Dancing on Strings

Behind The Scenes

Mai stared at him, shocked as she shoved her hair out of her face – she might be dry but she looked a mess

"You're not coming with me?"

"I'm not."

"Why?" she gasped, gripping the bars, "I thought you would come with me."

"Don't worry, I'll be right here and I can get in without any trouble. But he's not going to talk freely – or as freely as he can – with me hovering around. He's not nearly as scared of me as he pretends to be but he's not comfortable around me. He's comfortable around you. He'll let his guard down around you. Use that to your advantage."

He waved her off.

"Just make sure you're careful," he said as he ran a hand through his hair, "Your sisters are still missing. And don't forget people have tried to kill you in the last few weeks. There is enchantment in the air and these are unsafe times."

His attention drew from her as he looked back towards the palace that offered a dim glow in the distance.

"And something is going wrong," he muttered.

"What?"

"Call for me if you need me," Kazimir said, "Don't worry, I'll hear."

And, saying that, he turned and walked away, heading back towards the palace.

Mai stared after him, still gripping the bars, then felt her stomach drop.

She hadn't expected him to just leave her.

She was going to see The Black Rabbit, a man he disliked, on her own, in the dead of night, after her sisters vanished.

This was obviously not a safe or intelligent move and she had planned it hoping he would be to help her.

He had certainly helped in as much as he'd got her onto the campgrounds and yet... it felt out of character that he would just walk away. He hadn't grown to trust The Black Rabbit in some way, had he?

Spinning around to face the silence of the dark camp, she drew in a breath, her corsets feeling more constricting than usual, before she steeled her nerve and walked forwards.

She still wasn't sure where to actually go to find The Black Rabbit. She knew the big top, she knew that tent she hasn't been allowed in and she knew where the tearoom was.

Other than that, she had no idea what all the other tents held.

She ghosted into the campsite, drifting through the tents, looking around.

As ever, it was deadly quiet and disturbingly still.

Which was the biggest tent?

Surely, as the ringmaster and the owner, The Black Rabbit would have one of the biggest tents.

Walking on, looking at the various tents, she glanced to her left and noted the tent he had stopped her going in the last time she'd visited unannounced.

That same, flickering glow could be seen through the tent flap and she looked at it for a moment.

So... what was in there?

What had he said? Dangerous equipment? It had been a perfectly plausible explanation. It still sounded like a perfectly plausible reason.

She just didn't believe him.

Lifting her skirts, she flitted to the tent and, after glancing behind her, slipping her hand through the flap and pulled it aside.

Light bloomed against her eyes, making her wince after the darkness outside but, once she had adjusted, she looked around her and he eyes widened.