The dragon screamed, flames gushing from its mouth. Each of the torches around me and Lilyanna whooshed to life, the flames rising higher and higher, reaching toward each other until we were in a molten birdcage.
The dragon screamed again, circling us, brandishing its forked tail.
Marianne cracked her neck and popped her knuckles, the sound magnified so a shudder ran through me. “Shall we rescue some damsels in distress?” she called. The crowd roared in approval.
It was beautifully serene inside the flaming cage. Marianne had set it to crackle gently like a log fire in winter, perfuming the air with a mild wood smoke. The heat roared outward, causing the crowd to shy away, but inside our little cocoon it was perfectly comfortable.
“We should use your engagement as an excuse to leave,” I said.
“I don’t think I?—”
Marianne dodged past the dragon, narrowly avoiding a tongue of flame. She snuffed out one of the bars, dragging her hand down the flame to the torch at the bottom as easily as if it were a candle.
“You were almost strangled. By sheets, for Goddess’s sake. And I found myself inside the walls. Inside!”
“You could still?—”
“I’m only leaving with you, Lilyanna. Unfortunately, I kind of like you now, and I know you’re better off alive than dead. No amount of gold-infused diamond is worth finding out about your grisly murder later. You know your family would agree.”
She laced her fingers with mine as another bar dissolved. “My family sent me knowing full well what happened to the others.”
She jerked her head back as Marianne leaped upon one of the bars, a spike of fire impaled through her torso. She ripped it out and snapped it over her knee, tossing the smoldering embers toward the crowd who scurried back, cheering wildly.
“But,” she sighed, “I don’t want to die.”
“Good. So, we plan to go visit your family. Discuss wedding arrangements or post-marital visits or how many grandchildren they want, whatever is most believable, and we’ll get the fuck out of here.”
“Simple.”
I nodded. “It’s genius if you ask me.” Siobhan had given me a bag of money and an expanse of ideas. I’d busy myself putting everything into motion and at the last moment, I’d whisk Lilyanna away and the prince and that Goddessdamned haunted castle would be none the wiser.
Clement though? My stupid heart ached already. I’d have to ignore it. It was just lust. Pent up, fully saturated, ridiculous feelings toward a man I hardly knew.
The second to last bar disappeared, the crowd obscured by a smoky cloud that serpentined toward the night sky. The dragon roared and dived toward Marianne.
“But the prince can’t get wind of it. None of them can. We have to pretend like we’re coming back,” I said.
She squeezed my hand. “Then we can send for the prince. Perhaps he will come visit me, and we can live in the West instead. He could be trapped by that creepy castle as well. Maybe that’s what the signs are saying, that our paths still cross, but just not here.”
The last bar disappeared, and the crowd roared. Marianne spread her arms wide, and the dragon launched at her. They rolled across the ground in a large fireball until she managed to wrestle it back inside the small box.
She put the box in her pocket, stood and took a deep bow, the tips of her hair smoking. She turned and gestured for us to join her.
I put on my most sincere voice, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “I’ve often thought that as well. Why else would he stay?” I painted a smile on my face and grasped Marianne’s slick hand, falling into a bow with Lilyanna bent beside me.
The prince would not be visiting her because before we left, I’d finish my job. There was nowhere for me to run. Siobhan would always find me and that was worse than just delivering a small scratch. Perhaps it would be a welcome relief for him. If he were truly trapped, he could create a new life of freedom in the afterlife. Lilyanna would get over it.
The prince wasted no time in reclaiming her, and we moved toward the outskirts for the finale of the evening. Clement trailed behind them, his body pressed against mine, tugging me back and allowing the gap to widen. Bryn fell into step on the prince’s left with a small shake of her head.
I pointed at her and raised my eyebrows.
“She’ll be fine.” He shrugged. “She owes me, anyway. She was stationed with my sister for years, and I know full well they took any chance they could get to sneak out together.” He ran his hand down my back, tucking his fingers into the waistband of my leggings. “I don’t know what you’re planning, Tamara, but it turns me on watching you try and hide it from me.”
“You really do have an active imagination, my friend. Is there not enough danger threatening the prince today that you’re turning your attention to me?”
“My attention is always on you.” He shot me a not-so-subtle grin before he grabbed my ass and swung me to the side. He backed me against the canvas of the last stall, shadows softly falling from the overhang and enrobing us in darkness. He turned me around, his hands slowly roving my front while he pressed up hard against my back.
The prince stood barely feet in front of us with his hand in Lilyanna’s, illuminated in the multi-colored glow of the fairy lights. Their faces were upturned as the night sky erupted in dazzling streams of color and light and sound. Each firework carried a different essence—lemon, saffron, honey—the scents infusing the air as the giant aerial show began.
