Previously on "The Otherworlders": In their search for the ancient tablet fragment, Cameron's navigation crystal has lead the boys to a dusty, secluded safe room in the palace. Using elemental magic, Cameron unlocks the room, but the safe inside proves to be a tougher challenge.
As he tries various spells, Jake and Sebastian start to bicker over Cameron's methods. But their bickering abruptly ends when a guard catches them, standing in the hallway, having just made it out of the safe room before getting caught.
Forced to bluff their way out of trouble, Cameron uses his minor magic to trick the guard with an optical illusion, but the guard tells them that have to leave because they're expected to go with the other guests out to the giant circus tent to watch the evening's entertainment.
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As the boys weave their way through the dense maze of hedges that skirt the palace's courtyard, they spill out onto a sprawling lawn where a crowd of people, clad in a kaleidoscope of evening attire, buzzes with excitement.
The guests surround a giant tent set up in the middle of the square. Everyone's got a drink in their hand, and swelling organ music pours out through open tent flaps, creating a festive mood.
A striking woman wearing a ruby-red sequined bustier, knee-high black boots, and a top hat stands guard at the tent's entrance. In a fit of enthusiasm, she greets each guest with a sweeping fling of her arms above her head and a wide toothy, fanged smile.
But when Jake and Cameron approach, the woman's eyes narrow and her piercing gaze settles on them, examining them from head to toe, lingering a bit too long for comfort.
Her nostrils flare as she grimaces, immediately detecting that something's off. Suddenly, her eyes widen when she realizes these boys aren't Vampyr.
Tensing up, she prepares to confront them. But before she can say anything, Sebastian steps forward and situates himself in front of Jake and Cameron, essentially protecting them as well as protecting their cover.
Ready to play his part, he draws himself up to his full height, pulls his shoulders back, puffs out his chest, and adopts as superior a tone as possible, before saying, "We're with the royal party."
He then gestures casually to the VIP section roped off with velvet cords and filled with plush seating lit by sparkling chandeliers.
The woman slides Sebastian a skeptical look.
In response and practically daring the woman to call his bluff, Sebastian adds with a defiant arch of his brow, "The name is Sebastian. Sebastian McFadden."
As the woman stares back at him, choked coughs come from Cameron and Jake over his shoulder as they exchange quick glances, biting back enormous grins and trying their best to stifle their laughs.
Barely keeping it together, Cameron leans over and whispers in Jake's ear, "Who does he think he is? James Bond?"
Jake swallows a chuckle. "I know!" he whispers back, the corners of his mouth twitching up involuntarily. "I swear to the gods, I honestly don't think he can help himself."
Meanwhile a tense standoff ensues between Sebastian and the woman. A beat passes before she purses her lips, her gaze scrutinizing Cameron and Jake one more time before she relents with a nod towards the VIP section, where Sebastian's parents are happily seated behind Prince Julian and his fiancé.
As the boys enter the tent, Jake says underneath his breath, "Well, I'll be damned! It worked!"
Instead of heading over to the VIP section, Sebastian leads the boys around the milling crowd to the other side of the tent to both hide from his parents and be able to talk more freely when they need to.
After a few minutes, the crowd settles into their seats and the lights dim.
The woman who was manning the door suddenly appears at the center of the ring.
Glimmering underneath the spotlight, she raises her top hat, unleashing a bright pink, bouffant hairdo that's as ostentatious as is her introduction.
"Ladies and gentlemen, nobles and plebs," she belts out, her voice rising above the din and commanding everyone's attention. "Welcome to tonight's entertainment! We cordially invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy a night of wonder, spectacle, daring feats, and remarkable sights!"
With a flourish of her hand, she bows deeply and calls out, "First up, a dance from the heavens!" And with that, she backs off of the makeshift stage.
At this point the main act commences. Suddenly, the tent fills with a thick fog illuminated by red lights that sit at the periphery of the stage.
In the midst of the fog, three aerialists drop from the ceiling, spiraling down like celestial beings, their bodies twisting gracefully as they unfurl from an enormous length of shiny, silver fabric.
Tethered to their silk, the aerialists swing back and forth, fluidly twisting and turning, all the while performing an intricate dance, looping and twining around each other high above the heads of the spellbound audience.
It's absolutely stunning.
In fact, each performance dazzles more than the last. After the aerialists, there's a troupe of goth performers who do an intricate mime that seems to be recreating a great and mighty battle between the races, with the eventual victors being, of course, the Vampyric kingdom.
Cameron and Jake roll their eyes at this.
Then there's a daring juggler who manages to deftly toss three daggers, two torches, and a skull with extraordinary precision.
And just when the show looks to be winding down, out come the animals.
The Vampyr audience claps fervently, their "ooohs" and "aaahs" filling the space as a mustachioed animal trainer in a leopard-print spandex one-piece and a black vest and tailcoat leads a menagerie of animals out to the center of the stage.
