Do You Believe?

Un

"Tell me, child. Do you believe?"

The little boy, he could not have been older than seven, smiled at me and nodded his head in excitement. He didn't seem to mind the heavy French accent I spoke with.

I smiled at him- at all the poor children behind him- and took the child's tiny, dirty hand in my own satin gloved one and pulled him close, kneeling down to his level.

"Then you have nothing to be afraid of."

The child let out a little laugh, only to double over into a horrible coughing fit seconds later.

My heart shriveled as I looked over the crowd of children I had been entertaining.

Dirty faces, ratty clothing, illness creeping up on most of them. Not one of these children had a home, money, or even a family.

The streets of London were cruel.

Abandoning the trick I was about to do, I reached into the back folds of my costume and pulled out a copper coin.

Though the monetary value was small, the childrens' eyes gleamed at the sight of it.

"Watch closely, mes enfants."

I twirled the coin in my fingers, folding it over my knuckles a few times before palming it and making a show of presenting my empty hands to the children.

Their eyes dulled until I put a finger to my lips and reached behind the first child's ear, pulling out a silver coin instead of a copper one.

The children gasped in amazement as I gave the coin to the boy.

I looked out over the remaining seven children and raised a hand to my face in thought.

"Oh goodness!" I gasped dramatically. "I could have sworn there was more!" I turned to the nearest child, a little girl, and reached behind her ear. "Perhaps you know where the rest are?"

I produced another silver coin and dropped it into her astonished hands.

The children immediately erupted into cheers. "Me next! Me next!" "Check my ear next, lady!" "'Ow'd you do that?" "Are you really magic?"

I laughed lightheartedly at their enthusiasm and did the same trick on all of them before they all ran away with joy filled smiles.

Standing, I sighed and smoothed down the tiny skirts of my costume.

In the dark alleyway behind me I felt a presence stir, but I did not feel fear as it moved into the dim light.

That was more money than you had. He rasped, not aloud, but in my head. His kind could not speak as humans do.

I shrugged, grabbing my heavy suitcase and handing it to the creature. He took it with ease.

"There are so many people on the streets it's easy to take however much I need." I informed him as we exited the alley.

The creature flinched slightly as we stepped out into direct sunlight, but said nothing.

I looked up at him and frowned. "Mon cher, your name is showing."

The creature glanced up for a moment at the Hebrew carved into his forehead before shaking his short black bangs out to cover it.

With a satisfied hum I turned and continued my stroll.

People all around stopped and stared at us. The white haired woman in the highly inappropriate costume, and the large bulk of a 'man' behind her. We were quite the odd sight; but, as a traveling magician, I've learned to bask in the attention I am given.

Well, until it turned into that sort of attention at least.

The shrill cry of a whistle stopped me in my tracks and I turned to find several constables running in our direction.

"Stop there, miss!" The lead officer shouted. "You are under arrest for indecent exposure!"

I sighed in exasperation, the creature already pulling out a black silk sheet from my luggage.

Putting on my best performing grin, I looked out over the street and flourished my arms.

"Mesdames et messieurs!" I called out to the crowd. "Who would care to see a performance of magic unlike any other!"

Murmurs of excitement immediately rose up and the crowd formed a circle, cutting us off from the police officers.

"Now, I need two volunteers from the audience to raise this curtain 'round my assistant and I!"

As soon as I called out hands began shooting up into the air, further blocking the view of the struggling policemen.

I made a show of peering through the audience. "You!" I called out to a tall muscular looking blonde. "And..." My eyes caught on a tall, handsome raven haired man with rusty red eyes standing beside a child with an eyepatch. "You!"

The two men made their way forward, the blonde brute much more eagerly than the elegant raven, who simply held an amused smirk on his handsome face.

The police were getting closer.

"Now, messieurs, all you have to do is raise the curtain around us and on the count of trois drop it." I informed the men.

I turned my smile to the crowd once more as my creature shuffled closer to my side.

"Count with me all!" I called out.

The police were almost upon us.

"Un!"

The curtain was raised.

"Deux!"

My pale blue eyes caught on the raven man's rusty ones. I gave him a wink as we were hidden from prying eyes.

"Trois!"

The curtain dropped. The police officers burst onto the scene. The crowds shouted in delight.

But we were gone.