“I’m Paloma Blanca, Fortune Teller Extraordinaire.
The spirits speak to me often.
Even when I’m just in my underwear.”
This had the audience howling. It wasn’t even that funny, but she went with it.
“Tell the ringmaster how wonderful I am, so he never forgets!”
The audience cheered and clapped for her as she swung. They made Esmeralda feel as if she were a queen waving down at her subjects from a high tower.
“There’s no need to tell the ringmaster!” a voice boomed over the onlookers.
Esmeralda gasped. Ángel was there, standing amongst the throng. How had she not seen him? He so easily stood out with his striped pants, his gleaming jacket made in the shade of amethyst, and velvety top hat.
He raised his arms wide. “For your ringmaster is right here!”
The audience hurrahed and whooped and begged for autographs.
Ángel winked in her direction before disappearing in a puff of glittering smoke.
Esmeralda could do nothing but smile. Surely, she had impressed him this day.
A shriek rang out. Someone screamed for help. The parade came to a jarring halt. Esmeralda lost her grip on the ropes and flung forward.
Ignacio caught her around the waist before she face-plantedinto the metal bars. The momentum of her weight slamming into his arm squeezed the air out of her lungs.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his breath tickling the back of her neck. The sensation brought on a storm of chills. She couldn’t handle him being so close.
“Let me go,” she hissed.“King’s toes.”She scrambled away from him. “Did you have to catch me so aggressively hard likethat?”
“You’re welcome,” he deadpanned.
She adjusted her costume. “I would have caught myself.”
“Sure.”
“She’s suffocating!” a woman shrieked. “Somebody, please help!”
Ignacio’s head whipped in the direction of the scream. Three carnival hands were clambering onto Anella’s float. Her hands were banging against the glass box she’d stuffed her body into.
Esmeralda gulped. “She’s trapped inside.”
Ignacio shoved her aside and slammed open the cage door, running off to assist.
Bitter jealousy stung inside her chest. Of course he’d try to help Anella. But why did it always feel like Esmeralda was the first one to be pushed away whenever Ignacio Olivera had something more noble to do?
Chapter 18
Ignacio
As he raced through the panicking crowd, their screams morphed and reshaped into the cries of the terrified farmers he’d failed to protect in Dos Palos. His ears began to ring. His insides burned with remorse. He’d failed them. He’d let them die. He’d done nothing but stand there like a terrified child.
That would never happen again.
He wouldn’t fail the contortionist. He couldn’t. He had to stop the suffering before it was too late. Had to stop the screams.
He wedged his body between two finely dressed onlookers pointing up at the glass box that was situated on top of the carousel. An elderly man covered a small child’s eyes.
