“Amélie! Warm up, then aerial silks!”
My head rose, and I lifted my hand to acknowledge Vivienne’s call from across the ring. Rising to my feet, I pushed everything else from my mind, thinking only of the routine.
It was time to do what I did best. Fly high, and free.
3
Wren
My practice was over, but instead of leaving the big top to shower or to take advantage of our tiny selection of fairground rides before the crowds arrived, I’d stayed. I told myself it was because I wanted to see how the other members of the troupe were performing individually, but the truth was, I was there for one reason, and one reason only.
Amélie.
Amélie was different from the rest of us. Although we were all highly skilled in what we did, she was a star in the making, and Vivienne was training her up to be her eventual replacement—although that was a long time away.
I’d been watching her work on her aerial silks routine for the past hour. The way she moved was so mesmerising—all fluid grace and controlled power as she spun and twisted in the air. Vivienne called out an instruction, and she smiled in response, her head turning to the side, her blonde waves spilling across her back. She was so beautiful. The ornate black mask she was wearing covered her beautiful green eyes, but left her mouth exposed, and I watched her dusky pink lips curve into a semblance of a pout as she focused on whatever instructions Vivienne was giving her.
As she leaned back, her legs kicked up. They were encased in silky black sheer stockings that emphasised the gorgeous lines of her calves and thighs. My mouth was already dry from the sight in front of me, but seeing her like this was almost too much. Amélie was beautiful at any time, but in a simple leotard and stockings, her hair loose and her nipples pebbling in the winter air, the outline clear beneath the clinging fabric of her leotard, she was everything my secret fantasies were made of.
When she finally paused for a breather, I picked up my full water bottle and made my way over before I could talk myself out of it.
“Hi,” I said, cursing the breathlessness in my voice. “You’ve been up there for over an hour, so I-I thought you might need this.”
Our fingers brushed as she took the bottle from me, sending goosebumps erupting over my skin, and she gave me a soft smile that made my stomach flip. “Thanks. I was concentrating so hard, I didn’t even realise the time.”
“I could tell. You were amazing up there.” I bit my lip. “The way you move... It’s like you’re flying. It’s beautiful.”
I could feel my cheeks heat, but when I dared a glance at her… Was it my imagination or were her cheeks a little flushed as well?
“You’re beautiful too,” she said, and then her eyes widened. “I mean—on the trapeze.”
“Oh,” I murmured.
We stood there for a moment, so close together that I could feel the heat from her body, Amélie’s gorgeous green eyes staring into mine. My heart was racing. Was I imagining the way she was looking at me?
Vivienne called her name from across the ring, and the moment shattered.
“I should...” She gestured towards Vivienne.
“Oh. Yes. Better not keep her waiting.”
She took a step back and then she paused, lifting her hand to trace lightly over my wrist with her finger. “Wren? I’ll see you after the show tonight.”
Tonight.
I normally looked forward to our evening show, but today, I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
The show was over, and Amélie was nowhere to be seen. Doing my best to push aside the disappointment in my chest—because she’d only said, “I’ll see you after the show” and we had no concrete plans, I made my way towards the motorhome I shared with some of the other trapeze artists. There was a troupe of us, and we ate, slept, and breathed together. Maybe Amélie was there already, although I hadn’t seen her pass me.
“Wait.” An iron grip around my wrist stopped me in my tracks, and I spun around to see Teeth. The circus clown grinned at me, revealing rows of teeth filed into sharp points, and I couldn’t stop my instinctive shudder. His grin widened at the effect he had on me, and his grip tightened. “Little bird, where are you going?”
“Fuck off,” I hissed. “I’m not in the mood for your games.”
“Teeth.” A commanding voice sounded from my left, and we both turned towards the noise. Dima, the fire performer, was there, leaning against the side of his motorhome in a deceptively casual pose. One of the circus dogs lay at his feet, also deceptively docile. I knew these people well. I’d seen them…and their dogs in action, and I knew they were far from casual or docile. That was the cirque way. Not everyone could handle it, but somehow, I fit here. I’d embraced their ways when they’dtaken me in, quickly and effortlessly disposing of the revolting woman who had been my temporary guardian for a matter of weeks. I was grateful that I hadn’t been with her for any longer. There had been rumours…stories about some of the boys she’d been in charge of trying to escape from her, stories about what she’d done…and although I’d never been privy to her depths of depravity, I was beyond relieved when the circus members had Chosen her. She could never, ever hurt anyone again.
My actual guardian had made her look like a saint, though. But that was my secret, my burden to carry alone. Here, in the safety of the cirque, he’d never touch me again. And maybe one day, when I was stronger, I’d be able to share my story, and maybe, just maybe, justice would be served.
I’d been in the Cirque des Masques for twenty-two months now. Almost two years. It was, on the surface, a strange and twisted family. But Vivienne had acted as both a mentor and a counsellor, and with her care and guidance, along with the rest of the cirque, I’d begun to heal. I’d never had a family until I’d joined the cirque, and now I did, I would never let it go.
