Rising Shadows

Emily's second dream haunted her in the several days that followed here and Luke's departure from London. She didn't have any more of the gruesome nightmares while they were on the cargo ship but she couldn't shake the feeling of absolute terror and dread that filled her every time she thought about it. She didn't know why she was suddenly plagued with nightmares, but she chalked it up to exhaustion and concern for Percy. The ship couldn't make it to France fast enough. Emily knew Gregory Harrington wouldn't be wasting any time trying to drudge up evidence against Percy; whether it was evidence of crimes he had actually committed or not.

Emily knew that Percy's past was dark; he'd been a pirate and one of her kidnappers when she first met him, after all. It was scandalous for a girl like her to even make eye contact with a man like him, let alone marry him. Emily didn't care about anything that Percy might have done before he met her and she didn't care what other people in London society thought of either one of them. But she did care about seeing Percy hanged. Whatever he had done before he wasn't a criminal anymore. He was making a normal life for himself and Emily was going to see to it that that normal life wasn't cut short because of Gregory Harrington and his jealousy.

"It's almost time to disembark," Luke said, appearing beside her and distracting Emily from her brooding. She scrambled up from the cot she'd been sitting on and checked her bag to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

"Do you have any idea where we can find this Catarina?" she asked.

"I believe she travels with a troupe called Cirque du Ciel," Luke replied.

"Your French pronunciation is awful," Emily said, wrinkling her nose. "It's a good thing I'm here or you'd never be able to find your way around."

"Thank you," Luke said dryly, rolling his eyes. Emily fairly shoved him out of their cramped little room, making a determined beeline for the upper deck. Once there, she thanked Mr. Hunt yet again for the ride.

"It was my pleasure, little miss." He tipped his hat in her direction. Emily strode off the ship and onto the deck below, the heels of her boots clicking purposefully on the cobblestones as they reached the street.

"Do hurry up, Lucas," she said brusquely. "We don't have a moment to waste."

"Emily it's been less than two days."

"Plenty of time for Gregory to try and gather proof that Percy was a criminal. So keep up or I'll leave you behind to fend for yourself."

"Well now that's a fine way to treat a friend," Luke grumbled. But he quickened his pace to keep up with her as she marched along the road.

"How do you plan on finding out where the circus is?" Luke asked. "They travel all over France, what if they're not even in Paris right now?"

"Then we shall scour all of France until we find them."

Her reply was curt and brooked no argument so Luke didn't ask any more about it, instead changing his line of questioning.

"Do you really think this Harrington fellow is capable of tracking down proof of Percy's misdeeds?"

"I think his money, or more correctly his father's money, is capable of getting him most anything he wants. He'll pay someone to lie about Percy if he has to, and get him hanged for crimes he never even committed."

"Whereas we're going to ask Catarina to lie to save him." Luke didn't seem bothered by the idea at all.

"Percy gave up that life," Emily said. "He's making a respectable man out of himself and frankly, even if he was still a pirate I'd be here trying to find this cousin of his."

"I know." Luke nodded. "That's why I said before that he's lucky to have found you."

"Luke!" Emily grabbed his arm and pointed excitedly to a poster that had been stuck onto a lamppost. It advertised the Cirque du Ciel, a ringleader standing before an elephant with a feathered headpiece on its head.

"They are in town after all," she said, eyes skimming the poster eagerly. "They're performing here in Paris until the end of the week."

She set off down the street, practically dragging Luke with her. It wasn't that difficult to find the giant red and white circus tent, and Emily strode past it and into the throng of trailers and cages behind it where the performers lived.

"Emily I'm not sure we should just stroll in here like we belong," Luke muttered as a tattoo-covered dwarf gave him a stony, suspicious stare.

"Don't be silly," Emily said lightly. She walked up to the surly-looking dwarf.

"Excuse me, sir," she said politely, "my friend and I are in need of some assistance. Perhaps you can help us. We're looking for someone named Catarina."

