Claire’s mood was dampened a bit when Kate said she thought it was bizarre. She could understand where she was coming from, but it was great too…right? She had wanted to fully understand her kittens for as long as she could remember. She understood most of their body language, but there were moments when they would do something she did not entirely grasp the meaning of. Maybe the bizarre part was not that she had understood them, but that they had appeared to only her as if they were speaking her language and she had spoken to them in turn.
Elena entered the ring eventually, and Claire remained with Kate while their boss carried out her own act. 

“Oh, so that is incredible, but when I talk to my cats it is [i]bizarre[/i].” Claire huffed and muttered to herself. "Double standards.”

Kate was right that Elena’s act was incredible though, but Claire’s had been great too. She hoped so at least. It had been for her, so maybe she should not care so much what the others thought. It was rare to be satisfied with your own act, but she felt like she was this time.

Claire had to watch as Elena cut the two boys in half, blood pooling on the ground and screams filling the big top. She was too taken by what was happening in front of her eyes to simply look away. Her stomach threatened to turn inside out and make her throw up as that part of Elena’s act came to a conclusion, with the two boys being combined into two new forms. 

“Were you using fake blood as well then, Elijah?” Claire asked.

Her jaw dropped as Elena began to chant and summon shadows around her. Maybe that could explain the strange occurrences taking place, but Claire thought that would be the really bizarre event here if it was all caused by the devil himself. No, that could not be. Besides, she would rather not believe in what the Christians claimed to be the truth. She had travelled the world too much for that. The shadows dispersed into the 
audience who still thought everything tonight were extravagant illusions. Claire wished she could think that too.

She held Kate’s hand tightly when they had to walk out into the ring, and join Elena, who now seemed a lot less like a lioness and a lot more like some kind of monster. She squeezed her hand a couple of times too, but let go when they each had to do their finishing tricks. Solomon joined Claire and she felt a bit more at ease after that.

Claire went with Kate and Elijah to the outside of the big top, with Solomon walking quietly and obediently right next to her side. She raised an eyebrow at Kate’s outburst.

“What, you mean the bizarre illusions?” Claire joked, then laughed half-heartedly while looking over her shoulder, worrying that there were more of those “illusions” waiting for them in the dark. “I don’t think it was anything coming from hell like you claim, Kate.” She laughed again, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe it was just something in the food that we ate which made us imagine it all, right? Right!?” She had sounded more panicked repeating that word than she had intended.

Claire didn’t want to think about the implications of what was going on. She hoped that Elena was not truly as much of a monster as she had demonstrated tonight. One night was enough for this. She could understand wanting to attract a crowd for their stay in London, but this was pushing the limit of what was acceptable. Surely, some of the performers might consider leaving the circus and joining another one if this went on? Claire didn’t want to leave, not without her cats at least.

“Maybe we should all get some rest and hope it doesn’t repeat itself…”