Page 18 of Chaos Carnival

“We should check the basement level. Those cages we saw earlier—“

“Could be where he's keeping her.” Maverick's voice grew serious. “But the binding runes down there are strong. If we're not careful—“

“I don't care about careful. Every minute we waste, Addie's in danger, because of me.”

His hand caught mine as I started forward. “Hey. This isn't your fault.”

“Like hell it isn't.” I yanked away, but his grip held firm. “She's my best friend. I dragged her into this world of monsters and—“

“And she chose to stay. Just like I chose you, too.”

The raw honesty in his voice made me pause. Behind us, carnival music played on, a twisted soundtrack to our hunt. But for a moment, all I could focus on was the way his golden eyes held mine, fierce and certain.

A scream echoed from below, shattering the moment.

Addie's.

I bolted toward the sound, Maverick's footsteps right behind me. The carnival music grew louder as we descended the stairs,warping into something that scraped my nerves like fingernails on chalkboard.

“Slow down,” Maverick grabbed my elbow. “Could be a trap-”

“I don't care.” I wrenched free.

We burst through a set of double doors into darkness. Moonlight filtered through high windows, casting silver strips across rows of empty seats. The spotlight on stage blazed, harsh and white.

My breath caught.

Addie twirled center stage, her movements liquid grace. Too graceful. Her arms flowed like water, spine arching at impossible angles. The costume she wore—all black silk and crimson ribbons—made her look like a broken ballerina doll. Beautiful and wrong.

“Holy shit,” Maverick breathed.

She pirouetted, faster and faster. Her eyes glowed white, empty of everything that made her Addie. No spark of humor. No warmth. Just blank light pouring from her sockets.

“We have to stop this.” I started forward, but Maverick caught me.

“Wait.” His hands slid to my waist, pulling me back against his chest. “Look at the floor.”

Binding runes circled the stage, pulsing with sickly green light. One wrong step, and we'd be trapped too.

“Fuck.” I leaned into him without thinking, seeking an anchor. “What has he done to her?”

“Nothing permanent. Not yet.” His breath stirred my hair. “We'll get her back before he does.”

“You don't know that.”

“I knowyou. You're too stubborn to fail.”

A splintered laugh escaped me. “Flattery won't help you Mav.”

On stage, Addie kept dancing, movements growing more frenzied. The spotlight cast her shadow, huge against the back wall—a dark creature with too many limbs.

Her laughter sent a sharp tingle up my neck as she danced in the spotlight. It wasn't her laugh; it was thin and high-pitched, contorted into something cruel. I held my breath, willing her to snap out of it, but her blank eyes glowed brighter, her movements more erratic.

“We have to get closer.” My voice came out harsh. “What if he's controlling her through those runes?”

Maverick's fingers intertwined with mine. “We'll need a distraction.”

I pulled him toward the side of the stage, keeping out of sight as we crept along the wall. The binding runes fizzed with each step, sending whispers of warning to me.

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