"You've been watching those three for hours now, Iliana, which one has caught your eye? Surely it's not the mousy brunette, she doesn't seem to be your...type." Harnaam was sitting across from the Unseelie with legs crossed, fragrant hookah smoke pouring from her mouth as she spoke. She was lazily watching Iliana's prey. Two female travelers and what she could only assume was a young man living pretty off daddy's money; she hated the boy already. "Well?"

Iliana's cold blue eyes snapped back to the beautiful bearded lady, they were glittering with annoyance. "The mousy brunette? No. I didn't even notice she was there. Cute but forgettable. The blonde is who has grabbed my attention. Beautiful gypsy girl, don't you think? She'd make quite the fortune teller." She was silently pleased to see the young woman was tightly clutching a glittering black invitation. The only question was if she would accept.

The timeless ringmaster hoped that she would.

Harnaam leaned over the railing to get a better look at Asha, quickly shrugging as she inhaled the smoke. "I've seen better," Another shrug. "But we'll just have to see how well she does reading tarot cards."

"That we will, my beautiful Harnaam. Now go and put Jack and Priscilla to bed. I don't want them running around tonight. Things might get...dangerous."

__________

Three black invitations. One for each of them. Asha, Piper, and Felix. The Three Musketeers would be attending a party together tonight, and little Piper could hardly contain her excitement; she had never attended a party before because she had never been invited to one. Of course, she had been invited to birthday parties of the other traveler children, but this was different. Far more different than she could have ever hoped or imagined, as she would soon come to realize and regret. "So are we going to go?" She was practically begging the other two at this point.

Asha stared down at the invitation in her delicate hands, feelings excitement and unease filling her like bubbling water. As much as she wanted to say yes she also wanted to say no. What types of parties did traveling circuses have, anyway? It all seemed so strange to her. "What do you think, Felix?" She asked as she began reading the golden stamped words for what felt like the hundredth time.

Dearest friend,
We request your attendance.
Time: Twelve a.m. sharp.
Where: The main tent.
There is no need to RSVP, just present me at the opening.
XXX

"You're stupid if you think we're not going, Asha. A party with the circus freaks. How could you say no to that?" Felix sounded almost appalled at the idea of not attending a party. The third wheel, Piper, was beginning to make the intoxicating Gypsy soft and boring.

A sigh escaped Asha's full lips, "Fine, let's go. I don't want to stay all night, though! Unlike you, Piper and I have responsibilities. Got it."

The young man held his hands up in mock surrender, "Whatever you say, Gypsy. I'm just here to make sure you and Pipes don't get in too much trouble."

And get you so drunk and high I can do whatever I want to you...

***
The outside of the tent was the same, but the inside had drastically changed. The bleachers had been replaced by velvet fainting lounges, and each one was occupied by multiple, naked, writhing bodies. Beautiful, scantily clad women were swinging from the trapeze and one from the gaudy, purple chandelier that seemed to bathe the room in a lustful light. Loud music pulsed through the room, begging you to dance with those around you. Begging you to give in to the party's erotic magic. Asha was in awe of what she saw before her, so much so that she didn't notice her best friends being pulled away by strange yet enticing women.

"Asha?"

She turned at the sound of her name, surprised to see the circus' ringleader standing before her with the bearded lady. "Yes?" It hadn't occurred to her to ask how the elegant middle-aged woman had known her name.

"Are you enjoying your time here?"

"Oh, yes! I haven't been here for very long...but there's something magical about it."

Iliana glanced at Harnaam and nodded before turning her attention back to the Gypsy. She was a beautiful girl and was sure to cause trouble between the boys. "Can you read tarot cards?"

Asha nodded, "I have them here with me. I can read them for you if you'd like?" Why was she asking the ringleader if she could read her cards? It was almost as if she was compelled to do so. She produced her well-worn tarot deck and shuffled them before allowing Iliana to touch them all and pick three.

The first, the Devil.

The second, the Tower.

The third, Death.

