Antoinette, Madeline, and I would come to watch Zazel perform at the Pravitian circus whenever we could afford it. My heart aches at the memory, and I hope that maybe Zazel is inside.
Something about Gemini’s demeanor tells me that he’s waiting for some kind of reaction, but I refuse to give him the pleasure of one. I keep my face as smooth as stone and take his hand while stepping out of the car, following him inside.
To my dismay, the circus is deserted.
Cloaked in darkness, it appears to be closed for the day.
“Sit,” Gemini says, pointing to the stands facing the stage.
I roll my eyes at the order, but still do as he said. He misses my small protest, too busy jogging away and disappearing to the back.
I wait, my impatience manifesting as a bouncing knee and me biting the skin around my thumb. Finally, a single spotlight turns on, illuminating a large circle at the very center of the stage. I perk up, wondering what will happen next.
Gemini returns, his smile just as mischievous as ever. He's changed into a striped pair of jeans and a cropped leather vest, his chest bare underneath.
Strutting up to me, he offers me what appears to be a pale pink leotard.
He hasn’t yet said a word, simply waiting for me to take the outfit out of his grasp. I let the silence hang for a little while longer, staring back at him.
Eventually, I cave. “Why are you handing me this?”
His smile widens, as if he won the game, and I immediately regret asking.
“Oh, this?” he says in an infuriatingly innocent tone. “It’s for your audition.”
19
GEMINI
Veil’s eyebrows dip in the most adorable furrow, and I start to salivate at the thought of her slender body poured into the leotard that I’mstillholding up for her.
“My audition?” she repeats after a few failed attempts at speaking.
“You were a gymnast, weren’t you?”
“Yes, but I haven’t—” she begins to protest.
I tilt my head, hovering over her. “I didn’t miss how you bent your body when you retrieved the dropped key.” I shoot her a wink. “When you thought I wasn’t looking.”
Flinging the leotard onto her lap, I stroll up onstage, stepping into the spotlight. I stretch my arms out on either side of me and circle around to face her.
“I can offer you freedom,” I say magnanimously, walking back to where she still sits, her brown eyes as wide as saucers. I drop my voice an octave lower for a better dramatic effect. “Underspecificconditions.”
Her gaze turns hard, and I pause, thinking she’s about to cut me off. But she doesn’t speak, her lips thinning into a straight line, the pink leotard trapped in her curled fist.
I shrug and continue my little speech, holding up a finger. “All I ask is for one simple audition. And this could all be yours, pet.”
“You speak like joining the circus has been a lifelong dream of mine,” she snaps.
I drop the smile. “Fine, let’s go.”
I feign nonchalance as I try to take the leotard out of her hands, but she quickly fights back, pulling it into her chest.
“Wait.” Her voice wavers, and I know I have her.
I let out a small sigh, acting bored when I’m anything but.
“What are the conditions?” she says slowly.
