Dovie. Today I got into my first fight.
With whom? And, more importantly, did you win?
With some officer’s son at school. He called me a dud because he said I have no friends. But I do have friends. Loads of them.
And yes. I knocked him right on his sorry ass.
Such language! I’m so very proud.
Who are these friends you have, by the way? I have never seen them. Are they imaginary? Are they in the room with you right now?
You can tell me, I won’t judge…too harshly.
There’s Doña Bria, Señor Duenas, and Victoria.
The governess. The gardener. And the maid. They hardly count.
There’s you.
Honestly, sometimes I think there’s no one in this world who gets me more than you. I swear I miss you even though we haven’t been in the same room together since we were ten. Is that weird?
I don’t know. But I quite like weird.
Chapter 20
Ignacio
Ignacio needed to get away from Esmeralda—no—from Paloma Blanca, Fortune Teller Extraordinaire or Renaissance Woman, or whatever the hell she wanted to call herself. She was so arrogant. So self-centered. So frustratingly stubborn. And she’d gone back on their deal. He should have known she’d break her promise.
He slowed as he entered the alleyway between booths and games. Posters of the ringmaster hung on every pole. The enchanted ink shifted with the breeze. The first night he arrived at the carnival, Ignacio had passed by a lemon-drop scented booth that sold shimmering tonics and bubbling concoctions. He had stopped before it, thinking perhaps the ink might be there amongst the other merchandise. He’d even asked the worker with jewels for teeth if she offered magical ink. The woman shook her head. She said that would belong to someone far more enchanting than she.
There was only one person Ignacio could think of. Not Gabriel. Ángel Veracruz.
With the performers and carnival so busy readying for the evening, now would be the perfect time to find the ringmaster’s quarters.
Ignacio spun on his heels and jolted.
The ringmaster himself stood before him. He wore his signature sequined jacket, top hat, and mischievous grin. “Hello,Ignacio.”
There he went again. Saying Ignacio’s name as if each syllable held a joke only the ringmaster was privy to.
Ignacio straightened his spine. “Didn’t see you there.”
“Hard to miss me, isn’t it?” Veracruz chuckled. He raised his hand. “I believe you left these behind.”
Ignacio gawked. “My shirt and coat.” With all the commotion of the parade, he’d forgotten he was walking around half naked and covered in Estefan’s foul feathers.
He took the clothing and quickly dressed with a word of thanks.
“You showed great fortitude today, kid.” The ringmaster took off his hat and placed it over his heart. “Allow me to express my gratitude for saving Anella. What a tragedy that might have been. I count my performers as family. I couldn’t imagine losing someone so dear to me.”
“Yet, you so quickly kicked her out of the carnival.” Ignacio couldn’t hide his bitterness.
“A game with no consequences is rather boring, wouldn’t you say?”
Judging from the way Esmeralda acted, and all the tears Anella shed, the Running wasn’t just some game to them. It was a lifeline.
“Walk with me?” the ringmaster asked. Though his tone implied it wasn’t a question but a command.
