“And I suppose you’ll have me bend over when I’m bad, too?”

Fuckkkkkk Ruthhhhhhhh.

Without thinking, I push my hips forward, nudging my erection against her ass, then like a psychopath, I wrap my hand around her narrow throat. She goes completely still, breath hitching in her lungs, goose bumps rising on the back of her neck. And to my surprise, she arches her back and ass against my hard cock. I lose all control of my body. I groan into her ear.

“Thank God, you two are alright!” Skylenna’s head pops up to the right of me, shocking my balls back into my body.

“Shit!” Ruth’s body jerks in my arms, but still, neither of us can move.

“Aquarus can swim now, he’ll get us out,” Skylenna explains, hair coated in oil, face glistening with sweat.

I feel completely emasculated as Aquarus drags us through the oil, heaving each of us on the stage with little effort.

Marilynn and Niles rush to our sides with towels to dry off the oil. My skin tingles and twitches as my motor functions start to work again. Without making eye contact, I slap Aquarus on the back and say, “Thanks, man.”

He nods, eyes clouding over as they dissociate.

“Niles and Marilynn are okay?” Skylenna asks, unable to see that they’re standing close by with the oil clouding her vision.

“Okay, look everyone, I was definitely going to jump—I mean, obviously, right? But then I had an irrational fear of the oil lighting up in flames and I froze.” Niles kneels beside Ruth, who is making disgusted faces as she wrings the oil out of her hair.

“And I told him we would only add to your plate if we jumped in, too,” Marilynn adds irritably.

Ruth rolls her eyes, feeling bad enough for thinking she could help.

The Ringmaster yells out an announcement, his words causing the soldiers to jump up in celebration. Behind me, the stage floors close over the pool. Sealing the prisoners inside who haven’t drowned yet.

I look up at Aquarus. “Looks like you got us out just in time.”

“What did he do?” The alter blinks in slight confusion, looking from me to the closing stage, trying to figure it out.

“Aquarus was able to swim through the oil before any of us could. He got us all out,” Skylenna says, stroking the back of his arm.

“Dess?” I narrow my eyes at him.

He nods once, looking up at the Ringmaster, who has begun a new speech.

“Ruth?” Skylenna raises her eyebrows for that very helpful translation.

“He says it’s time for the Vex-Reaping. And he’s explaining how this time, they won’t run out of oil…” Ruth’s eyes widen as she whips her head back to the stage. “Niles, close your eyes!”

14. Vex-Candles

Marilynn

Three stakes appear in the center of the platform, they’ve been soaked in oil. Sentinels walk the selected inmates out to stand in front of the designated stakes.

It hits me like a heart attack.

“Niles, close your eyes!”

I turn to Niles with fright jittering up my spine. He looks confused, squinting to understand what he shouldn’t be seeing. I don’t wait to see if he’ll be able to handle it. My hand finds his eyes, gently shielding them from what we’re about to witness.

Skylenna and Ruth nod their thanks to me as the color drains from their faces.

These prisoners are going to be burned alive.

“I guess my fear wasn’t so irrational,” Niles murmurs, making no attempt to release my hand from his face.