Not a very promising batch of cards...maybe I fucked up somehow...

"I'm sorry, ma'am, perhaps I've done something wrong? I usually don't see such grim cards." She swallowed nervously and shifted uncomfortably.

"No, no, sweet child...you've done nothing wrong." Iliana reached out to caress Asha's sweet face. Her skin was soft and warm. "Will you tell me what you think they mean?"

Asha nodded once again, "The Devil, tells us that your ego is what drives you in this life. The Tower shows us that change is coming. Unwelcome and sudden change. Death tells us that an era in your life is coming to an end, and a new one will begin."

The Fae nodded slowly, her decision had been made. This girl would belong to her and the circus. "Asha, would you like to join the circus?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful."

“If there’s one thing I hate about the circus, it’s the crazy get-ups,” a dark-skinned performer grumbled as he scrubbed the stage makeup off his face. The unusual entertainers had just finished another successful show and were now reclining in their preparation tent. Circus freaks of all shapes and sizes lounged about the shady area, all in various stages of undress as they rid themselves of their costumes. Two-headed ladies, sharp-toothed monsters, and tattooed magicians sprawled over cushioned chairs and shuffled lazily about. It was a hot a humid summer day in Ireland, and all of the performers were affected.

“It can’t be helped, Taj,” another circus troupe member sighed. He was seated in a strange, upside-down position on a nearby cushioned chair, with his legs swung over the back and his head lolling off the edge of the seat. “If the audience saw your inhumanly ugly face, they’d know something’s up and stop coming to our shows.” He grinned broadly, revealing two sets of pearly fangs, when the other performer shot him a glare.

“Shut up, Flynn,” Taj snarled. “If that was the reason why, then I’d be the only one wearing this godforsaken paint.” He muttered a string of curses as he continued to scrub at the makeup on his face with a rag. The paint really was unbearable, but he had no other choice than to wear it since he looked too normal without it. As a werewolf, he was indistinguishable from the humans most of the time. Dammit. This stuff isn’t coming off…

“My jokes are wasted on you,” Flynn rolled his eyes. Taj threw the rag at him.

“What are you two idiots doing?” Taj glanced over his shoulder to see another performer approaching them, hips swaying seductively and shoulders held straight to show off her scarcely covered bosom. She was wearing a particularly revealing dress that day. It was short, form-fitting, and made mostly out of semi-transparent black lace. The two males stared at her. She tossed her hair, “Did you hear the rumor?”

“Rumor?” Taj echoed, tilting his head as if entranced. “What are you talking about, Eulalie?”

The succubus clicked her tongue impatiently and crossed her arms over her chest, cutting of their view so they would pay attention, “I’m talking about the rumor that something different is going to happen at tonight’s party. I don’t know what that means exactly, but my curiosity is piqued.”

“Haven’t heard a thing,” Flynn shrugged. “Taj?”

“No, nothing,” Taj said. Something different? He wondered. What’s that supposed to mean? The parties that followed their circus performances were always the same. The only things that changed were the human guests that were invited. Perhaps a particularly juicy meal was coming tonight. If so, he hoped he could be one of the first to feed on it. The werewolf swallowed in anticipation.

“What’s that about a rumor?”

All three performers flinched at the sound of a fourth voice. A young man with piercing red eyes and the beginnings of two small horns on his head walked up to the group. He carried himself with an authoritative demeanor suggestive of high status. Dammit, Taj curled his lip. There goes my shot at feeding on the special human.

“Kaine,” Eulalie purred. She laced her arm through his and pressed her bosom temptingly against his skin. “You always seem to know what’s going on around here. Could you tell me why there’s a rumor that something about tonight’s party will be different?”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Kaine answered plainly, ignoring the succubus’s advances. He paused for a moment, and then narrowed his crimson eyes. “Iliana isn’t altering the feeding, is she? I’ve a thirst for blood tonight that I will satisfy whether it comes from a human or not.”

