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“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. [i]Dammit. This stuff isn’t coming off…[/i]

“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. [i]Something different?[/i] He wondered. [i]What’s that supposed to mean?[/i] 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. [i]Dammit,[/i] Taj curled his lip. [i]There goes my shot at feeding on the special human.[/i]

“[i]Kaine[/i],” 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.


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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. [i]There will be something different about tonight.[/i] 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… [i]Oh?[/i]

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. [i]Oh well.[/i] He approached another attractive woman and slipped his arm around her waist, leading her to the fainting lounges around the edge of the tent. [i]Even if I can’t have the ‘special’ human, I’ll still feed tonight.[/i]