Dancing on Strings

Unmasking

In a human act, and with inhuman strength, he struck The Black Rabbit flat across the side of his face and knocked him clean off his feet, sending him spinning, crashing to his hands and knees.

His top hat flew free, spiralling through the air and landing ten feet away.

And his mask was knocked loose.

It fell between his hands that were pressed to the carpet.

Mai drew in a breath, staring at his back and bowed head, his body facing away from them, his shoulders hunched, nails digging into the floor as his mask lay glittering on the ground.

Mai stared at him as Reve turned to her.

He gestured for her to approach.

"Go on, Mai, take a look," he said, "It's fascinating."

Mai slowly stepped forwards; staring at the wavy curls of Griffin's black hair that tumbled around his head and wound across his neck.

She could look at his face, see what he hid from them, what pained him into hiding. See what made him so different.

Reve ushered her forwards until she stood behind Griffin.

He stayed where he was, knocked to the floor on his hands and knees, back to them, head bowed, using his hair to hide his face.

"Go on Mai, take a look," Reve said.

Mai was quiet for a moment, then looked back at Reve.

"I would like to wake up, please," she said.

Clearly the words surprised all three in the room. Reve blinked, expression going blank. Angelique raised her eyebrow and Griffin turned his head ever so slightly, though not enough for any features to appear.

"Excuse me?" Reve said.

"I was poisoned to send me here. I want to wake up," Mai said simply, "I understand you are going to catch me, like my sisters, like Angelique before me. I don't know what fate awaits me but, until tonight, I had believed you my friend. If you were at all my friend, I would like to wake up once more. I have one more show to perform."

Reve gaped at her. "You can't perform after being poisoned," he said, staring, "It will take you time to recover."

"Then I want you to give me long enough to have my final show," Mai said,

Reve just stared before straightening, folding his arms and looking down at her. "I can't say I've ever had someone negotiate with me," he said, "Scream, curse, cry, beg, threaten, persuade... but not negotiate."

Mai shrugged. "I cannot escape my dreams," she said, "I must sleep to live, thus you will always be able to pull me back into this world. If I'm stuck here, I would rather exist like Griffin and move back and forth between these worlds. If not that, let me exist like Angelique. If I cannot have that, I would ask you give me one final show. You know how much my dancing means to me. So I'm asking you to let me go back. I cannot see a downside in this plan when Griffin will be right there in the castle grounds, ready to catch me if you feel the need."

"You're remarkably calm about this," Reve said, narrowing his eyes at her.

She shrugged again. "Maybe the shock has yet to catch up," she said.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Alright," Reve said and Angelique stared at him. "Why not? Let's see what you do."

"I'll do my last show," Mai said.

He chuckled slightly. "We'll see," he said, "As you say, Griffin will be there should I need an intervention." He glanced passed to. "Griffin," he said, a sneer in his tone, "You be careful with that mask now that it's been knocked loose. Anyone could pull it off."

Griffin flinched.

"Come along then, Mai, I'll lead you home," Reve said, walking out.

Mai glanced back at the others in the room.

Angelique stared at her as her invisible binds vanished and she straightened.

Mai held up the letter and shot her a grin. "Do I stand equal to you yet?" she asked.

Angelique raised an eyebrow at her, then smirked and Mai hurried out, following Reve to the stars as he moved them aside for her.

"So, though you do not know the other option, you would rather stand with us few up here than the majority down there?" he asked as he watched her pass.

"I've never been one to play to the norm," Mai said and he chuckled.

"You could be interesting," he said, following her as he walked to her boat. "I wonder what we would call you."

"I don't know," Mai said, stepping in and sitting down, her back to him. "Prince of Dreams, Lady Nightmare, Lord of Illusion. How about the Lady of Visions – keep it thematic."

"I think you should keep your title," Reve said as the boat started to drift away. "How about Princess of Dreams?"

Mai blinked, then she spun around in her seat, staring back at him and Reve grinned at her, looking for all the world like a being of heavenly beauty.

Mai's eyes widened and the next second, her eyes were snapping open and she was staring into the darkness of her bedroom, Reve's voice echoing through her mind.

"See you soon, Princess," he promised.

~~~~

Next Up: Monday

Art By: Jill Skupin Burkholder

So close to seeing his face! And yet no... lol there's  been such a lead up to it, it'll be disappointing when we finally see it. 

Question - before I put up the official info on the Book Club - would you prefer it on Saturday the 28th or Sunday 29th? Saturday's can be busy, would one suit better than the other?