“I… don’t think that’s what it’s about,” Eulalie stammered, retreating slightly. Taj averted his gaze. He preferred to avoid Kaine when he got hungry. The demon’s bloodlust always made him irritable and violent, and he often took out his frustrations on the other performers when provoked.

“Maybe there’s a special human tonight,” Flynn suggested, echoing Taj’s earlier suspicions. The vampire rolled off of his chair and stood up. It was a casual movement, but Taj suspected he did it to be in a better position to run in case Kaine got angry.

“Perhaps,” Kaine mused. “Well, whatever this ‘difference’ is, it better not ruin my meal.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the others to watch him go in fearful silence.

“God,” Flynn muttered. “He brings ‘hangry’ to a whole new level.”

“Remind me to stay away from him during the feeding,” Taj nodded.


The tent was awash with a dim violet glow, alive with the bodies of both humans and creatures alike when Kaine entered upon the scene. The room was filled with a thick fog of chemicals as people smoked various drugs along the outskirts. Already, the demon could see the other circus performers moving in on their targeted prey. Vampires danced with drunken girls, magicians cast enchantments over the drinks, fae writhed on the lounges with seduced young men. He had to act quickly to secure a meal for himself.

As Kaine prowled the perimeter of the tent, Eulalie’s mention of a rumor made an unwelcome appearance in his mind’s eye. There will be something different about tonight. What did that mean? Perhaps Flynn was right, and some special human had been invited to the party. If that was the case, he wanted to be the first to feed on it. If only he could determine which of the humans was different from the others… Oh?

Off to one side, he spotted Iliana—and she was with a human girl. The demon made his way closer, curious as to what they were talking about. Judging by the formal way they were conversing, the ringmaster didn’t seem interested in feeding on the girl, so perhaps she was still up for the taking. He was just about to inch a bit closer to find out, when Iliana’s helper, Harnaam, cut him off.

“Ah, ah,” the bearded woman said sharply, stepping in front of Kaine and blocking his path. “This girl is off-limits.”

“What do you mean?” the demon asked in a faux innocent tone. “I was just looking. She’s a beautiful female…” He glanced over Harnaam’s shoulder. “Maybe just a taste?”

“No. Plenty of other humans were invited. Take your pick from them.”

Kaine narrowed his eyes in frustrated defeat. The order to leave the girl alone most likely came from Iliana herself, so there was no getting around it. “Fine,” he growled, heading back to the crowded dance floor to choose his prey from the other intoxicated humans. Looking around, he saw Flynn and Taj with two young, blonde women already, and Eulalie was pursuing a wealthy-looking young man. The demon peered back at the human girl with Iliana. Maybe it was simply the fact that she was a forbidden fruit, but he felt more enticed by her than the other humans he was allowed to choose from. Oh well. He approached another attractive woman and slipped his arm around her waist, leading her to the fainting lounges around the edge of the tent. Even if I can’t have the ‘special’ human, I’ll still feed tonight.

The Winter Fae snapped her long, slender fingers together to draw Harnaam back to her. "Harnaam, be a doll and escort Asha over to Taj and Flynn. They'll be taking care of her until she's comfortable." With a soft nod, she dismissed the Haltija and the human female. There was more to Asha than met the eye. So much to be used and exploited. For pleasure. For profit. For her own twisted amusement.

Harnaam took Asha's hand to lead her towards Taj and Flynn, "Taj is a werewolf and Flynn is a vampire. Neither should bite you. Unless you're into that." She laughed at her own joke despite how silent the Gypsy remained. "Oh, please, you're not fooling anyone with your innocent silence. I see right through you. It's always the quiet ones that are into the most interesting things." The bearded lady would leave it at that, sure that all of Asha's dirty little secrets would come to the surface soon enough. They always did.

"Taj. Flynn. This is Asha, she's our new fortune teller." Asha waved at the two as Harnaam continued, "Iliana has requested that you two keep an eye on her while she gets comfortable. I don't think I have to tell you what will happen if any harm comes to her, do I?" Her usually bright eyes darkened, showing the young men that she was undoubtedly threatening them.

