I would be a disease, poisoning her until she broke down or crumbled.
I would be a nightmare she couldn’t escape.
I would be her ruin.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ARINA
“Are you sure I’m not supposed to be down there rehearsing?” I whispered. Bobbitt was leading me to a front-row seat in the stands that wrapped around the arena. “How can I perform tomorrow if I don’t practice?”
She’d recurled her blonde hair, and her ringlets bounced with every step. The performance space below was illuminated only by faint red and purple lights, while the seating area was lit well enough for us to see where we were going.
Thank God.
The last thing I wanted to do was fall down the stairs or trip over the banister and break a leg before I even had the chance to go on stage.
“Hallow wants ya to see the show,” she piped, stopping so suddenly I nearly ran her over. She pointed to the middle seat of the center section and gestured for me to sit. It had to be the best seat in the house. “Every new performer gets to watch it at least once. Besides, ya practiced with Zero earlier.”
My heart fluttered at the mention of my scent match, and thinking back to our adrenaline-fueled performance had it beating double time. I still wasn’t sure how I’d managed to stay so calm while being used as a live target, but I’d been determined to prove a point.
He couldn’t scare me.
And if he did, I wouldn’t show it.
Scent match or not, I wasn’t letting some alpha’s opinion sway me from what I wanted. And what I wanted was to join the circus.
“As long as you’re sure…” I muttered.
Figuring it was pointless to argue, I swallowed my nerves and sat. She sank into the seat next to me, flopping a pink messenger bag full of empty balloons onto her lap. I’d watched her pack it before we left the bus.
“And you’re not supposed to be down there either?” I cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “There ain’t much for me to do this weekend, so I told Hallow I’d watch with ya.”
I wasn’t sure if she was lying or not—maybe Hallow told her to babysit me—but I was thankful. At least I wasn’t alone.
“You’re gonna love it!” she squeaked, settling into her seat. “It’s the best show on Earth.”
From the little I’d seen, I had no doubt that the Knotty Sideshow was good, but ‘the best on Earth’ was probably a stretch. Hearing it still fueled my excitement, though, and I found it difficult to sit still as my eyes trailed down to the darkened arena floor. Props were visible in the faint, multi-colored lights, but it was still dark enough that most of the details were lost.
A suspenseful silence filled the air, growing thicker as the seconds ticked by. Any moment now, the performers wouldtake the stage. I worried my bottom lip between my teeth and searched for movement in the darkness.
Directly in front of us, in the center of the arena, was a carousel. It looked to be made entirely of mirrors, aside from the animal sculptures around the edge, and it wasn’t moving. Above it hung a giant net that I assumed was a precautionary measure for the aerialists.
Daze.
My heart thudded extra hard at the thought of seeing him soar through the arena, and I fought the smile working its way across my face. I was just excited for the performance, I reminded myself. The giddy feeling worming its way through me definitely had nothing to do with seeing him again.
Even if he has the most perfect abs and dazzling smile…
There were a few more props on either end of the arena, positioned just outside of the faint lights, so they blended in with the darkness. Everything was impossibly silent, any noise swallowed by the empty event hall.
After several minutes, I finally saw shadows shift along the edges of the performance area. Circus members were moving around the walls, waiting to take the stage.
Anticipation bubbled in my veins, and my foot bounced restlessly. I was anxious, ready to vibrate apart with excitement.
Then the music started.
