Sorry for the long delay between chapters :) I hope you like this chapter :)

I pushed away from the carriage, not sure if they knew I had been there or not. I decided not to risk it, and ran to safety. My safety took the form of the second-stringers' tents, where I stopped to catch my breath. My heart was beating quickly, and I raised my hands to smother the sound. I pressed my back into the tent covering, feeling the coarse material on the nape of my neck. I closed my eyes to focus on the things around me: the feel of the tent, the smell of someone cooking stew. It calmed me bit by bit until I felt able to come up with a plan. One that kept me alive, and away from the two recruits known as Black and Smile.

Tears ran down my cheeks, dropping off my chin to continue their trails down the backs of my hands. It was then I noticed how cold it actually was outside. It didn't feel like the start of October, more like the middle of December. I wished I had worn my scarf before stepping out to clear my head. Mei would have enjoyed the walk…and then the run here. I opened my eyes slowly, knowing the best place to come up with a plan was in the privacy of my own tent. So I headed in that direction, slipping past the second-stringers as they compared stew recipes. I would give anything for that normality.

I stopped outside Snake's tent, hearing the snakes hissing within. I should request another entrance for the first-tier tents. That, or I should get more anti-venom, and not tell anyone about it. That should stop the games of chance the second-stringers enjoyed playing. I pulled one side of the door away to see the snakes slithering on the floor, their tongues slipping past their lips. A few turned to look at me, their heads reared up and ready to strike. I could make out Dorian and Emily, but none of the others looked familiar to me. Snake probably used these snakes if his primary few were shedding. I walked in, hearing the sound of my heel on the dirt floor as I weaved my way around the snakes.

One wrapped itself around my foot, so I reached down to clasp its jaw and put it on Snake's bed with six others. I then pulled the door aside to step into the walkway for the first-tiers. It was quiet, too quiet to be comforting. It reminded me of a crypt. I closed the door behind me and glanced at the loneliest tent of them all. It was bare, well, mostly. It was used in case the snakes got into someone's tent. I thought Dagger may have been sleeping there recently. Near his was Beast's, which may explain why he had been too happy to accept the move. I could make out the faint pink light in her tent, her preferred colour.

I walked past it and through an open area before I walked by Joker's tent, filled with the tricks of his trade. I should ask him to show me a trick or two. Beside his tent was mine, which I pulled the door away to view. The mirrors lined the wall closest to Joker's, their glass still scattered along the floor. The lantern made rainbows appear before my eyes, changing the mirror's colour before I stepped further in. Near the mirrors was a small bedside table with a picture of Mei and I last year. The bed was a single, the only thing that could be easily transported to each new site. I looked at my bookcase, books scattered around it with uninteresting titles. Joker and Dagger had bought them for me over the years, insisting I learn more about their tricks than my own.

A pink rabbit sat on the bottom shelf, a gift from Doll when I first joined the circus. It had been a gift from Dagger to her, but she hadn't liked it. As I was the next youngest girl, she had given it to me. Above it were Mei's collars which matched my costumes from the last nine years. I tended to change my costume once a year, which meant Mei needed a new collar. My dresser sat near the doorway and was filled with nothing of interest other than clothes. When I looked at this space I had called mine for less than a decade, I realised how little I had done. The photos were of Mei and I, Joker and I and a group photo, one I didn't remember being taken.

I walked to my bed and sat down on the thin mattress, wishing it was the same as my aunt's had been. That had been a bed you could sink into. This was cheap and filled with straw, the best we could afford for the number of people here. Joker had gotten a few springs put into them over the years, but they only managed to make our sleep less comfortable. They also made a noise similar to a cat shrieking when you moved, especially during the night.

I undid the laces of my boots and my tights, looking at the skin tights underneath. This was one of the nicest things I had been given, but it was a lie. Underneath these tights were not bones and muscles, but prosthetics. I wasn't normal here, none of us were. I think that upset me the most, knowing I couldn't return to my old life. In some office, on a piece of paper, it said I had died when I was six. I couldn't come back from that, not easily. I had asked Joker to look into it for me, and he had informed me the office would require my documentation and someone to vouch for me. As I didn't have friends, and certainly not ones with a certain level of status, I couldn't reclaim what had been mine. My family's money was wrapped up in a trust with Father's company's deeds. I wasn't sure if anyone was running it at the moment.

I stood to pull off the skin tights, exposing the bone china legs before lying on my bed. I tucked one arm under my head while I put the other near my nose, feeling the warm breath on my skin. How had it come to this? How had I ended up in the circus? I remembered my accident which had resulted in my parents dying, but the next memory I had was Joker reading me a story. The rest seemed like a hazy blur in my mind, one I felt I should know more about. What had happened to me during that time?

I closed my eyes, pulling my shawl off the floor to throw over my shoulders before cuddling in. I thought about my accident, the flames that had consumed our home. The cold of the street, picking at any scraps I could find so I could eat that night. The woman who had fed me, wrapped her shawl around me to keep me warm. Now that I thought about it, the shawl I was holding now had been hers. It smelt of smoke and cats, no doubt from this circus. I remembered seeing Joker, and he promised me a family since I didn't have anyone left. I was cold and tired, wrapped in bandages with mild burns across my skin.

Someone…please help me! Please! I'm stuck in here!

I couldn't comprehend where those words had come from in my memories, as I attempted to remember what happened when Joker helped me to my feet. I could see Joker, wrapped in glitter and musical notes, and then I was in a cage. I was pulling on the bars, hoping someone could hear me. I was frightened, seeking anyone who could help me. I looked to my right and left, but there were only children. They looked wrong to me, their eyes dimmed and a faint scar was done into their skulls. Their clothes smelled bad, but they didn't seem to care. Those children scared me, made me panic more.

I started coughing, and my chest felt tight. No matter how much I rubbed it, the pain only got worse. My eyes were covered in black spots, obscuring my view of the room around me. I tried to catch and hold a breath of air, but it was difficult. Mother would have known what to do with me in this situation. I began crying, knowing no one was coming to my rescue as I fell to my right and into the lap of a little boy. I lost my grip on consciousness and fell into a deep sleep, both in reality and in that memory…

"Someone! Please help me! Please!" I shouted at the top of my voice, "I'm stuck here!"

"You're very vocal, aren't you?" a voice asked and I sought out the speaker.

The speaker was a young boy, by the looks of it ten or eleven, who was sitting in the cage to my left. His hands rested on the floor but his eyes were on me. He had long black hair that looked matted and unruly, his eyes an odd brown colour that reminded me of cocoa. He was dirty, his clothes looked stiff on his body from a lack of washing. He had a nice voice, one that made me feel safe here after so long.

"Did the orange haired man trick you too?" I asked, moving around the children in my cage with care so I could sit near the wall of his cage. There was still a foot between us, but since I hadn't heard anyone in the last few days, I had thought I was alone.

"I came here because I wanted to," he answered, though he sounded sarcastic, "the name's Daniel, what about you?"

"Vanessa," I replied and he put a hand out to me.

I strained, pushing my shoulder against the cage bars to meet that hand. Daniel started laughing and I froze, wondering what he was laughing at. I must have looked puzzled so he took his hand back and waited for me to do the same.

"My old man called this an air shake," he said, putting his hand out again, "just shake your hand in the air as if you're shaking the other person's."

I did as he instructed until it looked like we were shaking hands. My shoulder felt sore so I pulled my hand back to rest in my lap, watching him put his hand on the floor to trace a shape. I wanted to know what it was.

"What are you doing?"

"Drawing," Daniel answered, "I was drawing before I came here."

"Oh," I whispered, not sure what else I could say to him.

"How did you end up here?" he asked, looking at me like Brother had done a while ago.