Her face seemed to scream, 'if any harm comes to her, death would be the most pleasant option.' With that, she squeezed Asha's hand before disappearing into the crowd of writhing bodies. Asha smiled at Taj and Flynn, holding a dainty hand out towards them. "It's very nice to meet you both. Harnaam said that you were a vampire and werewolf. She was kidding...right?" She was toying with a long strand of dirty blonde hair nervously, waiting for any sort of rational explanation to the bearded woman's comment.

Perhaps their appetite for women is like that of a werewolf and vampire. She swallowed nervously. Yeah, because that makes total sense, Asha...

__________

Tendrils of magic were weaving through the sea of people, wrapping around those without supernatural blood coursing through their veins. It lowered them to the ground and gently pulled down their eyelids as one would usually do to a corpse.

Tonight's party had been drawn to a close, but only once Iliana was sure that everyone had gotten their fill. "Thank you, Efren."

"Of course, madam." Efren bowed before moving to return to Pixie's side.

"My monsters, I would like to introduce you to our newest member. Our fortune teller. Asha. Come forward, darling, don't be shy."

Asha did as she was told, uncomfortable with so many eyes on her.

(sorry it's on the shorter side, on my phone and no idea how long it is.)

The deafening roar of the music, the enticing pulse of the lights, the intoxicating aroma of vapors… Flynn both loved and hated it at the same time. He and Taj had joined the circus troupe’s party about fifteen minutes after Kaine—it was an intentional move suggested by Taj in the hopes that the demon would be too busy chasing humans to notice them come in—and they wasted no time looking for potential victims on the dance floor. As luck would have it, they came across two very drunk young women almost immediately. The vampire and werewolf exchanged a satisfied glance. Both of the women were blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and exotically attractive, but the most noticeable thing about them was…

“Twins,” Taj said with a smirk.

“Either the universe is paying us back for some good deed we did, or we are two very lucky monsters,” Flynn nodded.

“I don’t do good deeds,” Taj snorted. “And I don’t believe in luck.”

“Again, my humor is lost on you,” Flynn shook his head. “Forget it. Let’s go catch some human dinner.” He led the way as the two approached the girls, weaving between the crowds of dancing people. When they reached their targets, they split off, both pairing off with the twin of his choice. After that, their job was easy. The girls were completely intoxicated, so they welcomed the predators without a second thought, dancing with them, embracing them, and kissing them in a drunken stupor. Flynn both loved and hated it at the same time. He wrapped his arms around the girl, drawing her close to kiss her lips, then her jaw, then her neck. Her head lolled and she sighed, leaning against him, believing his gesture was romantic. If only it was so innocent.

Flynn nuzzled his head against the girl’s shoulder as if he was about to kiss her again, but this time he opened his mouth, touched his lips to her skin… and then sank his fangs into her neck. The girl quivered slightly as he drank the warm blood that flowed through the bite. Fortunately, the feeding process was only slightly uncomfortable for her at most, since the vampire’s saliva numbed her skin before he pierced it. It was the least he could do since he was taking advantage of the girl and turning her into a meal.

When he pulled away again, the girl slumped into his arms, unconscious from the blood loss. Sorry, he apologized silently, lowering her limp body to the ground. I hate this just as much as you do. Once the human was curled up on the floor, he rejoined Taj, who had finished feeding on the other twin.

“I feel alive again,” Taj said, grinning widely.

“Mhmm,” Flynn grunted in agreement. As much as he disliked feeding on humans, he always did feel stronger afterwards.

“Hey, what’s Harnaam doing with that human?” Taj said suddenly, peering over Flynn’s shoulder. Flynn turned around to see the bearded woman approaching them with a strange girl. That’s odd, he puzzled. The party is almost over, but no one seems to have fed on her yet.

