

Book One of  
'The Hither and Nigh Carnival'

R. Moses
Spurned

by R. Moses

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013 by R. Moses

This is a work of fiction, and all names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Prologue

Mud and blood filled Kara's mouth.

Kara tucked her knees under and pushed up. She spit out the salty muck coating her teeth and tongue.

Anna's mocking laughter washed over her. She said, "You have been spurned, _dear_ sister."

Kara did not respond. Carefully she found her footing in the slimy earth. She stood up and backed away from her half-sister. Her teeth and jaw were throbbing from where Anna had just hit her. But Kara could not hit back or she would be a fugitive, running from the King's Law.

Anna gave her a mean, little smile. She was dressed in green hunting leathers and metal-tipped boots. She was much taller than Kara, even though she was younger. "Nothing to say?"

It took every last bit of Kara's self-control to not rush her half-sister or retort back. Anna was their mutual father's heir, a young noble, and enjoyed the full rights and protection that station afforded. If any commoner, sister or no, hurt her they were fair game for the King's Law.

Kara was just a bastard and a recently freed slave with little rights and no kingly defense. If she hurt Anna and was caught as a fugitive running from the King's Law, the best punishment she could hope for was having the hand she hit the noble with cut off.

She did not even want to _think_ of the worst punishment.

Kara backed away a few more feet, towards the woods. She had to leave now. If she did not, she was going to hurt Anna very, very badly. She edged a little closer to the woods where she had hidden a satchel full of food, spare clothes, water, and a few other things stolen from her Lord father's estate.

Anna was not done with her taunts. She said, "Father may have freed you, but you will always have the soul of a _slave_."

Kara's fingers twitched and jerked towards her throwing knife, which she always kept hidden under her tunic these days. She forced them to stop. Nothing would make her happier right now than if the knife was buried up to the hilt in Anna's long neck.

She took another deep breath. She had to keep her head; her mother, still enslaved to the household, would pay the price for Kara's perceived insolence with Lady Anna. She said, "As you say, sister. As you say."

Anna looked disappointed that her taunts were not having the desired effect, then an evil light brightened her brown eyes. She switched tactics. "Let us have a hunt. You have an hour head start."

Kara gaped at her, incredulous. Surely their father would stop Anna from hunting her down like a fox. She looked up to his study window in the manor. She saw their father standing there, the noble Lord Brahm, a glass full of amber liquor clutched in his shaking hand.

When she caught his eye through the wavy glass, he turned away.

It really hit her then, the dire straits she was in. She was spurned, cast from the house she had known her whole life.

She was alone, and forever separated from her mother, unless she figured out a way to buy her freedom.

Kara looked back at Anna and nodded. "As you say, sister."

With that, she turned and crashed into the woods, searching for her hidden satchel. She found it, heavy and bulging. She slipped the wide, canvas straps on her shoulders and began to run due south, jaw throbbing worse than ever. The smell of her own blood mingled with the scent of blooming jasmine.

_Blood and flowers,_ she thought wryly. _What a combination_.

She had no doubt that Anna would release the hounds early. Ever since Kara had found her sister's journal a few days ago, she knew how evil she was. How she plotted against everyone, even her own parents. If only their father had not cast Kara out, she could have warned him...

Like he would have done anything about it. Weak and ruled by his wife, he would have ignored the problems presented before him like he always had.

She stumbled and ran as best she could through the old forest bordering the estate. Her sides ached and her lungs burned as she pushed herself hard and then harder. She _had_ to keep moving. If she could just reach the King's Land, she would be safe. No one, not even nobles, could hunt any kind of prey on the King's Land unless the monarch himself granted you the right.

But the King's Land seemed impossibly far away the longer she went on. She was slowing down, her throat burning for water. She stumbled to a stop, panting, and fell to her muddy knees. She pulled out a skin of water and gulped the cool liquid.

In the distance she heard a hunting hound bay. Then another.

And another.

Kara groaned and looked up at the angle of the sun. Anna had not even given her a half hour.

She took another deep drink and pushed on, her leather boots pounding against the leaves. On and on she flew, the hound's baying growing closer.

She glimpsed a green field through a break in the trees. The King's Land! She clenched her hurting jaw and kept running.

Almost there...

She swerved around the last tree and burst onto a luscious field surrounded by gentle hills. She slowed her pace the tiniest bit as she bounded up the closest hill. She stopped at the crest, gasping for air. She saw a carnival in the field beyond the ring of hills, camped near the village graveyard. The tents for the carnival goers were red and white, but the tents the carnies lived in were gray and patched. She blinked, surprised. The fair was not there yesterday...

Barking sounded behind her and she spun around to see Anna on a magnificent chestnut steed. She was exiting the tree cover-and now on the King's Land. Her dozen muscled hounds circled around her, baying and panting alternately. Anna stopped, her drawn bow lowered.

They stared at each from across the distance. Kara's heart was beating bird quick in her chest. Surely not even Anna would dare to break the King's Law.

Anna nudged her horse forward and shouted a command to the hounds. They turned in unison to stare at Kara.

_No,_ she thought numbly. _No one is mad enough to hunt here. Not even Anna._

Anna raised her bow as her hounds bounded forward.

Kara unglued her gaze from her sister and turned towards the carnival. She needed witnesses...

She forced her trembling legs to take a step, then another, until she was running to the enormous gathering below. She shot right by the outer circle of faded tents and came to a panting stop by a group of staring people. One man had a forkful of egg almost to his mouth, but was so shocked by her entrance that his egg slid right off into his lap.

She glanced back and saw Anna at the top of the hill, elegant and poised, her dogs sniffing about. She was the very picture of a gently born, well-bred young lady, with her fine clothes and finer horse.

When Anna caught Kara looking at her, she flashed a hand code they had used to communicate when they played as children. Her message said: _Your mother will pay the price for your insolence._

With that, she turned her horse around and galloped home.

Her heart thudded with a new surge of fear. Her mother was still trapped in her father's house as a slave. Anna could do anything, large or small, to torment her. Unless Kara saved her mother by buying her freedom for a thousand gold coins. An obscene fortune when she did not even have a thin bronze coin tucked away.

"You run fast."

It took a second for Kara to realize the comment was directed at her. She looked over and saw a tired woman with wispy blonde hair staring at her. She was leaning against a carnival wagon, the flaking paint catching her dingy, yellowing tunic. She inclined her head. "Name's Malone."

Kara found her voice. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Kara-"

Malone interjected quickly, but not unkindly. "We don't give our last names in the carnival. Rule of the road." She looked Kara up and down. "Need a place to stay?"

Kara glanced around at the gathered crowd suspiciously. No one trusted traveling folk but there was safety in numbers. She said, "Maybe." She took a step toward Malone. "What do I have to do to earn a place to stay?"

Malone grinned. "You are fast and small, perfect for a job around here that needs filling." She titled her head. "You got a problem with lifting purses?"

Dry laughter swept through the assembled. Kara heard someone mutter, "The girl would be perfect."

Kara squared her shoulders and thought of the high price of freeing her enslaved mother. She said, "Not if it pays good enough."

Another burst of laughter. Someone shouted out, "You've met your match, Malone!"

And just like that, Kara was a carny and a thief.
Chapter One

One Year Later

Kara drew on her stolen parchment furiously, her charcoal-stained fingers rigid. She was sitting on the worn, wooden step of a wagon house, her feet planted down in the dirt and her heart up in her throat.

Her coin-all her worldly fortune-was gone. Completely, utterly vanished, no trace, no word. Just gone, stolen while she was working last night.

Her hopes had left with it.

She heard a soft footstep crunching in the rocky path behind her, accompanied by a discreet cough. Kara hunched over her drawing and ignored the cough.

Cough.

Cough. Shuffle. Cough.

She looked up and saw Icari, his brown face drawn with worry, his blue eyes wide.

She suppressed a sigh. She wanted to deal with her own problems right now, not deal with Icari, no matter how kind his intentions might be. He was her closest friend and one of the few she had trusted with part of the story of her past.

He said, "Hello. Are you well?" His voice was light and lilting, with just the hint of a foreign accent. He spoke her tongue so flawlessly she often forgot he was not from here.

She bent back to her drawing, her long, black hair swinging in her face. The sun was already hot on her head. "I'm fine. Just...broke."

He sat beside her and reached long fingers to her parchment. "May I?"

She handed him the drawing without comment, not wanting to influence his reaction.

He smiled down at her art. "You drew the carnival. Beautiful."

"Thank you." The taste of road grit coated her teeth and she tried to lick it off. You were never quite clean when you earned your coin by traveling with the carnival...

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, then he said, "Mr. Hither wants you on a special assignment."

Kara nodded and stood as he handed her drawing. She hurried over to her tent and threw the parchment and charcoal in. Then they began walking past the sleeping snakes, their reptile stink sharp in her nostrils. As they drew up to the carnival owner's wagon, she pondered her predicament.

Mr. Hither's 'special' assignments were always dangerous. But they paid so well...so much better than her share of pickpocketing earnings and other little jobs.

And she really, _really_ needed the coin.

They came to his wooden wagon house and she knocked. The door crept back and she ducked under the low frame. It was cold and dark and she shivered. Icari followed her and they stood shoulder to shoulder in the crowded space.

Mr. Hither sat behind a cramped desk piled with ledgers, his black hair shining, his cold eyes calculating. His pet raven perched on a pile of books and regarded their entrance with far too much intellect for a bird. She wondered how the door opened if he was sitting there the whole time. Was it dark magic or...

She chided herself for her overactive imagination. He likely had a petal or a lever hidden behind his desk to open the door. Cheap carny tricks and easy illusion was part of entertaining and building an atmosphere.

Mr. Hither said softly, "Kara. Interested in earning a little coin?"

She nodded. Mr. Hither always made her uncomfortable, but she could not quite figure out why. His voice was quiet, he always paid on time, his manners were always discreet, if a little snide. She just sensed something wrong underneath his cool demeanor. Something...something _hard._

"There is an old manor house a quarter of a mile north from our camp. Abandoned. Are you familiar with the place?"

She almost smirked at the obvious answer to this question. Everyone within a hundred leagues knew of the lurking terrors of the manor on the hill. But she bit her retort back and said, "Yes."

He grinned, and she noticed how his teeth were just a little too long, a shade too sharp. Why had she never seen that before? He asked, "Are you afraid of ghosts?"

She bristled. "No."

"Excellent." He pulled open a drawer and held out a bit of yellowing parchment. She looked over it and saw a seal drawn in faded ink. The design was one of circles with a large star in the middle, a typical mage design.

Mr. Hither put the parchment back in his drawer and said, "In the cellar of the manor you will find an altar with that design carved into it. There will be a narrow slot in the center of the star."

He opened another drawer and a knife appeared in his hand, with runes etched in the blade. "You will insert this blade into the slot and leave it there. I recommend you leave immediately after inserting the knife. The act may cause...disturbances."

She shrugged and took the knife. "Okay. How much does this pay?"

Mr. Hither raised a thin eyebrow. "Twenty gold coins."

Kara just stopped herself from gasping. That was an insane amount of money for such a minor task. She said, "I'll do it." She forced herself to bargain further, to get any extra edge she could. "How about a five coin bonus for early delivery? If I bring you news of the task being done before noon?"

Mr. Hither stared at her and the back of her neck prickled. But she did not drop her gaze. He nodded, then added, "And the night off. You will need it."

She shivered with excitement at the high stakes. Mr. Hither continued, "And Icari will be coming with you."

Kara huffed. "I don't need a bodyguard. What are the ghosts of the spooky old manor going to do to me, say boo?"

Mr. Hither gave her another flat stare.

Icari touched her arm. "Spirits can be a lot trickier than you think. Especially demon spirits."

She turned her full attention to him. "There are _demon_ spirits in that manor?"

No wonder the pay was so good.

Icari nodded.

She turned back to Mr. Hither, who was smirking ever so slightly. He asked, "Not feeling up to the challenge, Kara? Perhaps your...acquaintance, Naomi, might be better suited for the assignment."

She took the bait and snapped, "I will do it. Naomi would faint the second someone even said ghost."

Mr. Hither nodded and picked up his quill, then waved his other hand languidly. "Your satchel of supplies is by the door."

Kara turned and stepped back out into the hot morning, relieved to be out of the cold. Icari grabbed the green satchel and jumped to the ground. He asked, "Anything you want to bring? Extra food? Do you want to change clothes?"

She looked them both over. They were both wearing long-sleeved tunics that might have been white once, brown leather pants and boots. It seemed as good an outfit as any.

"No. Let's just get this over with so we can get paid."

They began to walk quickly, Kara leading. She almost smacked right into one of the acrobats, Adam, who was practicing a double-pretzel for his stage act. He hooted. "What's the big hurry, Kara? Are the rumors true? Did old man Hither assign you to the manor? What'd he want you and Icky to do up there?"

She ignored his questions and hurried past the circle of tents and wagon houses into the forest. Sweat began to trickle under her tunic, leaving an itchy trail of discomfort. Icari crashed behind, their satchel catching on the branches jutting onto the path. Kara dug out her ever-present knife and hacked them aside, following the faint trail as quickly as she could.

Curious, she asked, "What's in the satchel?"

Icari panted, "Blessed water, regular water, two lanterns, oil. The usual spirit banishing items." He caught up to her on a wide bit of trail, the blue of his eyes bright in the forest darkness. "Scared? You can wait outside the manor if you want."

If anyone else but Icari had said that, she would have blown up at the perceived insult that she was too weak to handle the ghosts, but she knew he did not mean it to be insulting. He was really trying to be nice, which she found almost odd. So few people were kind in this harsh world.

She gripped the hilt of her knife and kept slashing a path. The smell of green things with rich sap coated her nostrils. "No, I'm fine. You want to wait outside the manor?"

He bumped her gently with his shoulder. "No. What could possibly go wrong?"

She bumped back and knocked on a tree. "Nothing. Let's keep hurrying."

They pushed on, the overgrown path snarling and pulling at them every chance it got. They stepped around a hoary oak tree and saw the manor.

She had forgotten how foreboding it was. She had checked it out a few weeks ago, when the carnival first set up camp. But she had not dared to enter despite her curiosity. It sat against the hill, four stories of quiet menace. Gray stones and black tiles, broken windows and lost dreams.

Kara wondered if she should swallow her pride and let Naomi have this 'assignment' after all.

Her mother's sad face flashed before her eyes, reminding Kara that she had to be strong.

So Kara, her resolve strengthened, kept moving towards the manor. Neither she nor Icari said a word as they picked their way over the jungle that was once a pristine lawn.

The finally stood before the double doors and she felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. The doors were ajar and showed a pitch-black interior. It was a bright, sunny morning and all those enormous windows should have let in lots of light. The place should be gloomy, not pitch-black.

She took a deep breath and slipped in the door, her heart hammering so hard it was a wonder she did not stir every wandering spirit in the manor. A wall of cold hit her in the face the second she entered, and her lungs tingled from the chill of the air. The place smelled of mildew and dust, of rat droppings and dry wood.

Icari stepped in and Kara touched his hand lightly, her other hand still clutching her knife. He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed. She blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust as her sweat cooled to cold dampness on her body. She still could not see anything in the looming space. No shafts of sunlight dappled the floor. The windows were there, the sunlight was outside, but daylight could not enter here.

Which made her question if _she_ should enter here.

Kara whispered, "Icari?"

"Yes?"

"Can you light one of the lanterns?"

He faked a nervous chuckle. "Hold on." He released her hand very slowly and she heard some shuffling and a muffled clunk. Then the oil lamp flared and she saw the old glory of the manor, sweeping twin staircases leading to double doors. The floor was cracked marble and she glanced up to see a round chandelier with thousands of crystals. She tucked her knife back in her belt. Right now the light seemed a better defense than a small blade.

She had a wave of sadness wash over her dread of the manor. Once this had been a beautiful place full of beautiful people with gorgeous manners. Laughter had swept up those staircases and lovers had swept down. Servants had bustled; Lords and Ladies had lounged about, sipping wine from tall, narrow glasses.

But now the manor was old and cursed and dead, covered in rat droppings and crawling with ghosts.

She wondered if her father's manor would ever look like this. Did all great houses eventually fade to ruin?

A loud clang deep in the manor made her and Icari jump. They held perfectly still and waited as the silence came back. Icari let out a long breath after a moment passed, and steam puffed the air. He whispered, "Probably an animal. Spirits are usually quiet during the day."

"Even demon spirits?"

"Usually. I think the cellar opening is to the left." He swung the satchel over his shoulder, adjusted the lamp's wick so that it burned a little brighter, and took her hand again. The warmth was comforting, and if she had to explore a scary old manor, Icari was the best companion she could think of.

They walked towards a door tucked under the left staircase. It led into a room covered with broken mirrors. Every inch of the room rustled with their movement, gleamed with the echo of the lamp light. Kara saw herself over and over again, each version of her cracked.

A corner towards the back of the room rustled, and she halted, her heart starting up again as she squeezed his hand harder than ever. Her stomach clutched back against her ribcage.

A low moan warbled and something lurched in the shadows. "Karrraaaa..."

She did not think so much as react. She pulled on Icari to bolt. She would take another assignment, work other shows...

The shadow groaned, "Kaarrrrraaaaaa..."

She wanted to move and could not, her initial hubris to flee stilled. Icari let go of her hand and began to fumble in his satchel, then he brought out a vial of water. The shadow moved closer, black on black, huge, towering over them, the mirrors reflecting the evil over and over and over again, an old nightmare of wicked things with long teeth.

Icari pulled the cork from the vial with his teeth and splashed water on the approaching spirit. Splatters of water disappeared into the dark.

The spirit cursed a garbled string of words and the voice sounded familiar to her buzzing mind...

Cold hands grabbed Kara's face and covered her eyes. She screamed and kicked back, her terror mounting with this ethereal touch upon her. Her foot landed on something soft and the cold hands let go. A loud squawk echoed throughout the mirrored room. Kara swung around and brought an elbow down on the thing that snuck up on her. She did not know how to do any magic to thwart these evils, but she sure knew how to fight.

"Ow! By the Goddess, Kara! Stop! It's a joke! Just a joke!"

A burst of laughter came from the spirit-haunted corner and Kara hesitated, confused. She squinted in the dim light and saw Naomi on the ground, arms raised in defense, her blonde hair fanned out on the dirty floor, her blue eyes wide. The laughter stopped.

Icari sighed and said, "It would appear that Vayne and Naomi are playing a joke on us."

Kara turned away from cringing Naomi and saw Vayne emerging from the shadows. His face was wet and his grin huge. He was wearing black leather, as was Naomi, to better blend with the heavy dark.

Her heart, which was already suffering from too much excitement, sped up a few more beats. Her cold cheeks flushed with warmth.

Vayne, he of the legendary strongman act, with bulging muscles, thick black hair, and gorgeous green eyes, was smiling at _her_. Fluttery little butterflies danced around Kara's ribcage and into her stomach as he kept looking at her. She stuttered, "How did you know we were coming here?"

"Overheard Mr. Hither asking Icari if he knew how to banish spirits," Naomi said as she sat up. She made a face at Kara. "You didn't have to kick so hard."

Icari sucked in his breath through clenched teeth as he glared at Vayne. "I wasted half my holy water on you."

Vayne snorted and said in his deep voice, "Not my fault if you don't know the difference between the living and the dead."

Naomi asked, "Hither paid for blessed water? This must be a very important mission. What does it go for now, nineteen silvers a vial?"

Icari said coolly, "Twenty seven silvers. The priests keep disappearing, and no one else can bless water."

"Why do you splash ghosts with water?" She slid over to Vayne as she asked, and laced her fingers with his. A green-eyed monster snarled in Kara's middle, and she soothed the beast by looking away.

Icari said, "Water banishes human spirits back to the ether if you drench them. It takes holy water to do the same with demon spirits. If the priest who blessed the water was strong enough."

"Yes, but why? It's just water."

"You would have to understand the fundamentals of how magic works to grasp the reasoning." Icari, normally so polite and friendly, was definitely angry. His back was stiff, his tone cold.

Kara said, "Time is wasting. We need to go to the cellar."
Chapter Two

Vayne frowned. "C'mon, Kara, it was just a joke. Calm down."

She brushed past him and Naomi. Icari followed. The room of broken mirrors led into a storage room. Everything of value had been stolen long ago, but the rotting dust sheets clumped over the floor in dirty drifts.

Icari asked her, "Mind holding the lamp? I have to get the water refilled."

She nodded and took the lamp. Icari pulled out the skin of water and carefully poured all of it in the narrow vial. She looked over the cobwebs as she thought about how easy this should be. But some primal instinct kept giving her a warning tickle in the back of her mind. A run-hide-now type of warning.

"Kara?"

She swung around and held the lantern up. "What?"

Vayne gave her that smile that melted her insides to slush. He said, "Care if we join you? I'm curious about what is in the manor's cellar."

Icari snorted as he finished his preparations. He said, "You will be nothing but a bother. Go back to the carnival. This is not safe."

Vayne crossed his muscled arms over his just-as-muscled chest. "I know what I am doing."

Naomi wrapped her arms around his waist as an icy draft swirled by them. Icari frowned as the flame flickered and almost died out. He said, "The spirits are stirring. Tag along if you want, but we are not responsible for you. And I am not giving you our spare lamp."

Vayne glared at Icari. "I don't need you to be responsible for me."

Naomi, still wrapped around him like a giant squid, was looking up at him like he was a gift from the Goddess herself. She giggled and said, "He's tough."

Another icy blast shuddered around them and stayed. Kara's fingers and toes began to go numb and goose bumps prickled her all over. Naomi glanced around and pressed further onto Vayne, though that seemed impossible. Somehow she managed, every possible bit of her against him.

Icari said, "Muscles and bravado do not protect against spirits."

The comment hung between the two and Kara decided this had gone on long enough. She said, "Icari, let's just go. If they want to follow, fine. I'm cold and ready to get this over with."

He nodded and broke his gaze from Vayne. He said, "You are right." He handed her a vial of water from the satchel. "Do you know what to do?"

"Splash the ghosties?"

"That is the essence of it, yes." He gave her a small smile and she returned it.

They shuffled to the end of the room and saw a door. Icari whispered, "I think this is it."

Icari was reaching for the handle and she stopped him with a whisper. "Let me. It's my mission."

"It's dangerous."

"Everything is. Let me." She turned back to Naomi. "Mind holding the lamp and vial?"

Naomi unwound herself from Vayne and took the proffered items.

Icari stepped reluctantly aside and Kara reached for the handle. Her fingers stopped a quarter of an inch from her goal. Confused, she pulled her fingers back and pushed towards the door handle again. The resistance was still there, invisible and hard.

She gathered up her courage to try again and this time her fingers slipped into the barrier. The sensation was repulsive, like pushing into rancid fat. But she was determined to see this task through, so she kept on.

Her fingers curled around the handle and she pulled back. The door groaned-and stayed shut.

The slimy, cold feeling was creeping up her arm now, past her wrist and towards her elbow. Panic stirred in her breast but she had gone too far to back off now. She dug her heels in the rotting floorboards and gave one last determined pull.

Naomi asked, "What is the holdup?"

Kara gritted her teeth and did not answer. All of her effort was riveted on pulling that door back. The invisible slime was now over her elbow and it began to burn under the chill.

The door opened. One inch, then two.

The chilly burn became a real burn, burrowing under her goosebumps and lighting her nerves with dazzling pain. Kara ripped herself away from the cursed door and flailed. She started to fall, then thin arms caught her, Icari's arms. He said, "What's wrong? Is that door cursed?"

She shook her head. She did not know enough of magic to say what was wrong.

The pain, the cold, slimy feeling, gradually went away as she took three deep breaths. She whispered, "The door resists you and gives you a cold burn when you touch it." She looked down at her arm, and it seemed fine. She added, "Thank you for catching me."

Icari exhaled slowly as she righted herself. He let go of her with some reluctance; she was touched at how concerned he was for her. He muttered, "Mr. Hither should have warned us. He did not say anything about defensive magic guarding the manor."

Vayne said, "Can't deal with a bit of magic, Icky? Let me take care of that. The ladies are cold and frightened."

Kara shot him a dirty look as he brushed by them and tried to grab the handle. He stiffened and yanked back. He tried again and succeeded in grasping the handle.

The door, which was only open about two inches, did not budge further as he pulled. He locked his knees and tried harder, tendons popping in his neck. Tense silence ensued and Naomi and Kara shared a worried glance.

Vayne released it and staggered back, heaving. Kara wanted to run and catch him as he stumbled, but held still, knowing he would not want her to even see him weak, much less offer aid. Naomi tried to steady him but he brushed her off. The hurt on her face was noticeable even in the dim light.

Icari muttered something under his breath, slid the vial he was holding into his satchel, and stepped up to the door.

He studied the door and frame then nodded once to himself, then flexed his fingers.

A low moan whispered through the crack. Kara's knees began to shake and her stomach was tying itself in knots. It took every single speck of her courage to not bolt.

A shadow dribbled from the door and floated up to the ceiling. It brought a cold smell with it, of dead animals frozen in a deep snow.

Naomi whispered, "I want to go now, Vayne."

He gave her a hard look. "We stay."

She shrunk back and said no more.

Icari did not react at all to the shadow. Instead he shoved his fingers in the crack and pulled back, mouthing words that sounded foreign and lilting. Kara could feel the thick, dark thing hovering over them.

Waiting.

Watching.

The door glowed silver and a wash of warmth enveloped them. She smiled when the door opened. Trust Icari to do it right. She admonished herself for ever doubting him.

Icari stepped away and swayed, and this time it was she who caught him.

She asked in a hushed voice, "How did you do that?"

"I have learned a few things in my travels. Remind me to tell you later. Thank you for catching me."

The door, which was still opening, suddenly slammed back all the way. A thing made of black tendrils shot out, wrapped around Vayne, and pulled him into its embrace. The darkness hovering above them dropped after it and pushed Vayne further into the manor's secret ways.

The door slammed shut before anyone could react.
Chapter Three

Everyone pulled, kicked, and hacked at the door until the oil lamp began to sputter. Icari refilled the oil quickly.

"Try that silver glow thing again," Naomi pleaded.

Icari shook his head slowly. He seemed exhausted. "I cannot. I am sorry."

Naomi turned to Kara. "Do something. You're the tough one. Please." Her hands were shaking, her voice weak.

Kara opened her mouth and closed it again. She was just as scared as Naomi, but too proud to show it. Every minute they wasted trying to get to Vayne, he could be hurt. He could already be dead. She said, "We've just been reacting by attacking the door. Let me think of another way to get to him. These places are laced with hidden passages."

So she thought of the manor house she had grown up in. They had a cellar split up into three rooms. One was for wine, one for roots, and one was where the family kept their valuables, an underground safe bolted and barred. How many times had she been sent to fetch wine for her father and his wife and seen the door, locked against her? She had heard a rumor from the servants and other slaves that there was a secret entrance to the safe, and she had found those rumors to be true after much searching on her part. The safe had lifetimes of wealth tucked away...

Thanks to her finding her own family treasure, she now knew how secret entrances of such magnitude were marked. Or she hoped she did. It was a slim chance they would find another way to the cellar, but better than beating at a door that would never open.

Kara said slowly, "Most manor cellars are enormous and have at least two entrances. This manor should be no different. There might be an entrance near the kitchens." She held up a finger. "But I think what we are looking for is a secret entrance. He is being taken somewhere hidden. Whatever snatched him does not want to be disturbed."

Naomi was so frustrated she was almost screaming. "This place is endless! How will we ever find another door, especially if it is hidden? It could take hours. Or never!"

"It isn't impossible. Do either of you know the heraldic beast of the family who built this manor? It should be carved above a door or archway."

Naomi said eagerly, "A unicorn. While Vayne and I were waiting for you guys, we looked over some of the front rooms and kept seeing a crest with a unicorn on it."

Kara nodded. "The entrance to the secret cellar will be marked by a unicorn. Look for one that is unusual in some way. Large or overly ornate. It could be a painting, a carving, a mosaic."

Naomi looked around the mostly empty manor. "What if the unicorn got stolen?" Her blotchy face screwed up. "Let's just stay here and try to open this door."

Icari said, "It is not going to open for any of us. Listen to Kara."

Realizing she was outvoted, Naomi helped them gather up the supplies. Icari shrugged the satchel back on. They formed a tight little cluster and walked towards the mirrored hall. They traveled through room after empty room. Dust flew up so thick that soon they were all sneezing and coated in a gray fuzz. And the lamp swung wildly the faster they walked. The shadows jumped and clutched at them, the tarnished chandeliers creaked with oppressive weight, the floor groaned in irritation of their steps.

