“Then please, enlighten me,” Bale said.
“That would take centuries, Bale, and I’mafraid we don’t have that kind of time.”
I didn’t think I’d get a chance to set himon fire, or for Kobal to kill him, with the murderous look Balegave him.
“Easy, Bale,” Corson said.
“Piece of shit!” Bale spat.
The barker merely focused on Kobal oncemore. “Iama powerful ally, and I’ve only gotten morepowerful since coming here. As I said, I know what she is Kobal. Iknowwhoshe is. If things had been different and she was myChosen, you would have tested her too.”
Kobal set me gently behind him and steppedcloser to the man. For the first time, true panic flashed in thebarker’s eyes as Kobal’s hands twisted in his clothes. He draggedthe barker’s face to within inches of his. I glanced back and forthbetween them as Kobal’s muscles swelled across his back and thesymbols on his arms vibrated.
My gaze fell on the mark of Ziwa, the onethat marked Kobal with a part of the hellhound’s soul and made himmore volatile. The mark shifted and darkened in color. I swallowedas I recognized that Kobal was swiftly unraveling before me. Ididn’t like the barker, and I’d happily kick him in the nuts up anddown this carnival, but if he truly was a powerful ally, we coulduse him on our side.
“I am your king,” Kobal snarled. “I wouldhave every right to test anyone I want or do anything to them thatI chose to do. You hadnofucking right to go anywhere nearher.”
“You are right,” the barker replied andlifted his hands in a placating gesture that did nothing to relaxKobal. The barker’s eyes darted toward me, and I saw the plea forhelp within them.
I rested my hand on Kobal’s arm in anattempt to calm him. If we didn’t like what the barker had to say,Kobal could tear his head off and play kickball with it for all Icared, but for now, we had to hear him out. Kobal moved the barkera little away from him, but didn’t ease his grip on him.
“How do you know who I am?” I demanded ofthe man.
The barker lifted his head, and his gaze ranover me appraisingly before his eyes locked on mine. “Kobal’sfollowers have been whispering about the search for the progenyover the years. I witnessed what you did in here, and I’m watchingyou heal right now, and those are somelovelyeyes you have,dear. Angelic even, one could say.”
Kobal released a low growl, and the barkerleaned as far back from him as he could get. “Easy, Kobal. I’m notone to go after a woman another demon has staked a claim upon.”
“End this illusion, Magnimus,” Kobalcommanded.
“I cannot end this,” the barker replied.
“Magnimus—”
“What you see around you now is permanent,Kobal. I’ve spent centuries creating it for unsuspecting demons,souls, and trespassers”—his gaze flicked over me and Hawk—“whowander through. The illusion is no longer that. It is as real as itfeels, and some of those trapped within herearereal.”
He waved toward the glass cages beyond me.Turning, I met the stare of the bearded lady. “Some souls do retaintheir human forms,” I murmured.
“If we so choose them to, they can remainhuman in appearance,” Kobal replied. “Or they could be asnon-corporeal as the wraiths and ghosts. Some demons devise theirown punishments for them. However, with every feeding, the soulbecomes a little more twisted and deformed.”
“Until there is no denying they arewraiths?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the beadedlady in front of me. The maliciousness in her eyes made it clearshe would have preferred to see Pooh eat me, but how many years hadshe been here? What had she endured by being constantly caged inlife, and then again while here? Had her time here been what warpedher into a woman so clearly thirsty for blood?
“If you don’t feed from the souls, do theystay here forever?” I asked.
“No, they still pass on when their time hasbeen served,” Kobal replied.
“Don’t feel sorry for her,” the barker saidfrom behind me. “She’s the entire reason I created this place. Whenshe stumbled into my realm nearly three hundred years ago, I knewher worst punishment would be to continue to endure the mockery shehad experienced during her life.”
“It sounds as if she had a cruel life,” Isaid.
“She killed all five of her babies and themen who fathered them. I have no idea why—I’ve never bothered toask. Do you still feel sorry for her?” the barker asked. I pressedcloser to Kobal as my gaze flew to the woman who gazed at all of uswith hatred in her eyes. “Do you, daughter of Lucifer?”
My gaze returned to the barker. “I amnothis daughter!”
The barker grinned at me. “She’s fiery,Kobal.”
