As promised, Claire did let Kirielle audition to join the entertainers that kept the crowds coming into Raven’s Loft each night. And when it was the girl’s turn to take the stage she nailed every step, lyric and note flawlessly, as if made for the stage. Claire, Lucian and all the others present, including the others auditioning, and those who had already secured their spots in the show, were stunned into silence by Kirielle’s talent. Though, for Lucian, it seemed more of a worried silence at the thought of his ward being propelled into the spotlight, as well as all the attention that may come with it. But, it was impossible to deny that she was easily born to be on that stage. Even Palmer emerged from his office to watch her audition.

After taking a seat near Claire and Lucian to watch the performance, Palmer glanced at Claire once Kirielle had finished and was nervously awaiting Claire’s decision to break the silence, everyone’s eyes still pinned to her.

“Tell me you are planning to hire this girl,” Palmer spoke to Claire, his voice breaking into her consciousness as she simply stared up at Kirielle’s waiting face.

Taking a moment to process his words and turn back to Palmer, “I didn’t think I’d ever see the day you showed any interest in this side of the business.”

Palmer scoffed before replying, “Even a non-Toreador knows star quality when they see it. This one’s voice, and body, will bring in even more crowds. That has to be obvious to you sort,” he added as he looked between Claire and Lucian pointedly.

“That body is fifteen years old,” Lucian huffed, also having to take a moment to pull his attention from Kirielle back to Palmer.

“This is show business,” Palmer stated bluntly, “the younger the better. Everyone knows that.” He then gave Lucian a dismissive look before turning back to Claire. “So we are hiring her, then?”

“You are?” Kirielle asked with hopeful excitement, now having moved from the stage to approach where the three Kindred had sat watching her.

Claire took a moment to look between Kirielle and her two companions, both wearing expectant expressions, though Lucian’s decidedly more wary. “Well, you were amazing. But I’m guessing you must already know that.”

“Is that a yes?” she exclaimed eagerly.

Claire looked to Lucian for any opinion he may want to offer. “Well, it’s obvious that she’s got the talent, and the drive,” Lucian admitted with slight defeat. “If I said no, I’d have a feeling you’d all look at me like I just kicked a puppy,” he shook his head, knowing when he was outnumbered.

“A prize-winning one,” Palmer returned smartly, as if the idea of anyone saying no to putting this girl on the stage was simply absurd.

“Puppy analogies aside,” Claire scowled between the two men, “you really were amazing, Kirielle. It would be a crime against all art not to let you have this chance.”

“Yes!” she squealed happily as she gave Lucian a quick hug then ran over to the other performers to share her excitement and get started on plans for how she’d best fit into the show.

“Now that’s settled. We have a club to open soon. I’ll be upstairs.” And with that, Palmer stood and made his way back up the steps.

Claire bit her lip slightly as Lucian looked more than a bit wary as he watched Kirielle and the other performers heading back stage. “So, how much do you hate this?” she asked him worriedly.

“Well, I did bring her here, didn’t I?” he stated as he looked back her way. “How is it that a fifteen year old mortal girl can so easily wear down a nearly one hundred year old vampire?”

“So you’re counting your mortal years too?” she smiled, slightly relieved that he didn’t seem all that upset, aside from his understandable concern.

“Don’t you?” he smiled back at her.

“Depends on the night, I suppose,” Claire replied with a small smile. “I just don’t want you to regret this, considering I could have said no.”

“I doubt that you really could have,” he disagreed gently. “She is amazing after all. Made for this even. Just because I try to be a doctor doesn’t mean I can’t see incredible artistic talent.”

“You are a Toreador, after all,” Claire smiled back. “I suppose that’s the only good thing about your sire being who she was,” she added more quietly.

“How is she one of us anyway? She seems so...” Lucian just shook his head.

“Well, she did pick an extremely attractive childe,” Claire couldn’t help adding, if for no other reason than moving the conversation away from Awsha and all the bad feelings that her name inevitably brought up, for both of them.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Are you flirting with me, Claire?” Lucian smiled back at her again, “Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?”

Claire let out an uneasy laugh, “It’s not that far-fetched that I find you attractive. Considering...” she just looked away with another smile.

“Our one night?” Lucian couldn’t help finishing the sentence for her.

Claire looked back at him quickly then, before choosing her response, “I guess it was pretty memorable.”

“My my Claire, that sounds like it could be flirting as well,” he then tried to lighten the conversation ever so slightly. “Or is it just because that was the night when Eliot came back from his trip overseas or some such thing?”

Claire wrinkled her nose at the question, “Can’t a night be memorable for more than one reason?”

