Free Krakens and Lies by Tui T. Sutherland

the Menagerie!”
    Logan saw Zoe turn the color of chalk. He remembered the ancient-looking giant lizard from the Reptile House—the one Zoe had to put to sleep before they could go in to feed the salamanders. He also remembered her saying something about how it was the most dangerous animal in the Menagerie.
    â€œThe what?” Jasmin said.
    Blue took the walkie-talkie from Zoe’s hand. “What about the pyrosalamanders? Are the pyrosalamanders contained?”
    â€œYes, Blue, they’re all in their cages, half-asleep as always,” Matthew said in an irritated voice. “Can you please try to wrap your mind around the fact that there is a basilisk on the loose somewhere?”
    â€œOh, thank Neptune,” Blue said. He saw the look on Zoe’s face and added, “I mean, that’s bad, too.”
    â€œBasilisk?” Jasmin said. “He didn’t just say basilisk , did he?”
    â€œWe have to find him,” Zoe said, sounding completely panicked. She took the walkie-talkie back. “Do you have any idea where he is?”
    â€œThe hole is in the west wall, so he could have gone toward the dragons or the lake,” Matthew said. “Or . . .”
    â€œInto the river that leads out of the Menagerie,” Zoe said. She started pacing up and down the living room.
    â€œWait,” Jasmin said. “Dragons?”
    â€œOh no,” Zoe said, biting her nails. “Oh no oh no oh no. Blue, did the merpeople ever fix the hole in the grate?”
    Blue shrugged. “I have no idea.”
    â€œKnowing mermaids, I think we can assume they didn’t,” Zoe said.
    â€œMERMAIDS?” Jasmin said.
    â€œShould I call Mom and Dad?” Captain Fuzzbutt madean “oooooorgh” noise and sidled into her path so Zoe had to stop pacing and hug him. “Matthew, what do we do? Oh! The emergency kit!” She ran over to the big table and slid out a hidden drawer.
    â€œIs it that terrible?” Logan asked. “Can’t you use your rooster ringtones to just knock him out and drag him back?”
    â€œYou have to be at fairly close range for the rooster crow to work, especially because our basilisk is four hundred and practically deaf,” Zoe said, pulling things out of the drawer and spreading them across the table. “If any of us get close enough to use our cell phones, we’ll be close enough for Basil to make eye contact or hiss at us, and then we’re dead.”
    â€œI am so confused ,” Jasmin said.
    â€œWe take care of mythical creatures here,” Blue said to her. “It’s top secret; no one can know.”
    â€œWell, yeah, that makes sense,” Jasmin said. “Like, my dad would totally freak out if he knew there were dragons next door.” She stopped with a gasp and stared at Blue. “That map—the one in Dad’s study!”
    â€œLet’s deal with that crisis after we neutralize the killer lizard,” Zoe said. “Matthew! Are you still alive?”
    â€œI’m inside the Reptile House,” Matthew’s voice came back. “I’m trying to figure out whether a brave Tracker would charge out there and search for it, or whether a smart Tracker would stay put in here.”
    â€œI vote stay put,” Zoe said into the walkie-talkie.
    â€œSays the twelve-year-old who’s about to hunt it down armed with what, earplugs and a sleep mask?” Matthew said. “I know you, Zoe. Don’t do something dumb.”
    Zoe regarded the sleep mask in her hand thoughtfully.
    â€œBasilisks are totally deadly,” Blue said to Jasmin.
    â€œI know about basilisks,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “I read fantasy, Blue.”
    â€œYou stay here, put a blanket over your head, and wear these,” Zoe said, handing Jasmin a pair of earplugs.
    Logan had a funny wave of emotions all at once: pride, that Zoe wasn’t telling him to stay put,