Cryptid Keeper by Fisher Lija

Author:Fisher, Lija [Fisher, Lija]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

* * *

He woke to the smell of the cigar that was sticking out of Douglas’s mouth as the man lounged in a velvet-upholstered chair.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Douglas said.

Clivo struggled to sit up, which was hard to do considering that Douglas had tied his hands behind his back and his feet together. Looking around, he found he was locked in one of the empty cages alongside the cryptids.

Jerry ran to the front of his cage. “Wren, you okay?”

“I’m fine, Coops. The demon chicken poison was worse, trust me.”

Clivo’s brain was slowly coming out of its fog, and the only thing that hurt was his shoulder where the dart had pierced it.

“Hello!” Douglas said, waving his arms around. “Doesn’t anybody care that I’m sitting here holding a gun?”

Clivo glared at Douglas with a seething hatred. “You’re the last person I care about right now, Mr. Chancery.”

“Yeah, no offense, Mr. Chancery, but you’re kind of a jerk,” Jerry said from his cage.

“Fine by me,” Douglas said, heaving himself up and stretching his back. “Being nice never got anybody anywhere in this world. Now, do you want to see why I gathered all the cryptids together or what?”

“Not really.” Clivo shrugged, not wanting to give Douglas even a second of satisfaction, even though he was deeply curious to know what awful fate Douglas had planned for the creatures.

Douglas moaned in exasperation. “Can’t you just have a little appreciation for the dramatic at least once?” He extinguished his cigar in an ashtray and walked over to a stainless-steel table that was covered with various bowls and test tubes. “Well, seeing as how you’re a very captive audience, I’m going to show you anyway, and I’d appreciate it if you feigned interest.”

Douglas picked up a pair of heavy rubber gloves and put them on. Clivo exchanged nervous glances with Jerry.

Douglas hobbled over to the cage that held the blue tiger, a massive beast colored a light shade of blue. Douglas reached inside the cage to grab the tiger’s collar, but the creature let out a low growl and swiped a giant paw at Douglas’s hand. “Hey! Don’t be nasty!” Douglas grabbed what looked like a cattle prod and gave the tiger a shock.

“Leave it alone!” Clivo yelled, unable to stomach watching a cryptid being abused.

The tiger let out a roar of pain and cowered on the floor.

“Come on, now, don’t make me ask again,” Douglas said, holding out his hand and the cattle prod. The tiger crawled forward, opened its mouth, and from its tongue a drop of pearl-colored saliva fell into Douglas’s palm. “See, that wasn’t so hard. Okay, kids, prepare to have your minds blown.”

Douglas faced a stone wall, wound his arm up like a pitcher, and threw the saliva at the granite. The second the pearl hit, it exploded into a bright light, then settled into a roaring green flame that covered most of the wall. Clivo blinked rapidly from the brightness and heat.

“Hoo-wee!” Douglas cackled with excitement. He faced Clivo and Jerry and spread his arms out wide.

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