Page 49 of Protect Me

Chapter12

Bracken

The stands are packed tonight. Supernaturals from all over Portland—some even farther—have traveled to view the show. They fill the seats surrounding three sides of the Big Top. Men, women, and children who laugh and cheer with each new act designed to shock and entertain.

I fucking hate it.

The crowds remind me of the fighting ring I was forced into back in my old House.

They remind me of pain.

Blood.

Death.

I cross my arms and remain in the shadows on the outside of the outer ring. Watching, waiting. For anyone who is here to cause fucking problems. Duncan is on the opposite side of the Big Top with Killian lingering near the entrance. Before the show, I told them what Sway shared about her fiancé and the way he trapped her with lies and fake promises of protection. They both nearly lost it with bloodlust, and I can’t blame them. The more I hear about this piece of shit, the more I feel compelled to hunt his ass down and end him, but now it’s time to fucking focus.

On Duncan’s order, I scan the hands of the guests for the telltale ring of their houses. House of Earth and Emerald headquarters is far enough away from Portland that there aren’t many visitors wearing their symbol of protection, but I make special note of them, watching their every move as the show progresses. Normally, I feel like the three of us are plenty of protection, given what we’re capable of.

But with Sway here and about to be on display, I’ve never felt so inadequate.

Already, the crowd cheered along with Fiona as she threw daggers at her Djinn lover, Harriss. They gasped and laughed at Brad and Kleo’s rope-walking antics where the rope became a weapon in the end, and now they watch in complete silence as the spotlight remains empty while Sway climbs up the metal ladder toward the lyra waiting for her.

My heart hammers as soon as the music begins.

A low, torturous melody that seduces as it builds, it’s a song for love-making, a perfect rendition of how I feel for her. How my brothers feel. For days now, we’ve behaved like gentlemen, but the tension of being near her and not having her has built toward something I know we can all feel coming to a head.

If she doesn’t choose us soon, I don’t know how we’ll keep sane.

Seconds tick by until Sway comes into view. Suddenly, the spotlight sweeps up to center on her, and the crowd murmurs their oohs and ahhs. She sits on her lyra like it’s a swing, gripping the top of it with gloved hands meant for gripping. She wears a red bodysuit complete with gold embellishments and a small, black top hat that is secured to her dark hair with an obsidian ribbon. Her face is painted completely white, her lips a startling red.

Eyelids covered in golden glitter, she looks like a living doll. Something that was done on purpose to shield her from anyone in the audience who might be here searching for her. It’s why we didn’t advertise a new performer on the lineup.

No, from the outside in—it’s business as usual at No Man’s Circus.

The last few days have been quiet. No more visitors lurking or asking about her. But that’s only left me more on edge.

The lyra comes to a stop halfway between the ceiling and the ground. Then, the tempo increases, and Sway opens her eyes. She drops down, and my heart seizes. Her hands grip the bottom of the lyra, and she moves her legs slowly, dancing in thin air.

I’m captivated by the sight of her, ensnared by feelings I never thought I’d have.

“Fuck, she looks good,”Killian sends through our bond.

“She does,”Duncan agrees.

Meanwhile, I’m completely and utterly speechless. She’s broken, something you’d never know by watching her now. But I’ve seen the fissures in her heart—her soul. Cracks that I long to soothe.

“Fuck,”Killian growls, and my adrenaline surges.

I turn, scanning the crowd. “What is it?”

“More Crimson Hunters,”Duncan replies.“Third row, middle. I saw his tattoo, but there are three more beside him I’m fairly certain are here with him.”

It takes me mere seconds to see the fuckers. They are staring at Sway as though she’s the next thing on the menu. A low growl emits from me, and I clench my hands into fists.“We need to get them out of the audience.”

“We do that and they’ll know something is up.”

“Do you see the way they’re watching her?”Killian demands.“They already fucking know.”