“No, but if Agni is involved, he can’t be acting alone. He must have a mind-worker answering to him.”
Footsteps crunch the hay somewhere in the next room. I act before thinking and shove Nicoleta and Unu and Du back into their Trunks. Unu and Du are only twelve—how could they help with an official? And Nicoleta, well, maybe I should’ve kept Nicoleta out, since she looks like an Up-Mountainer.
The tent flap parts, and there’s a flickering light, cast by a flame. The flame dances over the outstretched hand of Agni, casting an eerie mix of glow and shadows over his angular face.
“Sorina,” he says, a hint of surprise in his tone. Now that he’s seen me, it’s too late to use an illusion to hide myself. But maybe I could make a dummy to fool him like I did during my argument with Jiafu.
“What are you doing here when there are officials out? You should be safe in your tent. They’re causing quite a havoc.”
“I was out when they arrived. I came in here to hide from them,” I lie.
He raises his eyebrows. “We both know that you could hide yourself with your illusion-work. Why come in here, alone, in the dark?” At this, he dims the light of his fire until it is no bigger than a match flame. I try not to whimper. These are just theatrics to scare me. “Were you talking to Luca? Sorina...that isn’t a good idea. Not after what he has done.”
I am brave, I think to myself. I am brave enough. All I need to focus on is making it back to Kahina, now that I have Luca and the other illusions safe inside my head. I need to protect them.
“I think he might be innocent,” I say.
“Don’t let him trick you, Sorina. You can’t trust an Up-Mountainer. Look what they’re doing to the Festival just as we speak. Look what they’ve done to your family. To my son.” He shakes his head. “Don’t let your feelings for one boy ruin our crusade.”
I have known Agni my entire life. During every meeting or dinner with Villiam, he has been present, though silent. It’s difficult to imagine him trying to hurt me.
“I know he’s an illusion,” I say boldly.
The sympathetic smile on his face morphs into a scowl. He takes a step toward me, the fire above his palm glowing brighter. “I didn’t expect you to figure it out.”
My heart freezes into a hard lump of ice. I hold back a scream and force out an illusion of myself, so fast I don’t bother with the details. It’s so dark in here that all I need is a silhouette to stand here—so I can run.
Agni is the killer.
This entire time, he’s been watching from the background behind Villiam, learning about my abilities. Maybe he’s a mind-worker, as well. That would explain how he knew Luca could be killed with Hellfire and how I’d forgotten about creating Luca. Villiam usually helps me create my illusions, but Agni is always with him. He’d have opportunity to mess with his mind, as well.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” he says. “I’ve known you a long time. You’re a nice girl. But this is much bigger than you and your little family. You have seen for yourself what we are up against.”
I inch back, deeper into the darkness, the illusion of myself only a few feet from Agni.
“You’re not fooling anyone,” he says. He shakes his jacket, which jingles with glass and metal clacking together. “I had charms made to counteract the effects of your illusions.” He takes a step forward, and I take another back, keeping him at least ten feet away. Even if he can see through my illusions, there’s still the safety of the darkness.
“The Up-Mountainers need to pay for what they’ve done to us. We can put an end to the way they’ve treated us for centuries. Don’t you want to help, Sorina? You were a slave once. Where would you be now if Villiam hadn’t freed you?”
I don’t answer. I’m sad for Agni’s loss, truly, but I’m now terrified of being alone with him. Terrified of the way he looks at me, as if my past is etched on my skin. I might share pieces of Agni’s story, but I cannot feel the way he feels. Maybe I should. But however justified his ends, the means will only see more innocents murdered.
“I’m curious,” he asks. “How did you find out about Luca?”
I don’t answer. I don’t owe him any explanations.
“You’re rarely this quiet. In fact, Villiam can hardly get you to stop chattering on.” He shakes his head and then the flame over his hands goes out, and we’re in nearly complete darkness. All I see is the outline of his body coming closer. “Answer me, Sorina.”
Still, I say nothing.
“I haven’t wanted to hurt you, but you’re forcing my hand. If you don’t make the Up-Mountain boy reappear, I’ll kill you in order to kill him.”
Then his fire returns, all at once, but ten times as large and ten times as bright. It glows pure gold, and the entire room is illuminated as if we’re within the core of the sun.
Hellfire.
I dash for a tunnel and make it into the main circus room, where I trip on a balance beam. Agni sprints toward me, and I look around frantically. I need to get away, out of the reach of him and his fire.
Hawk appears beside me before I even call to her. Just as Agni is an arm’s length away from burning me, she grabs my leg with her talons and flies me up to the high trapeze. I dangle upside-down and scream as the entire perimeter of the tent becomes engulfed in golden flames.
All except for Agni, who must be wearing charms like Luca’s. The Hellfire parts for him as he walks.
“We need to fly out of here,” I tell Hawk.
“The doors are covered. I don’t think we can fly low enough to get out without getting burned,” she says.
Agni twists the flames into something else, sculpting it like melted glass. He makes a bow and then points one long shining arrow at us. He doesn’t even need to hit us. The Hellfire will consume the entire trapeze in moments.
But if Agni is gone, the Hellfire will disappear, too. I need something to get rid of Agni, and I need that person to be quick and sudden about it.
I call to Tree, and he appears several yards behind Agni, already prepared to run. He lets out a growl loud enough to shake the Menagerie and then charges at him.
Agni doesn’t have time to react. He falls under Tree’s weight and is crushed in a medley of screams and the crunching sound of breaking bones.
Hawk grabs me and takes off, cheering for Tree as the flames disappear. I’m too disturbed at the sight of the Menagerie floor, which is a mess of blood and Agni’s broken body, to echo her enthusiasm. But I murmur my appreciation for Tree’s efforts and return him safely to his Trunk.