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“Did she?” He tilts his head, blue eyes gleaming beneath the paint. “And what makes you think she’s still here, Emerson?”

“Because she never came home,” I force myself to meet his gaze, refusing to look away. Because I’ll be damned if the first person I meet with possible answers skirts around them.

The mirrors around us shift somehow, reflecting more versions of myself I don’t recognize. Hollow cheeks, eyes that glow. All tricks, probably mechanical.

However, the mirror with me wearing a mask seems to whisper for me to come closer, and I catch myself walking towards it.

“Careful,” Tobias says, suddenly beside me. His gloved fingers brush my shoulder softly, stopping me, the touch radiating heat even though my jacket. “Some mirrors show more than reflections.” He pulls me back and I blink, my brain feeling less foggy than when the mirror caught my attention.

I jerk away from him, tightening my fist around her photo. “Stop playing silly parlor tricks. The barker with the clown face makeup and handlebar mustache said you might know something —”

Tobias snaps his fingers, and I swear for a moment I can’t breathe. The air around us feels too thick, then suddenly it’s clear again and I notice my palm feels empty. I hear him chuckle deep in his chest and my gaze darts to him. He holds Evelyn’s photo and the white ticket between two fingers. Something flickers across his face — for a brief moment, my chest flares with a bit of hope at the expression — and then it’s gone.

He pockets the ticket. “The white ticket was for me, but I’m sorry, she doesn’t look familiar.” He hands the photo back to me, his hand catching my wrist as I reach for it. “And I promise I don’t do parlor tricks.”

I ignore the latter part of his statement. “Please, Tobias. I’ve spent seven years looking for her. I’ll do whatever it takes to find her —”

His hand reaches out, a finger silencing my lips. “Shh, Little Bird, be careful with such promises in this place. The Carnival has a way of collecting debts.”

His finger leaves my lips, and I take a step back. It seems no matter how many steps backward I take, he’s still right in front of me.

He taps the edge of his chin. “Perhaps I can help you in other ways,” his voice drops lower as he speaks. His eyes never leave mine as he spreads his arms wide. The mirrors around us tremble, their surfaces rippling like water that’s been disturbed.

The mirrors change and extend in every angle around me. Mechanics … that’s all Emerson. However, when the reflections showcase Tobias and I dancing in shadows, my breath hitches.

“What ... is this?” I mumble.

“An option,” he says, behind me once more as I stare at the extended mirrors. “But I prefer this one.”

The mirrors shift again. His body hovers over mine, every inch of our bare skin connecting. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I watch his full lips kiss and nibble at the curve of my neck, while my head tips back to give him better access. My fingers greedily dig into the muscular flesh of his back.

“Stop.” My voice is barely above a whisper. Parlor tricks … that’s all it is.

The illusion fades around me and I have to ignore the way my thighs were starting to rub together. What? I can’t help that it was attractive.

“Is this what you did to her?” My words come out stronger than I expect. “Did you make her see things before she disappeared?” Tears prick at my eyes as I let the anger take over, the realization that I can’t be the first one to see these ridiculous images. “Is this what you do to people, you fuck with their heads? Do you even care that you’re destroying lives?”

The playful smirk vanishes from his face, for a moment, the mask he has worn since I walked in seems to slip, and his blue eyes stare into mine. “Listen to me carefully, Emerson. The blue ticket ...” his voice softens, and no longer contains the teasing quality it just had. “It’s to get you into the Big Top. Don’t use it.”

“What?” It’s all I can say as his sudden change in demeanor confuses me. This whole place has me questioning the fine line between my sanity and reality.

His eyes lock with mine. “The Big Top isn’t a show you want to attend. Trust me.”

“I still need answers, and the ticket was free —”

“Free tickets are never truly free,” his eyes flick to where I have the blue ticket in my pocket before jerking back up to mine. His previously seductive manner seems more concerned now. “Leave before it starts. Some doors, once opened, cannot be closed again.”

I start to open my mouth as he snaps his fingers, the mirrors shattering as he does. I gasp and throw my arms up to shield myself, bracing myself for the cuts I know are coming, but instead I feel nothing. I wait for what feels like forever, and then finally I lower my arms.

I’m back outside the tent, alone on the pathway. Feeling queasy, like I just got off a rollercoaster. The night air bites into my skin as I search again for the entrance to the tent, I’m not letting him get away from me that easily. It should be right here.

Instead, I find nothing but a solid wall of black painted mirrors.

Chapter 4

I stare at the blackened mirrors. The lanterns flicker around me, casting different colors along the silver frames. I reach into my pocket, pulling out the blue ticket.

I study it for the first time since receiving it.