The house wanted them out-without Vayne.

They pushed on, determined, through the maze of halls and cavernous rooms. Kara was completely lost when Icari said, "I think I found something."

She stepped beside him and saw a room full of death on display. Stuffed animals lined the walls. Glass eyes glittered in the weak light they brought. She saw two brown bears, frozen in a fight forever. A badger perched on a rock, small nose upturned to a stuffed raven. She wondered why none of it had been stolen long ago. She looked up and over and saw even the walls were covered in dead trophies. Buck heads and zebra heads and elephant heads marched around the room.

The most impressive wall display was two dragons. The dragons were clashing over the doorway in which they stood, and they were sinuous elegance, each scale still gleaming despite the years of dust.

The room was so enormous the lamp did not illuminate it all. Kara asked softly, "What do you think you found?"

"I just saw something out of the corner of my eye. It might have been the glass eyes. Never mind. Let us go see the other rooms."

"Wait. Let's go a little further in. A stuffed unicorn might be what we are looking for."

Naomi whimpered, but Kara ignored her and stepped further in with Icari. Under the smell of dust there was a faint odor of sawdust and drying spices. She remembered the scent well from her father's stuffed trophy room. She had been frightened of that room when she was small, but Lady Brahm had insisted Kara dust the displays daily. Slowly her fear had been replaced with sorrow that so many animals had to die to clutter one room in her father's manor.

She now saw why nothing in this room had been stolen. Each animal was bolted and wired into its display. She shook a pedestal and it did not budge. Even the most diligent thief would have a hard time getting these treasures out of the house and onto the market.

Pity, she thought absently as the search continued. _That giraffe head alone would probably fetch at least a hundred gold coins. The fighting dragons must be priceless._

She shook her head and then paused as she saw the crown jewel of the stuffed collection.

In the dead center of the long wall was an arched nook. It was at least ten feet wide and sixteen feet tall. Inside the nook a faux sylvan forest had been constructed. Dried vines crowded carved trees. Silken wildflowers rotted in drifts around a stump.

And a unicorn stood amidst the rot and the dust, her horn broken off, her once silvery-white coat mangy and threaded.

Kara had an odd thickening in her throat, a slight tickling. She cleared her throat but it was still there, then she tried swallowing. A burning prickle bothered her eyes. _Nothing_ , she thought, _nothing that pure should be killed and stuffed for the whims of a Lord. That unicorn should still be in her forest, using the magic in her horn to create a sacred place, a place of healing and love._

But she was not in her forest, she was dead and stuffed with dust, and her horn was broken off.

Naomi whispered, "That is the saddest and most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Kara nodded and made herself move forward. They had to save Vayne. She said hoarsely, "Look over the display. I think the trapdoor is here."

As they got closer, she saw how the legendary unicorn was like a deer, or a goat, or a lion, but not like any of these animals at all. She was entirely her own creature, with her enormous ears and tufted tail, her split hooves and dainty neck.

They stepped into the display and silk flowers crumbled under their feet. The unicorn's glass eyes flickered from the lamp light.

Kara said, "Let's light both lamps so we can search quicker. Do we have enough oil?"

Icari said, "No, we are running out-"

Naomi cut him off. "Then conjure a light the same way you made that door glow silver! Don't slow down us finding Vayne over some stupid oil!"

Icari swallowed and said in a reasonable tone, "I know very little magic. Just enough for my illusion show and other small tasks. I cannot understand how the silver glow happened, and I cannot conjure a light."

"Fine," Naomi said. "No magic. But please light both lamps."

Icari shook his head but did as she asked, placing the lamps on the stump. Kara began to inspect the walls, running her hands over the rough stone. Icari began poking around the carved trees, knocking the larger ones to see if they were hollow.

Naomi just stood there, and Kara was beginning to get exasperated. She said, "Rub your hands over the floor. Look for a gap or an iron ring or hinges."

"But-" Naomi looked away. "It's dirty."

Kara went back to searching the walls, afraid if she said anything she would lose her temper. She came to the corner of the nook, brushing by some vines. The seconds ticked into minutes. Kara began to fret worse and worse. Vayne could be dead, he could be hurt, he could be under some dark mage's evil spell...

Icari whispered, "Found it!"

The young women turned in unison. Icari had taken the two oil lamps off of the stump after blowing one out. He wedged his fingers in the thick, ringed grooves of it, under a patch of dried moss.

Kara could have slapped herself, it was so obvious. The stump was just the right size for a secret ladder down to the cellar.

The trapdoor popped up in an explosion of dust and moss chunks. Icari slammed back into a thrusting tree branch. He cried out and dropped down, holding his side.

She stumbled over to him, coughing and retching at the sweet-dirt taste of ancient moss on her tongue. She wheezed, "You okay?"

He sucked a breath in. "Fine. It just jabbed me in the rib." She held her hand out and he took it with a grateful smile, his other hand still pressed to his side. "Just glad we found the door."

"Me too." Kara untangled her fingers from his when he seemed past the pain and quickly slid the spare lamp in the satchel. Naomi picked up the other lamp and peered down into the stump. "It's so dark."

"Secret passages usually are," Kara said dryly. "Ready to go? You know, if it is not too dirty?"

Naomi frowned at her then looked away. "I can't even see the bottom."

Kara shrugged and swung over the lip. She was still trying to play it cool even though she was more scared than ever. "Let's go."
Chapter Four

Kara climbed down the ladder slowly and her foot reached the cellar floor sooner than she would have thought.

She called out as they peered at her, "See?" Hardly a climb at all." She glanced at the tunnel behind her. It was full of yawning darkness. "Hurry. I don't have much light."

Icari took the lamp from Naomi and clamped the handle in his teeth. He swung down quickly.

Naomi hesitated at the lip. Kara said sharply, "Vayne could be hurt. Or dead. And we are not leaving the other lamp with you. So if you want to stay there, you are staying there in the dark."

She and Icari shared a worried glance as Naomi stood frozen. They knew they would not leave her, but they had to save Vayne...

Naomi slid over the lip and climbed down, her eyes squeezed shut the whole time. Kara felt sorry for her for a split second. She was so timid and weak, it was a wonder she survived the trials of carnival life.

Icari whispered, "I think I see a light ahead." He had taken a few steps away from them, pressing himself against the weeping stone walls. He turned to Kara. "Do you mind holding the lamp so I can get our holy water ready?"

"No." She took it and he got out two vials. He split the rest of the blessed water between them.

Kara said grimly, "Ready?"

He nodded and said, "If a demon spirit comes at you, say, 'I banish thee to the aether.' It will not stop the spirit most times, but should slow it if you mean the words and put all your mental effort into the saying. Literally envision the spirit drifting away."

Naomi whispered, "I thought only mages could banish or repel spirits."

"A common misunderstanding," Icari said. "Believe in yourself and banish the spirit with your will."

Kara touched the hilt of her knife, tucked safely in her leather belt. "Got any spare vials of holy water?"

"There are a few drops left in the skins."

"I'll take it!" Naomi whispered eagerly. She shrugged apologetically at Kara. "I don't have a knife or light."

"Knives aren't much help against spirits."

Icari pulled out the skins and Naomi took them. He said, "We don't know if the spirits are working by themselves or controlled by a dark mage. A knife could come in handy. Mages bleed like everyone else."

A low gurgle warbled through the tunnel. They all started forward with the mutual understanding that hurry was needed. Kara saw the dim light Icari mentioned, at the very end of the tunnel. She lost all sense of caution and started running ahead of them, the long tunnel breezing by in a flash.

She burst into the room with the cold light and skidded to a halt as she took in several terrible things at once.

Vayne, strapped to an altar, his face slack, eyelids closed. Probably the altar where she was supposed to shove Hither's knife.

A dark shadow looming over him, lowering itself.

A young woman chained in the corner, all jutting bones and snarled hair.

And last of all, a man holding a candle, his tunic red, his eyes dark as sin.

Kara, with a deep-seated instinct, knew this man was a mage, and a dark one at that. Cold throbs of power seemed to thicken the air around him. He was the source of all her problems. And with that conclusion, she did not plan or think.

She acted.

Whipping her own knife out, she sprinted across the room, past Vayne, past the chained girl. Everything seemed to slow down no matter how fast she moved. The mage's gaze flicked to her.

Then they were falling in a tangle of limbs and shouts. His candle went flying straight through the black shadow. The flame extinguished immediately.

Kara thrust her blade to the mage's throat as she clamped her knees around his torso and arms. Somehow she had gained the best position in all the shouting and falling. Even this close, she was careful not to make direct eye contact with him. He could draw her in with his powers, make her a different kind of slave...

And she was a free woman now and would _stay_ that way.

She commanded, "Call off the demon." She stared at his mouth for the response.

The mage grinned and his arm moved a bit against her leg. She hissed, "Freeze. Or you are dead."

She wondered if she had the guts to slit his throat and realized she did not know.

His arm froze but his lips began to move again. He said, "What did Hither offer you to stop me?"

Kara blinked, uncertain. How did this mage know she worked for Hither? Refusing to be distracted, she said, "Call off the demon. Now."

The mage whispered something and a gentle whisk of energy coasted by her. Unwilling to take her gaze off the mage's lower face, Kara asked, "Icari? Is the demon gone?"

"Yes."

"Is Vayne alive?"

"Yes."

"Is the girl alive?"

"Yes."

Kara said softly, "Your choice, mage. Live or die."

He laughed and said, "Live, naturally." His voice was low and smooth, the voice of a well-bred and highly intelligent man.

She said, "Here's how we make that happen. I am going to get up now. You are going to use your magic to travel at least fifty leagues from here. And know that I can throw a knife with perfect aim at your throat."

The mage smiled under her, showing straight white teeth. He said, "Sounds fair."

Kara jumped up and backed away to Icari, still holding her knife out. The mage stood with grace, and dusted his tunic off with long fingers. Now that she was getting a good look at him, he seemed vaguely familiar. He was tall, with wavy blonde hair and chiseled features. Not quite handsome, but not quite ugly either.

The mage looked over all of them then focused on Kara. He said, "I suspect we will meet again, young woman with a black heart and old soul. Kara."

She blinked, wondering how he knew her name. The metallic taste of naked terror flooded her mouth. She ignored it and snapped, "My heart is red like everyone else's. Now leave or this knife will be buried in yours."

The mage laughed and muttered arcane words in a dead tongue. A loud crack, a miniature whirlwind of displaced air, and he was gone.

Kara stumbled back and sagged against the slimy walls. She allowed herself to take three slow, deep breaths as she relished the lighter atmosphere of the room. Naomi ran over to unstrap Vayne, whose eyes were now open. He moved when she urged him to, but seemed incapable of independent thought or motion.

Icari was staring at the mystery female, at the locks on her chains. He did that short nod that meant he had made a decision or figured a problem out. Kara knew the girl would be out of the chains quickly; he was an expert lock picker. One of the many side jobs a carny had to do.

The mystery girl (Or woman? Kara was not sure, she was that age that could be adolescence or early adulthood, but her demeanor suggested girl) had purple eyes and black hair. She was covered in old bruises and layers of crusted dirt. She did not say anything as Icari began to undo her locks. She merely sat there, on the stone-cold floor, in a filthy tunic that might have been brown. She was wearing a necklace with an enormous oval pendant on it. No shoes. No leggings. When Icari was finished undoing her chains and locks, he stepped away.

Her gaze was as blank as Vayne's.

Kara glanced anxiously between her and him. Had the mage taken their souls? Would they be one of the Hollow? She did not want to scare anyone by uttering this aloud, so she kept her fears to herself. Maybe they were just in shock...

The mystery girl looked up at Kara and reached under her nest of hair. There was a small click, then the mystery girl held out the ornate necklace to her. She whispered her first words. "It is all I have to give for thanks. Take it, please." Her voice was as small and clear as dew drops on a chilly morning.

Kara hesitated. She felt awful for taking anything from this traumatized girl, but did not want to further upset her by declining this incredible gift. Kara walked over and squatted down. "I will hold it for you. I cannot accept such a gift. But I will keep it safe until you feel better." She took the necklace from her stick-thin fingers, relieved that she could speak and act on her own. Not Hollow, then, praise the Goddess in all her wisdom.

Her hands drifted back down to her lap as Kara studied the necklace. The chain was thick silver, tarnished with age. The oval pendant looked like it was made of ivory, but she was not sure. Painted on the ivory was a unicorn's head. Despite the dim lamp light, she could see the miniature was made with breathtaking detail.

It was stunning, if old-fashioned. Kara suspected it was worth a fortune.

"Kara?"

She turned to Icari, who was supporting Vayne. Naomi was holding the lantern and satchel now, a few feet away, staring at her lover with wary caution. Kara knew Naomi feared Vayne was Hollow too. Icari asked Kara, "Can you help her get out of here after you insert the knife?"

She almost let out a nervous bout of laughter. In the craziness of rescuing Vayne and this stranger, she had completely forgotten about the original assignment.

She sprang to her feet. "No problem. Go ahead and get a head start. We will catch up. Mr. Hither said once the knife was inserted, things could get tricky."

Vayne said weakly, "Things are already tricky." He gave her that smile that melted her middle to mush, though with not quite as much charisma as usual. "Thanks, Kara. I owe you one. A big one."

She blushed and looked over at the altar. She was profoundly relieved he could speak and remember her name; that meant he was not Hollow. She said, "No big deal. I save lives every day. Except Tuesdays. I rest then."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shaking his head with a wry grin and she glanced back to see his gaze still lingering on her. Her heart sped up as Naomi scuttled to his side and pressed close.

Icari said, "Since we are nearly out of here, let us use both the lamps. I think there is enough oil to last us. You take one."

"Good idea."

By the time Naomi had gotten the lamps prepped and lighted, Kara was at the altar, studying the mage design. It was a deeply carved seal of power, with runes she did not understand.

As Icari and the others lurched out in an awkward hobble, she gathered her nerve to do this one last task. She imagined her mother, free and beside her. She could do almost _anything_ to earn the coin if that was what she gained.

She pulled Hither's knife out and glanced to see the girl was standing and looking at the exit tunnel, her hands limp by her side. Naomi had left the lamp beside her, and the flickering light made the girl look half a waif and half a ghost.

She held the knife over the slot and a shiver coursed down her back. A deep sense of wrongness pervaded this act. A little voice that fought for good said not to do this, that terrible events would unfold, a chain reaction of evil consequences...

She gripped the handle with nerveless fingers and plunged it into the slot.

The girl moaned-and nothing happened. No glow, no portal, no ghosts.

Kara backed away, bent down to scoop up the lantern, and grabbed the girl's elbow. Her skin was ice cold. Kara suspected that hurry was needed while evil unfurled itself from sleep, so she tugged insistently on the girl.

They shuffled down the tunnel. The girl did not seem to feel the rough stones under her feet nor the cobwebs that crept over their shoulders and head.

They reached the ladder and Kara urged the girl up. "You go first." She grabbed the lamp from her.

The girl climbed with shaking arms. She disappeared over the lip then Kara put the lamp handle in her mouth. It tasted of sweat and oil. She hefted right after then popped her head out of the stump to see the girl was pressed against the unicorn's flank.

She climbed all the way out and closed the door to the cellars then transferred the lamp from her teeth to her hand. She took the girl's fingers to pull her towards the exit, wondering what was frightening her so.

She turned around, following her stare when she would not budge. She almost dropped the lamp as fear coursed through her.

Every single dead animal had their stuffed face turned to them. Even as she stood frozen, she heard something nearby making a creaking, rubbing noise as it swung itself to face them. She unglued her gaze and turned her head slowly.

The unicorn was now looking at them, amber glass eyes unfathomable.

Kara pulled the girl's fingers. "Run."

The girl stayed pressed against the unicorn's flank and kept staring at the opposite wall.

Kara followed her stare and saw the way out had been blocked. The two gigantic dragons, one blue, one green, had unwound themselves from the wall. They now weaved across each other, blocking the doorway, dusty scales still sharp, yellow teeth even sharper.

One opened its mouth and a dry hiss puffed out. Kara's mind was whirring through possibilities. They could try to go back down in the cellar, but their light would give out before they explored half of it. Stumbling about this in pitch black, with a half-mad girl in tow...

A small voice that reminded her of distant bells on a quiet night said, "Flee. They cannot follow you into the sun."

Kara looked around, confused. That voice was not remotely human.
Chapter Five

"Go. The dragons will be able to breathe fire soon."

Her mind was buzzing blankly with the impossibility of the voice's origin. She looked past the girl and at the moving mouth of the long-dead unicorn.

The unicorn tilted its sawdust-filled head, glass eyes twinkling. Her mouth cracked open again and a shower of stuffing fell out. "Flee."

The unicorn stopped moving and an icy thrill swept over Kara. It motivated her and snapped her out of her shock. She said, "Hold the lamp." Kara shoved the lamp in her hand before she could agree. She whipped her knife out and yelled, "Follow me!"

They bounded past slowly unfurling snakes, sprinted over a pride of stirring lions. Then the dragons took notice of their zig-zag flight.

The blue dragon raised its serpentine head and wove back and forth. Talons swiped at her, and she ducked under and thrust her knife between the scales. She wondered how was she going to defeat a manor's worth of monsters with one knife and a nearly comatose girl tagging along.

For a split second, for the space between stuttering heartbeats, Kara thought about leaving her behind. Her mind was likely broken anyway...The girl would be just another burden, just another worry, just another sad ending.

She was just another abused girl in a world full of them.

Kara's knife pushed all the way through the scales and she ripped sideways. A cloud of sawdust blanketed her and she crashed into something, blinded, her eyes burning.

Then the girl's fingers were wrapped around hers and she was pulling them away. Kara stumbled on, blind and trusting, waiting for talons to slice her back to shreds. She coughed and blinked, tears streaming down her face.

The girl yelled something and a wheezy roar sounded behind them. Two thumps pounded. A rush of warmth shot over them. Kara gasped, "Did you stop the dragons?"

"For a moment. We must keep moving."

Kara sucked in another lungful and kept stumbling after her guide. "How?"

"I threw the lamp at them. They caught fire from all the dry sawdust."

That seemed a just death for two dragons to her. They kept on running through the manor, the crackling behind them growing louder. The girl seemed to know where she was going. Kara sensed no hesitation when she chose which room to dart in, which way to turn in the halls. How did she have know the layout of such a vast manor?

Kara blinked the last of the sawdust away and opened her eyes. She could just see the glint of broken mirrors in the next room as they caught reflected flames. She whispered a 'thank you' to the Goddess in her heart. They were so close to getting out...

The crackling became a roar as something massive caught behind them. The flames swept by, racing over walls and up to the ceiling.

They burst into the mirrored room and immediately came to a halt. There was no exit. Where the door to freedom had once been, now there was only an enormous mirror.

It was the only whole mirror in the room, and it shone with subtle magic.

Kara whipped her head around and saw the doorway they had come through was morphing into another mirror. She could see the flames beyond for a second. Then the mirror finished making itself and they were plunged into inky darkness yet again.

She clung to the mystery girl, her ears roaring as the blackness pressed down with cloying thickness. She tried to take her usual three slow breaths but panic was causing her breath to come in short and sharp. She could bite, cut, or hit a human opponent, but this was something she did not know how to fight. This was the oldest of magic, powerful and mysterious. And clearly intent on doing them harm.

Yet nothing happened. The darkness, thick and pressing as it was, slithered with no horrors. They were trapped, but why?

The girl whispered, "I think we have to break the ensorceled mirror to escape."

Kara untangled their fingers, ashamed that she had latched on so desperately. "How do you know there is even a way to escape?"

"I do not know for sure."

Kara paused, then asked, "What is your name?"

Silence for so long that she began to grow uncomfortable, then, "Call me Lyla. I seem to remember that name." She added after another long moment, "I do not remember much else."

"Okay. My name is Kara. My companions were Icari, Vayne, and Naomi." She figured the mirror-breaking plan was as good as any. "I'm going to start breaking mirrors since I am wearing leather boots and have some protection against flying shards. You are just wearing a thin tunic."

Lyla said nothing, so Kara took a step away, her boots crunching on glass. A thought stopped her cold.

"Won't the fire smoke us out soon?"

Lyla said, "This is a place where fire cannot go."

"Fire can go anywhere it wants."

"Not here," Lyla whispered. "She is protecting us with her water song. But she is not strong enough to free us. We must help her."

Kara sighed through her nose. She was grateful that Lyla had saved her life, but it was obvious she was crazy...

A silvery glow shimmered in the left corner of her eye. She blinked and turned, hoping the room was opening again.

The light outlined the mirror that covered the exit. Crackles of molten power raced around the edges. Kara made herself finish walking towards the mirror as this mystery unfurled. The silver within flowed like water under moonlight to form something beautiful. Kara slowed her steps, mesmerized, as the mist morphed into a unicorn. It stood perfectly still and looked at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen.

And she had seen a lot of sadness in her eighteen years.

The unicorn came and lowered her horn. She placed the tip on her side of the mirror. Spiderweb cracks stretched from the point of impact. She pushed harder, her split hooves pawing the ground.

Kara took another step forward, fascinated by this being of light and love. She wondered why the unicorn was helping them and why it was here. Was it trapped but wanted them to escape?

A darkness billowed in the mirror behind the unicorn. It was rotten, a thing so foul it should not even exist.

And it wanted Lyla and Kara to stay with it, feeding off them, hurting them...

It rushed upon the unicorn and enveloped her purity. She flew back into the dreamy distance, defeated. The blackness pushed against the webbing of cracks and the mirror bulged.

Kara ran forward and smashed her boot into the mirror. An echoing wail sliced through her head as her foot shot through, but she saw the open doors of the manor's foyer beyond the mirror.

And sunlight, the most beautiful thing in creation right now, winked at her.

Lyla ran past her and grabbed her hand. Kara shouted, "Wait! Your feet!" She winced as she saw the bloody footprints Lyla was leaving behind and knew it was too late to fuss over cut feet. She stumbled after her and they sprinted past the sweeping staircases into the glorious light of day. Sticky warmth embraced her the second she crossed back into the world of light.

Kara stumbled forward, releasing the girl, and fell to her knees to touch the sun-warmed grass. She knew they were safe for now. The faceless evil that had chased them could not enter the light of day.

Icari dropped before her and he hugged her so tight she could not breathe. He was trembling with relief, and she was touched. She hugged back fiercely.

He babbled, "They stopped me from going back to you, thank the Goddess, I will carve a shrine to her tonight, oh Kara..."

She clutched his back and in that dozy moment under the blue of a summer sky, she knew she had one true friend.

Vayne said, "Goddess, Kara. We didn't think you were going to make it."

For the first time since she had met Vayne, she did not care that he was speaking to her. She continued to hug Icari until he composed himself and drew back on his own. He gave her a weak smile. "I apologize for grabbing you. I needed to make sure you were alive and not an illusion."

She returned the smile and they stood up. "Quite all right." She whispered, "But I think the girl we found needs our help."

He looked over to Lyla, who was facing the manor while lifting her left foot and picking out the glass. Kara looked at her too, then at the manor-and saw no smoke. The house sat silent and still as always.

Kara said, "Thanks for burning the dragons, Lyla."

Naomi piped up. "Your name is Lyla?"

Lyla nodded, her pale lips parted. She said, "I tried to burn it all down. But the loosed demons chilled the flames. The fire is gone now. The house will not burn."

Blood ran down her toes and dripped into the waiting grass.
Chapter Six

Vayne, who was now standing on his own, said, "Nice to met you, Lyla. Got any place to stay?"

She shook her head. She did not even look at him as she switched to picking mirror out of her right foot, her gaze still on the manor.

He flexed his chest muscles a bit. "Come back to the carnival with us. I'm sure Hither will find work for you." He was giving her a quick up and down glance and Kara frowned at him. Did he think Naomi was blind to his constant casual perusing?

Lyla glanced at Kara and said, "Is the carnival safe?"

"Safer than being out in the wilds." Kara found herself unable to hide the full truth. "But not entirely safe, no." She glanced at Lyla's feet. "Do you want us to carry you?"

Lyla shook her head and turned around. "I will enter this carnival on my own feet." She barely limped and Icari and Kara shared a quick glance. How could she bear the pain of shredded feet over thorny brush?

But bear it she did, so they all wove through the weeds and rocks in the yard and entered the hush of the forest. The sharp scent of green life growing was all around. It was such a normal summer's day. The birds were singing. The berries were ripe on their bushes and the flowers were in full bloom. Kara swiped a handful of blackberries along with Icari.

Despite the vibrant flowers, despite the trilling song, despite the sweet juice of the berries, the five moving through the forest held a tight knot of fear and darkness between them. Each had been marked in some way by the old powers of the world. She wondered if the old powers would forget them or not.

They found themselves at the edge of the carnival tents in a daze. The acrobats were still practicing, the whores were laughing in a group by the ale barrels, the snake charmer, Tristie, was stroking her boa as she flirted with the tattooed man.

No one noticed them so they hurried up to Mr. Hither's wagon, placed in the very center of the camp. Kara knocked, nervous suddenly. She decided not to mention the unicorn necklace hidden in a safe pocket under her shirt.

The door swung back and she stepped in without a verbal invitation. The others waited outside.

She said, "I did it."

Mr. Hither looked up from his ledgers. "Excellent. And right on time for your bonus."

Kara inclined her head. The matter of coin seemed so insignificant when such terrible things were out there, waiting in old manors. But those coins added up to freedom for her mother...

She said, "There was a dark mage. He tried to take Vayne's soul, to feed it to a demon, I think."

A look of surprise crossed Mr. Hither's face, a slight tightening of the skin around his eyes. She was aghast. Rarely did this man show any kind of emotion, subtle or otherwise. He said, "What did this dark mage look like?"

"Tall, blonde, youngish. Maybe thirty? He was slim too, and wearing a red tunic. He knew my name."

Mr. Hither raised a finger and pressed it to his lip. The raven croaked, "Samson! Samson!"

Her employer reached over and pinched the bird's beak shut. "I see. Any other news?"

"We found a girl. Or maybe a young woman. I'm not sure how old she is. Her name is Lyla. She doesn't talk much, but she's talked enough to prove she isn't Hollow. I think she is shocked."

Mr. Hither said, "Her name is Lyla? Are you quite sure?"

Kara hesitated, then shrugged. "She said she remembered that name from her past." She added quickly, "Until she remembers more, could she stay with Naomi and me? She doesn't have anywhere to go."

"This is not a charity for orphans and traumatized girls."

"I'll teach her how to pickpocket. She's small like me. She'll be making you good coin in a few days."

"See that she does. Call her in."

She poked her head out of the door and said, "Lyla? Could you come in here, please?"

She was standing there, blinking and squinting. She looked even worse out under the sun. Her bruises and filthy tunic made her look like a child raised by wolves. She shook her head and shuffled forward.

Kara squeezed into the cramped corner of the wagon house as Lyla stepped in. Mr. Hither regarded her coolly. He asked, "What circumstances led you to being in that manor?"

Lyla inhaled sharply and her knees began to shake, but she managed to answer. "The blonde man, the dark mage, he wanted me there. I do not-" Her voice broke and she fell silent.

Kara interjected quickly, explaining how she was chained up. She went on about the dark clouds and the shadowed door. Mr. Hither never once changed expression during her whole story, but she sensed a deep anger in him. He had not expected the mage to be there.

She did not tell him how they found the cellar, nor about the unicorn. She glibly smoothed those parts over, wondering why she was doing it even as she did it.

When she finished, Mr. Hither drew out a small pouch and tossed it to her. She caught it gracefully.

"As agreed, you have the night off."

She pulled Lyla out as she thanked him. Him and his raven were making her more uncomfortable by the minute.

She gave Icari a quick hug, releasing Lyla, and asked, "See you tonight at midnight grub?"

"Indeed you will." He nodded to Hither's wagon and drew back. "I am going to collect my pay."

She nodded and turned to Naomi. "Lyla is staying in our tent."

Naomi's face fell at that. She glanced at Lyla, who had wandered off as soon as Kara had let her elbow go. She was staring at the tigers as they batted at their trainer's hat. She leaned in and whispered, "She is crazy. It's going to rub off."

"She saved my life."

"We saved hers first."

Kara set her jaw and said, "Hither said she is staying with us. You got a problem with it, bring it up with him."

Vayne was watching them with his usual mildly amused expression. His stare lingered on Kara and she blushed. Why was he looking at her like that?