"What do you want with Catarina?" he asked, though he seemed considerably more friendly towards Emily than he was toward Luke. He sounded and looked more curious than annoyed now.

"It's a personal matter of some urgency," Emily replied. "It's very important that we speak with her. Is she here?"

"Aye, Cat's here all right. She'll be with MacDuff getting the horses ready for the show tonight."

"MacDuff?" Emily repeated uncertainly.

"He's the ring master." The dwarf pointed towards another, smaller tent.

"Thank you," Emily said, curtsying slightly. She ushered Luke towards the indicated tent.

"You see Lucas, it's not really difficult to get the information you need from people. You just have to ask nicely."

"No, you just have to ask nicely," Luke said. "Girls with faces like yours could ask a man for his liver and he'd hand it right over."

"Don't exaggerate." Emily slipped into the tent to see a tall, almost gangly man and a young woman in a glittering red leotard.

"Catarina?" Emily called. The pair turned to face her and she saw Luke's mouth fall open out of the corner of her eye. Catarina looked how Emily suspected a young Malina Everett would have. She was slightly taller than Emily, with willowy limbs flaunted by the tights and leotard she wore, and she had the same jet black hair and piercing blue eyes Malina had possessed.

"Can I help you?" Catarina asked, walking over to stand before them. Emily elbowed Luke hard in the ribs to get him to stop gawking. Catarina'a eyebrows rose.

"Luke?" she said with an incredulous sort of giggle. "Is it really you? What on earth brings you to Paris? And who is your lovely friend?"

"My name is Emily Weldon," Emily said. "It's rather along story, but I'm in dire need of your help."

"My help?" Catarina seemed taken aback.

"Catarina!" the ring master; MacDuff; shouted. "The show is about to begin, get to your position!"

"I'm terribly sorry," Catarina said. "I'll have to speak with you after tonight's show. Why don't you come watch?" She brightened at this idea. "Just tell the ticket taker I sent you. We can all talk afterwards."

Catarina flounced off with Luke still gazing after her with a star struck look on his face. Emily rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head. He winced.

"What was that for?" he grumbled.

"Have some dignity, Lucas."

As they made their way to the ticket booth Emily pulled out her glass disk and contacted Percy.

"We found her," she said. "We won't get a chance to speak to her until after the performance though."

"She's not going to want to help me," Percy said.

"She seems nice enough," Emily said. "I think Luke's in love with her."

"I am not!" Luke protested.

"Just leave it to me, Percy," Emily said. "I'll take care of everything."

He smiled faintly. "I know you will."

Luke and Emily settled into their seats to watch the show. Catarina's was the final act; she rode out on the majestic white horses and did acrobatic tricks on their backs. She was very talented but Emily could barely focus on the show as her anxiousness mounted. Every minute they had to wait was a minute closer to a noose around Percy's neck. Finally the circus ended and after all the bows were taken Emily waited impatiently for the stands to clear. Catarina approached them, pushing damp strands of hair out of her face.

"Now then, Emily, what sort of help could you possibly need from a circus performer?" Catarina laughed lightly.

"My fiancé has been thrown into prison," Emily explained. "I need you to return to London with us and tell the police that he was traveling around France with you up until last year."

Catarina looked puzzled but also sympathetic. "Why would you need my help with an alibi for him?"

"Because he's your cousin."

Suddenly Catarina's expression darkened. "Percy?" she asked. "You want me to help Percy?"

"Yes. I know that for whatever reason you two don't much get along, but I-"

"I can't help you," Catarina interrupted. "Percy broke a promise to me, and I don't forgive that so easily. Besides I can't believe he'd trick some pretty rich girl into coming all this way to enlist my help." She snorted.

"He didn't trick me," Emily said, a spark of anger flaring in her chest. "We're getting married and I don't intend to see him hanged."

"Percy Everett always swore on every deity there is that he'd never get married and settle down," Catarina said stiffly. "He got himself into whatever mess he's in, and he can get himself out." With that, she spun on her heel and marched out of the circus tent.

"That went well," Luke muttered.