Chapter Eight

K itty's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as she guided the truck back towards the carnival grounds. The tension between her and Leo hung heavy in the air, an unspoken weight pressing down on both of them. Their argument in town had left a bitter taste in her mouth, souring what should have been a sweet first date.

As they approached the carnival's entrance, a figure caught Kitty's eye. A woman stood near the gates, her posture rigid with anxiety, looking decidedly out of place among the gloomy banners and eerie attractions.

"I wonder what she wants,” Kitty said. “The carnival won’t open until sundown.”

Leo's sharp intake of breath was answer enough. His eyes widened, a mix of shock flashing across his face. "Laura," he breathed.

Unease flickered through her as Kitty parked the truck.

“That’s my sister,” he said.

Relieved that it wasn’t a former lover, Kitty could now see the resemblance. They shared the same golden-brown eyes, the same high cheekbones. But where Leo exuded raw, feral energy, Laura seemed fragile. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.

“Your sister came to visit you. That’s a good thing, right?” Kitty asked.

Leo didn’t say anything but got out of the truck and ran over to her. Kitty followed, unsure if she should hang back to give them their privacy. In the end, curiosity won out over manners.

"Leo." Laura reached out, her hand trembling slightly.

He hesitated for a moment before pulling his sister into a tight embrace. When they separated, he turned to Kitty, his expression guarded. "Kitty, this is my sister, Laura."

Laura's eyes darted between Leo and Kitty. "I saw the two of you on the Twisted Carnival’s YouTube channel. I had to come here right away.”

Kitty winced. She wanted to tell Laura she wasn’t the person social media had made her out to be. Before Kitty could say anything, though, Laura's composure cracked. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned back to Leo. "I'm here to take your place," she blurted out. "To free you from this curse."

Leo's face contorted with anger. "No," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Absolutely not."

Laura flinched at his tone but stood her ground. "It's my fault you're trapped here. Let me fix it."

"What's going on?" Kitty asked.

Leo's jaw clenched, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. It was Laura who answered, her words tumbling out in a rush.

"I was dying," Laura said. "Stage four breast cancer. I didn’t have a lot of time left. I was desperate. Chemo, radiation, alternative medicine, none of them worked. So I researched the impossible. Magic. As I said, I was desperate. Then on the dark web, I came across the Twisted Carnival. We tracked it down. Leo went with me.” Laura hiccupped up a laugh. “I think he thought it was all bullshit. But then we met Madame Noir. She offered to cure me, but the price was Leo being cursed to be a lion and to perform in the carnival for the rest of his life.”

“And if you try and change the bargain,” Leo said. “The cancer will come back.”

“It should have been my price to pay, not yours. I said no. But he said yes.”

“I volunteered. I have no regrets.”

Kitty's mind reeled. That was how she felt about saving Brutus. How could Leo be such a hypocrite? She started to get angry again. The carnival pulsed under her feet.

"You’re alive,” Leo continued. “That is worth every minute I’ve spent as a lion.”

“But you’re imprisoned here,” Laura said. “Every night. You can’t leave for any length of time. You’re tied to this carnival forever.”

“I’m not going to lie and say it’s been easy.” Leo shifted his gaze to Kitty. “But lately, there has been a bright spot.”

But Laura wasn’t listening. "It’s been ten years.”

Ten years. Kitty felt her eyes grow wide.

“You’ve paid enough. I’ve had ten years I wouldn’t have had. I can’t live with the guilt anymore.”

"There’s no need to feel guilty," Leo snarled, rounding on his sister. "I made this choice. I won't let you throw your life away."

"It's my life to throw away!" Laura shouted back. "Do you think I can live with myself, knowing you're trapped here because of me?"

Kitty watched the siblings argue, their words stirring something deep within her. She could have Brutus back and be here for Leo as well. They’d both be bound to the Twisted Carnival then. Would it comfort Laura to know her brother wouldn’t be alone, that he’d have someone to love here at the carnival?

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if her thoughts were really her own or if the carnival was trying to manipulate her. No. Justice for Brutus. A new life for her and Leo. This is what she wanted. Kitty slipped away, unnoticed and headed towards Madame Noir's office. She paused for just a moment. But then Brutus's face flashed in her mind— his trusting eyes, his powerful presence. The injustice of his death burned in her chest.

Justice for Brutus.

Kitty knocked.

"Come in."

Taking a deep breath, she did.

"Sit." Madame Noir sat at a small table, her ageless face unreadable. She gestured to the empty chair across from her.

Kitty lowered herself into the chair, her mouth suddenly dry.

"You wish to make a deal?" Madame Noir asked.

