Page 109 of Circus From Hell

He spins me, walking me backwards a step, tongue exploring my mouth.

Before I know it, something smooth wraps around my calves, biceps, and waist. Arlo smiles against my mouth, like he knows what’s happening, and I tug away before I convince myself to let it happen so I can taste Arlo a moment longer.

My body is suddenly hoisted into the air. Arlo is ripped away from me, my arms lifted above my head. No noise comes out of my mouth as I try to focus on what’s happening.

The silk around my wrists has them hanging overhead. I quickly wrap my palms around the fabric so the stitches in my wrists don’t pull apart with the pressure of holding up the rest of my body. There’s silk around my stomach to create an anchor, and there are another two pieces wrapped around my thighs, forcing them to suspend in the air. I’m barely two feet off the ground, but I can’t move anywhere.

What the fuck?

I fight, trying to wiggle out, but one of these traitors has tied the knots keeping me up with incredible precision. The red and green glow of the lights above me shields me from seeing too far into the otherwise dark tent, but I spot Soren, grinning smugly beside the rope-pulley system usually operated by one of the fire-eaters.

“Let me go,” I say in a low tone of warning.

Micha hooks his arm around Arlo in front of me, less than a metre away from my feet, and holds him to his side. They both look at me, strapped up in silk, with prideful glee.

“No can do, Stitches.”

I don’t miss Soren sneaking out of the tent, but I’m too preoccupied with attempting to shake away the silk.

“Why?”

“Because you’re uncontrollable,” Micha responds, as if it’s obvious. “Now, are you going to calm down so we can let you out of there?”

“Yes.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“…Yes.”

Arlo snickers, and Micha slaps him lightly around the arm.

“Then I’m afraid we’ve had to call in further measures, ones I’m not sure you’ll like.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

SPIRAL

Amuzzle.

He’s put me in a fucking muzzle.

“This is brilliant,” Soren snickers, tugging me across the grass with a hand on the back of my neck like I truly am a dog. “I’m glad I got Micha to pick this up. Such a nice surprise, don’t you think?”

“I’m going to kill you,” I snap, but it comes out slightly muffled.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you behind your muzzle.”

He definitely heard me.

I lash out, trying to scratch at his arm, but this fucker is like three times the size of me.

“Karma needs you,” he grunts as we approach the back of the tent, and that makes me stop fighting. I’ve not seen my dead girl since before they threw me in the cage. “You’ll fuck her until she wrings you dry, and then you go back into the cage.”

“You three can’t please her?” I mock, and he pins me with a glare.

“Just do as you’re told, clown. Karma needs it, and you won’t stop until she’s finished being feral. Or at least less feral. Succeed, and I’ll bring you a bottle of whisky.”

He’s convincing me to fuck Karma, but I need no convincing. Zero. Zilch.