First, there's a baby elephant, followed by a Siberian tiger, an orangutan, and a miniature pony.
And then to the boys horror, out comes a gaunt looking polar bear.
They watch, appalled, as the creature lumbers listlessly to the middle of the stage, moving so slowly and dragging its paws as if weighed down and oppressed by the hot, humid, stifling air trapping him in the tent.
Sebastian and Cameron share a quick glance of dismay, their faces mirroring each other's sense of dread.
Jake, on the other hand, seethes.
His hands ball into fists at his sides, and his entire body begins to shake with barely contained rage.
Meanwhile, the animal trainer leads the animals into the center of the stage to form a circle. And with a sharp whistle, he lifts up his riding crop, issuing the silent command for the show to begin.
In response to the trainer's gesture, all the animals stand up on their hind legs and paw at the air — all except for the polar bear, who's far too weak and dehydrated to move.
In fact, in his condition, the poor thing can barely stay standing on his feet.
Frustrated, the animal trainer unfurls his whip and stalks over to the creature.
Raising his arm, he circles his whip and cracks it sharply above the poor bear's head, the ends of the whip biting into the polar bear's fur.
In response, the animal starts to tremble and whimper, its frightened pleas for mercy drowned out by the gasps of the crowd.
And that's all it takes.
In a flash, Jake is on his feet, the muscles of his neck corded tightly, his eyes blazing with fury. He lunges forward, ready to crawl over the heads of the audience if necessary to stop the act of cruelty he's just witnessed.
Luckily, Cameron and Sebastian are able to scramble to their feet just in time to stop him.
They both grab Jake by the arms and pull him back before, gods forbid, he gets his wish and jumps up on the stage, reaches out, and wrings the animal trainer's neck with his bare hands.
Sebastian realizes that things are rapidly getting out of control, so he steps in front of Jake and plants his hands on Jake's chest, gently pushing him back. "No, don't!" he whispers hoarsely. "Please!"
Cameron intervenes too by tugging Jake's arm, trying to stop his momentum and get Jake back in the seat before the entire tent takes notice.
Jake looks at both the boys and in response, he stills, the tension in his body relaxing, but only just a bit.
He's still mortified.
He raises his arm and points at the stage. "This..." he growls, then sucks in a ragged breath. "This is barbaric!"
Heads in the audience, including the prince's, suddenly turn in response and curious murmurs ripple throughout the crowd.
Sebastian panics. He leans in and says softly in Jake's ear, "Look, I know it's barbaric. It's horrible. But we have to remember why we're here."
Cameron lays a hand on Jake's shoulder and adds, "C'mon, Jake. Let's go."
The boys gently turn Jake around and guide him towards the aisle, moving as quickly and quietly as possible in a desperate attempt to draw the least amount of attention.
As the audience's collective gaze turns back to the show, the boys make their way to the exit.
Jake stops and takes one last look over his shoulder at the heartbreaking sight of the circus animals' mistreatment, and his eyes brim with tears. He swallows the lump clogging his throat.
Cameron places a gentle, but firm hand on Jake's back, nudging him forward, even though it's clear Jake is crushed and aches with the weight of his helplessness.
Head hung low, Jake shuffles towards the exit, murmuring inconsolably, "I can't believe this... I just..." His voice cracks. "I just don't understand how they can do this and call it entertainment?"
"I know," Sebastian says, trying his best to console him. Closing the tent flap behind them, he admits, "It must hurt to see something like that."
But at this, Jake whirls around and jabs a finger in Sebastian's face. "How would you know?!" he barks. "These are your people, Sebastian! Your people are perpetuating this cruelty!"
Sebastian sucks in a breath as Jake's accusation cuts him like a knife.
He steps back and holds up his hands in defense. "Jake," he says carefully, "you have to understand, I had no idea this is what they were going to do. Honestly! I would never be a part of something like this. Especially now that I see how brutish it is!" He exhales slowly and his voice softens. "All I can say to you is that I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
Jake, still trembling, stands frozen, his jaw clenched and his body tight as a bow.
He knows this isn't Sebastian's fault, but he still wants to lash out. There's simply nowhere else for his anger to go.
But when Cameron adds his plea, Jake inhales deeply and tries his best to listen.
"We need to stay focused," Cameron says, "because ultimately, we're here for the mission, right? We can't lose sight of that. And like you and Sebastian taught me earlier — you know — when I wanted to help that girl who was being bled for the ceremony?" Cameron makes sure to catch Jake's gaze. "You told me that no matter how much we may want to, we just can't save everyone."
The words pierce Jake's heart, and he feels his pain so deeply he wants to scream!
But ultimately, he knows what Cameron and Sebastian are saying is true.
So, he gives the boys a curt nod, and without another word, swallows the agony that threatens to tear him apart, turns, and silently heads down the hall.
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A/N - Oh, Jake! That was rough. My heart kind of bleeds for him. 💔😢💔
Until next week.
~ Paula ❤️