"The orange haired man told me there was a family," I whispered, "waiting for me here."

"Were you on the streets?"

"Yeah, in Whitechappie," I replied, allowing myself to smile.

"I'm from the docks," he mumbled, "you don't look like the type to live on the streets."

"Huh?"

"You look like some poufy dog, the ones the hags bring around the docks," he explained.

"Poufy dogs? Hags?" I mumbled, not having heard those words before.

"How old are you?" he asked, clearly not sure why I didn't understand him.

"Six," I replied, "how old are you?"

"Twelve," he answered, "right, so do you know the dogs that are really fluffy?" I nodded, "those are the poufy dogs. The hags are the women who own the fluffy dogs."

"My grandmother owned a dog like that!" I called out, finally understanding, "it was a poodle named Prince."

"Of course it was," Daniel muttered, "you remind me of one those dogs. You look too poufy to be on the streets of Whitechapel."

"I had to live on the streets," I whispered, "Mama and Daddy died in the fire…"

"So you're an orphan…like everyone else here," he said with a sigh, "my dad's away at work and my mother is a drunkard. Drawing is what I do to pass the time."

"I bet you can draw really pretty pictures!" I said, mimicking his hands on the floor, "can you show me how to draw?"

"You're probably a perfect artist," he muttered, "I'm going to give you a nickname. Vanessa sounds too…not you. You're a poufy dog…I'm gonna call you Duchess."

So from then on, I was Duchess. Daniel asked me to come up with a name for him, as that was what friends did, so I called him Duke. He had told me to call him something else.

"We're not equal in this world. You come from a world where money and food is easily available. I come from a place where I don't know when I'll eat next."

I then called him Jester, considering he made me laugh. He reminded me of a jester in one of my old story books. Once he had been called that, he made a point of making me laugh. He considered it was his duty to his Duchess.

"Duchess, you should go to sleep now," Daniel said one evening when the candles had been extinguished.

"I don't want to go to sleep, Jester. I'm scared," I answered.

"What is there to be scared about?"

"The living dolls," I replied as one coughed behind me.

We had come to call the children around us the living dolls. They didn't do much other than stare into space and breathe. I had tried interacting with them but had gotten nowhere. Daniel had said he had done the same the first time he was here, but he had been surrounded by living children.

"It was before that man showed up anyway," he stated one day after that night, "he comes in and takes one of us. When we come back…there's nothing left. It's like they turned off everything that made you a person. The living dolls are people, but something is wrong with them."

"Can't they get better?" I asked, touching the face of a little girl who had a basket around her wrist.

"No, Duchess, they can't," he sighed, "one day I'll become one of them."

"No!" I yelled, catching him off guard, "I won't let them!"

"You won't have a choice," he whispered, tracing a shape into the stone floor, "a lobotomy will do that to you."

I had come to recognise that him drawing was a nervous twitch. I also noticed he was doing it more, as if something was scaring him. I didn't understand what he meant by lobotomy, and it annoyed me. He wouldn't tell me what it was, saying he was afraid of letting me know.

"You're too young to know about the bad things of this world, Vanessa," he whispered to me.

I knew he was serious when he used my real name. I dropped the topic and focused on the bandages around my wrist. They were soiled, more than a few days old. How long had I been in this hell? I got to my knees and sought out a girl roughly my size. Turned out the only girl who looked remotely my age, was the girl with the basket. I took her clothes, needing something to keep me warm during the nights. Hers smelled of mould and blood, but considering I had been wearing a shawl since being here, another layer would help.

I took her vest and threw it over my head before her dress. The buttons were awkward but I managed. Her shoes were too small for me so I sought out a girl who looked older. I buckled her shoes on my feet and wrapped my shawl around me once the bandages were gone. It would do me no good to stay wrapped in those. My burns had healed considerably since the fire, but I wished I could have a bath to wash the grime that clung to me. I leaned against the bars and closed my eyes, knowing Daniel wouldn't talk to me again for a while until his "drawing" was complete.

So I fell asleep and dreamed of mint and flowers. I could hear the bees buzzing around me, one landed on my hand and crawled up my arm to rest on my elbow. I marvelled at the dark colouring, having become used to the yellow and black bodied bees over the years. My aunt had gotten herself a hive to produce honey, one she paid her butler to tend. Once or twice, I had seen her out with him, watching those bees working. They were like the one now resting on my elbow. I didn't move, having been told by my aunt not to when a bee was on me.

"It will only sting you if you do," she had said, pointing to it, "it just wants to know you, honey."

This bee buzzed slightly as I held perfectly still, wanting nothing more than it to like me. But it stung me, hurt me so I screamed. I ran my other hand to knock it away, not sure what I had done wrong. I glanced at my elbow and saw it was red around a small black dot.

"Duchess!" a voice called, "Vanessa! Wake up!"

I looked around the flowers, no more bees were flying. Where had the bees gone? Something touched my back and I saw Daniel.

"Vanessa!" he called, hurting my ears, "Vanessa!"

"What?" I asked, covering my ears.

"You have got to escape this!" he yelled at me, "free yourself and tell people about this!"

"But we're safe," I mumbled, seeing the garden around me.

"What did you bastards give her?!" Daniel shouted, looking over my shoulder at someone.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with," a voice answered.

The garden shifted until I saw my aunt's dining table. The gardener brought it out only in the summer so we could eat among the bees. The table had three people sitting near it, watching Daniel as he held me tight. He was hurting my arms, and I couldn't understand why. He was only going to enjoy a cup of tea. Yet when I tried, I couldn't join him. There were vines wrapped around me in a box, trapping me in the garden.

"Bring him over here so we can start," a man with a bushy brown moustache ordered.

The orange haired man, one I hadn't noticed, stood to walk over to us before picking Daniel by his arms. Daniel pulled against him, breaking his grasp before dropping in front of me. Daniel ripped something from his wrist and pushed it into my hands, closing my fingers around it. I didn't look at it, not sure what I could do other than watch Jester as he pulled on my cage.

"Let her go!" Daniel shouted, "she's only a kid!"

"She'll be free once she helps us," a man with curly black hair answered.

"You're going to make her a living doll!" Daniel snapped, pulling on my cage until I heard a distinct pop.

A section of the vines slipped away until there was only a gap. Daniel looked at me through the door, his hand out to me. I took it as he guided me into the garden, his eyes desperate.

"Run, Vanessa!" he snapped, "run as fast as you can!"

I considered it a game of hide and seek, running away from the men and Daniel. There was a hill that led to some more vines, but there was a gap. I slipped through them, finding it colder here. I had to find a good place to hide, one Daniel would never find me in. I ran across the hill, passing small sections of leaves that were pressed into steep hills. They reminded me of doors, and I imagined a caterpillar living in one. Daniel would find me if I stayed here, so I kept running. I then found myself in front of another vine cage, only this one had buttons on the side. I pushed the buttons down hard and watched as the vines closed me in. Something pulled up and I watched as the hill side faded away.

The garden morphed into something from a nightmare, a dark hill that had people looking for me. Those people were faceless and scared me. Once I stepped out of the vines, it looked like they were falling away. I screamed, backing away slowly before turning to run down this new hill. It stopped a few metres away to show a small slope and then sheer drops everywhere else. I would run down here and make it to the vines ahead of me. Daniel would never find me there. I started running down the hill, surprised when I hurt my foot. But what shocked me the most was that I kept falling, hitting my head and my back on the ground. When I reached the bottom, everything hurt. Why did it hurt to run down the hill?

