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Prologue

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD VIKTORIJA LUKAS RACED between the circus tents, her throat and lungs burning as she gasped for breath Though it ell past two in the , and laughing raucously around blazing fire pits, celebrating their last night in a prosperous town

The closer Vika drew to her destination, the more the scent of animal permeated her every inhalation It was a scent she’d come to adore A scent her father wanted to forever take away from her

He planned to sell her babies—in pieces

Righty, the gorilla with a penchant for stealing necklaces and bracelets Angie, the horse too shy to look anyone but Vika in the eye Gabbie, the prancing camel Gus, the zebra who often hid behind objects too sht peeing in all kinds of inappropriate places Barney, the food-poaching llama, as, needless to say, obese Sa several patches of feathers Mini, the sweetly sensitive elephant who cried at the slightest raise in Vika’s voice Zoey, the sugar-addicted bear

And then there was One Day, the brave lion Vika loved above all others

“Those ruh reason to kill the to save them, and so the litany had continued “They take up too er cause people to gape with awe and wonder They fill people with pity and disgust”

Her father hadn’t cared that each animal was beautiful to Vika, faults and all He hadn’t cared that One Day and the others were her only friends, the only solace she’d found since her mother’s death and the loss of her childhood playo Jecis Lukas owned Cirque de Monstres, and he cared only about profit

And profit now deerie—one that would showcase people Otherworlders, to be exact, males and females from different planets, whose fao to enjoy protected, peaceful lives

Sadly, there had been nothing protected or peaceful about their earthly “welco this planet And even though a truce had been reached eventually, allowing otherworlders to live alongside humans, the innue colors, so Humans would pay to view and scoff at them, especially in the dark, seedy recesses of a place like this

“Anything goes if the price is right,” Jecis liked to say

What had happened to the man he used to be? The one who had carried her on his shoulders and tickled her feet? Wait She already knew the answer Greed had killed him

Killed—like her babies would be if she failed to free them

By the ties, her blood flohite-hot in her veins A fine sheen of perspiration glossed over her skin, and tres

So happy to see her, each of the ani

“Shhh Be quiet, s” She reached out to unlock One Day’s door but dropped the ring of keys Frantically she patted at the dirt As dark as the ht as there was in the area, she couldn’t see—there!

Thank the Lord! She straightened and carefully inserted the key Click

“Vika!” Her father’s shout cut through the distance

No! No, no, no He’d noticed her absence

One Day roared in protest, firing up the rest of the anied from joyous to frenzied

“Pleeease, be quiet,” she whispered fiercely