactics. It was like watching an addictive streaming show for them. Something to do before going to dinner.
Rynna came back once Voldini retired to his own chambers. Did she have a habitat too? I hated the word that he used to describe the residence of a performer. It was like they were science experiments that had to be contained. He even conditioned them to use his oppressive terminology. The Seer had a tough skin because she had endured years of it. Her visible discomfort at our pain at least satiated my need to slap her around for betraying us. That darkness in me still wanted to but I wouldn’t give in. She was a victim here in her own way. Looking once over her shoulder, she changed the bars to liquid and ran through before they closed. She was the one who controlled our cage. She was the one who could let us free if only she gathered the courage to confront Voldini.
“I don’t have healing powers but I can get some basic medical supplies to take care of him”, she sank to her knees by Max, “I can’t believe that Vander would be so compassionless as to allow this wound to remain.”
“You’re surprised that scumbag wouldn’t give a shit about any of you? Man, he’s got you brainwashed worse than I thought”, Braeden whistled.
“You don’t know anything about me!”, she said fiercely, “Stop acting as if you were somehow always available to save me from this kind of life. No one was there when I came here. Once your friend is rescued, you won’t have a reason to come back.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I have a score to settle with Voldini and I always settle my scores. If saving you from him is a byproduct, then I can pat myself on the back”, Braeden sat back to let her tend to Max.
Rynna looked upset, distracted yet trying to focus, “This wound looks deep. I wish I could put down the dampening field! I told you that Vander had Fae magic at his disposal. He could be the most powerful warlock in existence. None of us could hope to face him and live.”
“More conditioning. If he was so strong and powerful, then why does he need to resort to bitch tactics?”, Braeden challenged.
“I don’t know! It doesn’t matter. Just keep pressure on the wound with this jacket while I get some supplies. I’ll return shortly. Then...well, I have a plan for your performance so no one will be harmed further”, Rynna said quickly.
She was out through the bars before we could respond. Max lay quietly there without complaint. The feeling of the wolf inside of him was overwhelming and he was coming down from that high into complete pain. Braeden kept the pressure there and instructed him to focus on his breathing. The doctor version of my friend had been activated. He checked the wound, had a twitch in his cheek to restrain his reaction, and then reapplied pressure. His mind was working and Rynna would find her first aid skills outmatched by his medical schooling. She returned and he told her to get some kind of alcohol. Nothing mixed. Pure. She nodded and did as he said. The Seer relenting to a doctor. When she came back, Braeden got to work.
He cleaned and then stitched the wound quickly, his hands never shaking, his eyes focused. Even dressed up like a biker in his leather jacket and rough jeans, he held the air of a professional healer. After the stitching was finished, he helped Max sit upright to examine the wound further. Rynna ran her fingers now glowing blue from the cold she invoked, along his upper arm and near the edges of the wound. It wouldn’t numb him forever but would help for a bit. She was used to this impromptu way of soothing her friend. Whatever Voldini had gambled on, it was a failed attempt. Max didn’t look angry or ready to get Braeden back for the way the fight ended. He just looked exhausted. He turned to Braeden and offered a weak smile along with a curt nod. Braeden returned the gesture.
“Thank you for helping him”, Rynna said in a low voice.
“That’s what we do where I come from. Crestwood is a pretty diverse place and people don’t ask too many questions. I’m recently doing the older brother kind of dad thing with this kid that didn’t have a place to go. He’s about to make a rushed choice and I want to get home so he doesn’t lose another family member”, Braeden said to her.
“So you know what it’s like to take care of someone who wasn’t born of your family. I’m so sorry that you came back and it ended like this. I had hoped to never see you two again after Dimples so clearly told you to leave”, Rynna looked over at me, “but you’re stubborn. Persistent. She said you would be.”
“And you heard what Voldini will do to her”, I said.
“He also promised to help cleanse the evil inside her demonic form. It would lessen her powers significantly, perhaps remove them all together, but that makes Dimples happy. It provides her something to look forward to”, Rynna smiled sadly, “and she so badly needs it. I sense such pain in her.”
“Pain which you helped bring”, I countered.
“Abbie…”, Braeden started to reprimand me.
“Why shouldn’t we be honest? You’re the one with the powers”, I went on, “who can delve into the past with the Elder Fae. You were the one who told her what she was initially. You guided her down the path to be indebted to Voldini.”
“Their language wasn’t ours. The words they used could be misinterpreted. Modern scholars equate most designations of Elder Fae into words similar to demon. I only provided information on what I could understand. Would you rather I have lied to her?”, Rynna asked me.
I exhaled loudly, “I don’t care what you do with the information. Tell her you were lying, that Voldini forced your hand. Tell her to come see us so I can undo the binding stone. I know how to do it and you can right some of the wrongs you made here.”
