Chapter Two

After Dart disappeared through the tent flaps, Anya sighed and slowly returned to her trailer, bolting the door behind her. Elrick had told her that he didn't want her outside of her 'room' without an escort. When she was younger, she hadn't questioned it, but now...

It was a pain in the ass.

How irritating... I feel like some disobedient child whenever I'm followed around.

She plopped onto her cot, rumpling her new dress and squishing her discarded nightgown. Running her fingers through her slightly tangled locks, she sighed wistfully. "I wish I wasn't treated like some rare animal to be displayed, having strangers constantly gawking at me."

A puff of air threw some unruly bangs to the side. "If only Monsieur Elrick would let me outside every now and then by myself, maybe I wouldn't feel so stifled..."

She snorted.

"Of course, that's far too much to ask from him. Especially if that little toad is with him. God, why does he even keep him around? All he does is take up space and emit those horrendous noises, grunting and hacking at all hours. And calling me an urchin behind my back!" She fisted her hands. "Ooh, I wish I could just wring that little cretin's-"

A knock at her door derailed her train of thought. Anya slowly stood from her bed. She knew that there was no way for anyone to get inside without anything less than a battering ram, but she was still wary. It wasn't Elrick or Greado; both had keys to the outside lock.

That raised the question: "Who is it?"

A soft female voice answered from the other side. "It's me, Mina."

Anya sighed with relief, happy that it wasn't an intruder and unbolted the door, just about yanking it off its hinges. "I'm so glad to see you! Come in!"

The door opened to reveal a petite girl, around the age of twenty. She was clad in a light green unitard, with evergreen sequins patterned into leaves across the arms and stomach. Her hair was short to the point that she could be mistaken for a boy, and platinum blonde. It was spiked in all directions, and Anya had always wondered if the girl ever brushed it.

Mina smiled at her friend. "Evening, Anya. Ready for another showstopper?"

The winged girl rolled her eyes, her plumage ruffling slightly. "You mean the catchy little number that I sing after every show? Sure thing, it's only been engraved into my head since I can remember."

She gave a half-hearted cheer.

Mina laughed lightly, ruffling the smaller girl's long locks. "Oh, come now, you do beautifully! Everyone says so! Especially a certain dark-haired brother of mine..."

Anya's cheeks warmed at the thought of the black-haired tumbler. "He does...?" She cleared her throat loudly, hoping the other girl hadn't heard her. "W-well that's nice of him!"

Mina smiled gently at her friend, her eyes growing serious.

"How have you been, Anya? It's been a long time since I was able to visit you last."

Anya shrugged. "I've been alright, I suppose. Everything's the way that it's always been, no surprise there. Except..."

The acrobat perked at her hesitance. "What is it, înger?"

Anya shook her head. "It's nothing to get too excited about... it's just, I've been catching Elrick giving me... odd glances nowadays."

Mina's brow furrowed, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. "Odd in what way?"

The singer played with her fingers, trying to figure out how to word her fears. "He doesn't treat me the way that he used to. I mean, he's still very protective of me, but I don't think he looks at me as if I were his daughter or his ward." She worked her lower lip between her teeth. "He looks at me as a man would a woman, Mina."

The tumbler stiffened as a cold shiver traveled down her spine. It can't be... "Anya, a-are you sure of this?"

Anya nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. It wasn't that she was afraid of what the ringmaster would do; even though she would try to pull away when he took her hand or guided her with his palm pressed to her lower back, he treated her kindly.

But...

She was afraid of his changing attitude. She saw how the men treated the women they brought to the show with them. What if Elrick began acting that way around her?

She wouldn't be able to bear it...

"I only see him as a friend and mentor; I can't love him the way he seems to love me."

Mina took the younger girl's hands in hers, squeezing them gently. She too had seen Elrick's manner shift. It was subtle at first, but had quickly snowballed into an obvious attraction. Mina knew that Anya had no clue how a relationship worked, and Elrick should know better than to take advantage of that. She tightened her grip on the angel's hands.

"Would you be consoled if I talked to him before we went on? I don't know if it would do any good, but I can try."

The look of pure relief that crossed the other girl's face almost made the acrobat cry. "Oh, would you? I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I want him to understand my side."

Mina smiled at her, nodding. "Of course, my friend. Anything for you."

After a few more minutes of friendly banter, the two girls hugged and Mina left the room.