She grabbed Lyla, who was getting a little too close to the tigers. The tiger trainer, Maune, was openly staring at her, at her bruises, her filthy tunic, his eyes straying to the bloody footprints she left behind.

"She's new," Kara said lightly. "I'll make formal introductions later."

He nodded and turned back. She hurried Lyla as quick as she could through the camp, grateful that prying into people's business was so frowned upon here. They slipped into her and Naomi's tent. Kara nodded at the partitioned back. "There is a washbasin back there."

Lyla shook her head and sat down on the canvas floor. She whispered, "Anywhere I can sleep?"

"There is a spare blanket in the corner. Help yourself to the most comfortable bit of floor you can find."

She looked up at her and managed a ghost of a smile. "I feel safe here with you." With that, she took the blanket, rolled up in it, and fell silent as she wedged in the corner.

Kara tried not to sigh. She quickly stripped her dirty clothes off and tossed them by the basin. She would wash them later. Right now she needed to lay down and think. She scrubbed the dust off her skin and rinsed her hair out. Now down to her underclothes, she stretched out on her own blanket, her fingers clutching the mysterious unicorn pendant. She had to flick a few grasshoppers off who had taken up residence on her blanket.

Her mind drifted off to a blank sort of softness. She watched a dust mote twirl around and down, listened to Lyla's soft, fluting breaths. Her thoughts kept circling back to the spirit of the unicorn, trapped with some faceless horror.

Her heart ached for the unicorn. Could she free it? Or was it hopelessly dangerous, pointless even, to try when you did not even know what trapped it?

She drifted off to sleep, and her thoughts rippled into dreams. Her dreaming mind saw a unicorn running through a labyrinth with no beginning nor end. The minotaur was chasing her, except the monster was far worse than a minotaur...

Kara awoke with a gasp, sitting straight up. Naomi, who was leaning over her, fell back on her blanket and screamed.

Kara blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Naomi tucked her feet under her calves. "It's okay. I've just been a little jumpy since the manor."

"Me too. Why were you standing over me like that?"

"You were talking in your sleep and you sounded frightened. I wondered if I should wake you."

"Thanks." She paused. "I was having a nightmare about a unicorn spirit trapped in that manor."

Naomi cocked her head, curious. "What happened after we split up?"

Kara explained about the talking stuffed unicorn, the dragons, the mirror that the unicorn helped to shatter so that the darkness could not get them. She finished, then sighed. "I think I have to free that unicorn spirit. I have to go back to the manor and figure it out."

Naomi covered her face. "I told you her crazy would rub off on us."

Kara ignored the comment and stood up. Lyla was still curled up in a blanket. "Could you keep an eye on her? I gotta pee and talk to Icari."

"Okay. The midnight grub just started. He should be at the bonfire."

"I'll bring you both dinner."

"Thanks." Naomi cast a glum glance at Lyla. She clearly did not want to be left alone with her.

Kara ducked out into the warm night and hurried to the women's latrine ditch. This was one of the things she hated most about life on the road. You had little privacy for the most private acts. All that separated you from prying eyes were thin flaps of canvas. The flies and rancid odor compounded the discomfort. When she had lived in her father's manor, they had water closets with actual doors and walls...

Now all she had was a ditch and a pile of dry leaves to wipe with. She peed quickly, trying not to breathe, then hurried through the camp to midnight grub. Tired laughter drifted by. She could tell it had been a good night. The jugglers were hefting their full money purses and the dancers were sitting in a tight circle, dividing the coins thrown at them. Most had not bothered to put their shirts back on.

She glimpsed the carnival goers heading home over the distant field, the twinkle of their oil lanterns beautiful against the night.

She got in the grub line and spooned a bowl of stew. There were a few bits of carrot and what looked like rabbit swirling in the brown liquid. _Wow,_ she thought. _Vegetable and meat in the same meal? Is Hither celebrating something?_

She grabbed a plain clay cup of water then searched for Icari. He was in front of the bonfire, wiping sweat off his forehead. She sat down on the cut log that passed for seats beside him. "Hi."

He gave her a huge smile. "Hello."

She noticed he was wearing his stage act outfit, a wild thing composed of rainbow layers of scarves. He was an illusionist and used the bright cloth for his act, twirling and running with them as he performed minor magics of concealment and reappearance. It was, in her humble opinion, the classiest act at the carnival, and immensely popular. As a result, he was rising fast in the hierarchy, his earnings and prestige outstripping much older acts.

It made him the target of jealousy and resentment more often than not. His strange accent, his dark skin, his air of princely grace...

People were as jealous of him as they were intrigued by him.

Kara, however, was just a pickpocket and a plant. She wondered for the thousandth time why Icari even talked to her. She was about as low as you could go even by the carnival's low standards. Hell, even the whores and dancers got more respect and more coin than she did...

But stealing paid well enough, and she needed that a great deal more than respect right now.

She said, "You're wearing your scarves? Hither made you work after all the craziness earlier?"

"I volunteered." He sipped some stew. "I needed the coin."

Without thinking, Kara asked, "What for?"

She regretted asking the question before she even finished saying the two words. You should always mind your own business at the carnival. Many of their members were rumored fugitives, outcasts, debtors... They joined the carnival for a reason.

To hide in plain sight under gaudy clothes and gaudier masks.

Icari said lightly, "Traveling money."

She nodded and took her first mouthful of stew. It was way better than usual, thick and flavored with a hint of horseradish. She swallowed and said, "I was lazy. I went back to my tent and slept. I dreamed of the unicorn."

"The stuffed one?"

"Yes." She glanced around and lowered her voice, trying to pitch it under the crackle and roar of the flaming bonfire. She shifted an inch over to him just to be extra safe. "Let me tell you what happened in the stuffed trophy room and the mirror room."

He said, "Please do."
Chapter Seven

She told him everything just like she did Naomi. As she went on, more and more drifted off to bed or to more private entertainments. They were left alone at the bonfire by the time she finished.

Icari said, "Incredible." He looked into her eyes, his face still. "I think we made a mistake."

"Doing what?"

"Opening that seal for Hither."

Her heart cramped and she looked away. She whispered, "I think you are right. I don't know much about magic, but I do know those things are sealed for a reason." She made herself turn back to him, to face their mutual shame. "Why do you think he wanted the seal broken?"

"There could be a dozen reasons, some noble and some wicked. Truly I cannot guess."

"Give me a noble reason."

"Those seals are often opened to banish the evil to the mists so that it will not taint the part of the world we live in."

"Oh. What's a wicked reason?"

"To harness the loosed power for your own dark magics. Whatever was sealed in that manor was very old and very powerful." Doubt had crept into his voice. "I wish I knew. When I agreed to the task, I had reservations, but it was like I could not refuse him. He just...kept staring at me. And now I have more worries than ever that what we did was wrong." He glanced around and leaned so close to her that his breath tickled her ear. He murmured, "I think Hither is a dark mage and he plans on using the evil released for some terrible thing."

She blinked and whispered back, "But why would a mage run a carnival? Even the dark mages were forgiven the nature of their magics years ago at the conclave. The King needs dark and light both to defeat the creeping mists from taking over the safe lands. Wouldn't he work for the King instead of this?" She swept her hand around at the tired paint and faded tents, the clumps of horse manure, the drifting piles of litter.

"He's here for the same reason most of us are. To hide in plain sight. If he is a fugitive from the Mage's Council, they would never look for him at some grimy carnival. He can travel anywhere he pleases in the kingdom without scrutiny, doing evil. There are several renegade mages the King has not forgiven for their past crimes. Tastre, Fynaggen, the Dulanti brothers..."

She shivered. She had just been thinking about that, hiding yourself in plain sight...And all those names brought up terrible stories.

She whispered, "I don't know what is going on with Hither, and I don't think we ought to talk about it here."

He nodded.

She continued, "We can't fix the seal now that we broke it. But we can free the unicorn's spirit from the manor." She amended, "Well, we can try, at least."

Icari hesitated, his long fingers twirling around a lavender scarf. He said, "Yes. Let us do it. Day after tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. Got any ideas on how to free a unicorn spirit?"

He forced a laugh, the dying flames reflected in his eyes. "I am afraid not."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "You're my closest friend, you know that, right?"

He smiled, his eyes sad, then hesitated. He glanced away. "I know. You are my closest friend as well."

She noticed how his shoulders were slumped and he was blinking. He must be exhausted. She gave him a grateful peck on his cheek. "Good night. I've got to get Naomi and Lyla some grub."

He touched where she had kissed him. "Good night."

She stood up and dropped off her dishes at the washing tables, saying a quick hello to the roadie elbow deep in greasy suds. She got a terse nod in reply. She grabbed two more bowls of grub. It was a bit awkward balancing them as she tip-toed through camp, but she managed without spilling a drop. She backed into their tent, hoping the stew was not cold.

She turned and saw a small candle was lit. Naomi was trying to comb out Lyla's hair, a hopeless look on her face. She was gossiping at a rapid clip. "-and everyone thinks he really likes men, but no one can prove it. And the snake charmer lady is creepy. Don't talk to her unless you have to."

Lyla was wearing a new, clean cotton tunic, likely borrowed from Kara's meager clothes. The rest of her was clean as well-except for the hair, of course.

Naomi cursed a vicious stream under her breath and set the brush aside. "We're going to have to cut it. Later. I'm starving."

Kara passed out the bowls and stretched out on her blanket. Despite all the sleep earlier, she was bone-tired again.

Lyla sniffed the stew and picked out the rabbit chunks. Naomi gave her an incredulous look. "You're not going to eat the meat?"

"I do not eat the flesh of dead animals."

Kara chuckled right before she yawned. She finished her yawn and said, "You make it sound so awful. Rabbit's good. A little stringy, but good."

Lyla inclined her head gracefully. "To each her own. I do not enjoy the taste of burnt animal corpse."

Naomi snapped, "Well, your highness, can I have that rabbit?" She thrust her bowl toward Lyla. "You never know when food gets slim on the road. Wait until we are on two-bowls-a-day rations. Rabbit will look pretty good."

Kara shot Naomi a dirty look as Lyla picked her rabbit out with careful fingers and dropped it into the proffered bowl. They finished eating in an uncomfortable silence as Kara drifted off to sleep again.

...

Kara stood in the thick of the carnival crowd, her pasteboard white mask on. She was clapping and hooting, dressed in a loose white cotton tunic and brown cotton pants. Her shoes were cloth as well so her steps would be soft and unheard. Her black hair was braided and twisted up on her head. She looked like any farmer's daughter out for a night of fun at the traveling shows.

Her carefully banal outfit hid a second shirt sewn with half a dozen secret pockets and a small knife.

She was finishing up the first part of her work day as a plant. Plants clapped and shouted when the performers began their show to draw a crowd. If one person saw another person standing there making a lot of noise, they would usually stop too.

It never failed to make her think of sheep. Behind her, one of the stilt walkers moved slowly through the sea of masks and costumes. The air smelled of spilled ale and fried bread, and the constant roar of the lions masked the chatter of the monkey act a few tents down. Despite the heat and overwhelming stink of so many bodies pressed together, there was something magical about the carnival, some dark mystery she thought she might never solve. She was beginning to understand why so few left the carnival. They just stayed on and on, part of a family of miscreants that hoped some of the magic would rub off on them.

She slipped away from the lion tamer's show as the day faded to twilight. Now her real work would begin. She had to steal at least two coin purses a night to 'earn her keep' as Malone put it. Any purses stolen past the minimum two she split with the carnival's coffers fifty-fifty.

She suppressed her nightly guilt as she crept up on her first mark. 'Marks' were men that the ticket booth operators had brushed with chalk, usually on their shoulder, as they patted their backs and told them to enjoy the carnival. The 'mark' of chalk mean this person had a full coin purse.

A coin purse she needed to steal with small hands and deft motions.

The mark she had spotted had his neck craned as he watched the fire jugglers throw their flaming batons high in the air. He was wearing a plain shirt and homespun pants, topped off with muddy boots. His skin was ruddy and his fingers thick.

She knew he was a farmer who worked hard from sunup to sundown to feed his family and enjoy rare treats like a carnival show.

Guilt made her hesitate. She hated stealing, but she especially hated stealing from laborers. They had so little, while the merchants and Lords had so much...

She argued with herself as she brushed closer to him. _You don't know he is a good man. He might beat his wife and children. He might steal himself. He might covet his brother's wife. Just because he has an honest looking face means nothing._

She could not do it. She blended back into the crowd, thinking to get him later, after most of his coin was spent anyways. This area was a wealthy one, between two large villages. She was sure to find some merchants or minor Lords wandering about.

She drifted over to the belly dancers act next, where there would be some very distracted men. She went behind the ale tent and watched the men watching the dancers.

Hunger, raw and dirty, was what she saw more than anything. They were staring at the bare middles of the dancers as if their lives depended on staying focused on that one thing. It was against the King's Law for a woman to bare her middle-except in traveling shows. The King had a great fondness for traveling shows, whether they be carnival or circus or minstrel in nature. He gave them a profound amount of moral leeway as a result of his admiration. Rumor had it he had angered the Holy Church and many great Lords with his support of such low entertainments.

She spotted her next mark, a very well-dressed man. He was wearing new leather boots and a finely woven vest over a linen shirt. His attention was riveted on the stage. He raised his right arm to bite a sugared apple on a stick. She caught a glimpse of his coin purse tied to his left hip before his arm and shirt hem lowered.

She smiled and moved forward. She had to be quick. There was no good reason for a young woman to linger by the dancing women and ale tents. She would draw attention quickly if spotted...

She stopped breathing as her fingers closed around the firm purse. Her knife flashed and the purse disappeared under her shirt. She turned to dart behind the ale tent, already plotting her next move. Maybe she should cruise by the acrobat's act next...

She crashed right into a barrel of a chest. Huge hands grabbed her small arms and shoved her against a stack of crates. The splinters dug in her skin as she looked up and up, at one of the biggest men she had ever seen. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall.

He sneered at her, his brown beard bristling. He hissed, "Picking my business partner's purse, are you?" His breath was overwhelming, stinking of fried onions and sharp mustard.

He released one of her arms and made a crude grab under her shirt, pinching her nipple hard. She tried to twist away, a deep-seated fear taking root.

This man did not just want the coin purse back. Why else shove her in shadows and fondle her instead of calling for the King's Guard, who roamed the carnival freely?

She gathered her courage and tried to surprise him by saying loudly, "I am no thief, sir. Why would you drag an innocent lady behind a tent-"

His other hand clamped over her mouth, which was what she had hoped he would do. He started to press his bulk against her, pinching her shoulder blades painfully against the crates.

Both her arms were free now. Lightning quick, she wriggled free from his crushing chest, digging her elbow under his rib as she whipped out her tiny knife. She jabbed him between the fingers. He bellowed and stumbled back, and she felt nothing but contempt for him. Some were so quick to mete out pain...

But so adverse to receiving it themselves.
Chapter Eight

She darted past him and glimpsed his own coin purse under his fine tunic. Up and down her tiny knife went and she shoved his purse under her shirt. She kept on and jumped between two tents. She heard him behind her. "I never forget a face, girl, even under a mask! I'll have the King's Guard after you before midnight!"

She wove through the masked crowds, and her fear was making every one of her steps feel slow and choppy. A drunken woman dressed as the goddess of love fell on her, and Kara shoved her off with more force than she meant to. She slowed when she squeezed past the rope that marked the carny campgrounds. She saw no one about, so she hurried over to her tent to catch her breath and let her body stop shaking. She needed a moment of peace before she went and reported her failings to Malone.

She collapsed on her blanket, her knees still shaking as she clamped her hands on them. She had been a thief for a year and had never gotten caught until tonight.

As her breathing and heart rate slowed to normalcy, she rested her forehead on her drawn up legs, wondering where she had gone wrong. How had she not seen such an enormous man nearby? Was she losing her touch, her wariness, her observation skills, her speed?

Would Malone kick her out of the carnival? That gave her a whole new shudder of fear. There was no way she could survive on her own in the wilds between civilizations. The King's Posts kept most of the monsters from the mists at bay, but more and more had been slipping through. There were too many things afoot looking for prey. She had been raised on a Lord's estates, doing work in the kitchen and house. She had no idea how to find safe food out there or how to avoid the monsters...

And how on earth would she free her mother if she was busy trying to figure out which berries would not kill her if she ate them?

Civilization represented a whole other kind of danger. She was a lone female, young, a stranger to any town. If she was lucky she could get a position as a maid at a Lord's manor, but once again she would not earn the coin to free her mother in a decade. There were only two lines of work she could do that would free her mother sooner.

She could be a whore or a thief. She chose thief, though it left a bitter taste in her throat. A sudden thought struck her. _If Malone kicks me out, I will just thieve on my own._

She took three deep breaths and stood up to see Malone. She did not want to do any thieving on her own, not truly. The carnival was the closest thing she had to family right now, and offered a steady supply of food, some safety, and coin. That was about as good as it got for an unwed woman in this kingdom.

She went out into the night, hurrying now, determined to get this over with. Maybe she would be demoted...

She snorted at that. She could not get demoted any further, except as a roadie. They swept the grounds, built the tents, broke them back down, kept the lamps going, and did all the endless other general chores. They got a measly wage of five bronze coins a week for such hard labor. She could work hard every day of her life until she was an old woman of forty and still not free her mother.

As she was thinking of all the outcomes of her failure, her feet had carried her to Malone's wagon. Her door was open and a thin waft of smoke trailed out into the sticky night.

Kara took a final deep breath and climbed the steps, knocking on the door frame with white knuckles.

"Come in," Malone's voice sounded tired like it always did. She was stretched out on her red velvet divan, smoking a thin cigar with heavily painted lips. She gave Kara a look. "You're early. Shouldn't you be working, relieving the marks of their hard-earned coin?"

Kara faced her directly, refusing to show weakness. "I can't go back out. I got caught. He said he got a good look at my face even under the mask."

Malone tapped an inch of ash into a plain clay cup. She asked, "Scared I'll be mad?"

Kara nodded, her stomach full of knots.

"You've been working here a year and this is the first time you have gotten caught. I'm actually impressed with you. Most get caught their first week."

Her fears rushed out of her despite her silent resolution to not show weakness. "You're not going to kick me out or demote me?"

Malone sat up, her cheap cotton robe wrinkled where her side had crushed it. "No. You earn triple the others. Just give me what you got and take the rest of the night off to explain how things work around here to that new girl. The odd one."

She fumbled the two purses out. "What if the man comes back and looks for me?"

"Most don't. He was probably drunk and won't even remember the color of your hair."

Kara had smelled his breath. It had smelled like fried onions and mustard, without a hint of ale...

"Here." Malone dug in a quivering pile of junk and pulled out a red pasteboard mask, painted with a vibrant flame motif. "Wear a different mask." She blew off some ash and dust that had collected on it. "That should hide you well enough."

Kara swallowed and said, "Okay. Thank you." She reached out and took the proffered mask. It was pretty, the design covering more of her face than the one she was wearing. Funny how she never thought to take off her mask until bed...

"It doesn't matter if he remembers you or not. We're packing up. Tomorrow night is the last night here. Perfect time for the new girl to start."

"I didn't know we were leaving." She and Icari would only have tomorrow to try and free the unicorn...

"Yep. One more night and we're going to set up on the King's Lands near Lord Brahm's estates. He don't like our kind much, but he has to tolerate us thanks to the King's insistence."

Kara inhaled sharply and a deluge of conflicting emotions assaulted her. She could see her old friends around the estate if she snuck back, her mother, the townspeople...

And possibly her father, half-sister, and Lady Brahm.

Malone asked, "What?" Her gaze went out of focus the tiniest bit then understanding crossed her face. "That's were we found you. I remember. You were running from the Lord's estates, pursued by a girl on a horse."

Kara nodded, her tongue dry. She hoped Malone would respect the unspoken rules of the carnival and not ask her any more details.

Malone stretched back out on her divan. "Go find the strange girl. Lyla. Teach her. If she can't do thieving, she'll be a roadie and that's hard on girls." Malone stroked her cheek. "She's young and attractive. She could work with Dee Dee..."

Kara stared at her with horror. Dee Dee was the madame, and her 'girls' worked on their backs or knees. Most had open sores and aching joints, bouts of fever and a constant rainbow of fading bruises. Their patrons could not see the sores under darkness of night and mistook the warmth of their skin for summer heat...

Looking at them under the bright morning light as they queued up for their bowl of breakfast grub reminded Kara every day why she would rather be a thief than a whore.

Kara said, "I'll teach her how to spot marks and take their purses."

Malone shrugged as if she lost interest. She was staring at a half empty bottle of wine, and Kara took that as her dismissal. She stepped out, yelling, "Bye!"

She started looking for Lyla, her new mask in hand. Worry gnawed low in her gut at the thought of trying to mold Lyla into a thief in one night. She spotted her by the elephant pens, under a flickering lamp attached to a pole. She was stroking a baby elephant's trunk as it slid up and wrapped around her elbow. She giggled and rubbed his fuzzy, bumpy head.

Kara went and stood beside her, suddenly shy. She noticed Naomi had been unable to tame Lyla's hair. It hung in matted clumps about her face and down her neck.

Lyla turned to her, her purple eyes shining. Some element of standing under the moonlight suited her perfectly. Her skin seemed to glow with the subtlest of luminescence and her gaze whispered of secrets only revealed under the pale moon's watch.

Kara said, "Hey." She scuffed her foot on the packed earth. "You like Baboo here?"

"He is a treasure. He tells me he enjoys it when the crowds throw peanuts, though he and his mother would rather go back to their family in the southern lands."

She chuckled. "Elephants can't talk."

"They can. It is a matter of listening."

Kara sighed and said, "Lyla, I like you and everything, so I am going to give you some advice. People can't talk to animals in a way the animal understands, and the animals can't talk to people. Well, except for ravens and parrots. It makes you sound crazy when you say stuff like that."

Lyla smiled. "I am not crazy. My ways are just different than yours."

Kara shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter if everyone thinks you are crazy if you don't care. Most people working here are either crazy, alcoholics, drug addicts, or fugitives."

Lyla's face fell. "I do sense much sorrow here under the false merriment."

"Whose sorrow?"

She shook her head. "As you told me, it will make me sound crazy if I speak of feeling another's sorrow."

Kara hesitated, curious. Lyla seemed sincere...

But so did the madmen who ranted nonsense on roadsides. She switched subjects quickly. "If you want to stay on with the carnival, you have got to start working."

"Working?"

"Earning coin. Money."

"My people usually barter, but I am familiar with the human urge to collect coins."

This conversation was getting weirder by the minute. Did Lyla think she was not human? She spoke as if 'human' urges were not her own. Kara took a deep breath (it seemed like she had been taking a lot of those lately) and said, "You've got to be a pickpocket like me. Or be a roadie." She did not even mention the possibility of whoring.

Lyla sighed and scratched the elephant under the ear. "What is a pickpocket?"

Kara realized this was going to be a very long night.
Chapter Nine

She wondered if Lyla was from another country. That would explain why her speech sounded so strange, so formal and old-fashioned. She might be from across the sea, where a different form of English was spoken.

Kara answered her question. "A pickpocket is a thief. People keep their coin purses tied to their belt. Well, most men do. Women usually keep their coin in small purses they clutch in their hands." Her face burned as she described her profession aloud. "I steal the coin purses and split my earnings with the carnival coffers."

Lyla said, "I see. And this coin is very important to your people, yes?"

"Yes."

"These are just material things you speak of, but the act of 'pickpocketing' is dishonorable, yes?"

Kara's face burned more than ever, a heat that spread down to her neck. "Yes."

"What is this other work you speak of? A roadie?"

"Someone who cleans up and does all the hard work around here. They take care of the animals, too. It's the hardest job with the longest hours, and it pays the worst."

Lyla looked over the pens. "It is not the hardest work here." She looked back at Kara. "Coin is of no concern to me. I will take care of the animals."

"You don't get to pick and choose. Malone tells you what to do and you do it."

Lyla nodded, looking a little sad. "As you say."

Kara stood there, torn. She had promised Hither that she would make Lyla into a thief but she was beginning to regret her quick promise. Rumor had it that it was a very bad idea to break any agreement with him, but she could not see any way to mold Lyla into a pickpocket.

She said, "Well, I guess we can talk about it with Malone tomorrow. Maybe you can just help with the animals." She added, "Do you need anything?"

"I am content. Thank you."

Kara nodded, rubbed Baboo's head for good luck and turned back to her tent. She stared at her feet as she walked, lost in thought about the unicorn's plight.

She smacked right into someone. Someone tall and heavily muscled. She looked up and saw Vayne grinning down at her. He was wiping himself off with a towel and only wearing his strongman outfit, which was a very short pair of leggings. He smelled like sweat and mint.

She stepped back, forcing her gaze not to wander below his nose. She wanted to sink into the earth right now. Of all the people who worked here, she had to look like a clumsy fool in front of him. She stuttered, "Sorry. I didn't see you."

"I'm kind of hard to miss. Over two hundred pounds of solid muscle." He flexed his bicep, then grinned. "Just got done with my last show. Like what you see?"

She realized her eyes had betrayed her and roamed over his bicep. She blurted out, "Yes."

Her hands flew to her mouth. What was she thinking? No matter her feelings for Vayne, he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend she had to share a teeny tiny tent with.

He pressed her arm and guided them to the closest shadowy passage between two tents. He leaned down and breathed in her ear, "I like what I see too. Can you keep a little secret between us, Kara?"

She nodded, her heart clutching her ribcage. He lifted her chin and his touch burned through her. How many nights had she fantasized about this, him looking at her with those emerald eyes?

But the longer she looked into his gaze, the stranger it seemed. She studied him carefully and saw what was off. His pupils were pinpricks, which was strange considering how dark this private little space was...

He murmured, "Why don't you and I have a little fun once in awhile?" He threw his towel over his shoulder and ran his fingers over her braided hair.

She was floating on a golden cloud, buoyed by temptation. She squeaked, "You broke up with Naomi?"

He shook his head and gave her a rueful smile. "No." His fingers were sliding down her neck, leaving a trail of shivers behind. "Like I said, a little secret between you and me until I get around to ending it with her."

She remembered to breathe and think when she heard this statement. Tempting as his proposal was, it tasted of guilt. She shook off his touch and stepped back. "You've got to be kidding. Naomi's my friend. Even if she wasn't, it is still wrong."

He chuckled, and his pitch sounded high, too high for him. She stared into his pin-pricked eyes. He seemed different, more aggressive than he used to be...

He said, "Kara, you are a thief. What do you know about right and wrong?"

Hurt, she stammered, "It's not the same. You are talking about betrayal. And she'll find out. Too many loose tongues here. Too much idle time for gossip."

He closed the distance between them with one long step. "I can be very discreet. Trust me."

Hurt turned to anger in a flash. She snapped, "How discreet have you been? With how many women around here? Goddess, Vayne, don't you realize Naomi loves you?"

He shrugged. "I can't help how she feels." A slight sulk marred his voice. "What's the big deal, Kara? It's just a little fun. Just you and me. You know I have my own private tent. We can go there right now. Just talk. As friends." He lifted an eyebrow and gave her his brightest smile. "Naomi won't get off work for at least an hour."

Despite her indignation, she was still tempted. How many times had she watched him strut across the grounds, every female's attention caught by his classic features and perfect body?

A question entered her mind. "Why are you still dating her? If you are so interested in other women?"

"She's..." He sighed. "She's there. It was just so easy. She's pretty and stupid and does what I want."

Kara's jaw dropped. He continued on, "But you are smart and pretty and will never do what I want. You're a challenge." He rippled his chest muscles. "I like a challenge."

She looked away from him and said coldly, "You would never date me officially. Even if you and her were to break up, I'd still be your dirty little secret. I'm just a carny thief." She threw his own bragging back at him. "You're Vayne the Strongman, who has performed for the King himself!"

She backed out into the main path, furious tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. How low had she sunk in life, that men thought her morals were this loose and easy?

She turned and began to walk quickly.

"Kara! Wait!"

It took every last bit of her willpower to not turn around and fly into his willing arms. She knew he was too proud to come after her, to chase her, so she decided she would be proud too. She kept going, her feet flying over the ground.

She burst into her tent, stripped off her carnival mask and threw the other one after it, then rolled up in her blanket, clutching it with weak fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut as she alternately berated and contradicted herself.

It was just so hard to resist temptation. She could be kissing him right now, could be feeling his huge hands rubbing over her body...

And she would feel incredibly guilty after.

