Circus of Puppets: A NA Fantasy Novel (The Victorian Fantasy Series Book 1) by Anna Moore

Author:Anna Moore [Moore, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Vin knew he couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t stand the thought of having to go for another game in which he was not only forced to relive whatever part of the past hurt him the most, but to lose as well.

He just couldn’t do it anymore.

He sighed, trying, to no avail, to relieve the pressure on his chest.

He figured Kira must be waiting outside. He regretted having been so harsh to her. For half a second, he considered going out and asking her to come in, before realizing that he couldn’t do that. His limbs felt heavy, his breathing was frantic, and he needed to calm down before seeing anyone else, especially Kira.

Turning to his side, he hid his face in his hands, trying to cry, but no tears came. His insides felt hollow, as if an important part of himself had been removed.

He knew he had to leave as soon as possible.

Finally, he managed to get up and open the door to his wagon. There was Kira –– as he expected –– leaning against the wagon.

“May I come in?” she asked, clearly concerned.

He said nothing, only opened the door wider, signaling to her that she should enter the carriage.

For a while, neither of them said anything. They both sat on the bed. He felt the warmth of her body close to his, but it did not seem to reach further than his skin.

“So, what happened?” she asked, softly.

“He made me get something from my parents’ house,” Vin began, not knowing how he should continue.

Kira nodded. “That had been my first task as well.”

Astounded, he looked at her. “How did it go?”

She just laughed a humorless laugh. “Not very well. But go on, what happened to you?”

“Well, my parents were in the house. And then…” He just couldn’t bring himself to tell the story.

“It’s alright,” she said, slowly caressing his back. “You don’t need to tell me.”

He nodded, half wanting to tell her, half not, and whatever he would decide, he just couldn’t find the words to do so.

“I need to leave,” he finally said into the silence. “I can’t do this anymore.” He looked at her with determination. “And I need you to come with me.”

Weakly, she replied: “You know I can’t.”

“Why not? Honestly, why not? Why do you think it’s better to stay in the circus and just wait for the end than it is to come with me?” He realized he had clenched his fists and slowly released them.

She sighed. “I can’t. I need to stay here. Maybe I’ll win my next game…”

“You know you won’t.”

She shook her head. “I just need to try. I can’t run away and face…” She ended, abruptly.

“Face what?”

“Face a life where I won’t be free,” she said, softly.

“You won’t be free here, either! You’ll be turned into a puppet, dancing to the song that the director is playing.”

“I’m well aware of that,” she said, her voice sounding hoarse. “But I have to try. Out there, I’ll be… nothing. Just

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