by Dyan Chick
I sat down on the bed and rested my hands on my lap. "I didn't mean for anything to happen, I just wanted to take a shower."
"So you went to use his?" Goldie's voice seemed to be getting more high-pitched with every word.
"He wasn't in his room, I thought I'd be done before he noticed." My whole body tingled as I recalled the feel of his hands on me. My mouth ached to feel his lips against mine.
"And?" Bella scooted the edge of the bed, she was hanging on every word.
I shrugged. "He joined me in the shower. Like you said."
Bella threw a pillow at me. "That's all you're going to give us? I mean, the man hasn't taken a woman in his room in a century and hasn't let a human near him since we were cursed. What were you thinking? You could have doomed us all!"
"Cut it out, Bella. We're still cursed, okay? They didn't do anything wrong. Can't see what's happening? Can't you see they're in love?"
"Hold it right there," I said. "I never said I was in love with him."
"Whatever you say." Goldie winked at me.
"I hardly even know him!" I cried in protest.
Before I could argue anymore, another knock sounded on the door. Bella jumped to her feet and answered the door as if Goldie's room was her own. I wondered how close they were and felt a bit guilty that I had taken over some of Goldie's space.
Miles stood beyond the threshold, a box in his hands and a frown on his face. "I was asked to bring this." He glanced at me, then lifted his chin in my direction. "It's for her."
I stood up and walked over to the door. "What is it?"
"It's not a fruit basket," Goldie said as she leaned over me.
Bella took the box. "Thanks, Miles, we'll take it from here." She closed the door with her hip, then passed the box over to me.
I held it as if it were made of glass. Why had something been delivered to me?
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Bella had her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed that I hadn't ripped it open the second it was handed to me.
Goldie was practically jumping up and down. "Open it."
I set the box down on the bed and pulled off the top, expecting to find a note. All I found was tissue paper. Moving the paper aside, I revealed shiny, red satin. Gathering the fabric in my hands, I pulled it from the box. It was a stunning long, red dress. Despite the fact that it would cover more of me than anything I'd worn since coming to the circus, it felt so much more intimate.
"Brenon must have sent that," Goldie said, putting words to my thoughts.
My cheeks warmed and I couldn't stop the smile on my face or the tingle that ran through my whole body. He'd said that after he was done with his duties tonight, we'd get to have some time together.
"You're in serious trouble," Bella said.
I looked up at her, feeling some of the elation deflate at her words. "What do you mean?"
"He's turned on the charm," she said. "You might as well kiss your willpower goodbye."
My mouth opened, then closed. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Most of my willpower had already melted away from the shower. It was his willpower that had prevented us from taking things too far.
Holding the dress up against me, I could feel the last few objections about Brenon fading. Did I really care about the curse? What if we were supposed to be together?
A horn sounded. We all grew quiet as we waited for the sound to end. Goldie clapped her hands. "It's time! You better put on that dress."
Happy to be done talking about the Ringmaster, I quickly pulled the new dress on and followed Goldie and Bella out into the hallway. All the members of the circus were on their way out of the train and in the crowd, I was separated from my new friends.
Someone grabbed hold of me and pulled me into an open door, shutting the door behind me. My whole body tensed and I frantically looked around for a way out. If this was another attack against me, I knew from experience I wasn't strong enough to fight back. The room was dark and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. "Who's there?"
A single figure walked toward me and I began to relax as I saw the outline of the top hat. "Brenon?"
"We only have a minute," he said. "And I couldn't resist seeing you in that dress."
I was leaning against the wall now and he moved closer, placing a hand on either side of me. Flutters rose in my stomach and my heart raced. He was so close I could smell the soap from our earlier shower.
He leaned down and gently pressed his lips on mine. My whole body responded in a rush of desire but before I could kiss him back, he pulled away.
"I've wanted to do that again since I watched you leave my room. What have you done to me?" He traced my lower lip with his thumb.
I was breathless and it took me a second to find my voice. "I've never felt like this before."
He kissed me one more time, quick and delicate. "I'll see you soon."
Opening the door, he left the room, closing the door behind him. For a moment, I wondered if I should wait so that it wasn't obvious that we had been in a dark room together. Then I remembered my conversation with Goldie and Bella. There are no secrets in the Rose Circus.
Doing my best to try to look like I hadn't just experienced one of the most intense moments of my life, I left the room and joined the crowd making its way through the corridor.
I licked my lips, recalling the stolen moment. I started to consider what might have happened if we'd had ten more minutes together. A knot twisted inside me as I wondered what I would do next time we were alone. The feelings I had for him grew with every encounter. How was I going to hold back? I hadn't been lying when I told him I'd never felt like this before. I couldn't even describe the way he made me feel. It was all consuming.
The sun was low in the sky as I made my way toward the group gathered around the bonfire. The energy of the crowd was so positive and excited. There had to be over a thousand people here. It reminded me of an outdoor music festival. Though the dress tonight was far more elegant than the previous parties I'd attended. I didn't look out of place in the more formal attire.
Part of me was a little nervous as I wandered around looking for a familiar face. I was probably the only human here. The members of the Rose Circus seemed to be more welcoming to my presence, but I didn't know how the rest of the supernatural community would feel about me.