She sighed and stared at the gray wall of her tent. It was nearly midnight. She could tell by the sounds of others coming back into camp, their work ended. She heard Adam shout and a giggle from one of the dancers. She managed a tiny smile in the dark. He was one of those young men who endlessly teased females to hide his own insecurity about talking to them.

She allowed herself to pout and sulk for a few more minutes, then decided she would go get a bowl of grub with Icari next. He always made her feel better...

She continued to stare at the canvas as she wondered at this. If being with Icari was so much more pleasant, why did she pant after Vayne like a bitch in heat and ignore Icari? Did she dismiss him as a potential boyfriend because he was dark-skinned? Was it because he was foreign? Was it because he was so nice? Because he was her friend?

She rubbed her face with her hand. Deep down she knew Vayne was no good, that he was a manipulator, a liar who would love her and leave her, most likely after he had planted a baby in her belly. Almost any guy here would be better than him...

"You did the right thing."

Kara nearly jumped out of her skin as she jerked around and pulled out her small knife. She fell back and said, "Goddess, Lyla. Make a noise when you come in!"

Lyla sat in front of her. "I did not mean to frighten you."

She sighed. "It's okay. I'm just in a lousy mood." She added, "What right thing did I do?"

"Rejecting the strongman's advances. Only lust and greed motivate the likes of him."

Kara asked, "How did you know he...advanced...on me?"

"I was nearby. I have excellent hearing." She hesitated. "I was concerned about your safety, so I lingered and listened. I did not mean to invade your privacy."

Kara was oddly touched.

Naomi burst in the tent without warning and Kara's breath caught.

Had she overheard Lyla?
Chapter Ten

Naomi breezed right by them and went to the wash basin, throwing her green mask down on her blanket. As she rinsed dust off she said casually, "Good night. Lots of marks."

She finished rinsing off and looked at Kara. "Where were you?"

"I got caught. Had to sit the night out."

Naomi sat on her blanket, and the three young women formed a loose triangle. Silence hung between them. Naomi took out her knife and began to clean her nails. Too casually, she asked, "Have either of you heard anything about Vayne and Fante?"

Kara swallowed and tried not to glance at Lyla. She was going to have to be very careful to not outright lie. She said, "No. Why?"

"Well..." Naomi shrugged. "It's probably nothing. You know Fante?"

"Vaguely. She works at the ticket booths, right? Short, brunette?" Kara asked.

Naomi cleared her throat. "That's her. I've heard that she and my boyfriend have been spending some time together. His last act ends before my shift and seems he's been spending that time hanging out with her."

Kara bit her lip as Naomi looked up. She knew she should tell Naomi what just happened. But she could not betray him. She told a half truth. "I saw him a little while ago. He was toweling off from his act and he was going to his tent alone."

_Not by choice,_ she wanted to add. But her lips would not open. She did not want to look like a snitch...

"Oh." Naomi's shoulders unclenched and she managed a weak smile. "Shouldn't listen to gossips."

Kara dropped her gaze to her locked fingers. "Yeah."

Lyla had not said a word the whole time and Kara was grateful for her discretion.

Naomi said slyly, "Speaking of gossip, do you know who is always looking at you, Kara?"

She looked up and rolled her eyes. "No one looks at me." She paused. "Who?"

"One guy does. C'mon. It's so obvious."

Confounded, she shook her head. "Nobody is interested in me." She added in her mind, _Except for your boyfriend._

"Let me give you a hint. His stage act involves scarves."

Kara laughed out loud. "He looks at me because he is my best friend and he worries about me all the time. He is convinced that a mark is going to catch me and hurt me. He was nearly right tonight."

"He looks at you because he likes you. I thought you knew and were too embarrassed to talk about it."

"I don't talk about it because there is nothing to talk about."

"Sure there is. Icky likes Kara!"

She said, "Even if he did like me, which he doesn't, he is way too good for me. Way, way, too good. He's one of those honorable types that the bards sing about. I'm just a thief."

"He's not bad-looking either. Even though he's dark."

Kara snapped, "Why would that even matter?"

"Well, you know."

"No, I don't know. Enlighten me."

Naomi's pale cheeks flushed. "Well, rumor has it he is from the kingdom of Libya, far to the south. Northerners don't mix with them."

"Why not?" Kara knew why not, but she wanted to hear Naomi's take.

"They are not like us!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They are all cannibals and hoo-doo mages down there."

Kara was getting so angry it was hard to think. She said with forced calm, "That is so ignorant I don't know where to begin. Are you saying Icari, who I thought was your friend too, is some kind of dark hoo-doo mage and a cannibal?"

"He might be. Do you think he's ever seen a human sacrifice ritual?"

Kara's hands were beginning to shake. She took her three deep calming breaths and said, "He is my best friend. And if he wanted to date me or any other northern girl, the darkness of his skin should not matter." She stood up, feeling as if the canvas walls were pressing her closer and closer to Naomi and her stupidity. She turned to Lyla. "Do you want to go to midnight grub with me?"

Lyla nodded and rose with fluid grace. Kara swept out as Naomi was opening her fool mouth. She stomped through the milling carnies, occasionally glancing behind her shoulder to make sure Lyla had not wandered off.

They got their stew and water and sat down before the bonfire. No rabbit floated in the greasy concoction, which made Lyla happy. She smiled dreamily at her food and took a sip. Her crazy hair and odd demeanor was already being ignored by the others. The carnies saw a lot of strange things on the road. Lyla was just another crazy girl...no stranger than most.

Icari joined them after sharing a few jokes with the snake charmer, giving them both a big smile as he sat down.

Kara was nervous all of a sudden. Was what Naomi said true? Or was she just creating fake drama to distract herself from her own problems?

They ate quietly for a while after saying hello. Lyla finished her stew and said, "You want to free the unicorn's spirit."

Kara nearly spit out her stew. She swallowed it quickly and asked, "How did you know?"

Lyla smiled. "You talk in your sleep."

"Oh." Kara flushed. "Well, we do want to, but we have no idea how. Any thoughts?"

Lyla said, "The only way to free such a spirit is if a powerful mage or fae summoned it. Otherwise it is trapped with the darkness."

Icari said glumly, "I thought it might be something like that." He gave them a rueful grin. "Most of the strongest mages work for the King now. And I do not think there are any fae left. They disappeared long ago from my lands."

Kara snorted. "Fae are a myth. They never existed at all."

Lyla touched her shoulder and Kara looked at her. She made sure she had both their attention, then Lyla lifted her snarled hair just enough to show her ears.

Kara gasped and whispered, "You have pointed ears. But how?"

She dropped her mass of hair back down. "I have pointed ears because I am a fae." She added sadly, "I did not realize my people had become a myth."

Icari's look of shock mirrored Kara's own. Lyla said quietly, "Do not speak to anyone of this. My people are often hunted and trapped by dark mages so they can use our gifts of magic for their own ends. You saw how that mage in the manor treated me."

They nodded in mutual agreement. A real fae? A thousand questions burned in Kara's mind as Lyla continued. "I can call the unicorn's spirit to me and hold her in the pendant I gave you. I think I am strong enough now. If we can avoid the darkness."

Kara touched the pendant, carefully hidden under her two shirts in an inner pocket. It was so beautiful, and she had meant to give it back to Lyla...

But if sold, it would help to free her mother. She said, "Why do you need this specific pendant?"

"It is made from a unicorn's horn, an alicorn. She will not fear to enter it."

"What happens after she goes into the pendant?"

"We can carry the pendant to the unicorn's glade and drop it in her pool. I know the place well. It is not far from the manor. Centuries may have gone by, but her spirit knows that place. She will be at peace in her glade. The darkness will torment her no longer if she is there."

Kara traced the outline of the pendant through her shirt. She sighed, defeated. She pulled the necklace out with limp fingers and proffered it to Lyla. "It's yours anyway. Please help us free the unicorn."

Lyla took it and said softly, "My debt to you is still not paid. I own nothing but this."

"Don't worry about it. Just free that unicorn so that I don't have nightmares the rest of my life."

Icari said, "Let us leave at dawn tomorrow. I will bring the rest of the holy water. Shall we meet outside my tent?"

They agreed, then Lyla inclined her head. "May I ask, by the calendars of men, what year is it?"

Kara said, "The year of King Nikalas Hansun 2728."

Lyla blinked. "The year 2728?"

Icari and Kara nodded. The look of horror that crossed Lyla's face confounded Kara. Why did the year upset her so? She glanced at Icari and they shared a worried look. He said casually, "I bid you both a good night. I must get some sleep for tomorrow's adventures."

They walked back to their tent after saying goodnight to him. Lyla said nothing for the rest of the night, though Kara waited for her to speak until she fell asleep.
Chapter Eleven

Kara woke up to a light touch on her shoulder. Lyla said, "It is nearly dawn."

Kara got up and stumbled through getting ready, her fingers still thick and clumsy from sleep. She threw on her long-sleeved tunic and leggings. She slipped into her leather boots and looked up to Lyla. She could just see her outline in the early morning light. "You can't just wear a tunic. You need heavy boots to protect your feet from insect stings and snake bites."

"A snake would not bite me."

Kara stared at her and wondered again about the nature of fae folk. She knew next to nothing about them, but resolved to find out as discreetly as possible. "Okay. Let's meet Icari."

She noticed as they edged out that Naomi was not curled up in her blanket with that annoying little snore of hers. Was she with Vayne last night? Kara shook her head. She should not care.

They hurried through the tents, the paths empty, the early morning hush discouraging even a whisper. Soon they drew up to Icari. He was wearing an outfit similar to Kara's, with a satchel slung over his back. He eyed Lyla's light dress, but said nothing.

Kara gave him a small smile. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." They turned in unison to the forest. She tried to keep her courage up as they left the carnival and went into the dense quiet of the tree cover.

As they walked down the narrow path, Lyla said, "We should go to the unicorn's stuffed remains. Her spirit lingers there the most."

"You burnt that room down," Kara said.

"The darkness smothered the flames. The unicorn's remains are undamaged."

They drew up to the last tree that bordered the lawn and paused. She looked at Icari and he gave her a reassuring smile, then frowned. "I do not remember how to get to the stuffed trophy room. We wove through many hallways and rooms to get there."

"I remember a way. A hidden passage," said Lyla. She studied the manor then nodded to the left. "It is that way." She closed her eyes and went very still, then opened her eyes and looked at them gravely. "The evil within has grown stronger. It will be drawn to us and the unicorn. We must hurry."

Kara said, "You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go."

They followed Lyla, who seemed to create a path through the overgrown lawn without effort. She flitted around the left corner of the manor. Kara was amazed at how fast they were going. They should have had to stop and hack their way off the beaten path, but nary a thorn caught their clothes.

She licked her lips and tried to remember scraps of legends about fae folk. Her tutor had mentioned they could control certain aspects of nature, could call the earth's energy, could petition the sleeping Goddess for aid...

And where was the book that held a bit of this knowledge? It had been a dusty old tome tucked somewhere in her father's library, an archaic history if there ever was one. She remembered Quinton, her tutor, oh-so-carefully opening the brittle pages to show her a passage on lost cultures such as the fae...

She shook her head as they came upon a low brick wall. Her rational mind wanted to dismiss the possibility of Lyla being fae, but she could not stop thinking about those pointed ears. She wondered if such a thing could be done by surgeons or could be a deformity.

Lyla jumped over the wall and they followed her through a maze of box hedges.

Kara's stomach grew tighter as they got closer to the manor's back wall. She could feel the manor's empty stare, through broken windows that would not let in any light...

"We enter here."

Kara almost screamed out loud at the sudden sound of Lyla's voice. She clamped her teeth together and forced her attention to the entrance Lyla was indicating. It was a conservatory. Hundreds of broken glass panes made up the front walls and ceiling. The back wall was attached to the body of the manor. Lyla strolled right in, stepping around broken glass woven through ivy.

Icari and Kara hesitated. He glanced at her then reached out to squeeze her fingers. She squeezed back, reassured. They would protect each other. They stepped into the conservatory together, glass and leaves crunching underfoot.

Lyla jumped in an empty fountain. It had a stone merman surrounded by shells as the centerpiece. He would have poured water from an urn once. Now all he poured was more ivy. She pulled the ivy apart and found what she was looking for. It was an auger seashell, twisted up like a unicorn's horn. She pressed it back and Kara heard a click.

A small door swung open on the back wall. Kara squared her shoulders. She was not going to lose face in front of Lyla or Icari.

He pulled his hand from hers with a smile. "Let me go ahead and light the lamp while I have some sun."

She nodded and stepped up beside Lyla, who was waiting at the door. "Ready," said Icari. He held the lamp up and they marched into the dark.

The same thing happened as before. The second Kara passed into the house, it swallowed her whole. The icy air wrapped a freezing blanket around her. It hurt to breathe as the air branched out into her lungs. They hurried, single file, down a brick passage. The color of the bricks was the same as dried blood.

The passage led to a dead end. Lyla counted up from the left corner and pushed the seventh brick in. Kara wondered again how she knew so many of the manor's buried secrets. Had she lived near here before the dark mage kidnapped her?

Another soft click and the door swung forward.

Lyla hesitated then whispered, "Unsealing the way has made the dark one stronger." She shook her head. "That does not manner. The unicorn must be free." She walked into the doorway and Kara hurried after her. True to Lyla's word, the passage led straight into the stuffed trophy room. It seemed to be the center of the house in more ways than one. As Icari lifted the lamp, she saw they had entered to the right of the unicorn.

The front of the room was charred to ruin. What was left of the two dragons lay crumbled under the massive archway. Parts of the wall and many other stuffed trophies had fallen on top of them.

He swung the light around slowly and she saw the unicorn, unburnt.

And an enormous figure lurking beyond it.
Chapter Twelve

Cold laughter whispered around the room, followed by a voice that said one word. "Lylaaaa."

The voice reminded Kara of midnight and despair.

The figure stepped into the light and everyone backed away. It was at least seven feet tall and the color of ancient bones. She found herself unable to scrutinize it any further, her gaze sliding away as every single instinct screamed at her to run.

She heard Icari fumbling in his satchel and she knew he was going for the holy water.

The thing whispered, "I shall trap all of your souls here too. After I desecrate your flesh."

It took another step forward, and no one moved. Icari had stopped fumbling in the satchel and she prayed silently to the Goddess he had the holy water in hand. She made her frozen neck turn to see what Lyla was going to do. She had a look of fierce determination upon her face as she said, "Release the unicorn, demon."

More laughter, thin and mocking. "You do not have the strength to resist me and free the beast. Fae were always such optimistic fools."

From under her lowered eyelashes, Kara saw it writhing, billowing, tendrils of dark racing to trap them-

Lyla's hands flew up and a silver light shot from them. The silver light wrapped around the black tendrils.

The tendrils pulled the light back and ripped it to nothing.

Icari stepped forward and waved the vial of holy water. Kara looked up just in time to see the water splash the demon. It howled as cracks spread on its body and its essence smoked and curled. The air grew rank with the scents of burnt pork and rancid feces. She glimpsed something red and round in the chest cavity as the cracks opened wider.

The demon writhed and bucked-but still stood, clearly undefeated. It hissed, "Weak fae light and little priest magics cannot stop one as strong as me."

The cracks on its chest were already stitching back together as it moved towards them.

Kara knew she had one chance and about one second to get to the heart of the demon. She gathered every bit of courage she had and prayed this would work.

She sprang forth. This demon was just another mark, and the purse was in its chest.

Her hand pushed past the knitting cracks and grabbed the red object nestled in its cursed body. She pulled it out with a strength borne of desperation and panic. She flung it to the ground and her heavy boot crashed down on it.

It shattered into three pieces.

A scream as high and thin as a kettle began. The dark threads holding the demon together flew apart. Winds full of howling horrors swirled about them then flew out into the dark.

No one said anything for the space of a heartbeat. Kara had shocked herself by her own foolishness and bravery.

Lyla broke into action first, running to the unicorn as she pulled out the pendant. She lay it face down where the horn had been.

A silver light burst from the unicorn, brighter even than Lyla's. It dazzled and warmed Kara, drawing her back into herself and out of shock.

Lyla pulled the pendant back once the silver had faded. "It is done. Run. The demon is gathering his minions."

Kara dropped and scooped up the pieces of the token then they all spun and ran into the passage. Icari was in the rear, his lamp swinging wildly. They burst out into the conservatory and kept right on going, not even stopping to close the secret door.

Lyla flowed to the front, shouldering past towering hedges and creating a path where one had not been.

They ran and ran, past the hedges, over the brick wall, down a forested hill, over a stream. Lyla seemed to know where she was going, so they had to put their blind faith in her. She spun and darted to the right suddenly and they followed her to a flat rock in the middle of a glade.

As Kara exited the tree cover, she thought she had never felt anything so wonderful as the warm sun on her back and neck. The light was dazzling, so she slowed and blinked, her breathing ragged, her side aching.

She did not care about the minor aches and pains. That was nothing compared to thwarting a demon, one who would collect their souls like trophies...

When Kara's eyes adjusted to the bright light, she saw that Lyla had led them to a perfect little corner of the world. The glade was a gentle oval, the center boasting a crystal clear pool. There was a heady mix of golden flowers and green grass on the ground. The trees seemed to stand in quiet respect of the glade's space; she could not see one fallen leaf nor branch anywhere inside the oval.

She saw Icari collapsing on the lush grass. He was still clutching the oil lamp, his eyes wide. She bet she looked just the same.

Lyla was standing on top of the rock, the pendant swinging free from her grasp. She said something in a lilting language Kara had never heard as the pendant hit the water.

The pool flashed silver as the pendant sank. Then it stilled.

A breeze wafted by, drifting down from the trees, smelling of sweet lilacs.

"She is at peace," Lyla said placidly. Kara found it amazing she was so composed after such turmoil. "Long has she waited for it." She turned and sat on the grass with them, and she looked so young and frail that Kara smiled.

Impulsively, she asked, "How old are you?"

"When I went into the long sleep, I was twenty years of age. Very young."

"Into long sleep?"

"In troubled times, most fae tend to go back into the Earth to sleep. Some stay awake to record what happens during the long sleep. We do not wake unless the trouble has passed or someone has forcibly roused us. Usually only another fae or a powerful mage can do this."

"Did that dark mage in the manor wake you?"

Lyla grew still and her purple eyes flicked up and around. She finally said, "I think so. I remember fighting, pain, as if in a dream. He wanted to use my light for terrible things." She smiled at Kara. "Until you saved me."

Kara laughed, embarrassed. "Icari helped too. He was just stuck hauling Vayne's big butt out of the manor."

All three chuckled at that. Lyla looked at Icari and smiled. "She is right. Though I remember little, I do recall you trying to thwart the encroaching demon with that blessed water."

He shrugged. It was his turn to be modest. "It did not work very well."

Kara, still insatiably curious about a living, breathing fae who could shoot silver light out of her hands, asked, "How long did you sleep?"

Lyla's face fell. "You said it was the year of 2728? Which dynasty?"

"Dynasty? You mean which King?"

"Yes."

Kara tried to think back on her history lessons. When she was younger, her father had been indulgent, letting her learn writing, reading, history, and math with Anna. Lady Brahm had eventually taken offense that her gently born daughter would sit beside a slave during lessons.

Her father, as always, had relented and stopped her education. She sighed and tried to push that sad little memory away. She had liked her tutor, had loved the smell of ink drying on parchment. "His name is King Nikalas Hansun, the first of his name. I think the royal family before him had a last name of Durkan."

Lyla said softly, "I would need to speak with one of our record keepers to make sure of the time passed. When my family went into the Earth, Queen Ryenna ruled."

"Goddess," Icari swore softly. "The Queen Ryenna that ruled from 1102 until 1162? The tyrant? The one who would rule the world and the heavens?"

"Is that how human history remembers her? Very apt. She was cruel. I went to sleep in 1122, when she was still fairly young."

Kara did some quick math. The number seemed unbelievable. "You were asleep for over sixteen hundred years? One thousand, six hundred and six years to be precise?"

"That sounds correct." She looked sadder than Kara had ever seen her. "I miss my family. And I do not remember where they sleep. We hid in different places for safety. I must find a record keeper so I can try to wake them. Or at least go back to my resting place to continue the long sleep."

Icari and Kara shared a quick glance. _Lyla must be delusional,_ she thought. _Perhaps she was borne with deformed ears and her parents made up some silly lie about her being fae to make her feel better..._

That still would not explain her silver light or the way nature bent to her will. Kara swallowed her doubts back and asked, "If fae are so powerful, why did you hide and go to sleep during the troubled times, instead of staying awake and fighting whatever threatened you?"

"Creatures much stronger than us roamed the land freely, many eager to extinguish our light. I think your King has figured a way to block them." Hope shone bright in her face. "Perhaps my family can awaken, if there are a few safe places."

Icari asked, "Are you talking about the King's Posts? The last ruler installed them. They do hold back the things from the mists most of the time."

"But at a terrible price," Kara said. "The King has to use the powers of dark and light mages alike to keep the kingdom safe. Once dark mages were banned from practicing on our soil. Now they have a place at court." She remembered how appalled her father was that the dark mages were allowed to sit beside the King at feast time. He had called them 'bone rattlers.' From what she had gathered, the Lords were often placed under the mages, causing no end of discord at the courts.

Icari said to Lyla, "I know we are not supposed to talk about our pasts, but you must have a very interesting one."

Kara gave him a quick smile. He returned it and she knew what he was feeling. As tainting and haunting as the demon's presence had been, the unicorn's peace had filtered throughout the glade and cleansed them.

Lyla said, "My past is not as interesting as our entwined futures."

No one had anything to say to that, so Kara picked up the three pieces of the token and looked them over. She had dropped them in the grass at some point. The stone was red and dull under the morning sun. She asked, "What are we supposed to do with this?"

Icari was staring at the three pieces. He said, "Keep them. Those tokens are very valuable, even broken."

"Valuable to who? Dark mages?"

"Anyone who wants to summon that demon in the manor. It does not have to be a dark mage."

They shared another glance. Hither might want the token for his own mysterious reasons. And he paid very well for the right items. Or maybe they should hold onto it, see if there was ever a situation where they needed to call the demon...

"Destroy it," Lyla said softly. "It will only cause further harm."
Chapter Thirteen

Kara shook her head. "If it's valuable, we should keep it." She handed the pieces to Icari. "Do you have something to wrap them in?"

He grinned and pulled out a bundle of scarves from the satchel. "You know I do."

"Destroy them," Lyla said softly. "I can do it right now."

Kara shook her head, not understanding her reluctance to destroy the token. She knew it was evil, yet she and Icari both seemed unable to harm it further. "Sorry, Lyla. If we can sell it, we are keeping it."

Lyla fell silent for a moment. She looked between them and said, "You need something valuable to sell?"

"Always."

Lyla stood and strode off into the forest without a backward glance.

Icari and Kara looked at each other and burst out laughing. He said, "She takes a bit of getting used to, but I like her."

Kara had an odd little twang in her stomach, a minor tightening. She brushed the feeling aside. It was likely just left over shivers from fighting the demon.

As if he had heard her, Icari asked, "How did you know breaking the token would cause the demon to fly apart?"

"I didn't. I just thought of the demon as a mark and the token as its purse."

Icari stared at her, his blue eyes sparkling from the reflection of the pool. She had never realized how attractive blue eyes and warm brown skin looked together...

Her face began to go red the longer he stared at her. She said, "Well, it worked."

His face split into a huge grin then he was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face. She joined in, collapsing on the flowers.

For one minute, one perfect, shining moment, she forgot all her cares as she laughed with her best friend in a unicorn's glade.

He managed to choke out, "Remind me to never get on your bad side. You have a reputation for being tough for a very good reason."

"You could never be on my bad side. Please. You are the nicest person I have ever met."

He looked touched. "You must not have met many people, then."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Stop being so modest. You know you are the only person in the whole carnival who has manners."

She paused, then asked, "Do you mind if I break the unspoken rule? About sharing our pasts?"

He blinked and said, "No. You have told me bits and pieces, but never the whole story."

"It's kind of a long story."

He looked around and spread his hands. "I expect Lyla will be gone quite some time."

She smiled. "Promise not to tell anyone about my sordid past?"

He laid his hand over his heart. "I do so swear."

She wondered where to begin. She decided her birth was the natural place to start. So she told him how she had been born to a slave woman named Esha Manut. How her father was the Lord Doye Brahm and her owner. How her other owner was Lady Brahm, a bitch if there ever was one. How Lady Brahm despised her. How Kara had to work in the house and kitchens while her half-sister paid social calls and learned horseback riding and sewing and made her slave sister's life hell any chance she could. She told how her father had let Kara share lessons with Anna and she had learned how to read and write and other important things.

Then Lady Brahm had put her dainty foot down and the lessons stopped, leaving Kara with half an education and a thirst for more.

She told him how weak her mother was, how passive, how Kara had to protect her from Lady Brahm even as a child. It just kept spilling out, all the injustices, large and small. She did not tell him why she had been spurned from her father's estates nor did she quite tell all of Anna's dark secrets. Those two subjects would have been another hour of talking...

But she told him as much as she dared. Later she would tell him about Anna and the spurning.

When she had finished, her throat was dry and so were her eyes. She looked at him and said, "That's about it, besides my father freeing me on my eighteenth birthday. I think you know the rest of my story as you were with the carnival when I joined."

Icari said nothing for a little while. He finally said, "You have had a hard life. It has made you strong."

"I think everyone who joins the carnival has had a hard life."

He smiled, yet it did not reach his eyes. He said, "Thank you for trusting me with all of this. I know it was not easy to tell."

"It was easy to tell to you. I don't think you care that I was a slave, but I will carry the stigma around with me for the rest of my life. Lots of people look down on freed men and women."

He shook his head. "I would never look down on freed men and women."

She smiled and waited for him to say something else. She had been curious about his past ever since she had met him and wondered if he would open up since she had. All she knew was that he was from the kingdom of Libya.

He did not open up, just pretended to stare into the crystal pool. After a few long minutes, she asked, "Do you think it is safe to drink? Do you think the unicorn would mind?"

"I am sure she would not. She purifies it so we can drink it."

Kara dipped two fingers in the icy water, tasted it, then scooped a whole handful. It was the sweetest, purest water she had ever had. She guzzled it greedily until her stomach made a mild protest at so much cold sluicing it.

She said, "Have some. It is delicious."

He took a careful handful, then two more. He murmured, "Heavenly."

When he was done drinking, he twirled a nodding lily around his finger. It sprang back. She watched and said quietly, "I wish I had a thousand gold coins to free my mother."

He shook his head and rubbed another patch of flowers. "It is a fortune."

Lyla strolled back into the glade, rubbing dirt off her hands. Kara jumped, then started giggling. "Lyla, please make some noise. Sneaking up on me is going to stop my heart."

"I apologize. Your mother is trapped by another human?"

Kara nodded. She was starting to believe Lyla really was a fae. She talked of humans as another race entirely, in such a casual manner...

"And the only way to free her from the trap is with those golden coins men cherish so?"

"Yes."

"Do not men hold gems at similar value? Diamonds?"

"They are more valuable than gold. I don't have any of those either."

Lyla put her hand forth and opened it. In her palm lay a sparkling fortune in diamonds.

Kara and Icari shot up and stared. Kara extended her hand and the diamonds fell into her palm. She asked, "How? Where?"

Lyla said, "Fae can hear gems. Ones cut like these sing sharply. I just followed the sound."

Icari asked, "Where were they? We are in the middle of nowhere."

"A traveler fell long ago. He had these diamonds upon him. I took them since he no longer has use of them. May he rest in peace."

Kara was still mostly speechless. She looked at Icari for confirmation that yes, she was holding a fortune in her hand. She could not believe it, could not believe she would be so lucky...

Her fingers curled around the treasure and she tucked it in her inner hidden pocket. They sat in a cool lump between her breasts. That such small things could change her mother's fate was insane...

Lyla said suddenly, "Do not tell anyone I can find gems. Humans have taken us against our will to help them find treasure before. I hope they have forgotten we can do such things."

Icari said, "We are not going to tell anyone you are a fae. You would be in a lot of danger."

Kara asked, "From dark mages and humans?"

Lyla nodded sadly. "Alone, I am much more vulnerable than I would like. I think I ought to go to the record keeper and ask for the location of my family. I would wake them to help me with my purpose."

Icari said, "Is there anything I can you help with?"

She shook her head. "If you keep quiet about my ancestry, that is all I ask. My purpose beyond waking my kindred is dangerous."

Kara asked, "What's your purpose?"

Lyla frowned. "To stop the dark ones from taking over. They wield too much power already thanks to the folly of the King. Perhaps I was meant to wake and call my people to arms."

