I headed across the lot, trying not to look suspicious. Thankfully, it was super late—or early, rather—and only a couple of people were out and about. If I was going to make a move, there wouldn’t be a more perfect time. At least, that’s what I told myself as I hurried toward the circus trucks.
After peering over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, I tried to lift the back hatch on one of the smaller cargo trailers. It didn’t budge. I pulled and shoved to no avail, and that’s when I saw the lock. It wasn’t moving without a key.
The next truck I tried was the same, locked up to protect its precious cargo.
“Damn,” I hissed, wringing my hands together.
I groaned and spun around on the spot, wracking my brain for other options. My eyes bounced between all the trucks while I tried to come up with a plan.
Parked on the next row over, there was a flatbed loaded with tarp-covered equipment.
My gaze caught on it.
There was a gap between the tarp and the bed of the truck, probably just big enough for me to squeeze through. Anyone could peek under the flap and see me snoozing there, but it was my best option. The alternative was napping in the shrubs that ran along the edge of the lot.
Hard pass.
After checking to make sure no one was watching, I half-sprinted over and paused by one of the truck’s massive tires. Iwas barely taller than the flatbed, an inch or two at most, and the tire was over half my height. With a grunt, I heaved my backpack up over the edge, and it landed with athudon the metal surface.
I froze and held my breath.
If anyone heard me, at least they hadn’t come running. That was a plus.
Stepping back to map the best way onto the bed of the truck, something lying on the ground beneath it caught my eye. It was a flyer, which I normally would have ignored, but the logo on the top matched the Knotty Sideshow one on the trailers. It was cast in shadows, but I could still make out three figures in the middle of the page.
Curious, I squatted to pick it up and was surprised to find Revel’s face staring back at me on the left. His long braids framed him, and his piercing eyes seemed to leap off the page, even in the red and yellow hues of the flyer. He was dressed in leather, his motorcycle helmet clutched under one arm. Beneath him, his name was plastered in wide letters.
On paper, he didn’t look like a total asshole, but he was striking. There was no denying that.
My eyes slid to the right, to the man in the middle. He was every bit as eye-catching. Dark hair, bold eyes, with a black mask that covered the bottom half of his face. He wore a top hat and a suit jacket, four playing cards spread out in one of his hands. All aces. Something about him put me on edge, a sharpness to the mysterious aura he possessed.
The name beneath him was Night.
A chill rolled through me when my gaze shifted to the man on the far right. He had blinding white hair, even on the flyer, and golden eyes, which I assumed were different in real life. He wore a multi-colored jester hat and a whimsical clown suit with lots of patterns, but there was nothing happy or playful about his expression.
Sinister.It was the best word to describe the look in his eyes, and that was before I noticed the throwing knife in one of his hands. He was twirling it between his fingers like a toy.
My eyes made it down to the name listed under him: Zero.
I shivered.
A clang nearby made me jump, and my heart shot into my throat. I laid the flyer on the edge of the flatbed and scrambled up, banging my knee against the metal and swallowing down a cry. Fuck, that hurt.
The rough metal of the flatbed snagged on my clothes, pulling at my leggings. It caught on my hood, but I quickly scrambled beneath the tarp out of sight.
Snatching my bag and the flyer behind me, I looked around to assess my situation. Whatever the tarp was protecting from the elements was large and metal, with lots of beams and wires. I had no idea what it could be, but there was plenty of room between two wide metal poles for me to settle. I nearly vibrated with excitement as I dropped my bag and curled up as comfortably as I could.
Folding the flyer, I tucked it into the front pocket of my backpack, heat prickling across my cheeks. It felt a little creepy to keep it, especially considering how much of a jerk Revel had been, but I didn’t want to toss it away either. If I survived this and found somewhere safe, it would be a cute little memento from this whole encounter.
After that, I settled and grew still. When my eyes closed, I exhaled with relief.
The location wasn’t great, and the situation was far from perfect, but something told me this would be the best nap I’d had in a long time.
I’d only planned to sleep a couple of hours, just enough to take the edge off my exhaustion and give me the energy to keep going. However, I forgot I didn’t have my phone. No phone meant no alarm. Instead, I woke to the sound of the flatbed truck cranking, the loud rumble of its engine cutting through my dream.
I gasped, bolting upright and trying to get my bearings. It was daytime, bright sunlight creeping in through the gaps beneath the tarp edge. Incoherent voices chattered nearby, and I strained to make out their words. Before I could decipher if they belonged to Daze or Revel, the truck lurched forward, and it started moving.
“Shit, shit, shit!” I scrambled to my feet and grabbed my bag.
