by Trudi Jaye
“I talked to the waitress here, and she gave me some suggestions of where Hugo could be.” Maddy’s heart was beating rapidly now, and a sense of impending disaster crashed down around her. A breeze from the door picked up her hair and blew it off her face. She tasted sea salt on her lips and knew she couldn’t wait for Rilla.
“Maddy, you need to stay right where you are. We’ll be there as soon as we can with an exact address.”
Maddy was silent. She couldn’t agree to that. Garth needed her.
Rilla understood her silence. “Maddy, he’s manic, unhinged. He shot me without thinking twice. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can deal with Hugo on your own.”
“I’ll wait as long as I can. Just hurry.” She wiped away the moisture that had escaped down her cheek before disconnecting the call.
***
Garth glanced up as a noise in the corridor outside caught his attention. When a scared-looking Simon appeared in front of Hugo at the door, he wasn’t surprised. He’d been expecting an answer to Hugo’s conversation with Simon.
“We’re going to heal you some more, Garth. I need you more mobile for my show this evening.”
Garth felt a surge of anger. “I don’t want anything from you. Particularly if it means you’re going to cut Simon.”
“Yes, I’ve been hearing about your opinions. Luckily for me, Simon knows I’m his father, his only blood relative.” Hugo frowned down at Simon. “And that means more than some person who happened to look after him for a few weeks.”
“If he meant anything to you at all, you wouldn’t do this to him.”
“It is how our power works. I don’t like having to hurt him, but it’s necessary.”
“I don’t believe you. I think since you cut him yesterday, the power is burning through your veins again. You’re itching to draw more into your body, and despite any good intentions you may have, you’ll use any excuse to convince Simon to agree. That’s how curse power works.”
“It’s not a curse,” said Hugo, his eyes glittering with an unhealthy glow. “It is a powerful blood magic my family has been passing down for centuries. Now lie still.”
“Call it what you like. You’re still hurting your own son.” Garth tried to lift himself off the bed, but his head swam as soon as he sat up. “I don’t want your healing, Hugo. I won’t let you do it.”
“You have no choice. You’re as weak as a kitten, and I need you to be standing and mobile if we’re to achieve what we must tonight. Come, Simon.”
Simon walked over to his father and held out his trembling arm, avoiding eye contact with Garth.
“No, no. Not that arm. I’ve already cut it. I need somewhere else. Turn around and take off your shirt.”
Simon’s eyes went wide, but he took a breath and did as his father asked.
Garth shook his head weakly. “You don’t have to do this, Simon.”
“You need help, Garth,” said Simon. “Dad’s right. You’re really weak and you’ve lost a lot of blood. What if you die when I could have helped you?”
“I’m not going to die.”
Hugo lifted one hand. “Enough. The discussion is at an end. Simon has made his choice.” He pulled out the same ornate knife from his pocket and stepped toward Simon. He slashed the knife once, twice across Simon’s back.
Simon gasped in pain. For a moment, there was nothing, and then dark-red stains started to appear across his shoulders.
Hugo’s face went from concentration to ecstasy in one breath. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, his glowing eyes looking directly at Garth. “This is why you will never be able to defeat me. I am more powerful than everyone in your silly Carnival put together.”
“We’ll see.” Garth could see the power emanating from Hugo, and a part of him wondered if Hugo was right. If one little cut could create that much power, how would it be if he did some real damage to Simon? Bile forced its way up his throat as he remembered the small, wrecked body they’d found after the storm.
Before he could say anything, Hugo leaned over and touched Garth’s forehead. Straightaway, Garth felt lighter. His jumbled thoughts moved together and suddenly he was thinking more coherently.
And just like that, his connection to Maddy swung back in full force.
His breath was forced out of his chest like he’d just been punched as he realized how close she was to them—far too close. She was trying to find him. He could feel the rush of adrenaline as she ran. His heart started pumping and sweat dampened his forehead. She was suddenly certain she’d just found them.
And so was he.