"Ah. And where is the record keeper?" Kara was imagining a little hidden fae cave in the woods, a magical place with tiny flowers and a tinkling stream nearby.

Lyla blinked. "There are several record keepers. I believe the closest one is in the capital. He..." She trailed off. "I cannot remember his exact location."

"You mean our capital? The city of Pruia? Where the king's palace is?"

The fae nodded, then an ear-splitting howl sounded nearby. Icari and Kara glanced at each other as they scrambled up. That was a jaguar, a remnant of the old times before the world was poisoned. It was half a ton of snarling feline fury.

And it was coming after them.
Chapter Fourteen

Lyla took the lead back towards the carnival, the path she created much quicker than hacking through dense forest. They ran as fast as they could as the big cat's yowls came closer. They flew by the manor and over its lawn, then into the woods before it. Kara noticed she was not hurting as she ran, she was alive and vibrantly strong. She wondered if it was the unicorn's water that had strengthened her, or the hope of freeing her mother.

They shot past the outer ring of carnival tents and collapsed in front of the elephants. No animal, no matter how large or hungry, would willingly go into a human encampment.

Kara saw no one was about. Likely they were on the other side of the tents, lining up for morning grub, or sleeping in.

Icari exhaled. "We must have gotten too close to it. Usually they leave groups of people alone."

Lyla said placidly, "She was chasing a deer and smelled us."

Kara smiled at her. "You are really something, Lyla. You keep knowing stuff, and I believe you when you say these crazy things."

"I am something?" Lyla said, looking a little confused. "Of course I am. Everyone is. I know things because I listen." She looked around the dusty tents, the piles of elephant dung. "Sometimes I do not feel like something. I feel lost and alone in this strange world that once I knew so well. Dark powers are looming, close to victory..." She shivered and fell silent.

Kara's smile faded. Icari whispered, "Not here. Hither has ears everywhere."

Kara stood up and dusted off. "Going to get a bowl of grub and wash off. Coming, anyone?"

Icari said, "I have a few things to do today. See you at midnight grub?"

Kara nodded absently. "Yeah. See you."

"Goodbye." He strode off to his nice, big, and private tent. As a performer, he got lots of little perks like that.

She and Lyla hurried to their small, cramped, and shared tent. Naomi was still gone, which was a blessing right now as she would be full of questions on their whereabouts at such an early hour. And she was such a horrid gossip that she would spread any little thing throughout the carnival in a day. Kara quickly washed off and thought of the fortune tucked between her breasts. No word of that could reach anyone else's ears, especially not the thief hidden in the carnival that kept stealing from his or her own. With that much wealth in diamonds, she could buy her mother's freedom, get a good horse, supplies for traveling...

A little voice in her head asked, _Traveling where? Your place is here, with the carnival._

She shook the little voice off as she stepped into the main part of the tent. "Basin's free."

Lyla ducked back and Kara heard the gentle splashing of water. Quickly, while Lyla was busy, she cut off a corner of her blanket and pulled out the diamonds. She wrapped them up tight so they would not clink and give themselves away. She tucked them back in her inner pocket, grateful that the jewels were tiny and she could carry them on her person at all times. It would have been impossible to hide a thousand gold coins under her shirt.

She peeped under the tent's canvas floor and checked her new hiding spot for coins. She had buried it in the hopes of thwarting the thief, praying they would not take the time to dig in the ground. She had been careless the last time, keeping her money rolled up in an old blanket. It was a mistake she would not make again.

She breathed with quiet relief when she saw the packed earth undisturbed. They had not found her buried treasure.

She jumped up as Lyla stepped out. Her healing bruises created a rainbow all over her arms and legs and her hair was still in a snarled clump. Kara thought she kept it that way on purpose to hide her ears.

Her stomach rumpled. She asked, "You hungry?"

Lyla nodded and they walked through camp and got in line behind the elephant trainer, Justi. He turned and said, "Morning."

"Morning," Kara said.

He gave Lyla a huge smile, his face meshing up in a mass of wrinkles. "Baboo has taken quite a liking to you."

"And I him. Elephants are noble creatures," said Lyla.

He nodded and launched into a humorous story about Baboo's mother that Kara had heard a hundred times before. She smiled and laughed in all the right places as they got their food and sat down in front of the dead bonfire. Lyla listened to his elephant tales raptly as she scooped the gruel in her mouth.

Kara got up when her grub was done. "Got a few errands to run. Meet me later, Lyla?"

She looked up. "I shall meet you later." She gave Kara a small smile. Kara smiled back, knowing she would be safe with Justi and his elephants. She dropped her empty bowl off, feeling good about Lyla's progress here. She was starting to fit in a little better. If only Kara could talk Malone into letting her work with the animals...

As she walked back to her tent, she began to run through the list of things she needed to clean and pack for leaving tomorrow. Her boots were filthy, her clothes stained with sweat, and she needed to repair a strap on her satchel...

As she drew up to her tent, some instinct made her slow down and listen, made the back of her neck prickle in warning. She held her breath as she stepped closer. Was the thief in there right now? She took a soft step and prayed it was not Naomi stealing from her. She was the most likely culprit since she had the easiest access to Kara's few worldly possessions. _Surely_ , Kara thought, _surely she is not that stupid._

Kara pressed her eye to a tear in the tent and saw Naomi in the act. She had Kara's blanket and the canvas flooring shoved aside. She was digging through the dirt and found the small coin purse. She hesitated then tucked it under her shirt.

So Naomi was that stupid.

Kara's throat thickened. She had trusted Naomi, thought they were friends, despite the fact that Naomi had known her feelings for Vayne and had dated him anyway. Kara could take that. It was as much his decision as hers. And he had changed so much lately that her attraction was cooling rapidly.

But she was _not_ going to take _this_.

She shoved aside their tent flap and stepped in, crossing her arms.

Naomi squawked like a chicken and fell back on her butt. She stared at Kara with wide eyes, then stammered, "Huge stinging beetle crawled under your blanket. I squished it."

Kara said nothing, just stood there with her arms crossed, frowning.

Naomi at least had the good grace to blush and look away. As the seconds crept on and Kara stood her ground, glowering the whole while in silence, Naomi cracked. She pulled the coin pouch out and put it back in the ground. She addressed the ground as she apologized, her face beet red. "I'm sorry."

Kara did not care about her (probably insincere) apology. She asked coldly, "Why?"

Naomi swallowed and picked at her tunic.

Kara used the exact same tactic of just standing there and glowering. She refused to give Naomi leeway or give her excuses to parrot back. If you stared silently long enough, people would talk.

Naomi dared to meet her gaze, peeking from under her eyelashes. "I can't tell you why."

Silence.

She blinked and hissed, "Fine. You win. Vayne's been asking me to steal for him."

Silence.

Naomi's shoulders began to shake and she lowered her face into her hands. "I don't know why, so don't ask. I swear I don't know. Please just stop looking at me."

Kara stood there for a moment more and decided that was all she was going to get. She uncrossed her arms and turned away.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my money back. You know, the money you stole earlier."

"No, Kara, wait-"

She was already gone, hot rage coursing through her. After nearly a year of scrimping and saving, she was not going to lose that money.

That familiar small voice popped up again as she hurried to his tent. _But why? Why would Vayne steal from his own? He's not been himself for a long while. Something is wrong. Very wrong._

Be careful, Kara.

She did not pause to catch her breath nor to knock. She burst right in, her knife slipping out and cutting the cord that shut his front panels with ease. She hoped he was there. She was ready to _fight._

He was there. And she saw and smelled immediately why he needed coin so badly, understood why he had not been himself for the last month or so, understood why his strongman act had suddenly become so much more impressive.

He was a rhone user. The leaf could be brewed and strained then sipped, or ground up and swallowed depending on how hard of a hit you wanted. It was expensive, addictive, and gave the user unusual amounts of endurance and strength for a short time. If she took it, she could likely pick Vayne up and throw him across the tent.

_A tempting prospect,_ she thought as he spit out his foul brew. It smelled like cat manure and wet leaves, a rank, low odor.

She tried not to gag at the stench. She said softly, "You've been using my coin to buy your rhone."

He went still as he wiped his face. "You know what it is? How?"

She thought of her tutor, who had taught her more than a little of herb lore. Rhone was useful in other ways and her tutor had shown Kara all of them. "I have seen it brewed before."

He smiled, his composure already back in place. "Ever tried it? It's _incredible_."

"It's addictive and overstimulates most users. You'll be lucky to live until thirty. Your heart will burst."

"I can get off it anytime I want."

She noticed his pupils were pinpricks again. She was trying to assess her options and quickly. He was clearly not frightened by her accusation of stealing. She knew he was not afraid because there was little she could do to him. Another unspoken rule of the carnival was 'no snitches.' If she went to the King's Guard to report him, she would be spurned from the carnival. It was a shameful thing to take from your own, and everyone would give him the cold shoulder if he was caught out, but he would be allowed to stay in the carnival. Ignored? Ridiculed? Likely. Spurned? No. He would not be cast out, but she would be for exposing his behavior to outsiders.

He smiled at her, and she noticed he was only wearing a pair of short leggings. He said, "Naomi snitched on me, huh?"

"I caught her red handed. She was stealing my coin. She told me everything."

Vayne's face darkened at that. "What did she tell you?"

Kara remained smugly silent. He had more secrets, more she could find out...

Her heart sank a little as she continued to look into his gaze. She still had very strong feelings for him, but nothing like what she did when he was 'normal' Vayne. A couple of months ago, he had been a little cocky, a little arrogant, and breathtakingly gorgeous.

Now that she saw how low he had sunk, all his strange behavior, easy to dismiss on a day-to-day basis, was making sense. She had not thought about it overmuch until now. His suggestion that they keep a secret relationship from Naomi. Rumors of his angry outbursts. His show having a sudden surge of popularity. All the pieces were falling on the board, and she saw a pattern now. She had willfully ignored the clues to mope after him like a bitch in heat...

But no more.
Chapter Fifteen

She said, "Give me back my money."

"Already long gone. I'm going places. Big places. I need coin to get there."

She hissed, "You know why I am saving up. I trusted you, Icari, and Naomi with my past and with my hopes of freeing my mother."

"You couldn't save enough to free her in a decade. Admit it. Someone else would have stolen the coin or you would have needed it for something, a healer or a fresh start outside the carnival. It was a crazy dream."

"It's my dream! And my coin!" She forced a wild laugh. "Do you even have enough decency to fake an apology?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. His teeth were grinding together, his hands shaking. He was boiling over with energy. "I'm sorry." He took a step closer to her, and she reminded herself how badly he could hurt her in this state. She stepped back.

"Aww, c'mon, don't be like that." He took another step forward, hunger in his eyes. "Stick with me. When I've made it big, I'll buy your mom's freedom. I had honorable intentions all along."

She stared at him, silent more from shock than any attempt to intimidate. She shook herself out of it and asked, "Stick with you?"

He looked over at his bed and gave her a coy little smile. "I'm just tired of Naomi. I need a smart, tough girl. Like you."

"What you'll get is a stupid girl. Any female charmed by a carny rhone addict is even dumber than you."

His jaw clenched and his neck tendons bulged as his eyes narrowed to slits. He took another step towards her, but she stood her ground even though she was within arm's reach.

She had seen this stance in other men, and she knew what it meant, what his intentions were. There was a feral cast to his gaze, the hunger morphing into a need for conquest. She lifted up her knife. "Stop. Right. There. I have perfect aim. And we are in very close quarters."

He stopped. "It's me, Vayne. What did you think I was going to do?"

"Doesn't matter what I thought. You aren't going to do it because I am not going to let you."

He pouted, and some of the old Vayne crept through as he swept his black hair back. He said, "Let me tell you why I am using the rhone."

She was wary of distractions, but could not deny her curiosity. She kept her knife up and said, "I'm listening. Any funny business and I am out of here. Well, except for my knife. It will be between your ribs."

He chuckled and seemed normal again-except for his wild eyes. "Oh, Kara. You don't have to be so tough all the time."

"Sure I do. Tell your little story. Try not to lie too much."

"You know we are stopping near your father's estate to set up camp."

She nodded

"After that, we are heading to the capital. We will be performing for the King himself. By invitation. One of his daughters is getting married, and there will be dignitaries, other Kings and Queens, even the eastern Emperor is rumored to be coming. And part of the entertainment for the event will be us."

She nodded to indicate she understood.

He continued, "The King is crazy for carnivals and traveling folk in general. He keeps fools, a menagerie, dancers, and the most hideous freak show you've ever heard of. He is enthralled with any new act that can amaze."

She shrugged. Big deal. Everyone knew the King had lavish tastes and a deep purse.

"I have it from a very reliable source that the King is looking to add on to his court entertainment. He is specifically looking for a strongman and a knife throwing act."

"So you want to work at the King's court. By all means, wow him with your false strength and leave us. Strongmen are a dime a dozen."

"That's exactly my problem! Even with my newly enhanced act, it's still not enough to amaze the King! Once word leaks out, he will have applicants from all over the kingdom and quite a few from across the sea. What would really impress him is a combination act. You can throw knives, right?"

She saw were this was going. "Yes."

"What if you threw knives at me while I performed my strongman act? Think of it! Have you ever heard of such a thing? We could be famous, living in the palace, fed good food every single day. Our own rooms, no more hard road life. We could earn enough to free your mother in a year or less. The King can be most generous to those he favors."

_And remove the head of those he no longer favors,_ she thought sadly. _Little as I know of court politics through my father's ranting, Vayne knows even less._

Aloud, she said, "It's not a bad idea. Teach Naomi to throw knives at you." She added dryly, "I wouldn't trust myself to throw knives at you right now."

He had crept closer as he was weaving his gorgeous tale. Now he was only a hand span away from her, his emerald eyes piercing hers. "I'd trust you to throw knives at me. You and I are alike, Kara. We do what it takes to get ahead. A little stealing and a little showmanship could get us far."

Then his lips were crushing hers and he was wrapping his enormous arms around her, and she dropped the knife, her body responding with its own needs. It had been too long, she had waited too long to feel his lips on hers, she wanted him to look at her the way he looked at Naomi...

All this whirled through her head in a split second. Then her reasoning came back to her, and she tasted the burnt stench of the rhone on his lips, sensed the trembling in his arms. Disgusted, she pushed him away. She bent and snatched up her knife. "Leave me alone," she breathed. "And do not steal from me again."

She backed out of his tent, knowing she looked crazy with her knife still in hand. She turned and ran until she landed in her own tent, hoping Naomi had crawled off somewhere to sulk.

She had not. She was sitting on her blanket, head low, hands limp in her lap.

Kara sat across from her and took her three deep breaths, then said, "You know he is an addict."

Naomi looked up with a crumbled face. "Yes. But I love him. He loves me! We're going to perform for the King! He said he'd teach me how to be a strongman's assistant. That we'd be famous and married next spring..." She gulped. "You understand, don't you? Don't you understand that I love him? That I need him?"

Kara looked at her friend. She was pitiful and gullible and weak.

Kara had never been any of these things. Slaves had to grow up much quicker than other children. She said, "You can do better than him. He's going to leave you sooner or later."

"No, he's not! You're just jealous!"

_I used to be,_ she thought. _I used to burn with it, my insides clenched so tight they hurt every time I saw you two kissing or touching. Now I just feel sorry for you._ Her lips still throbbed from the urgent press of his lips...

She decided it was just kinder to tell Naomi the truth now before he publicly humiliated her. Gathering her courage, she said, "When I confronted him, he tried to convince me to be a part of his act. And he kissed me."

Naomi clapped her hands over her ears. In a singsong voice, she said, "You're lying, you're lying, you are a dirty, filthy liar!" She jumped up and ran out of the tent.

Kara felt as if she had just beat an orphaned puppy. Which, in a way, she had. Naomi had told her a little of her own past because there was nothing scandalous. She was not running from the King's Law or hiding from enemies. She was just an orphan with nowhere else to go.

Naomi's parents had died in the last war between the Lords and the King. Lord Ansa had burned down her village stronghold and Naomi had been hidden by her mother in a root cellar. She said the secret crevice was so narrow it was as if she had been buried alive while those above had died screaming and burning. Everyone she had known, all those she loved, had been burned to death or hacked down by the Lord's army.

And it seemed to Kara that Naomi had led an easy life before the war. Her father was a baker, their family modestly prosperous. Being a baker's daughter in a small village had not prepped her for the ways of the world. Cosseted and pampered, and then cut off from all she knew with brute abruptness.

Now she had no family except the carnival. No love except Vayne's. And she was too stupid to see what he was becoming.

Kara felt so sorry for Naomi that she could not be mad at her anymore. Now she just was sad, alone in her empty tent. Had she just lost two friends?

_I've still got Icari_ , she reminded herself. _And Lyla. Things change._

She began to absentmindedly sort through her possessions, separating them from Naomi's things. She cleaned her leathers as the day grew hotter. She got up and opened her tent flap in the hopes of coaxing in a stray breeze.

Lyla was walking towards their tent, and Kara smiled as she ducked in. She said, "The man who loves elephants is kind."

Kara smiled. "Yes. Justi is a nice guy."

She suddenly remembered about Malone. She wanted Lyla to be a pickpocket, but Kara was getting the glimmer of a plan in her mind...

She said, "Lyla, since you have to earn your keep, you would like to do this by working with the animals, right?"

She inclined her head. "I would."

"If we are going to convince Malone to let you work with the animals, you're going to have to trust me and do everything I say."

Lyla looked at her with those ethereal purple eyes. "I trust you."

"I trust you too. Now we are going to have to lie to Malone. We're going to play up your injuries." She hesitated as she looked over Lyla's numerous bruises. They looked awful. "And we are going to pretend you are soft-headed. Too dumb to do anything but help with the animals."

Lyla gave her the ghost of a smile. "Most already think me soft."

Embarrassed, Kara said, "You are not. You are fae." She whispered that last word, then continued on in a normal voice. "Your ways are just different."

She stood up, feeling energized with purpose. "First let's dirty you up. Your hair is already horrible, so we're good there."

She chuckled as Kara went outside and scooped up some dirt. She rubbed it all over Lyla's legs and neck. She took the most ragged tunic she had and tore it up a bit more, then added dust to that too. She pulled it over Lyla's head and realized she was having fun playing in the dirt.

She stepped back, amused at her own childlike tendencies, and her friend definitely looked even more pitiful than before. Dirty, disheveled, with a rainbow of bruises and a bone-thin figure, she seemed like the most abused waif in the kingdom. Kara wondered when she had decided Lyla was her friend. They barely knew each other...

Kara nodded. It was exactly the effect she had been looking for. One more touch was needed. She said, "Do that thing you do when you drift away with your eyes."

"You mean thinking?"

Kara laughed. "Yes. That." She took Lyla's arm. "Let's go convince Malone that you can hang out with the elephants every day in exchange for a few coins and bowls of stew."

They marched up to Malone's wagon house. Kara checked the look of the rubbed in dirt under the sun, worried she had overdone it. It looked convincing to her, so they continued on.

As they drew closer to the wagon house they heard a curse. A roadie came hurrying out, his face drawn.

Her stomach dropped. It looked like she had not picked the best time to approach Malone.
Chapter Sixteen

Malone ran up to her doorway and shouted, "It had better be done by tomorrow morning or you'll be left behind!"

The roadie she was shouting at shoved between two groups of people practicing their acts and disappeared.

Malone's gaze alighted on them. Her wispy hair was piled atop her head and her face looked puffy from drink or lack of sleep.

She snapped, "What do you want?"

Kara nearly lost her nerve. It was strange, how she faced down a demon a few hours ago, then a rhone addict, yet this frazzled woman made her nervous...

"Can I talk to you? Privately?"

Malone sighed and stepped back into her wagon. Kara squeezed Lyla's elbow and whispered, "Stand here looking vacant. Or sit in the dirt staring at the sky. Improvise. Okay?"

Lyla's face drifted away from her. Kara smiled and let go of her elbow.

"I haven't got all day, Kara!"

She hurried into the wagon house then shuffled her feet and pretended to be a little sad. "It's about Lyla." She edged aside a bit so Malone could get a good view of poor, crazy Lyla.

"What about her?" Malone was sitting back down at her overflowing desk. It was crammed across from her elegant divan. She was staring at a teetering pile of parchment like it was a nest of vipers ready to strike.

"She can't pickpocket. Trust me on that."

Malone looked up and opened her lips, which were painted a bold red. Too red for her pale complexion and light hair.

Kara rushed on. "She's soft in the head. She does not have the wits or speed to be a thief. But she spent all morning with Justi and the elephants, and I saw her. She seems to have a talent with the beasts. Look at her, Malone. She isn't strong enough to do roadie work. But she is really, really into the animals and I am sure she will work hard keeping them happy and well fed so they will do a great job in the acts."

"I don't have the time to hold her hand. I can't manage a soft-headed girl-"

Kara used her last and most effective bargaining tactic. "Just a little time. See how she helps with the animals while we are traveling. You know how uneasy the heat makes them. Justi will need all the help he can get. A few days is all she needs to prove herself. If she can't handle it, I know the steward at the Brahm estate. I am sure he can find work for her there."

Malone glanced past her and at Lyla. Kara sneaked a peek over her shoulder and saw her friend looking so forlorn and dreamy she could break the heart of a stone statue. Her arms and legs were stick thin, her bruises bold under the bright summer sun. Her gorgeous face, touched with the innocence of a small child.

"Bah!" muttered Malone as she looked back at the pile of parchment. She waved her hand at Kara. "Fine. The day after we are at the new camp we'll figure out if she stays or goes."

"Thank you, Malone! You won't regret it, I promise!"

"Never make promises you can't keep. Go on. I'm busy."

Kara turned to leave. Malone added dryly, "You didn't have to put her in rags and smear her with dirt to move my heart."

Kara's cheeks reddened and she mumbled 'bye' as she hopped down the steps. She grabbed Lyla's shoulder and veered her towards the lunch line. She whispered, "Let's get something to eat. Then you can go tell Justi you are working for him."

A smile wandered over her face. She whispered, "Good. I was meant to be here. I have much work to do."

"What kind of work?"

"It is not only the animals that need tending in this dark carnival."

Kara sighed. Much as she liked Lyla, she constantly said the oddest things.

...

She slipped behind her last mark. It had been a fantastic draw tonight. When the carnies knew they were moving on, they could risk a lot more stealing.

She had made six trips to Malone's wagon to drop off the pilfered purses. One had a diamond ring in it, and she hoped it was not an engagement ring...

Kara was in Icari's crowd, and they were mesmerized. He was truly spectacular, making the scarves dance with him as he used his minor illusion magics. He was wearing a green mask with a leaf design on it. He became something surreal on stage, a man of mystery and floating beauty...

She shook her head. She had to hurry. It was so easy to be distracted by his serpentine movements, his heft and flow. She whisked her small knife out and focused on the mark before her. Tall, average looking, thick sideburns. She sidled up and watched him raise his arm then bite into a candied apple. She hoped his shirt hem lifted up enough for her to see his pouch...

His shirt did lift and she frowned. He was one of the few who wore a belt, which was a piece of leather cleverly sewn to wrap around his front and tie at his back. They had narrow pockets to tuck coins in, and were much more secure than purses.

She lowered her knife, hesitant. Why was he marked? Belts were too difficult to get to. She glanced at his shoulder and saw the tell-tale chalk smear.

She took a deep breath and just as her knife darted up and sliced through the leather cord, she realized her mistake.

This was a trap. Likely by that man who had caught her the other night.

A gloved hand spun her around and she found herself face to face with one of the King's Guard. Her heart thundering in her chest, she glanced around and saw three more guards stepping up, each with their sword drawn. They usually prowled the carnival, there more to make the citizens happy than anything else, but it seemed they had finally stirred to do their duty.

One of these duties was to cut a thief's hand off if they were caught in the act.

The enormous man that had caught her a few nights ago shoved his way between the guards. "That's the one." He sneered at her. "Told you I'd find you. You're a stupid girl with clever fingers."

The 'mark' stepped around and dangled his cut belt in front of her. He took a bite of his apple and grinned as he chewed. "Shame to cut off her hands. Perhaps she could be put in stocks for a few days." He winked at her and took another bite. Juice ran down his chin.

She was frozen for a bare second, then forced herself to act before the King's Law left her a cripple and a marked thief. Did she dare attack a guard, risking torture and execution if her plan went astray?

She could not fail her mother, she decided. She was so close to freeing her and could not be stopped now by being crippled and possibly even arrested. And having decided, she sprung into action.

She dropped to her knees and yanked back hard. The guard's grip on her loosened slightly. She brought the tip of her knife up, quick and silent, and dug it into the meat of his wrist.

He took his hand off her and she barreled into his knees with her elbow. He fell over her and she scuttled, crablike, past the other guards. She pushed forward as blood surged in her head so hard she thought it would crack like an egg. If she could just wriggle into the crowd, she could disappear.

Two gloved hands grabbed her shoulders and threw her on her back. Her head hit the ground and pain exploded in her skull. The agony rushed down to her stomach and formed a trembling knot.

Six angry male faces stared down at her. They seemed so far away. She blinked as blackness spread in her mind. Was she dreaming? Was her head open? Did her brains leak out onto the ground, dribbling on crusty orange rinds and cigar stubs?

She took her three deep breaths and the pain and confusion coiled back the tiniest bit. She gathered her elbows under her, determined to try escaping again.

"What is the problem?"

The voice was cool and familiar. It was Mr. Hither. She had never once seen the man leave his wagon. Was he here to witness her fall?

One of the guards drew back and said in a friendly tone, "Mr. Hither. This girl is a pickpocket. I saw her cut a man's belt with my own eyes."

"I see." She saw him looking down on her with wry amusement. He said, "Rise, child."

She stood up slowly, her foggy brain trying to interpret the subtle clue he had given her. He hand not called her by name. He had said 'child.' So he was pretending not to know her. Clue number one. Why was he helping her? If you got caught, you could not admit you worked for the carnival. You were fired the second a King's Guard caught you. So, if she was technically fired, why had he materialized from the crowd to bother with her?

She stood there and waited to find out. Mr. Hither gave her a grave look. "Why were you here? Watching the illusionist who dances with the scarves?"

She lowered her head and played along. He wanted her to be a carnival patron, so that is what she would be. "Yes."

"Lies!" shouted the large man. "She works for you, Hither. Everyone knows this tired, two-bit carnival is filled with your thieves and miscreants!"

She peeked under her lashes to see Mr. Hither giving the man a stare that would have stopped the sun in its heavenly rotation. She then peeked at the guards and saw two of them sharing uncomfortable looks. They knew she worked for Hither, but perhaps the large man had bribed them better than Hither...

Mr. Hither turned back to her after the large man glanced away, his face pale. "You have witnesses against you, child. Do you deny that you took what was not yours?"

She made up a lie on the spot. Her head was clear enough for thinking to pull the act off now, though the agony still sat in a dull lump behind her eyes. She raised her face and pointed a finger at the planted mark and forced a fake country accent. "He stole first! That was my dad's belt. There's only one like it. It disappeared off him a few hours ago. I was just taking back what was mine! He got no right to it!"

Mr. Hither gave her a small smile. He turned to the guards. "She is my honored patron on the last night of the carnival. Surely such a young beauty as her did no wrong. Let us settle this amicably."

The glitter of gold appeared between one breath and the next. It disappeared into the guard's coat. She dared to hope the worst was over.

The large man barked, "That's a lie!" He had apparently gotten his courage back. "She's a carny thief and probably a whore too! Arrest her and cut off her hands!"

The head guard shook his head. "Seems like there has been a mistake."

"Seems like nothing of the sort to me. Seems like you lot are bought and sold by this slimy carny operator!" He was bellowing now, and Kara saw that he was attracting more and more attention, which is probably what he wanted.

The guard raised his sword tip and said, "Are you accusing a King's Guard of loose morals?"

The large man's beard bristled and he muttered something under his breath to the planted mark. They both gave Kara mutual looks of loathing before melting into the crowd.
Chapter Seventeen

The guards inclined their heads to Mr. Hither and began to shoo away the crowd. Mr. Hither glanced at her and murmured, "My wagon."

He disappeared and she turned to see Icari picking up the thrown coins from his show. He kept looking around for her, anxiety stamped on his face.

She made a small hand signal to indicate she was okay. He grinned and twirled a yellow scarf around. She shook her head then melted into the crowd, edging towards Mr. Hither's wagon. Icari was such an elegant, refined sort of person, regal even. He bore himself with dignity all out proportion to a carnival showman. Like a prince walking among commoners. She could never understand why he was friends with her.