“Vander will hunt you down and kill you. Most likely, he’ll kill us all when he becomes bored with the monotony of this circus. I can see the past and bring it to life but I can’t dive into the future accurately enough to see how he’ll do it. He’s already become thinner, sicker…”, she stopped before saying more.
“Why should the Fae magic effect him any differently if he absorbed it rather than be born into it?”, I asked, not willing to give her a break.
“I can’t exactly say. He holds some truths close to him and won’t trust me with them. Though he uses his profit to buy relics of the bygone Fae empire. In his office, his chamber, he has many forbidden tomes and icons”, Rynna revealed.
“And the Council turns a blind eye so long as he brings them entertainment”, I bit my bottom lip, “how generous of them.”
Rynna rose and helped Max to his feet, “We need to get some dinner. Alexei does most of the cooking and is rather good at it. I’ll bring you both plates, summon a few necessities so you can become comfortable. You’ll be here for a while.”
I didn’t have it in me to thank her. Making our cage more livable wouldn’t remove the fact that we were prisoners here. She said that there was a plan to help us tomorrow during our
performance. She had yet to share her plan and I really wanted to know how effective it would be. Braeden could pull punches and I could sling spells at him, but his healing was dampened. We may be in bad shape after the show just so Voldini could see us humbled by pain. If Elizar were here, he would kill Voldini without hesitation. I could almost hear him roaring in anger at the spectacle we were subjected to. Strangely, though, I was comforted that I didn’t come alone. Braeden was my friend and he would protect me the best way that he could. I was able to protect him in return. We could survive this.
My thoughts went to Voldini’s chamber and the forbidden Fae knowledge he poured over. He must have learned some tricks that gave him more power yet drained his body. Hubris was often an enemy’s undoing and I needed to think of a way to encourage it in him. Even the most powerful warlock could be subjected to physical frailty. If I could turn that to my advantage, then I could outdo him in an outright magical battle. Rynna may even find the courage to face him with me and settle her own score. We could turn his next show into a real insurrection. Braeden took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders before he settled down on the ground. I joined him and held back tears of my own. As ready as I was to have a plan and take action, I knew that our hands were tied. It all came down to tomorrow’s show.
Twelve
The plan was simple yet effective: through careful choreography, with the guidance of both Max and Rynna, we would mock a fight for the public that looked real enough to be convincing. From his overlook in the investors box, Voldini wouldn’t know any better. Max had gained skill in his human form on minimizing damage to himself and others while he performed. His human identity had a balance that bordered on fear of losing control. The wolf, who remained nameless, wasn’t so level. He would shift and be focused on the mayhem of taking down alphas in a victory. Braeden’s earlier clash with him had established that Max could rely on a leader to keep things in line. It was the opposite of what Voldini had hoped to achieve.
While he and Braeden sparred to practice for the night’s big performance, I sat against the bars talking to Alexei. He told me of the years he walked Iverli as a human and how humbling having a mechanical body could be. His smile remained frozen in place but emotion seeped into his voice to reveal his true feelings. This wasn’t a fate he wanted. When I asked him about his future, about what he could do if he ever escaped, he came up blank. Then he resolved that there was no future for him outside of this circus. This was how Voldini did it. He imprisoned their minds so they felt hopeless. The binding stone was just a vanity piece.
“I even had a wife in the last years of my life”, Alexei remembered, “and she was a real beauty. I remember how perfect her nose was, how glowing her hair looked in the sunlight. Back in my time, the Elder Fae still held the reigns and the sun felt much hotter on the skin. She used to plead for me to go on more walks in the scorching heat and I would always give in.”
“You must miss her terribly. It’s been so many years”, I said.
His head creaked downward, “She saw what I had become and wanted nothing to do with me. She was legally allowed to file for divorce, as I had technically died and was a new person, and she married someone else. We never spoke again.”
“If there are others out there like you…”
“Then I can hope that they are less miserable than I am. Rynna assures me that their must be but scientists often abandon experiments in which they don’t see as fruitful. I was a let down”, he said simply.
“Sounds like Voldini has gotten into your head. You aren’t a let down...you’re a marvel. I bet you could even teach classes on history as you lived through it!”
He flexed the jointed fingers welded to his hand, “Maybe that is so. For now, this is my life and it’s likely not to change. I must take my leave, Miss Everlaine. Voldini wants me to keep Dimples occupied so she doesn’t wander here.”
“If she were to come see me just once…”, I hoped aloud.
“Then Voldini would destroy her and dismantle me for his own pleasure. We must play our parts and not deign to strive for anything more”, he said plainly, “there is nothing else to it. Be ever mindful in your performance tonight.”
I clutched the icy bars, “Just think about what we’ve discussed today. There’s a big world out there in Iverli and this can’t be your only option. You won’t leave this circus friendless.”
