Neither of them did.
“Right, now get out.” I grabbed the doorknob and jerked the dressing room door open, leaving it gaping for them to take their leave. “I’d like a few moments of peace before I’m in the arena.”
Night shoved to his feet first, and my eyes jumped to him. He didn’t bother signing anything else but tipped his head as he walked past me and disappeared into the hall. No surprise there. He rarely bothered speaking to anyone, and I’d already gotten something out of him tonight.
Revel then got to his feet and walked to the middle of the room. His eyes were locked on me, and when I met his gaze, his expression was full of indecision.
“I don’t want to perform with her.” His voice was flat. “I don’t want to be anywhere near her.”
“You sound like an angry toddler.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s your fault she’s even here. If you want her gone, you’re gonna have to do something about it.”
He took several daring steps toward me, until less than a foot of space remained between us. His blue eyes were icy and sharp as they glared into mine. We were nearly the same size, almost the same exact height. Where I was a tiny bit taller, he was broader.
We were evenly matched, but fighting would solve nothing.
“This is not my fault,” he growled, then he shoved past me toward the door.
I watched him go without a word.Such a dickhead.
Whatever his issue with Arina was, it bothered him on a cellular level, and he was doing a shitty job of concealing it. It would probably end with a meltdown, a blow up, or with him leaving the circus for good, but that was a Revel problem.
I’d help him try to run her off, but beyond that, it wasn’t my problem.
Moving over to the vanity to look at my reflection in the mirror, I ran my fingers through my white hair to make it lay just right. I grinned, watching the red painted smile across my face widen.
What I wouldn’t give to be in the ring with Arina again tonight, but I was under orders from Hallow. Let her watch rehearsal, so she would be ready for our live performance the following day. I agreed that it was the right call, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it.
Arina.
I’d never met anyone so frustrating. It was like she knew what she was doing to me. Stubborn to the point of being infuriating, she hadn’t even flinched at my knife routine. I’d done my best to frighten her, to no avail.
Two dozen knives, some centimeters away from her flesh, and she hadn't screamed even once. How disappointing. It was like she’d known I wouldn’t hurt her, which wasn’t entirely true. I’d cut Syxx’s ear once or twice, and I’d nearly taken off one of Sevyn’s fingers. They were the last ones to give the knife throwing target a chance, and I couldn’t really blame them.
I got a little careless sometimes.
But this woman, this fucking beta... she’d hardly seemed afraid.
And maybe I had been extra cautious because I was trying to prove a point, to make her quit without actually hurting her. To prove that she couldn’t handle what the Knotty Sideshow had to offer.
I blinked, staring at my reflection without seeing.
I knew she was afraid. I could tell from the moment she laid eyes on me; I could smell it bleeding from her pores. But the way she resolved herself to prove a point…
It drove me insane.
It made me want to try harder.
It reminded me of myself, and I wasn’t sure I liked that.
I wanted to break her, to make her admit how terrified she was of me. And if I wanted her out of the circus, I would have to try a lot harder.
Patience had never been one of my best qualities, and it wouldn’t start now.
Maybe Revel was justified in his hatred of her. Maybe she’d already managed to push him to his breaking point without even getting in the ring with him.
Would he be able to hold it together if she stepped into his cage?
I pulled on my jester hat, getting it just right before I stormed out of the dressing room, my mind running rampant. Somehow, I knew that even with Night and Revel’s help, it would come down to me scaring Arina off. After all, it was what I did best. Terror was my calling card, and I’d honed my craft well. I wouldn’t be outdone by some brat who thought she knew better.
