Page 50 of Daemonium

"How much do we love her?" Ciaran questioned jokingly.

Charon was laughing along, clearly entertained, until Kinks moved behind Mel and then Hayven and did the same, her hands skimming over her chest, eliciting a laugh.

"Not so funny now, is it?" I taunted him, unable to resist taking the shot.

He flicked me off, but there was no real heat in it. We were all on edge, but moments like these—where we could still joke, still rib each other—kept us grounded. Once Kinks had the girls exactly where she wanted them, she turned her attention to the crowd, her voice commanding as she addressed them.

“Alright, lovely people! Who’s ready for some fun?” she called out, her words met with enthusiastic cheers. “Let’s start with a little game to decide who goes first—the guy or the girl?”

The crowd buzzed with anticipation, their energy tangible. Kinks had them eating out of the palm of her hand. She grinned, a wicked edge to her smile. “Since we’re at the Cirque, how about something fitting? We’ll play a little game called ‘Ring Toss.’” She gestured to a set of oversized rings that were brought out by two of her clowns, the rings painted in bright, garish colors. “The rules are simple,” she explained, pacing around the girls. “We’ll have volunteers from the audience try to toss these rings over those poles,” she pointed to several tall, thin poles set up.

“If the ring lands on a pole, we count the points. The highest score gets to choose who’s up first—our lovely lady or the not-so-lovely gentleman here.”

The crowd loved it, voices rising in excitement as volunteers eagerly stepped forward. I watched the girls carefully, noting the way Sunshine stood tall, her posture steady despite the obvious nerves she must be feeling. She was tough—tougher than she knew. I felt a surge of pride mixed with the ever-present possessiveness that simmered beneath the surface. As the game began, I could see the girls exchanging glances, a silent communication passing between them.

They were in this together, and that gave me some comfort. We’d trained for worse and faced down threats that made this look like child’s play. Still, this was different. This was a show, a twisted spectacle and they’d never been so in the spotlight.

I laughed to myself, knowing the Syndicate was scrambling again right about now.

One by one, the rings were tossed, some landing, some missing. The crowd roared with each success and booed with every miss. It was almost too much—too loud, too chaotic—but this was Kinks’ world, and in her world, chaos was king. Finally, the last ring landed, and the scores were tallied. Kinks, ever the showman, milked the moment for all it was worth before finally announcing the winner.

“And it looks like… our lady is up first! Chivalry for the win,” she declared, her voice cutting through the noise. The crowd erupted into cheers once more, the anticipation hitting a fever pitch.

As Kinks gestured to the ominous Wheel of Misfortune, the energy in the room shifted, anticipation hanging heavy in the air.

The crowd watched with bated breath as Juno, her long dark hair barely visible beneath the eerie clown mask she wore, wheeled the dolly over to the center of the ring.

"Let's have my lovely blonde on the right do the honors," Kinks called out.

Sunshine hesitated for the briefest of moments, but then, with a determined set to her shoulders, she stepped out of her spot and moved to where Kinks stood beside the wheel. I could see the nerves in her posture, but she kept her head high, her mask hiding any signs of the fear she might have been feeling. Kinks leaned in, her voice carrying as she explained how the Wheel of Misfortune worked for those unfamiliar with the twisted game. "Each stop on this wheel represents a unique form of death or torment, each one themed to match our beloved Cirque. Think of it as a circus act, but with a bit more… finality."

The crowd murmured, some of them likely already familiar with the horrors that awaited. Kinks turned back to the audience, her voice rising with excitement. "On the count of three, our lovely friend will spin the wheel, and we’ll see what fate has in store for our lucky contestant!"

The crowd began to count, voices blending into a singular, ominous chant. "One… two… three!"

Sunshine took a deep breath and spun the wheel with all her strength. The crowd went silent, the only sound being the ticking of the wheel as it spun round and round, each click bringing it closer to its final stop. The wheel slowed, the ticking growing louder as the crowd seemed to lean forward, eyes glued to the macabre game. Finally, it clicked into place, the pointer hovering over a section labeled The Human Marionette.

Kinks clapped her hands together, her grin wide and unsettling beneath her mask.

"Ah, The Human Marionette! A crowd favorite!"

Gasps of excitement rippled through the audience. "Oh, this will be a show to remember!" Another cheer went up from the crowd. She turned to Sunshine, placing a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of genuine comfort. "You did well, darling. Now, let’s see how our contestant handles this… delicate situation."

My eyes tracked every movement as Hael operated a handheld switchboard, a sense of ownership over this macabre scene clear in his posture. The rigging for the Human Marionette emerged from the ring with eerie grace, as if the very ring was bending to Hael's will. Steel arms and pulleys extended from the floor, gleaming in the low light, ready to transform the ring into a spectacle of horror. The sight of it all—the efficiency, the cold, calculated design—had my blood thrumming with dark satisfaction.

Juno pushed the dolly with the terrified woman strapped to it toward the center of the ring. The woman’s eyes were wide with terror, her sobs muffled by the gag in her mouth. Her arms and legs were bound tightly, leaving her utterly helpless. Kinks gestured to the four Mel, Hayven, Lana, and Sunshine. "Time to earn your keep, girls," she called out, her voice chipper. "You’ll be helping me with the setup."

They stepped forward, moving under her direction. Each was assigned a different part of the rigging, securing the ropes and preparing the hooks that went to the ends of them. Sunshine passed a sharp, glinting hook to Lana, who attached it without delay. Hayven adjusted the ropes, ensuring they were taut, while Mel locked in the base. Eryx and Rafe loosened the restraints on the dolly, but not enough for the woman to run away, removing her gag last after they positioned her where she needed to be for the rigging to work. Kinks took her place next to Hael at the control station, a twisted smile on her lips. The crowd's cheers grew louder as they realized what was about to happen. The masked acrobats descended from above, their bodies twisting and contorting on silks that appeared as if from nowhere, adding an eerie elegance to the scene.

“This is going to be a real treat,” Kinks announced.

Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics—slowed down, distorted, and remixed to give it an even more haunting quality began to play, the deep bass reverberating through the ring, the melody winding through the twisted atmosphere of the circus. The masked acrobats started their descent, intertwining with the silks, moving in sync with the rhythm, their bodies a testament to control and elegance.

They took control of the rigging ropes, the first tug landing with a hook through the woman’s shoulder. She screamed, her body jerking upward as the rope pulled taut, slightly lifting her into the air. Another yank and a second hook tore through her thigh. The crowd was in a frenzy, feeding off the pain that echoed around the ring.

The dance began in earnest as the acrobats manipulated the ropes. It took three times before the hooks were embedded enough to force the woman to twist and turn in the air, her limbs flailing in agony as each movement sent the hooks deeper or tearing through her flesh as she was wrapped in the ropes that held them. The acrobats mirrored a ballet, their silks flowing as they spun and twisted, their movements graceful and sinister.

The woman’s body arched backward as another pull brought her higher into the air, her screams drowned out by the growing fervor of the crowd. Kinks reveled in it, moving her hands with the precision of a maestro conducting a symphony of suffering.

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