Page 16 of Chaos Carnival

“I didn'tletyou do anything,” she snapped, but there was less bite than usual in her tone.

“Well, you liked it all well enough by then,” I said, unable to resist baiting her. My lips curved into a knowing smirk as memories of her breathless surrender flashed through my mind. “If I recall correctly, there was quite a bit of begging involved.”

She huffed, and we moved deeper into the grounds, close enough that her arm kept brushing mine. Each touch sent a glimmering rush through me, the ritual's magic still humming between us like a living thing.

“Nothing in the big top either.” Frustration melted through her controlled tone.

“We'll find her.” I caught her hand, thumb brushing over her pulse point. She squeezed back, holding on a moment too long before pulling away.

“I know. I just hope...” She didn't finish, but she didn't have to. We both knew what Ivan was capable of.

The cages loomed ahead, their iron bars writhing like living things. Dark alchemy buzzed from the metal—I'd seen similar containment cells in the demon sector, designed to feed off prisoners while keeping them alive.

“These runes...” Tess traced the air near one of the symbols, her fingers trembling. “They're meant to harvest energy.”

I stepped closer, wrapping my hand around her wrist to stop her from touching the metal. “And drain the life force right out of whoever's inside.” The memory of similar cages made my jaw clench. “Ivan's planning something big.”

She turned in my grip, her body flush with mine as she lost her balance on the uneven ground. “Mav...” Her eyes dropped to my mouth briefly, then snapped back up. “We have to get Addie out b—“

“Before Ivan puts her in one of these death traps. Yeah.” I didn't let go of her wrist, using it to tug her behind a stack of crates as footsteps approached.

We crouched in the shadows, her back to my chest. My arms bracketed her sides, holding her still as two of Ivan's carnival workers passed by. More of his puppets.

“Your heart's racing,” Tess whispered once they'd gone, tilting her head back to my shoulder.

“Can't imagine why. Maybe it's the deadly cages, or the sociopathic carnies.” I brushed my lips to her ear. “Or could be the witch pressed up against me.”

She elbowed me in the ribs. “Focus.”

“I’m focused. On multiple things.” I grinned as she squirmed in my hold. “Very focused.”

Shit. More footsteps, and getting closer. We froze. Tess's eyes went wide, darting to the trailer a few feet away. The door of the small metal unit was somewhat ajar. I mouthed a curse as the workers' voices carried, their eyes scanning the area.

“This way,” I mouthed, pulling Tess with me. We rushed to the trailer, squeezing inside just as the workers turned our way. I pressed Tess against a stack of costume racks, my hand covering her mouth. Her eyes flashed with unease, but she nodded, understanding the danger.

The trailer smelled of mothballs and grease paint, a thin bar of light slicing through the darkness. She was a statue in my arms, frozen as the workers' voices drew nearer. Her body tensed along mine, breath warm under my palm. One wrong move and we'd be caught among the props and performance gear cluttering the space.

The workers stopped outside the trailer, their voices echoing off the metal walls. “Heard something over here, Tony.”

“Ain't nothing. Just rats or somethin'.”

I held my breath, feeling Tess do the same. One of the workers kicked the door, pushing it wider. I pulled Tess deeper into the shadows behind a rack of sequined costumes, my body a shield between her and the light. As the workers peered inside, my hand tightened over Tess's mouth, her pulse hammering beneath my fingers.

“Thought I saw something.” The taller one squinted into the obscurity. “You got a flashlight?”

The other shrugged, pulling a flickering mag-light from his belt. “Probably nothing. Ivan's got eyes everywhere.”

The beam of light cut through the trailer, illuminating boxes of props and racks of costumes. Tess stiffened as the light danced closer, but I held her firmly in place, my body pressed protectively against hers. The light swept over us, my heart pounding like a snare drum. Then, just as quickly, it withdrew.

“Told ya.” The worker clicked off the light, dismissing us as rats or shadows. “Let's get back. Ivan's gonna want an update.”

I held Tess in place, waiting as their footsteps faded. Her breath fanned my hand, the trailer now darker as my eyes adjusted. Her lips were inches from my palm, tempting me to trace their contour with my thumb.

As soon as the workers were out of range, Tess writhed out of my hold. “They're gone.”

I let her go, resisting the urge to pull her back. “No thanks to you and your impressive rattling.”

She glared, cheeks flushed. “You're an ass.”

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