Stars After Midnight

III. Forbidden Fruit

The small banter between the circus crew as the day passed was a welcomed melody to Despoina's ears. A part of her heart felt revived as if she were a soulless body walking among the living until this moment. Their laughter, their joy engulfed her in a blanket of warmth, held her close like she was one of them even though she was an outsider. 

Never in her sister's home did Despoina feel so at peace. The Duke would give her snide remarks about her passion to continue her father's work or if she questioned the mechanisms of everything. Not even her nephews saw her as a suitable aunt. 

For the past few weeks, she left the house early to assist Marius in his newest inventions. He valued her opinion and constantly urged her to provide feedback as he worked. Not once in his presence did Despoina feel undermined or low.

His scarlet eyes brightened when a new idea popped in her head or if she fixed one of his.

The more they worked, the more she felt the ice around her heart melt as if his ruby eyes were the flame to ignite her hidden passion, her thirst to experience the wild thrills that surrounded the Twilight Circus.

For the first time since her parents' passing, she was home. She belonged here. She belonged with Marius, with his crew, with these misfits that somehow were perfect together. 

"How is the magician's box coming along?" asked Marius as he stepped into his workshop tent, loosening the few buttons of his white shirt. "I would like to use it for tonight's show. Perhaps I am being too ambitious, but with your abilities, who wouldn't be?"

Despoina fixated her attention on her current assignment. The plan was to create a box that allowed Luna to slice through whoever was in it. Marius wanted it to be more thrilling than just separating the bodies. He wanted it to seem as if they were separating entrails and putting the person together again, no stitches, no scars. 

On top of this request, both were working on an escape chamber for any of the twins to use. They would create a see through vessel full of water and chain the twins up with heavy locks. The goal was to escape before they drowned.

According to Marius, such a performance could stop the beating hearts of the audience and scare them into a panic until the twins resurfaced. Their flexibility would allow for an even greater show.

So much to do, so little time. 

Marius was pressed behind her, arms around her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder. 

Despoina tensed. "Is something wrong?"

"There is nothing wrong about you, love."

Heat crawled up her body, a tingling sensation curving down her spine. He only used that endearment with her, and whenever he did, her heart palpitated beyond her control as if he manipulated her bodily mechanisms. 

His voice was deep, a husky tone to lure even the purest creatures, the call of a devil trailing closer and closer until she was left defenseless to his charms, a simple pawn in his game. The chase, the hunt, it all thrilled her, and she wanted more. She wanted him to experience the same excitement, to swallow his pride and be at her mercy. 

A devious idea struck her mind like lightning, the crackling of a genius seduction paving a path to this man's damnation.

She gazed down at her silk, off shoulder gown, the pale blue emulating the sea of her eyes, and a sweetheart neckline plunging a suggestive amount of cleavage. 

Despoina had a shawl when she arrived, but the heat inside the tent forced her to remove it. If she was not so spellbound by the vampire behind her, then she would have felt the scalding of shame course through her.