Page 39 of Circus From Hell

I roll my eyes. Why is he asking me questions when he’s closing in on my voice box? I tap the back of his hand with my pointed nail, and he pulls away like I burnt his skin.

“Kreo wouldn’t be happy to find out you left it unlocked.”

“He’d be angry to know you went in regardless. You know you’re not supposed to.”

I shrug. “But out of usss two, who do you think he’ll punisssh more?” He scowls because he knows the answer isn’t me. “You’ll let me see my boysss whenever I want,” I demand.

“Why would I do that?”

“Becaussse, if you don’t, I’ll tell Kreo when he’s back about you being too drunk to lock the door.”

“Cunt,” he mutters. “Why haven’t you eaten your human boys yet?”

“None of your business. So, isss it agreed?

I can tell he really doesn’t want to. For whatever reason, Spiral cares who I go to see and what I do in my free time.

“Fine,” he grits out, before storming off towards the show tent.

We have a show tonight, so the clowns will be practicing in the tent for the next few hours. Which means Spiral will be out of my way.

I flick my eyes towards the trailer door. I’ve been curious about Soren since I last saw him. He’s different. Like me.

The distant feeling of being watched creeps up my spine. I spin on my heel and spot Dolly peeking around the back of the trailer, her icy blue eyes boring into mine.

Dolly doesn’t speak.

I’ve watched her before. She’s the only clown who doesn’t belittle me or talk about me when they think I can’t hear them—maybe it’s because she can’t talk, but she also doesn’t glare at me or bully me. She keeps to herself.

I know she’s close with Spiral. He took her under his wing when she first arrived, and they share a similar visual aesthetic. Her skirt, propped up by a puffy petticoat, and her corset are black and white. Her left elbow-length glove and thigh-high sock are a chequered pattern; the right side are stripy.

Dolly looks permanently flat-faced. She never takes off her gloves, and I think it’s because she has a condition, but I can’t remember what it’s called. I overheard Kreo muttering to himself about it.

Her black hair reaches her shoulders in pigtails, pinned up with two white bows. Her white-painted face contrasts with the black makeup around her eyes and across her lips.

Most of the people in the circus had bad lives before Kreo adopted them. Kreo told me Dolly was broken when she arrived, and that’s why she doesn’t speak. But he also said he likes her because she’s the best with the children in the audience. Spiral hates them and enjoys scaring them, but Dolly prefers them to adults, so she keeps them entertained.

I have nothing to say to her, and she likely doesn’t have anything to say to me. So why is she still staring?

Without another word, she turns and walks to the show tent.

She can be strange.

My mind is taken back to the trailer. I know I want to quench this curiosity, but Spiral has locked it now. How will I get back in to see Soren if it’s locked? Do I even want to?

“Ssssnake?” I whisper, looking in the dewy grass to see if I can spot him sneaking around. He usually doesn’t stray far.

A ball of slick, black fur skitters across the floor, finding my bare foot and climbing up my body to my shoulder. He nuzzles into the side of my neck like always.

“I need you to find out the numbersss for the lock. Can you do that?” He nods his head eagerly. “Good boy.”

As we make our way back to the tent, the smell of something distant yet familiar hits me like a pang.

Not fear.

Arousal. Since meeting Arlo and Micha, I recognise it clearly now.

I follow it to the show tent and peek my head inside.