I couldn't stand up, my body protested too much so I pulled myself across the grass towards the vines. I just had to get there. I stopped halfway, the pain too much for me to bear. I started crying, hoping Daniel found me soon. I wanted him to tell me everything was alright. The person who found me wasn't Daniel, but the orange-haired man. He walked down the hill and then over to me, lifting me up so I rested against his chest. He held me tight, as the garden disappeared. What I saw was an old mansion, the hill I had fallen down was now stairs that twisted. The vines had been a door, the front door of the house.

I coughed, finding it hard to breathe as black spots covered my eyes. The orange haired man called out to me, but I couldn't hear anything above the ringing in my ears. I looked down at myself, seeing blood dripping from somewhere I couldn't see. I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to sleep but I failed. The orange haired man picked me up but I was asleep before he brought me anywhere else…

I screamed, sitting up in bed and clutched the sides of my head. I was crying as the phantom pain ran over my body. My brain was adjusting to this new reality, the one where I hadn't fallen down stairs. My heart was racing as I tried to catch my breath.

"Meow?" something called and I felt the bed depress before Mei's face appeared near mine.

"Mei…Mei…" I sobbed, throwing my arms around her neck and buried my face into her fur.

Her tail moved over my hands, her mood no longer happy. She could probably sense something was wrong, and that meant she was on high alert. My crying into her body wasn't helping. I tried to remind myself I wasn't in that mansion, I was in my tent. I looked at my dresser at the pictures, wondering what else I could do. My eyes stopped on the one of Joker and I. I couldn't remember the exact details of the photograph, or why it had been taken. Joker had said I had injured my head before he found me; that Father's doctor had taken care of me. I moved my arms away from Mei and picked the picture up. I turned the frame over to pull the picture out, wondering if there could be writing on the back.

I was lucky. Joker's handwriting informed me of the date of the photo and where it had been taken.

"January 26th 1879," I whispered, tracing the words, "Kelvin Estate."

I looked over the photo, seeing it had been bent to exclude one other person. I straightened it out until I saw him. He had long black hair that had been brushed for the picture, his body was slumped in a wheelchair and he looked dazed. I felt new tears fall down my cheeks as I saw the face of Daniel. There was a small scar down his forehead, the stitches looked new in the photo. Daniel…my darling Jester.

"Angel?" a voice asked and I looked to the doorway. Joker stood there, looking worried.

"I heard 'ee scream," he continued when I said nothing, "what happened?"

"You bastard," I replied, feeling angry at him for the dream, "you killed him!"

"What?" he asked as I threw the picture into his hands.

"You killed Daniel!" I snapped, putting distance between us, "he was my friend and you made him…a living doll!"

Joker didn't answer, looking down at the picture. He sighed before folding Daniel away so it was just the two of us once more. He set it down near my dresser and watched me. Mei looked confused, not sure what the threat was.

"How did 'ee remember him?" Joker asked.

"What does it matter?!" I snapped, standing near my bookcase, "he was twelve years old!"

"He's twenty one," Joker said in reply.

"What?" I asked, not sure what else I could say.

"He's twenty one," Joker repeated, "he's living a rather full life currently. Not a fear in the world."

"What are you talking about?" I whispered.

"Something 'ee shouldn't have remembered," Joker answered, taking a step closer to me, "why did 'ee have to remember?"

Joker didn't look friendly, and I felt scared. I jumped onto my bed and tumbled off to the other side. Mei took a protective stance near me, her hackles up as she glared at Joker. I got to my feet and knew I had to escape. The door wasn't an option, he would catch me before Mei could catch him. She'd probably think he was leaving, giving me a wider space to avoid him. I glanced to my mirrors and knew one peg wasn't set down properly.

"Don't try to run," Joker said calmly, too calm to be reassuring, "'ee need your medicine."

"Joker, why?" I asked, wondering what had happened. What was the problem with me remembering Daniel?

"'ee is chatty. We don't want anyone else knowing about the children," he said, pulling a syringe from his pocket, "'ee was supposed to stay ignorant. But then I heard a conversation, one 'ee had with a policeman not long ago."

"About what?" I asked, fighting tears.

"About missing children. 'ee was so interested in them, and I have to wonder why. Unless someone asked you about 'em, I couldn't understand what had slipped. None of the others have spoken to 'ee about children…"

"Abberline?" I called and he turned to look at me, "has anything…strange happened lately?"

"Sure, the Ripper has been around and there's some children that went missing," he said with a sigh, "it was in the newspaper recently."

"No one delivers the paper here," I whispered.

"Children are going missing from all over the country, and they leave no trace of where they went to. I think someone said it was like the Pied Piper was leading them away in the middle of the night."

"Did you have any leads?" I asked and he looked up at me.

"A few, but nothing panned out. You remember Randall, right?" he asked me and I must have looked puzzled, "my boss."

"Oh, him," I said with a sigh.

"He suggested that the Piper was following your circus, isn't that strange?" Abberline said and laughed.

I began to remember the conversation he was talking about. I had spoken to Abberline about people going undercover, and if Scotland Yard had to infiltrate our circus. Joker must have heard some of it, and gotten the wrong idea.

"You all came home glum," I whispered, "I wondered what had happened."

"It's not something we like to do," Joker answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I begged, "were you planning on keeping me in the dark forever?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," he replied, uncapping the syringe, "in a few days, you won't remember this conversation of ours."

"Joker…what do you mean?"

He didn't answer and watched me as I made my way to the mirrors. Mei kept her gaze on Joker as I pulled up the back of the tent and crawled underneath. I pulled myself up and started running to the barrier, wondering if I could escape without being noticed. I looked behind me, wishing I could take Mei with me. I stopped behind a crate and barrel, to catch my breath. I didn't understand what he had meant by "we" and it worried me. Who else was involved in this?

I knew now that I shouldn't have stopped. When I stood to move on, there were snakes slithering near me, a few ready to strike. Snake must have let them out. A few moved closer as I tried to climb the crate, managing to leave a dent where my foot slipped into it. I cried out for help but no one came to rescue me. One snake threw itself up and latched onto my thigh, just above the prosthetic. Its fangs were bigger than a needle's and it stung almost immediately. It followed me to the floor, where I saw a few sets of feet.

The snake didn't remove itself from my thigh, holding onto me for dear life. It took a moment before my body felt like it was burning, especially near the bite. I coughed, putting my hand over my heart. It felt like it was racing, which I put down to fear. I turned my head to the side, seeing the majority of the snakes had left, revealing a few pairs of feet. One set of feet, a pair of shoes curled at the toes, moved towards me. They bent down on one knee, leaning over to dislodge the snake from my thigh. He held onto its jaw, putting it near my nose so I could see it in better detail.

It was a cerulean blue with a dab of white on its mouth. Its eyes were a deep brown and its tongue snaked between its lips, doing its best to do so considering the hold the man had on it.

"This be Rose," Joker stated, coming into my view, "she be the latest addition to the circus."

"W-Why?" I croaked, feeling sore along my hip now.

"'ee needs to rest," he replied, handing Rose to someone else before picking me up.

I closed my eyes, feeling faint. My body continued to burn, it no longer mattered that I was outside. I could have been wrapped in a blanket for all the good it did me. I vaguely remembered something nipping into my wrist before something was put on my head.

"She'll be asleep until tomorrow at least," a familiar voice stated before it all faded away from me.

(Ciel's POV)

The performers appeared on edge, each of them snapped at the second-stringers for assistance, not giving us much of a chance to react. One such performer was Dagger, who looked ready to throw knives at anyone who crossed him.

"Oi, there aren't enough knives! Where are the spares?!" he snapped and I sought out the box.

It was sitting under Doll's dressing table, so I pulled it free and up into my arms before bringing them to Dagger.

"Here!" I answered quickly, receiving a glare from him.

