Page 140 of Circus From Hell

The fire has consumed most of the tent, but I can see it starting to die out. There are no more performers to escape. They’re all dead or choking and dying on the floor.

I lift Kreo to stand and put a sharpened nail tip at his throat.

“Tell me, or I’ll cut you open.”

He gulps. I feel it bob. “How did you get like this? You were supposed to be my saviour.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have named me Karma,” I hiss in his ear. “No more games. Tell me how to cure Spiral.”

“Karma, leave it. It’s okay!” Spiral yells as one of the poles behind us comes smashing to the ground. This whole thing is going down. “We need to get out of here!”

The distraction is enough for Kreo to slip his hand into the pocket of his red show coat. I see the small object in his hand before I hear the noise.

Three clicks.

I release him on a dominating instinct and step back, the urge to cover my ears overpowering.

Memories flash in my head.

“This is a precaution,” Kreo whispers as the clicks bounce around me. Three times. Then another three.

“Pleasssse. Sssstop,” I whine, hating the noise.

“It has to be done, child. You won’t ever overcome your demonic needs otherwise.”

Three more clicks make me fall to the floor.

His failsafe.

A clicker.

“Stop that!” Arlo shouts, but he ceases his running to me when Kreo holds up his hand.

“Another step and another click.”

“You’re hurting her,” Micha seethes.

“She is mine,” Kreo announces. “Look at what she’s done. I should have known she would snap one day. You broke my trust, Karma. I thought better of you and your primal, innate desires. And you, Spiral. I’m hurt to see how you’ve betrayed me.”

“You lied to me, Kreo. Ten years of lying.”

Their dispute fades to background noise as I fight the urge to return to Kreo on my hands and knees. The clicks are effective. Any more, and I’ll struggle to fight them.

They make me want to retreat to his side. To submit.

I shake my head, my bells ringing around my head, distracting me from the clicks when Kreo taps the little object three more times.

“Come here, Karma. I’ll help Spiral if you come back to me.”

“He’s a liar, Karma!” Spiral shouts. “Please, don’t listen to him.”

“If any of you take another step, I’ll kill her,” Kreo warns.

This breaks through the hold he has on me.

Another lie.

“You can’t,” I laugh. “You don’t know how!”