Page 30 of Circus From Hell

I put them out of my mind and quickly walk to the trailers. Snake’s right—the padlock isn’t shut properly. Spiral would be in a lot of trouble if Kreo found out it hadn’t been closed. The only way to give solid proof of that is to know what’s inside.

More reasons and excuses.

But if I were to prove I’d been inside, then I’d have something to hang over Spiral’s head, like how he has Arlo and Micha to hang over mine.

That’s what I tell myself as if I’m not secretly curious.

I can feel Snake vibrating with anticipation as I take a step up and tentatively pull away the padlock, letting it fall to the grass with a thump. I expect to see Spiral stomping towards me any moment, but if he’s had too much to drink again, I should be safe.

I’m not used to disobeying, to feeling curiously for something that isn’t blood and death. It’s likely there isn’t anything interesting in here for me. Maybe Kreo wants to keep his contraptions safe.

“Shhh,” I hiss after Snake hisses first, the noise entering the dark space of the trailer. There’s a light switch, but that would be too obvious, so I use the limited sunlight filtering in through the door and the glow of my eyes to navigate my way as I creep inside.

There aren’t as many shelves with jars or boxes as there are in the other trailer. There’s a large wooden box behind the door, covered in metal chains that wrap around to a padlock at the front, and when I peer closer, I can see words carved into the top.

‘DO NOT OPEN — CHAOS’

Whatever’s inside is secure, and he doesn’t want anyone opening it to reveal its contents. Is this what he’s hiding?

A clang at the end of the trailer makes me straighten. It’s the same clang as the one I heard when I peeked through the hole.

Someone else might be in here with me.

Snake balances on my shoulder, and I lower onto all fours, keeping my eyes on the backend of the dark trailer. As I inch forward, I see the bottom of metal bars come into view. Another crawl closer, and I see the rest of a cage.

And then a face.

Striking. Beautiful. Large.

Bright blue eyes are glued on me for a moment before they move away from the bars, and then I can’t see them. Snake crawls up onto my head, perched and waiting.

“Who are you?” it asks suddenly, making Snake flinch.

I don’t answer, moving closer to the cage until I can wrap my hands around the bars, and that’s when I see it. All of it.

Sitting on the floor with its back pressed against the rear of the cage. Its heavily muscled arms lean atop its knees, and its head is tilted aside to watch me. Triple-pointed ears protrude out of dark blue hair that reaches its shirtless back, and I’m able to examine the shadowed ridges and planes of its chest. Fleshy slats line either side of its neck, and translucent scales shine across its waist, reflecting from the green of my eyes and leading a trail down to its waist.

It’s completely naked.

Large arms and legs have more of those scattered scales, and there’s webbing between its fingers and toes. When I zero in on the space between its legs, I can see something there, but it’s hidden behind legs crossed at the ankles.

And it is huge. I’ve never seen muscles so large.

They’re definitely a man.

His eyebrows are dark above bright blue eyes, with a broad nose, defined jaw, and thick lips. And he must be tall. Even sitting down, he has to arch.

Snake inches forward on my head, and the creature narrows his eyes.

“What is that?”

“Ssssnake.”

“It’s a rat.” I nod, and he doesn’t fight me anymore. “Who are you?”

I tilt my head, ignoring his words and listening to the beat of his heart. I can hear double.

“Two heartsss?”