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Late that night, the circus finally fell quiet after a busy day. People headed home, chatting about what they had seen, while the staff dragged black cloths over the animal cages one by one.
When three long knocks and one short knock sounded outside—the all-clear signal—Drake finally relaxed and shifted back. He did not stand up right away. Instead, he stayed behind the artificial hill, carefully steadying his breathing.
Years of fighting had taught him never to let down his guard. They were still in enemy territory, so he had to be even more careful than usual.
Besides...
Staying transformed all day was exhausting!
Drake could not compare with Jones or Loa, and even Vice Admiral Dalmatian far surpassed him at transforming. He had kept his eyes closed and rested for most of the day to conserve energy, but holding that form still took a lot out of him.
As he worked to catch his breath, an eerie voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"You'll pay with your life..."
Holy shit!
Drake flipped backward and stared at the spot where he had been. Then...
"Is scaring me that much fun? Get lost!"
"Hahahaha! That was hilarious!"
Perona ignored Drake's fanged snarl and rolled on the ground laughing. She reminded him of the mother and child he had seen during the day.
Drake watched her with a look of utter exasperation. Still, her presence meant there was no danger outside, and he finally relaxed. With a snort, he left Perona on the ground, walked to the iron bars, and calmly pulled a key from a crack between the stones.
Click!
The iron gate opened. Stark naked, Drake stepped out, picked up his clothes from beside the entrance, and put them on.
"Hey,