by Trudi Jaye
The hairs on her arms suddenly rose and little goose bumps appeared. “Helene, where are all the people?”
Helene looked around, her gaze slightly unfocused. “Oh, you’re right, dear. It is a little empty today. Mostly they’ll be at practice sessions. We work hard. I was only home because I knew Zeph was coming.”
It was a logical explanation. Missy nodded, trying to keep from getting hysterical about what was essentially only her intuition telling her things were strange. She had no proof, and so far, Helene had responded to her concerns with valid replies.
“So how long have you been here?” she asked.
“About three months. Daphne came to visit me at my old home. Tilly’s mother, you know. I knew her from the old days, when she lived at the Carnival. She told me what a good place this was, offered to convince Veronica to let me stay.”
Still following Helene’s lead, they turned onto Snow Boulevard and headed away from the main gate. Just ahead, on the other side of the street, Missy saw a massive warehouse-style building. “Is that the practice area?”
Helene nodded. “Yes, dear. It’s all in there. Five rings, a gymnasium, and a climbing wall.” She pointed to another building behind them. “That’s the ice arena. Veronica makes sure we have all the latest technology. She says it’s important to be up with the play.”
Missy nodded. It would be nice to have a setup like that. But then, they had an ice rink at the Compound as well. It just happened to be a natural lake.
They headed past the massive practice building and down a side path that led to a smaller two-story building attached by a narrow corridor to the practice arena.
Helene headed over to the main doors. They were bright red with a security keypad attached to the wall. Helene pulled out a swipe card and pushed it into the keypad, entering a four-digit pin.
Zeph watched closely. “Why all the security?” he asked, puzzled.
“Oh, it’s not about anyone here,” said Helene. “It’s outsiders. Veronica says people are jealous of how happy we are.” She fluttered her hands and smiled at Zeph.
Missy narrowed her eyes. How would outsiders get in here?
Helene held the door open for them both to go through, and they entered a large lounge area. Comfortable chairs were grouped about circular tables, and several computers were placed around the room. The only person in the space was a tall, lean man with suave black hair and tanned skin. He was concentrating on a laptop when they came in but looked up and nodded at Helene.
“Zeph and Missy,” said Helene with an arm gesture toward the man, “this is Lorenzo. He’s the Ringmaster at The Experiment.”
Lorenzo stood and nodded, although something about his expression was calculating. “It’s good to finally meet you, Zeph,” he said. “Helene has told us so much about you.” He shook Zeph’s hand and then turned to look at Missy. His smile deepened. “And you must be Missy?” He took her hand and bowed over it in an old-fashioned expression of gallantry. “What an unexpected surprise. It’s a delight to meet you.” His eyes, when he lifted his head, reminded her of a snake appraising its next meal.
Missy managed to smile. “Lovely to meet you too,” she said.
“How may I help you, Helene?” Lorenzo asked as he gave Missy back her hand.
“Lorenzo, darling, we were wanting to see Veronica,” said Helene. “Zeph and Missy are very keen to meet her.”
He waved his hand toward a closed door. “Veronica is in her office, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind being interrupted for something as important as Helene’s son.” His voice was smooth and charming, worthy of a Ringmaster’s. “Come.”
He knocked, then opened the door and waved them through. “I’ll see you at dinner, Helene. You can tell me all about having your boy back.” Lorenzo smiled again and closed the door behind them.
The next room was a large, sparsely decorated open-plan office area. What made it unique was everything was white—all the furniture, including the only desk, and all the stationary, including the stapler, pens, and even paperclips. Everything. Missy had never seen anything like it, and she gazed around with wide eyes.
“Helene, how good to see you. And this must be Zeph?” A musical voice came from one side of the room, and Missy turned to see an older woman curled up on a white couch to one side of the desk, holding documents she’d obviously been reading. She placed the paperwork on the coffee table in front of her, elegantly uncurled her legs, and stood.
She was an older woman and tall—almost as tall as Zeph—with hazel eyes and shoulder-length white-blond hair. Veronica walked over to where they stood, her hips swaying gently, her long legs shown to advantage in an A-line skirt. She held out her hand to Zeph and he took it. “It’s so lovely to meet you, Zeph. Helene has told me all about you.” She placed her other hand on his arm, almost possessively.
Zeph smiled. “It’s lovely to meet you too, Veronica. This place is awe-inspiring.”
“I do my best.” She turned and the full force of those eagle-sharp eyes focused on Missy. “And this must be Missy. I’m so pleased you could visit us.”
Missy nodded. “Thank you. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Come, sit down. Let’s talk.” Veronica waved her hand toward the couch and chairs where she’d just been sitting.
Missy and Zeph sat across from Veronica on the white couches, Helene on a chair next to them. Missy fidgeted awkwardly, worried some of their dust and grime from the road would mark the pure-white surface. They should have thought to clean up a little.
“Well, we’re simply delighted you’ve arrived. You have such a strong aura about you, Zeph.”
Helene spoke for the first time. “Oh, Veronica, do you really think so?” She sounded excited.
Zeph looked at his mother and then Veronica. “What does that mean?”
