CARLYLE

Austin’s words were like the match to what was building in my chest, and visions of flames erasing this camp from the face of the earth danced before my eyes.

It was suddenly all I could focus on - I wanted every trace of the Ringmaster’s work to be gone. I wanted to ruin him and dance a conga line across his grave.

Yes. It was definitely time to burn.

“We have everyone,” Sol called, emerging from the shadows carrying one more small body, gathered limp against his chest. Barely realizing I was doing it, I began to growl, the sound low and menacing. He met my eyes with the ferocity of a lion challenging his lioness.

“They’ll be safe with me,” he bit out, and I flushed, understanding I was acting as though he were an enemy for some reason. Dair watched our exchange with a raised eyebrow, and even Jai seemed interested. I didn’t fucking care - this wasn’t the time to analyze my over-protective instinct.

I pointed to Sol, then the others. “Get them all out. Hotwire a bus and take them somewhere safe. Feed them, whatever. I have a circus to burn.”

The guys seemed hesitant. “I’ll stay with her,” Killian said from behind me. I huffed. I was surprised he’d offered, but honestly, I didn’t care if he stayed or not. I didn’t need permission or help to do what I was about to do.

“Go,” I roared, using that odd alpha tone I’d pulled out once or twice before. These were my guys, and I was going to protect them as much as all these children. I wanted them safely out of here, stat. Dair blinked and began herding the kids up the slope toward the fence, Sol and Jai following. They each glanced back two or three times before I stopped watching.

I surveyed the empty campground, littered with the broken and dead rogue Haretians.

“This sleepy little town will have a story to tell in the morning,” I said, closing my eyes and tapping into the deep red magic swirling in my chest. Dragon magic.

Fire magic.

I hadn’t known what it was for until Austin’s words woke the spark. Now I had a thousand ideas.

“Give me some air, fae,” I said softly. I let my eyes fall closed and spread my arms wide, imagining the tendrils of red magic exiting my skin and swirling up into the night sky. I visualized Killian’s bright green air magic forcing my fire higher, licking at the wooden trailers, the boxy storage buildings, and the waxy canvas tents.

Nearby, Killian sucked in a breath. “Fuck,” he whispered, and I opened my eyes.

We’d done it all in a matter of seconds. Flames licked the stars, eating up everything in sight. Everything was burning except the moon.

As I stared up at the full, silvery orb, a shadow passed over it - a dragon’s shadow. I pointed at it in excitement, and Killian made an odd noise. The fire before us was already insanely hot, and Killian threw his forearm across his face.

“We need ta move, Qilin,” he barked, pulling up a wall of air to shove the flames back from us. Crap. Had I used too much magic? I didn’t think I could call the fire back to me, now that I’d let it go. Ah, double crap. What about the town?

“There is a type of barrier here,” Killian said, picking up on my fear as the sparks flared higher in the sky. “Glamor, too. Humans canna see what is happenin’ down here. The fire won’t spread.”

Knowing this made me feel marginally better. The circus needed to burn, but I didn’t want it to spread to the woods or the town. I couldn’t handle being responsible for more innocent deaths tonight, and I didn’t want the human town to suffer for what the Haretians had done.

Killian grabbed my arm and pulled me up the slope. Feeling suddenly exhausted, I didn’t resist his guidance. It hadn’t felt like I’d overtaxed my magic, but I’d never used Jack’s fire power before.

I turned my eyes up to the moon, still searching for my dragon. Was he really up there, or had it just been a shadow?

“Why did he lead me here?” I asked, not expecting an answer. Jack had clearly told me Savannah. He’d even left me a map right to this spot. I’d been so certain he would be here, waiting to be rescued and taken home with his brothers.

“Jai thinks it was a trick. An ambush,” Killian growled.

“What?” I gasped. “He thinks Jack tricked me?” No. That wouldn’t happen. Why would Jack lead us straight into a fight? He hadn’t been rogue like Toro was rogue - he’d been in control of himself. He’d come for me - mated with me.

There was no reason for him to lure me into the circus now...

Unless the whole thing had been a giant lie.

Killian was nearly dragging me by the time we reached the fence, his face grim. My muscles were growing limp as my brain spiraled with doubt.

“Shut it down, Savage. Jack’s true,” Killian said gruffly, hauling me over a broken board. Someone had knocked a section of the fence down, and I hoped it had been Sol, getting the kids out of here. I tried to do what Killian had asked - there was so much more to do tonight.

I’d worry about Jack when I saw him.

A tired laugh slipped from my mouth as I saw that one of the guys really had found a bus - one of those slick touristy buses with the darkened windows waited in the motel parking lot. The last few children were climbing up the steps as we stepped onto the pavement, and I lifted a hand in greeting to Sol, who was helping them inside. He nodded, and I glanced around for Dair and Jai.

They were off to the side, and it looked like they were having a heated argument. Their voices were low enough that I couldn’t understand a word, but both looked angrier than I’d ever seen them.

My stomach churned - were they angry at me for setting the fire? Were they arguing about Jack?