She drew up to Hither's wagon and climbed the steps. She saw he was already sitting behind his desk, his raven beside him, not a hair out of place, not even a slight indication he had just had a confrontation with the King's Guards or the locals. The bird was digging his beak into a red lump that made the tiny space smell like raw meat. Or blood.

Mr. Hither nodded to a narrow chair before his desk. She moved forward and sat as if in a dream. Sitting with him near midnight seemed like a bad idea.

He pressed his pale fingertips together and looked at her with dark eyes. He said softly, "I never leave my wagon for trivial matters."

"I know. I am sorry you had to leave for me." Her throat was tight and her knees were pressed together.

"Perhaps you should take what I said as a compliment and not a reprimand."

She nodded.

"I have plans for you, Kara."

Silence greeted this declaration. She stared at him, confused. She remembered Icari's distrust of Hither, his conviction that the carnival man was a dark mage with secret plots lurking under the bright paint and gaudy costumes of the carnival.

She found her voice, though those frightening thoughts still consumed her. "What's your plans?"

"You are overdue for an upgrade in status."

"I am?"

"Yes. You have excellent aim when throwing knives."

It was not a question. She wondered how he knew. Did Vayne drop a hint, hoping to push forward his strongman/knife throwing act?

"Yes."

"We happen to have need of a knife throwing act. Our former showman died."

"From what?"

"A knife wound."

She had not known the knife thrower very well. He had been a loud man with a swinging walk, drunk more often than not. "I'm sorry to hear he died."

"I am not. His act was stale and unoriginal. I believe you could bring a freshness to the tired old show."

She sat there, stunned. Her fortune was getting better by the minute. Going from a pickpocket to a full act was a huge upgrade in status and pay. She would make more coin and make it honorably. If she freed her mother...

_No, when,_ the little voice insisted. _Have no doubt or hope is lost. When you free your mother..._

When she freed her mother, she could easily afford to pay her mother's way if she wanted to stay in the carnival. She could share Kara's tent and relax for the first time in her life as a free woman. She shivered in excitement at the thought.

As if hearing her utter her dreams aloud, Mr. Hither said, "You will have your own private tent. You keep half of the coin thrown your way. I expect it will be triple what you earn now if your show is a success. Do you accept the position?"

"Can I have a day to think about it?"

His lips pressed together and she could not tell if he was suppressing a smile or a frown. "I do not offer second chances, Kara. Yes or no."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes."

She heard the sound of parchment sliding across his desk and she opened her eyes to see a very long contract before her and a quill nearby. She picked it up and skimmed the contract. It was written in tiny letters and she saw nothing out of the ordinary at first...agree to perform five shows six nights a week...half the coin went to the carnival...management reserved the right to change her act or modify it in whatever way they saw fit...had to perform for three years...since she was a female, clause had been added that she could not get pregnant...

The last two clauses made her pause. "I would be in a binding contract for three years?"

"Yes."

"Why can't I get pregnant?"

"You cannot perform well if pregnant and a squalling child will take up an inordinate amount of your time and energy. I am sure you have noticed there are no children traveling with us. Nor will there ever be."

She had noticed, and wondered about it. She said, "So what if I got pregnant before the end of my contract?"

"If you break contract in any way, you owe the carnival twenty five gold coins for each month you defect. So if you defected after a year and owed us two years of work, you would owe six hundred coins. It is in the last section."

She skimmed it and nodded. "I see." She inhaled. Something felt wrong about this, but where else could she go in the world? Her and her mother had few options for employment...

He added with cottony softness, "Your mother may stay in your tent with you as long as you pay her way. Her food and sustenance will cost one silver coin a week on top of half your earnings."

She winced. That seemed like a lot for a few bowls of grub and tepid water to drink, but the relative safety of the carnival was hard to place a price on. They took care of their own here, she would give the carnies credit for that. She looked at him sharply. "How did you know about my mother?"

He merely smiled and sat back in the shadows.

He had her by the throat. His message was silent but clear: Sign the contract or leave the carnival.

She picked up the quill, dipped it in his inkwell, and signed. He whisked the contract away and laid it flat upon a shelf to dry after sprinkling sand upon it.

The raven ripped away new chunk of flesh and dropped the stringy mess back. It said, "Slave. Slave. Slave."

She frowned at it.

"How is your new friend Lyla?"

"She's fine." Kara was growing more and more uncomfortable in his presence. For the love of the Goddess, what had she just signed?

He raised an eyebrow and switched subjects. "I believe you have something of mine upon your person."

She stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Did your friend Lyla not recently gift you with a small fortune in diamonds?"

Her face reddened. "Yes. But she gave it to me away from the carnival."

"While you are under my employment, half of any of your findings are mine."

She nodded, feeling a little numb. How could he have possibly known, unless Icari snitched...

_No,_ she told herself firmly. _He would never. Hither is spying on us. How else could he know about the diamonds and my mother?_

She reached under her shirt and pulled out the tiny pouch. She counted half the diamonds out. Ten. She placed the five largest on his desk. The wood was cold and smooth.

"You still have enough to buy your mother's freedom."

She nodded, trying not to react to his excessive knowledge of her life.

"Tell me how Lyla came by these diamonds. Spare no detail."

She licked her dry lips. She would have to omit lots of details to protect Lyla's true heritage. She figured he already knew but was testing her loyalty to him.

She resolved not to betray her friend's trust. Even if he did know she was a fae, he would not hear it from Kara's lips. She said lightly, "Lyla, Icari, and I were out in the woods. Lyla came across a deceased traveler. He had this pouch with his belongings."

"It must have been gruesome work to unearth the jewels."

"Oh, it was," she lied glibly. "Disgusting. Worms and everything."

The raven croaked, "Worms. Worms."

"And that is the entire story? You were just walking about a dangerous wood for no reason?"

"Yes."

Mr. Hither stared at her for a very long time. He was using her own methods of silent intimidation. She stared back, refusing to look down even though her knees were shaking. The battle of wills struggled on as the raven chewed and muttered to itself.

After an eternity, he broke the stalemate. "Start your stage act training tomorrow. Work with Icari for now. I expect you to be ready to perform when we set up outside the Brahm estates."

She stood up, hoping her knees would not give out on her. "I will."

He nodded and pulled another parchment from a drawer onto his desk. He did not bother to respond to her affirmation, so she left the wagon with forced slowness, with casual footsteps. She tucked her remaining diamonds under her shirt with icy fingers.

She crawled back to her blessedly empty tent and curled into a tight ball. She fell asleep and dreamed she had sold her sold to the Devil himself.
Chapter Eighteen

After a day of grueling work under the hot sun, the last tent was packed, and the last horse was fed.

The carnival was ready to travel on.

Kara liked traveling between shows as she got to see many unique sights, far more than she had ever seen around her father's estates. The carnival wagons moved so slowly that she could take her time exploring, striking out to look at interesting ruins or geological features.

She tightened her satchel straps and smiled at Icari. He had started to train her while they were waiting for the carnival to hit the road. He was a gentle and patient teacher, as she knew he would be.

They began to walk when one of the roadies bellowed for the procession to start. The sun warmed her head. It was going to be a scorcher today, which meant a lot of delays involving cranky animals. The road smelled like hot dirt and fresh manure.

Icari said, "You will be a fine knife thrower. I think you will draw large crowds."

"Why?"

He smiled and looked at the King's Posts that lined the King's Way. "I have never heard of a female knife throwing act. Have you?"

"I've never heard of knife throwing acts until I joined the carnival. The estate I grew up on was a bit secluded. My father never took me to the carnival, so it is all new to me."

He laughed. He had quite a bounce in his step today and she wondered why. Was it just because he enjoyed traveling, liked getting away from pleasing crowds of strangers? He asked, "Who is going to be your assistant?"

"Assistant?"

"Traditional knife throwing acts usually involve throwing knives at an assistant. Usually a comely young woman."

She thought back to the old act. "Yes. I remember now. What was her name, the assistant to the dead guy? Catre? How about her?"

"Rumor is she left when John died."

"Oh." She realized she had not even known his first name. John, the dead knife thrower. She swatted at a bee that drifted too close. She leaned in and whispered, "I wouldn't mind throwing a few knives at Naomi right now."

They burst out laughing. She had told him everything about Naomi and Vayne. She did not mean to influence his relationship with them, but she needed him to be alert to thefts and a rhone addict. Vayne could be a serious threat if he went on a rampage.

She frowned. Should she spread the word that he was likely to explode? It was a thorny code of honor the carnival had. People's safety was at risk if he was temporarily insane and stronger than usual. But if she was seen as a snitch...

She took her mind off the problem by asking, "Do you think I ought to ask Lyla to share my tent?"

"I think you should."

He glanced at the nearest King's Post lining the road. "Those posts make me uncomfortable. As if I am itching under my skin."

"Lots of people have strange reactions around them." She followed his glance and saw the squat ugly things. They were just plain iron markers with no decoration, thick as her arm, standing about two feet tall. She added quietly, "They keep us safer."

"Yes," he said as they passed another one. "But at what cost? The King uses dark and light magic to keep the way. It is dangerous to mix the two."

"There aren't enough light mages to keep the horrors away. He was forced to work with dark mages."

She looked at the posts and remembered her mother telling her about them. How she must never, ever, touch them lest she get pulled into the eldritch mists. Her mother had explained how the magic in the poles kept terrible beasts at bay. Horrible things that would like nothing better than to reave the flesh of little girls. They crept from the ruined lands, misshapen eyes gleaming with unspeakable hungers...

The monsters had roamed the ruined lands since time out of mind. Legends said that the Goddess banished them there, but she was too weak to do much else, like destroy them. Kara wondered what the ruined lands looked like beyond the mists, and how far they stretched. Did man's kingdoms only occupy a tiny bit of the world?

She shivered despite the heat of the day. She whispered, "Look. You can just see the cloaking mists beyond those trees."

He nodded. "They seem a different color now. More yellow."

She squinted and watched. They billowed up and back, over and over again, never creeping too close to the poles, their depths the color of dried bile. But she knew they wanted to expand. Only the King's strength kept them at bay.

Or so the masses were told. She looked away and said with false cheer, "I know I'm breaking the rules and talking about my past again. But I have a problem and I would like your opinion."

He gave her a conspiratorial wink. He had very long eyelashes, she noted as he pulled out a plain navy scarf to wipe the sweat off his face. "I am listening."

She did a quick double check to ensure no one was near enough to overhear, then said, "You know about my family situation. You know I now have the diamonds to buy my mother's freedom."

He nodded.

"There is a slight complication. I can't step foot on my father's property because he spurned me."

"Spurned?" He cocked his head. "Is that a ritual?"

Sometime she forgot he was foreign. He was so soft spoken it was easy to ignore his accent. She tried to explain it as well as she could. "It's a really long story. I was spurned because I took my father's last name, which made him and Lady Brahm very angry with me. When I was spurned, it meant I was banished from my father's estates."

"That is a considerable problem."

"It is. But I know how to get into the manor's secret passages and tunnels. All old manors have them. The nobles who built the manors were afraid their slaves would rise up against them, so they built lots of ways to escape if that happened."

"They should be afraid. It is a grievous sin to chain a person by law and coin."

"It is." She lowered her voice a few more notches. "I'll tell you why taking my father's name got me spurned if you keep it quiet."

He drifted closer to her and waited patiently.

She whispered, "I am the oldest daughter of Lord Brahm. He freed me on my eighteenth birthday because his wife, Lady Brahm, wanted me gone from the estate. She actually wanted me sold to another household as a slave. I am no threat to her or her daughter as another person's property. But as a free woman, I can cause her trouble. Still following?"

"Yes."

"My father, who usually caves in to whatever Lady Brahm wants, did not sell me. He freed me. Papers were drawn up, a copy for him, a copy for the record keepers of the King, and a copy for me." She absently touched the satchel on her back. Those papers were difficult to replace, and yet so easily lost, damaged, or stolen. Traveling to the capital to get new papers drawn up was a trial she hoped she never had to face. "When I was freed and had to fill out the papers, I had to choose a last name. I chose my father's last name."

Icari glanced at her. "Is that what made this Lady Brahm so angry with you?"

"Yes. Most freed slaves make up a name or take on the name of their slave parent. I took up my father's last name of Brahm. An old name of a proud house. I come from a line of nobles that has lasted thousands of years. Since I dared to take his last name, by the King's Law, I am a Brahm. I am a bastard, but with that last name, as a free woman, I could inherit the estate and titles if Anna died or was disinherited. And if no new heirs were born."

She drew up and struck an imaginary pose, pretending to pull the train of an ornate gown. With a deep curtsy, she said, "Lady Brahm at your service."

He was giving her a very thoughtful look and did not react to her joke. "Fine," she said. "So I'll never be a proper lady. I thought it was funny."

He smiled. "It was funny. I am just lost, trying to understand the ways of your people."

"They are strange. We have so many laws and bylaws and local laws and power grabs with the noble class that no one even really knows what is legal or illegal. Probably me wearing these pants isn't legal."

"Some kingdoms do prohibit women from wearing pants."

She blinked. "Really?"

"Really." He stroked his chin with a long finger. "So if I am understanding this, you taking your father's last name puts your sister's claim to the estate in jeopardy?"

"Yes. Of course, her being disinherited would cause a furor with Lady Brahm's family. It could even incite a battle between their houses. Bastards rarely inherit the family name and lands due to these types of complications."

"But it does happen?"

"Yes. The last case I heard was a Lord Buckstin. It happened about three years ago. He had daughters nobly born and a bastard son. He disinherited all three of his daughters and passed the lordship to his bastard. My father mentioned that the King got quite a bit of amusement from all the fighting and chaos this caused Lady Buckstin's family. Apparently they burned down four or five villages before the issue was resolved."

Icari asked, "Have you ever met the King?"

She burst out laughing. "Me? No. On occasion my father had to travel to the capital for a Lord's Council. He has never taken me."

"Why did you do this? You made your father's wife furious and you are spurned from the estates. Did you risk all this to have a slight chance at inheriting?"

She shook her head as they resumed walking. Her throat was coated with dust and her eyes burned. She rubbed them. "I..."

She stopped and looked around. "I have a good reason to at least try to inherit the estate."

He raised his eyebrow.

She whispered, "It is because my half-sister Anna is...well, she is evil."
Chapter Nineteen

"Evil?"

"Yes. I found her journal and she plots terrible things. I read how she plans to murder her parents. On her eighteenth birthday, after she is legally old enough to be the Lady of the estate, she is going to murder both her parents so she does not have to wait for them to die naturally. Or be married off against her will. She doesn't want that either."

Kara supposed she could not blame her sister for not wanting to marry against her will. It was a common occurrence amongst nobles to marry their offspring off to another powerful noble family more for political alliance than love. In some ways, she was freer than her rich, entitled sister. Strange that she had never realized that.

"Do you think she was just writing these ideas of murder down when she was having a bad day? Many people fantasize but do not act."

"I know her, and I know she means it. But if I can somehow figure out how to stop her and get her title, I could free all the slaves the minute I became Lady of the house."

"You do not think your sister would free them?"

"I know she wouldn't." She shuddered with seething emotions. "Goddess only knows what she will do to the slaves once no one can stop her."

She turned to him with fierce determination. "I have to stop her. I have to. And the first step was taking the name of 'Brahm.'"

Icari gave her a look full of doubt. She said, "What?"

"I just cannot comprehend such evil in a young woman. She is how old?"

Kara did some math. "She is sixteen." Her heart climbed up into her throat. How had she not realized the contract she had signed with Hither lasted past Anna's eighteenth birthday? She took three deep breaths. Would she have to break contract to stop her mad sister?

She said, "I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. She was one of those kids that would find a cat and set the tail on fire. I saw her do it. I told my father and Lady Brahm called me a liar. Said I did it." She could still hear the cat's pitiful screams, smell the seared hair. "I drowned the poor thing. It was burnt all over. It would have been in misery for days." Burning the cat was one of the least terrible things Anna had done...

He touched her hand softly, and she wrapped her fingers around his and released. She said, "Now I need your opinion."

"I am at your service."

"I think my father spurned me because Lady Brahm bullied him into it. I don't think he was ever really upset with me. If he was truly angry, it has been a year and I can't imagine he still is. He is not one to hold a grudge. Do you think I ought to sneak on the estate using the secret tunnels and try to talk to him alone? Or should I wait until he makes an appearance outside the estate? Usually he goes into the village of Augustus Reys on Sundays for church. He likes to make sure the commons see him mingling. He is unusual for that. Most Lords take private worship in their manor chapels."

"Hmmm. I am thinking you wish to free your mother as soon as possible."

"Yes."

"What is the worst that could happen if you were caught on the estates?"

"If Anna caught me, she would send her dogs after me." Kara winced. "I'd be mauled to death."

Icari shook his head. "Wait until Sunday. We should arrive to our new camp on Thursday. Wait three days."

"I doubt she could catch me. The entrance to the tunnels is on the very edge of the estate."

"I still do not think you should go on the property. Wait. That is my opinion."

"Icari!" She stomped her foot as she kept slowly walking in the heat and dust. Her throat was growing painfully dry from too much talking and not enough water. "Every day my mother is a slave it kills me! While I have been out here, free as a bird, she has been chained." She had expected Icari to support her, to validate her idea, and he was doing the exact opposite.

She sheepishly realized she had not wanted his true opinion, just his support. She pulled out a water skin and took a deep drink. It tasted silty. Had the roadies been unable to find a fresh supply before traveling?

"If you are mauled to death, your mother will likely be a slave her whole life. And her heart would be broken if you died. If you are careful and time everything right, she should be a free woman soon."

Kara turned her face away from him in the imitation of wiping water off her chin. She glanced at the carnival wagons to see how they were doing.

Two wagons with broken axles were pulled over far behind them. The horses that had been pulling them were usually calm for so much work under the hot sun. That was one bit of fortune. She saw clusters of people, some pulling little wagons, some with satchels like hers. Everyone looked irritated, sweaty, and tired.

She twisted around further, coming to a stop, curious if she could find Lyla in all this slow chaos. Her heart lifted a bit when she saw her. Lyla was riding atop the mother elephant's back, scratching her knobby head. The elephant kept playfully swatting at her hand with its trunk.

Adam flipped past her on his hands. His foot smacked her shoulder and she snapped, "Watch where you are going!" She rubbed her shoulder. "That hurt."

He gave her a dirty look and did another back flip. Confused, she glanced at Icari. Why would Adam be so rude to her? They were not friends, but they were on polite terms.

Icari called out, "Apologize to Kara. It is rude to hurt someone, even by accident."

Adam cast a glare Icari's way as he wiped his damp yellow hair back. "I don't apologize to someone who steals from her own."

With a flip and a twist, he disappeared between wagons. Kara was flabbergasted. She glanced around and noticed for the first time how far away everyone was from her and Icari.

Suspicion began to tickle at the back of her mind. She said, "Do you think Naomi is spreading rumors about me? Blaming me for her theft?"

He looked down sadly. "Likely. People have been complaining about the theft inside the carnival for weeks now."

Kara should have known this was coming, should have prevented it by telling everyone the truth. Leave it to Naomi-and maybe even Vayne-to falsely accuse her of stealing from the others. Naomi would not want to be labeled a snitch, so she just likely spread around a little gossip, saying she heard it from a few others...

And the lies spread like wildfire.

And Kara would have to work with most of these people for the next three years, if they did not leave or die.

She muttered to Icari, "You know the truth. Lyla too."

"I will spread the truth. But I doubt anyone will listen. Once a scapegoat has been chosen by the group, the stigma lingers unless the true offender is caught."

Her shoulders slumped. "It will linger even if she is caught. Don't even bother telling people what really happened. It will just make me look worse, like I am lying about her."

He touched her shoulder. "I will stand beside you. Let us act like nothing happened. When Naomi is caught out, which is inevitable given her desperation and clumsiness, you will look that much more gracious."

She laughed. "You are wise like an old man of fifty. Yet you're only what, twenty?"

"I am twenty."

She smiled at him, immensely grateful he would still stand beside her during this second spurning. Would fate always ensure she was outcast, rejected, despised?

_Well, if fate is going to play me like that, I will make my own fate,_ she decided. _I've got Icari and Lyla and they are the only people worth being friends with if the others turn on me that quickly._

He said suddenly, "If you decide to sneak onto your father's estates, do you need me with you?"

"Oh, Icari," she whispered. "You'd risk your life for me? You're already risking your reputation by still being seen with me."

He looked at her with those clear blue eyes. "I would."

She threw her arms around him, bringing them to a complete halt. "You are the best friend I could ever ask for." She drew back and held him by the shoulders. "But going to my father's estates is something I must do alone."

"I understand. Tell me if you change your mind."

"I will. Thank you so much for offering."

They did not talk much more for the rest of the long, hot day. They kept drinking tepid water and eating dried goods from their packs. Icari loaned her a scarf to wrap around her head to keep the worst of the sun off her head. It was cooling when she poured water over it. Occasionally, beyond the King's Posts, past a farmer's field, they would see the roiling mists, always there, always waiting.

For what she could not say.
Chapter Twenty

Kara heard Malone's sharp voice over the throngs. "Kara!"

She ducked around a gaggle of clowns and past a broken wagon to find Malone, who was boasting bloodshot eyes and sweaty hair. She said, "Your tent is ready."

Kara nodded, curious about her new tent. She had inherited the dead knife thrower's supplies and living quarters, sparing her the expense and bother of hunting all this down herself.

She followed Malone and smiled at her thoughtfulness when she saw where her tent was placed. Tents and wagon houses were arranged according to rank at the carnival. Her tent was between Icari's and Tristie's, the snake charmer, neither of which were giving her the cold shoulder of late.

Her own tent was a dull brown affair, patched with random colors too faded to tell their original hue. It was double the size of her old one. Malone lifted the flap and ducked in with her. She turned to face Kara. "Now some's squeamish about being placed beside Tristie because of the vipers. But you're not squeamish or stupid, so I figured you did not mind being next to her."

"Not at all. She's quiet and from what I've heard, not one of her snakes has ever escaped. Right?"

"Right. Good to see a few people here have a bit of sense. Now, Icari's taught you about drawing a crowd, right?"

"Yes."

"You've never had stage fright?"

"Never had a chance to."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough if you do." Malone pointed to a grimy trunk in the front corner of the tent. It had a large board tucked behind it. "There are your props. Your first show will be on Monday. We wanted to start today, but had a lot of strange delays. So no Friday, Saturday, or Sunday shows. You're in a lot of luck. Three days off is unheard of. You'd better enjoy it, because you'll be doing six shows a night. That's hard for a new performer."

Kara could not believe her good fortune. She had all day today to finalize her plans about approaching her father...

Her stomach clutched against her spine in fear and hope.

Malone was already turning back towards the exit. She looked over her shoulder. "Don't worry about the rumors. I know who is the thief, and I know why she is thieving. So does Hither. And he's all that really counts around here."

"Thank you." Kara was touched.

Malone gave her a curious frown. She said, "I think Hither has big plans for you. I don't know exactly what they are."

_Great_ , she thought. _Big plans for my life as a carny_.

Aloud, she said, "Thank you again for believing in me, Malone."

She nodded and withdrew, and less than a minute later, Kara heard her shouting at one of the cooks. She smiled and shook her head. _I wouldn't trade places with that woman for the world. It must be a nightmare keeping this whole thing running._

She wandered over to her trunk as she realized she had forgotten to ask about an assistant. She still had not found out who was her assistant, or if she even had one. Was part of making the act different her going at it alone or calling up members of the audience? And how could she train over the next couple of days without anyone to work with? She was beginning to suspect Hither was up to something. It seemed strange to hire someone on for a knife throwing act out of the blue, someone who had never applied for the position, then not give them a clue if they would work with anyone...

She heard a cough outside her tent and called, "Come in."

Icari and Lyla stepped in and waved. Lyla smelled like horses and elephants, a musky, rich scent. Icari smelled like hot silk. Kara had talked Lyla into letting her cut her hair and wrapping her head with one of Icari's plain black scarves. She looked much better without a clumpy, stringy mess on her head. She was actually stunning cleaned up. Kara had noticed quite a few carnies giving her lingering glances lately.

She asked, "Lyla, would you like to stay in my tent with me? It's kind of lonely without you."

Lyla inclined her head gravely. "I am deeply honored you would ask. I accept."

Kara exhaled slowly. She had not even noticed she was holding her breath. She did not want Lyla stuck in a tent with Naomi right now. All of her trust in her former friend had evaporated.

"Great. Do you want to go ahead and bring your stuff?" Kara had given her a spare blanket and outfit, though Lyla denied any shoes. She preferred bare feet, so Kara had not pressed the issue. Icari had given her quite a few scarves to wrap her head in.

Lyla disappeared out of the tent, a dreamy smile on her face. Icari said, "I am glad she is with us."

"Me too. She needs looking after, and I want her here for peace of mind." She looked up at him and noticed again how handsome he was, with those high cheekbones and full lips...

A twinge of shame cramped her admiration. Had she never noticed because she was too busy mooning over Vayne? Whatever veil had been lifted from her, she was seeing Icari in a whole new light.

He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Vayne's tent is four down from my own, so five from yours. Be wary."

"I can handle him."

"With that rhone he is taking, he could crack your skull between his hands. Sleep with at least one knife on you. Ask Lyla to do the same."

She nodded, knowing he was right. She slept with her knife anyway.

"If he ever sneaks in here with dishonorable intentions, scream. I will hear you and come." He grasped her arm firmly. His wide blue eyes sought hers. "I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to you."

She swallowed back a sharp retort. She knew he meant well, but she had survived being a female slave for most of her life. She knew how to protect herself from unwelcome advances as much as any woman could. His concern was not meant to be patronizing, but her pride was seeing it that way.

"I promise," she murmured, still caught in his gaze. "He will not hurt me or Lyla."

A tension arced between the two of them, a connection. She sensed it with tingling nerves, saw his face relax, his lids lower. He wanted to kiss her, she could feel it...

And she wanted to kiss him back. She tilted her head and leaned into him.

His lips parted and he hesitated.

Then he drew back and turned away. He said casually, "We should get something to eat before I help you with your act. Unless Malone has told you who you will be working with."

She stood there, her heart thudding, hurt and disappointed. She was confused about what just happened. Had she made a fool of herself, misjudging his intent?

Kara swallowed against the sudden thickness in her throat. "Let's go."
Chapter Twenty One

After a lunch of thin broth with a bit of stale bread, she walked to the edge of the carnival tents and stepped beyond so she could look at the hill where she had last seen Anna. She had canceled practice with Icari, feeling awkward near him now. He had been silent during lunch, glum even. She was afraid she had ruined their friendship and any chance they had of moving beyond that. He probably now thought she was a thief and unladylike, with such forthright advances.

So to take her mind off it, she had decided to step out here and plot the best course to get to her father. She was not waiting until Sunday. She had to see him as soon as possible-privately, not in the middle of the village with throngs of eavesdropping peasants about.

The grass sighed as a welcome breeze wafted by. She closed her eyes and enjoyed it.

She heard hounds barking and she stiffened, opened her eyes, and pulled out her knife.

Anna had wasted no time.

She crested the hill on a fine new horse, a black stallion, with her hounds sniffing about.

Anna stopped and stared. She was just close enough that Kara could read the secret hand code she wrote out against the blue sky.

She signed, _Happy Birthday._

Kara could have slapped herself. Today was her nineteenth birthday! How could she have forgotten?

Anna's fingers flashed again. _I'll be waiting._

She threw something small down the hill and turned her horse around. She galloped off to a chorus of baying hounds.

Kara waited a long time before she dared to search for the thrown item. Her suspicions were cold and hard inside her. What new trickery was this? What new plot was Anna hatching? She was clearly trying to lure Kara onto the estates.

She forced herself to unclench her fists. Pain shot through her palm and she glanced down to see tiny crescents marked there, one oozing a thin stream of blood. She walked forward into the tall grass, not sure what she was looking for.

She walked around where the mystery item might have landed and saw nothing after searching with her eyes for fifteen minutes. She grew angry, knowing Anna wanted her to grub around on her knees in the dirt. She fumed as she did exactly this, going in circles as the sun beat down and her throat grew itchy with thirst.

She was just about to give up when her hand brushed something soft between two clumps of grass. She dug it out and saw it was two pink ribbons tied together in a charm knot. She stared at it, knowing what it meant, yet not understanding. Two pink ribbons tied together in that kind of style meant twin girls had been borne recently on the estate. Slaves often made these little tokens in the hopes of tying long life and good health into their children's fates, weaving the blessing of the Goddess between their fingers...

