Page 35 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
She’d put on as much jewelry as she could today so she wouldn’t have to pack it, but also as a farewell to her old life. On her last day as a circus fortune teller, she wanted to look her best. Half her hair was wound into a messy bun atop her head while the bottom half hung loose. She wore her favorite silver earrings and had covered her wrists with bracelets. She’d laid out her thick cloak with the oversize hood for tonight, alongside loose leather boots that pulled on like stockings and tightened with soft leather ties.
After closing up her caravan, she went to the meal tent and tried to eat, but her appetite was meager, and she managed only a small bowl of soup. People would pat her on the shoulder or call out a greeting as they passed, and she had to fight back tears every time. She tried to act normal, all the while knowing that every interaction was actually goodbye.
No one in the circus had shown much reaction to finding out she was a Seer, making her wonder if they’d always suspected but had understood her need to keep it secret. It only made her love them more and made her leaving that much more bittersweet.
But there was plenty of gossip about Salizar’s latest acquisition and who it could be. The ringmaster hadn’t said a word about it to anyone, and neither had Loren. Even the ones assigned to guard duty didn’t know what they were guarding, and the speculation was rife.
After dinner, Harrow went to the back entrance of the big top to watch Malaikah’s show. Her beautiful panther swung between trapezes and balanced on her hands and backflipped through the air like the fearless, powerful woman she was.
When the show was complete, Harrow walked to Raith’s tent with the sleeping draught and had a drink with Oli, who was on guard duty again tonight. Feeling guilty for deceiving him, she pretended to sip hers and then discreetly dumped it when he wasn’t looking, though she likely could have consumed the entire pot and felt no effect. She was so nervous, she doubted she’d ever be able to sleep again.
After the tea was gone, she went into the tent for a little while, avoiding Raith’s pointed looks as she read to him. He seemed to sense she was nervous, but she saw no sense in addressing it, knowing he would object to her plans out of concern for her. She excused herself earlier than usual so Oli would relax and have adequate time to get sleepy, and then she went to Malaikah’s caravan to wait.
Mal didn’t take long to arrive. She took one look at Harrow and said, “You okay?”
Harrow couldn’t find the breath to answer.
“Give me five minutes. I’ve got just the thing to help.”
Malaikah went back outside to wash and returned dressed in a pair of black trousers and a black tunic, her long tail snaking out from beneath the shirt. Trousers were rarely worn by women in these parts, but dresses were awkward garments for a woman with a tail, and Malaikah had never given a damn about following social customs anyway.
She reached up to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whisky and two glasses. “Ta-da.” Pouring one for each of them, she sat down on the bench opposite Harrow.
They downed the whisky, and Mal filled the glasses again. They downed those, too. “Better?”
Finally, Harrow felt herself calming a little. She nodded.
“Two hours till showtime. Did you visit Oli with the tea yet?”
She nodded again.
“You visit Raith today?”
She nodded once more.
“Bags are packed?”
Another nod.
“Well, then there’s nothing else to do but have another drink.”
…
One hour past midnight arrived.
Harrow donned her cloak while Malaikah extinguished the lanterns in her caravan. Together, they slipped outside and surveyed their quiet surroundings. Harrow waited for Malaikah to give the all-clear before moving. Mal’s Hybrid senses would pick up on any disturbances more effectively than Harrow’s.
Finally, Mal nodded. “Let’s go.”
Harrow took her friend’s hand, and the two women crept through the camp toward Raith’s tent. They kept to the edge of the fairgrounds, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the main path. Malaikah’s ears twitched this way and that, listening for signs of movement.
Finally, they reached the tent. From their cover, they could see the tea was a success. Poor Oli slumped in his chair, sound asleep. The tent’s front flap was securely tied down, but Mal made quick work of the ties while Harrow glanced over her shoulder, expecting Salizar to jump out at any second. They’d opted to go in the front entrance because Harrow didn’t think Raith would fit under the sides as she did.
Inside, as usual, was completely black. Malaikah cursed in a whisper. “Wish we had some light.”
“We can’t risk a lantern.”
“I know.”