In response to her statement, he smiled again. Then, emboldened by her flirtatious comments, he moved closer, and placed his mouth over hers ever so gently. Claire tensed at first, but soon kissed him back. After all, it was no coincidence that they did have that one night together. And it had been far too many other nights since.

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By the time the bartenders announced last call, Claire and Lucian had since moved their conversation to a large booth at the corner of the club. The two were still smiling and chatting, and sitting close enough that their bodies touched atop the black leather cushions, despite the fact that the booth was large enough for an entire group of club goers to comfortably be seated.

“There’s our muse,” Daeran’s jovial tone interrupted them as he and Rion appeared near their table and invited themselves to a seat across from the two who had been engaged in pleasant conversation for the entire night.

“Dae, Rion, hi,” Claire greeted them a little awkwardly, putting the tiniest amount of distance between she and Lucian then. “We did have plans, tonight, didn’t we?” she added, as though just recalling that fact upon seeing the two incredibly attractive, and multi-talented, young Kindred join them.

Lucian had the slightest trace of disappointment cross his face at the confirmation that his evening with Claire was likely about to end, but quickly hid it behind his usual smile. “The three of you planning your next incredibly successful film tonight, then?”

Daeran and Rion gave each other a knowing smile before moving their glances back to Claire, “I suppose the subject of our next film may come up tonight,” the younger of the two smiled wryly, his pools of light green pointedly moving over her with obvious familiarity.

“Among other things,” Rion stated nearly inaudibly, causing another wry grin from his partner.

Their words and behavior were easily noted by Lucian as he narrowed his impossibly dark eyes and took a long look at the two new arrivals, seeing so much more than any mere mortal would as he did.

“So, is this beautiful man your plus one tonight then, Claire, darling?” Rion asked to move the conversation past his last statement.

“Because I think we’d be quite fine with that,” Daeran added as his eyes then moved appreciatively over Lucian as well.

Lucian broke off his supernatural appraisal of the two much younger Kindred and cleared his throat, “Not that I don’t appreciate the... thought,” he decided on, “but the big screen is not my forté,” he excused. He then forced the smile back to his lips after having taken in much more than even their words or actions had already implied. “Besides, I have a teenage starlet to escort home. I’m sure she has plenty to talk about, considering her new career. Goodnight, Claire.” he gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek and stood. “Gentlemen,” he simply nodded to the other men before moving off toward the door to the backstage area without another word.

“Sorry did we mess up... a thing?” Rion asked Claire a moment later.

“A thing?” Claire asked, buying time to find a response after pulling her eyes back from Lucian’s retreating figure.

“Between you and Mr. tall, dark and handsome there,” Daeran added to Rion’s question.

Claire let out an uneasy laugh, “No, no. Me and Lucian aren’t ‘a thing,’” she assured, then quickly added, “I mean, we had a thing... but I mean, that was a long time ago. Decades even. And tonight we just... We started talking again and...” she shook her head, giving up on even trying to explain she and Lucian, especially to her two most recent intimate partners.

“If our kind could blush,” Rion teased with a smirk.

“Please, I’m hardly shy. As you two know... well,” she returned, trying to regain her composure.

“Which makes it that much cuter,” Daeran teased again, causing her to give him a playful scowl in return.

“He’s just.. very charismatic,” Claire excused.

Daeran smirked back at her, “It’s the British accent. It makes everyone more attractive.”

That was when Rion looked back at him, “So, now the truth comes out. It was my accent that made you fall for me all along,” he teased. Though it was true that Rion’s accent and voice were indeed two of the most attractive things about him.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s all it was,” Daeran teased in return.

Claire just shook her head with a smile as she looked between the two of them, “So, were we supposed to go to your place or mine tonight?”

“By mine, I assume you’re not talking about the Prince’s estate?” Rion asked with a raised brow.

“Mine as in the place I, or rather, Eliot, owns right across the street,” she assured.

“Oh, the ‘E’ word. We may have to work extra hard to cheer her up tonight,” Daeran told Rion, feigning a furtive tone.

“I don’t know,” Rion looked back at Claire, “she seemed cheery enough when we got here.”

“But we’re nothing if not overachievers,” Daeran teased back.

She just shook her head back at them again as she stood, “Come on, you two. There’s actually something I’ve wanted to discuss with you anyway.”

“Will this be a clothing optional discussion?” Daeran asked as the two stood to join her.

“Aren’t they all when the three of us get together?” Rion smirked as well.

Claire just chuckled again, before gesturing for them to follow her toward the door, where she tossed only the briefest glance back at where Lucian had now retrieved Kirielle from backstage and the two of them were also preparing to leave for the night. As her eyes met Lucian’s, the two exchanged one more smile before she, Daeran and Rion made their way through the club doors and out into the night together.