The Fading Dusk (Smoke and Mirrors #1) Preview

Chapter One

The magic wasn't real, but I loved it all the same.

Bantheir traveled the city of Dusk, relying on tricks and sleight-of-hand to make his living as a street magician. From courtyards to backyards, we worked tirelessly to fill our battered old hat with coins from our patrons. It was gritty and glamorous, unpredictable and exciting, full of uncertainty and wonder, and I cherished every single moment as Bantheir's assistant.

***

"Come on, come on, Irina," Bantheir scolded with a grand sweep of his hands. Everything Bantheir did was grand. He always believed he was onstage, performing for his adoring fans. Never mind that we never performed on a stage, nor did we have fans. Patrons, yes. Generous patrons? Sometimes.

However, I understood why Bantheir acted that way. We relied on the shows—and those generous patrons—for our livelihood. If they didn't reward us with coins after our performances, we wouldn't be able to eat. Worse, we wouldn't be able to afford our rent, and we would have to pack our things from my beloved house and live in the slums.

I would never go back to the slums. Never.

"Coming, Bantheir," I said, wobbling under the weight of a heavy pack crammed with props. It was so large it completely blocked my vision, and I didn't notice Bantheir had halted in his tracks until I nearly plowed him over.

"Watch it!" he hissed, blue eyes flashing.

"Why did you stop?" Stumbling like a drunk, I attempted to peek around the pack to see what had caught his attention. Bantheir made a noise of impatience and grabbed the pack out of my arms, setting it on the ground with more force than was necessary. I was about to ask him what was the matter when I noticed the huge crowd that had already gathered.

A crowd that wasn't meant for us.

Their bodies pressed together tightly as they strained to catch a glimpse of two figures, one male, the other female, standing on a large wooden stage erected in the middle of the courtyard. The male figure raised his fist over his head before hurling something to the ground. A large explosion rocked the courtyard, and a dark-green cloud of smoke spiraled up from the ground, blocking the figures from view. When the cloud dissipated, only the female remained, still in the same spot she'd been standing in before the explosion. Putting one hand on her hip, she gestured toward the empty spot with her other hand, and the crowd went wild, screaming their approval.

"Simple fireworks," Bantheir said loudly, stroking his goatee with an air of disdain. "And obviously there's a trapdoor below the stage. So simple, even a child could figure it out."

Considering the adults in the crowd were cheering even louder than the children, it wasn't as simple as Bantheir proclaimed. Before I could tell him to lower his voice, a person emerged from the crowd to clamp a hand down on Bantheir's shoulder.

"Look who came to see my show! It's Bantheir!"

Bantheir went bright red, and I cursed under my breath, praying that he wouldn't make a scene. Flashing a grim smile, Bantheir ducked out from under the hand on his shoulder and practically purred, "Parnaby."

Parnaby the street magician smiled pleasantly, his brown eyes sparkling kindly. "And look, Irina is here as well! Elyse, Irina is here!"

Now it was my turn to flush hotly as the crowd scrutinized me. Already I could hear their whispers as they compared me with the assistant onstage. Soon they would lose interest and turn back to Elyse, and I couldn't even blame them for it. Of course they'd want Elyse. Who wouldn't, with her perfect golden-blond hair and wide blue eyes? She was beautiful and sweet and always smiled at the boys, who showered her with coins and compliments alike. More than once Bantheir had pleaded with me to be more like Elyse, as if I could somehow straighten my flame-red curls and make my hazel eyes more green than brown. I stared at the ground as the whispers increased to a steady buzz, wishing myself invisible.