He didn’t move an inch from the seat, determined to watch the entire performance. Adrian had thoughtfully put him in a blocked off area obscured in shadows.
Each interaction with Kallum taught him things. For example, don’t wander about alone on Delirium’s grounds lest you be seduced by a gorgeous leech. Another one was avoid playing magical music boxes in the dead of night for fear of inviting night stalkers into your home.
Darius felt like he was learning.
The show was annoyingly entertaining. He might even say it was delightful. If he was being perfectly honest, he’d say he loved it.
He’d always loved it.
“I’m a child,” he grumbled, burying his face against the seat’s railing.
His eyes had sought out that one particular silhouette as usual. It was an unbreakable habit, it seemed. Darius miserably watched the performers take their exuberant bows to the cheers of enraptured fans but could only focus on the gorgeous man in a top hat.
Maybe he had fallen for the Ringleader as a child because his role was so small in the actual show? Did he just pine for him? Based on the two performances he’d seen as an adult, the Ringleader only came out twice the entire time. The introduction and closer. He really didn’t have any other roles?
But now, his rose-tinted glasses were fogged by truths, half-truths, and unformed truths.
He left the Big Top before the mass exodus. He thought his heart might explode from all the recent events, but maybe dying would be better than all of this stress. Shuffling quickly through the grounds, Darius ducked back into the right tent. The little top hat rustled as he flung the flap back.
It was empty.
Darius released the breath he was holding, feeling silly for thinking Kallum could’ve teleported from the stage. He had clearly still been in there when he left.
Instead of making himself comfortable, Darius strolled around the tent, stomach twisted in a tight cord of anxiety. He took in the finer details this time around, having been too on edge from Adrian’s presence the first time.
There were very few personal items around the dressing tent, which made sense since there were no locks either. Each of the costumes felt heavy and high quality when he touched them. The cuts were clearly custom and probably all of the pieces were handmade. His gaze lingered on the assortment of leather whips hanging from a wall. They were different sizes, lengths, and styles, but all of them bore distinct wear on the handles.
Darius reached up, running his fingers along the frayed leather of the most well-used whip. It had a single braided tail and very little decoration. He thought it seemed familiar, but when he eyed the others, it was hard to distinguish.
“It’s a bullwhip.” A gloved hand brushed his cheek.
A scream died on his lips as he jerked around. Kallum was only a breath away, kohl-rimmed eyes making his red irises pop. The smoky effect seemed worse at the end of the night. Maybe better is the right word? Darius shoved those thoughts aside, taking a step away.
Kallum smiled cordially, turning back to the bullwhip. “This one is particularly useful compared to the others,” he explained, tracing the braided leather gently.
“Why?” Darius asked, voice hoarse.
“It’s only used to tame our wild beast.”
His eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?” There hadn’t been anything like an animal’s cage on the property. Or at least, Darius had yet to spot one. It would be easy to see something like that, wouldn’t it?
Kallum loosened the knot of his tie and popped the pearl buttons on his collared shirt. “Our pet is only available on full moons. Otherwise, it’s kept safely stored away.” He shrugged off the fitted vest, hanging it on a rack of clothes. Next went the pristine white gloves and tall boots.
Questions emerged one after another, but Darius dismissed them. He couldn’t get sidetracked. More things kept coming up and he was being swallowed whole. “What do you want with me?”
It was the most frustrating question. Maybe. Darius’s feelings on that changed by the second.
Kallum brushed fingers through his hair, dark waves fluttering. His smile was genuine as he reached out to take one of Darius’s fisted hands. Lifting it up, he kissed the inside of his wrist. “Would you like to play a game?” he murmured, nibbling lightly at the flesh.
“No.” Darius tried to tug away but couldn’t. Growling indignantly, he yanked hard. Instead of breaking free though, he was whipped forward, only catching himself against a strong chest. “I don’t want to play anything with you,” he repeated in no uncertain terms.
“It’s awfully boring to just answer your questions though,” Kallum insisted, tilting his head down until their foreheads touched. “Why not entertain ourselves at the same time?” He slid an arm around Darius’s waist, touching but not caging. “I’m sure your questions will take us into the darkest hours of night.”
He wasn’t sure if that was really true, but what if it was? Darius warily glanced at his watch, finding that it was half past nine already. The night would definitely be long at this rate.
“What game?”
Of course, he knew they wouldn’t live at the circus.
What he hadn’t expected was a house in a ritzy part of London. Darius still wasn’t familiar with all the neighborhoods, but even he could tell based on the layout and design and quiet.
The entire block of houses, in fact, seemed to be owned by Delirium. Did their neighbors know? Did it matter? Darius needed to make peace with how much status these circus performers had. Or rather, their status beyond being simple performers.
