Page 77 of Fallen Stars
“I’ll ask you one last time,” Ariete’s voice drifted back to her. “Are you sure you don’t want to take my bargain?”
“If you think I willeverbe tied to you in any way, you are further out of your fucking mind than Sagitton.”
“Always so rash, Elara. Never enough foresight.”
“Says the god of wrath. Why would you give me Enzo’s tether willingly? Why would you want the Sun awake? Aren’t he and I your mortal enemies?” Elara made sure her words dripped with derision. She would not take his bait. She would find another way to get Enzo’s tether back.
Ariete laughed again, this one colder.
“You think yourself so innocent. You haven’t a clue what you’ve done.”
Elara’s stomach lurched as she thought back to the vision that had been shown to her through his tarot cards. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Ariete smirked. “I think you already know.”
“Torture me and be done with it,” she snapped. “Whatever little plan you’ve concocted, execute it. Because mark my words, after this, I will rip Enzo’s tether from you even if it kills me.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” His grin was wolfish. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he roared, “roll up, roll up! The grandest spectacle at my Circus of Dreams is about to begin!”
Elara cursed, forcing herself still as the crowd around her roared and cheered from the circus stalls.
She surveyed her options and where she was. Ariete was at her back. If she tried to attack him, he’d likely push her off the swing and straight into the pit. She could try to create her shadow dragun and fly out of the place, but then she still wouldn’t have Enzo’s tether. She was trapped. Just as Ariete had wanted.
Her hand clenched and unclenched on the rope. She felt a hand wrap around hers and instantly jolted as Ariete’s mouth found her ear.
“We don’t want to keep them waiting,” he murmured into it, his breath fanning her cheek. “Run along Elara, give them the performance of a lifetime.”
He released her, and she felt the weight of him against her back disappear, the swing lurching forward.
She screamed as it swung in a deep arc, reaching all the way to the starred sky. As she swooped back down, hands gripping onto the ropes for dear life, she turned her head, seeing Ariete now at the forefront of the crowd that circled the pit.
“Be careful of the distractions,” Ariete called, grinning.
Elara steeled herself, ignoring his taunt. “Enzo, Enzo, Enzo,” she whispered under her breath, his name a prayer keeping her sane as the swing was pushed even higher, the breath leaving her lungs as she was then pulled back down.
Circus music began sounding out of thin air, a harsh blare that made her almost lose her grip in shock. The swing’s plank below her feet began to zig-zag out of control and she cursed, still gripping the rope as she attempted to right it.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Ariete cried out. “Our first act is one that needs no introduction. We all love a father-daughter reunion, do we not?!”
The crowd roared in response. “So, Elara, let me present you with our first performer. The King of Asteria!”
Elara’s neck snapped up as a looming shadow swung from another trapeze. “It’s just a dream,” she wheezed to herself as the swing hurtled towards her, her father upon it. He was dressed as a clown, a terrifying painted mask on his face, mouth drooping down and a tear beneath one eye. She screamed out as he passed her, and she saw truly what he was. A corpse, his throat gaping open from the wound Ariete had given him, his face white, eyes wholly black. Elara ducked as he whizzed past before coming back towards her, their trapezes crossing one another.
On his way back, his arms reached out, and Elara screamed again as he plucked her from her swing onto his. She landed jarringly, her father’s cold, dead hands grasping onto hers as he swung them through the air once more.
“Bravo!” she heard Ariete roar, a round of applause following as the circus music prattled on.
“The second act will be tough to follow, but we have every faith she will! For if you thought the family reunion was over, you’d be mistaken! The Queen of Asteria, ladies and gents!”
Elara squeezed her eyes shut as her mother came into view, her legs hooked around the trapeze as she dangled through the air, breezing past Elara. Her face paint matched Elara’s father’s, eyes just as blank, and a string of blood drooled from the corner of her mouth.
“Please, no,” Elara whimpered as her mother wrapped her cold hands around Elara’s ankles and dragged her off the swing.
She couldn’t even scream, the breath knocked from her as she dangled, her mother’s trapeze swinging low enough that Elara nearly touched the trancehole. She winced as they came back up.
“Did someone hear a roar? A love for the ages—the story between Elara and our next performer.Soulmatesthey call themselves. Ugh.” Ariete rolled his eyes. “Elara get ready to see your lover in three…two…one!”
A spotlight struck out, showing a man suspended on a swing. Her heart raced as she saw Enzo, though it wasn’t her Enzo. His beautiful golden eyes were black, his stare utterly blank as the swing creaked in the air.