by Trudi Jaye
Nine men and women stood before them, crowded onto the moving circular platform.
“The original Nine,” she whispered. Her heart was thudding in her throat. Were they real or just a memory?
Jack looked from the people around them to Rilla. “Is this what normally happens?”
“I don’t know. Dad never mentioned it.”
A tinkling laugh followed Rilla’s words. “Abacus never needed us, dear child. Not then, anyway.” The tall, attractive woman stepped forward to stand in front of them both. “You two, on the other hand, need all the help you can get.” She tapped a finger on Jack’s nose flirtatiously. He twitched away, batting at her finger.
“What happens now?” asked Rilla.
“You decide what you want to do.”
“You’re not going to just tell us who the next Ringmaster is?” Rilla’s throat almost closed on her words.
“It doesn’t happen like that, my dear, not really. It never has, despite what everyone thinks. Once the candidates ascend the Carousel, the truth emerges and the future becomes clear. None may lie, and none may pass this way unscathed.” Her eyes deepened to the darkest black, and red veins stood out in her face. Then just as fast, her face returned to normal.
“What does that mean?” asked Rilla, her forehead creased.
“I think I know,” said Jack. “I have some things to tell you.” He put his hand under her chin and gazed down into her eyes. “I only agreed to run for Ringmaster because my father asked me on his supposed deathbed and because I was certain you’d win. I only agreed to take over as Ringmaster because Viktor told me it would help you by giving you enough time to grieve. Every day, I come to love being part of the Carnival more and more. But more than anything, I love you. Everything about you, everything you are now, and everything you will be. You should be the next Ringmaster, Rilla. I relinquish my claim.”
Rilla’s head buzzed. He loves me? He did it all for me? She shook her head, making his hand lose her chin for a moment.
Tears welled in her eyes. “You were right to take over,” she blurted, almost without thinking. “I was floundering. Everything was going wrong, and I didn’t know what to do without my father. His death has left a giant, gaping hole in my chest. And then Christoph ripped it deeper.” She took a deep, rasping breath and felt tears soaking her face. She lifted a hand to wipe them away, but Jack got there first, his thumbs gentle on her cheeks.
“You just needed time to grieve properly and get your balance back. But I think you’re almost there now. You were astonishing tonight,” he whispered.
Rilla shook her head. “Since you took over as Ringmaster, I’ve been able to learn more about what it means to be me. I owe that to you. The returning power of the Carnival is because of you, too. People like you, and they trust you. You’ve been able to change habits that had become ingrained, traditions that were nothing more than parochial fear. You deserve to lead us.” She took a deep breath. “I relinquish my claim.”
Rilla gazed up into Jack’s eyes and felt more tears leaking down her face.
He leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. “Where to from here?” he asked tenderly.
“We are extremely fortunate there are more options open to us than standing here listening to you both relinquishing your claims to each other. We would all be here ‘til morning,” said the tall gentleman. “By the power vested in me as the First Ringmaster of the Jolly Carnival, I now pronounce you…” He winked at Jack and Rilla, who both looked up, startled. “Ha! Got you. No, I pronounce that you are now and forever the first-ever Joint Ringmasters of the Jolly-Knight Carnival. Long may you flourish. Because, quite frankly, while you prosper, so do we all.”
Rilla smiled up into Jack’s face. Joint Ringmasters?
“Do you think we can do it?” Jack asked.
She blinked, considering it a moment. Warmth spread through her as she imagined working with Jack. “Yes, I do. I really do.” She buried her face in his neck and whispered, “I love you.”
His arms tightened around her, and he kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too,” he said.
The Ringmaster cleared his throat. “There is one thing we do need to discuss,” he said. “Jack’s blocking power.”
“Absorbing power,” said Rilla automatically.
“Whatever you wish to call it, you need to learn everything you can about it, and fast. It is the one thing that could ruin the Carnival. Do not let it destroy all that we worked so hard to create.”
Jack’s arms tightened around Rilla for a second, and then he relaxed. “I’m getting better at controlling it every day,” he said. “And Hugo accidentally taught me how to access the internal space I need to work the power.”
“Just do it carefully. It’s a power that has been misunderstood. It is not the curse some believe it is. But it is also a power that needs to be wielded with care and precision. If used correctly, it has the potential to take the Carnival to all new levels. Done incorrectly, it could obliterate you all.”
Jack blinked. “We’ll take care. I promise.”
“That’s all we ask.” Around them, the figures started to blur. “Take care.”
“Wait! We need to ask more questions. Are you my ancestor?” Rilla asked.
He nodded. “I am indeed, young lady. Sunrise Jolly, at your service.”
Rilla felt a buzz of excitement. She was talking to one of the original Nine. The first Ringmaster. “Sunrise, can you help us? What can you tell us about Hugo Blue? What happened to his ancestor?”
Sunrise cleared his throat. “Well, there are some limits to what we can say. In many ways, we’re frozen in our time. But if you ask Hamiltyn Fontainebleau over there, he can tell you what he was doing. That will tell you why we threw him out.”