He refrained from saying anything further and I could practically feel the reigns around him tighten. Voldini’s influence reached to every corner of these circus tents and he wouldn’t let up. He must have went through life with a bitter and selfish attitude that everything was meant to cater to his desires. I couldn’t wait to rip that spoon out of his mouth and beat him with it. Braeden and Max were satisfied with their own sparring session and I knew it was my turn. I didn’t have a clue how to fight and was even less impressive as a dancer so, in my book, that meant I needed a lot of work. Fortunately, Rynna came by to teach me some handy skills.
“It’s vanity magic”, she described as her fingers formed chromatic colors that popped in the air above her, “completely harmless but definitely dangerous looking. I’ve used some of it in my performances before the holo projections became a big deal.”
“Will I be able to have my wand in the ring?”, I asked.
She fizzled out the spell, “Of course. Voldini is well protected with his own charms and he knows that you won’t harm the audience. He’ll want you to give it your all against Braeden.”
“Won’t he recognize vanity magic?”
“He’ll be too busy serenading the investors and enjoying the audience reaction. If Braeden yelps and howls a bit, it’s more the show”, she replied.
Braeden watched intensely while Rynna taught me a few simple spells that I had never had cause to use before. Vanity magic was meant for entertainers and I had a one-track mind in college for enchanting. I liked how easy it was to summon, how it flowed off my fingers, how it looked impressive. Some of the tactics even frightened me with their realism. Rynna was impressed with how quickly I took on spells. When our lesson was done, she excused herself until the show. I didn’t know what preparation work she would have to do, but it must take a lot of energy to draw up living images of the past. That was one lesson which I could never learn even in a hundred years. Casters are born with different skills and mine stayed resolutely in enchantment.
We took a break to eat a late lunch that consisted of some kind of oatmeal with a side of vegetables. Healthy and hardy enough but hardly a werewolf diet. Ours was more protein rich and this was robbed of those nutrients. We ate mirthlessly and wished to have some of the carnival food being cooked outside. The scent of something fried and delicious wafted in from outside where the amusements were being set up for that evening. People would be crowding into the main tent in a few hours to see our show. I still wasn’t confident with the choreography. I wasn’t even sure that Dimples performance would come close to mine. Voldini may lock us back up immediately.
Even if I got the stone off of her, Dimples still may not leave. She had drank the poison that Voldini waved in front of her face with his insane theories. Dimples a demon? Only if Meredith Marble was killed off in the book series. She needed the comfort of Ethan pouring over romantic novels with her, the routine of spending time with Frankie at the store, a spa day where I painted a new design on her dress. She needed her old life to wash away that poison. It wouldn’t be easy to drag her away when she was so stuck here. It wouldn’t be easy to leave Rynna, Max, and Alexei behind. Or even the weirdly adorable seamuck. If we slipped through Voldini’s fingers, he could punish everyone. Braeden took notice of the storm in my eyes and slid closer to me.
“Having second thoughts on the choreography?”, he asked.
I brought my knees up and hugged them, “On this whole plan. I don’t want to leave everyone behind knowing that Voldini could punish them. What if we waited to get the rest of the formulas to remove their binding stones?”<
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“They would probably stay put and give us the same line about belonging nowhere but the circus. Not everyone sees the merit of freedom”, he put his hand over mine, “and we can’t force them to escape with us. There’s no saying if we’ll even get a chance to get our hands on those other formulas. You needed Cecilia for the last one.”
“Do you think she slept with Voldini?”, I asked with a small smile.
He wrinkled his nose, “I sure don’t want to think about it. Then again, Cecilia is all about gold and doesn’t care who she gets the money from.”
“People are probably missing us right now. Elizar will be in a fury, my mom will be looking everywhere, Ethan will be missing you”, I said.
Braeden hit his head against the icy bars behind us, “Ethan is probably happy I’m outta the place for right now. He hasn’t said a word to me and I’ve been trucking along at the clinic without him. The kid can hold a grudge.”
“I think you give him too much credit there. He’s hurt and feels betrayed because he looks up to you so much. You really are like a big brother to him. I know he must be sick with worry thinking about you being captured”, I reassured him.
He cleared his throat, “Well we’re getting out of here. I have a wedding to stop and you have a gnome to integrate back into our crazy Crestwood life.”
“About that whole bond thing…”
“I already told you how sorry I am that I didn’t bind to you. I wish I did, Abbie, but we can’t force it. Binding to a mate is natural”, Braeden apologized.
“Not you”, I laughed gently, “but I think I might be feeling it. The way the warmth and tightness travels into my chest, how my emotions stabilize with him, how I think about him constantly. Sleep better next to him.”
“Elizar.”
I nodded, “A wolf knows when they bind to someone. Could he really be mine?”
“He’s not who I would’ve picked for you but, then again, who am I to argue with nature? Fate spins the wheel and your heart knows what’s good for you. Just lay down the law with him and make sure he can return that favor. I don’t want to kick his ass for hurting you”, Braeden bumped his head softly against mine.