While the girl he’d selected to feed on was battling the effects of the incense, Rayth sank a little further into his chair. He figured he might as well get comfortable. It was already taxing enough to keep his wits about him when the chemicals were coaxing him to let go. He didn’t really feel like bothering to sit up straight anymore on top of that.
	As he waited, his red eyes wandered over the rest of the creatures in the back yard. By this point, almost everyone had paired off with a guest. The shade who had been eyeing the same prey as he had was in the middle of a smooth dance with another woman, and Briella was macking it up on the loveseat with the young guy she had pulled aside. It looked like they were all going to be full and satisfied by the end of the night.
	Craning his neck a little to peer through the colored smoke, he spotted Frieda on the other side of the yard. She was still with the teenage-looking girl he’d noticed earlier, but she was acting different than usual. He narrowed his eyes as his vision threatened to go blurry from the drugs. From what he could make out, the ringmistress wasn’t biding her time to strike. Instead, it looked like she was just having a conversation with the girl.
	[i]Weird,[/i] he thought hazily, turning back to the young woman sitting across from him. She had slid haphazardly down in her chair and was now sitting in an awkward position. It didn’t seem to bother her though. A blank smile had formed on her lips, and her head was lolling to the side. She was [i]definitely[/i] inebriated enough now.
	“How are you feeling?” he asked, knowing full well the answer to his own question. “Any better than before?”
	“A [i]lot[/i] better,” the girl giggled, grinning at him dumbly. “You know, I really like this stuff. Who’s your dealer? I wanna get some for myself.”
	“You don’t need a dealer for incense,” Rayth laughed amusedly. He stood up from his seat, swayed slightly, and stepped over to offer her his hand. “Come on. Let’s have one more dance before you pass out.”
	“[i]Okay[/i],” she drawled, dropping her hand clumsily into his.
	Carefully, he hauled her out of her chair and led her away from the seating area, wanting to get far enough away that neither of them would trip on any furniture. With nothing left to wait for, it was time for him to fill his empty stomach.

[hr]
	[i]This[/i] was too good to be true.
	Coming into this long-awaited meeting, Frieda had thought she would have to convince Lune to join the ranks of the circus, but instead, the girl was offering her services on a silver platter. She nearly laughed at the irony of it. She supposed she knew now why the oracles had predicted she would succeed in her endeavor. It was because Lune had already made up her mind before the faerie could even say a word.
	She leaned forward in her seat with interest as the teen went on to sell herself as if she was in a job interview. It was clear to the ringmistress that she had no idea how special she was. Proposing cleanup and photography. It wasn’t what had attracted Frieda’s attention, but for now, it would have to do.
	The faerie watched patiently as Lune set up her camera to show off her previous work. The way the girl squinted against the camera’s light didn’t slip past her keen gaze. Even though the glow wasn’t painfully bright, she appeared uncomfortable looking into it. Frieda studied her discreetly as she accepted the device. [i]Interesting.[/i]
	Though her mind was already made up as well, she took a moment to look through Lune’s work just to humor her. As she did, she had to admit the images were impressive. The way the girl had captured her performers was artful—masterful, even, beyond her years. They could certainly use her talents in promoting their upcoming tours.
	“My dear, you have more to offer than you realize,” the faerie assured her with another inviting smile, handing the camera back. “The circus is a place where anyone, no matter who they are or what they look like, can come to feel safe. Of course, you are welcome to join, and I’m delighted that you want to.”
	She sat back in her chair again, though her posture remained straight and authoritative. No questions were asked. She didn’t need to know why Lune had sought out the circus. If that information was important, she would uncover it later. For now, the teen’s eagerness was good enough.
	The ringmistress gestured to a nearby faerie masquerading as an acrobat. “Fetch Rayth for me, would you?” she requested when the girl reached her side. “I’d like him to help our new sister get settled in.”
	“Yes, mistress,” the faerie girl curtseyed elegantly and wandered off to fulfill her task.
	Meanwhile, Frieda turned back to Lune with a pleased expression. “It takes courage to do something like this,” she flattered. “I hope you get everything you’re looking for out of Cirque du Sombre.”