Things Unseen

Mora pulled her white cloak over her performance outfit, glad that her act had gone flawlessly. The crowd was still shouting for their angel. It made her grin, reminding her of the good old days. She almost wanted to go to the stables to see Vi, but the people there were strangers now. Nobodies.

She pet the black mare on the nose, right on her white star. Diamante was to be Vi's horse, when Mora finally paid off the stableman. It was fast coming, faster than her debts being paid, but a single overdue payment would be worth it. She'd had it worse, after all.

A warning huff from the horse had Mora hiding in the stall with it, watching through a crack in the wood as a hatch flew open and the Ringmaster climbed out. He brushed himself off, muttering something before closing the hatch. It melted seemlessly into the floor. Mora made sure he was gone before slipping into the stall, curiosity over taking her.

The bottom of the ladder was deep in an underground cavern, and Mora was confused for a moment. How long had this been here? Following the curve of the tunnel, she stopped just before an opening, listening for sounds. There were none.

She stepped into the light of the room, the torchlight making her costume glimmer. Pulling her cloak around her, Mora looked around, completely confused to why the room was full of cages, all of them completely empty. She walked forward, her eyes going left and right. She sniffed the air, wrinkling her nose when she smelled it.

Vervain.

The scent of it went almost immediately to her head, along with the muted scent of Vampires and Werewolves. Her eyes searched the room, completely confused. Where were the scents coming from?

Slowly, she inched forward, white slippers sinking into the dirt as she moved closer to the center of the room. Here she stopped.

The cage before her was the biggest out of all the others. Small vines of Vervain could be seen meticulously weaved around the bars. Mora frowned into the cage, her eyes searching for anything inside of it.

She reached up a hand, as if to touch it, but even she knew better than to touch Vervain. "Hello?" She called softly.

Aurmerle looked up and opened his eyes at the familiar voice. "Amora." He whispered to himself and then he saw her. A slow smile spread across his face as she made her way further into the room. "And you can't see me can you?" He said sagging back against the bars as her eyes darted around the room catching nothing inside the cages. He was sure if she could see of hear them she'd have been over to see him in a heart beat.

"Guess i'll just enjoy the sexy view whilst it lasts." He smirked lifting his arms behind his head as he watched her walked around. "Get you eyes off her mutt." He said sending a growl at the wolf in the cage beside him. "Im coming after you next and i'll give them a show you won't like dog breath!"

Mora furrowed her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side. Did she hear...?

"What are you doing down here?"

Mora squeaked and spun around, backing up against the bars. "R-Ringmaster, I..."

Nik stalked over to her, grabbing her by the neck and tossing her to the ground. She stayed there, trying to swallow down her anger. She needed this job, just as much as she needed the other ones. Her eyes stayed downward. "I'm... s-so sorry, I was only..."

"I don't like snoops, Angel." He growled, spitting down at her. "I better not catch you down here again."

Mora kept her eyes averted, her jaw clenched. I need this job... I need this job... "Yes Ringmaster." She muttered. "Of course Ringmaster."

Nik grabbed her by her hair and yanked her upward, staring her in the eyes. "I don't have to keep paying you you know." he snarled. "I don't owe you anything."

"O-Of course not, Ringmaster." Mora murmured, her eyes wide. "I..."

Nik's eyes went past her to the cage, and then he was looking back at her. He pulled her against him, eying her hungrily. "Go to my trailer."

"W-wha..."

"Go!" Mora bit her lip and clenched her fists, all the ways she could kill the man before her flashing before her eyes, all the beautifully slow ways to kill such a man...

She swallowed it down and turned away, walking back down the tunnel. She was going to kill Ringmaster, once her debt was paid. Slow and painful. Maybe he'd live, just so she could torture him for as long as she wished.

"Isn't she a beauty? You'd be surprised what she'd do for a pretty penny." Nik sighed after her, grinning at the cage. "Almost anything. I don't know who she owes money to, but I owe them." He grinned. "I hope your ready for the arena tonight. You've only got 30 more fights before freedom." He shrugged. "Maybe if you do well, I'll give you a turn with her."

Aurmerle growled and was at the bars of his cage in an instant. "You lay one more finger on her and it will be the last thing you do. Believe me, i won't just stop at you or your wife. I'll wipe out this damn circus and your entire families!" He spat. "My freedom won't come slow enough for you because nothing you throw at me is going to stop me. Mark my words human."

Nik's eyes sparkled, and he stepped closer to Star's cage, careful to stay out of reach, a grin tugging at his lips. "Why, you wouldn't happen to know my Angel, would you?" He asked, his gaze flickering to the doorway through which the girl had disappeared. "What would you want with a girl like her?"

"That's her!" Erupted a werewolf in the cage to Nik's left, addressing his friend. "That's the girl who owes us! I knew I recognized her!"

"The vampire?" the female asked. "The one who-?"

"Vampire?" Nik interrupted. "She's a...?" His eyes went back to Aurmerle's cage, and a smile crept across his face. "Interesting, interesting. That's good to know..." He turned from the cage, walking toward the center of the room and nodding to himself. "Why, this changes most things - a good many things - I must prepare..." Then he was gone, around the corner.

"Shes not your angel idiot human." He spat, literally spitting at his feet. It was very out of character for him to do but it was modern times so why shouldn't he act modern? The man before him certainly seemed to act modern in his way.

"You?" He asked turning to look at the werewolf beside him. "I want him next. Fuck the wheel, i want him!" He spat aiming a hiss at the wolf. "You want a show ill give your punters something worthwhile if you put me in me in with." He said hoping to distract him long enough for Amora to hopefully be smart enough to escape.

"NIKLAUS!" He called after him. "NIKLAUS! You are dead mutt! You're gonna regret the day you opened your mouth!"