He then pulled out a handful and looked over their blades. He seemed to be looking for a particular one, maybe the sharper the better. He took about fifteen handfuls, selecting one from each that seemed to surpass the others in quality. He glanced at me like I was muck on his shoe before waving me away, holding the blade of one knife between his fingers. I didn't question it and backed away slowly. I returned the box to its previous location and saw Doll was applying her make-up. One of her hands seemed to twitch, making her make-up look drawn on by a child. Frustrated, she wiped it off and started again.

I viewed all of the performers, wondering what had gotten them like this. I spotted a small stool and sat on it, wondering if something had happened today to unnerve them all. I was tired from practising as well as doing errands for them that morning.

The question is whether I'll collapse from exhaustion before I check the tents…

"It's almost show-time, so look lively!" Joker called as he stepped into the tent, but he looked less cheerful than before.

I watched as Doll reapplied her make-up, Dagger put his knives into a satchel, Beast adjusted the straps of her exposed top. Wendy was sitting on a table with Sebastian adjusting a headpiece for her. She stared at his waistcoat before he stepped away. She touched her head, checking the hat there before deciding there was nothing more to be done. Suit was in the corner doing the ironing, settling the clothes on hangers to be put away for later. Sebastian joined him, taking the hangers and placing them on their rails. There was something missing, and then I realised it wasn't something, it was someone. Angel hadn't shown up to get ready, her dressing table held nothing to indicate she had been there before I had arrived. I was about to ask when a shadow moved in front of me.

"So what should I do next—hmm?" I asked, seeing it was a second-stringer on their way out. There were only three of us left inside the tent, something I hadn't seen happen. The first-stringers were gone, no doubt preparing to perform.

"Sebastian!" I said under my breath, leaving the stool to walk towards him as he set Angel's costume on the rail.

I saw a tiny ribbon on the front and pulled it, revealing a costume I had seen my first night here. Angel had been in a cage…I hadn't seen it on her once after that night, and wondered how her performances worked. Did she only do them once in each town they visited? I looked to Sebastian, who tied the ribbon back before stepping away. There were more important things to do than contemplate Angel's performance schedule. We had to search the tents for information in regard to the missing children.

"Freckles isn't watching," I whispered to him, "let's check the tents now. We'll get it done in ten minutes."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian responded.

I beckoned him to follow me to the door, deciding to ignore Suit. Once I reached the door, I pulled the covering back enough so I could see if anyone was outside. No one lingered near the tent, they had probably gone to do jobs for the performers or were in the performance tent. I nodded and motioned for Sebastian to follow me, leading the way to the left. This would bring us around the back of the campsite. If we split up, we could check all the tents quickly and discuss what we had found. I might be in my own bed tonight, if I was lucky.

"Black!" a voice called and we froze where we stood, giving the person a chance to reach us.

I looked over my shoulder and saw it was Joker. He looked grim, as did Peter who ran at his side. His partner, Wendy, was resting on Joker's back. She looked in pain, her eyes on us. The earlier bitterness seemed to be missing from all three of them. But that didn't matter. Weren't they supposed to be in the tent…performing? Weren't they the first act of the night? Who was standing in for them?

"We've got trouble! Old Wendy's twisted 'er ankle!" Joker announced once he had reached our side, "the show's already on, so I need 'ee to take her place. We're already one act short!"

He must be talking about Angel. Why wasn't she performing tonight anyway? Had she requested it or something?

"But surely, I'm not a fit substitute…" Sebastian replied, attempting to dissuade Joker.

"Fit and ready, me 'ansome. We'll count on 'ee," Joker announced before running on, most likely to Doc's, "'ee haven't much time, so be quick!"

They disappeared around an animal cage and the tents, leaving the two of us at a loss. I should have foreseen something like this happening. Would we get another chance to check the tents? Would Freckles be there?

"Nothing for it, I'm afraid. We'll have to find another chance, young master," Sebastian said in a low voice, though there was no one to overhear us, "young master?"

I didn't answer him, knowing there would be no other chance. Tonight was all we had, and I was sick of sleeping in a tent. Aside from that, what if Freckles deemed it necessary to follow me everywhere, starting from tomorrow? I wouldn't get a free moment to search the tents, and all Freckles would have to do…would be to speak to Angel. I had seen how close they were when we had been assigned our tents. I walked back to the tent we had only left to see a notice. It had the times and how long each act had to perform:

18:00 Pierrot Joker

18:10 Fire Breathing Jumbo

18:20 Aerial Ballet Doll

18:40 Snake Dance Snake

18:50 Circus Of Tiger Beast

19:10 Juggler Dagger

19:30 Trapeze

19:50 Illusions Angel

20:10 Finale (19:50)

20:20 Encore (20:00)

"We don't know when the next chance will come," I stated, "this may be the only time he isn't with me. You may be in the show, but I have some time. The only trouble is the snakes."

It was a fact that I couldn't walk through the private tents without the snakes being removed first. If I was bitten, Joker had informed us there was no anti-venom on site. Sebastian would not, or shouldn't, know where to bring me if that were the case. I sighed, wondering why it couldn't have been dogs that guarded the campsite. Wouldn't it have been easier to take care of them? How was I supposed to get rid of the snakes, seeing as a piece of raw meat wasn't going to cut it? An idea came to mind, so I looked to the demon. He would have very little trouble with snakes, even if they did bite him.

"Right, come with me, Sebastian!" I ordered and turned to my right to run towards the first-tiers' entrance.

"At once," he replied and followed me.

It took me a few minutes before I could see the tops of the tents. They were dressed in a different covering, a purple with stars style to emphasise how special they were. I slowed down as I spotted Snake's tent, easily identified considering all the hissing I heard from inside. Sebastian must have guessed my idea and walked ahead of me and into the tent, only for the hissing to get louder. I waited, keeping watch for Freckles or one of the others in case they asked what I was doing.

But no one appeared, and I considered the risks of sneaking in tonight. Angel was somewhere in there, in her tent. As I didn't know which one was hers, I could only guess. If I opened the door for hers, what would she do? Would she question me? Inform Joker? It was all rather confusing, especially the recent events. Angel wasn't performing and the others were bitter. Something had happened recently to change them, and only for the worst.

I wasn't given much time to run through theories before the door opened, revealing Sebastian. A snake clung to his jacket at the elbow while another was held tight in his right hand. He smiled at me, beckoning me inside. I looked around once more before complying, closing the door behind me. The tent was warm, unbearably so. I wiped some sweat off my brow to focus on Sebastian who tied one snake in a knot and threw it into a cage. As he detached the one at his elbow, I realised that every snake was knotted in that cage. They tried to escape their new confinement, but to no avail.

"This is all of them," Sebastian commented as he tied the last snake in a knot before throwing it into the cage.

"According to the program, your act ends at 7:50 and the encore is at 8:00. You have a ten minute window."

"To do what?" the demon questioned.

"As soon as your act ends, release all these snakes and go back for the encore. I'll look through their tents," I explained, knowing Snake wouldn't believe his snakes had decided to knot themselves for their own amusement.

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Fine. Now go back to the show tent—they'll be suspicious if you're late."

"Very good, my lord," he replied before he left the tent.

I watched him leave before taking the other exit, which opened out into a small walkway. Tents lined each side in purple and starry coverings. One tent sat at the top, lit a pale yellow. The door appeared closed tight, but I couldn't be certain. There was a tent beside me, which I decided to investigate straight away. It was bare of any personal affects that it looked like no one lived here.

"These are certainly bare quarters," I muttered as I stepped closer to the bed.