“What is it? You thought you’d be able to stop me somehow?” Hugo smiled down at Garth. “I’ll leave you for a while. It will help the recovery process. But I will expect you to be up and ready to practice this afternoon. We have a big performance, and I don’t want you to mess it up.”
***
Maddy felt the surge of adrenaline race through her body. She was behind a stand of bushes at one side of the large dilapidated building and could see along one graffiti-covered wall. In the distance, an older blond-haired woman smoked, just by the exit. If she was right, it was Lucietta taking a break.
Her entire body trembled, and she had to sit back and take a deep breath.
She pulled out her phone and texted Rilla where she was. She watched for a reply. She’d only lasted half an hour at the diner and then started out for the three destinations suggested by the waitress. The abandoned shopping mall on the outskirts of town was the last place, and she wished she’d come here first.
She glanced at her watch. It was mid-afternoon, and the show was due to start in three hours.
The text came back from Rilla: Blago says yes. Wait outside. We’ll be there ASAP.
Maddy let out a breath. She was in the right place.
Her heart began to beat faster. Garth was somewhere in there. She squinted along the building, up at the high windows, and along the air ventilation tubes. Up the back wall, the one perpendicular to where Lucietta had been standing, she spotted a ladder going up to the roof.
She sat watching the ladder for a while, her mind arguing back and forth. It would just be a little bit of recon. She could see if Garth was somewhere obvious. The roof looked flat, and as long as she was quiet, they’d never know she was there. When the others arrived, she’d be able to tell them what was happening inside.
Glancing at her phone again, Maddy knew Rilla wouldn’t agree. But she couldn’t just sit there any longer, biting her nails and feeling like she was about to explode with the urgency to help Garth. It washed over her like the waves in her ride on the Carousel, and she could still taste the salty wind of the storm she’d experienced that day. All of it urged her on, whispering that she needed to get moving if she was going to save Garth.
Decision made, Maddy stood but kept low and hunched over, trying to be as small as possible. She paused at the first step of the ladder, looking at the rungs as they measured their way up the wall. It was a long way. Gripping the treads, she took a deep breath and pulled herself upward. Soon she was halfway up the wall, and she felt as if she were visible for miles around. What if someone saw her? What if Hugo came around the corner? What if she ruined it for everyone?
Maddy heaved a shaky breath, her vision fading in and out for a moment. Her hands loosened on the rungs. Then she shook her head, tightened her hands around the metal bars, and looked up.
Just keep going. You just have to keep going.
Focusing inward, Maddy kept her gaze fixed on the top of the ladder and just climbed. When she put one foot over the edge of the wall, she let out a huge breath. She held on to the side to keep from falling over and took several more deep breaths. She was just going to look around. It would be fine. They needed this information, and Rilla would be glad to know more about the situation when they arrived.
She tiptoed around the rooftop, unsure how much could be heard from inside. The roof was a big, flat expanse with air-co
nditioning ducts at regular intervals. She could see two entrances into the mall close by, and in the distance was an oval glass structure than glinted in the cold winter sunlight.
Maddy went to the closest door and tried the handle. It was locked. She briefly considered trying to break the lock, but she had no clue how to go about it other than what she’d seen on television. She needed somewhere to see inside.
Taking careful steps, Maddy headed toward the glass bubble, trying to keep low, and stay quiet. As she got closer, she realized it was a glass roof. Her heart skipped a beat. Perfect for watching without being seen. Who looks up when they’re not expecting company?
She crouched down low and peeked over the edge of the window rim. Below her, the large open space in the center of the mall spread out. She could see the shells of food stalls and the odd broken chair still left behind. This must have been the food court.
Now it was empty of people and food, but two tall glass containers filled the center of the room, about double the height of an average man. She could see specialized gas tanks sitting next to each container. This was it.
Hugo was planning some kind of act from here in the shopping mall. But who would come here, to an abandoned building, for a show? She didn’t understand.
Leaning a little farther over, she peered around the space, trying to spot any of the inhabitants. They must be around somewhere. As she leaned over, she caught sight of a complex setup some distance from the two containers. A laptop computer with two digital movie recorders linked up to it faced the two glass boxes.