Her knees gave out on her and she dropped to a sitting position on the hard ground, ignoring the prickle of grass and the bite of ants. Was Anna implying that Kara's mother had the twins?

_No_ , her mind whispered fervently. _No, no, no. It couldn't be. No._

There was no way she could afford to pay for the freedom of three. She got up and began to walk back to the carnival in a daze. Her mind was numb and buzzing. Even if she could free them, Hither was adamant that no children were in the carnival. And Kara was stuck there for three years. Where would she put her mother if she had babes clinging to her?

She had to find her mother's fate out right now. She hoped Icari would not be mad at her for being so stupid.

She whisked into her tent, her mind clear with one single purpose. She packed a small satchel of supplies and took a swig of water. She chided herself as she put the last apple in the satchel. She was jumping feet first into Anna's trap, dancing as she pulled the strings. She could have faked that ribbon, tied it together herself.

But Anna likely did not know that Kara could sneak on the estate undetected. It was the only advantage Kara had right now over her sister's endless plotting, and she would use her knowledge of the hidden passages to get answers by spying.

She had one last thing to do before she left. She drew out a sheet of her precious stolen parchment. She had taken it from her father's study when she had been spurned, a whole pack of it. She had meant to sell it on the road, but never quite got around to it. She liked to draw, and parchment of this quality was hard to find outside of a noble's manor.

She used her treasure now. She found a charcoal stick tucked beside the pack and quickly wrote a note to Icari. It was amazing he, a foreigner, knew how to write and read in her native tongue when most of her fellow countrymen did not. She blinked, realizing she had just given herself a clue about his past. He must be fairly well educated, with his proper speech...

Hello Icari,

I'm going to check on my mother. I just need to see what is happening, if she is in danger. Do not worry about me, I will be fine.

Yours,

Kara

In a bold moment, she added,

P.S. In case you did not kiss me earlier because you were being a gentleman, I want you to know you have my full permission for a kiss. Disregard this if you do not want to kiss me.

She rolled the parchment up and tied it with a bit of string from her raggedy blanket. She hefted her satchel on her back and peeped her head out of the tent.

No one she knew was nearby. Just a couple of roadies smoking and laughing by the dozing lions. She sighed in relief and edged over to Icari's tent. She coughed and waited. She heard nothing inside so she stepped in.

His tent was colorful, with bright scarves scattered about. She left her note on his cot and hurried out, not quite believing she had written that he had permission to kiss her. She fretted and hesitated, turning back towards the seemingly innocent bit of paper. She almost ran back and snatched it, but refrained. She did not want to hide her feelings again. It just hurt too much.

She began her trek to the tunnel entrance hidden in the abandoned spring house.

...

She arrived at the spring house without mishap towards the latter half of the afternoon. The first manor house of the Brahm's had burned down hundreds of years ago but the old spring house had survived. The new manor had been built further back on the estate and her ancestors had a tunnel built from it to the spring house. Kara whispered a quiet prayer to the Goddess that Anna never discover this little secret...

She opened the heavy plank door and stepped into the wonderful cold. The thick stone walls kept heat out and the chill of the bubbling spring water in. Spring houses were built over streams and perishable foodstuffs were kept stable in the cold water, safe from animals and weather.

She closed the door, grateful that she had been a noisy, curious kid. She had always finished her daily chores up as quickly as possible so she could scramble all over the estate, investigating the nooks and crannies. That curiosity had led to a means to spy on her family without endangering herself or her mother.

She took out her candle then place it in a brass holder. She lit it and the smell of burnt cotton wafted up. Kara dropped down to the northern wall. She counted up three rows of stones and then over four more. She pushed this stone and heard a small click. A door opened, revealing the damp tunnel she remembered.

Kara entered and the smell of cool earth and rotten wood greeted her, along with about a dozen spiders and their webs. She waved the sticky mess aside as it caught in her hair. She walked quickly as the door shut quietly behind her. The tunnel sloped gradually upwards and was an easy walk as long as you did not bang your head on one of the low support beams.

She spied the ladder that signified the end of the tunnel. She took a deep breath. Almost there...

She awkwardly climbed up with one hand while holding the candle. She drew up in a dusty, narrow hallway.

She was now officially in the heart of the manor house. Her mother was somewhere nearby, her father...

And, of course, Lady Brahm and Anna.
Chapter Twenty Two

She gathered herself for a moment. She needed to do this right. First she needed to spy on her father to see if he dropped any clues that indicated Anna was lying. He was always in his study, so she would start there. She wanted to slip down to the kitchens, see if she could check on Wanda and Jennifer, but her old servant friends would have to wait.

As she turned left to head to her father's study, she shook her head at her own arrogance. The dogs could catch her scent around the old spring house easily now while out for a casual run. It likely would not be long before the tunnel was discovered...

_Not if you poison all the dogs,_ that small little voice whispered. _It will take months to canvas other estates for hounds of such good breeding. Anna would be crushed if her babies were dead. By the time she got a good pack together and trained again, you will be long gone._

Kara was disturbed she had such thoughts. She did not like the hounds, but it was not their fault their mistress had trained them to be so cruel. She climbed the rickety steps to the second story of the passages, keeping an eye out for any clues that they had been used. There were none that she could see. Dust lay thick, showing no footprints, not even her own from the last time she had been here.

She drew up to the panel that had peepholes looking into her father's study. She pressed her ear against the wall. Like any manor, the walls were a combination of thin board and thick stone. Thin board was excellent for eavesdropping. She heard nothing, not even a servant bustling about. She slid the peephole panel aside, wincing at the creak it made, and looked in.

The sight of her father's study sent a wave of conflicting emotions crashing down on her shoulders. And she had heard no noise because her father was sitting behind his desk, utterly silent, his face drawn, his shoulders slumped.

Rage and love and hate all swirled in her breast as she looked upon the man who had always been too weak to protect her. The noble Lord Brahm, head of a proud family and vast lands.

Ignoring his fine dress, the great Lord looked like a portly middle-aged man who drank too much and did not sleep enough. Observing him made her think of her mother, and she wondered where she had gotten her own strength from. Both of her parents were so weak. Her mother always accepted slavery with quiet reservation, while her father bowed before the might of Lady Brahm time and again...

They were a pitiful pair. Kara wondered if that made her pitiful too.

He sipped his favorite brandy and set the glass down as he continued to stare blankly ahead of him. She dared to hope part of his sorrow was regret from rejecting her so completely. Could she use his regret against him?

A light knock at his study door, then Lady Brahm swept in, her bronze hair piled atop her head, her russet gown no doubt cut in imitation of the latest fashions of the capital. There were no mixed emotions for Kara as she looked at her. She hated Lady Brahm with a passion. The only person she hated more was Anna. How many cruelties, large and small, had this woman piled on her and her mother over the years?

Lady Brahm settled in a deep armchair as her husband nodded coolly at her. She began speaking in her pompous way without preamble.

"Anna's presentation at court is overdue."

Lord Brahm took a sip of his brandy and set the glass down carefully. "Indeed it is."

"Why the delay? This is the third time I have petitioned you. Most girls have it at fourteen. She is well past that age. People will begin to talk. The will say we cannot afford to have her presented at court."

"The cost is considerable. As is the cost of the new gown you are wearing. How much was that bit of cloth and thread?"

Lady Brahm stiffened and she inhaled sharply. "Are you joking? Are you truly asking me about trifling matters such as how much this dress cost? And what is a few thousand coins compared to our reputation at court? We could make an excellent match for her if we hurry. Lord Jusha's son is of an age with Anna-"

"Lord Jusha's son is a weakling. Anna is being openly courted by Lord Liam's heir. Since our estates border, it would be a perfect match. Her presentation is a token gesture only. We will pass on it."

Kara blinked, surprised at the deluge of information this conversation was dumping on her. She had not known Anna was being courted by Matthew Liam. And her father was not just meekly caving in to his wife's demands? Strange...

But it seemed a new strength had infused him. He was not talking around the subject or using gentle words. He was being blunt and firm.

Lady Brahm's face flushed. In a low tone, she said, "You have denied me one desire after another of late."

"You desire much."

A rustle of costly fabrics as Lady Brahm rose, all wounded pride and dignity. She said, "This all started when I sent away that slave."

"That slave is my daughter."

Kara's heart did a double thud. So her father did regret.

"That slave plots against us. Why else would she take the family name? She would try to take the estate away from Anna using trickery!"

"You know as well as I how unlikely that is. She did it to tweak your nose. And it worked. My Kara was always strong-willed." A note of pride had crept into his voice.

"Strong-willed? She is a mule-headed wild child. All that time you spent doting on your bastard daughter you could have spent on your heir."

"Anna does not care overmuch for my company, thanks to your constant berating of my person to her."

"Clearly there is ongoing cause for beratement. When the heir of the Brahm line is not even worth being presented at court, what does that say of your opinion of her?" Lady Brahm stuck her noble nose high in the air and swept out.

A tiny spark of hope glowed in her. No one had mentioned anything about babies. Maybe the hint really was a nasty trick of Anna's, a complete lie.

Another knock at the door. Her father called, "Come." He took another sip of his drink. His eyes were red and he seemed a little disjointed.

Her father's steward stepped in, and she smiled in the dark. Stewards managed the household, the grounds, and the accounting books. He was a man who worked hard to maintain a vast property and demanding family, yet he had always had a smile or two for a little girl who had tracked mud all over his spotless floors more than once...

Gernan looked very serious as he bowed. He seemed aged in the short year she had been gone. His brown hair was streaked with gray and his beard was threaded with white. He had lost weight, too. He had always been a thin man, but now he was edging towards gaunt. He said, "My Lord Brahm. I fear I need your council in the matter of the household finances."

Lord Brahm rubbed his face with both hands. "Do we need to sell more stored antique furniture?"

"There is no more to sell, my Lord. Nor any jewelry excepting Lady Brahm's."

Kara was incredulous. Her father was supposed to be one of the richest Lords in the kingdom. His lands were bountiful, the peasants who tilled the soil fruitful. Why was he so desperate for coin?

Lord Brahm said quietly, "So my secret will be out soon. Either my wife notices we are selling off her jewelry or the furniture on display about the manor. Or the debt collectors pay a visit and she finds out that way."

"I see no other path before us, my Lord. With the yearly tithe of the peasants not due to you until winter, we have no income to run the household for months. We either have to let go of paid servants or start selling more heirlooms."

Kara's mind was whirring and clicking. Her father needed money-badly. This was very good for her. If she materialized in his study, clutching a cache of diamonds, would he be more inclined to free her mother?
Chapter Twenty Three

The Lord looked at the polished surface of his desk. "This manor is full of art, furniture, jewelry. Sell some of it."

"The other Lords will see your goods at auction. Rumors are starting to spread already of your financial difficulties, my Lord. This will add fuel to the flame."

"Indeed it will." Her father sounded tired and defeated. Old. "If I do not stop this habit, I will lose the estate if the King deems me unfit to rule. What then, Gernan? Where does a Lord with no estate go?"

His steward remained silent. Lords who had lost their estates could go down many paths, each one worse than the last, each causing a different kind of humiliation.

After a while, Gernan asked, "What shall I tell Lady Brahm? She will notice the goods leaving the estate."

"I will deal with my wife."

"As you say, my Lord." The relief in Gernan's voice was impossible for him to hide.

Lord Brahm changed subjects abruptly. "How are the twins?"

Kara stopped breathing. This was it...

"Their mother reports they are vigorous, bawling loudly and often."

"Good. Keep Esha secluded in the cottage for a few more weeks. Send her word that I will visit her tonight to see my girls. And reassure her that Lady Brahm nor Anna will disturb her."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Why is it that I am plagued with girls, Gernan? Why not one healthy male heir?"

Gernan remained silent.

Kara's knees almost gave out on her, and she leaned on the thin wall for support. Her mother had twin girls, Lord Brahm's children. He was keeping her tucked away safely in the little cottage by the informal gardens.

She had two more sisters. How much was this going to cost her?

Almost as if he had heard her, Gernan asked, "Are you still considering setting Esha free if Kara returns?"

"She will never do it. She would have to buy all three freedom. What is the current market price for two babes and a young female?"

Gernan pressed his lips and thought. "I believe around two thousand gold coins."

"Her returning with that much coin is a moot point." He shrugged. "She would never earn that in two decades."

"If anyone can do it, Kara can. If you do not mind me saying so, my Lord."

"I do not mind you saying so." Her father sat back. "She's gone out into the world, for good or ill I cannot say. She will survive, though. She's got the Brahm strength in her. She often reminds me more of my mother than her own." He left the rest unsaid, that he himself did not display the powerful personality that had made their house a strong one in the past.

The talk dwindled to small household matters then the steward excused himself. Kara hesitated. What should she do? Should she present herself to her mother and father tonight, maybe pull out what she had right now and bargain hard? Or should she go back to the carnival and think? She was torn between the two choices. She had been afraid her mother was being tormented by Anna and Lady Brahm's small cruelties, but if she was tucked away in the cottage she should be safe.

_I will go back and think,_ she decided after a few minutes. _I don't have the amount he wants anymore, and I can't just free mother. She would never leave the babes here._

She had one last minor thing to do. She crept through the bones of the house and entered the library after checking it was empty, glad she no longer needed a candle since her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. She scanned the rows of books quickly and found the one she was looking for. She placed it in her satchel and rearranged the other books to hide the gap. This was the book that had a few passages on fae lore and she would look over it later, in the safety of her tent.

She slipped back through the passageways in a numb haze, down the stairs, down the ladder, through the tunnel while she asked herself the same question over and over again. Where in the Goddess' green earth was she going to find another thousand gold coins? Could Lyla find more jewels? Could Kara borrow the money from someone? With her newly elevated earnings, maybe she could work the debt off in a few years...

It was insane, utterly insane. How could she overcome this obstacle? Even if she did free them, Hither did not allow children to travel with the carnival. Could she convince him to make an exception?

She groaned thinking of these added complications as she exited the spring house and closed the door behind her. She hurried back to the carnival in the fading twilight, ignoring the mutterings and stares cast her way as she entered the circle of tents, and ducked in her own to find Lyla and Icari sitting across from each other, a squat candle between them, a dingy set of cards spread out. They looked up in unison and smiled. She returned the smiles weakly and sat on her cot to draw off her boots, her heavy satchel thumping down as she shrugged out of it. She winced at the smell of her feet.

Icari asked, "Are you well?"

"Well enough. Let me rinse off and I will tell you about my new problems."

She went to the back and closed the canvas flap. She was covered in dust and sweat, so she dug through her pile of tunics and sniffed. One stunk less than the others, so that was just going to have to do. She rinsed off as best as she could then shrugged into the dingy tunic.

She came back out, feeling a little better. Lyla said softly, "I got you a bowl of stew."

"Thanks." Kara dropped down beside her and accepted the proffered bowl. She was starving, and ate every last bit. She set the bowl aside. "What game are you two playing?"

Icari said, "Hangman's Noose. Lyla just learned and she has won three times now."

"It is similar to a game I once played as a child," Lyla said. Her brow furrowed. "I cannot recall what we named it."

Kara asked, "Mind if I play?"

"Of course not. Let me reshuffle the cards." Icari swept them together and divided them back out. Kara took her hand and cleared her throat. "Lyla?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any way you could find more jewels around here? Or coins?"

Lyla gave her a look teeming with sorrow. "Did your father change the price of freedom?"

"Not exactly. It would appear that I have twin babes to free as well."

Icari sucked his breath in sharply. "But babes-"

"Cannot travel with the carnival, even if I pay their way. I know. I'm trying to get through one problem at a time right now."

Lyla set her cards face down and stood up. "I will search for jewels. But I will not take any that are owned."

Kara said, "I wouldn't ask you to steal. Well, except for that time I wanted to know if you were interested in pickpocketing."

Lyla smiled and turned towards the exit.

"Wait!" Icari said. "It is dark out. Many dangers lurk. Let us go with you."

Lyla looked at him over her slim shoulder. "The creatures of the night know better than to attack me. And nothing from the mists is nearby. I would sense it."

She walked out and they shared a glum look. Kara said, "It's not only animals that are a threat out there."

An awkward silence fell, then Kara remembered the book. She said, "I found a book about the fae."

His eyes brightened as she pulled it out. It must have been close to a thousand years old, with a cracking spine and several pages falling out. She bit her cheek as he caught the pages before they hit the ground. She was going to have to be more careful if she wanted to return the book intact.

She put it down as gently as she could and said, "If the dates Lyla gave us are accurate, this was written hundreds of years after the fae went into their sleep. So the fae were ancient history even then. Most of this is based on legends. And this is probably a copy of a copy of the original book."

He whispered, "Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to find out more about her. What is the name of the book?"

"The Peoples of the World and Their Ways." She ignored the breathy way he said it would be fascinating to find out more about Lyla as she flipped the pages aside. The smell of the book conjured up images of Quinton and her in the library, her full of a thousand questions, him full of endless patience. He had likely been dismissed as Anna was too old for tutoring by sixteen. Kara wondered absently where he was in the wide world. She had admired his scholarly mind, and despite his frail health he had been her most outspoken champion when her father had declared her spurned before the entire estate. No one had ever stood up for her with such vigor, not even her own mother...

"Found it!" she exclaimed as the tip of her finger slid down the bumpy page. She squinted and sighed. "I will read it out loud. Hold on."

The writing was spidery and cramped, the ink faded. She mouthed the words for a few minutes until she was confident she was reading it right. She began:

Concerning The Fae and Their Origins

Little is known of these people, other than they disappeared four centuries ago. The most famous fae was a female name Lavida, who was openly King Peter IV's lady of pleasure, ever at his side and ever at court. Rumors are that she bore him four and ten children, secreted about the kingdom so that Queen Ryenna would not harm the children. Lavida was most unusual. The fae rarely crept out of their forest homes to meddle with the affairs of man. No one knows why they disappeared, though there are rumors, which this humble author hesitates to write as he finds rumors odious and bothersome. The most oft-repeated tale of the disappearance of the fae goes thusly:

Queen Ryenna was so wroth with King Peter over his open affair with Lavida that she had the court mage, Carion (later to be caught out as a dark mage and exiled) coax horrors from the mists that could hunt down and destroy the fae, including the half-fae children of the King. These horrors roamed the entire world, terrorizing humans once they had devoured or chased the fae away. Rumor further speculates that this was when the divide between the mists and the lands of man began to weaken as Carion did his job too well in opening the way for the summoned horrors. I hesitate to write the name of the horrors Carion called even now, for they are said to still be with us, feeding off man since the fae are gone, reluctant to step back into the foul mists. But I will write it so that you, dear reader, will be informed. The mortal enemy of the fae are incubi, those beautiful creatures that would seduce and then kill. Fae usually find them irresistible once they have set eyes on the incubi, as do many humans.

Most fae are presumed dead, but this author hopes the rumors are false, that they still haunt their leafy homes away from the sight of man. And that is all this author knows of the fae, if they ever existed at all.

Kara finished reading and said softly, "Wow. This is even more useless than I thought. It really does sound like a bunch of rumors."

Icari nodded slowly. "There are stories of the incubi in my kingdom, that they roam still."

"I've never heard of them." She hesitated, then asked, "Do you miss your kingdom?"

Icari looked away. "I will let you rest. You seem exhausted. I thank you for finding this book." He rose, still training his eyes away. "Good night."

He left without waiting for her to say 'good night' back. She was alone suddenly, feeling like a fool for leaving that 'p.s.' on her note about kissing. Icari must have never liked her, she had misunderstood something somewhere, and now he was avoiding her like everyone else.

She went and curled up on her cot, worry gnawing at her insides. Her problems chased each other around and around in her head as she clenched herself tightly. She dozed off.

A light touch on her shoulder jerked her awake. The candle had burnt out and all she could see was Lyla's dim outline.

She sat up. "Did you find anything?"

Lyla put something cold and damp into her hand, then went over to light the candle. It revived with an indignant hiss. Kara looked down at a rotting pouch on her palm. She asked weakly, "Was this from another corpse?"

"Yes. There are quite a few in the woods. Only this one had anything of value upon him."

Kara crawled to the floor, trying to ignore the faint whiff of carrion hanging onto the pouch. She spilled the contents out onto the floor. Ten gold coins, four silver coins, and a few bronzes. A small fortune to a peasant. Next to nothing when compared to the worth of two healthy babes.

She blinked hard and whispered, "Thank you so much."

Lyla sat across from her. She said, "There is only one way to get more without stealing."

"What way?" Kara leaned forward, desperate.

"The graveyard by the church. There are many jewels there."

Kara let a dry laugh slip out. "Grave robbing is definitely stealing." She went still as she assessed the possibility. Taking goods from an unburied traveler was one thing. Stealing from a grave sanctioned by a priest was a whole other situation.

Could she bring herself to rob graves? How low would she go for her mother and her two siblings? Would she risk damnation of her immortal soul to see her heart's desire?
Chapter Twenty Four

Kara asked, "You know which graves have jewels in them?"

Lyla nodded.

"You don't have a problem showing me which?"

Lyla hesitated. "It is a grievous sin to disturb a grave according to the scriptures of man. But it is a grievous sin to let your mother and siblings languish in forced servitude. We do not bury things with our fallen, so we have no rules about taking from the dead one way or another."

Kara slumped. "I'll be cursed unto the end of my days if I rob a grave."

Lyla said, "Many of the graves have curses upon them. Some do not. I can ask the spirits who dwell there to give their worldly goods to you freely."

"You can talk to spirits?"

"Some. Some will listen, but not respond."

Kara shivered. That was just a little too creepy. She asked, "Do you already know which graves have the most jewels?"

"Yes."

Kara bit her lip. Was she really ready to do this? She thought she had lost all her morals pickpocketing. What would she consider next, whoring? Assassin for hire?

She covered her face with her hands. "I'll do it. I won't ask you to help me dig or touch the bodies. Just show me which ones have the jewels."

"You will not have to dig. The jewels are encased in the..." Lyla shook her head. "I do not know what they are called. Small stone houses, above the ground."

"Mausoleums." Kara groaned again. "The only family in this village who can afford mausoleums is the noble line of Brahm. I am going to have to rob my own ancestors. Sweet Goddess. That's probably another round of curses and a few more eternities in hell right there."

Lyla's eyes were drifting away. She murmured, "Cat's bane." She stood up. "I remember how to thwart some curses. We put cat's bane on you."

"That stinky stuff that grows in yellowish clumps? It repels curses?"

"A bit. Some of the curses are older and weaker. Even the strongest curse rarely lasts more than three hundred years."

"I'm glad you are a fae and know all this. My father forbid my tutor to teach me about magic. He actually banned any magic from the estate."

"I am glad to be of help. I cannot repay you enough for saving me from that mage."

Kara smiled. "Fair enough. Do you think we ought to go to the graveyard now, before I lose my nerve and think of all the hellfire awaiting me?"

"Yes."

Kara hurried to get ready, putting on her undershirt with the hidden pockets, fresh leggings with her knife safely tucked in the waistband, then stepped into her boots. "Let's go."

Lyla said, "There is little to be afraid of if that eases your nerves. Demon spirits can do much harm. Mortal spirits are mostly sad and powerless."

Kara shook her head. "Easy for a fae to say." She picked up the candle.

"And we should not bring the candle. Someone may see it. I will guide you."

Kara blew it out and whispered, "I am trusting you so hard right now, Lyla."

Lyla slipped her hand in Kara's. "The cat's bane is on the way."

They crept out under the moon. It was a bright night, a beautiful night, and she could see without a candle easily enough. Soft chirrups helped mask Kara's footsteps. Lyla made no sound at all.

Since she had grown up next to this village, called Augustus Reys, she knew the church was nearby. They barely had to crest a hill before they saw it, clinging to the edge of the village, the spire thrusting hard into the still darkness.

They slipped down the hill and Lyla steered her over a few feet. "The cat's bane." She bent down and broke off a head of the ugly, lumpy stuff. Kara took it with her free hand and tucked the stem in her hair, wriggling it down deep in her braid. The smell was sharp and strong and her fingers came away itching.

They continued on, the moonlight casting a dreamy, silver glow to their walk. Kara wondered at the surreal nature of this moment, her clutching a fae's hand in the darkest hours of the night, going to rob her own ancestor's graves.

The first clump of headstones loomed up and they paused, then continued on towards the mausoleums. There were four, all in the church's shadow, all with neatly trimmed hedges and fresh flowers about. She had known the priest/caretaker of this graveyard and humble village church her whole life. His name was Father Tanner, and he was everything a priest should be. Kindly and gentle, preaching the scriptures with love instead of hellfire. He had never treated her any differently than anyone else, even though she was just a bastard and a slave.

And it would reflect very badly on his care of the graveyard if her thievery was discovered. She swallowed back the guilt and continued on.

Lyla pulled them to the northernmost mausoleum and Kara whispered, "How are we supposed to open it?"

"I will tell the metal to move for us. I can...speak to it, if you will. Similar to my speaking with spirits and animals."

Kara withdrew her hand, amazed at these unfurling powers Lyla spoke of so casually. She realized she kind of liked holding onto her. It was like touching water made flesh. There was a flowing energy fluctuating around her, a seething power. If what that book said was true, those incubi must have been incredibly powerful to defeat the fae.

Lyla stepped up and placed both her hands on the door. She stared at it and said something faint under her breath. A flash of silver, a hint of magic suffused the night. She stepped back and nodded to Kara.

Kara tugged at the door, only half-believing it would open. The door did open on the first try-with an enormous screech. The sound shattered the quiet night.

She stood frozen for a moment, listening for any reaction to so much noise, berating herself for not bringing a lubricant to silence the door completely. Then she shot in the mausoleum and looked around, praying the priest was not in residence. Father Tanner was often out overnight, tending to the sick and dying.

All was dark and dusty in the small space. It smelled of old death, of yellow bones and rotted cloth.

Lyla glided past her. Kara's eyes adjusted well enough that she saw Lyla had gone to the casket at the very back, the oldest one, the one made when the Brahm's were considerably more prosperous. The casket appeared to be made of a fine wood, mahogany perhaps. There were three more in the space.

Four bodies in all to violate.

She edged over to her. "I've got to hurry. The priest might have heard."

"He is stirring, but is deep in a drunken stupor. We should have time." Lyla rubbed her finger along the wooden edge of the casket as she spoke.

A faint pop of dry wood separating, then she pushed the lid back and said, "The largest jewel is in the brooch." She stepped aside and held her hands out. "I will speak with the spirits and open the other caskets."

Kara nodded. She made herself move forward and stare down at her ancestor's remains.

A skull with stringy white hair. A skeletal hand clutching a rusted blade. And an ornately stitched vest finished off with a brooch.

A golden brooch boasting a ruby the size of a pigeon's egg.

Kara stopped thinking, she stopped analyzing. She reached in and pulled the brooch away with a soft popping noise. She spotted rings on the fingers next. She pushed her revulsion down and made herself uncurl the hands. She pulled off all three rings.

She turned and saw Lyla had gotten all the other caskets open. She was now standing at the door, her hands glowing silver, her eyes closed. Small orbs, milky and transparent, floated about her.

She realized she was seeing ghosts. Lyla whispered, "I can make them feel warmth again for a few moments and they enjoy it very much. They will not bother you. We still must hurry. The priest is pulling on his boots."

She tucked the jewelry into her hidden pockets and hurried over to the corpse on the right. A woman this time, her coiffed hair boasting a dozen pins dotted with diamonds. Kara pulled them out, trying not to gag at the sweet, dry scent that arose from the disturbed hair.

She turned to the other two caskets, greed beginning to blossom within her. Surely she had enough to free her mother and siblings, but how about a little something for herself while on the road? Her tunics were threadbare in places, her boots had several holes. Or a new tent, a few cosmetics, good food once in awhile, perhaps even a vial of perfume?

The next casket boasted another gentleman with rings. His sword hilt was crusted with emeralds so she yanked the heavy thing out, the tip thumping to the stone floor.

Lyla whispered, "We must go now. The priest is leaving his cell."

Kara hissed, "Just one more!" Dragging the heavy sword behind her, she rooted through the last coffin and pilfered four rings and a necklace of opals and silver.

Lyla tugged on her. "Now! We must go now!"

Kara shoved the necklace in her shirt and followed Lyla, who had already left. They made a beeline for the carnival, and she lugged the sword as best she could. Despite the corrosion eating away much of the blade, it was still a cumbersome thing, nearly as long as her leg.