The tent was made up of the bed, which was freshly made and the pillow puffed up. A mirror rested against the far wall with a suitcase on the floor acting as a bedside table. Atop the suitcase was a frame, a photo of a small group of people. They looked like teenagers, with the edges creased from exposure. The group varied in height and age with an older man standing behind them in the middle with his arms over a few of their shoulders. He appeared young with a thick moustache, and glasses hung off his nose. He was smiling, acting like this was an important milestone in his life. I looked over the faces of everyone, stopping to see a girl in the front. Her eyes were blank and a bandage adorned her head. She didn't seem to be aware of everything around her, or that a photo was being taken. A skeletal hand rested over one of her shoulders, holding her in place. Considering the others in the photo, it was almost as if she didn't belong with them.

"A photograph of teenagers and a child…are these the first-stringers?" I asked myself before looking back at the man, "who is this?"

I set the frame down on the floor to root through the suitcase. It had a varied selection of clothes, none that pointed to a specific performer. I fixed the clothes and set the frame back on top when I was finished. There was nothing more to this tent than those few pieces of clothing and a photo. I only hoped none of the others deemed it necessary to sleep like this.

I walked back outside, checking the area to make sure no one had returned early before venturing outside. The tent beside the one I was in was painted a dusty pink on the inside, with the aid of a light. I pulled the door away to see it was filled with things. Clothes graced the floor as if someone had thrown them like that. A few shelves were decorated with photos and whips. I could only assume I was in Beast's tent, or one very strange individual slept here. The tent smelled of incense, reminding me of Lau's opium den on Valentine's Day last year. I walked further in, seeing a bed that was unmade. Beast had been in a rush to leave here, she may have been late for her show. All I knew was, it could be a good place for information.

I spotted a small chest, bigger than a suitcase, and decided that could be where I would start my search. I pried open the lid and put it near the floor. Inside was an array of exposing tops that showed too much cleavage. Perhaps that was Beast's signature, like Angel's was Mei. I picked out a few tops to see if there were pockets but nothing came out of it. I was about to give up when I saw the glint of a something bronze at the bottom. I pulled it up and free of a brassiere to see. It was another photo, one with just two people in it. One was Beast, her black hair too curly to be manageable on a daily basis. The other person was the man from the first photo. Was he fond of photographs or something?

"Here, too…it's the same man with her," I said, looking over the picture for more clues, "that sign behind them—"workhouse". An orphanage?"

As I stared at those words, I remembered Joker's words from our tour, in relation to where they had come from.

"We all come from the same place…Snake and Angel are the exception, though…"

"So the original first-stringers must all be from the same workhouse," I concluded, curious now as to where Snake and Angel had come from, "but where is this workhouse? I need a clearer shot of it…"

I set the frame inside the box for safety while I searched the bottom of the chest for more. I heard something break outside, and I wondered what it was. Had someone come back early? I couldn't escape, I was trapped in this tent with no hope of being rescued. I heard the chest shift and was about to turn to see what had happened when arms ensnared me, pulling me into the chest. I wasn't sure I would be able to fight inside, and tried to make myself as small as possible. What the hell was going on? Footsteps echoed outside the chest before something hit the floor. I couldn't say or see anything, considering I was in the dark. The chest opened an inch and something pushed a top out to sit on the lip. Why would someone be looking for a top? Even with the weak light, I couldn't determine what held me in the chest, let alone covered my mouth.

"This is so irritating," Beast muttered, "I liked this one! Well, this'll do."

I watched as the top was pulled free and Beast must have put it on before leaving the tent. Whatever was holding me let go of my mouth and pushed the lid open to view around the tent. Once I could see, I realised it was Sebastian.

"I was right to return ahead of schedule," he commented, sitting up in the chest while I was tossed in unceremoniously…and my back was starting to hurt.

"Oi, get off me!" I snapped.

"Certainly," Sebastian replied, getting out of the box to help me.

Once I was out, I reached back into the box for the photo. I held it out to Sebastian, wondering if he could see something I couldn't. Maybe there was a secret somewhere in that photo.

"There's something about this photo…" I whispered, not wishing to be overheard.

"I see. You think it is important, then?" he asked.

"Yes. Did you notice anything?"

He held the frame between his hands and looked over it. He looked at the man before following his arm which rested along Beast's back, his hand visible on her shoulder. Beast looked content, but not particularly happy to be in a photo with the man.

"Ah yes, I've seen the imprint from this signet ring recently," Sebastian stated, pointing to the man's hand and with it a small ring.

"Signet ring? Imprint? You can make out details that small?" I asked him immediately.

"Yes. If memory serves…this matches the seal at the joint of Beast's prosthetic leg."

"The seal, the workhouse…" I whispered, now considering them vital clues to the case, "we need to know more about this man."

"It's almost time," Sebastian stated as I put everything back into the chest and stood, seeing him check his watch, "let's stop here for today. I must free the snakes before the encore."

"I still have Joker's and Angel's tents to check," I replied.

"But, my lord…" Sebastian started.

"I should manage it if I work through the encore," I stated, "I'll end it all today. You go back so they won't suspect us. When it's over, get back here before they do and free the snakes. Got that?"

I left the tent without his reply, knowing we didn't have much time left. I had wasted enough of that in Beast's tent, and that of the bare tent. I wanted to go home tonight, but it was becoming less and less likely. I would be a pageboy for another day, not something I was looking forward to. I wanted to return to my manor and eat good food and rest in a comfortable bed.

I ran down half of the walkway without a clear plan in mind. Where would Joker sleep? One tent caught my eye, lit a very dull green from within. I stepped closer, seeing juggling balls, two sequined jackets hung up and a Mother Goose book resting on a dressing table. I didn't need to see the clothes to know this was Joker's tent. I spotted a small bedside table with two frames on it; one the same as Beast's and another. The other had Joker and the little girl alone, and he was the only one smiling for the camera. She was looking at it but didn't seem to understand what was happening. She had the bandage wrapped around her head like in the group photo. Was it possible that this was Angel? Joker had mentioned he had found her delirious and starved. I set the frame down to look over the other one.

"His dress makes him either wealthy or a nobleman," I whispered to myself, "given that he's in photographs with workhouse children, he could be a philanthropist…." I put the frame down to scan the room before I left. It was how I spotted something sticking out from under Joker's pillow.

"A letter?" I whispered before picking it up, turning it over in my hand, seeing a signature, "it's from "Tom the piper's son"…the Mother Goose character?"

I opened the envelope, following the gap that had already been made with a knife to pull out the contents. It had no picture, but it didn't need to.

"Why?! This…is my name!" I snapped, seeing it at the top, along with my rank, my address, a biographical sketch…my parents' names… "what is my name doing here? Are they on to us?!"

It was once I had calmed down that I heard the chatter of someone entering the first-tiers' home. I could only guess the show was over and they were going to bed. I was trapped inside Joker's tent, with a letter that contained my information. Where could I run to without being spotted?

I heard something whimper, seeking it out and spotted the breeze pull up a small corner of the tent. I stuffed the letter back into the envelope and under the pillow before running there. It put me outside between two tents, one dimly lit with the whimpering sounds coming from inside. I didn't want to stay outside in case someone spotted me. I had no excuse to explain why I was here, so I pulled up the other tent's wall and slipped under.

I saw the room was lit by a candle, lying on a bedside table. I stood to my full height and took a step forward, hearing something splinter, I lifted my foot, seeing broken shards of glass. Where had those come from? I looked around the tent, soon spotting their source. Ten mirrors were lined up near one wall, each broken with words written across them in red. They range from insulting to downright crude. But who had written them? Opposite the mirrors was a dresser with frames on it, so I walked over there. The whimpering picked up as I reached the middle of the bed, and I turned to see Mei resting on the floor, her head on her paws as she whimpered. A chain was wrapped around her back leg, holding her to the far tent post. Who had done that?

