The calls of numerous men and women standingbehind the game booths followed us as we made our way down the mainthoroughfare of the carnival. The further we went, the more thesweet scents of sugary treats and the aromas of cooking meat filledthe air. My stomach rumbled in response, but I didnotwantto know what they were cooking here.
“Where do we go?” I inquired when the boothsfaded away to be replaced with rides, none of which I was willingto climb onto.
All of the skeletal rides looked as if abreeze might knock them over, never mind be able to hold ourweight. I was pretty sure the one with black carts at the ends ofit were actually attached to some kind of tentacle. As I stared atit, the arms rolled open to reveal the suction cups lining thetentacles and all the carts swung down before rising into the aironce more.
“I think we keep going,” Hawk replied.
My eyes went everywhere as I followed himthrough the maze-like pathways of the carnival. I kept waiting forsomething to pop out and attack us, but nothing stirred. We weremaking our way back toward the main thoroughfare when we turnedonto a road with a large tent in the center of it. Pictures ofdemons and people hung on the walls of the red and yellow tent,bringing to mind the barker’s words.
“You’ll see the bearded woman, thetwo-ton gallapos demon, and the fifteen-foot salavandor demon.”I didn’t have to see them; looking at their pictures outside of thetent was enough to make me realize I’d have nightmares for yearsabout the things gathered within this tent.
“Come see the attractions!” My eyes slid tothe man standing outside the tent. It was the same waxy-looking guywho had been at the entrance to the carnival.
“No thanks,” I said and took a stepback.
The man leaned across his stand, his elbowresting on it as he surveyed us. “You cannot avoid them forever.Things won’t change if you continue the same pattern. That’sinsanity to believe so.”
“River—”
“We have to go in,” I said before Hawk couldfinish his statement.
“Of course you do!” the barker cried as hethrew his hands into the air. “There’s nothing more interestingthan the freak show!”
“I can think of a million things moreinteresting,” Hawk retorted.
The barker simply smiled at him, revealing amouthful of piranha teeth.Delightful.
“Let’s go,” I muttered and nudged Hawk inthe side.
The man gave an elegant bow and gestured forus to step inside. A sly smile spread across his lips when he roseonce more. Before I could stop him, he reached out to brush my hairback from my neck, revealing Kobal’s marks there. I slapped hishand away, and my hands balled at my sides as I resisted punchinghim.
“How is it that a human is the Chosen of therightful king of Hell, and you have managed to survive this deepinto Hell?” he inquired.
“If you know who my Chosen is, then maybeyou should rethink your course of action right now,” I replied.
His eyes shone with amusement as he steppedback. “Oh no, dear human. I’ll know your secrets first. I’mthinking there’s more to you than meets the eye.” He glanced atHawk. “And he most certainly isn’t human. Not anymore.”
Hawk’s mouth fell open; he took an abruptstep toward the man. I rested my hand on his chest to keep himback. We both knew he wasn’t the same anymore, but neither of ushad any idea of what we were dealing with here and with this guy. Idoubted much of what came out of this man’s mouth was actually thetruth.
I was half-tempted to burn his nuts off, butthat would give away the secrets he was looking for, and I couldn’tdo that. Unless it was absolutely necessary, there was no way Iwould reveal anything about me to this freak.
“Go on now,” he encouraged and pulled backthe flap of the tent for us to enter. “Some things can never beunseen, and others are often life-altering.”
Wiping my sweaty palms on my pants, I thrustmy shoulders back as I prepared myself for what was inside. Iignored the sweat trickling down my neck and the raw thirst burningmy throat as I stepped inside the tent. My nose wrinkled at thepotent aroma inside the place. It smelled like a hamster cage thathadn’t been cleaned in a year, of urine and waste and somethingmusty, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
The barker leaned toward me as he spoke in alow voice. “A note of warning, it’s the salavandor’s matingtime.”
My mouth pursed and my eyes narrowed on himas I rethought my whole not revealing what I could do to himstance. Hawk grabbed my arm and dragged me into the tent. Thebarker’s laughter followed us as the entrance flap settled intoplace with a rustle that reminded me of my first days with Kobal,when I had shared his tent with him. Longing speared through mychest for him.
“Try not to look,” Hawk said.
He led me through the aisles crammed withshelves full of stuff floating in jars, stuff that had obviouslyonce belonged to something else, orwasactually somethingelse. I shuddered when my eyes fell on a small, fluffy creatureresembling a chinchilla floating in the hideous yellow liquid thatfilled all the jars. The thing probably ate eyeballs or somethingwhen it was alive, but dead and floating it was really cute.
“Don’t get lured in by the fluffy monsters,”I murmured to myself and tore my gaze away from the creature.
“I’m really not entirely human anymore, amI?” Hawk asked.
I glanced at him out of the corner of myeyes. “No, I don’t think you are.”
