Page 5 of Slay Me

He swears that he doesn’t recall anything happening, but Fiona is not one to get burned again. And honestly? Had Apollo not stepped in and broken up the fight, Fi would have caught the Djinn and cut his dick off. Of that, I’m damn near certain.

Jenny leans into Thomas, and he wraps an arm around her shoulders. “I am so exhausted,” she says softly. “Not that I don’t enjoy you chasing me around, but I am really looking forward to the day we can leave this place behind us.”

“Same,” he replies.

They’ve been adorably inseparable for the better part of eight years. Something they play into during their performance. And it works; the crowds absolutely eat them up. They get to work together and then spend their nights much in the same way, though I’m more than certain Jenny doesn’t make Thomas work too hard to catch her when behind closed doors.

Not that we hear anything, thanks to the wards that make our otherwise paper-thin walls soundproof. Honestly, as twisted as it is, I almost wish I could hear something. It’s been far too long since I’ve enjoyed—and been enjoyed—that way.

Shifting in my seat, I clear my throat. “What are you going to do?” I ask, wanting to forget the fact that I haven’t been touched by a man—in all the ways that count, at least—in nearly thirteen years.

“Find a house that’ll take us,” Jenny replies. “Then have kids. Lots of kids.”

“Three, tops,” Thomas replies.

She smacks him lightly on the chest. “Six.”

“Five,” he retorts.

She beams at him in a way that makes me feel like an intruder even though I’m the one who asked the question in the first place. “We’ll talk about it later,” she replies. “I think I can be rather persuasive.”

I smile absently, not offering the fact that I haven’t made any plans past an actual escape. Something I plan to do well before my time runs out. I’ve no doubt Ernesto knows the exact moment my contract will expire. And when it does, he’ll come for me, and there will be no Ringmaster to stand in his way.

Even though I’ve been here for over a decade, I’ve caught his henchmen in the crowd. They show up here and there, recognizable faces to remind me that I won’t be protected forever.

Honestly, it’s one of the main reasons I don’t argue with the Ringmaster when he requests private performances. Remaining in his good graces is what keeps me here. What keeps me alive. Until the day I can convince Apollo to escape with me.

Gaining his trust is key. As a gryffin, he’s one of the more powerful creatures here. And, given the nature of his kind, he’s highly protective of those he considers ‘his’. While I can’t bring myself to trade my body for protection, I’ve done all I can to cultivate a friendship that demands loyalty. Even when there’s something about him that has never quite sat right with me.

“Who’s up for drinks tonight?” Apollo asks. “Figured we could hit up The Salty Siren. Get some drinks, move our bodies a bit.”

No one bothers looking at me because they already know my answer. There’s no way in hell I will leave this circus. Even if I could blow off my late-night performance, doing so would put me in danger of being caught outside the security of this place. For whatever reason, Ernesto respects the Ringmaster enough not to challenge him. And I’m sure as hell not going to do anything that will land me back in stone.

Never again. “You guys have fun.” I smile and stand. Apollo’s hand wraps around my wrist, and I stare down at it for a moment before turning my attention to him.

“You don’t have to do this,” he says. “Come with us tonight. I’ll keep you safe, Liv. You know that.”

“I have a job to do,” I say softly. “But I appreciate the invitation.”

“Liv, come on. Confront him. Tell him you want to stop these outrageous solo acts. You work hard enough as it is. You’re the only one here expected to performafterthe main performance.”

I swallow hard, hating the way his hand feels wrapped around my wrist. “Please let me go. We all have our parts to play, Apollo, and this is one of mine.”

He holds onto me a moment longer then releases my wrist. “Let me know if you change your mind. I’m always here for you.”

I know better than to trust him. After all, misplaced loyalty is what landed me here in the first place, but I force a soft smile anyway. Have to keep up pretenses if I ever hope to convince him I’m worth risking his life over. “I appreciate that, Apollo. But I promise I’m fine.”

“Yeah, he’s not going to hurt her. The master wouldn’t want to injure his favorite pet.”

I glare at Valentina. “Jealous much?”

“Of you?” The pixie snorts, her blonde hair swinging as she shakes her head. “Hardly. Difficult to be jealous of someone so ordinary.”

Her words sting. But there’s no way in hell I’ll let her see it. “The Ringmaster doesn’t seem to think I’m ordinary, now, does he?” I turn away quickly and move toward the door, doing all I can not to let her words sink in. Unfortunately, they ring all too real for me. Being practically powerless in a world full of powerful creatures is a massive hit to the ego. Especially when my parents were something of legends back in our home world.

A harpy and a fae who were more than a little disappointed when they discovered their only daughter’s abilities didn’t exceed conjuring a small breeze. When my grandmother died, they left me to follow her into the afterlife by abandoning me in No Man’s Land as a teenager. They’d basically signed my death warrant that day, leaving me to the wolves without so much as a glance back.

My memory drifts to the necklace tucked safely beneath my mattress. It’s all I have left of my grandmother, a token that she made when we first came to this world. She’d died mere days after giving it to me. It was the only personal belonging I had with me aside from the clothes on my back, and it was the only thing I managed to take with me when I escaped Ernesto.

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