The Faire (Harrow Faire #5) - Kathryn Ann Kingsley Page 0,6

grinned at her from behind her cigarette. “When the time comes, when you get your chance, you’ve gotta trust him.”

“This is Simon we’re talking about. There’s no trusting him.” She ran her fingers along the edge of the stage, tracing a few of the smaller spirals painted there. “I love him, and I still don’t believe half the shit he says.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I had to say what I had to say.” The end of the old woman’s cigarette glowed brightly as she took a drag from it. “I should go,” she said in an exhale of smoke that curled around her. “The mob is on its way. I don’t like watching people get knocked around. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Great.” Cora cringed. “No. It’s fine. I guess.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“Just remember what I said. You’ll know when it’s important.”

“Thanks. I think.”

Maggie chuckled as she pushed up to her feet with a grunt. “Oh, don’t thank me. Don’t ever thank me. I’m only ever the bearer of bad news.”

“That wasn’t that bad, all things considered. Telling me ‘there will come a time where I need to trust Simon’ isn’t that terrible.”

Maggie snickered. “Only because you don’t know what’s going to lead up to it.”

And with that, the Soothsayer was gone.

Cora wasn’t alone for long with the bad news and her dark thoughts. Maybe a minute or two at most before a large figure nearly filled the entrance to the tent. She knew that silhouette on sight. She stood and refused to back down. She wouldn’t run anymore.

Even if she was terrified.

“Hello, Turk.”

Ringmaster tightened the last knot on the ropes that bound Simon and Cora to the post in the center of his office tent. He would have dragged them to the tower immediately, but…rules were rules, and laws were laws. And there was a code in the Family that was not to be broken.

Anyone sentenced to the tower was to be heard by their peers. There was supposed to be a vote with everyone in attendance.

Normally, that was the case.

But Turk had a problem.

Holding a trial would mean Cora would have the chance to tell the Family that he planned to starve Harrow Faire to death. He had faith that he could hold off the ire of the others for a week, but now things had changed. Because she had fed the creature the seity of that man, she had extended the life of Harrow Faire. By how long, he didn’t know. But it would be plenty long enough for those like Rudy and any others who might side with Cora to rise against him.

Turk stroked his hand over his moustache and sat down in his chair. The wood creaked beneath him as he rested his elbow on his desk and looked at the two unfortunate and unconscious individuals in front of him. He regretted punching Cora hard enough to knock her out. But she was screaming for help, and he couldn’t have her disturbing the rest of the Family. The hour was still early, and he would wait until the sun rose before he called the others in to stand in judgement.

But what to do?

None of his choices were good.

He could gag her, but she was allowed by their code to make a case for herself. And as soon as she did, she would turn enough of the Family against him that there might be trouble. It would be an inconvenience—there wasn’t anything they could really do against him—but it would still be a problem.

He could cast the Puppeteer and the Contortionist into the tower without trial, but that broke their code.

Sighing heavily, he shut his eyes. None of this was about the man whose seity was drained. Yes, it was against their laws to kill a patron. But that poor man had left with his eyes wide and his heart beating. There were no laws about stealing seity—and that was the reason behind Turk’s entire crusade to end them all.

It was not about that man.

It was about the death of Harrow Faire.

Cora had taken that man’s seity—drained him dry to feed the monster. That meant Turk was her next victim. And with Simon whispering in her ear and backing her cause, they were a threat. A very dangerous threat.

I haven’t come this far to give up now. But what kind of a man was he if he broke his honor with his last breath? If, when things finally became difficult