“Taj. Flynn. This is Asha, she’s our new fortune teller,” Harnaam said. Flynn blinked in surprise. This girl—this human girl—was joining the circus? She’s not going to last one day around these bloodthirsty monsters! He thought, but kept his opinion to himself as the bearded woman continued: “Iliana has requested that you two keep an eye on her while she gets comfortable. I don’t think I have to tell you what will happen if any harm comes to her, do I?”

“No,” Taj and Flynn said in unison. When Harnaam walked away, they both turned to look at Asha. She was a beautiful girl by any standard. Long blonde hair, slender figure, pretty face… Flynn could see why Harnaam felt the need to warn them against harming her, but he still couldn’t figure out why she had been recruited into the circus. Maybe the reason would become clear later on.

“It’s very nice to meet you both,” Asha broke the momentary silence with a greeting. “Harnaam said that you were a vampire and werewolf. She was kidding... right?”

“No,” Taj said bluntly. “Why would she kid about that?”

Flynn rolled his eyes, “What my friend here means to say is: Yes, I’m a vampire and he’s a werewolf, but no, we’re not gonna do anything to you, so you have nothing to worry about.” He stepped over to the girl and threw an arm over her shoulder, grinning in a friendly manner, “Welcome to the circus, where the parties are wild, and the monsters are wilder. You’re gonna love it here.”


Kaine let out a sigh of satisfaction as the unconscious body of his victim fell to the ground. He felt much better now that he had quenched his thirst for blood. Standing up from the lounge he had been reclining on, the demon raised his arms over his head in a long stretch and scanned the tent for Flynn and Taj. Last he had seen, they were somewhere near the center of the room, dancing with those two blonde girls… Ah, yes. There they were. He spotted the two standing with Harnaam and—He froze, wide-eyed. It was that human girl from before! She was still awake and untouched. What the hell? He curled his lip. If no one else is going to feed on her, then why can’t I? He took a step towards the group, intending to do just that, but stopped when he heard Iliana’s voice calling everyone to attention.

“My monsters, I would like to introduce you to our newest member. Our fortune teller. Asha. Come forward, darling, don’t be shy.”

Newest member? Kaine’s red eyes swept over the crowd as he searched for an unfamiliar face. What is she—? Oh, you have got to be kidding me. He watched in dismay as the human girl stepped forward. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath. What was Iliana thinking? Humans didn’t belong in the circus. They were the monsters’ food; they weren’t supposed to live among them! What was so special about this one that she couldn’t be fed on like the rest of her miserable kind?

Kaine worked his way through the sea of creatures to get a closer look at the girl. Physically, she didn’t seem any different than other humans who had shown up at the party. He inched closer. She didn’t smell any different either. A fortune teller, eh? Perhaps I should… say hello. He glanced back at Iliana and clicked his tongue in annoyance. The ringmaster was watching the human girl carefully, so he would have to wait for a better opportunity before he could try to approach the newest member of the circus. For now, he lingered amongst the throng of monsters, watching and biding his time.

Asha's vibrant eyes shifted from the vampire, to the werewolf, and then back to the handsome vampire. This is the most fucked up dream I've ever had. When am I going to wake up? A two-headed beauty approached the human with arms outstretched. "Welcome to our ranks, darling! We're so excited to have you." The two spoke in unison as they rocked the Gypsy back and forth in a warm embrace.

It was terribly uncomfortable.

The ringmaster clapped her hands, pulling everyone's attention back to her. Where it should be. At all times. "There will be time to get to know Asha in the days to come, but now it is time for us all the retire. We are leaving before the sun." There was no room for argument. As everyone began to disperse she approached the demon Kaine. "She is not a piece of meat for your enjoyment, Kaine. If I have my way she'll end up with Flynn. Stay away from her. I have plans for her, and I would rather you not get in the way of them." To punctuate her sentence she kissed his forehead and ran her hand over his delicate cheek. He was so demonically handsome. A useful little tool in the days, weeks, and months to come.

"Asha, darling, Efren will need some time to set up your tent. Feel free to explore a little while you wait, but do not stay up too late...you don't want the monsters to gobble you up."