“It means you could become very important to us. Only those with strong auras can lead an operation like this.”
Missy’s mouth opened slightly at Veronica’s words. She glanced at Zeph.
“Lead it?” Surprise tinged his voice.
Veronica smiled. “I’ve been looking for someone to take over some of my duties for a long time. When Helene told me about you, I had a flash of intuition. I knew you would be perfect.”
“I thought Lorenzo was the Ringmaster?” said Missy, confused.
Veronica glanced at Missy and sighed. “You’re right, but Lorenzo is as aware of his failings as I am. He’s simply not strong enough to lead us to the level I wish to attain. I have bigger goals than this place, you know. Zeph has the capabilities we need to achieve greatness.”
Zeph shook his head. “I’ve never been part of a circus before. And I don’t think it’s for me, really. Thank you for thinking of me, but I’m not sure I’m the best person to be focusing on.”
Veronica smiled, her almond-shaped eyes giving her a mysterious expression. “I’m a patient woman, Zeph. I can give you time to adjust to the idea. I wouldn’t want to pressure you into anything.”
Missy narrowed her eyes at Veronica. It was a massive opportunity, being asked to be the Ringmaster. Why did she think someone who’d never even been part of a circus troupe before today would be a good candidate? The only answer—based on what Veronica was saying—seemed to be the energy or magic he could access if given the chance. He hadn’t been living at the Carnival when he would have otherwise come into his powers, so it was lying latent inside him. Perhaps Veronica could sense it somehow and could bring it to the surface.
It didn’t matter, not really. In fact, if magic was a part of this place as well, it was even better because it meant Missy didn’t have to give up the extra burst of energy that had always taken her already-great performances to the next level.
“How did you get into this lifestyle?” asked Missy, curious about her background. Veronica didn’t seem like the usual circus person.
“I’m a carny just like you, my dear. I grew up living the same life you did. I just decided we did
n’t need to live like that. And I proved I was right. My village here is proof we can be as prosperous as we like in this life.”
Missy nodded. It was certainly better here than with some of the traveling carnivals she’d seen.
Veronica nodded, momentarily distracted by talk of what was obviously her pet subject. “This place shows the vagabond lifestyle my parents forced on me and my brother was a false tradition, one that needed to be amended. I’ve spent many years changing the habits and ways of carny folk, showing them there is another way.”
Missy nodded. “So most people here are carny folk?” she said.
Veronica smiled. “Yes, proudly so. It is a fine tradition, the one we uphold. Everyone here is from generations of carnival, their families stretching back through the ages. The only difference is that here we offer a stable lifestyle, the ability to become not merely great, but magnificent.”
Missy nodded, impressed by Veronica’s speech. She cleared her throat. “Veronica, on that note… I was hoping you might be able to find a place for me in The Experiment as well. I’m a flyer and a high-wire act. From a long-standing carny family.”
“Ah, yes, Missy.” Veronica’s eyes landed on Missy again. “I have heard of your skills as a flyer. But I am afraid I already have an excellent trapeze act in the form of Lorenzo’s brother, Alphonso. He’s world-renowned. I don’t believe we need another one right now.” She smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes.
“I’m not just any trapeze act,” said Missy quickly. “I was the star act at the Jolly Knight Carnival, and I’ve done everything from corporate events with tech companies to birthday parties for the stars and even a Vegas show.” Missy paused, trying to think what might convince Veronica to give her a chance. “I can work in with anyone else—maybe I could do a double act with this Alphonso? I’ve been to several shows at The Experiment. I know the kind of performance you would expect. I’d work my butt off to make it amazing. I promise.”
Veronica paused, regarding Missy quietly for a long, silent moment. She sighed. “Against my better judgement, I’m going to give you a try. You can create a new show with Alphonso, and if it’s up to our standards, you will get your chance in the ring. Alphonso will do it as a favor to me.” She stopped for a moment, tapping one elegant finger on the edge of her leather couch. “However, you are on a one-month probation. I’ll be watching to see how you’re going, and if it’s not a ground-breaking new show, worthy of The Experiment, you’re out.”
Missy nodded eagerly. She was going to work with the best act in The Experiment to create a show-stopping performance. She didn’t care that her instinct was telling her this place was off kilter or that Tilly’s voice was echoing in her head, warning her not to trust Veronica. None of it mattered.
It was a dream come true, and she wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Helene led them along the internal corridor to the side entrance into the massive practice arena and entered another code into a keypad to get in. The door swung open with a beep, and they walked into the massive space. Despite herself, Missy was impressed. It was gigantic. At least four times the size of the practice area at the Compound, it had what looked like brand-new equipment everywhere and was crawling with hundreds of people, all in various stages of their acts.
She took a breath. It even smelled right: a mix of leather, sawdust, and sweat.
Helene looped her arm through Zeph’s and led them slowly through the practice area. “That’s the fire act. He’s called Zeus. And it’s not just his stage name.” She gave a tinkling laugh and pointed in another direction. “There are the Zambini family. There’s seven of them, including the five kids who do an act together. All on roller skates, including little Sally, who’s two years old. It’s quite amazing.”
