An anomaly, but we respected them all the same.
Arina tried to steel herself, her jaw hardening as she lifted her chin, but I could see the fear banked in her eyes. The rapid flutter of her pulse in her throat, the sweat beaded on her forehead. She could put up her best front, but I saw straight through it.
“No talent?” Hallow repeated, their voice flat and uninterested.
Had I not already filled them in on Revel’s disposition toward her, the ringleader probably would have heard her out with an open mind. They were normally cold and standoffish, but that didn’t mean they weren’t sympathetic to individuals looking for a home with us.
However, I’d just finished convincing them to turn her away when Daze bounced through the doorway with her on his heels. Not a minute too soon.
“What skills would you bring to our troupe?” Hallow asked, pretending like they hadn’t already made up their mind. They’d said as much; she wasn’t getting in. This was all for show, something they were good at. They might have been a recluse outside of the circus, but performing was in their blood, whether they wanted to accept it or not. “How could you contribute to the circus? You see, we’re a team. A family. We don’t tolerate those who don’t pull their weight.”
With a smirk, I retreated, but my eyes never left Arina. I leaned back against the railing wrapped around this level of the stands and crossed my arms over my chest. Questions played in my mind as I watched her pale. She wasn’t Revel’s type, but could she be one of his one-night stands? A crazed fan? A stalker?
That could be fun...
I rubbed my chin as my eyes fell down her body and crawled back up again. Her petite frame screamed omega, but I hadn’t scented anything when I was close to her. Besides, omegas were rare gems, and the odds of one masking their scent and running away on their own was…nonexistent.
Clearly, she was a beta.
What kind of beta would make Revel so desperate that he sought me out?
It didn’t make sense.
“I’m organized and punctual,” she answered, counting the skills off on her fingers.
I choked back a laugh. She couldn’t be serious.
“I’m a decent cook, but I doubt that’ll help.” She pursed her lips. “Unless you can work baking into the set somehow.”
Shewasserious.
I cleared my throat to cover the chuckle working up my throat, and Daze snorted a laugh beside her.
“Funny, isn’t she?” he asked, shooting me a glance.
Unintentionally, maybe. She’d hardly make it as a clown.
“Honestly, I’ve never done much of anything,” Arina continued, and I watched her expression darken. “This is my first time away from home—yes, even though I’m twenty-one—and I have no idea what I’m actually doing. I just have to get away…”
When her voice trailed off this time, the weight of her words hung in the air between us all. It shouldn’t have resonated with me as much as it did, but at the end of the day, regardless of who we were or where we came from, we all ended up with the circus for a reason.
We were all running from something, and it seemed Arina was no different.
If she joins, I won’t get to ride Revel’s pride and joy,I reminded myself and dragged my eyes away from her. I looked at Daze, at Hallow, at the brick wall behind them. Anything to keep my eyes from trailing back to her smokey-gray irises and the look of disappointment on her face.
She was plain, boring, and useless. We didn’t need her.
“Is there a particular act you’re interested in?” Hallow went on.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes, wondering what game our ringleader was playing. Both of us already knew what the outcome would be.
Why waste the girl’s time?
Or ours?
Still, I’d earned my position in the circus by bending to Hallow’s whims and humoring them. I’d sit back and listen until they got bored and turned her away.
I should have grabbed some popcorn for the show.
