Odry marched through the empty theatre hall, the air still sizzled with the magic of La Premiere, and normally she would’ve enjoyed the afterglow of success, but not tonight. She hid the gun in her purse. Her bodyguard finally showed up to follow her. Odry noticed lipstick on the guy’s neck.
Oh, that’s why Clarissa came to the show! She definitely knows how to distract men, whilst her scum brother’s sniffing around.
Odry snorted at the guy but did not slow down. She heard Mateo calling her name, but she ignored him.
When Odry entered the lobby, Bastille waved for her to come closer; he was surrounded by celebrities wanting to mingle with the stars of the show - Odry and Mateo. The latter went to Bastille, while Odry pretended she hadn’t seen her boss. Her heels clicked; her grey eyes scanned the crowd. People gave her way. She saw a glimpse of Cassio, as he waded through the crowd, dragging Clarissa along with him. Odry picked up the pace. She felt the weight of the gun in her purse.
Odry went out, even here the guests were having champagne, smoking in the cool spring air.
“Damn! Fuck! Damn it!” Odry cursed quietly, as she saw Cassio and his sister jumping into their limo and driving away.
“You! You’re fired!” Odry turned back to yell at her bodyguard.
She walked to the limo of the troupe. Odry couldn’t imagine going back to the party, having superficial small talk with some fake celebrities, smiling, and having fun. She got into the limo.
“Take me home, Jesse, then come back for Bastille and the others,” she said.
“Yes, Ma’am!”
The dusky interior of the limo soothed her frantic thoughts.
Everything would’ve been perfect if it wasn’t for Mat’s stupid jump! I could’ve even framed it as self-defence!
The empty premises of their Vegas mansion greeted her with cold indifference. She had never been here alone; the troupe was always around her. Though a pack of security guys patrolled around the mansion, Odry didn’t feel safe anymore. That bastard Cassio got to her easily. What exactly was he about to do? Shoot her? For what? Her motif to finish off Cassio was clear, but why would he want to kill her?
Odry kicked off her shoes and sat in the dark kitchen crying. Is this what her life is going to be now - constant hiding behind the broad backs of bodyguards?
A quiet knocking startled Odry.
“Odry?” A timid voice asked from behind the basement door.
Odry didn’t hesitate to unlock it. She trusted Gina.
“Did you use your beast form to climb up the stairs?” Odry asked.
“No, no beast! I crawled…” Gina murmured, sitting beside the door. Odry sighed, poor thing!
“Come, have tea with me!” She helped Gina up and supported her. Gina looked around lively; her sight was excellent in the dark, just like Mateo’s.
“Nice,” she noted.
“Yes, it’s a nice house. And you shouldn’t be sitting in the basement. I think you should have your own room and join the rest of us at the table. You are not an animal!” Odry said sternly. Gina smiled excitedly, but her smile faded quickly. Odry guessed her thoughts.
“You don’t have to be afraid of Mateo. You saw him on the phone? He really has changed for the better. And… Bastille only wanted to help you control the beast.”
Gina flinched at the mentioning of Bastille’s name.
“You have to forgive and move on,” Odry heard herself say. A quiet voice deep within her said she should listen to her own advice.
No! Cassio will pay! And Mateo acted like a fool today! Odry thought stubbornly.
Both young women had tea, Gina expressed her amazement about the show.
“I wish I could…” she started saying but hung her head without finishing.
“You will! All you have to do is control the beast and we’ll help you with the rest!”
Odry helped her down the stairs, and tucked Gina into the blanket of her bedding.
“You will make a good Mama,” Gina said, smiling at Odry.
“If I’ll get to be one at all,” Odry murmured, “nevet mind! Sweet dreams, Gina!”
The troupe returned after some hours. Odry heard a quiet knock on her door.
“Odry? Kid?” Mat’s voice hummed shyly, but she ignored him.