Before I had a chance to walk over and interrupt, a tiny scream echoed from inside the bus, and Sol darted out.

“Up there,” he called, pointing to the night sky.

Silhouetted against the moon now was the unmistakable shape of a dragon, wheeling out of the clouds. Its wide, leathery wings flapped at the lingering smoke, batting the flames around. It had to be Jack. I had to see him - talk to him. I started to run forward, but Killian grabbed me around the waist.

“Stay close, Qilin,” he whispered. “We donna know why he’s here now.”

I struggled with my desire to break free and meet Jack halfway, but Killian had a good point. With all this confusion, we needed to be cautious.

“Sol, get that bus out of here, now!” Jai shouted, and my lion moved faster than I’d ever seen him. The bus swerved out of the parking lot just as the dragon circled down and landed with a thud in the field at the edge of the fence, dust and smoke swirling around it. It had to be Jack. His great head swung back to stare at the fire, but then I saw movement on his back. My heart sank.

A rider?

The dragon tucked his garnet wings and lowered his thick neck to rest on the ground.

Bile rose in my throat as a slim, black-suited figure slid from the dragon’s scaled back.

“Fucking Ringmaster,” I growled, slipping under Killian’s arms and sprinting forward. He’d ridden Jack here like a goddamn trick pony.

He produced his cane and twirled it a few times before plunging it into the grass and leaning on it like he was posing for a picture. “Don’t bother,” he said, pointing to my guys, who had already been running after me. Each of them froze, and I knew he was doing his mind mage shit again.

What was with this goddamn deja vu?

I hadn’t come this far just to watch a repeat of our last fight.

“Stay back, Qilin, or I might be tempted to go back on my agreement with dear Jack, here. He’s made his choice again, but not Life or Liberty. Oh no, this time he chose himself. He knows where he belongs now, and it’s right on the end of my lovely little leash.”

The Ringmaster reached around behind him, and I nearly lost it when I saw that he actually did have Jack on a leash. The thick metal chain was wrapped around the Ringmaster’s arm, glowing with magic.

A dark leather saddle was strapped tight against his ridged spine, and a bridle looped over his beautiful head. His eyes connected with mine for just a second, but he quickly bowed his head in something that looked like shame.  No. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening.

“Jack?” I called, the desperation plain in my voice. “Come home to us.” The dragon didn’t move, except the barest shuddering of his scaly garnet hide as he breathed.

“I’m so glad you all found us tonight,” the Ringmaster called, directing his words toward my guys. None of them had moved a muscle - it was like looking at a photograph. I just prayed they weren’t in pain. “I was so proud of Jack when he agreed to leave that map, drawing you right here where I needed you.”

I ground my teeth. He was lying. He had to be lying. Why would Jack draw me into a trap like this?

“Why would you want me to attack your camp, you lunatic?”

He chuckled. “You and this pathetic team aren’t the only ones with a plan for the future, my girl. The Council will be just as eager to learn of my solution to the broken Path as yours - likely more, now that their prize Qilin has turned out to be so unstable.” He flicked his eyes back to the campground, where the fire had started to die out. The field was nothing but blackened dirt and piles of ash.

“You set me up?” I asked, trying to understand his half-truths and riddles. I’d thought he needed my power, but it sounded like he’d already found a way back to Haret. Why would he care what the Council thought of me, though? Unless he was working with them.

“I did, my pretty Qilin. You followed my breadcrumbs, straight into the forest. As it turns out, you’re not the witch or the candy house, little one. You’re just the abandoned child in the story, looking for her family.”

My brain was reeling. How did he know that old story I’d made up for myself, during the time I was traveling with LuAnn? The only person I’d ever admitted my musings to was LuAnn. What was this psychopath up to now?

“This story can end differently, though. You can make the same choice Jack made - join the circus, Carlyle. Make Underbelly your candy house. I know how much Qilin like their sugar.” He giggled, pulling something from his pocket.  “Come, come, you’re smart enough. Follow the trail,” he encouraged me with a maniacal fervor. He unwrapped a bit of cloth from the object in his palm.

He dangled it before me, and nauseous understanding washed over me. It was one of LuAnn’s crystal pendants - the only present I’d ever given her, actually.

It swung back and forth on its long chain like a ticking pendulum, counting the seconds until my brain slotted all the pieces together. The clouds shifted and moonlight shone down, illuminating the crystal, but also highlighting the crusted gore and hair tangled in the chain. I felt myself starting to shake.

“You killed her,” I whispered. “You took all her memories and knowledge of me, and then you killed her.”

“Good girl,” he crooned, and bile rose in my throat. The words broke me out of my stupor of fear, though.

Nobody except Dair got to call me that. I pushed up to my feet, forcing my muscles to be strong and still.

No tears. No shaking. No helpless Carlyle.

I was more powerful than the last time we’d met - much more.

This time, I wouldn’t be using weak hand-to-hand combat or blades to fight a mind mage. I snickered. No, this time I’d brought the gun to the knife fight.