Cirque

14: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒅

There was death painted across Kylian's masked face, as clear as a graveyard. He sliced a small line across Oleander's flawless skin. A thin red mark across purest pottery. "Don't forget our deal. Wouldn't it be a shame if your death was as disappointing as your life?"

Oleander's face was unreadable. I wanted to say something, but I didn't want to make things worse so I contented myself with giving both men a very disapproving glare. Oleander spoke up, his normally hidden accent coming through in his crystal clear voice. "How could I forget?" Then he looked at me, and I felt like I wanted to hide since his eyes were filled with such utter hatred. "I absolutely hate that little obsession of yours, I'd rather die a second time than get between your touching romance."

"Perfect," Kylian purred.

I cleared my throat. "Can you maybe not talk like I'm not in the room? Last time I checked I wasn't interested in any of you clown boys."

Kylian twirled across the room, the knife discarded along with his threats, winding a loose strand of my hair around his finger. "We both know that isn't true, mon amour," he smiled, and I blushed despite my obvious annoyment. "The love between us is as inevitable as the rise and fall of the tide."

"Yeah, well," I stammered out, pulling my hair away from him. "That's not how things work in London." Kylian was bloodthirsty, controlling, and more than a little obsessed, and I knew that allowing myself to fall for him would be like willingly casting myself into the depths of madness, clowns and all. I couldn't, though, deny my attraction to him. He was the very definition of seduction.

Oleander rolled his eyes. "If you just summoned me to deliver that lovely threat, Le Meneur, may I leave? I have a show to prepare for."

That was a good excuse to make my quick exit out of this lair of desire at the heart of the carnival. I ran over to Oleander, much to his anger. "I'll have to leave as well," I smirked at Kylian. "Don't forget, I've got a curse to break and a crown to claim."

"Play your game, mon cherie," Kylian said, his smile more deadly than the sinister blade he had held before, and far more fatal. "In the end, you will run back to my arms. Oleander, watch over her. Don't let my little flower stray too far from her garden."

I burst out of the door, not waiting for Oleander's expected outburst of frustration. I headed down the end of one hallway, only to find another. It was like a maze with no exit, only walls upon walls of extravagant wallpaper or paneling, lined with portraits of clowns looking down on me with their white-painted faces like the oppressive lords of comedy.

By the time Oleander caught up with me, I was thoroughly frustrated. If someone told me that the exit to this mansion had decided to run away from me too, I was pretty sure I'd just scream. "Can you leave me alone?" I said, turning around to Oleander with a glare.

"And let you be trapped in these hallways forever? Gladly," he said with a smirk, "...if it was up to me."

"I'm not lost," I said angrily, turning around and stomping down the hallway. "I know exactly where I'm going."

We walked again in silence for an uncomfortably long time. I refused to look behind myself, but I could tell Oleander was still following behind me. "For someone claiming to be the circus queen," Oleander remarked, "you're hopeless. I would laugh if it wasn't so pathetic."

Suddenly enraged, I spun around, and stomped right over to where Oleander stood behind me. He blinked, obviously surprised. "Yeah, you're right," I nearly yelled, "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not a clown, and I'm certainly not a ghost. But I'm still going to break the stupid curse on this haunted circus."

"Break the curse? Who do you think you are?" Oleander said, more angered than before. A white-hot rage as rock-hard as obsidian emanated from him.

"Believe me," I raged, fully aware that we were now standing so close our bodies were almost touching each other. "I'm not gonna do it for you. I want to get out of this place, thank you very much. Unlike you, I actually have people waiting for me back home."