“What do you require?” She put her hand to her forehead, which was covered in sweat. They sat side by side like the spies in thriller films, speaking conspiratorially.
“Oh, don’t look so frightened. I’m not asking for your soul, if that’s what you mean. At least not yet.” He chuckled. “I simply need for you to come to Paris. You are needed there.” He seemed uncomfortable. “I need you there.”
“Why?” She looked over at him. “Is it because of the Devil’s Circus?”
“An inaccurate nomenclature, I assure you.” He slouched down. “But yes. Le Cirque Secret requires you. In return, I’ll tell you everything you want to know—the fiancé, great-grandmother Cecile, all of it—if… and only if… you come to Paris. But it must be our little secret. Do you understand? That mother of yours cannot know.”
“Why are strange things happening to me?” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but maybe he would give her some answers or at least admit which of the strange happenings he was behind.
“If you do not come to Paris, it will keep getting weirder, my dear. The fabric of this quaint little community your family has built for you is beginning to tear apart. Without my help, I fear it could be the end for you all.”
At his confirmation of the threat against her, Lara found she could not speak. She recalled what Shane Speer had said: She is coming for you.
He smiled slyly as though he read her thoughts. “She is, indeed, coming for you, you know. And make no mistake, she is dangerous.” There was a tiny hint of pride in his voice.
“Who is she?” Lara nearly shouted.
“A very powerful creature.”
“What on earth would a powerful creature want with me?” She was getting tired of him talking in circles.
“Well, that’s a rather complicated tale. Let’s just say that you pose a threat to her.”
“How on earth would I pose a threat to anyone?”
“I fear it’s my fault.” He wasn’t looking at her; rather, he focused on each detail around them with a sense of wonder—the mailbox, the streetlamp, the Kerrigan Falls Express newspaper stand—as though he was witnessing such details for the first time.
“Your fault?”
“When you were little, Margot and I came to visit you in the field. Do you remember that?”
“I do.”
“Then you remember that I said you were the one?”
“I still don’t know what you meant.” Lara folded her arms.
“It meant that I’ve made you powerful. I’m sure you’ve noticed that your abilities are now increasing.”
“You’ve done that?”
“Well you certainly haven’t done it.” He laughed and sat up straight on the bench. “But as you grow more powerful, you become a threat to her.” Staring up at the stars, he cocked his head. “This little world really isn’t as awful as I recall.”
Lara stumbled over what to say next. Suddenly, in the night air, she was cold, so she began rubbing her bare arms. This was all too much. These disappearances, veiled threats, and strange visions. “If I come to Paris, you promise to help me?”
Facing her, he gave a slow and deep nod. “I will.”
It felt like a contract forming between them.
“Do I have an address to meet you? Do I call you when I land?”
He nearly bent over with laughter. “How precious you are. I assure you, that won’t be necessary. You’ll hear from me.” He stood and bowed dramatically, like a Versailles courtier.
“I don’t know your name.”
He winked before he began to walk up the street toward the cemetery gates. “That, my dear, is the first lie you’ve ever told me. You know exactly who I am.” He turned back. “Oh, one more thing. Did you get my little present the other night at the Rivoli Circus?”
“The journal?”
“Hopefully it was an intriguing read.” His eyes widened dramatically, like a stage actor’s. “There will be more of them… call it a little scavenger hunt.”
As he walked into the night, she noticed that his steps were now silent, as though his feet never touched the cobblestones. He first floated, then faded as if walking into a thick mist. Immediately Lara looked up to find that the two men who had been standing with Margot were now alone and quite perplexed.
Lara felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Ben.
“Is that Lara Barnes under that mask?” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ben Archer was one of the rare men who could go from a uniform to a tuxedo with ease. His caramel-colored hair looked a little stiff with gel, the glaze of it glistening under the streetlamp.
“Did you see that man?”
“No,” said Ben, eyeing her suspiciously. “You were sitting here alone.” He looked up at the sign. “You catching a bus?”
“I was alone?”
“Yes.” He laughed, eyeing her peculiarly. “Are you okay? Why were you sitting out here alone?”
“I’m fine. Just nerves going into a party, I guess,” she lied. “Why aren’t you wearing your mask?”
“Marla just scolded me about that as well. I’m likely to fall with this damnable thing on. It’s terrible.” He held it out like a child. “Look at it; it’s sweaty like a kid’s Halloween mask and it’s giving me a headache.”
Lara took the mask and tried to loosen the elastic before sliding it on his head. “There.”
She followed him back through the front doors and stood there while he went to the bar. While the wait staff buzzed, she downed a mini chicken kebab and goat cheese puff that made her footing feel solid again. As she stood gazing out at the oblivious partygoers milling about and laughing, she had a strong urge to flee. She didn’t belong here with carefree people. Getting up the courage to look at the top of the stairs again, she found the space empty. It was like reopening a wound. This had been too soon.
Lara saw Kim Landau make a beeline toward Ben. While Lara didn’t want to have another exchange with Kim
