on the uptake.” Simon waved his hand dismissively. “It’s quite all right. I’ve moved past it.”
“I hate you so goddamn much, Simon.”
“Mmhm. You might also be bemoaning being the lone doll in my collection, since I destroyed all my previous projects.” He folded a hand behind his back and turned to the side so he could see both Ringmaster and her. “Here’s the answer to both your very pertinent questions. I needed a hostage, you see. Something very precious to him that he knew I could make suffer dearly for any betrayal on his part.” He gestured, calling someone over to him. “Come here, dear. Don’t be shy. These are your friends.”
Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning, she gasped. A doll walked out onto the stage. A beautiful blonde woman carved out of wood and carefully painted. And wearing a mismatched outfit of flashy socks, leg warmers, and other loud pieces of clothing.
“Amanda…?” Cora couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
The doll lifted her head, and painted, unseeing eyes pointed in her direction. “Do I know you?”
Ringmaster made a sound that was indescribable. Something that was such pure and utter grief that she wondered if he hadn’t died of a heart attack right where he stood. He turned away from the scene and put his head in his hands.
“This is Cora, my dear,” Simon introduced her to the puppet. “She’s going to be your new friend. Your new sister.”
“Oh, goodie! Thank you, Father! I’m so very lonely. I feel like I should have something here.” The doll put a wooden hand over her heart. “But it’s empty instead. Like I’m missing someone. But I don’t know who.”
Turk wailed and half-fell, half-sat on a bench.
Simon laughed. A cruel, vicious, victorious sound. He was beaming in pride, and the expression on his face could only be described as deranged. “Oh, this is just beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Where’s Jack, you sick freak? You—” Cora yanked on the strings, but they cinched tighter around her, cutting off her air and her words.
“Jack is alive. Or maybe he’s not.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Jack is getting a taste of his own medicine. I hanged him in the tower by his ankles. I had to gag him, however. With only a piece of plywood covering the doors, he was bound to be heard. I really would hate for some hapless person to go in after him, hearing his whimpering and pathetic screams.” Simon smirked. “Eye for an eye, and all that. I thought it was only fair.”
The strings around her throat loosened just before she began to black out, and she coughed, wheezing for air. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks. “Then do it already. Get it over with. Do what you’ve wanted to do since the moment you saw me.”
He watched her silently for a long moment before he smiled. “As you wish. I suppose my revenge and humiliation of Ringmaster and his cronies has gone on long enough.” He stepped toward her and leaned in close once more. “Kiss me one last time before I ‘do what I’ve wanted since the moment I saw you.’” When she growled at him, he grinned. “Please? You love me, don’t you?”
God help her.
She did.
She hated him. She wanted to rip his face off. But she did, in fact, still love him.
I’m a monster just like they said.
She didn’t fight as he kissed her. This time it was tender and warm. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she wasn’t tied to a chair, about to be turned into a mannequin. She could pretend Amanda wasn’t a doll, and Ringmaster wasn’t weeping in grief over what he’d done.
She could pretend it was just her and Simon.
He broke the kiss slowly and moved his lips to her ear and whispered, “What I’ve wanted to do since the moment I saw you, cupcake…is this.” The strings around her loosened and were gone. “It’s been to tell you…that I love you.”
He pulled away from her, just enough that she could turn to look at him in shock. He gently wiped her tears away. “Now…be a dear, and sit there like nothing has changed for just a second longer, will you? I’ve planned this all very carefully, and I’ll be mightily annoyed if I don’t get to play out my lines just as I’ve written them.” He hummed. “Kindly pretend I’ve just said something terrible.”
How dare he! This is all just a game? She clenched