Strings Of Fate

Chapter 3

His chest lightened. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about the tiger coming after him after all. Not if he had found someone else to warm his bed and keep him company. Tigers weren't group animals typically. There was no guarantee that would be the case, and the circus was not like normal people when it came to relationships. Or at least, not this circus. 

Sanvish danced with Marquez for a moment before a hoop swung out from the ceiling and he danced into one and disappeared from the stage. Marquez did a trick with his staff and with a fluff of magic was standing on a column with a beam. 

"Tonight, we have a rare addition to the stage." Terrence sat up straighter, the tension in the room build as people hoped that this was the news everyone hoped for when coming to this circus. And Terrence didn't want. "The wonder, the miracle, herself. You have all heard of her, you came searching for her in the crowds. The woman you have all heard off, Madame X shall appear on stage!"

The audience exploded in excitement, clapping and whooping. Everyone around them murmured to each other, looking forward to it. The highlight of the circus, the woman who could read the fates and souls of all who faced her. No one knew why she was so entrancing, but everyone who saw her came away with the singular knowledge that she was beyond all expectations. Some went away being a little less human too.  

He needed to leave, get Daniel out before her act occurred. Something was off. Madame X very rarely appeared on stage. It was truly a treat to the audience for such a thing to happen. It had to be a coincidence. Right? Also, it had been a man earlier.

"Aren't we lucky? She hasn't been on stage in two years... The stars must be our favour," Daniel joked, hugging Terrence's arm tighter for a moment. 

Terrence chuckled, attempting to hide his unease from his friend. Confusion peppered his fear. Two years was a long time for Madame. She liked appeared every few weeks to join the hunt. It had been a male figure he'd seen before, though. People weren't always clear about how they changed forms. Could that be it? 

Not important. Important actions now were getting himself and Daniel out before he got discovered and Daniel lost his soul. The first acts came on. Terrence didn't pay attention, coming up with a plan. He should have resisted the urge more. He should have told Daniel not to come. Marquez stood to the side, his tail giving orders. Mostly directions for preparing for the next act to appear on the stage. It may have been ten years, but he still knew how to tell what the orders were. Madame X wished to be on before the interval. The Lion Tamers would be the final act as normal. The tumblers were off performance duty tonight. 

Drat. 

If Madame had wanted the finale, he could have claimed stomach issues and left during the interval. No one would have noticed. Sometimes the bad food settled in by then. Also leaned more to the idea that they knew he was in their grasp again. People who left mid-show were watched to check they weren't bouncing. They hated losing potential souls. Even people who left in the interval had eyes following them, though it was harder to confront than those who left their seats in the show.  

The fabric tent was closing in. The air got harder to breathe and his stomach ached as the stress twisted in it. He hugged his torso and grimaced. As more and more performers came on and did their sets, his nerves grew higher. Some old, some new. Many faces he knew, and others he did not. Some were almost nostalgic to see again. 

"Terry?" 

Daniel had noticed he wasn't good. Maybe the watchers had to. A chance? He'd have to leave Daniel behind, but if he could hide out the tent for Madame's performance, he could get the two of them out when the circus couldn't stop them.  

"I'll be back," He let some of his unease into his voice. Daniel nodded, rubbing his back as he slipped passed the others in their row. The people too entranced in the performance in front of them to take much notice. It was a fire breathing act. Reptile hybrids did that act. Mostly from safety, there scales much better at dealing with fire than skin and fur. Next would be Madame X. He tried not to look away suspiciously as he made a B-Line to the exit. Someone would notice. He had to move fast enough that it would not be strange. 

Opening the flap, he glanced at the stage. The act was coming to an end and the next starting to roll on stage. His stomach rumbled unhappily. The back of his throat burned. He wasn't going to need to fake this. 

He headed in the direction of the toilets. They weren't far. He resisted the urge to spot the watchers. Despite his thoughts earlier, he did know that they weren't all there to stop people from escaping. It was for the hybrid's safety as well. There had been cases of people trying to kidnap hybrid children in the past. There were also people who snooped around trying to find out the secret of the hybrid. Those people never got far, and the few which did soon found themselves floating in the nearest river with a high alcohol blood level. Someone rushing to the toilet because the food didn't agree with them wasn't that strange. It was fairground grub. 

The toilets were a set of portable cabins. They were still fairly clean, but Terrence knew once the intermission was over they would be filthy. The one he was going in was about to be. He didn't bother to lock the door behind him, more interested in not getting vomit over his clothes. This wasn't good. He was in the cabin for a good few minutes emptying his guts. Eventually, it ended and Terrence was cursing every life decision that had led up to this moment.

He flushed the loo and tried not to look too hard at the state of the thing. Some poor sod was going to have to clean it out. Not a great first impression if they figured who he was. He used a trick to lock the door from the outside. Hopefully, no poor child was going to stumble into that mess. 

"Right," He looked himself in the mirror and did his best to wash out his mouth with the tap. Maybe he could stay here and sway. The routine was no doubt underway. He hoped so. Hands were tugging at him, at his clothes and neck to walk back into the arena. To see the spectacle so few people were blessed to witness. It was the magic. Had to be. Terrence didn't want to go. He wanted to be a coward and leave Daniel behind. Couldn't do that, not to the only friend he had left. The routine itself wasn't enough to steal a soul. As long as he could get Daniel out at the end of the end, they would all be fine.  

"You'll miss the show at this rate," rumbled a low deep voice. 

Terrence flinched violently, smacking his head of a light in the action. Pain bumped fast, and he gripped the bump as if that would stop the pain. The tiger approached, an amused gleam in his eye. Marquez had come himself to find the human who fled moments before the highlight of the night. "Careful there, friend. Madame's X is about to begin after all and no one should miss that. Not even you."