Born of Illusion Read Free Page A

Cigarette smoke encircles her dark head like a halo. Gone are the flowing tresses I once played with as a child. Fashion now dictates that women cut their hair as short as possible, though few women pull it off as successfully as she does. I miss her long hair. It made her seem more motherly.
    “Yes, Anna, how did you sleep? You seemed a bit overwrought when you went to bed.”
    Uneasiness flutters in my stomach. So she hasn’t forgotten last night. “I said I slept fine!”
    Thankfully, Jacques interrupts. “I almost forgot the reason I came over. I want to add two more acts before yours to increase your headline value in the eyes of the public. It would give you a certain prestige.”
    Grateful for the interruption, I settle into the deep leather club chair across from them, my mind going back to our argument.
    It started when I’d asked her why she wouldn’t let me expand my magical repertoire to include more complicated tricks. I stood in the hallway, watching her get ready for bed. She was sitting at her vanity table, rubbing Pond’s Cold Cream on her face.
    Her mouth tightened. “Because it’s unnecessary. Your magic just leads up to the main event, which is my performance. Really, darling, we’ve been over this before. Why do we have to revisit it?”
    Because just once, I would like her to admit that I’m very, very good and my magic is an important part of the show. But she wouldn’t grant me that, so I changed tactics. “If we expand my magic, the show would appeal to more people and would become so successful we wouldn’t have to do séances anymore.”
    “Your resistance to the séances is becoming a bore. Jacques and I have a business strategy, and the séances are an important part of that. Honestly, I don’t know why it bothers you so much.”
    Maybe because I’m tired of her being hauled off to jail for breaking the fortune-telling laws? Because I finally have a real home, and a scandal could cost us our regular show? Because I have a shot at a normal life and I don’t want her thirst for fame to ruin it? All thoughts I don’t dare articulate to my mother, so I just lapsed into resentful silence. As usual.
    Mother claps her hands, startling me back into the present.
    “Adding more opening acts is a fabulous idea!” she says.
    It is a good idea, but I’m not about to tell Jacques that. “Isn’t this a bit last minute?” I goad. “We’ve spent the past month doing teaser shows all over the city in preparation for our debut tomorrow night. Shouldn’t this have been set ages ago?”
    I hide a smile as Jacques flushes. His dark eyes are expressive but give nothing away, and his black hair is slicked back and curling over the collar of his well-tailored suit. He moved to the United States several years ago to better promote his French acts and get a toehold in the burgeoning American entertainment industry.
    “Don’t be difficult, darling.” Mother dismisses me with a wave of her hand, turning her attention back to Jacques. “Now, what kind of act should we add? Hmm?”
    I settle back and fume, watching him sip my tea. My fingers twitch and I reach for the deck of cards on the table. Shuffling them calms me.
    “We don’t want another medium or mentalist,” she continues, not waiting for an answer. “Perhaps a magician? Or no, why don’t we go with something completely different?” She’s wearing her red, embroidered kimono robe and house slippers regally, as if she were already dressed for the day. I note that her makeup is flawless. She must have known Jacques was coming by this morning. 
    Jacques nods his approval. “Brilliant. I don’t want a magician either. We don’t want anyone to compete with Anna, though I’ve seen few magicians who can.” My mother frowns, but Jacques doesn’t notice. He should have said he doesn’t want anyone to compete with her . My mother jealously guards her headliner status, and I can tell by the sudden furrows on her forehead that