He was going to film it. He didn’t need an audience in person; he could get them to watch from a distance. At that moment, movement across the other side of the room caught her eye. She ducked back down and held herself steady with just the top of her head peering over the edge.
A man was striding across the room, decked out in a black-and-blue sequinned outfit that anyone back at the Compound would have been proud of. He was ready for a show. They had been right—he was planning to disrupt the Winter Spectacular somehow.
As she watched, Hugo walked around the containers, checking the seals and the links to the gas lines. He was very precise, going through each check methodically and slowly. He wouldn’t miss a thing.
She was about to move away again when another person came into the area. Lucietta. Followed by Simon and Garth.
Maddy gasped. Garth looked awful. He didn’t look like he’d had a chance to clean himself up in days, and there was blood on his face and clothes. Simon looked miserable, flicking uncertain glances toward his father and back to Garth. His arm was free of the cast, but one of his legs still had a cast and he was using crutches to get around. As she watched, Hugo went over to Garth and gestured at him, clearly indicating his clothing. He wanted him to be wearing something a little cleaner, perhaps. Garth shook his head, and Hugo’s smile faded. He gestured toward Simon and leaned over to whisper in Garth’s ear.
Garth glanced at Simon and then nodded reluctantly.
Hugo was using Simon as leverage to make Garth do what he wanted. Perhaps Simon wasn’t involved after all. Maddy’s heart lifted. It had broken her heart to think Simon had helped Hugo kidnap Garth, despite all the evidence to the contrary that Milton had readily listed for her.
She watched as Lucietta led Garth away and Simon stayed with Hugo. They walked around the containers together, and Hugo appeared to be trying to jolly Simon out of his mood.
Watching in silence, Maddy saw genuine concern on Hugo’s face and tried to imagine the mind of a man who could love his son but be so focused on hurting him at the same time. Not to mention the casual attempt to murder Garth. It seemed an impossible connection to make.
“Stand up slowly and turn around.” The low-pitched female voice made Maddy jump.
Turning around, Maddy came face to face with Lucietta pointing a gun squarely at her chest. Maddy tried to retreat and ended up against the small wall that edged the glass roof. Her pulse raced as she looked into the eyes of the woman who had taken on Hugo. Lucietta’s glare was sharp and intelligent, but she seemed cold. No sympathy there.
“Put your hands up.”
Slowly, Maddy raised her arms, her brain quickly realizing the implications of what she’d done. Now she had to hope that the rest of the Carnival people would consider rescuing her as important as rescuing Garth.
Rilla wasn’t going to be happy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Thank you, Maddy, for joining our little party,” said Hugo. “I’ve been hoping you’d join us, ever since I heard you were searching on your own today. It’s so hard to be obvious without giving away the game. I almost thought my attempts to bring you here weren’t going to work.”
Garth clenched his hands as Hugo flashed a charming smile in Maddy’s direction. She squirmed where she was tied to a chair, avoiding looking at Garth. Her confusing mix of anger, embarrassment, and relief pounded into his fragile mind and made him take a gasping breath.
Hugo had used Simon to control him, make him dress, and cooperate with his plan. Now that Hugo had Maddy as well, Garth couldn’t think straight. He’d been expecting things to end badly, but it hadn’t mattered. He’d only had to worry about getting Simon out. With Maddy here, he didn’t know what the hell he was going to do.
Hugo continued with his rant. “It’s a big moment. When Luci told me how important Garth was to the Carnival, I realized I needed to aim my intellect at him, not the group as a whole. A more focused approach, if you like. And when Luci explained about the Mark, well, I could hardly give up that kind of opportunity.”
The only positive thing was that Garth could feel Maddy through their Gift connection, and she was holding up well. Despite being afraid and angry with herself for being caught, she seemed convinced they would be fine. Clearly, she’d had time to tell the others where they were before she made the mistake of climbing onto the roof.
