your life to spare ours. What is different now?”
“Because self-sacrifice isn’t the same as murder.”
He glanced up at her with another incredulous expression. He shook his head as if he were talking to a child and looked back down at his sketch. “If you say so.”
She rubbed her hand over her face and sighed. “Killing Turk feels wrong. Very wrong.”
“You need to weigh the scales of which is worse. Killing him or killing all the rest of us.”
“I don’t want to have to make that choice.”
“You can dislike it all you want, but it’s a sad fact. You must choose. I personally don’t understand how it isn’t a simple decision. He can’t matter that much to you. Unless you’re secretly madly in love with that ball of lard and are sneaking away to have torrid affairs with him.” He grinned then made a face. “Ugh. Can you imagine? Disgusting. Now I’m upset at myself for having even brought it up.”
She shook her head and sighed. She kept back a laugh, but not a smile. “It’s not just Turk on that side of the scale. This place is a monster. It’s been eating people since the dawn of time. It isn’t right. Maybe the Faire should starve and die.”
“And that is precisely why you need to spend time with the others. You need to see the value of this life. Of us. Since I am not enough to convince you. Since your love for me is not enough.”
She cringed. “Simon…”
“I understand. Love is such a weak emotion, after all.” He sneered.
“Please. Stop.” She shut her eyes. “You’re asking me to kill a man for you. That isn’t fair.”
“Yes. I am. And I’m also asking you to kill a man for you. For us. For them.” He stood from the table and walked around it to stand beside her. “Look at me, Cora.”
“No.”
With a disgruntled noise, he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her up from the chair. She yelped as he whirled her to face him. “You are so stubborn. I swear, when I find a way to take this link from you—”
She looked at him, stunned. “What?”
He flinched and took a step back. “Nothing. Empty stomach talking. Come, get dressed. Let’s go eat. I’ll go ahead to get any unpleasantness out of the way before you arrive. I’ll meet you there.”
“No. Tell me what you meant.” This time it was her taking his arm to stop him from walking away. She pulled him back to her. “What do you mean, when you take the link away? What are you trying to do?”
He rolled his discolored eyes and put on his sunglasses. “It’s clear you don’t want it. I’ll figure out how to transfer the link to Harrow Faire from you, to me. I’ll gladly kill Ringmaster since you are worried about the cost to your precious and pure conscience. What’s the problem?”
She shook her head and let him go. She chewed her lip. “I don’t like it. I don’t like any of this.”
“If you don’t agree to kill Ringmaster, I see no other way to save our lives.” He reached out and gently stroked her hair. “I’m trying to save you the pain of doing what must be done. Are you mad at me?”
“No.”
“Then what’s wrong, Cora? I thought you’d be happy that I wanted to help you.” His hands settled onto her shoulders, and he kissed the back of her head. “I thought it would be a nice surprise. But you seem upset.”
“It’s just a lot all at once. It’s okay.” She leaned back against him and turned her head to kiss the back of his hand. “Go on ahead. I’ll change and be right behind you.”
He kissed her cheek before he left, leaving her alone in his boxcar. Walking to the bed, she sat on the edge and put her head in her hands.
She wasn’t mad at Simon for wanting to take the power from her. Of course he did. It was Simon. She wasn’t surprised, and she certainly didn’t hold it against him. Better chance getting regret out of a wolf for eating a rabbit.
No, she was upset and afraid. Not because she wanted to keep the link. Not because the idea of Simon in charge of the Faire was a terrible mental image. But because she was pretty sure she knew how he could take it from her.
By killing her.
Every former keeper of the Faire died when the power transferred. Either he’d make good on his