I walked towards the tigress, who lifted her head to look at me. She nudged my shoulder, something she did with Angel to attract her attention. I nodded, as Angel had done, and Mei nudged the bed. I looked where she pointed, seeing something resting there. Well, resting was the wrong word. The person was sweating, a cloth lay forgotten by her neck as she tossed and turned. One of her legs was exposed, showing it was bright red and angry looking. Two dark holes decorated the skin, something I couldn't determine the origin of. I then saw a prosthetic, which made the skin on the thigh turn white. The swelling must be pushing against the prosthetic, I thought as I reached to unhook it. Once that was done, I saw the white colouring fade bit by bit. Had it been cutting off blood circulation for a while now? It must have been acting like a tourniquet at least.

I looked at the girl's face, taking a moment to recognise it as Angel. Her skin looked red with heat, and I touched her forehead to make sure I wasn't imagining it. She was burning up, whimpering from the pain which was echoed by Mei. The tigress wanted to help her mistress, but there was nothing she could do. I spotted a small bucket balanced on a stool with water inside. I picked up the cloth and pushed it down into the water, soaking it through before wringing it out. Once it was cold, I went back to Angel and placed it on her head. She sighed, clearly finding the cloth a comfort before she calmed down her tossing. A hiss sounded somewhere behind me and I turned slowly to see a blue snake on a desk, resting in a glass cage. Mei growled, clearly not impressed to be sharing her room with it.

"I didn't see this one in Snake's tent," I whispered, certain I would have recognised it had it been there.

I looked back at Angel, knowing she would be the same as Mei about the snake's new lodgings. I looked around the cage before spotting a small note.

17:45 – Angel bitten by ROSE

17:51 – Angel given anti-venom through IV

18:00 – Leg has swollen and become discoloured. Puncture marks are evident on the skin near the prosthetic.

18:30 – Angel has a fever, and her leg is swollen red.

19:10 – Angel's extremities are cold to the touch. She has also begun tossing in an uncomfortable sleep. Further study is required.

There were no more notes, meaning she had been left here in her tent for over an hour. What if she had died? What if something worse had happened to her? I couldn't understand why they had placed the snake in the cage. Was it to identify the biter? Mei whimpered as her mistress did, and I looked back at Angel. Her eyes were open but it was clear she didn't see anything around her. I sat down beside her and held her hand, feeling the chill run through my skin. An IV was attached to her wrist and it led to a half-empty bag marked as "ROSE". It had to be anti-venom for what had happened to her.

I picked up the cloth to run along her face, leaving droplets of water of her skin. Her breathing was weak, and I hoped it would return to the way it had been. Had someone tried to kill her? Why would they do that? I couldn't see Angel having many friends, but I could only imagine the other troupe members keeping her safe. Her head turned in my direction, breathing out a sigh before closing them. She must be exhausted, and if there was something I could do, I would. I looked to Mei and realised there was something I could do.

Whoever had tied up the tigress, hadn't bothered tidying away Angel's things. It took a bit of searching, but I located the key. Whoever had done this, wouldn't want Mei coming after them. So I unlocked her chain and watched as she licked her foot before looking at me. She nudged my shoulder, before looking at the door. I could hear voices moving closer, and I had a feeling Mei could too. The tigress stood up and walked to the bookcase, lifting up a small bit of the tent for me to crawl under. It looked like a recent thing but I didn't question it as I snuck out. Mei dropped the covering back into place before sitting beside Angel. Before I left the space altogether, I could hear both Mei and Angel whimper.

I located a crate and barrel to hide behind in case some of the first tiers decided to walk along the back of the campsite. Before I dropped to my hunches, I noticed a hole in the crate, as if someone had stood on it and fallen through. I couldn't determine if it was a recent occurrence or not, so I didn't dwell on it. There were more important things to worry about than a crate.

"I'm feeling peckish," a voice stated, sounding closer to me than I was comfortable with.

"Should we go eat?"

"Has anyone been to see Angel recently?"

"She's in good hands for now," Joker insisted, "she has around the clock care."

If the note had anything to say, it was they didn't care too much for Angel or monitoring her situation. I peeked around my cover to see they had gathered in a small group, with no intentions of leaving anytime soon. They would spot me should I attempt to run to the other side. They would also find me here eventually as soon as Freckles became aware of my absence in our tent.

I should've stopped sooner. I have to get back without being seen…

I watched them, waiting for a break in their conversation when I heard something hiss behind me. I turned slowly, seeing the snake from Angel's tent. Its blue body looked cerulean in the night with the white mouth looking almost frosty. It reared its head, ready to strike me. Did Snake only like the aggressive breeds? I couldn't determine anything else, certain I didn't want to share the same fate as Angel this evening.

"Oi," a voice called, "what are you doing there?"

A lantern showed the snake in a different, but no less frightening, light. I looked back to see who was watching me and knew it had to be a first tier member. I recognised her as Doll, though I hadn't seen much of her around the campsite. Some had said she liked to keep to herself, never straying too far from her own tent. I hadn't understood how one could practise like that considering she was the tightrope walker. I noticed she was still wearing her costume, one eye covered by an odd hat shaped like a fluffed wig.

When I got over the fact that I had been caught in a place I shouldn't have been, I tried to figure out which was the worst of this situation. Being caught by Doll was bad, but was it as bad as being bitten by a snake and spending the rest of night like Angel? I didn't get much time to deliberate on the matter when I heard a growl coming from my left. I decided to see what this new threat was, only to be surprised by what I saw. Mei, her body a luminous white in the moonlight, was pacing towards me, her teeth bared. I gulped, certain she was the worst threat of all three of them. I thought I had gotten on her good side once I set her free. Mei stopped a foot from me, her hackles up and she snarled. Her eyes, which I had thought were watching me, were watching the snake named Rose. She leaned down and I saw her claws extend, sharp and deadly. Her tail ran along the ground in quick lines, clearly agitated. Rose reared back to bite me when Mei shot forward, catching the snake off guard. The snake didn't get much of a chance to comprehend what was happening as Mei pushed it into the ground, flattening it into the floor.

Mei lifted one paw and then the other before sniffing the remains of Rose. It now looked like a pancake, nothing left of the snake from the glass cage. Mei pawed at it, checking it was dead before lifting it into her mouth and looking at me. I knew then, she had tried to kill the snake in the tent but had instead released it. She had wanted to avenge her mistress, and the only way she could comprehend how was to kill the thing that had hurt Angel. She was taking the body as proof of what she had done, in case Angel asked or one of the others wondered where the snake had gone. I nodded to Mei who turned back towards the loose spot on the tent to crawl under, disappearing from view. Since two of the three threats were gone, I looked back at Doll to see her extinguish her lantern. We were bathed in moonlight, the crystals by her ear catching the light.

"Doll!" a voice called, one I recognised as Dagger's.

"I'm going to check on Angel, will you get me something to eat?"

"Sure!" Dagger called back before leaving with the others.

"This way," Doll whispered, pointing to the fence before grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet.

She reached the side of Angel's tent with the peg loose, casting it a glance before looking past it to see if anyone was lingering there. Once she was satisfied no one was there, she dropped to her knees and crawled under the fence. It was wrapped in barbwire, some of which appeared rusted to me. Maybe it wasn't rust…

"Don't touch the rope," she ordered before I crawled under, making sure none of my clothes were ensnared before standing up on the other side.

She caught my hand and along a small pathway which led to the second stringers' tents. She hid me before leaning out to check the walkway I had only been walking along. Did she really think they would be watching for us? I didn't get a chance to ask her, as she stopped looking out and turned her attention towards me.

"Right, we should be clear now," she whispered, though I wasn't so sure. I had been caught by all accounts.

"Why did you help me?" I asked in response, watching as she stepped past me and near a tree.

"You still don't get it?" she asked, ignoring my question, "it's me."

