The Faire (Harrow Faire #5) - Kathryn Ann Kingsley Page 0,77

edge of the landing, leaning her arms on the first rung of the railing, and looked out at Harrow Faire. She was about a hundred feet up, and almost in line with the top deck of the observation tower across the park.

She could see everything from up here. The boxcars, the tents, the rides…everything. The sound of music and the crowd’s shouts and hollers made her smile. It was beautiful.

Someone nudged her elbow, and she reached for her limeade without looking. Lazarus handed it back to her. She took a slurp through the straw. “Tomorrow’s the big day.”

“Yeah.” He paused. “It’s strange that I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t you know what everyone’s thinking? And what they’re going to do tomorrow?”

“No. If I knew what people were thinking, my existence would be a lot easier.” He leaned his arms on the railing as well and propped his chin on them. “You humans are still so strange to me. Try as I might, the adage ‘you are what you eat’ doesn’t seem to have any merit to it.”

She laughed, and they drifted into companionable silence for a long moment. “I’m scared. I don’t want to lose. And I…don’t really want to kill Turk, either. When he isn’t throwing me over a railing to my doom, I kind of like the big man.”

Laz reached out and put an arm around her, hugging her into his side. “Whatever happens, you’ll have me.”

“And Simon.”

He smiled sadly. There was something strange in his eyes, but it faded a second later. He leaned in and kissed the top of her head like a father might to his daughter. “You won’t be alone.”

Simon hummed to himself as he finally—finally—finished the doll. He had started it what seemed like years ago. Then, it had been rushed. This time, he had a week to finish polishing and painting it.

It had to be perfect.

He dressed it in one of Cora’s costumes. Painted the porcelain lips the same shade of crimson she favored when she performed. She really was a work of art, and now her doll was, too.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

A big, very exciting, very important day. It was going to be an important moment that would change everything forever. And like any opening night of a new performance, he was stressing over the details.

Because every detail had to be flawless.

The sound of someone approaching made him turn his head. But it was only the shifting of his latest creation. She was still learning her legs and was a little gangly and awkward. They all were when they started.

Ah, Amanda. So bold and brave on the outside…so empty on the inside. It always surprised him how very little substance there was to some people in the world. Amanda was one of those who flashed brightly like a diamond in the sand, only to be revealed as a piece of broken glass when plucked up in his palm.

Ripping her unwillingly out of her body and stuffing her into his doll had done serious damage, he had to admit. There was barely anything left of the former Aerialist burning inside that piece of painted wood. A shame, but it was probably better that Amanda not be constantly screaming at him, wailing against the injustice of her current predicament.

Because she didn’t remember who she was. Not a lick of it. Not a single damned breath of her memory was left.

But how delicious it had been to see her look up at Turk with glassy, unseeing eyes, and whisper, “I’m sorry, sir, do I know you?”

That was the sweetest revenge Simon could have possibly devised. He thought perhaps Ringmaster had died in that moment. He fell to his knees and wept at the feet of the puppet. He begged her for forgiveness. And still, she could only profess her ignorance.

There was only one person left upon whom his vengeance needed to be enacted. One person who deserved to pay for what they’d done to him. His plan would go into effect very shortly.

“Father?” the puppet whispered, breaking him out of his happy thoughts.

“Yes, dear?”

“I’m lonely…”

“Don’t worry, darling.” Simon smiled slowly. “You won’t be alone for long.”

It was the big day. Cora hid in her boxcar. She honestly hadn’t seen Simon since breakfast. She was too nervous. Harrow Faire closed early, and the Family meeting was set for the big top at sundown.

High noon was probably just a bit too much on the nose. She fed her fish, smiling at them as they