---
The delicate blonde watched as everyone trickled out and waved at those who turned to wave at her. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time, and there was a nagging sensation at the base of her skull that she was forgetting something. Had she come to the circus with someone? If so, who had she come with? Where were they now? It was difficult to remember; everything seemed to...disappear once she signed the contract. She turned to Flynn and Taj, "I'm going to take Iliana up on the offer to explore. Don't worry about staying up on my account. I'll catch you both in the morning." Before either could argue she made her way outside, desperately searching for a place to hide and decompress while she smoked a joint. Or two.

She settled at the base of a gnarled tree, crossing her legs as she lit a joint. Asha inhaled the thick white smoke and held it in her lungs for as long as she could before exhaling it through her nose. She was a dragon. A beautiful, mythical creature of epic proportions. "Tell me what you wish, cards..."

No, no, no, no! Eulalie stared in horror at the human who was joining their ranks, her upper lip curled in a snarl. This can’t be happening. She could count on one manicured hand the number of things that would have been worse than this. A human—a human girl—a beautiful human girl—couldn’t possibly join the circus. The succubus wouldn’t stand for it. She had worked so hard to wrap all of the male monsters around her finger, flirting and flaunting, kissing and caressing, sleeping around… She wasn’t about to let some beautiful human girl ruin all of her efforts. Especially…

Eulalie’s midnight black eyes roved over the crowd until they found Kaine. Her heart pounded with jealous rage when she saw his gaze transfixed on the human. Of course he’s interested in her, she thought sourly. She smells delicious. Ugh, this little wench is ruining everything! Still fuming, she made her way through the crowd to stand at the demon’s side. Perhaps if she asserted her presence, she could distract him. It always worked on the other men in the circus.

“Kaine,” she murmured in a half-sigh, tracing her slender fingers down his arm as she slowly entwined her limbs with his. “I can’t believe Iliana. She’s inviting food to live with us.” The succubus leaned her head against Kaine’s shoulder, pressing her body close to his as she exhaled against his skin. “But we shouldn’t let her ruin our party. We still have tonight, so why not… make the most of it?” Moving to stand in front of the demon, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to whisper in his ear, her soft lips lightly brushing against him as she spoke. “I’m feeling energetic tonight...like I could do anything.” She breathed the word into his neck. “So, what do you say?”

“Not now, temptress,” Kaine growled without looking at her. “I’m busy.”

“Busy with what?” Eulalie persisted carefully. “Busy with that human? Oh, come now, Kaine. She’s nothing. I can give you whatever—you—want.” With each word, she walked her fingers up his chest until her hand rested against his collarbone.

“I said not now, Eulalie,” the demon fixed his crimson eyes on her in a warning glower. “I’m sure there are plenty of other monsters who would love to spend the night with you, but I’m busy.”

“Stubborn man,” the succubus muttered, disentangling herself from him and skulking away. She glanced back at the human girl who had captured her love’s interest, scowling bitterly. She’s not going to last one week here. If I have to, I’ll see to that myself.



Kaine followed Iliana with his eyes as she strutted away from him. She had intended to scare him, but somehow her threatening words only made him more eager to pursue the human. And I’ll find a way to do that… One way or another. He melted into the crowd as all of the monsters exited the tent, weaving through the river of bodies as he kept watch over Asha. Though he kept well away from her, he would not let her leave his sight. He was the hunter, and she was his prey.

Once outside the main tent, the creatures began to disperse to various, smaller tents where they would all sleep for the night. Kaine lingered behind, loitering by a tree while Taj and Flynn walked with the human. Originally, His plan was to see which tent they would take her to so he could make a visit later in the night, but it seemed he wouldn’t have to wait even that long. Soon after they stepped outside, Asha declared that she was going to explore on her own and left her monster guards behind. The demon smirked to himself, Poor little doe. She’s forgotten the safety of the herd, and now she’ll be food for the wolf.