Rilla turned to the man she’d seen who looked so much like Hugo Blue. The name had changed, but the facial features clearly marked him as related to Hugo. She nodded at him respectfully. “Mr. Fontainebleau, could you possibly tell us how this started?”
Hamiltyn stepped forward, his gait sure and steady. He towered over Rilla, his fierce eyes burning into her until she felt the urge to step back out of his range. She crushed her lips together and stood her ground, keeping direct eye contact.
Hamiltyn broke away first.
Then he sighed. “I started practicing curse magic. I discovered it when I was helping my wife, Letty, clear up a broken vase. I accidentally cut her finger with a sharp piece of glass. The surge of energy was immediate, and I used it to heal her wound. I started secretly practicing the talent from there.”
“How does it work?” Jack had come to stand beside Rilla, his posture stiff.
Rilla stared hard at Hamiltyn. This was the man who had started his family on the road to harming each other in the name of power and revenge.
Hamiltyn sighed. “When I hurt one of my family, I would get a surge of power. It’s not as strong in people who have no blood relationship. Letty is stronger than a stranger, but not as strong as my children.”
“You saw what happened… what your descendant did to his son tonight?”
“I see them all,” he said, his voice cracking. “I have seen every one of the terrible abominations my family has cast upon each other for the last three centuries.” His expression hardened. “But it is a power like any other. It should be examined, tested.”
Rilla felt the air leave her lungs in a vicious puff. “You still defend it, knowing what happened to Simon?”
“It is unfortunate that young Hugo acted in such a way. He is a product of a three centuries-old blood vow that I swore in a moment of weakness. For that, I feel remorse. It has tainted my line. But curse magic is our power, our family’s heritage. You cannot turn away from your heritage.” Hamiltyn bowed then walked back to his spot.
“Wait, I have more questions. Come back here.” Rilla stepped toward him, ready to force him to answer more questions about his power.
But it was too late.
; Around them, the ghosts began to waver, the dull ancient colors turning back into bright maritime shapes. Rilla watched, the questions still burning in her chest, as they melted away.
Just as the original shapes were almost fully formed, a figure burst out of one of the smaller animals. Tall and strong, wearing Ringmaster red, with black hair and startling blue eyes, Abacus Jolly seemed just as strong in death as he always had in life. Rilla’s breath was knocked out of her body. For a moment, the hole in her chest was filled again. “Dad,” she said, reaching out a hand; it wafted through nothing.
Her father shook his head. “Rilla, listen to me, girl. I don’t have a lot of time. Hugo Blue has escaped the police. He’s gone. Ordinary folk won’t be able to get him back. You have to bring him to justice, or he’s going to destroy the Carnival.”
“What?” Rilla’s head was spinning. How was this even happening?
“Just listen. You have to find him. He’s dangerous. Someone will die unless you can prevent it. It has to be you.” Her father reached out his hand, almost touching her, and then pulled back. His face was lined and his eyes large in his face. “I love you, Rilla. Don’t forget that. You’re going to be the person I always wanted you to be. And don’t be too hard on Christoph. He didn’t realize what he was getting himself into. He loves you, too.” Abacus glanced over at Jack. “And this one seems alright.”
Then, just as fast as he appeared, her father’s shape was swallowed back into the Carousel. The shapes around them hardened and became plastic and glass, dead eyes staring off into the distance.
Rilla felt the terrible cold of grief seeping into her body once more.
“He didn’t tell us enough,” she whispered. “None of them did.”
“He told us that Hugo Blue is still out there. And he loved you enough to sneak onto the Carousel to warn you.” Jack reached over and put both arms around Rilla, holding her tight. She closed her eyes and leaned into the hug, taking the comfort he offered.
After a while, she took a deep breath and pulled away from Jack’s arms. She wiped at her eyes and smiled up at him to show she was okay. Her father had cared enough to warn her, and that was enough for now. She might not be able to take all his advice—it would take more than his words for her to forgive Christoph—but at least they would be prepared if Hugo came after them again.
The Carousel slowed then ground to a halt, the brakes squeaking in complaint. Jack pulled back and turned toward the widened exit. He held out his hand, and Rilla took it in hers.
They stepped toward the edge of the platform. There was silence as the waiting crowds tried to decipher what had happened.
“In the name of the Jolly-Knight Carnival, we wish you a long and flourishing partnership. The second-ever Dragon Gift has ended with the first-ever joint Ringleaders.” The deep voice of Sunrise Jolly echoed out through the night, whispering the words into the ears of every person present. A huge upsurge in cheers was the reply from the Carnival folk crowded all around them. The sound reverberated in the air, bouncing off the walls and the ground, repeating the cheers again and again.
As their multiplied voices rose in the night, a surge of power swept through the Carnival. Rilla grinned as Jack turned to her in surprise.
“I can feel it,” he said. “I can feel it running through my body.”
She nodded as she felt the wave of energy. Everything suddenly became clearer, the patterns around her fitting together to make more sense. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and she felt like she could take on the world.
She clutched Jack’s hand as the crowd surged forward to congratulate their new Ringmasters.
Maybe it would all be okay after all.
EPILOGUE
“I can’t believe your first instruction as joint Ringleaders was to get us to break the law,” whispered Garth as he peeked around the corner of the hospital corridor.