This would’ve been our first night together if it wasn’t for… if it wasn’t for…Mat’s stupid interference.
Deep down inside she knew it wasn’t the right answer, but Odry ignored her own conscience. She had set her mind on revenge, and she stubbornly held on to it, although she called it justice. Cassio was bailed out of jail by Tiberius, without any consequences.
Odry turned her back on Mat’s pleading and tried to sleep.
***
“Five minutes, Odry!” A voice woke Odry from her thoughts. Odry straightened her back; the pain was killing her, but you can’t expect not to feel anything at all with the weight of a watermelon hanging down your belly, now, can you?!
Hippity-hoppity, easy there, little guy! Or gal… Odry talked to the baby swirling inside her, whilst climbing on Winnie’s back before their cue. She was nine months pregnant, she felt huge and getting up Winnie’s crouched back got harder every time. Two stage staff guys helped her up. They’d made a special leather belt with short set of reigns, so Odry would be more stable sitting on Winnie’s back. Everything was exhausting. Every move caused Odry to sweat. Though the season was a huge success, she had the hardest time ever these last two months. Even the wide flared skirt of her dress couldn’t hide her round stomach. This was one of the last shows, they ended the season early, because of Odry. Bastille walked around with a shameless grin - Tiberius’ show had to be cancelled mid-season. No ticket sales, bad reviews. The boss of Cirque du Macabre had outdone his cousin, and Bastille’s spiteful joy wouldn’t let his devious smirk fade.
Odry watched Mateo finish the first act. He was consistently excellent. Every muscle in his body sounded like a song, flawing gracefully from one move to another. Lust made Odry’s mouth dry, staring at him every show, but that only fuelled her hatred. She hated him because she couldn’t just admit she was wrong. Oh yes, she couldn’t get over him interfering with her plan to shoot Cassio. The only times when she and Mateo co-existed harmoniously was on stage, other than that Odry either ignored him or showered him with petty remarks. Pregnancy made Odry exhausted and grumpy, and she took it all out on Mateo, for months and months.
Odry knew the drill. On stage everybody had their place, the show was polished to perfection. Bastille changed the choreography of Odry’s and Mateo’s dance numbers, because of her growing belly, but Odry wasn’t sad at all. The less she had to be near Mateo, the better.
Odry got on stage, move here, look there, act like an angry old ghost lady, make the dagger fly at Mat… a well-rehearsed routine.
Suddenly she felt the dagger resisting her powers. Or rather instead of flying carefully around Mateo’s chest, it wobbled in the air awkwardly, then flew straight at him. This one was the real deal, not a prop.
She didn’t want to murder Mat, at least not on stage, there were kids in the audience! The dagger just wasn’t listening, it flew randomly, hitting props and coming at Mat in strange angles. Mateo gave her a frightened stare, but being the professional performer he was, he worked around it, improvising as they went. He avoided the dagger’s foul flight as best as he could. Odry felt the baby kicking in her belly. The more the little one moved, the wilder the dagger got. Odry steadied her breathing, the baby calmed down as she got calmer. Finally, she regained control over the dagger. It flew as it supposed to, Mat grabbed it, and the rest of the show carried on normally.
Applause, bowing, smiling to the amused crowd. Flowers. More applause. Odry couldn’t wait to get home, put on her disguising, but utterly soft and stretchy trainers, lift her feet up and sleep.
Mat kept his professional facade unshaken. He smashed his glass after drinking the champagne with a victorious smile. Bastille wasn’t happy with Odry’s performance, but he waited until after the champagne to scold her.
“What the hell was that Odry? Have I not asked you to leave your differences off stage?!”
“Jean-Luc, considering Odry’s state…” Mateo defended her no matter what.
“Fuck off, Mat! Nobody asked your opinion!” Odry barked at him. The troupe and the dancers hushed their happy voices and went to change and clean off their make-up.
Mat’s face turned grim, he just nodded and went away.
