“No one will mess with your stuff,” Bobbitt assured me when I didn’t move. “Besides, they’re all busy getting ready for rehearsal tonight. You can leave your backpack and change clothes if you want.”
“These are my only clean ones.” I looked down at my leggings and tank top with a frown. “So I guess these will have to do.”
“Oh doll, I have something you can wear.” Bobbitt’s eyes lit up. “Don’t even worry about it.”
I chewed the corner of my mouth, guilt welling inside me. I hated taking handouts—I’d told Daze as much—but I didn’t have an option. None of my clothes were circus appropriate, and I couldn’t go naked.
“Just shove your things in there, and I’ll look through my costumes.” She waved a hand and headed to the front of the bus.
I stood staring at my open cabinet, my heart beating in my throat. The thought of being away from my backpack, away from the suppressants, made my skin crawl. If I wasn’t near them, how would I know that they hadn’t been discovered? How could I ensure they stayed hidden?
Ari, you’re being silly.
I knew it, and yet, anxiety continued to burn through my veins. If I didn’t leave the backpack, it would look just as suspicious, if not more so. If I never left the bag unattended, it would be obvious I was hiding something.
Before I could stop myself, I shoved the backpack into the cabinet and shut the door. As soon as it was out of sight, my chest felt tighter, but I turned and walked away.
Everything will be fine.
At least, I hoped it would.
The clothes Bobbitt gave me to wear were unlike anything I’d ever choose on my own, but they matched the circus aesthetic perfectly. Black-and-white polka-dot pants and a red top with puffy sleeves and a faux corset. I wore my combat boots, refusing to give them up, and tucked my freshly braided hair into a bun.
“You look adorable.” Bobbitt beamed. “And you can keep those clothes; they don’t fit me anymore.”
“Thank you.” I looked down at my outfit, wishing there was a full length mirror I could use. “I appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it. We’ll see if we can’t come up with an outfit for you before our show tomorrow night.”
I blanched. “T-tomorrow night?”
“Of course! After that performance earlier, Hallow is eager to get you in front of a crowd.” She giggled. “You’ll watch the rehearsal tonight to get a feel for everything, but tomorrow night you’ll be center stage with Zero, doll!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ZERO
“You had one job,” Revel chastised from the dressing room couch. He was wearing his black performance jumpsuit, ready for tonight’s rehearsal.
As expected, he was fucking pissed that Arina had made her way into the circus.
“One fucking job,” he reiterated.
I rolled my eyes toward the drop-tile ceiling and suppressed a groan. It wasn’t like he had room to talk; he’d been too much of a chicken shit to ask Hallow himself.
I crossed the small room to the wall beside the closed door and leaned my back against it. Rather than getting dressed on the tour bus, I normally opted to use one of the event hall’s dressing rooms. It gave me time to center myself, to focus on my act. It gave me a break from the rest of the performers and space to think.
Thankfully, tonight was just a rehearsal because Revel and Night had waltzed in the second I finished my face paint and hadn’t left me alone since.
“I did my job.” I shot Revel a tense glare. His arm was draped over the back of the couch, and one of his booted feet was propped up on his knee.
Night sat in the vanity chair with his arms crossed, watching the two of us go at it.
“If you’d done it well, Arina would be gone,” Revel pointed out.
“And if you’d just told her to fuck off or asked Hallow yourself, we wouldn’t be here right now,” I bit out. “I talked to them, like you asked, and tried to scare her off. Did you want me to hit her with one of my knives? She can’t join the circus if she’s dead.”
Night chuckled from his seat, but Revel’s unblinking stare didn’t waver.
