‘And what was so bad about it?’

She shakes her head and shrugs off her sequined jacket. Mum and Vince hate it when I ask anything about their mother, and I know there are things they’re not telling me. At Christmas one year, I tried asking Mum’s aunt Thelma a few questions, but she dodged them too.

‘But big magic is in my blood,’ I say. ‘Surely the circus needs me to learn magic now more than ever!’

Mum puts a finger to her lips and glances around. Big magic is our secret. Of course, Dad is in on it, and Vincent knows because he grew up with magic, but he never talks about it. And I’ve told Kit too; how could I not? Otherwise, we must keep it quiet. And it’s actually not too hard, because no-one ever asks a magician how they do a trick. Even ordinary magicians have strict codes of secrecy – and of all people, circus folk know to respect that.

‘Yes, you’re right,’ she says quietly. ‘It’s your destiny. But not yet. Get changed, sweetie.’ She’s in a hurry. I know she wants to go off on her own to practise some mysterious big-magic trick that she’s been working on since last week; something to draw big crowds.

As I unbutton my jumpsuit, Zanni appears at Mum’s side. ‘Merry?’ Her eyes are wide with worry. ‘There’s someone here to talk to you. He says his name is Peter Potts.’

Mum’s face falls. ‘Oh no.’

A tall, bald man in a suit strides through the side flap of the tent. ‘Hello, Merry,’ he says loudly. ‘I want a meeting in the ring, now. With everyone. Round them up, would you?’

Mum nods. ‘Okay.’ Her lips are pressed tight.

‘Who’s that?’ I whisper as the man pushes his way through the curtains.

She closes the lid of her props box. ‘That’s Mr Potts’s son.’ Mr Potts, lovely Mr Potts, who owned our circus for decades, died three months ago. I never even knew he had a son. ‘Peter Potts owns the circus now,’ Mum says, ‘and he rang Vince last week to check how much the circus is earning.’

‘So why’s he here?’

She meets my eyes. ‘I think he wants to close us down.’

CHAPTER 2

Peter Potts stands with feet planted wide and hands on his hips. ‘It’s actually very simple, folks.’ He sounds bored, as if this is something to get over and done with. ‘As I’m sure you know, this circus is losing me hundreds of dollars a day.’