And I think they’re going to exploit that, doing everything in their power to ensure itisnecessary. I just hope we all make it out the other side.
Movement No. 33
Yasmeena
Tempest and I sneak through the carnival, the only light coming from the rides themselves. We walk to the inside of the gate, thankful no one is here, as it’s not yet midnight. She paints three claw marks onto the ground with some of my blood, and we watch as it seeps into the dirt. We bring out a table from a nearby storage closet, and Tempest lays on top of it, holding the potion vial that Aida provided us with.
“I can hear their footsteps; they’re not here yet, but they’re getting closer,” she says, and I take a deep breath, trying not to let fear get the better of me.
“Promise me we will see each other again?” I say, my voice shaking.
Tempest nods. “One last kiss before I die?”
“That’s not funny,” I say, but I lean down and our lips touch. The kiss is soft, gentler than ever before.
She brings the glass bottle up to her mouth, draining it in a few swallows,, and I take it from her hand before covering her with a plain white sheet.
I run, hiding inside one of the neighboring stands, and wait for Pack Escalus to arrive. I can’t see or hear anything yet, and I feel like a sitting duck.
I’ll be the one to attack Cain. It felt like the right decision, but now my thoughts are filled with all the ways he might critically injure me if I’m spotted too soon. I just hope he doesn’t realize Tempest is actually alive before Draven can reveal himself.
Fucking great.
Gemma is inside the Ferris wheel itself, planning to act as a sweet distraction before she lures some of the men into a trap for Absinthe and Reina.
Rowan and Leo are going to take care of Fenris and the enforcers, eventually joined by Khalid and Baelor, and Aida will handle the rest. Hopefully, if all goes to plan, nobody but Cain and his second have to die. If all of the wolves agree to follow Tempest’s orders, this entire operation will be smooth sailing. But if they don’t, it’s going to be a bloodbath.
I love being a part of The Devil’s Masquerade, but I hate the violence. I am strong and capable of defending myself, but I’m no fighter. I know Absinthe and Reina enjoy these kinds of things. Hel, I think Draven dreams of fighting in his sleep, but that’s not me. I want to create art and perform, to hold secrets and make peace. I don’t want to throw fists or sharpen my claws. If I did, I would’ve tried to fight Cavan long ago, though that would’ve likely been a suicide mission.
More than anything, I hope this goes the way Tempest wants it, and that the future is better than the past—for both of us.
The large, iron gates creak open, followed by footsteps and heavy breathing. If Tempest were awake right now, she could tell me exactly how many hearts were beating, but I’ll just have to go on my own instincts. I count their steps, realizing there’s likely six or seven of them.
There’s a beat of silence, and I try to calm my racing pulse, holding my breath as I wait for something…anythingto happen. The sheet rustles, and I hear a low gasp, followed by frantic whispering.
I peek out and watch as Cain clutches Tempest in his arms, howling at the sight of her body. This is everyone’s signal.Tempest knew they would howl, as is tradition when a lupion has fallen. I wait, but nothing happens.
Five lupion stand with their backs turned to me, and I wait for what seems like forever, time losing all meaning. Cain, Syxcorax, Adrian, and two other wolves I don’t recognize are here, so where’s Fenris?
A large, clawed hand grasps the back of my neck, yanking me out of the stand, and I come to the sudden understanding we’ve been out-fooled.
Fenris.
Every molecule in my body is screaming at me to wriggle out of his grip and run, but that wouldn’t save Tempest, or any member of Hel’s Carnival. Someone I don’t recognize drags Gemma from the Ferris wheel, and the two of us are thrown in front of where Tempest’s limp body rests on the ground.
“Did you think you could kill my heir and get away with it?” Cain spits.
Not hisdaughter. His heir. My blood boils, but I don’t say anything, I just let him talk, knowing that Draven and Khalid are on the way.
Rustling sounds come from all different directions, and it seems to throw Cain off, distracting him from his own fit of rage.
“Gregory, Sampson, go to the carousel,” Fenris commands, and the two lupion split from the rest of the group. One has dark skin and bright eyes, and the other has light skin with dark eyes, though I’m not sure who is who.
“I’ll go double check the Ferris wheel. See who else might be hiding around there,” Stephano says, and Cain nods.
This leaves Cain, Fenris, and his son Adrian against Gemma and me, since Tempest is still indisposed. We can’t win, but we can surely do something.
Cain and Fenris move forward, maybe only twenty steps, to watch Gregory and Sampson investigate the noise, and it’s just enough distance to make a difference.