She touched her wig and caught the sides of some ribbon before untying it. She pulled it carefully off her head, exposing a mess of cropped brown hair. The same brown hair as my roommate. What was he doing, dressed as a girl?!

"Freckles?!" I replied quickly, my voice raised in alarm.

"Hey, that's not a very nice name to call me!" Doll/Freckles responded, placing the wig under one arm.

"You're a bloke who wears dresses onstage?"

"You're very rude!" she snapped, "I'm a genuine maid, I'll have you know!"

I had not expected this turn of events. It only got worse when she moved closer, leaned forward to catch my hand and held it in hers. I wasn't sure how this could prove she was a girl…until she put my hand on her chest, allowing me to feel her breast through her costume. I felt a shiver run up my spine. This wasn't what I had thought would happen this evening!

"See?" she asked me after a few moments of awkward silence, "want to check down below while you're at it?"

I didn't think I could pull my hand back fast enough, taking a couple of steps away from her to make sure she didn't try anything. Why would I want to do that?

"No thank you!" I answered curtly, not wishing to stay on this subject matter much longer.

"So, what were you doing there?" Doll asked, taking a step closer, "someone must've told you it was dangerous to wander at night. Angel normally does during the tour…"

Angel hadn't been there to give Sebastian or I the tour on or first day. In her place had been Joker, who had warned us about the snakes. I hadn't thought my investigation would come down to this, so I didn't pay much heed to the warning. Hadn't there been mention of anti-venom as well?

I had also thought Sebastian had secured all of the snakes, knotting them and storing them for me to check the tents. But if Doll was standing in front of me, questioning what I was doing…that meant the circus had concluded its show for the night. They had finished their encore, waved the customers goodbye and tidied their equipment up. Sebastian must have let them loose, knowing that I was still searching. I had found enough to come to a few theories…but one thing bothered me the most. Why was Angel in the state she was? Maybe Doll would know the answer…

"Well…" I whispered, having not said a word in about three minutes. I had to come up with an excuse that would cover me wandering through the first stringers' tents.

I suppose I'll have to pretend to be a thief…

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, catching her attention, "but I swear I haven't stolen anything today! I promise! Please don't chase me out!"

"Wait, "today"?!" Freckles questioned, which I hoped meant she believed me. She probably had her own secrets in her tent, ones she didn't want others knowing about. Announcing that I was a thief would worry her no doubt, but I needed her to feel sorry for me. I had to come up with a believable story that would explain my thieving.

"The truth is…I lived in the East End before I became a pageboy, and I got by however I could! I know I shouldn't steal, but I just can't shake old habits! My last master found out…" I dropped to my knees to plead to her, "if the circus turns me out, I'll have to go back to the East End!"

I may have laid it on a bit thick…

I glanced at her from between my hands, making sure I looked scared of what she could do. I wanted her to think there was nowhere else for me. That being offered a place here was all I had. She had to have seen the state of the East End, or at least heard of it from Angel. But I had probably laid it on a touch too thick and made it so unbelievable.

"You swear you didn't take anything?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes! I swear to God!" I answered, hoping that meant she believed me.

"Well, all right," she whispered, running a hand through her hair. She looked a touch confused as to what to do next.

"Thank you so much!" I croaked, hoping it added to my character: the repentant thief.

"It's fine," she replied, "I owe you one anyhow. We've all got our secrets, right? So what I did to you earlier was wrong…so I'll keep this quiet. Now we're even. But no more sneaking about!"

Her words translated to mean I was free this time from being informed on, but if she caught me again (and something told me she would be keeping watch), she would have to do something about it. Whether that meant kicking me out of the circus or getting me arrested, she wasn't completely sure. With what I had gathered in information tonight, I wouldn't need to go looking again. I also wouldn't be staying much longer.

"Right," I answered her, only starting to notice her troubled expression, "is something wrong?"

She looked away from me, towards the tents. I looked back, seeing Mei was at the loose peg, watching me. In her mouth was the crushed snake. Mei dropped the snake and moved under the tent to reach the barrier. She stayed there, her fur on edge and her hackles raised. She looked away from me at Doll, her teeth bared in warning. I was surprised to see such a reaction from the tigress, but this looked threatening. I had a feeling she could jump over the fence and reach us in a few strides, but she was only warning. She snarled, watching Doll the whole time.

"That's odd," I whispered, not sure who I was saying it to.

"Did Angel speak to you…earlier?" Doll asked me, her voice reminding me of a monotone.

"About what?" I asked and Doll looked away from the tiger to look at me.

"I…I bumped into her while I was looking for you. She told me to get ready for my show and that she would find you…and apologise on my behalf. Did she find you?"

It sounded like she wanted to say something else, but had decided against it. I wondered if it had anything to do about Mei or Angel. Her comment did remind me that Sebastian had spotted Angel, and she had overheard us. It explained why she had been there. She had been looking for me, to apologise for Doll soaking me in the showers. It had all been accidental, she hadn't sought us out for our conversation. But what had led to her being the girl now writhing on her bed? I really wanted to know.

"Yeah, she found me. She told me you were sorry."

"I'm glad," Doll whispered, looking relieved.

"Freckles…Doll…" I whispered, and the performer looked to me, "what happened to Angel?"

"What do you mean?"

"While I was…in the tents…I saw her," I whispered, "she didn't look too good."

"Oh," Doll whispered, her mood dropping, "that was Joker's idea."

It was Joker's idea to have her bitten by a snake?!

"He said she was threatening us," Doll continued, "that she only wanted to hurt the circus and the people who worked here. I haven't seen her since this morning…so I don't know what happened."

"She looked to be bitten by a snake," I stated, letting her hear the annoyance in my voice.

"A snake?" Doll asked, looking worried now…but it seemed forced, an act, "Joker didn't mention that."

There was something wrong with her story. I had a feeling she had been there when Angel had been bitten, and was covering it up. I would ask Sebastian to look into it as an aside, before we left anyway. But I needed to keep on Doll's good side.

"Say, can I ask you…if you're a first stringer, why are you sharing my tent?" I asked, hoping it was a good change of subject.

"Well, I don't like staying by myself," Doll replied, "I sleep better when someone's with me. Hey, you'll still room with me even though I'm a first string, won't you?"

"Yes, of course!" I answered, knowing if I said no, it would raise questions as to why.

"Oh, good. Right then, what happened here stays between us," she stated before putting her hand to me.

"Right!" I replied, holding her hand in mine so we could shake on it.

Words are cheap. There's no guarantee she won't tell anyone. Humans lie without a second thought. Including me, of course…

I stayed behind the tent, watching Doll go. I looked back to the fence to see Mei relax, her eye now on me. I wandered over to see if she considered me a threat, only for her to put her head out to my hand. I was normally allergic to cats, I couldn't comprehend how Mei wasn't setting me off. She purred before backing away, to keep an eye on Angel no doubt. I could hear voices coming from that direction, so I decided I had to leave now.

I turned and ran around the back of the tents until I came out somewhere near the performance tent. No one was about so I kept my head down as I made my way towards the sleeping tents. Tent eight was barren and empty, Doll hadn't returned just yet from getting changed. Next door, a lantern was lit. I pulled the door aside and looked in. Sebastian was folding his coat to sit on a crate while Suit sat on his bed, reading a book. His sheers were near his foot, and he didn't seem to move them. I was starting to feel tired and cold, knowing that if I spoke quickly to Sebastian, I could go home and warm up.

"Young master!" Sebastian said, turning to look at me, his coat forgotten about.

"You knew I was still there when you freed the snakes, didn't you, you bastard?!" I snapped, coughing once I had finished.

"Yes, you did order me to return before the first-stringers and free them. Problem?"