Kaine trailed silently behind the girl, following her to the gnarled tree that she chose to sit down beneath. He waited in the shadows, watching as she lit and began smoking a joint, murmuring something to herself about cards. So far, it looked like she was really alone. No Taj and Flynn, and, more importantly, no Iliana. The demon had found his opportunity.

He stepped into the moonlight and approached Asha, his red irises luminescent in the dark of the night. “Some party, wasn’t it?” he smiled with deceitful friendliness. “You’re Asha, right? The new girl? I don’t believe we’ve met.” He sat down beside her, leaning back against the tree’s wide trunk, his Cheshire grin widening to reveal threatening, pointed fangs. “I’m Kaine.”

"Some party, wasn't it?"

Asha's hazel eyes drifted from the tarot cards that lay before her to the demon that was sinking to the ground beside her.

The Fool. The Lovers. The Hanged Man.

Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, and carefree.

Love, union, bonds, alignment, and relationships.

Suspension, letting go, sacrifice, and martyrdom.

A frown began making itself at home on her full lips. Nothing about this combination made the slightest bit of sense to her. Yes, the circus was a new beginning and she would have to let go of her past...but where did The Lovers come into play? Would she find love on the road with these strangers? No. She was reading too much into it.

Right?

Only time would tell.

“You’re Asha, right? The new girl? I don’t believe we’ve met.” His threatening Cheshire smile revealed perfect, white fangs; though the Gypsy didn't seem to be phased by the silent threat. "I'm Kaine."

She hated the way he was watching her, though. Crimson eyes tracking her every move as if she were prey. Perhaps she was. Maybe that's all she was to everyone she had met tonight. An easy meal; one they could partake of whenever they pleased. "Hm? Oh, yeah, it was nice." Smoke poured out of her mouth as she spoke. "It reminded me of the parties the travelers throw. Loud music. Scantily clad women. Alcohol. The only difference is that your party was a little more...erotic." There was no other way to say it.

Noir's party had been raunchy and tasteless at best, but there was something about it that left her wanting more. Asha's primal appetite had been awoken, and she had only had the smallest of tastes.

"It's very nice to meet you, Kaine. If you don't mind me asking...what part do you play in Noir? I'm still trying to learn everyone's place. It's not as easy as it would seem."

__________

The heavily tattooed Warlock and his Vampire assistant approached Taj and Flynn, whispering to one another until they reached the other two. "So what do you think of her? I think she's just darling! She and Kaine would make such a cute couple. They already look like one sitting under that tree!" It was Pixie who spoke for the couple, as she usually did. Efren wasn't much of a talker.

"I think she's going to cause trouble." To everyone's surprise, Efren was speaking as he fished out his pack of cigarettes. "Iliana doesn't bring someone into the fold without having a plan for them. So what the hell is her plan for this one? She doesn't seem like anything special to me."

"Don't be so negative, Efren! I'm sure she'll be a darling addition."

Efren responded with a grunt before blowing smoke in Taj and Flynn's direction. "Her tent is ready. She'll be between you two. It's what Iliana wanted. Wants her as far away from Kaine as possible. Probably for the best."

Kaine’s smile faded as Asha shrugged off his threat, acting as nonchalantly as if they were merely exchanging casual banter. She was a brave one… for a human that was. However, he knew he would break her of her ignorant courage eventually. All humans were fragile creatures, easily manipulated, easily destroyed. It only took a little nudge in the right direction, and he would soon show the girl her place in the circus. For now, though, he would play along with her little game of bravery, since it was still far too soon for him to strike. Iliana would have his head if anything happened to her new pet, and, given the demon’s attraction to humans, she was watching him closely. He would just have to be patient.

