Page 3 of The Carnival

I pull my hand free, stuffing the panic inside me into a little box. Don’t have time for that. The man tips his hat as I look back, falling into the crowd.

* * *

After a brisk five-minute walk, I finally see the mirrored tent. And the barker was right, you can’t miss it. The mirrored tent casts light out in thousands of fragments around it. It rises like a dark mountain into the night sky, slowly swallowing the sun.

I hesitate at the entrance, realizing how stupid this is, but seven years I’ve looked for her. Even when the police mentioned how people go missing every time. I pushed for more information, telling them that the last time I saw her was here. But was met with a simple ‘people go missing at every big event. She’s an adult, she probably just ran off with a boyfriend.’

But Evelyn wouldn’t do that. Not to me. I know she was here. I’ve searched every business profile looking for those who might own or operate The Carnival, but still ... nothing. When I reached out to the location of the last one, the police simply stated the correct forms had been filled out for her missing person.

I clutch her photo in my hand, trying to find the strength that she used to give me. Her words echoing in my ear: “The dark is only scary because you don’t know what’s in it. You have to step into it to see. That first step is hard, but you’ll usually find it is nothing to be afraid of.”

“Are you coming in, or would you prefer to stand there catching fireflies with that lovely mouth of yours?” A voice says from inside – no, around me. I’m not sure.

I almost want to laugh. It’s just a tent and a person performing parlor tricks, just as Evelyn would have said. “Here we go,” I whisper, pushing aside a heavy velvet curtain. The darkness sweeps around me as I step inside. The temperature drops as I take hesitant steps forward, seeking the voice within. As my eyes adjust, I realize I’m not in total darkness, because tiny pinpricks of light hover in the air like stars.

“They say curiosity killed the cat,” the same voice from seconds ago says. The warm breath tickles the back of my neck as he, because it’s certainly a masculine voice, continues amused. “But satisfaction brought it back.”

I turn around quickly, finding nothing but the darkness and the stars above. “Hello? Are you The Illusionist?”

A soft chuckle echoes around me, coming from everywhere at once. “Among other things.”

Light blooms suddenly in the center of the tent, and I even shield my eyes from it as it splits the shadows surrounding me. The space is larger than I expected, a circular area lined with mirrors of varying sizes and shapes. Some stretch tall, others curve inward, and a few appear to float with no visible support. My reflections stare back at me as I wander deeper into the tent, like a toddler without the direction of a parent. Each reflection shows a slightly different version of myself — some with darker eyes, and one shows a crueler smile.

I can’t help but lean in and stare at the one that shows my skin slightly paler.

“Most don’t notice the differences right away,” the voice says, “you’re observant.”

A shadow moves on my left and I turn around quickly. A man is standing there, a long coat of black and silver hanging down his tall frame. His blonde hair is slicked toward the back. His face is hidden, illuminated by metallic paint, diamonds painted in silver wrap around his light blue eyes. His lips match the same silver color as he smirks.

“Welcome, Emerson,” he says. “You’ve found your way here after all.”

Chapter 3

“How do you know my name?” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, although the fact that he knows my name sends shivers down my spine.

The mirrors multiply his perfect smile a thousand times over, each reflection showing a different angle of his lips curling upward.

The man circles me slowly, his long coat swishing against the floor. “The Carnival knows many things, Emerson. And I know what The Carnival knows.” He stops directly behind me, close enough that I can feel the warmth of his body radiating.

“That’s not an answer.” I watch him in the mirrors, his blonde hair reflecting the lights above.

“No?” He smiles slyly. “It is. But it might not be the one you want.”

My heart races as he moves to face me, trying to keep myself focused on the reason I’m here. He moves close enough that I can smell him, a mix of something sweet and smoky, almost like burnt sugar but ... better. He tilts his head, studying me. My fingertips dig into my thighs as I try to maintain my composure.

“I don’t find it fair that you know my name, and yet ... I don’t know yours,” I say, but I don’t know why it matters. Maybe it’s a way of trying to get on his good side, maybe it’s a way to remind me he is just a human. To see the thing in the dark that frightens me, like Evelyn always said.

“Tobias,” he says as he releases me before stepping in front of me, with a slight bow that seemed both courtly and mocking. “Master of Illusions, Keeper of Secrets —” he straightens. “Possibly, your guide.”

“My guide?” I am becoming more confused by the minute, so I take a steadying breath.

He laughs, the sound bouncing off the mirrors. “We’ll come back to that. For now, what are you looking for?”

I clutch the photo tighter in my hand, “I’m looking for answers.”

“Ah,” he says, stepping close to one of the mirrors and trailing his gloved fingers across its surface. “Answers. The most dangerous commodity we trade in here ... mostly.”

I tighten my fingers around Evelyn’s photo. “My sister, Evelyn. She came here seven years ago, the last time The Carnival was seen.”