Frieda found Lune’s reaction to her immediate acceptance droll. Coincidentally, her own thoughts followed a similar pattern. [i]Just like that[/i], she had attained her prize without the need to coax or coerce the girl into joining. It had been far easier than she had anticipated, and she was pleasantly surprised. All that was left was to assimilate her into the circus. Although, she was unsure if that step would go as smoothly as the first.
	It was impossible to prevent Lune from finding out that the performers weren’t human. She had kept their identities a secret for the sake of ensuring the girl wouldn’t be scared away. However, she now had the dual task of convincing her not to leave when she learned the truth and forbidding the other bloodthirsty creatures from touching her—the same as she had done for Rayth when he had joined last year. This teenager seemed bold enough. With any luck, she would find her unique circus exciting instead of intimidating.
	That was her hope, at least.
	“You can call me Frieda,” she said in answer to the first question. “And yes. I’ll have a written contract for you to sign, but it’s nothing you need to worry about tonight. For now, your only job is to make yourself at home. One of my performers will be here soon to help you do just that.”

[hr]
	On the other side of the back yard, Rayth had led the girl he’d been targeting to a clear space, where he could feed on her without interruption.
	“Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful skin?” he asked, his gaze fixed hungrily on the crook of her neck. Even though he’d told her that he was bringing her with him to dance, he’d really just wanted to get her back on her feet so she would be easier to bite. Luckily for him, she had become too dazed from the incense to remember why they’d left their seats in the first place.
	“Thanks,” she smiled absentmindedly. “Your fangs are cool too… Why do you wear them if you’re supposed to be a reaper though?”
	“Because I’m actually a vampire,” Rayth grinned. She wouldn’t remember anything by the next morning, so he didn’t have to pretend anymore.
	The girl giggled, “No way. You’re screwing with me.”
	“I’m not,” he insisted, reaching up to brush her shoulder-length hair away from her neck. “I can prove it to you if you’d like.”
	“Do it,” she challenged with a snicker, tilting her chin up. “I don’t believe you.”
	“Alright,” his smile broadened eagerly. “You asked for it.”
	With his disoriented prey volunteering her neck, he bared his fangs and leaned in to sink them into her skin. He could feel her shudder and gasp at the pain, but with the drug in her system, she was too inhibited to push him away. It was no trouble at all for him to bleed her as he drank the satisfying liquid.
	Unfortunately, he didn’t have long before he was interrupted.
	“Rayth,” one of Frieda’s faeries was approaching him. “The mistress has a job for you.”
	The half-vampire groaned inwardly. Of all the times Frieda could have given him something to do, why did she have to pick the after party? He didn’t want to give up his meal. It wasn’t fair. Even if he wasn’t a pureblooded monster, he was just as hungry as everyone else. Maybe he could stall.
	“I’m busy,” he mumbled, his voice muffled against his victim’s neck. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it later.”
	“She wishes to see you now,” the faerie girl frowned. Like the rest of the ringmistress’s minions, she was very one-track-minded. “She asked me to fetch you.”
	“Give me a minute,” Rayth pressed hotly. “I’m almost done.”
	“Fine,” the faerie crossed her arms. “One minute.”
	He rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to the girl he was draining. He could feel her growing unsteady in his arms from blood loss, and he braced himself as her weight eventually fell into him when she passed out.
	Finished feeding, he withdrew his fangs from her neck and licked his lips, capturing a few scarlet droplets that hadn’t made it into his mouth. With a full stomach, he felt much better than before.
	Carefully, he set the unconscious girl down on the ground and then stood up straight again to face the faerie. “So, what does she want?” he asked, following her across the yard to where Frieda was still seated with that punk-rock girl he’d spotted before. Absently, he found it strange that the two were still conversing. Maybe the incense was hitting her more slowly than the other humans.
	“The mistress will tell you when we get there,” the faerie replied vaguely.
	Rayth scoffed at that but didn’t pester her about it. He had a feeling she was enjoying making him wait, so she wouldn’t tell him even if he complained. He would just ask Frieda when they reached her.
	The ringmistress caught sight of him while he was still a few yards away. Her usual charismatic smile appeared on her lips as she gazed at him, and he got a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach. Even though he’d been traveling with the circus for a little over a year now, her magic still affected him just as much as it had on day one. It was difficult for him not to let his guard down around her when she was always so inviting. Not that he wanted to anyway. She was mysterious, but she was also caring. He genuinely enjoyed her company.
	“Lune, this is Rayth,” Frieda announced, standing up from her chair as he fell in place beside her. Though he was of average height for a fully grown male, she made him look like a child next to her impressive six-and-a-half-foot frame.
	Rayth casted a brief glance at her before turning toward the girl across from him, curious to see who had captivated the ringmistress so thoroughly that she would have foregone feeding.
	Up close, he could see that his guess about her age had been pretty spot on. She looked no older than he did—although he was certainly much older than her, since he had stopped aging in the 1930s. Her clothes were tattered as well, making him wonder where she had come from. They were in the middle of Los Angeles, so most of the people who had come to see the circus were on the wealthier end of the spectrum. There were plenty of homeless people too, of course, but none of them could afford to buy a ticket.
	This girl definitely gave off the vibes of the latter though.
	He studied her face a little more closely. After living for so long, he’d gotten talented at reading other people’s features. There was a depth to her eyes that he thought was unusual for a teenager. Most girls her age were more carefree, but she seemed like she’d already seen some hardship.
	“Rayth, Lune is the newest member of Cirque du Sombre,” Frieda continued. “I’d like you to help her get settled in before we make the jump to the next city.”
	[i]Newest member?[/i] He raised his brows with intrigue. He’d thought the girl was just another towner that the ringmistress had invited to their party, but apparently there was more to her than met the eye. After all, the faerie only accepted supernatural creatures into her odd collection of circus freaks. She must have been another monster seeking sanctuary from hunters.
	He couldn’t tell what she was by looking at her though.
	“Sure,” he offered Lune a smile, eager to make her feel welcomed. Before her, he had been the last one to join Cirque du Sombre, so he still remembered how difficult it had been for him to adjust—Granted, most of the other members had decided they didn’t like him right away because of his human blood. He didn’t want her to go through the same awkward transition that he had.
	He was also giddy to meet someone who might not look at him with the same disgust as everyone else.
	“We keep all our personal stuff on the train,” he went on, trying not to gush from his excitement. “I’ll take you to the rail yard.”