Page 51 of Daemonium

But the dance was not yet over.

Kinks leaned forward, and the acrobats’ movements became sharper, overextending the ropes. The hooks dug deeper into flesh, tearing muscle from bone as the woman’s body contorted in ways it was never meant to. There was a sickening crack as bones snapped, her body twisting into an unnatural shape.

The acrobats spun faster, their silks swirling like blood-soaked ribbons as the music built to a crescendo. The woman’s final scream pierced the air, a chilling sound that echoed long after her voice had given out. And then, with one last violent tug, the ropes gave way.

Her body fell to the ground in a broken heap, some of the hooks ripping free and clattering against the floor. The acrobats descended gracefully, landing in perfect synchrony as the music faded to silence. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, their cheers and whistles a grotesque celebration of the beautiful show they’d just witnessed.

The sight of it all—the efficiency, the cold, calculated design—had my blood thrumming. But it wasn’t the rigging or the spectacle that truly held my attention. No, it was her—my Sunshine. There she was, front and center, wearing that white dress now streaked with splatters of red, like some twisted angel drenched in blood. She was perfection in chaos, and the sight of her sent a primal surge of desire coursing through me. My hands itched to pull her close, to run over every inch of her skin, to mark her as mine right there in front of everyone.

For now, I had to settle for watching, knowing she was performing for me, even if she didn’t realize it.

Kinks stepped forward, raising her arms to soak in the adulation, and then smiled at the girls, a twisted expression of approval. “You did well,” she said, her voice dripping with delight. “Now, let’s see if the next round can top that, shall we? But first, can I have my cleanup crew on the scene?” She called for her trusted clowns to clean up the mess. They swarmed the ring, their exaggerated movements turning the removal of blood and body parts into a parody.

The crowd loved it, their laughter and cheers filling the tent, but my eyes never left Sunshine. I was still thinking of how I could have her all to myself, away from this crowd.

Once the ring was cleared and the rigging retracted, Kinks turned her attention to the next part of the night.

“Melantha, darling, it's your turn to have some fun! Care to give the Wheel another spin?”

She stepped forward without hesitation, her movements deliberate as she approached the Wheel of Misfortune. The anticipation in the air was thick, and I couldn’t help but admire her courage. As she reached out to spin the wheel, my gaze drifted back to Sunshine. The way she stood there, so poised yet so exposed, was driving me insane. I wanted to cross the distance between us, wanted to touch her, taste her, claim her in a way that left no doubt she was mine.

“One… two… three!” Kinks’ voice rang out, and the crowd counted along as Mel spun the wheel. The clatter of the spinning segments echoed in the tent, but I barely registered it. I was too focused on the way Sunshine’s chest rose and fell with each breath, the curve of her hips, the slight tremble in her hands.

The wheel slowed, the segments clicking past each option, until it finally stopped. The wedge read: The Iron Maiden Waltz. The crowd’s cheers rose again, a fresh wave of excitement coursing through them. Kinks’ eyes lit up with delight as she turned to the crowd. “Oh, this will be divine! Prepare yourselves for a dance of death like no other!”

Hael was already moving, activating the mechanism that brought up the next setup. The Iron Maiden rose from the floor, its spiked doors ominously open, mounted on a rotating platform. This was no ordinary execution device—it was meant to perform, to turn the act of killing into a dark, seductive dance.

Eryx and Rafe moved with their usual precision, dragging the hunter—a man who had chosen the wrong side—toward the flawless machine.

His struggles were fierce, a desperate attempt to escape the inevitable, but they were futile. Eryx and Rafe had done this too many times before, their strength and skill rendering the hunter's resistance meaningless. With a final push, they forced him inside the spiked chamber, the sharp metal pressing ominously against his flesh.

Kinks’ voice echoed across the club, cutting through the murmurs and anticipation. “Now how about our Serpine beauty—would you do us the honors of sealing the door?”

A ripple went through the crowd at the mention of her surname. The name “Serpine” carried weight, and those who hadn’t yet realized they were in the presence of Pandora Serpines daughter, which meant the women with her were more than likely the only ones she’d ever been linked to.

The excitement in the air grew palpable, a mix of confusion and admiration fueling the whispers that spread like wildfire.

Lana didn’t flinch, not even at the murmurs or the sudden intensity of the gazes now fixed on her. She stepped forward with the same quiet confidence that had always defined her, moving toward the Iron Maiden. The crowd watched as she placed her hands on the heavy doors, her touch as steady as it was deliberate.

“Think Pandora witnessing her legacy is alive and well makes up for me stealing her daughter away?” Ciaran asked jokingly from beside me.

I glanced at him, then back at Lana. He was right; the crowd’s excitement had reached a fever pitch, the knowledge of who stood before them adding a new level of thrill to the proceedings.

But my focus was still on Sunshine, her presence a constant pull at the edges of my mind. Lana, now fully aware of the crowd’s eyes on her, gave the Iron Maiden’s doors a final push. The spikes pressed into the hunter’s flesh, drawing a choked gasp that carried from the mic planted within. The sound of the doors locking into place reverberated through the ring, a finality that sent a fresh wave of excitement through the audience.

The lights dimmed as the haunting melody of a waltz filled the air. The Iron Maiden began to rotate on its platform, the spikes inside retracting slightly only to extend again with each spin, slicing deeper into the hunter’s body. The device was more than just a method of execution—it was a macabre dance, a performance designed to entertain as much as it was to kill. The waltz continued, each note synchronized with the grinding of the Iron Maiden’s gears and the hunter’s increasingly faint screams.

Blood seeped from the cracks in the device, pooling beneath the rotating platform in a grotesque display that captivated the crowd. The Iron Maiden spun faster, the spikes doing their lethal work with precision until the hunter’s struggles finally ceased. The music faded, the Iron Maiden slowing to a stop.

The clowns rushed back into the ring and unlocked the doors, revealing the mutilated remains of the man inside. The lifeless body was quickly removed, organs pulled off the spikes and tossed into a bucket, the remnants of the hunter's final moments carried away like they were nothing more than trash. The audience erupted in applause, their cheers echoing through the tent, but my mind was elsewhere—already on what I needed to do next.

Kinks thanked her volunteers, her voice dripping with satisfaction, and dismissed them to enjoy the rest of their night. But I was already moving, not wasting a second. I kept close behind the others as they began to disperse.

Ciaran was the first to act, grabbing Lana and hoisting her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing, his hand firmly holding her skirt down as he carried her away into the crowd, ignoring her protests. There was a determined set to his jaw, and I knew that, like me, he had waited long enough.

Mel passed by next, and I caught a glimpse of Dion, Brody, and Maverick sweeping her away from the mass of bodies. Hayven trailed right behind her, trying to avoid Charon, who was hot on her heels.

And then, there was Sunshine. The moment our eyes met, there was no need for words. I took her hand in mine, the connection between us electric, and guided her out of the ring, positioning her in front of me so I could keep a protective eye on her from behind. I needed her close, needed to feel her against me, especially after what we’d just witnessed.

---