Kaine’s serpentine gaze drifted down to the tarot cards the girl was dealing for herself. Right, Iliana had mentioned something about her being a fortune teller. He eyed her skeptically. Does she really have such a skill? The ringmaster isn’t easily fooled, but it’s hard to believe a simple human has such an ability. Unable to read the cards, himself, he had no way of knowing whether or not she had any real talent. He hoped she was a fraud though. If it came to light that the girl had no special abilities, Iliana would surely hand her over to be eaten by the monsters, and the forbidden fruit would be relinquished of its protection. He licked his lips.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Kaine,” Asha said, keeping up her peaceful façade. “If you don’t mind me asking... what part do you play in Noir? I’m still trying to learn everyone’s place. It’s not as easy as it would seem.”

The demon hesitated for a moment before answering her question. It still felt strange to address her as an equal, even if he was only doing it to appease Iliana and keep himself out of trouble. “I perform in the circus—feats of strength, knife handling, hypnotisms… acts of that nature—but I’m not your average monster by any means.” He stretched out his legs as he leaned against the tree, head tilted slightly and eyelids drooping in a bored manner. “Around here, I’m something of an authority. You see, there aren’t many demons in general—we’re a bit of a rare breed—and in this circus, I’m the only one.” The corner of his lip twitched in a smirk. “Little Human, you don’t know how fortunate you are that Iliana cares so much about your future.” He leaned towards Asha, suddenly and smoothly closing the distance between them until his mouth hovered just above her neck. He inhaled deeply, taking in her enticing smell, and then let his breath out in warm sigh. Kaine spoke in a murmur as he went on, “If you weren’t under her protection, I would take you right now.”



“Asha’s been gone for a while now; don’t you think?” Flynn said concernedly, tracing circles in the dirt with a stick. He and Taj had been sitting outside the tents since the human wandered off on her own. The werewolf had wanted leave her to her exploring and go to bed, but the vampire wouldn’t hear of it. If anything happened to Asha, they were the ones who would be held responsible, and Iliana wasn’t exactly known for her mercy. He shuddered to think what the ringmaster would do if the girl was injured. So, despite Taj’s protests, they stayed up.

“She probably found some quiet little spot in the woods and fell asleep,” the chocolate brown performer grumbled. “I think she has the right idea. We should do that too.”

“Forget it, Taj,” Flynn shook his head. “We’re not sleeping until she’s safe in her own tent. Orders from the big boss, remember?”

“But why did Iliana have to make us babysit the human?” the werewolf groaned, flopping on the ground. “I couldn’t care less if she got eaten. Hell, I’d eat her myself, if I could. The last thing I want to be doing right now is taking care of Iliana’s play thing.”

“We don’t have a choice. She already chose us for the job, so we’re just gonna have to do it.”

“That human better stop dawdling then or she’s gonna need protection from me—Hey!” Taj sat up angrily as the vampire flicked his stick at him.

“Shut up already.”

“Ass.”

Flynn opened his mouth to respond, but paused when he caught sight of Efren and Pixie approaching them. The two were locked in a quiet conversation, but the vampire spoke up when they within range to talk, “So what do you think of her? I think she’s just darling! She and Kaine would make such a cute couple. They already look like one sitting under that tree!”

“Asha’s with Kaine?” Flynn blanched. Shit. This is bad. If that damned demon touches her, we’re as good as dead! Distracted, he missed the rest of the conversation between the other three. Something about whether or not the human girl was going to cause trouble… Oh well. It didn’t matter. He climbed to his feet and turned to Taj, “Come on, lazy ass. We need to get Asha away from Kaine before he tries anything funny.”

“Ugh, this human is such a pain!” Taj whined as he forced himself to stand up and follow the vampire into the woods.

When they found her, Asha was sitting beneath a gnarled tree with—as Pixie had said—none other than Kaine. Flynn muttered a string of curse words under his breath, hiding behind another nearby tree as he watched the demon lean towards the girl, obviously toying with her. The last thing Flynn wanted was to do was get between Kaine and his target, but with Iliana’s threats looming over his head, it seemed like he had no other choice. Screw it. He marched out from behind the tree with Taj following close behind, “Alright, alright, you two. Break it up. It’s past Asha’s bedtime.” He held out a hand to the human, “Come on, love. Taj and I’ll show you to your tent.”