“I have no idea what happened! I didn’t do anything differently! The dagger just wouldn’t listen to me!”
Bastille stood thinking.
“Maybe it was directed by someone else?”
“What do you mean?” Odry asked.
Bastille grimaced at her stomach.
“It’s clear my grandchild hasn’t inherited our vampirism, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to prance around the stage. You’d be lying in bed drained from all energy, like Odette was when her due date came close,” Bastille paused to smile. “Oh, no! It seems this one might have inherited your powers.”
Odry shook her head, but she couldn’t think of another explanation.
“Now, why wouldn’t you settle, dear Odry and make friends with Mateo? Or… should I say - kiss and make up?” Bastille smiled and winked.
“What the hell do you mean?” She snapped.
“Oh, I don’t know… your pride cannot hide your desire. You should see your face when you watch Mateo warm up shirtless before the show!” Bastille chuckled.
Odry cursed in reply and went to change her clothes.
“Not long now, Hon!” Daffy smiled at Odry’s belly, whilst cleaning her glittery make-up off. The latter sighed heavily.
“Don’t worry, Hon! We’ll help you!” Daffy embraced her shoulders.
“Yeah, kid! We’re family, remember?” Danny joined his sister, “one big, freaky circus family!”
Odry smiled through the tears.
Bastille is wrong! I don’t want Mateo! I don’t need him. These guys are my family.
Odry was exhausted, but she couldn’t go home, not just yet. It was her last appointment at the doctor’s before the supposed labour day. The show ended late in the afternoon, Bastille had moved the time of their last shows earlier, because Odry felt extremely tired in the evenings.
“Should I come with you?” Bastille asked, though she usually went alone. Bastille was getting on her nerves with all his ridicule or pondering about French baby names for his grandchild.
“No, thank you!” She said, “better go home and make sure Gina doesn’t miss her check-up.”
Gina had endured several plastic surgeries. Her face was healing well. She was learning how to use her prosthetic leg. Although she joined the troupe at meals, she was shy around Mateo, and she avoided Bastille as much as she could.
“Winnie is taking care of her, as usual. They’ve become quite big friends,” Bastille said. Odry was surprised by this strange attachment of theirs. A huge guy in his forties (maybe more, who knew?! Winnie was secretive about his life before circus), and a petite girl in her twenties… Winnie was acting like a caring dad. Odry had seen the old golden-framed family picture Winnie took with him wherever he went. Judging by it, the big guy once had a very tall wife, two sons, and a daughter in a wheelchair. Maybe Gina reminded him of somebody from his past.
Mateo came up to her just as Odry was leaving to the doctor.
“Maybe I could come with you, kid? I don’t like you walking around alone.”
“I don’t care what you like!” She retorted, “I don’t need your support. I don’t want the doctor to think you’re the dad.”
“Kid, I’ve said a million times - I didn’t want Linden to die! I wish I would’ve taken that bullet!” Mateo raised his voice. He had put up with Odry’s accusations for months. Even his patience toward Odry had reached its limits.
“But he was the one who died! Not you! If it wasn’t for your fucking big mouth!” Odry yelled at him without thinking.
“Oh yeah?! I wasn’t the one who changed the bullet’s trajectory!” Mat yelled back, but added immediately, “shit, no! Kid, I’m sorry! Please! No, don’t walk away!”
Odry marched to the limo with tears falling from her eyes. She got in and hid her face, crying. Her bodyguard sat beside her, as usual.
“To Dr. Jones’ office, Jesse!”
The driver didn’t reply. Odry laid back and closed her eyes.
She must’ve dozed off. Odry opened her eyes to the sight of her bodyguard sleeping. Strange, he never slept on the job. They had just stopped in a place that looked like an underground parking lot.
“Jesse, where are we?”
Odry saw two glowing blue eyes smiling at her from the rear-view mirror.
“Ciao, bella!” She heard Cassio say, before everything went dark.