Page 24 of Welcome to Carnage

I swallow hard and nod. “Of course.”

As Luna walks towards the spectator area, I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m being watched. I glance around the sparsely populated carnival grounds, the eerie glow of the lamps casting long, ominous shadows.

“Probably Nyx watching me,” I murmur, swallowing hard as I notice the clock enter the final minute until the chase begins.

My brow furrows as I move further away from the start, hoping to get a decent head start. If Nyx is following me, he can’t be at the starting point. I glance around again but still don’t see anyone.

“Calm down, Avina,” I breathe to myself, knowing I won’t even be able to run from shaking so much.

And then the gun goes off in the distance, followed by screams and cheers. I run, my heart pounding at an unmatchable speed. The sign for the House of Mirrors catches my attention, and I race for it, knowing that Nyx would like the irony of finding me there. Some of the fear eases as adrenaline replaces it instead.

As I make it into the House of Mirrors, I slow my steps down, making my way through it carefully. I hear footsteps to my left, and my stomach clenches. When I spin around to see who it is, it’s not Nyx.

The man behind me is shorter and thinner, wearing a clown mask. “Hello, Avina.”

I shudder and run, my heart fluttering erratically. Who the hell is that? And why are they stupid enough to approach me when a serial killer targets me?

As I sprint from the clown, I crash into someone else.

“Watch where you’re going, asshole!” I yell, trying to disentangle myself from him.

When the guy doesn’t budge, I look up in frustration and come face-to-face with Nyx in his mask. “Hello, little hellion.”

“You can’t hide from me, Avina. I will end those stupid fucking rumors about you and see what happens when I put my hands on you!” The other guy shouts.

His entire body tenses. There’s a shift in the air as Nyx growls softly. “You may know what I do, Avina, but you may not want to be here to witness it. Run, little hellion.” He pulls a knife from his jacket pocket and tries to walk away, but I stop him.

“What?” I swallow hard. “You can’t kill a guy in here. Seriously, Nyx. Have you thought about how we get out of this?”

He glances back at me. “Have you been planning our future, Avina?”

I heat as I realize it’s ridiculous. Planning a future with a serial killer is a disaster plan. And yet, I want Nyx with every part of who I am. “No,” I lie.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get caught.”

The man rushes around the corner and barrels straight into Nyx. He steps back and then raises his hands when he sees the knife. “Hey, man. I don’t want any trouble.” His voice is shaking, and I recognize it, but I can’t place it.

Nyx tilts his head but doesn’t say a word. Merely stalks toward him.

The guy turns and runs, sprinting, but Nyx is faster. He barely gets a few steps before he trips, and Nyx is on him.

I stand there, stunned, as Nyx proceeds to do what he promised. He plunges the knife over and over into the clown mask’s body. It’s horrific and mesmerizing, and I can’t look away. It’s over in seconds, and the man’s panicked cries are silenced permanently.

Nyx straightens up, wiping his knife on the man’s shirt before tucking it into the guy’s jacket. He turns and looks at me, and the mask makes it impossible to decipher his expression. “Well, Avina, you’ve witnessed what I’m capable of.” He states. “Are you scared?”

“No,” I answer too quickly. But it’s the truth. I’ve seen the raw, primal side of Nyx now, and it doesn’t scare me. It should, but it doesn’t.

This is what I’ve been craving. This feeling of adrenaline, the thrill of danger, has been missing from my life. And Nyx, he’s the embodiment of that danger. My body reacts to him like a moth drawn to a flame.

“Good,” Nyx replies, smirking wickedly. “Because this night is far from over.”

I shudder as

I know I’m in too deep. I can’t forget Nyx, even if I try. Because he’s not just a man, he’s an addiction. And I’m already hooked. No matter how psychotic that is.

NYX

Iwatch her, caught somewhere between horror and fascination. Not at what I’ve done, as I’ve done much worse, but at her. My girl. She’s standing there, taking in the scene, not a trace of fear in her eyes. She’s alluring, like a dark, twisted fantasy I never knew I had. I’d half expected her to run, to scream, but she didn’t. She stayed. She watched.

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