She ran through the soapy mess but shuddered to a halt when she spotted a tall and angular figure lurking behind the siren tank.
General Keara.
“Shit.”
Esmeralda spun in the opposite direction and raced through the carnival, trying to put as much distance between herself and General Keara as possible. The gates must have just opened because rambunctious guests poured through the walkways and scrambled toward the Big Top.
She cut into Clown Alley to avoid the chaos.
Did the general’s presence have anything to do with why Ignacio was missing?
She forced herself to peer over her shoulder. Her stomach clenched.
General Keara was marching after her, slicing a direct line through the revelers and carnival hands. But the rata stationed at the entrance held up his hand and stalled her.
“For once you’ve done your job right,” Esmeralda grumbled under her breath.
Still, knowing how determined General Keara was to get her way, that would only last so long. Esmeralda had to find Ignacio. The Big Top drums began to thump. She quickened her speed as best she could with the ridiculous wings on her back. She bolted through the tent flap that led into the dressing area of the Big Top. She didn’t trust Jorge, but he said Ignacio was here and this was her only lead.
The room was filled with performers and animals getting ready for the march of showstoppers. But no Ignacio. With Paco gone, Benicio and Anella disqualified, and the Córdovas and Sánchezes injured, the two other remaining acts in the Running, Nicola the Escape Artist and David the Knife Thrower, stood at opposite ends of the bustling space, glaring each other down as they stretched and prepared for the final challenge.
She thrust into the throng and called for Ignacio.
“I saw your beau heading toward the ringmaster’s private dressing room just now,” Jade informed her. “He was searching for you as well.”
Esmeralda had never been inside Ángel’s dressing room. But she flung herself through the open flaps that led to it.
Panting, she took in the small space. It was filled with top hats, jackets, and tall mirrors, and there was a single changing screen in the corner. A ladder hung from behind it, leading into the canvasroof.
Again, there was no sign of Ignacio.
She chewed on her lip. She had to do something. It would only be a matter of minutes before Keara found her. And then what? Esmeralda might be dragged back into a cell. She had lost her power once. She couldn’t lose it again.
Movement pulled her attention to the ladder. The ringmaster’s shiny boots and signature striped slacks clambered down the rungs.
Ángel’s blue eyes met hers from within the shadows of his top hat. An easy grin replaced the stern look on his face. “Ready to put on the performance of a lifetime?”
“Have you seen Ignacio?” She couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice.
“What’s eating you, birdie?”
“General Keara is on carnival grounds,” she spat out. “She’s trying to enter Clown Alley as we speak.”
“I see,” he said.
Far too calmly.
Slowly, he finished his descent and faced her. He rested his hands on his slender hips. His coat was off, and his shirtsleeves were rolled to his elbows. One of his arms was laced with old scars she never knew existed. He took off his hat and wiped away the sweat from his brow. “I was just up there checking the rigging on the catwalk before the show begins.”
“Are you going to do anything about the general?” she snapped.
“General Keara is the least of my concerns. We have bigger fish swimming inside my shimmering pond.”
Her pulse began to thump hard in her chest. “What do you mean?”
“Come.” He grabbed one of the sequined jackets and shrugged it on before exiting the dressing room.
“But…Ignacio…”