“Stop whining and tell me if it’s clear,” said Rilla.
“All clear.”
Rilla turned and gestured behind her to where Frankie and Jack stood at either side of a hospital gurney, both wearing matching orderly uniforms. A small body lay under the sheets, pale but breathing shallowly.
They moved forward, trying to look as if they pushed young children around hospitals every day. Rilla and Garth fell in behind them, and they all headed toward the elevator.
The trick was to seem like you knew what you were doing and move at a brisk pace. “Hurry. We don’t have much time.” The nurses had taken a shine to the young boy and were keeping a close eye on him.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Jack for the hundredth time.
Rilla glared at him. “He’s a young boy, alone in the world, with a crazy man for a father. A man who would love to break every bone in his body again and again and again. It’s our responsibility to protect him.”
“He’s going to come after us for this,” said Garth quietly.
“Let him.”
THE END
The Gift
The Magic Carnival Series, Book Two
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m sorry, Rilla. We have to foreclose.”
Even though he’d been expecting them, the words made Garth felt nauseous as they were spoken aloud. There was something about hearing their bank manager say the word ‘foreclosure’ that made it seem so much more real.
He watched Rilla’s face as she tried to understand what Baxter Gordon was telling them. Her face was a mask, but emotion rolled off her in waves, like some strange multicolored mist. Her fear and shock mixed with the anger that her father could have done this to them. It was difficult to watch, especially as Abba’s death was still so fresh.
“My hands are tied.” Baxter continued. “Your father took out another loan before the season, and the first fixed payment is now well overdue.” He spread his arms wide, indicating his inability to help.
Rilla and Jack had only been joint Ringmasters for a fortnight, and now here they were at the Madison Savings and Loan Bank for an urgent meeting, being told the worst possible news. Garth took a deep breath, his brain furiously working to solve the problem.
Baxter was seated behind his massive desk, tapping his pen on the hard surface, awaiting a reply. He was young to be a bank manager, and his blond hair and bright-blue eyes often made people mistake him for someone who was lighthearted and easygoing. It was a false impression. His family had been bankers for the last century, and Baxter had learned from his father and his grandfather before him how to be tough with recalcitrant customers. It didn’t matter that the Jolly Carnival had been a customer for the last one hundred years; they still had to pay their bills like everyone else.
But Bax had also gone to school with Garth; they’d been buddies until their paths had diverged at graduation. It was an edge, albeit a small one, and Abba had often dragged Garth in with him to see Bax when he needed a bit of extra lubrication, another angle to get his way. But he hadn’t taken Garth with him for this last meeting. No, this loan was something Abba had done all on his own.
Of course, Abba would have been expecting to turn things around for the Carnival. He’d always been glass-half-full, never believing he wouldn’t be able to make it work somehow. His personality had been larger than life, his belief in the Carnival more than enough to cover for everyone else who was less sure.
That was just another reason it was so hard to believe he was dead.
“But we can’t afford a huge payment like that! What was Dad thinking?” Rilla’s voice broke.
“He was expecting a large payment at the end of the season. He seemed very certain.” Baxter linked his fingers in a steeple shape and leaned his elbows on the arms of his padded leather chair. His big eyes made him look like a puppy dog, but he certainly wasn’t soft on the inside. He had a heart of steel when it came to business.
Garth sighed. “Can we break up the payment? Say a third now, a third in a month, and the last payment at the end of winter?”
Baxter g
lanced over at Garth and narrowed his eyes. “We’d prefer full payment now.”
But Garth’s senses caught the edge of a wistful emotion around Baxter. Not much, but enough to work with. His old friend would help them if he could. Garth kept his unblinking eyes focused on Baxter. “Bax, we can’t make that payment. We need you to tell us what other options we have.”
Baxter shifted in his seat and gestured out the window toward the tree-covered mountains in the distance. “You could sell your property out there in the forest, before we force you to do it. You must have had offers.”
Rilla glanced over at Garth, her eyes flashing. He shook his head. They didn’t need to give in so easily. “We have other assets we can sell and use to make an initial interest payment.” He paused, looking hard at Baxter. “You’ve known me a long time, Baxter. You’ve known the Carnival a long time. You owe us the chance to pay this back.”
“This is business, Garth, not friendship. I don’t owe you anything. I have to answer to my bosses, and they’re not happy with where things are.”
“It’s better for the bank to get the money back, right? With interest. So we’ll get the money for you. Just give us a chance. Three payments. All over by the end of the winter.” Garth leaned forward in his chair, never taking his eyes from his old friend.
Baxter paused, looking slowly between Rilla, Jack, and Garth. “If you miss any of your payments, by even so much as a day, we will foreclose.” His gaze stopped on Garth. “Don’t doubt I will do it, Garth. My job is on the line here, and I won’t risk it further.”
Garth smiled grimly at his old school friend. “We won’t miss a payment.” He stood and held out his hand. “I appreciate it. We all do.” He pushed feel-good emotions through his clasped hand.
Baxter responded with a smile and a lightening of his expression. “No problem. Let me know if I can help.”