Chapter 20 - TWENTY: The Man, The Magic Show, And The Moonstone

"Come on, Adri! Let's go see what's going on over there!" Lucy exclaimed, grasping Kel's hand.

Kel gave a muffled affirmative through her stuffed mouth. Bits of oily sauce dripped from the meaty skewer in her hand as she allowed herself to be pulled along.

When they reached the crowd Lucy had spied, slightly larger than the others nearby and growing rapidly, the maid cleared a path with one arm, using the other keeping a tight hold on Kel. After much shoving, they found themselves in the front row.

"Wah!" Lucy gasped in wonder as a purplish fire suddenly erupted in a small brazier directly in front of them. Kel instinctively reached a protective arm out in front of the smaller girl at the sight of the flames, but Lucy responded with a laugh.

"It's part of the show, Adri," she whispered, gently pushing Kel's arm away.

"Oh…" Kel reluctantly withdrew her arm and turned her focus to the show..

Three other braziers identical to the one near them were placed along the crowd, forming a semicircle sort of stage with a lone hooded figure in the center. His face was mostly obscured by the hood, but Kel could make out a chiseled jawline and brief glimpses of his eyes as they sparkled in the fire's light.

Unlike his mostly covered face, the man's chest and abdomen were entirely bare beneath the cloak. The inner corners of his pectoral muscles and the entirety of his well-sculpted abs were illuminated by the purple glow.

"Urgh," Kel grunted at a sudden jab to her ribs from Lucy's elbow.

"Not bad, eh?" the maid murmured, giggling. Kel rolled her eyes but couldn't help chuckling in agreement.

The exposed man performed a variety of magic tricks, receiving wild encouragement from the crowd after every act. The unnaturally colored fire was just a warm up, with the tricks increasing in splendidness as the show went on.

The man narrated each one of his impressive acts with the tone of an experienced showman. His eloquent words and deep voice immersed the audience even further into his show.

"For my next feat," the man boomed animatedly, "I'll need a volunteer!"

He exaggeratedly searched through the eager bodies jumping up and down, finally landing on Lucy. With a deep bow, he extended his hand to the girl. Lucy blushed and giggled before hesitantly accepting his escort.

"Please stand right here, lovely lady," he purred, leading Lucy to a spot in the center of the stage. She stood obediently, still giggling shyly as she scanned the crowd. When her eyes locked with Kel's, she raised her eyebrows, and Kel grinned at the cute gesture.

The magician produced a large tarp from one of the crates stacked at the back of the stage and returned to Lucy's side.

"Young lady, do you know any magic?" he asked loudly, inciting an excited response from the crowd. Lucy shook her head vigorously.

"I think you do know some," the man continued, stretching the tarp between two hands. "How about you try to disappear when I hold this up?"

"I really can't!" she squealed, playfully covering her blushing cheeks.

"I'll help you," the man winked, raising the tarp to cover both of them.

Muffled conversation could be heard behind the tarp, followed by the man's loud count down.

"Three… Two… On-"

Before he finished speaking, the tarp fluttered lifelessly to the ground. The crowd immediately erupted into loud cheering. Both Lucy and the man had indeed disappeared.

The cheering lasted for several minutes before dying down into confused whispers.

What now? Was it over?

A young-looking boy waltzed into the now-empty stage and waved his arms to get everyone's attention.

"That's all! Thank you for coming!" he called. He placed a large vase at his feet, which quickly filled with various shiny coins as the audience dispersed.

Soon, only Kel was left, standing awkwardly, still confused about Lucy's disappearance. She walked in between the braziers and approached the boy, who seemed busy cleaning up props.

"Ah there you are," he smiled as Kel drew near. "Master told me about you."

"About me?" Kel questioned, feeling unsettled.

"Your friend was the one he used for the last trick?" the boy clarified.

"Oh. That's right," Kel replied. "Where is she now?"

The boy beamed. "I can take you to her."

Ignoring the growing suspicion in her gut, Kel followed the boy through a nearby alley.

I just have to get Lucy and leave, she told herself as the boy opened an old wooden door and beckoned her inside.

Behind the door stretched a long hall, lined with several doors. The anxiety gripping Kel's chest increased with every step, and just when she thought she couldn't handle it anymore, the boy came to a halt.

"Right in here," he instructed, gesturing to the door on his left.

Kel gave him a distrustful look before hesitantly gripping the door handle. The boy simply continued to smile, observing patiently as Kel slowly opened the door.

On the other side was a humble room set up like an office. A small table sat off to one side, furnished with two chairs opposite each other. The chair facing away from the door was already occupied by who Kel assumed to be the magician from earlier.

"Take a seat," the man offered without turning around. Though it was much less energetic than earlier, his unmistakable voice confirmed Kel's suspicions.

"Where is Lucy?" Kel demanded.

"Tsk tsk. So hasty," the magician scoffed, rising from his chair. "Suit yourself, then."

Kel faltered as the man took large strides toward her. Thankfully, he stopped before he got uncomfortably close.

"You have quite interesting hair," he remarked, rubbing his chin.

Kel was startled by his statement. Her hair was tightly braided behind her head and buried underneath a hood and mask. There was no way he could have seen it.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else," Kel replied awkwardly, glancing away.

"You stood me up last time," the man continued, taking a step closer.

Now Kel was certain he had confused her with another woman. She didn't know anybody in the city to arrange a meeting with in the first place.

"You're mistaken, Mr. Magician," Kel insisted. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get my friend and leave."

The man stepped back with his hands in the air at Kel's snippy response.

"You're free to go," he chuckled, "but take this with you."

With one hand still raised, he slowly extended the other. A coin-sized stone with a milky glow rested in his palm.

"What is it?" Kel asked apprehensively, entranced by the strange stone.

The man grinned, taking another step forward. "It's a moonstone."