She froze. Her friends didn’t notice. They all walked past him, thanking him, and went to find a place where their group could sit in the relatively packed tent. It left her standing there, gaping at the man in shock. It left her alone.
With him.
He straightened, and the next thing she recognized was the sadistic and insane grin on sharp, handsome features. She was shocked his teeth weren’t pointed like a shark’s. His dark hair was swept back from his face in curls and waves. It would be chin-length if it were wet.
Sunglasses hid the eyes she knew would be inverted and wrong. Those terrifying eyes from her dreams that were black where they should be white, white where they should be black, and crimson instead of blue. The sunglasses were equally as bizarre as the rest of him. One lens was red. The other was black.
He tilted his head to one side, as if pondering her. “Hello, Cora dear.” His grin twisted into a smile that looked predatory and hungry. “So wonderful to see you again.”
6
Cora took a step back.
It was him. She knew his face. She had seen him in her dream. But that was impossible. Dreams weren’t real. But then, how was he here? Or rather, how had he been there, in her mind? She would have remembered seeing him in a crowd. He stood out. Literally and figuratively. There was no missing this man a sea of people. None at all.
So, how?
She hadn’t seen him in the darkness of that stupid labyrinth thing. She hadn’t been able to see anything at all.
It didn’t make any sense.
He took a small step toward her. “Cat got your tongue?” The way the words rolled out of him was sultry and dangerous in equal measures. He had a British accent, but it seemed weathered by time in America.
She took a large step back. She was shaking like a leaf, and when she tried to speak, nothing came out. Namely, because she didn’t know what to say. She stammered uselessly for a moment. Finally, she managed to spit out a single word. “How?”
“Hm? How what?”
“How—you—” You were in my dream. But you couldn’t have been. She could say it out loud, but she’d sound like a complete lunatic. And while this man looked to be a few cards short of a full deck, judging by the demented smile on his face, she wasn’t about to commit to joining him just yet. “No.”
He raised a dark, thin eyebrow. “Are you feeling quite well? Or do you generally speak in single-syllable words?” Everything about him seemed too smooth, even as everything about him also seemed too sharp. He took a slow step toward her. And she took a matching one back. She hit the edge of a long wooden bench and ended up sitting on it rather unexpectedly. She let out a startled noise. He moved closer until his legs brushed against hers and he towered over her.
“Leave me alone,” she squeaked. She tried to sound strong. But he was terrifying. The light in the tent caught the lenses of his sunglasses, making them flash eerily in the dim environment. But in just the right moments, she could catch a glimpse of his eyes.
Ones that were black, red, and white. In all the wrong ways. They almost seemed to glow in the amber light.
“Why are you afraid? I thought I was tall and sexy.” He smiled again, white teeth flashing like a shark. The comparison came back to her again.
Fresh panic flooded her. I called him that in my dream, but he—no, this isn’t— “No—please—this can’t be real. It can’t—”
“Hm? I’m not? How troublesome.” He poked himself in the chest a few times. “I feel quite real. Ah! I know what the problem is. You’re referring to your dream, yes? Well, I hate to say, but we’re a bit linked now, you see. I have a piece of you within me. It was quite delicious, too, if I may say so. I could go for a spot more, Cora, my little cupcake.”
His rambling gave her a few seconds to process. “This is—this can’t be happening. How is this possible?”
“I ate the little piece of your seity that you gave up yesterday. The Barker picks his marks, and you took the bait. You were my snack for the evening.” The man gestured dismissively. “More or less.”
“You ate a piece of my personality?” This wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. “You’re all fucking insane. I’m leaving.” She went to stand, but he stepped in front of her, blocking her. She sat back down to keep from bumping into him. She’d already done that once; she wasn’t interested in doing it twice.
“Guilty as charged! But it isn’t insanity that I speak. You knew the cost. He told you. He tells everyone. It’s your fault if yoooou didn’t believe it.” He leaned down closer, using his height to his advantage. It was clear he liked to do that. He also drew out his words in strange ways. “Do you believe him now?”
“Stop it.”
“It’s not my fault.” He placed his palm to his chest. “I was just chosen to be the recipient. Each of us who lives here eats in turn. I wasn’t the first to feed last night, nor was I the last. I just got a piece of you. And I fear it’s made me hungry for more.” He reached out to touch her.
She recoiled, leaning back on her hand. “Don’t touch me. Leave me alone!” She knew people were staring. She barely registered the audience around them watching, probably wondering if this was part of the show. She was too distracted by the freak in the sharply cut red suit that was looming over her and grinning like the devil himself.
He smiled as if he were speaking to a child. “You came here. I’m not stopping you from leaving, am I? I am merely saying hello. And you, my dear, look as though you’ve seen a ghost. I can’t imagine why.”
“Who are you…?”
“Who am I?” With a broad flourish, he took a step back and bowed, folding one arm in front of him and the other at his back. “I am Simon Waite. I am the Puppeteer.” He snapped back up to vertical with alarming speed, making her jump. “I am very delighted to meet you, Cora.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh! I must commend you on your comment about the pogo stick yesterday, by the by. I used to own one, you know, and I sat there and thought about it for quite a while before I realized how wonderfully visceral your suggestion really was when you insisted I go pursue relations with it. I’m impressed.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. Luckily, she didn’t have to try for long.
“Cora?” It was Emily. She was standing next to Simon. “You okay?”
“Hm? Oh. Hello.” Simon took a graceful step back, giving Emily some room. “I think your friend here might not be feeling well,” he responded to Emily with a gentle smile, stepping back again from the bench to allow Emily to step closer. “She seemed faint and had to sit down. I was worried she might hit her head, so I was watching over her.”
I’m going insane. I’m absolutely going insane. This is not possible. Not at all. She was shivering again and pulled her coat tighter around herself. “I’m okay, Em.” No, I’m not. I’m really not. There’s no explanation for this. None. I have to be making it up. “Probably didn’t eat enough today, and I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Simon’s grin widened at her last comment. Emily didn’t see it. But Cora knew it for what it was. He bowed again. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I must start the show. I do hope you feel better, Cora dear. Perhaps go get a glass of water and take a breath of fresh air.” He left then, strolling up the aisle, whistling loudly.