Page 53 of Rattle the Cage

I knew under her mask that a smirk had taken over her face.

In their panic, the men ran for the exit, piling on top of each other and spilling out onto the cobblestone.

Scrambling, they ran right toward us.

I counted ten.

But my blood was pulsing in my ears. I could hardly see.

Nash pulled Trixie up from the ground, holding the grip in one hand and resting the handle in the other. Her eyes darted around the park, cataloging where each man ran.

Next to me, Blade’s cackle made me jump. “I’m fucking hungry!” She turned her head to follow one of the runners.

Cyrus kicked the last man out of the truck, pressing her boot into his back and tossing him to the ground. “Run.”

Scrambling up, the man skittered off into the park as Cyrus leapt off the truck. Her boots slammed into the stones as she jogged toward us.

My heart was racing.

Each of them turned toward Feverpoint, their shoulders heaved with weighted breaths.

Blade gritted her teeth. “Tonight, we hunt together, Trinket.”

All I could do was nod, shocked by the excitement in all of their bodies. I hadn’t seen this much violence and bloodlust in them ever.

Well, once.

That night at Valemont’s town center, when I was swarmed.

They would have executed everyone in that crowd to get me out safely.

But this was something more feral. Something that couldn’t be caged.

Taking off, Blade zipped ahead. The rest of us ran to keep up with her.

There was no drawing cards tonight, no ceremony.

Just chaos.

They were ready for blood and they were going to take it one way or another.

As we took off down the main path leading into Feverpoint’s stretched out acres, Blade, Nash, and Cyrus began their taunting. Hooting and hollering into the dark, they dared the men to put up a fight.

My throat tightened at the familiar sound of their bellowing. I remembered what it felt like to be on the receiving end of their calls. I’d hidden in the shadows of this amusement park, begging to stay hidden long enough to outlast the Feverpoint Freaks.

I’d only done it twice. Once by the skin of my teeth. And the other by playing with the rules.

But their roars made my body pulse with excitement. I also knew what happened when they caught me, the way they would fuck me until they were sated. Even if it took hours.

My anticipation was interrupted by Blade peeling off the path and into the darkness as we approached Prize Alley. She disappeared into the merch storefront.

As Nash, Cyrus, and I kept moving forward, a harrowing scream came from the shop. Cut short, the voice went quiet and then a sickly laugh followed.

One down.

Pounding footsteps approached from behind as Blade rejoined us.

My eyes widened. My blood went cold.