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He could take his pick because Omar knew this wasn’t her. Not who she was. Not who she wanted to be. Not what she wanted to do.
Lark ignored her cue from Blaze to begin the first trick. Her gaze fell on the front row of the audience. In the second row, she saw the little girl who wanted to be a magician herself. There was confusion on Lulu’s brow as she watched Lark move center stage. The young girl held her wand in one hand and passed the coin Lark had given her between the fingers of her other hand. The hand that held the wand trembled.
Lark knew why. Men were still pulling the strings of her act. When Omar had taken up her show, he had never done that. He had handed over the reins happily. He’d believed in her vision. He’d supported her every step. And now look where she stood.
She was the one who had pulled the ride to a halt. All because it mattered to her how people thought she’d come on board the ride in the first place. Well, now she was here, standing center stage of her dreams.
She’d done it. But it meant nothing without the man she loved and his support. So it was time to go.
"For my final trick—”
“Don’t you mean your first trick, assistant?” came Blaze’s voice.
“I’m no one’s assistant. I’m a magician. And I'll be performing a disappearing act."
"That's no longer part of the show,” said Blaze.
The audience laughed, clearly thinking it was indeed part of the show.
And just like that, she had her audience back. Her entrance had been lackluster. But her exit would be memorable.
“There is no real magic in a disappearing act,” she said. “The key, as with any illusion, is making the audience believe. Because you see, magic starts in the heart. Love is an unseen and elusive power. If you believe in love, then you know how to work magic.”
She had no cape to hide behind. There was no furniture to slip around. There was just Lark, a woman in love and ready to show the world.
“I'm in love with Omar al Shariff, the Marquis of Navarre. He has been the solid footing beneath my wings that has allowed me to fly. Together we are going to soar.”
She turned to the curtains off stage where Rancik stood.
“If you didn’t catch that, Mr. Rancik, that was my notice.”
Lark turned back to the crowd.
“Now, all I need is for you to say the magic word. Can you guess what that is?”
“Love,” shouted a familiar voice.
Lark nodded at her best friend. Spin gave her two thumbs up. The crowd began to chant the word.
Lark pressed her ha
nd to her heart. Flinging her hands in the air, she tossed up a spray of glitter and was gone.
Down she went into a tunnel of darkness. From above, she could hear the audience applauding. She also heard Blaze questioning where she went.
It wasn’t a trick she’d taught him. It wasn’t a trick she’d ever planned to use. But love had caught up to her with its own sleight of hand, and now Lark was under a spell she had no intention of unraveling.
She’d fallen. Hard. Not on her rear. She’d fallen standing up, eyes wide open, heart at the ready for Omar. She just had to go and find him.
Lark took a step back and bumped into an immovable wall. It beat in a fast-paced rhythm. The pattern of the heart beats matched her own.
She turned around beneath the trap door and there he was.
Omar waited with this arms opened wide. His brow had been pulled in displeasure, but that line was quickly easing away. Relief flushed his cheeks. Tenderness brightened his gaze.
"I'm so sorry," they both said at the same time.
Omar wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. If she planned to disappear again, she’d have to take him with her. Lark made no move to go. She wrapped her arms around him and clasped her hands at his neck.
