Page 31 of Slay Me

Apollo’s gryffin flies in circles until he lands in the center of the ring. Valentina flutters in front of me, blocking me from the crowd’s view, but I can’t be bothered to care. Because my gaze is trained firmly on one person.

And he’s standing in the center, staring up at me.

As soon as I’m close enough to the ground, I leap off and land on the gryffin’s back. He drops his head, and I jump off, taking my place between him and the Ringmaster.

“We hope you have enjoyed your time here,” the Ringmaster announces, holding out both hands. “And that you choose to return. Until next time.” He winks, and the entire tent goes black.

As we have done thousands of times, we rush out of the center of the room before Uma brings the lights back on. The crowd cheers loudly, and the performers all scatter. Valentina disappears without a mocking word, something unusual for her.

“Dinner?” Apollo questions.

I swallow hard. “Actually, I think I’m going to head up to my room. I might join you in a bit, but I want to change.”

He smiles. “I’ll save you a spot. Great show tonight.”

I don’t respond, just offer a wave and jog toward the exit. My entire body is still on edge, begging for release. Moving as quickly as I can without appearing suspicious, I head for the stairs.

Once inside my apartment, I strip out of my costume and climb into the shower, not bothering to wait until it warms. The cold stings my skin, seeping into my bones, but it does nothing to douse the fire in me.

The Ringmaster is a dragon shifter.

A dragon shifter I desperately want to go to bed with.

Since that is not particularly helpful to my end goal, I focus only on the facts that might lead me into trouble. For example, Dragons are notoriously protective, more so than gryffins.

And, since he can fly—that makes my mode of escape far more problematic than I would have otherwise considered because, even though I doubt he’d want anyone to see him, he’s not a man accustomed to having his property run away and not be caught.

Which is precisely what I am to him: property.

Chapter10

Liv

“Liv!” Jenny greets me with a wide smile as soon as I step into the common room we’ve turned into a dining hall.

I offer her a smile in return then make my way toward the breakfast line. Tray in hand, I step up to the bowls of fruit, loading up on those and a protein bar before heading over to her table. To my absolute delight, Valentina sits at a different table, cozying up to a man I’ve never seen before.

Dark hair, dark eyes, though his skin is incredibly pale. It’s not unlikely for the Ringmaster to bring in new performers, though, so I pay him little to no mind as I slide onto the chair beside Fiona.

“We missed you at dinner last night,” Ghrunt growls.

I offer the bakru a soft smile. He’s a foot taller than I am, his skin thick and hard as tree bark. With a dark gaze that misses nothing, he keeps watch around the room. He’s bald, the top of his head the same soft brown color as the rest of his body. “I missed you guys, too. I was exhausted though.” Can’t exactly tell them I spent the entire night masturbating to fantasies of the Ringmaster touching me. That would absolutely not go over well.

“I wasn’t aware you even liked any of us, Ghrunt.” Fiona bats her eyes.

“I like Liv just fine. And Jenny. The rest of you are assholes.”

Jenny beams at him. “Glad to hear that, Ghrunt, because I adore you, too.”

His cheeks deepen, and Thomas chuckles. “Jenny is pretty damn likable.”

A tray is slammed to the table beside me. “Yes, yes, we get it. You two are in love.” Silva plops down. His pale skin is accentuated by the deep mahogany of his vest and matching pants. A Basilisk shifter, he’s fairly rare even for a hybrid. And, the man’s saliva is one of the most toxic poisons on the planet. Outdone only by his horrible personality.

“Love, love, sweet love,” Jenny coos as she leans into Thomas.

“What’s on the docket for today?” I question as I pop a grape into my mouth.

“We’re working on a new routine,” Jenny offers. “Then we’re supposed to all be in the Big Top this afternoon to be introduced to our newbie.” She jabs a thumb at the man.

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