Carnival Souls

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After searching the deserted carnival high and low and visiting all of Atlas's usual haunts, Lira still couldn't find her friend. Figuring she would turn up sooner or later, Lira went to the kitchen to bother Mitsi for a pre-dinner snack. After convincing him to let her swipe one of the chocolate cheesecakes (her favorite) meant for the newly arriving children, she went to eat it outside of Atlas's door.

She ate slowly, her back against the door, savoring each bite and enjoying the brief peace and quiet. The chocolate was just a tad bitter to counteract the sweet cream cheese. Mitsi at least seemed to know exactly what he was doing here.

A quarter of an hour later, as Lira was using the edge of her fork to scrape every last trace of chocolate from her plate, Atlas finally appeared at the end of the hall.

"Hey," said Lira as the other girl approached. "Where were you?"

"On an errand." Lira didn't bother probing further.

"Did you see-or hear-what happened?"

"Yes," said the smaller girl, not clarifying which it was. She unlocked her door and stepped inside, leaving Lira to scramble to her feet behind her.

"Do you know why the Fury was sent after them?" she pressed. It was still strange to come back to this room having once shared it with Atlas. It was as plain as ever, though Lira knew Bebinn didn't really care if they redecorated as long as they did their duty.

Atlas shrugged her thin shoulders and crossed the room to her desk to set down her bag. "It is at Bebinn's will that the Fury is released."

Lira thought she must have some idea why, but decided to switch to a more important question.

"I overheard a couple of spirits talking about some place called Zabaria's Garden today," she said casually. "Has Bebinn ever sent you there?"

Atlas's face betrayed no indication that she recognized the name, but the girl was always in such tight control of her emotions that it hardly meant anything.

"I've never been there, but I've heard of Zabaria. Her 'garden' is another place souls congregate while they wait."

Lira thought quickly. It Zabaria's Garden was similar to Bebinn's Carnival, then perhaps she too has a portal back to the human world. Maybe Owen had found a way after all.

"What does Zabaria do?"

Atlas shrugged again, turning to rummage through her bag, her small body angled so that Lira couldn't see what she was doing. "Keeps things in order? I'm not sure."

Lira struggled to keep complacent with Atlas's answers, but the other girl usually wasn't this unhelpful. Maybe she's just tired. "Do you know how to get there?"

Atlas finally turned around to look at Lira and she saw something of a challenge in the younger girl's eye, as though she could sense Lira's frustration and thinning patience.

"Why? You are the carnival's violinist. The location of Zabaria's Garden doesn't concern you."

Lira narrowed her eyes at the girl, disliking her superior tone. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "I was just curious. It's not like I can leave this stupid carnival anyway."

"Curiosity isn't helpful. It gains you nothing and distracts you. Shouldn't you be practicing for tonight?"

"Are you the boss now?" demanded Lira. The fire in Atlas's eyes dimmed as she sighed as shook her head, long braids swinging.

She took a step towards Lira, her arms half raised as if to embrace her. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up. Ever since that boy got here, he's been filling your head with ideas of going home. You're letting him cloud your judgment, when you know this is how everyone first reacts. He will get used to it, like we all did. And things will go back to normal."

"Normal," Lira repeated quietly. Atlas's words sunk into her, settled in her bones. She was right. Owen was going through the usual stages, like she had when she first got here. He too would be punished and reality would hit him in the face like a brick. He would do his duty, carving with Genzel, Lira would play her violin, Bebinn would go on collecting her children and around it would go.

You should have outgrown this by now, Lira told herself.

Atlas stepped lightly to Lira's side and took her hand. The little girl's hand was warm and her eyes were wide and kind as she looked up at Lira.

"I know you miss your family. But you can have more than one family. Me, Mitsi, and Jacks, we can be your family. We're friends, aren't we?"

Lira's mouth turned up just a bit and she nodded.

"Good," said Atlas, giving a rare full smile. "I'll ask Mitsi if he can make a real dinner for tomorrow-a feast-and we can all eat together."

"Sounds good," said Lira, trying to muster enthusiasm.

But even as she turned to leave Atlas's room, she felt the brief swell of hope that had risen in her chest pop like a soap bubble, leaving her deflated and worn.

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Okay to be honest, I wrote this chapter super quickly so I know it's probably not the best. Butttt what did you guys think of Atlas's and Lira's conversation?