"Ara!" Goldie's voice sounded out over the chatter and she came running toward me. "Sorry we got separated. Stay with us, okay?"
I nodded and followed her to the back of the bonfire. The crowd was facing us now and I realized I was standing with the members of the Rose Circus. This was still a show and I was standing with all of the performers. I straightened my posture, feeling a thrill at being presented as one of them.
A platform had been added nearby and I saw Brenon climb to the top. The noise of the crowd quieted down as they noticed him taking the position on the platform. He wore a red jacket tonight with long tails. His top hat had a flame pattern above the brim. I hadn't noticed that earlier.
Always the showmen, Brenon commanded all attention on him with the smallest movements. Silence hung in the air as we all waited to hear what he was going to say.
"Welcome friends! Tonight, we honor our ancient traditions in the last night of the Fire Festival. Our ancestors used this night as a way to continue harvest late into the night and when the harvest was done, they'd celebrate the bounty of the earth. It was a night to honor the mother goddess. It is also the night we were cast from our homes 500 years ago." He removed his hat and held it in front of him.
"But we overcame and we persevered. We have kept Terra from getting back into our realm and will continue to keep her out. Tonight, we celebrate the sacrifices that we have all made to keep those who remained behind free of her tyranny." He threw the top hat onto the huge pile of wood that had been built up for the bonfire.
As soon as the hat touched the wood, it erupted into flames that spread through the kindling at lighting speed. Quickly, the fire gre
w to unbelievable heights. This whole party was about celebrating their time hiding from Terra. It opened up a whole lot of questions that had never been answered. I had a feeling I wasn't going to get answers tonight and I realized, I didn't really want to. I wanted to be irresponsible for one night and not worry about things that were beyond my control.
Cheers erupted from the crowd and a group of people with instruments joined Brenon on the stage. Screaming guitars filled the air, joined shortly after by pounding drums and heavy bass. It didn't take long for the dancing to start and within a few minutes, the party looked like it had been in full swing for hours. These supernaturals sure knew how to kick up their heels.
31
The red dress flowed behind me while I spun, making me feel like a princess at a ball. The fabric shimmered in the light of the bonfire as I twirled with Goldie. My face hurt from smiling. Goldie and I kicked off our shoes and let loose in the soft dirt. It seemed to like a night off for the members of the circus. No bizarre costumes, no tightrope or trapeze. It was difficult to tell who was Rose Circus and who was a visitor. The only person who seemed to be in the makeup and costume of the other nights was Brenon.
After several hours of dancing with Goldie, I started to glance around for him. How long would he make me wait? Was he looking for me? Finding anybody in this crowd would be difficult. Then I remembered the rose petals in my room. I had a feeling he would be able to find me when he was ready. A tingle of anticipation crawled up my spine.
"Come on, let's take a break." Goldie grabbed my hand and we cut our way through the dancing masses.
From this vantage, the celebration seemed to form a circle around the bonfire. I glanced up at the platform and was a little disappointed to see it empty. Where is he?
"Looking for him?" Goldie shouted over the pounding beats.
"No," I said.
"You're a terrible liar." She grabbed a couple of bottles of water out of a bucket of ice and handed one to me.
I let out a sigh. "He said he'd find me tonight."
She took a drink. "The night is young. If he said he'd find you, he will."
I wiped my mouth after taking a drink. "Where's Bella? Aren't you two sort of a thing?"
Goldie shrugged. "We've had our ups and downs over the centuries. Sometimes she does this. Just vanishes for a while. Especially if we are going to be in one place for a few days. She probably went to find a lake or something. Water Nymph."
I nodded as if what she said cleared everything up for me. One of these days, I was hoping somebody could just spell it all out for me as one would teach a small child.
Goldie set her water bottle down on the ground. "You ready to get back in there?"
"Let's go." I ran after her back into the mass of people. I tried to forget about Brenon. Goldie was right, he'd come eventually. If this party was going until sunrise, we still had lots of dancing ahead of us.
Somehow, we found our way into a huge conga line, winding around the bonfire. Goldie and I laughed as we stepped on each other's feet and weaved through the crowd, encouraging others to join. I felt freer than I had in years.
Then, the music stopped. I crashed into the person in front of me who had stopped moving and Goldie slammed into me from behind. Dropping my arms from the waist in front of me, I stepped out of the conga line. What was going on?
Instinctively, we all looked at the platform, expecting Brenon to make an announcement. The platform was empty. Mumbles ran through the crowd as all eyes moved to the DJ booth.
Somebody let out a scream and the crowd grew silent. Standing in front of the DJ booth were Terra and Tristan surrounded by a pack of wolves. My blood ran cold. I knew she was here for me.
How had she found us? I thought she couldn't get here unless a member of the circus told her where we were. Was that a lie? I was so desperate to feel safe, I hadn't questioned it.
My lower lip trembled and I took a sharp intake of breath as I recalled the pain I'd been put through at Terra's bidding. I crossed my arms over my chest, wanting to make myself as small and unnoticeable as possible. The only thing keeping me from running was the proximity of all the people around me. I knew I'd have a better chance at hiding in plain sight than making a run for it and drawing attention to myself.