“Am I currently bound by one?”

“Just your job offer.”

“So I don’t have a curse?”

“Not yet.”

Kitty nodded slowly. That was good to know. "I want to bring my lion Brutus back to life and have him and my other two lions, Nala and Sarabi, working with me at the Twisted Carnival," she said. "Brutus was killed as a way to hurt me, and I need to make it right."

Madame Noir's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Resurrection doesn’t come easily or cheap." She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "Are you prepared for the cost?"

Kitty's mind flashed to Leo, to the curse he bore. But the image of Brutus, probably confused and afraid in his final moments, overwhelmed everything else. "Yes," she said. "Whatever it takes."

"Very well. The price for bringing your lion back from the dead is your ability to love."

"What?" Was that even possible?

Madame Noir nodded. "All romantic love, all deep affection. For your lions, for any future pets. For Leo." Her eyes glittered as greedy shadows circled around them. "You will be able to function, to feel other emotions. But love, in all its forms, will be forever beyond your reach."

Kitty's mind reeled. She thought of Leo, of the connection they'd forged in such a short time. Of the joy she felt when working with her lions. Could she really give that up?

But then Brutus's face swam before her eyes again. His death, the injustice of it all, the guilt that gnawed at her constantly. Did she deserve happiness when Brutus had innocently paid his life for her mistakes? Didn't she owe him this chance at life?

"If I agree," Kitty said slowly, "what happens to the feelings of love I currently have?” Maybe, she couldn’t love again, but she’d be able to keep the love she had right now. If what she was feeling for Leo could be love this quickly.

"They will fade," Madame Noir replied. "Like a dream upon waking. You'll remember that you once cared for them, but you won't be able to feel it anymore."

Kitty closed her eyes, trying to imagine a world without love. She could pretend, though, couldn’t she? Maybe Leo wouldn’t notice. Maybe she didn’t deserve to feel love. Maybe if she couldn’t feel love, she couldn’t be hurt again.

Behind her closed eyelids, she could almost see the carnival as another figure in the room. It was poised on the edge of the desk, waiting for her decision. Her parents hadn’t loved her. Marcus hadn’t loved her. Brutus had loved her and now he was dead because of her. When she thought about it like that, the decision was easy. Love was more trouble than it was worth. It was fitting that her final act of love would be to save Brutus.

"I'll do it," she said, opening her eyes. "Bring Brutus back. Reunite me with my lions for good, and I'll pay your price."

"Very well," she said. She reached across the table, grasping Kitty's hand in her own. "The deal is struck."

A jolt of energy surged through Kitty. It felt like ice spreading through her veins, seeping into every part of her. She tried to pull away, but Madame Noir's grip was iron.

"It is done," Madame Noir intoned. "Brutus will be waiting for you in the ring tomorrow. And you, my dear, will never love again."

As the words faded, Kitty felt different. The world around her seemed muted, as if a vital part of her had been switched off. She thought of Leo, of the passion they'd shared, and felt... nothing. No warmth, no affection. Just a cold, empty space where those feelings should have been. It made her sick to her stomach.

Madame Noir released her hand, and Kitty stumbled to her feet.

"What have I done?" Kitty whispered.

Madame Noir guided her to the door. "I suggest you prepare yourself. Brutus will need a strong hand to guide him back to the world of the living."

Kitty staggered out of the office. Everything was so gloomy and dismal. She made her way back to her trailer in a daze, ignoring the concerned looks from the other performers.

Once inside, she sank onto her bed, staring at her hands. They looked the same, but everything felt different. She thought of Leo, of their kiss in the town, of their steamy lovemaking. But where there should have been desire or anticipation, there was only a cold, empty void.

"Brutus," she whispered, trying to summon the love she'd felt for her lion. But even that was gone, replaced by a clinical sort of interest. She knew, intellectually, that she should be excited about his return. But she felt nothing.

A knock at the door startled her. "Kitty?" Leo's voice called. "Are you all right?"

Kitty froze. How could she face him now? How could she explain what she'd done?

"I'm fine," she called back, her voice sounding hollow even to her own ears. "I just need some time alone."

There was a pause. "Okay," Leo said finally. "But if you need anything..."

"I know," Kitty said. But she didn't need anything. Not anymore.

As Leo's footsteps faded away, Kitty curled up on her bed, wrapping her arms around herself. She should have felt grief, or regret, or fear. But there was nothing. Just a vast, empty space where her emotions used to be.

"What have I done?" she whispered again to the empty room. But even as she said it, she knew it was too late. The deal was struck, the price paid. In the morning, Brutus would be back.

And she would never love again.