“What’s going on?” I breathe, my feet now rooted to the ground.
Jack’s hand wraps around my arm, and I flinch in alarm. “It’s okay, Jules. Come on in.”
He leads me around to the main entrance, and I stop again when I realize the tent is dark. There’s only the music. I don’t even notice when Jack’s hand disappears from my arm. When I look for him next to me, he’s gone.
“Hello?” I call out over the chanting. “This isn’t funny, guys…”
Suddenly, the spotlight turns on. I blink at the sudden brightness, my eyes watering. When my vision focuses, I see Elias standing in the ring, dressed in his ringmaster suit, complete with the top hat, mask, and cane. He’s standing next to a trapeze swing, his arms crossed at his chest.
“Welcome, Little Sapphire,” he calls out. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
We?
I look around to see the vague outlines of dozens of people in the stands, all of them turned my way.
Holy hell. The entire Seven Sins crew is here, in on… whatever this is.
“Position,” Elias calls out, drawing my attention to him again. He’s gesturing at the trapeze swing.
“Wh—what is going on?” I ask, my voice shaky. When he doesn’t reply, I move closer, hoping to find the answer in his eyes. But when I’m close enough to smell his citrusy cologne, I realize the mask is firmly in place, his face unreadable.
“Undress,” he commands, his voice loud and echoing over the music.
“Why?” I breathe. “What are you going to do to me?”
Elias tilts his head. “It’s time for a show, Jewel.”
I try to swallow, but it gets stuck in my throat.
“Is… Is this some kind of ritual?” I ask quietly, the question meant for him alone.
He throws his head back, laughing, before moving his lips to my ear.
“Baby, the only thing being sacrificed is your ability to walk tomorrow.”
His words send shivers down my spine. Is he going to fuck me in front of the entire crew? I should hate the thought, but there’s no denying the throbbing pulse in my clit.
“Our Jewel needs some assistance in getting undressed!” Elias calls to the audience, making my eyes bug out.
Before I can protest, Jack vaults over the railing, followed by Ben. I take a step back, bumping into Elias, who places his hands firmly on my shoulders, keeping me in place.
Jack pulls down my leggings and panties as Ben lifts the T-shirt over my head. They jog back to the stands, and I’m standing in front of everyone completely naked.
“Elias,” I protest uncertainly, my shaking hands coming up to cover my breasts and pussy. “I’m not sure…”
“Don’t lie to us, Little Sapphire,” is his reply, loud enough for the crowd to hear. He circles my body, then reaches out between my legs with one hand, batting mine away. “Look at how wet you are.”
I feel my face turn red. Embarrassed, I close my eyes, but a large part of me wishes he’d part my folds with those nimble fingers, play with my clit, make me come.
He grabs my shoulders again, this time walking me backward. “Sit on the bar.”
I let him push me down onto the trapeze, the ropes andlacquered wood biting into my naked thighs as I grab on for balance.
Elias takes a few steps back, enough to be able to see all of me. Enough so that everyone in the stands can see too. He taps the cane against the ground.
“Look at her,” he commands the audience, his tone no different from his nightly performances with townsfolk. He circles me, dragging the tip of the cane over my skin as he does, his boots kicking up sawdust.
The tent feels enormous from here. The music is all around us, loud enough to seep into my bones, quiet enough for our words to be heard by our observers in the shadows. I feel dozens of pairs of eyes on me, on my tits, on my pussy.