Terra raised her arms in the air, silencing the crowd. She smiled, her head moving back and forth as if looking for something. Or someone.
I held my breath.
"What's this? A Fire Festival without me? I'm hurt." Tera took a step forward, her wolves following in her wake.
The crowd shifted as a figure pushed its way through. Brenon emerged and walked over to Terra. "You and your wolves aren't welcome here. We have an agreement."
"I don't remember signing anything. Surely you don't want me to leave?" Tristan said.
"Both of you, and your wolves," Brenon said.
The wolves growled.
"Now boys, don't make such a fuss over little old me," Terra said with mock sweetness. "I'm just here for the Sayge. Turn her over and you and your little miscreants can do whatever you please."
Brenon ignored her request. "You shouldn't even be here. How did you find us?"
Terra turned and shoved somebody in front of her. Goldie grabbed my hand and squeezed. Terra was holding on to Bella. "A little fish told me."
I glanced at Goldie. Tears slid down her cheeks but she didn't take her eyes off of Bella. It didn't look like she had any warning of Bella's betrayal. My upper lip curled as I looked back at Bella and Terra. How could she do that Goldie? To the circus? As far as I could tell, Terra was the greater threat. Why share where we were?
"I'm so sorry, Brenon," Bella said. "You were hours away from breaking the curse. I had to do something to stop you."
My heart pounded. This was all because she didn't want the curse broken. That’s why she’d asked me all those questions. Why had she gone right to Terra? Why not talk to Brenon?
"You had no right," Brenon said.
"At least there's one smart one in your group of misfits. Anyone else?" Tera called out. "If you swear your allegiance to me, I will spare your life after I take all of Brenon's magic. Just bring me the Sayge."
A few muffled conversations sounded around me. Were they considering helping Terra? Were they going to turn me over to her?
Fear prickled inside me and my palms grew sweaty. There was no way Terra was going to let me walk away from here without causing a great deal of pain. If I were a better person, I'd go up there, turn myself in. But my legs wouldn't move.
After several long moments, nobody spoke. Tears blurred my vision. Someone from the Rose Circus could easily find me and point me out to Terra, but they remained silent. They were protecting me, just as Brenon had said they would.
"Fine, have it your way." Terra turned. "Tristan?"
Tristan smiled and walked toward the front of the crowd. He grabbed a hold of a guy in a red tank top with spiky black hair. "Let me go!"
Tristan ignored the cries as he dragged him to the DJ booth. The man he was holding didn't look weak, but despite his struggling, he couldn't get out of Tristan's grasp.
I wanted to run up there, but I was frozen in place by the memories of the pain I had endured at Terra's command. I squeezed Goldie's hand as I waited to see what Tristan was going to do.
In a second, Tristan snapped the man's neck, dropping his body to the ground. A collective cry sounded around me. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I looked away, ashamed of my cowardice.
"Who's next?" Terra walked along the edge of people, finger out, ready to point to the next victim.
What was I supposed to do? If I turned myself in, I'd be killed next, but I couldn't let her kill innocents in my place. I started to move and Goldie grabbed hold of me. "I can't let her do this."
"Are you crazy?" she said. "You can't go up there. She'll kill you."
"Maybe," I said, pulling my arm away from her. "But I can't let her get to you or the rest of the circus."
"I'm right here, Terra," I said as I emerged from the mass of people.
"Look at that," Terra said. "So noble."
"No, Ara." Brenon moved toward me but Tristan grabbed him, keeping him back.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said.
Terra clicked her tongue. "And here I thought you were smart."
I raised my voice so I could be heard by all. "There are more of us than there are of you. You can't take us all out."
"That's where you are wrong, my dear. Those blue pills, they've been using them for years to suppress their magic so I can't trace them. But it also makes it so they are more like humans than magical beings." Terra wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Pathetic, really. Humans are nothing and if they want to be nothing, I'll treat them like nothing."
I glared at her. "You're wrong. Humans aren't nothing; these people aren't nothing. And you might kill me, but I know enough about history to know that the oppressors eventually get overthrown by the oppressed. They might be afraid of you right now, but they'll get tired of being pushed around and they'll stand up to you."
Somebody grabbed my hand and squeezed. I glanced behind me to see the green faerie I'd met a few days ago grasping my hand. She pulled the lollipop out of her mouth and smiled at me. "I'll stand up with you."
Another hand grasped hers and whispers of "I'll stand up with you" carried through the crowd. I felt an energy rising inside me unlike I'd ever felt before. It was like something electric crackling through my veins and it seemed to grow as more people joined in the chain of hands.
"Enough of this!" Terra shouted. She charged me, grabbing my arm. The green faerie let go of my hand and knocked me to the side, positioning herself in front of Terra. That was all it took, in a matter of seconds, the crowd surged forward and war cries sounded.
The fairies and other creatures who were attending the festival charged Terra and she sent a surge of light toward them, knocking down a dozen people. Then, a rush of red sparks flew toward Terra, making her drop to the ground to avoid getting hit.