I answered his question with a glare.

"What are you glaring for?" he asked, giving me an amused look, "rest assured, my lord, I won't let you die while our contract holds. But you may encounter some non-fatal suffering if you give the wrong orders. You knew as much. Every game needs its thrill. You're such an avid player, I assumed you shared my opinion."

"Your game is in sickeningly bad taste, demon," I muttered I response.

"You flatter me," he replied, a smile on his lips.

"Never mind," I replied, attempting to get back to the reason why I was here to begin with, "I found a letter in Joker's tent," I moved to lean against a wooden post to rest my feet while I spoke, "that mentioned my name. It had my rank, the location of my estate, and even a biographical sketch. The sender—"

"You there!" Suit snapped before something hit my foot. As a result, I was forced to move away from the place I had been leaning and glared at him.

"Ouch!" I replied, certain I could feel a bruise forming on my foot.

"You're three centimetres into my territory," Suit stated, tapping a line drawn into the dirt to emphasise his point, "if the master can't abide by our agreed-upon boundaries, he's as bad as his dog."

I coughed, covering it with my hands as I stared at that line. I wanted somewhere to relax, my feet were tired and now one was sore. I looked to the demon and sighed, knowing the only privacy we could have would be outside in the cold.

"Sebastian, let's go outside," I said before stepping out into the bitter cold. I was glad I had put on my scarf before this, or it would have been much worse.

"Certainly," Sebastian answered as he followed me.

I brought him to a spot near the tent with supplies, just near the first-tier tents. It was there I chose to lean against the crates and rest my feet for the moment. Sebastian stood near me, watching me adjust myself to something close to comfortable. With the cold air nipping me, the crates leaving marks on my back…there was no way to make this situation comfortable. My chest felt tight and I was beginning to feel exhausted. There was still much I had to tell the demon.

"The sender used the name "Tom the piper's son," I stated, concluding what I had been trying to say inside the tent.

"A Mother Goose character," Sebastian commented and I nodded.

"Yes, though I don't know why," I muttered, "Also, Angel appears to be in some distress."

"How so?"

"She was bitten by a snake, under Joker's suggestion," I stated, "she had been poisoned before the show, and it was mentioned that she wished to destroy the circus and harm the people working here."

"I heard Joker telling the others she wouldn't be able to continue at the circus in any capacity," Sebastian stated, looking curiously at me.

"We'll have to keep an eye on the situation, perhaps find out what Angel knows that the troupe are afraid of," I suggested and the demon nodded, so I returned to the main topic.

"The sealing wax showed a crest with a horse and the initial K," I continued, finding myself shivering.

"Then it's the same as the one I saw," Sebastian stated as I wrapped my arms around my chest to stay warm, "signet rings are generally engraved with a motif and initial that represent the bearer or his family?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Which means this Tom the piper's son has a coat of arms featuring a horse. Would a horse mean someone awarded a knighthood or perhaps a soldier?"

"Not necessarily," I replied, "but philanthropy is probably impossible without a certain degree of status. The heraldic authorities have all coats of arms on their registers. We have enough criteria to narrow it down so that however many they have…you should be able to find the one."

I coughed once more, covering my mouth while I tried to catch a breath between coughs. The air was too cold for October, it was almost like the weather of December. It nipped at any exposed skin it could find, making me feel nauseous and tired. I assumed it was due to the freezing conditions, so I needed to conclude this conversation with Sebastian quickly.

"The missing children, the circus, Tom the piper's son, and me—" I stopped talking to cough, feeling a pain in my chest each time I caught a breath.

"Young master?" Sebastian asked, though he sounded further away than he actually was.

"We'll go back…to the townhouse for…" but I couldn't conclude my sentence.

I dropped to my knees, holding my body forward on my hands so I could get sick. My ears rung, and I started tearing up. The pain in my chest only increased, making it impossible for me to continue talking outside. I saw Sebastian move out of the corner of my eye. He bent down to my level to put a hand along my shoulder, clearly unsure as to what was wrong with me.

"Young master!" he called, and he looked worried, "young master, what's…?"

I pushed myself up, putting one of my hands on his arm and looked directly at him. He faded in and out of focus, which only annoyed me and made me feel sicker. I heard something roar from nearby, but it stopped and the ringing in my ears returned. I could see over Sebastian's shoulder, and beyond that to the walkway. Walking towards our tent, was Doll, dressed as the pauper Freckles.

"Smile! What's wrong? Oi!" Freckles called, running towards me before I lost consciousness.

When I did wake up, I felt hot and bothered. I was no longer outside, instead, I found myself in a tent. The covering was a dull yellow colour, one exposed to the elements too much over the last few years. The metal posts also seemed to have been used a lot of the years, as some rust had wrapped itself around the joints. Everything else, it seemed fuzzy to me. I could make out three people, each a different height, near me. One had long black hair and appeared to be sitting, another looked to be dressed as a pauper. One was dressed completely in black, which I hoped was Sebastian. How had I ended up in this tent anyway?

"Water…" I croaked, thinking that was something that could be retrieved quickly.

"Ah, you're awake," the black haired man commented.

"Drink this," Sebastian said, putting a small bottle near my lips for me to drink from.

I drank as much as I could before coughing, forcing Sebastian to take the bottle from me before I choked. Would that be considered "non-fatal suffering"?

"Smile, did you have a bad case of asthma as a young boy?" the black-haired man asked me.

His image and the pauper's shift until I could see my mother, Elizabeth and Madam Red. Madam Red was sitting beside me as my mother fretted. I had had an asthma attack, and she had called for my aunt to come see me, since she was a doctor. Elizabeth looked worried, as she had been that day. Near her, watching me with wary brown eyes, was a friend of mine. Her black hair was left loose around a pale pink dress, the front stained. Had I done that to her? Had I gotten sick on her? She gave me a smile, one that told me everything was alright. She took a step closer, dropping to her knees near my stomach to hold my hand tight in hers. She felt so warm, which made me wonder why I was so cold.

"People can die from asthma, so even if you think he's better, you have to stay careful," Madam Red said to Mother.

"Aunt An…" I mumbled before closing my eyes to sleep again.

I woke up again to see the lights in the tent had dimmed considerably. How much time had passed? I hadn't been able to dream, finding it impossible. There was still too much I had to do. I looked to my side as something cool was run along my head, seeing Sebastian was sitting beside me.

"Sebastian…" I whispered, hoping no one would be able to overhear us.

"How is he?" a voice called out, following by the sound of something rolling across the floor.

"He still seems poorly," Sebastian responded.

"I thought as much," the voice stated, "I just remembered that mint oil can help these fits. Angel used to be like him as a child…now, where did I put it?"

I opened one eye to see the man look through a crate. This was our chance to look into the crest. I tapped my bed, hoping to catch Sebastian's attention, once I had succeeded, I motioned for him to come closer and put his hand on the bed. He complied once he knew the man was distracted.

"This is an order," I signed for him, "go to the heraldic authorities and identify the man with the signet ring. The registers are in London and Edinburgh. If I move now, the man will make a fuss. Come fetch me in the morning."

Sebastian took his hand away once I had finished, catching mine and turning it over.

"Yes, my lord," he signed in response.

With that completed, I closed my eyes on Sebastian. But one final thing caught my attention before I fell asleep. The man had stopped searching, moving beyond the bottom of my bed to somewhere on my right. He pulled a curtain aside to see something.

"Angel…you should be better by tomorrow. But, I don't think you'd want to be…"

Hope everyone liked this chapter. I know its been a while since my last one...but I hope this long chapter makes up for it. So Angel was bitten by Rose because Joker heard her talking about the missing children. And Daniel is still alive? Please leave a review to let me know what you think so far :)