Circus of the Beast

11

Lorcan seemed to materialize by them then, his rose on the end of his staff more dull than ever before. Aibreann frowned at it, knowing that the curse was only growing stronger and stronger while they all waited for the inevitable to occur. Why did that damn horrid witch child have to be so cruel and vain? But why did Lorcan have to be so dimwitted to not have seen such a horrible suitor? Aibreann would probably never know.

"Ah, and here is my brother!" Aibreann stood and smiled at him and gestured to Keelia. "Please keep my friend company while I go find Maghnus to spare his hand for a dance."

Lorcan and Keelia watched Aibreann's retreating back as the flames seemed to dance higher and higher, almost reaching up to the tent top.

Lorcan looked over to the beautiful girl beside him, he found her to be quite radiant even though she was in a dark corner. "Have you been up to dance yet?"

Keelia shook her head. "I am much too tired for dancing."

Lorcan's brows furrowed at the lame excuse. "It would be a great honor to stand with you." He offered an arm, laying his rose staff down on the bench beside him. "You will have all the time to refuel your energy with tonight's sleep."

Keelia looked up into his amber eyes and saw him almost pleading with her to amuse him for the evening. Those eyes held such hope for something that Keelia could not name, but it was dazzling to say the least. She could almost feel her knees grow weak from looking into his amber irises.

Keelia grinned slightly. "Alright, but only one dance about the room and that's all."

Lorcan smiled and grabbed hold of her arm. "That is all I ask of you."

***

Stella watched as the guard just outside her cell dozed off into a deep sleep, snoring loudly enough that he just might cover the sounds of her attempts to escape. She had always thought it a nuisance, but it turned out to be quite the help.

The guard had spent hours pacing back and forth, twirling the cell keys around on his finger while whistling the entire time. Eventually the guard grew exhausted from the late night and settled in a chair nearby. Stella had pretended to be fast asleep for about two hours in order for the man to let down his guard. And now was the time for Stella to strike.

She slowly got up from her cold corner, setting the metal shackles onto the stone floor ever so quietly, being sure the sound wouldn't even be picked up by an owl's ears. She looked at the man as she straightened, always being sure to keep an eye on him and to stay alert to her surroundings. Thomas would be fast asleep upstairs so there was no threat of a visit from him.

She tiptoed slowly with her cold bare feet towards the guard and saw the keys in his hands. The taste of freedom almost made her salivate like a starving dog. The sound of dripping water echoed in the space behind her, but all she was focusing on was the slight glint the moonlight made on the golden keys in the man's hands.

She got to the cell bars and reached her hand through them, her fingers wiggling, as to try and grow in length, but to no avail. Her arm was much too short to reach. She cursed quietly to herself. She had known retrieving the keys would be hard and trying, but she wasn't about to give up yet.

In the corner where she had been huddling and trying to keep warm, lay her pitiful excuse for a shawl. Perhaps she could use that in some way? She had to at least try.

Stella scurried about in the cell and found herself back at the cell entrance near the sleeping guard. His chest was rising and falling steadily, so there were no signs of him waking up just yet. Stella rolled up the shawl lengthwise and stuck it through the bars. She flung it at the guard's hand, hoping the motion would tickle his fingers or even jostle the keys out of his hand. They moved a bit, but not enough for Stella's liking.

She tried again and again, to the point of almost giving up and accepting her terrible fate in that god awfully horrid cell, but then the image of her only remaining daughter flashed through her mind. She couldn't let Thomas harm a single hair on her precious baby's head. She wouldn't stand for it. Stella sent up a silent prayer and rolled up the shawl once more; knowing that this time would prove to show some agreeable results.

The shawl end was tossed and seemed to tickle the back of the guards hand enough in order for him to drop the keys. The clang on metal on stone seemed to echo loudly in Stella's ears, as if an elephant had just came crashing through the brick walls around her. But the noise did not disturb the guard and he remained in his slumbering state.

Stella reached out her arm and her fingers just touched the edge of the ring of keys. She grunted and groaned, the pain in her wrists resurfacing to cause more annoyance, but just as before, Stella ignored it and continued on with her efforts.

Just then, with one last final groan, Stella's index finger curled around the ring and pulled the rattling keys towards her. She paused for a moment once the metal objects were in her grasp, being sure that all the noise hadn't permeated into the guard's conscious. She breathed in deeply and let out an inaudible sigh. She had gotten the keys and she was going to be free.

The locked clicked and off she went toward the stairs and into the main area of the house. Thomas had exquisite taste in furniture and decorations. It really was a shame that he had not found a family to share it with. But according to him, he had wanted Stella for a wife. But that would never have happened.

The house was dark and very quiet, so quiet that Stella had to move as a snail in order to not be heard. The front doorknob soon met her grip and twisted smoothly beneath her hand. The outside air soon filled Stella's lungs as her bare feet met the cold stone of front steps. Freedom, it felt like fire in her veins.

But the first thing she had to do was find Maghnus. He would know what to do. But he would also be very upset with finding his friend all grown up. Stella could only imagine what he would look like. And she hoped that Lorcan would find it in his cruel heart to allow her onto the circus grounds.

***

"But how could she have escaped!" bellowed a very angry Thomas as he stared with wide eyes at the empty cell before him. "You had one job, Maximus. All you had to do was stay awake and be sure that that vile woman slept the whole night through."

"But sir-"

Thomas slapped the man across his face. "I do not want to listen to your damn excuses!" Thomas rubbed at his now red and stinging palm. "Stella is out there running towards wherever and now I have to worry about her safety too."

Maximus bowed. "Then allow me to look for her, sir. It is but the least I could do."

Thomas' voice went low. "It certainly is. I don't want to see you back here until you have her in that cell." Thomas placed his face closely to Maximus and whispered, pointing out his arm. "Now go."

The man stumbled up the steps as Thomas wrung the end of his shirt between his fingers. Maximus had better pray with all his might that nothing had already happened to Stella. Else he would receive the same treatment, sevenfold.