Missy looked over at the family who were rapidly moving through their act on wheels, fluid and graceful, doing flips and turns and leaps that should have been impossible. One small figure trailed around after the rest, an expression of intense concentration on her young face. Missy shivered. They never let kids that young do an actual performance at the Jolly Carnival. Even if the kids wanted to. There was just too much that could go wrong. Sure, they all played games that involved aspects of what they would need to learn. But the kind of intense practice the Zambini family was doing just seemed too much for a little kid.
Missy tore her gaze from little Sally and forced herself to follow Helene. They walked farther into the room, and Missy’s eyes wandered over the other acts. There were dogs practicing in the ring closest to them, their handler dressed as a clown. The next one over had a tumbling act. As she watched, one of the men in the act broke formation and walked over to where they stood. He smiled at Helene and then nodded to Missy and Zeph.
“Zeph, Missy, I want you to meet Alphonso, Lorenzo’s brother. He lives on my street.” Helene blushed.
Missy’s heart leaped into her chest. Alphonso. She straightened her stance and pushed back her shoulders before she even realized what she was doing. But it wouldn’t hurt to try and impress her new performance partner.
Alphonso was as tall and tanned as Lorenzo, with thick black hair that was starting to turn grey and the same lean, muscled physique as his brother. He seemed more relaxed and friendly than Lorenzo, although his sharp eyes watched Missy and Zeph closely. Missy saw right away that something was going on between Helene and Alphonso, and she glanced at Zeph to see if he’d noticed. He was smiling at them both but didn’t seem unduly concerned.
“Nice to meet you, Alphonso,” she said. “Veronica was just telling us about you.”
Zeph nodded and held out his hand. “Great to meet you,” he said with a smile.
“It is a pleasure to meet the family of Helene,” said Alphonso in slightly accented English as he shook Zeph’s hand. “She has been a delightful addition to our community here.”
“It’s an amazing place,” said Zeph.
“I’m looking forward to working here,” added Missy with a smile.
Alphonso lifted his eyebrows and looked at Helene.
“Veronica has asked them both to stay.” Helene paused. “In fact, she mentioned she wanted you to work with Missy on a new performance for the show”
Alphonso frowned and glanced at Missy. “I do not like to babysit. She knows that,” he said.
“It won’t be babysitting,” said Missy, planting her hands on her hips. “I know what I’m doing.”
Helene put one hand on Alphonso’s arm. “She asked you to do it as a favor,” she said softly.
Alphonso’s eyes flashed for a second and he looked like he was going to snap back at Helene. But then he let out a breath and nodded. “If that’s what she wants.” He looked Missy up and down. “We should start as soon as possible. When can you be ready?”
Missy blinked and looked at Helene and Zeph, then back at Alphonso. “I’m still dirty from the road, so I’d like to clean myself up a bit. But that won’t take long. Maybe in an hour?”
Alphonso shook his head slightly. “The trapeze area is being used at the moment by our high-wire act. We’ll need to wait until she’s finished before starting our own practice.” He gestured up behind Missy, and she turned to look.
High above, a small figure perched on the high wire. Missy narrowed her eyes to watch more closely. There was something familiar about the woman. She was small and lithe and moved with precision. From this distance, it was hard to tell her age, but she had a confidence that spoke of a few years under her belt.
The woman did a flip in the air, and Missy’s breath caught in her throat. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she swayed.
Zeph put out a hand to steady her. “What’s wrong, Missy? Are you okay?”
“That’s my mom up there,” she whispered. “My parents are here.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“What are you talking about?” Zeph glanced sharply down at Missy.
Missy didn’t take her eyes off
the small figure on the high wire above them. “That’s my mother up there on the wire.” She felt like she’d just been punched in the stomach.
“Don’t your parents live at the Carnival?” asked Zeph.
Missy glanced at him and realized something else. Her father had been part of the conspiracy that had caused the death of Zeph’s father. She had no real assurance he wouldn’t be angry with her for that, just like everyone else.
“No, they left a while back,” she said, her gaze drawn back to her mother on the wire.
“What are your parents’ names, dear?” asked Helene, a small smile on her face.
“Barbarina and Christoph.”
Helene nodded. “I do believe you’re right. They do live here.” She paused and looked up to where Barbarina was practicing. “Lovely couple, always so friendly.”
Missy felt like she’d just climbed Mt. Everest and discovered the air was too thin for her. Her brain was full of muddled thoughts, none of them making any sense.
What were her parents doing here? Had her father been part of this place the whole time? Was it possible Lucietta hadn’t led him astray as she’d thought, but he’d had a connection with The Experiment the whole time? Was this proof that Veronica was working against the Carnival?
That he wasn’t the pathetic—and somehow innocent—pawn she’d thought him?
Missy put one hand to her mouth, trying to push down the nausea churning inside her. She fought the urge to throw up on the perfectly placed sawdust under her feet. “I have to get out of here,” she said before turning and striding away. She needed distance between herself and her parents so she could think.
The California warmth hit her as soon as she opened the door. Missy didn’t pause, just stormed off down the road, not looking where she was going. She sped to a run, going faster and faster, trying to outpace the thoughts swimming in her head.