She grit her teeth as the bolt slid shut behind her, setting a quick pace towards the ringmaster's trailer.

She wants me to talk to Elrick. Oh, I'll talk to him, alright. If that bastard thinks he can have MY Anya, he has another thing coming. He will not corrupt her innocence like he has others many times before...

She internally snarled at the thought, her pace increasing.

Don't worry Anya. I'll save you.

Francoeur was lost.

In hindsight, following some strange scent that had appeared, quite literally, out of thin air probably hadn't been the smartest thing to do. But, as they say, hindsight's twenty-twenty.

The aroma had led him to the back of the main tent, where several trailers and cages were stationed. Tilting his head in confusion, he began to sight-see, all the while avoiding being caught by one of the workers and following the strange scent.

After several minutes of exploring, Francoeur came to a trailer that looked different from the others.

Its red and white paint was faded with age, and a large golden star was secured to the door. He could see his face reflected back when he stood in front of it.

I wonder whose house this is, he thought.

He had never known anyone to live in such a small space. Even Lucille's tiny dressing room was twice the size of this.

Francoeur noticed that there was writing on the star, but it was a bit hard to read due to the fancy hand it had been transcribed in. He squinted, thinking that may help him read it, but no luck.

Suddenly, loud voices were heard behind the door. Startled, Francoeur used his instincts and hopped onto a shady section of the trailer's roof. And not a moment too soon.

The door slammed open and tall man dressed in red and white stepped out, followed by a petite-looking girl. She seemed to be angry at the man, trying her best to match his long stride with her short legs.

"Elrick, you're not listening to me!" She cried.

The man shot her a disgusted look out of the corner of his eye. "Of course I am, Mina. I honestly think I've listened to you enough for one night." He dusted off his sleeve, holding his top hat in the opposite hand.

The girl, Mina, growled. "There's more to be concerned about than just your wallet. You're not thinking this through!"

Elrick glared at her. "I have thought it through, several times. And I don't think it's any of your business what I do with my performers."

Mina threw her hands up in anger. "Have you even thought about what she wants? Did you ever think to ask her exactly how she felt? Of course not, because all you care about is yourself!"

The hand brushing the last bit of dust from the red overcoat stilled.

Sensing victory, she continued. "I see now. She seemed so afraid of you misunderstanding her actions towards you, and she was right. You're not in love, you're obsess-"

SMACK!

Francoeur winced.

A red hand print now shone brightly on the girl's cheek, the skin surrounding it beginning to bruise.

Elrick stood stock still with his hand still raised. His eyes were clouded with anger. "Don't you dare say that word, Mina! You know that I've taken special care of that girl ever since she came here, since I rescued her from the streets!"

He placed his hat with trembling hands. "As I did with you, and your siblings, and every other freak here."

Mina clutched her cheek, head bowed, her hair covering her eyes.

The ringmaster stood tall beside her quivering frame.

"Now I suggest you prepare for the opening act. I expect it to go off without a hitch, understood? And be sure to inform your brothers of your insolence." He glanced over her shoulder at three approaching figures. "Here they come now." With a sharp turn, he left, coattails snapping as he went.

As Francoeur watched, three tall, slender men rushed to Mina's side.

One had long blonde hair twisted at the back of his head, another had deep brown locks that hit his shoulders, and the final one had black curls surrounding his head like a halo of storm clouds. He was the one that lifted Mina's chin to get a look at her cheek.

"Dammit! He hit you, didn't he?" When she remained silent, he began cursing in a foreign language too fast for Francoeur to follow. "I swear to God I'll kill that bastard someday!"

"Dart, please," the blonde intervened on his ranting. "We need to tend to her face so we can go on in time." He took Mina's hand. "Are you alright, putin sora?"

Dart snarled at his older brother. "How can you be so calm about this, Atty?! Her cheek's swollen! That son of a bitch smacked her!"

Mina pulled free of her older brother's hold. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch, make-up will cover it easily. Let's go." She started for the tent opening.

Dart began to protest. "But, your fa-"

"It'll be fine. Come on." And with several worried glances directed her way, the small figure entered the tent.

Francoeur, forgetting completely about the scent, hopped from the trailer and sought out his group, worry clouding his features.

Something wasn't right about this place… and it definitely frightened him.

Note: Putin sora means little sister in Romanian.