“Another dress from Caspian?” Victoria asked quietly.
“Maybe he’s sending another ruined tablecloth,” Lucille offered, trying desperately to shake the tension in the room.
“How does he know where we are?” Lace whispered. It was possible he’d been keeping track of them and following their every movement. Was he trying to follow up on their clues? Or was it possible he was one step ahead of them, and they were fools to believe otherwise? Lace cursed under her breath. She thought they’d been so careful. Now it seemed she would have to tell Killian sooner rather than later. He deserved to know that not only was she receiving a gift from his brother, but that he was watching them.
“Who’s going to do the honors?” Lucille bit at the inside of her cheek.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Victoria huffed. “This is silly. It’s just a box.” She made to move forward but stopped and shook out her hands.
Saving her sister’s nerves, Lace reached down and peeled the lid away. Her heart threatened to stop beating. “Wow…”
She lifted a scandalous red dress that was form-fitting with a plunging neckline and no sleeves from the box. The lid clunked to the ground as she pulled the crimson fabric free and held it to her body. The silk felt amazing, and the cut of the dress was fantastic, though not appropriate for any social gathering.
Lucille whistled. “Wow is right! Looks like he wants to send a message.”
“What kind of message?” Victoria cocked a brow.
“That Lace is a little vixen and deserves a dress to match.”
Moving her fingers over the grooves of the gown, Lace shook her head, her hair falling gently over her shoulders. “I can’t believe he would send me something like this. How would I even wear it outside of my room? I can’t keep this.” The words pained her. Taking one last look in the mirror, she reluctantly folded the dress carefully before returning it to the box. She lifted the lid to pack the box away but paused. One of the corners was slightly raised and discolored.
Scrunching her eyebrows, she grasped the thick corner of the lid and pulled it back. “Oh, my gods…”
Lucille leaned forward. “What is it?”
“It’s … it’s the silver card.” Lace turned to look at her sister and friend. Their looks of surprise matched her own as she pulled free the silver card they had been searching for, though half of it was missing. She cautiously let her finger run over the jagged edge of where it had been ripped apart. The former luminous silver color was now dulling, fleeing back to the black it had once been.
“No,” Victoria squeaked out. She reached forward to touch the card.
“It can’t be,” Lucille said, stunned.
“Why is it ripped in half?” Victoria dropped her hand and picked up the box to look for anything else that might be inside. “Why did he hide it in the lid?”
“And why would he send it to you?” Lucille sat back on the bed.
“I don’t know.” Lace wasn’t sure why he would send her half of the card that held the chaos he wanted. The chaos he craved. It made no sense. She tapped the card lightly against her palm.
“We have to tell Killian,” Victoria said.
“I know,” Lace admitted. “But, let’s wait until after the show. He has too much on his mind right now. The last thing he needs is to see this before going on stage.”
A knock on the door put Lace more on edge as it creaked open. She had just tucked the card into her pocket when Alice’s pink hair flashed around the door.
“Hey, sweetheart. It’s time to get ready for tonight.”
Lace nodded once, and the door closed behind Alice, though Lace knew she hadn’t left. She would be in the hallway waiting to help her into her performer’s outfit. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her spine and plastered a look on her face she prayed would fool everyone around her. Including Killian.
“Pick one,” Alice said as she waved her hand over the table, holding Lace’s masks.
Lace grinned. “Trying to act as my handler again?”
“I wouldn’t have called myself your handler.” Alice rubbed her chin with her fingers. “Though the title does have a nice ring to it.”
Shaking her head to hide her laugh, Lace faced the table to look over her selection. Most of the masks were gifts from Killian, though she had kept a few from the competition. She touched the first mask she’d ever chosen during her time with Pandemonium and picked it up.
Silver slashes swept through the bright white fabric that still reminded Lace of a moon-lit night. Strands of small, delicate silver pearls ran along the backside of the mask and met with a clasp that helped hold it into place.
“Do you ever regret joining the show?” Lace kept her eyes glued to the mask.
“Never,” Alice replied without hesitation.
Lace looked up. “You don’t mind the aspect of living forever?”
“No. Why do you ask?” Alice tilted her head. When Lace didn’t reply, understanding took over. “Killian asked you to join the show, didn’t he?”
Lace slowly nodded.
“What’s the problem?” Alice took the mask from Lace’s hands and laid it on the table before pulling her to the dusty couch. As they sat, tiny particles of dirt lifted into the air and danced in the beams of light pouring in.
For just a moment, Lace let the world fade away as she contemplated the question. What was her problem? Her fingernails dug into her palms as her grip tightened. Everything was too much. The show. Immortality. The card. The chaos. The truth. The lies. The riddles. Just too much. Each answer hit her like a ton of bricks.
“Why do you hesitate?” Alice’s melodious voice tugged her from her spiraling thoughts.
“How old are you? I mean, really,” Lace questioned.
“I would say that it’s not proper to ask a lady that question, but I’ll allow it under these circumstances. If I had not joined Pandemonium, old age would have already taken me.” Leaning forward, Alice frowned. “In a month’s time, I will turn 134 years old.”
Lace felt her entire nervous system shudder. 134 years old. How was it possible? How could she fathom taking on the chaos like Alice had and allow herself to grow that old? Eternity was threatening to claim her soul, and she was afraid to let herself see into the unending future the show offered. Letting her overwhelmed body reboot, she exhaled. “And your family? Doesn’t it kill you that you’re still here while knowing they’re gone?”
“I had no family when I accepted the chaos. My mother and father died when I was a toddler, and I had no siblings.” She looked toward the wall, but the wooden planks were not what she was seeing. What held her attention was beyond the confinement of the room.
“But I do have a family.” Tears pooled in Lace’s eyes. “My brother, my sister, even Lucille, who is not family by blood, but by choice. How could I ever imagine watching them grow old while I do not?”
“I think you know Victoria and Lucille would be welcome among our ranks and given the chaos necessary. Your brother, though…” Alice smiled softly, letting the rest hang in the air between them. She didn’t need to say the words for Lace to understand. “The performers are my family now. As they can be yours. You will have to make a choice.”