A shout and a curse, and for a moment she wondered if the village had gotten a new priest. Surely that hoarse voice, heavy with too much drink, did not belong to Father Tanner? She kept stumbling and running between the grave stones as Lyla glanced over her shoulder.

"You two! Stop! I'll call the guard!"

Kara's sword tip caught on a stone cherub and she cursed it and shoved it back and forth in a panic. She could not lose this, it was nearly as valuable as the brooch...She glanced up and saw Father Tanner weaving towards her, shouting louder than ever.

Lyla floated over and pulled the blade free of Kara's hands and the stone. She threw it over her shoulder and kept running. Kara followed and they bounded up the hill and down again, straight into the carnival. There would be no mistake where the thieves came from...

She groaned quietly as they hurried into their tent. The guards would be here soon, searching every wagon, every tent...

Except Hither's, of course. She could not imagine any guard daring to breach that place. And her father would know about the theft in hours, no doubt. She could not just hand over antique brooches and swords. He would know where they came from.

As she sat on her cot and inhaled through a throat that tasted of the grave, the idiocy of this venture was really beginning to hit her. She could not give the goods 'as is' to her father. He would likely have her arrested. And the guards would be here soon. There was nowhere to hide the valuables that would stay hidden for long. No doubt their dogs would sniff out this tent in particular once they found their scent in the graveyard...

"Lyla?"

"Yes?"

"Can you mask our odor from hound dogs? They are going to sniff the path from the mausoleum to our tent without much difficulty. Or could you sort of glamor them like you do the elephants?"

"Glamor them?"

"You know, make them like you a lot. The elephants adore you."

Lyla nodded. "I can mask our scent easily enough. And I will confuse the dogs."

She took a deep breath and stood up. "Thank you for helping me, Lyla. When the guards come, tell them we have been sleeping all night. You heard and saw nothing."

"Of course." Lyla handed her the sword. "Do not let the dark man take advantage of you." She plucked the cat's bane out of Kara's hair.

Kara thought of the contract she had just signed. "He already has."

She stepped out into the gray dawn, straight towards Hither's wagon. Her stomach was bound up in such a tight knot it hurt. Would he be furious that she led the priest here to his carnival? Traveling folk were not trusted to begin with. Would her carelessness instigate a pitchfork rally? Or tarring and feathering of an innocent carny?

_Why, oh why_ , she fretted, _didn't I bring something to muffle or lubricate that door with? No one would have ever even know we went in there if I had just taken a second to plan..._

_You know why_ , that small voice said. _Greed was already clutching at your heart. A fortune was beyond that door. Who cared about the risk or the obstacles to get to it? And who cares for honor anymore, in a kingdom where dark mages sit close to the King and crooked con men like Hither roam freely, stealing from the endless poor of the land?_

His door was open and she could see a single candle flickering within. His raven swooped by her, its wing clipping her shoulder. It screeched, "Run! Run!" The sound was too loud in the close circle of silent tents. The bird swooped into his master's tiny domain.

She swooped in after him, ears still ringing from his screech, the sword dragging behind her.

Mr. Hither smiled as she hovered at the doorway and it gave her the shivers. He was fully dressed despite the hour, as if he had been expecting her. "Kara. Come in."

She inclined her head and made herself take the final step, crossing into his lair with barely suppressed terror. She did not know if was because of Lyla's influence, or Icari's opinion, but she was really beginning to see that her employer was a truly dangerous man.

She struggled to lift the sword and lay it on his desk. She unearthed all the jewelry next, laying the pieces out one by one. Mr. Hither said nothing during her labors, merely swept his hard gaze over the goods, calculating, no doubt, how best to cheat her.

She stood back. "I know you get half of whatever I take. I want gold coin for the other half."

"You assume I want to buy."

"Of course you do." She stilled the shaking terror behind her voice and mostly succeeded. She picked up the brooch. "This alone has got to be worth seven hundred coins."

"Everyone within five hundred leagues will know where these jewels came from. The cut of the gems is very old-fashioned and the nature of the theft will make the story spread quickly. I would have to search long and hard to find a buyer who would not ask too many questions."

"Find a foreigner to sell to. You have them by your wagon often enough."

His face tightened the barest degree. "Do not presume to know my business, girl. I know what you need. You need another thousand gold coins to free your siblings as well as your mother."

She tried not to let his eerie knowledge of private matters get to her. It was hard. She blurted out, "How do you know what I want it for?"

Silence.

She took a breath. "Fine. Sorry I asked. Give me fifteen hundred gold coins and we can make this deal."

He spread his long hands. "You only need a thousand more. Why get greedy?" He grinned at her, every inch the cold businessman.

She shot back, "Why are you getting greedy? You know my half is worth more than that." Her knees were beginning to shake, from terror and cold and limp-fingered exhaustion. But there was so much more to do today, she could not stop now...

He said nothing. The raven mumbled and dug out a chunk of pink flesh. Hither locked gazes with her and his pupils seemed to grow and expand. His black eyes swallowed her, consumed her. He said, "You will never question my end of the bargain again. Understand?"

She nodded, mesmerized.

"I will indulge your questioning this once and answer. Part of the reason you get less for this is the difficulty in finding a buyer as I mentioned before. The second reason is I will have to bribe the priest and the guards of Augustus Reys so they will not bring a pitchfork rabble here to burn the carnival down. Your little adventure will likely have me dealing with the town officials all morning and afternoon, wasting my time cleaning up your mess while I should be setting up the carnival."

Kara opened and closed her mouth and found she had nothing to say. His eyes still bore into her, sucking her into the darkness where he dwelled.

He got up and went to the shadows in the very back of his wagon, breaking her from his spell. She heard the clink of metal gears, heard the soft shuffle of coins rubbing together. The raven hopped down and studied the blood-red brooch, then looked at her with a blinking eye.

Mr. Hither came back and set a huge leather bag on his desk.
Chapter Twenty Five

Knowing she was defeated, knowing she was getting ripped off in the worst way possible, Kara picked up the bag with both hands, amazed at the weight. She turned and staggered out, clutching the money to her chest.

She slipped in her tent and packed a day's worth of food and water along with a few candles and matches. She would have to wait in the secret passage beside her father's study for goodness knew how long. It was best to be prepared.

She shoved the heavy coins in her satchel last and gave thanks to the Goddess that Lyla had stepped out, probably still covering their scent from the hound dogs. She just wanted to sneak onto the estate as quickly as possible...

She shifted the weighty satchel on her back and felt a pull on her shoulder muscles. She would have to be careful lest she injure herself. Kara stepped out of her tent and ran smack into a rock hard chest. Huge hands gripped her arms and she looked up at Vayne, hating that fluttering that still wafted around her insides when she was touched by him.

"Kara." He gave her that heart-melting smile.

"Vayne." She shrugged out of his grasp, wondering why she kept literally running into him. "What? Not busy spreading rumors about me being the thief instead of you and Naomi?"

Confusion flitted across his face, then slow understanding. She was glad to see that his pupils looked normal and his stance seemed relaxed. He shook his head and sighed. "I heard the rumors. It's just Naomi being jealous."

"Her jealousy is ruining my reputation!"

"I'm sorry. Hey." He grasped her arm again, gently yet firmly. She hated his possessive touching of her person even as she craved it. "Look, Kara, I'm sorry for us getting off to the wrong start the other day. We're still friends, right?"

Oh, that she had wanted to be so much more at one point. "No," she said. "We are not friends."

He frowned. "Well, that's too bad, because we are going to be working very closely together starting tomorrow."

She edged around him and started walking towards the general direction of the spring house. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Sure you do. It was in the contract you signed."

She paused mid-step and turned. "You're kidding."

"No. You and I are going to try something new. A joint strongman and knife throwing act just like I wanted. Naomi will be our assistant." He had a fevered glow to his eyes that had nothing to do with the rhone. "I'm going to pick her up and spin her while you throw knives. And that is just the first act-"

"No!" She stomped her foot. "I refuse!"

"You can't refuse. Hither is looking to amaze the King. A rival carnival is going to be at court at the same time we are, and we are going to one up them every step of the way. He is combining other acts too. Didn't Icari tell you he'd be working with the belly dancers?"

A hot stab of jealousy shot straight through her middle. Her Icari, surrounded by those wanton dancers...She pushed the image out of her mind and said, "No. I didn't know. And I don't know how you persuaded Hither to get us to work together and I don't care. I'm going to convince him I want my own separate act."

"He'll never agree."

"Why not?"

"Who would be your assistant? Who will you train with? Your act will be slow and clumsy until you learn the ropes. We don't have time for that. We are here for two weeks then we are going to court. You will never impress the King by yourself. If you work with me, I'll do all the heavy lifting. All you gotta do is throw a knife once in a while and flash your tits if you are feeling feisty."

She ignored the degrading 'tits' comment. "I have no interest in impressing the King."

"Hither does. And you work for him. Trust me, Kara, this is going to be great for all of us."

"How can I trust you? You're an addict and a thief! I won't perform with you or Naomi!"

A dozen roadies were gathering around the argument despite the early hour. Vayne's face closed and he glanced around. "What are you all staring at?"

The crowd remained quiet, though there was a low buzzing beginning at the edges. Kara's face was burning and her breath was starting to come in short bursts, but she was happy this confrontation had so many witnesses. Discrediting Vayne and Naomi was the only chance to get her good name back. She straightened her shoulders and said calmly, "I don't have time to discuss this right now." She turned towards her original path.

"You'd better show up at my tent for practice tomorrow! I'm doing you a favor working with you, whether you want to admit it or not!"

She ignored him as she walked away, her chin held high. Let everyone see how he yelled and blustered while she kept her cool (mostly). As she left the press of eyes and then the circle of tents, she sensed a plot afoot, a trap by Hither that would close its neat jaws around her when least expected.

But why? Why was Hither working against her? Or was she just being paranoid, thinking everything was about her?

She crossed the King's Land quickly and walked under the trees, welcoming the dappled shade. She hurried to the spring house and quietly opened the outer door. She saw no paw prints in the dust, smelled no hounds. She lit her candle and opened the secret inner door. The draft of cold, stale air greeted her the same as last time. She hurried through the tunnels and came to the ladder soon. Clamping the base of the long candle in her teeth, she climbed up and entered the manor.

She paused to spit the taste of wax and fear from her mouth. This was it, this was the day she had held near and dear to her heart for nigh on a year. She took three deep breaths, collected her mind, then started towards her father's study.

She listened for any clues of Anna's whereabouts drifting through the passage's thin walls, but heard little. She hurried up the stairs and turned to the peepholes that looked in Lord Brahm's study. She waited, listening, and heard nothing again. She blew out her candle, which was nearly spent anyway, and opened the peephole panel to discover an empty room. She shrugged out of the heavy satchel, sighing in relief as she eased it to the ground. Carrying around so much wealth was hard.

What seemed like days passed, though it could not have been more than an hour. She tried to eat an apple but her stomach was too knotted up. She wondered if there was a tunnel to the cottage her mother was housed in and thought not. Surely she would have discovered it by now. And there was no way to cross the open gardens unobserved...

A soft knock at her father's study door. She tensed, ready to spy. A pause, then the door opened and two maids came in.

Her heart lightened when she saw who was cleaning her father's study. Wanda and Jennifer. They were her friends. They had worked alongside her in the kitchens or the house for years. How she longed to burst out of hiding and ask them a million things...

But she stayed silent and still, waiting for the inevitable gossip to flow.

Jennifer rolled a cart full of breakfast delicacies to her Lord's buffet, set to the right of his desk, under his favorite pastoral painting. It was nearly priceless, a work by the revered master Lunda Afferton showing a field with a few horses grazing and nymphs peeping from the surrounding trees. Kara had never seen what the big deal was with the painting. She was pretty sure she could do better.

Wanda's stiff black skirts rustled as she prepped the fireplace though it was a hot summer's day. It was the tradition of these old houses to observe daily rituals perfectly. Whether a fire would be set or no, the Lord should never have to ask for the fire to be prepped. Jennifer was done with laying out the cold cuts and cheeses. She moved quickly to fill Lord Brahm's decanter, which was nearly empty. She shook her head at it as she carefully poured more of the expensive liquor in. She and Wanda shared a worried glance then Jennifer whispered, "The Lord and Lady have both been drinking like fish."

"That they have." Wanda added, "The Lady Anna would go a'hunting again today."

"Her Lady mother disapproves so. Why does Anna provoke her?"

Wanda shrugged. "Don't know. I've got to alert the stable boys to have the horses saddled by noon."

"Horses?"

"His Lordship the young Mr. Liam will be joining her. As well as Lady Brahm."

Jennifer giggled. "He's a handsome one."

"That he is. Wouldn't the two make a fine match, with the estates bordering each other?"

"Truly they would."

Despite all the worries gnawing at her insides, Kara had to smile. She had forgotten how constant the stream of gossip was with servants. She had also forgotten how most of them liked Anna, how her constant false charm wooed them. The only time Anna had openly hurt and threatened Kara was when she was spurned. Her father and any servants near the lawn had witnessed Anna kicking Kara into mud. She hoped a few remembered the incident and were disquieted by it.

And the servants had wonderful news, which made her smile on in the dark. Anna and Lady Brahm would be out, with half the household trailing behind. Her father would likely stay behind. Unlike most nobles, hunting did not thrill him at all.

The two servants left. Quiet descended. Nervous boredom ensued. To be so close to confronting your mother's captor, but stuck waiting, waiting...

Gernan came in a while later and inspected the room. He opened the windows. The heat was already thick in the air, in the dazzle of the morning sun. Despite the dark and relative cool of the passage, she was sweating a little.

Her father entered without warning. She let out a pent up breath. He selected a few fruits and cold cuts from the buffet then poured himself a drink. She stared through the peepholes, aghast. It was not even noon yet and he was already drinking brandy?

He sat and took turns staring at the pastoral painting and out of the open windows. Gernan came in once more and asked if his Lordship would like lunch. His Lordship shook his head and took yet another sip of liquor. "The breakfast buffet is fine. Please attend her Ladyship and Miss Anna for the big hunt."

Time was crawling so slowly now that Kara wondered if it had actually stopped. Spying had a shivery kind of thrill to it, watching those who thought themselves alone, but there was only so much vacant gazing from her father she could stomach. She wondered what could bring such a fortunate man's spirits so low. How lucky was he, to be borne into such power and wealth?

A chorus of barking began. The hounds had been released. Kara tensed up. She glanced at the satchel for reassurance.

She heard Anna's laugh, light and beautiful, then a sharp retort by Lady Brahm.

The sound of hooves on the graveled bath, then greetings. The party was in a hurry, it seemed. They thundered towards the east, entering the woods.

Quiet descended yet again. Kara could not even hear the bustle of the servants. No doubt a few had been left behind in the kitchens for dinner prep. But no one should be in the upper stories during this part of the day unless Lord Brahm rang the servant's bell.

Now was the time. She hefted the satchel on her back.

She gathered every last bit of her courage and walked to the hidden door that let out to the hallway outside her father's study.
Chapter Twenty Six

She pushed the door open and heard only a soft click. She looked up and down the wide hall, so familiar yet so alien. Nothing had changed. She, who had grown up surrounded by opulence her whole life, now saw how obscene it was as she put her foot down on the lush carpet. Most of the King's people were poor, heartrendingly so, working long hours under the hot sun to keep their Lords in comfort. Never mind the even worse suffering of the slaves...

She had never realized how divided the kingdom was in terms of wealth until she had traveled with the carnival for a short year. Some of those villages barely had enough bread, never mind luxuries like ale and meat.

Her heart thudded so hard her ears buzzed. New sweat bloomed under her hair. She had to do this, she _had_ to.

She saw no one, so she forced her feet forward, made her hand raise, made herself knock on his study door. These actions were so simple, yet so difficult.

"Come," her father drawled.

She opened the door and he looked up from his liquor. She took a step in and closed the door behind her.

He stared at her with red-rimmed eyes and said nothing for a little while, just blinked. He finally said, "Kara."

"Lord Brahm."

He smiled then, a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I am glad to see you alive and well."

He nodded to the deep leather chair before his desk that Lady Brahm had sat in not so long ago. "Sit. There is much to speak of."

She sat, adjusting the satchel so that the bottom sat on the seat behind her. Her heart rate was slowing and the buzzing had disappeared at least; she realized she had been afraid he would not even hear her out. She was trespassing, after all.

She decided not to dither. "You said you'd set Esha free if I paid a thousand gold coins."

"I did."

"I have the coin."

Through his drunken bleariness, he took a while to understand. "How? That is a fortune."

"It was dearly earned."

"I am sorry to hear that. Darling, the situation has changed. But for the better for all of us."

"I know. Twins. I have two sisters."

He shook his head. "I thought you would be back in a few years, not one. I was going to have everything ready for you by then."

She paused, curious. "Ready for what?"

"Your ascending to the rightful Lady of this house."

Shocked silence greeted his words. She stammered, "But Anna, Lady Brahm's family-"

"Will be dealt with. Have some faith in your old man. I-" He threw back another huge swallow of liquor. "I suspect she is not my own offspring."

Kara stared, waiting for him to continue. She knew that no matter the father of the child, a baby born in wedlock was legally assumed to be the husband's heir. He was honor bound to raise Anna as his own.

Another thought struck her. "So she is not my sister?"

"Perhaps. Think on this, Kara. Does she bear any resemblance to me?"

Now that she thought about it, no. She had the fair skin and bronze hair of her mother, the light eyes of her mother's line. Anna did not look at all like her supposed sire. Kara said, "No."

"Yet you and the twins, despite their youth, already bear a strong resemblance to me. I am of the opinion that my wife strayed and Anna is not my own. I am gathering my resources to petition the King's council for a divorce and to disinherit Anna."

"But Lady Brahm's family will gather their army and attack you! They would never bear the insult!"

Lord Brahm gave her a smile. "You are not familiar with the current gossip, my dear. My wife's family, the noble house of Erich, has fallen into hard times. It was quite a scandal involving two other houses, a border dispute, the besmirching of a maiden's honor, and a stolen pig. Now her family is shunned by the entire court."

"They could still raise an army."

"Not if the two other houses win the case against them and divvy up their lands and rights."

Kara had always known the nobility were conniving and more than willing to destroy other houses for their own gain, but this sounded worse than usual. What kind of upset was wreaking such havoc on the kingdom of late?

She swallowed back a dozen questions. This was too much too fast. "How long will all of this take?"

"Less than a year, if my lawyers do their jobs well. Come back to the estate, Kara. You are no longer spurned. Though I cannot make your mother my wife, I will free her and the twins. Keep quiet of these plans for now. It is best the whole truth come as complete surprise to Lady Brahm and her daughter. When we have them removed, we will present you to the court and have you officially declared my heir."

"What if you have a male borne to you? I mean, won't you remarry if the divorce is granted?"

"Naturally, you would no longer be my heir if I remarried and had a male heir. But you would still be a Lady, married off to another great house. We can start your courtly etiquette training and lessons as soon as Anna is disinherited."

This all sounded a little too good to be true. She wanted what he offered so badly she could taste it. Anna cast out along with her mother, forced into exile or farmed out to distant branches of their family that were not involved in this dispute...

She asked quietly, "What is the catch?"

"There is no catch, other than staying quiet and waiting while my lawyers do their work."

She blurted out, "I am under a contract for three years of employment."

He sucked in his breath. "Three years? How much to break the contract?"

"I just signed it." She added up the coins in her head. "Nine hundred gold coins to break contract." She had more than that in her satchel right now.

He stared at her, blinking. She thought she saw panic or anger flash behind his drooping eyelids. He settled back in his chair. "No matter. We will sell something or other to appease your employer. Perhaps that dressing table of Lady Brahm's will go to auction. I never did like that set. And as soon as all this has settled, we shall have your mother and the babes freed."

She stared at her father and thought of the choice he offered her. A dream come true. Her mother free. Her the heir of the Brahm estate. A deep instinct warned her none of this would pass in the manner he offered. It was her father's foolish dreams, his drunken rambling. Even if he was speaking mostly truth, there was no guarantee his lawyers could win the case. Meanwhile, Kara would be right there as Anna's plots unfolded. And if he remarried and bore a son...

She would just be shuffled off to be wed to some other noble, not for love, but for the best advantage possible to her father, which meant she could never free the slaves on this particular estate, the ones she had grown up with, laughed with, worked with. And in a way, she would still be his property, still on a leash.

And she did not want to leave the carnival. Icari's face flashed before her and she shivered. She would never, in a million years, be able to be his friend openly because he was foreign and brown. On the road, as a nameless carny, she could live with nearly as many freedoms as a man. She could be friends with whom she pleased; wed or bed whom she pleased. But as the Lady of a noble house, custom decreed who her friends and husband would be. She would have to drop everything and travel to the court if the King declared a council of nobles, never mind her obligations to her personal estate...

She said carefully, "It is a great honor you are bestowing on me. I do not know what to say."

"Say you will abandon this job of yours and move back to the green suite. It has been readied for your eventual return. What is your employment, again?"

She looked away, embarrassed. "I work at a carnival as a knife throwing act." It was not technically a lie...

To her surprise, he roared with laughter. "How scandalous!"

She bit the inside of her cheek. Knowing how weak her father was, knowing how unlikely it was for him to succeed in divorcing Lady Brahm, made this whole conversation seem pointless. Kara would never inherit the estate so smoothly. She would have to rip it from Anna, tear it away with trickery and deceit and possibly even murder.

She also knew he was too much of a fool to see Anna for what she really was. And Kara had only one way to show him. She asked, "If I can prove to you that Esha, the babes, Lady Brahm, and yourself are in danger, will you free Esha and the babes for one thousand gold coins and five flawless diamonds?"

"That is preposterous. Why would any of us be in danger?"

"It's a long story."

"Most tall tales are."

"I can prove it! Just let me take mother and the babes away until the divorce is final and Lady Brahm and Anna are removed from the estate! You said less than a year. That is not so long."

He sighed. "This is nonsense." He waved his hand languidly. "Go find your proof and I shall make a decision." His indulgent tone said it would not be a decision in her favor.

"It's in Anna's journal. I tried to tell you before you spurned me how evil she is."

He cocked his head. "How is she evil? What could Anna do to endanger the lives of our family?"

She took a deep breath. This was so hard, so very hard. He would not believe her unless she found the journal. "Anna plots to kill you and her own mother the day after she turns eighteen and can inherit the estate without a steward holding it for her. Her journal explains everything. She was stupid enough to write it all down and to think no one would find it."

No one would likely have found the journal if Kara had not been spying on her sister one boring afternoon. She had watched her sister dig the journal out of the loose board under her window seat and write in it with a mean, little smile lighting up her face.

"Utter nonsense. Even if she did keep a journal, young people are often prone to anger against authorities. Surely she meant nothing written."

Kara did not dare to tell him that in Anna's own hand, she claimed to have smothered Lord and Lady Brahm's two other children while they were in their cribs so she would have no competition for the Ladyship of the house of Brahm. One of the babes had been a boy by the name of Richard, his father's pride and joy for such a short time. He finally had his male heir...

Until he was found, small and blue and dead in his crib two months after birth. Just like his sister Cyna. Kara's fingers curled into fists as her anger ramped up all over again. What kind of monster would slay two innocent babes, two innocent babes that were also her half-siblings?

She implored, "Twice she has had her hounds 'accidentally' attack me. You remember. Then there was the time bitter poisons were dropped in my tea. The only way I caught it was because Esha told me how to sniff out certain poisons. Explain that, father."

He shifted, uncomfortable. She wondered if he did suspect. Why else keep Esha protected so well? Who else would possibly want to threaten her other than Anna and Lady Brahm? She stood up and looked down on her father. "Let me find her journal and bring it to you. If she is plotting as I say, let me take away mother and the babes."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Go. Find your evidence."

She was turning to leave even as he finished his sentence. She ran out of the study, making sure to close his door so he could not see how she entered the secret tunnels, ran across the hall, and pressed the third decorative knob up from the floor. The hidden door swung back and she hopped in and closed it as quickly as possible. She lit her candle.

She turned right and began to fly through the familiar maze, up another flight of stairs, left, right, left. She skidded to a stop before the panel that opened into Anna's room, her breath coming in short, hard gasps. She took a quick swig of water then slid the peephole panels back. All was quiet. She unlatched the panel and tip-toed into her sister's domain.

It was as she remembered. A huge, mahogany four poster with billowing white clouds of cloth draped atop the canopy. Lush new carpet, a luxury Lady Brahm had insisted upon at her eldest daughter's birth. Large windows, also decorated with white cloth, looking out over the beauty of the formal gardens.

The space was as light and airy and as beautiful as any room with such ponderous old antiques could be. This room practically sang with the dual harmonies of good taste and innocence. Anna had a collection of hunting dog figurines perched upon her dresser. Her unfinished needlework sat on a tall stand, each stitch perfect.

Kara made herself hurry over to the window seat, hoping Anna had not destroyed the journal or moved it. Her room was huge and the manor enormous. There were no end to the places in which the journal could be hidden.

She pushed the white cushion from the seat then wedged her fingers under the loose board and pulled.
Chapter Twenty Seven

The journal sat there, a thing of rich red leather, a thing that could free her mother and siblings if Kara played her cards just right. She picked it up and flipped through it to check that it was the right one.

It was. She went to the last entry and read it. It confirmed her worst fears.

Dear Journal,

How my father vexes me. Ever since the brats have been born, he ignores me and moons over them. And he thinks he is clever with his 'secret' plan to divorce mother and disinherit me. I know I will stop this from happening by hastening along his untimely demise. But of late he blocks me at every turn. Esha and the brats are kept in the white cottage, their food prepared separately, guarded day and night. All this nonsense for a slave and her bastards. He suspects me, or they have become too precious in his plot to usurp me from my rightful place as Lady of this house.

I will find a way to remove the babes and him.

The entry ended there, short and sweet and brutal despite the flowery sweep of Anna's writing style. Kara did find one silver lining. Her father would not take such great pains to isolate and protect the babes if he did not suspect something. He knew there was a deep darkness in Anna.

She put the journal on a table then carefully placed everything back where it belonged, straightening the cushions, smoothing out the wrinkles. She picked up the journal and hurried back into the passages, lighting a fresh candle and hurrying, hurrying. Was that the distant baying of a hound returning from a short hunt she heard through the thin walls?

She began to run, heavy satchel thumping against her back, sweat rolling down and stinging her eyes. She came to her father's study as if in a dream, blowing out the candle and knocking.

"Come."

She stepped in and strode across the room with false confidence. She placed the journal on the smooth wood of his desk.

He neither looked at it or her. Instead he stayed focused on his recently refilled glass of liquor. "Give me a day to read it."

"But-"

"A day. Come back at the same time tomorrow. Anna and her mother will be paying a social call to the Lady Costwald. They will not be here. I will have my answer for you then."

She nodded and turned away. It was the best she could hope for. And she was so tired, tired of running, tired of worrying. Now should she go back to the noise and heat and restlessness of the carnival, or wait in the passage?

Wait in the passage, she decided. She needed to see that he actually read the journal. So she trod the familiar path into hiding and settled down to spy.

He did not pick up the journal. He sat and sipped water now, staring out the window. Gernan came later and placed a silver tray of foodstuffs before him, including coffee. Lord Brahm thanked him and bit off a heel of crusty bread, still drinking water and coffee in copious amounts. He got up to relieve himself twice.

Kara was in an agony of silent waiting now. Every time exited, he just left the unopened journal sitting there, to be snatched by anyone. What if Anna came back early? Or Lady Brahm? Her patience was wearing thin; she had to pee, she was thirsty and hot and exhausted...

But she stayed to make sure he kept his word.

He stepped back into his study and he seemed more sober. He did not walk with a weave and his eyes were a little clearer. He sat down and opened the journal, at long last, and began to read.

His face went still the further he went in. She closed her eyes and prayed to the Goddess that her father would see reason.

If not, she was going to have to figure out a way to steal her mother and sisters, whisk them out of the country and into permanent exile. A path so dangerous and foolish as to be hopeless.

As she watched her father place his head in his hands, she knew that was her last option if he resisted. She would not leave her mother to Anna's plots and she would not see her sisters little and blue and dead.
Afterword

Thus ends the first novel of the epic fantasy series, "The Hither and Nigh Carnival." Thank you for reading my novel, and check out my personal website, www.eclecticcycle.com, for updates on the series.

Love it, hate it, or 'meh' about it, an honest review left with the retailer you purchased Spurned from is highly appreciated. I do ready every single review, so your voice shall be heard! And your review is a big part of what encourages readers to try new books.

Drop a note via my site mentioned above if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

The next book in the series should be out in September of 2013.
