But Ignacio held her tight to his body. His other hand was clenched above their heads, right next to her own hands.
They both panted as they spun. She wanted to cry from the dizziness, and her arms felt as if they were boiling from the inside out.
“Smile,” Ignacio whispered into her ear. “You must continue performing or the ringmaster will disqualify you.”
Despite her anguish, she did what he said.
“Keep your act going,” he added.
She let more cards fly. With each flick of her wrist, the gloves burned hotter. Her only comfort was the feel of her back against his solid chest. His strong arm holding her in place.
“Thirty more seconds!” The ringmaster’s voice boomed throughout the tent. “Shout out your favorite act!”
The audience exploded with praise for the doves.
Someone shrieked. Then a flash of orange light exploded upward. And the spot where Paco once stood was now completely engulfed in flames.
Chapter 30
Ignacio
The fire brigade stormed the tent and doused the inferno.
Esmeralda whimpered.
He held her tighter to him. “We’re almost done, but don’t stop smiling. Just picture yourself far away from here.”
She turned her head away from the sputtering flames.
“Where has your mind taken you to?” he asked.
“To a sleepy meadow.”
“And what’s in the meadow?”
“Fragrant flowers and fat-bottomed bumblebees.”
“Try saying that five times in a row,” he whispered.
He felt her chuckle against him, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Time is up!” the ringmaster announced, as if nothing terrible was happening.
The hoop suddenly stopped spinning, and Esmeralda let out a relieved sigh.
As they slowly made their descent back to solid ground,Ignacio watched the carnival hands cart what was left of Paco the Fire Breather away.
“Thank you for helping me keep my mind in check,” she said softly. “How did you learn that trick?”
“I had a hard time sleeping while I was with the Blackbirds. I used to close my eyes and picture better times. Before long I’d drift offwitha smile on my face.”
“What times did you picture?”
He sighed and rested his cheek on her hair. “Every time I was with you.”
She went silent.
He was terrified she would only offer some snarky retort, but he realized he couldn’t let the fear of how she’d react stop him anymore. He needed to tell her how he felt. How she made him feel. Even if what she said in the aftermath hurt like hell.
