“Have you told anyone else?” Reese asked.

  The alcove they’d tucked into was dark enough that no one passing by would be able to recognize them. It had likely been built that way on purpose.

  “Only Myla and Derrick, I wanted to have confirmation before I accidentally let my guard down in front of a murderer,” Theresa said.

  “Then why did you come to me? How did you know it wasn’t me?” Reese asked.

  Theresa stifled a snicker. “Look at you, Reese. I don’t think your capable of such a thing.”

  “I didn’t think you were capable of thinking about much more than your hair.” Reese didn’t appreciate the comment, but it did make her wonder if Theresa was right.

  Would she be capable of killing someone if she needed to?

  In their situation, something like that could determine if she lived or died. She would need to be able to kill Lyonell if it came to it, but not even she could be entirely sure she would.

  She’d fileted pirates with sharp words, not knives.

  “Differences aside,” Theresa swept her blonde hair over a shoulder. “We know it’s Lyonell. What do we do now?”

  “It might be worth recruiting the others. If we can all work together, we may be able to get out of here alive,” Reese said.

  “Since there’s no-”

  Theresa’s sentence trailed off as silence swept over the tent.

  “The mystery has been solved, ladies and gentlemen.”

  Ice crept into Reese’s veins as she heard Lyonell’s booming voice.

  “We have found our murderer.”

  Reese slipped out of the alcove to see Lyonell with an iron grip on Luca’s wrist.

  Lyonell wore a triumphant grin, he thought he had finally won after centuries of fighting, but won what? Luca’s face was twisted in a scowl as he fought to pull away.

  Reese’s feet carried her across the floor, but she doubted she would get there fast enough.

  Lyonell would have Luca beheaded before she could get there.

  That was what he had wanted all along, Luca at his mercy moments before he took his rival’s life.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  But instead of summoning a guard for a sword or pulling the knife from his belt, Lyonell started to pull Luca towards the back of the tent.

  “He will have a public execution tomorrow,” Lyonell said.

  “No, he won’t.” Reese took two strides and leapt, letting her full weight fall on Lyonell, sending the three of them crashing to the ground.

  Lyonell’s grip on Luca broke.

  “Run!” Reese scrambled to her feet and grabbed Luca’s arm. She nearly tripped over the layers of tulle and silk as she ran.

  Guards rushed to block off their exit, but Reese was faster, even dragging Luca along behind her.

  She caught a glimpse of Theresa out of the corner of her eye, Theresa’s gloved hand was tight around Myla’s arm, both of their mouths were open in horror as they witnessed the mad dash for the exit.

  A guard stuck his arm out to block Reese, and without thinking, her fist swung up and connected with his face. The guard stumbled back before he crashed to the floor.

  Reese had said she would save Luca. She wasn’t going to let Lyonell execute him now.

  The breeze that blew through the streets chilled her to the core the moment she got past the tent entrance. She didn’t stop to warm herself; she just ran through it.

  She ran until she felt they were far enough away and tucked into an old dusty building.

  The carnival was losing its magic little bit by little bit. It meant they were running out of time.

  “You shouldn’t have done that.” Luca swore under his breath as he raked a hand through his hair.

  “Shouldn’t have what, let him kill you?” Reese demanded.

  “Yes! You should have let him; you could have escaped while he was busy with me!” He yelled.

  “Keep your voice down.” She hissed.

  “I am tired of running, just let it be over, you stubborn woman.” He walked deeper into the darkness of the crumbling shop.

  “It will be over when we get out,” she said.

  “Why does it matter so much to you?” He asked.

  “Because I don’t want him getting what he wants. This is me being selfish. He’s trapped me here, and I want him to pay for it.” Reese sat down on the dusty floor, not caring that it would get her pretty dress dirty.

  “You are so petty.” She couldn’t see his face, but she was sure he rolled his eyes.

  “So, you’ll fault me for being selfless and wanting to save you, but I’m not allowed to be selfish either?” She asked. “What am I meant to be then?”

  “Whatever you want, just leave me and my brother out of it.” Luca snapped.

  “Your brother?” She echoed.

  “Yes! Is that what you wanted, for me to spill all my secrets? To cry over how my big brother wants me dead because our mother didn’t survive my birth, and he blames me for it? He’s always blamed me for it, and anything else that goes wrong, that is why we’re here. Though his anger was the cause of this curse, he blames me for his anger, so it too, is my fault.” Luca pushed a wooden desk into the wall, it shattered into splinters of old, dry wood.

  Reese was silent.

  “It is my fault you are here, not his. You should hate me as much as you hate him, and yet you don’t. Why?” For the first time since they’d hidden in the shop, he looked at her.

  “Because it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault, and I am so sorry he has convinced you it is,” Reese said.

  Luca’s face hardened, his eyes growing cold. “I don’t want your pity.”

  It wasn’t pity, it never had been.

  Reese didn’t know how long it would take to make him finally realize that.

  It was never pity.