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“Here, master: what cheer?”
“You’re putting on plays now?” I turned my attention on Mephistopheles, brows knitted. “The Tempest?”
“Romeo and Juliet seemed too macabre, though I needed some outlet these last couple of months.” He motioned to someone before bending close, his breath tickling me. I leaned away.
Jian, the Knight of Swords, slapped me on the back in greeting, then handed the ringmaster a suit jacket studded with clear gemstones. Stars set in constellations. Andreas’s old costume, I realized. As he quickly put it on, I spied thin wire crisscrossing on the interior portion of the coat. That was a new addition to it. He was up to more stage tricks.
Mephistopheles grinned. “Nikola’s a good man. He’s an even better showman.”
“You’ve met Nikola Tesla?” My mouth practically hung open. “The real Nikola Tesla?”
“Well, he’s certainly not the imposter Nikola. I’ve heard that guy is rather dull in comparison. We’ve spent some time together, exchanging notes.” He nodded toward a contraption hanging above the stage. “You’ve heard of the Tesla coil, I presume?”
“Of course,” I said, trying to work out the fact that Mephistopheles spoke of Tesla as if they were the best of friends. “It’s supposed to be incredible.”
Fake winds howled and the lights dimmed. “Ah”—Mephistopheles bowed—“that’s my cue. Enjoy the show.”
The curtains closed on the first scene and the ringmaster of the Moonlight Carnival disappeared behind them. I looked at Jian. “What was that about?”
“It’s nice to see you, too.” He gave me a sardonic smirk. “He moped around for weeks, you know. Human emotions are hard for him.” Jian crossed his massive arms. “Now you’ll see what he’s been up to. He likes putting his energy into inventions, helps occupy his mind.”
The curtains flew back as if on a huge breeze. Mephistopheles stood, his hands spread wide, as man-made thunder and lightning crashed and banged all around him and us. It was as if we were all part of the stage… lightning struck the ground in fizzling pops.
He thrust his head back, holding his arms toward the heavens. Veins of electricity buzzed from the contraption in the theater, snaking from his hands and shooting back out. He twirled about the stage, electricity flowing and bending from his fingertips as if he alone controlled the raging storm. As if he were the tempest.
“Prospero,” Thomas whispered. “Of course he’d take on the role of a wicked sorcerer.”
He turned his attention on me, though I could scarcely take my eyes from the stage. It was magnificent, witnessing such a machine up close. That explained the wires in the ringmaster’s jacket—it attracted the bits of electricity to him. I longed to reach out and touch a whip of white-blue electricity myself, just to see if it tingled like I imagined it did. I’d read that Tesla’s coils didn’t harm anyone; the ropes of wild electricity were just for show.
Thomas kissed my cheek right as sparks flew like glitter from Mephistopheles’s hands. I felt him smile against my skin. “Look at that, Wadsworth; when we kiss spark
s literally fly.”
I twisted around, cupping his face and laughing as we kissed again. “You certainly have a way of making the impossible possible. Thank you for this. I know you don’t care for Ayden.”
“I’m glad this didn’t… disturb you,” he said, biting his lip. “I-I wasn’t sure if it would be another horrendous miscalculation.”
I tore my gaze from the magic, noting the worry etched into his features. “Why did you think I’d be displeased? Because of Mephistopheles?”
“Your brother…”
He allowed the statement to sit long enough for me to piece together his meaning. I inhaled sharply. My brother’s secret laboratory. The electricity that had shot through his body, leaving him convulsing on the floor. His death had been brutal. I hadn’t been thinking of that at all. I glanced away, ashamed. Perhaps I truly was wicked. It should have been my first thought, not my last. Thomas wrapped an arm around me.
“Don’t. It means you’re healing, Audrey Rose. Cherish it. Don’t condemn yourself for moving on, or for living.”
I kissed Thomas sweetly, then stood in front of him, his hands anchoring me in place, while Miranda stepped onstage, demanding her father cease the tempest he’d started. I leaned my head against Thomas’s chest, watching the storm rage. If only there were such things as sorcerers, I’d beg for a spell to find the devil before he struck again.
“Miss Wadsworth, Mr. Cresswell, I’d like to introduce you both to Miss Minnie Williams.” Mephistopheles brought us backstage, where performers sat in silk robes, sipping tea or spirits and celebrating their nightly success. “She’s an exceptional Miranda, but, alas, she’s moving on to calmer shores.”
Minnie wiped her makeup off, cheeks reddening from the damp washcloth. “Henry doesn’t care for theatrics. He thinks they’re beneath us. We’re to be married this week, and I can’t very well go around displeasing him.”
She plucked a leaf from her hair, disposing of it on her dressing table. It must have been a leftover from the man-made tempest. True to his attention to detail, Mephistopheles had created an entire island of magic within the saloon’s walls. No wonder the Devil’s Den was the most popular destination in this part of the city.
“Plus,” Minnie continued, “it’s not as if I won’t have anything to do. He’s promised me I can be a stenographer. It’s not the stage, but it’s important work.”
“Mm-hm. Very.” Mephistopheles kicked his boots up onto the table, the leather gleaming as usual. “So? What did you make of the coil? It’s got that ‘razzle-dazzle’ Houdini’s always going on about. A real show-stopper. In recent shows, I’ve had half a dozen women—and men—require smelling salts after witnessing the electricity whip about like serpents.”
“It is quite… shocking.” That earned a groan from both Thomas and the ringmaster. Clearly they didn’t appreciate good humor. “Is Harry here?” I asked, thinking of my cousin. She’d had little choice but to stay in New York with my aunt. I wasn’t sure how she’d feel if she knew Houdini was here and she wasn’t. “I didn’t see the others.”