“It’s all yours?” he asked quietly, swallowing as they stepped out of the car.
Kallum pressed a hand to his back, guiding him forward. “It’s available,” he responded casually. “We have accommodations in every place we frequent. Isn’t that only natural?”
Darius doubted it.
They entered an end unit with Kallum leading the way. It was dark inside, but faint lamp light filtered in from various rooms they passed. Darius wanted to explore more but kept reminding himself that this wasn’t a social call. He had a mission.
Kallum pushed open a set of double doors, revealing a cozy parlor. A fire crackled away, surrounded by rather antique furniture. A silver tray with a bottle of liquor and crystal tumblers was already prepared on the coffee table.
A billiards table sat just behind the couches, taking up much of the room’s center. On its other side was a bay window, overlooking the intimate interior of their garden. Moonlight trickled through the glass, only to be chased away by the scorching firelight.
Darius further noted the various games all around. He was both embarrassed and relieved that Kallum had meant actual games when propositioning him.
“Do you have a preference?”
Darius glanced up, seeing Kallum leaning against the polished billiards table. Sweeping another look around the room, Darius spotted darts in a corner and a modest bookshelf of light reading. Without giving it much more thought, he pointed at the darts board. “That. Let’s play Around the Clock.”
Kallum glanced over, hiding a smile. “Alright. But let’s raise the stakes.” He strode over to a wooden box atop the bookshelf. Inside were finely crafted black and red darts.
“How?” Darius asked warily, already getting a terrible feeling. He shifted, waiting several feet back from the darts board.
“Well, you want answers,” he began, setting the box of darts on the fireplace mantle, “so I’ll answer you according to our game score.” Removing the red ones, he offered them to Darius. “Each round gives us three chances to complete a sequence, correct?”
He nodded slowly.
“Then let’s say in the first round, you hit one, two, and three on the board. On the other hand, I hit one, two, and miss the third. That means you win the round and I’ll answer a question.” Kallum twirled a black dart between his fingers, smiling indulgently. “If we draw on a round, then we’ll say it’s your win and you may ask a question.” His gaze flitted back to the board. “We’ll play thusly until one of us hits all twenty numbers and the bullseye.”
Darius’s eyes narrowed. “And what if you win a round?”
“I’ll give you an option. I will be allowed to ask a question or request an action.” His expression didn’t change, but there was a light in his eyes that burned darkly. “Fair?”
He bit back a growl. “Fine. I’ll go first.”
Kallum bowed with a great dose of mockery and stepped back.
There shouldn’t have been so much pressure on a darts game, but Darius couldn’t help but feel on edge. Everything was too straightforward. He didn’t want to believe there was something else at play, and yet.
Thunk! One. Thunk! Two. Thunk! Three.
“Perfect.” Kallum whistled.
Darius shrugged, going to collect his darts. “It’s not a hard game.”
“Games like these can be become difficult,” he argued mildly, weighing a dart in hand as Darius returned to his side. “They test your mental fortitude.” Kallum tossed his first dart, watching it land in the center of the first number. He repeated it twice more.
“A draw.” Darius crossed his arms, feeling a little safer that way. “My win?”
“Of course,” Kallum chuckled, retrieving his darts. “Ask away.”
He wanted to hit hard with the first question, but fear and uncertainty made him pause. What if Kallum didn’t answer him directly? What if he just brushed off each question? Would he have a better shot at getting information if he dipped his toes in slowly? Perhaps the Ringleader would be more amenable the longer they played.
Or maybe, Darius just didn’t want to know the truth now that it was at his fingertips.
“What’s a Night Child?”
Surprise dissolved his usually coy expression. Kallum blinked owlishly, but then quickly started laughing. It was a deep, almost sweet sound that had Darius hating himself for enjoying. Shadows danced across his form as he slowly calmed down.
“An interesting question,” he mused. “You’ve really been doing your research.”
“Answer me.”
Kallum stifled a few more chuckles. “Sort of a…cousin to the deeper and darker beings in the world. They live long lives—far longer than any Human and have peculiar abilities beyond comprehension.” He pursed his lips, eyes glowing. “They’ve been bastardized throughout history. Called different things. Chased and murdered for rather legitimate fears as well. It’s merely a different monster to haunt your dreams.”
The answer didn’t please Darius though. It was just as dodgy as he expected. “You drink Human blood.”
“Among other delicacies,” Kallum replied, “some animals are quite delectable.” His eyes slid down the other man’s body. “But you’re certainly my favorite in that regard. Every Night Child has a favorite, though.”
“Were you Human before?”
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