“It was simple to devise a plan from there,” continued Hugo. “Unlike the idiots at the Carnival, my family has studied our blood energy for hundreds of years, each generation adding to our collective knowledge. We had the capability long ago, but never the right moment to use it. Until now.”
Garth glanced up at Hugo sharply. “What are you talking about?”
Hugo smiled, an expression that involved his teeth but no humor. “I am going to take your middling power over the Gift, Garth, and make it my own.”
It was so ludicrous Garth didn’t even understand what Hugo was talking about for a moment. Then it clicked. Hugo thought he could steal Garth’s power. A part of him wanted to laugh, but that would be like a red rag to a bull, and he managed to keep his expression blank. Hugo couldn’t possibly do it. The Carnival controlled who became the next in line. Hugo was bluffing, trying to scare Garth.
If that was his aim, it wasn’t working.
“Dad.” Simon spoke up from where he stood behind Hugo. His eyes darted from his father to Garth. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt him any more.”
“Of course I must hurt him, Simon. In fact, I think it’s imperative. For your future and mine.” Hugo’s voice was calm, and he walked over to a table behind the large glass containers. He picked up the same knife he’d used on Simon and went to Maddy. She looked up at his face and then at the knife with an expression of pure terror. She frantically tried to move her arms, slamming them against the arms of the chair, making it rock but nothing else. Her eyes darted to Garth, pleading with him to help her.
Bile rose up his throat, and fear like nothing he’d ever experienced shot through his body. “If you hurt her, I will use the rest of this life and all of the next to find and kill you,” Garth said, his voice like gravel. He instinctively pushed some of his own power to Maddy along their gift bond, and she stopped struggling quite so frantically and took a deep breath.
Hugo turned to him momentarily. “I won’t kill her, if that’s what you mean. But I do require blood. She is the Mark, after all.”
&nbs
p; Maddy was momentarily distracted. “What are you talking about? I’m not even part of the Carnival.”
“Oh, but you are, my dear,” said Hugo with a smug smile. “A vital part. You are the Mark, the one person who can give the Carnival what it needs right now—more power. Unfortunately, you’re not going to be able to do that anymore, once I’m finished here.”
“She’s not part of the Carnival. Don’t hurt her because of us. It’s not her fault.” Garth desperately tried to reason with Hugo.
“Don’t worry. You’re next.” In one smooth motion, Hugo sliced the knife across Maddy’s arm even as she tried to move it away from him. Maddy gasped in pain and closed her eyes. Blood gushed forth from the wound, and Hugo pulled a small silver cup from his pocket, holding it under the dripping blood.
“Simon, come here and hold this cloth over her arm. It will stop the bleeding.”
Hugo didn’t stop to see if Simon followed his orders. He was too intent on Garth. “Now, you, my arrogant black-eyed friend. I think I will enjoy this.” He glanced over at Simon and Maddy and spoke in a low voice in Garth’s ear. “If you move or do anything stupid, I will kill the woman. Don’t doubt me. I mean everything I say.”
A chill flashed through Garth, raising the hairs along his arms. Hugo sounded so sure of himself. He watched Hugo’s face carefully, trying to find cracks in his armor. But the magician only smiled wider.
And then he cut Garth’s arm.
At first he felt nothing. Then the sharp stinging pain made him hiss his breath in through his teeth. He could only watch as Hugo milked his blood like a toothless vampire into the same cup. Garth looked over at Maddy, and his heart thumped faster. He had to get them out of this. Maddy shouldn’t suffer because some lunatic was focused on him and the Carnival.
“Simon, come over here. She will survive tolerably well now.” Hugo went to the chair he’d placed in the center of the atrium. The glass overhead let in the afternoon light but none of the warmth. Garth shivered. Until he knew what the hell Hugo had planned, he wasn’t entirely certain about the best way out of this mess. He might have to do something foolish, like charging Hugo, and hope he could get the knife off him. He wasn’t at all sure he would win in a hand-to-hand fight, especially as Hugo seemed pretty confident with that knife. But he would try, if it came to that.