Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel (2 page)

“Let’s see how you feel about
being here in a few months. You’ve got a lot to deal with right now, so you’ll
start out an assistant to everyone else. It’s less pressure on you this way. If
you decide later you’re in over your head, you can walk away without any
complications. It might not be for you and that’s okay. Stick with it and
you’ll move on to something else, if you want. You have any problems or
questions yet?”

I shook my head.

“How about with your gift? Are
you having any trouble?”

“I get headaches. I get tired
quicker than I’d like and if I’m distracted, it’s all over. I’m definitely
gonna need the practice. It’s been a while since I gave it my all.”

“Not a problem. The headaches
happen to every Firestarter, depending on how much energy you’re using. Train
in your free time; I want you in the show. Meet the other Firestarters and
study, push yourself more than you’ve ever done. You can do that here now, away
from human eyes. As far as the next couple months, you’ll run errands, help out
as needed. I had a fireproof costume made for the shows in case we need you on
the floor. You need to arrange a fitting today with wardrobe.”

“Wow. You didn’t have to do that
for me.”

“Think of it as a
uniform—certain people need certain outfits that also work with their
gifts. The other Firestarters have them, too.”

“Oh,” I whispered. I felt silly
but relieved; I’d die if people thought I got special treatment from the owner
and ringmaster.

“Miss Nance in the trailer next
to mine is in charge of everything non-show related: payroll, marketing,
schedules. She’s helped me run this place since its formation and is damn good
at what she does; she’s extremely efficient. It’s only us, no big staff folks
to do everything. We don’t need that here. That being said, you go to her for
your paycheck; anything else, you come to me.”

I nodded. Our world was a secret
and the circus was a great cover. Most gifted beings banded together, though
others did join the human world like my family did. Sheffield wouldn’t employ
too many outsiders. He wouldn’t jeopardize his gifted clan with distrust.

“I put you with Delia in camper
238. It’s a good match; she’ll help you get around and introduce you to folks.
If you’re ready, get your stuff and load in. Got here yesterday, so tents are
goin’ up; familiarize yourself with things and it’s opening day tomorrow.”

I jumped up and headed out the
door. “Thank you! I’m really excited. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate
it.”

“You need anything, let me know.
Now get outta here and wow your new coworkers,” he said with a wink. He
rummaged through his desk as I let myself out and practically skipped back to
my car.

Chapter
2

I could hear voices sprinkled
between tents and I moved faster; the butterflies in my stomach threatened to
morph into small birds. I spotted my car, got my things, and dragged my giant
luggage bag across the grass and hay as fast as I could, cursing whenever the
suitcase threatened to tip over in my haste. I wanted to find my camper first
and retraced my steps to find the living area.

I paused at the neat lines of
large mobile units and took a moment to stare. Years of experience helped them
settle in fast. Large RVs and trailers sat in neat grids, the pathways clear
and rows straight. These were large camping units that stood alone so that it
looked like a small park. Chairs and tables, beer bottles and ashtrays already
littered the ground. I walked past small clusters of people, walking together
or chatting in doorways. No one paid attention to me that I could tell.

I needed to stop staring at
everything like a moron and find my trailer. I began to sweat as I walked past
the long lines of small campers. I found camper 238 one spot away from an
intersecting pathway. The knots in my stomach tightened; should I knock or just
walk in? What if Delia was in there?

Self-doubt crept in from the
back of my mind. What was I doing? Was I really ready to join the circus? This
was probably a crazy spontaneous moment. They might not like me. They might not
think I was that talented, that I only got in on my dad’s reputation or mine
and Sheffield’s relationship. Hell, maybe I did.

I took a deep breath, gritted my
teeth and knocked. The door opened in what seemed a fraction of a
second—before me stood a dark-haired beauty with her hand on her hip.

“Can I help you?” she asked. She
had a straight nose, broad chin, very blue eyes, and an accent I couldn’t quite
place.

“Um, hi, I’m Lucy Sullivan, your
new roommate? Sheffield assigned me here,” I said.

Her statuesque figure broke as
she smiled. “Oh! I did not realize you were here today. I thought I had another
day to clean up my mess. Sorry about that.” She backed away and as I stepped
in, I caught her picking up clothes and other assorted items from my new bed.

“No problem. Thanks for letting
me stay with you,” I said. I dropped my suitcase on the now-empty cot. I took a
look around—our beds side-by-side, small kitchen with a table for two,
and bathroom the size of a closet on the other end. Campers were for sleeping
so there wasn’t much need for space, though I did admit it was bigger than I’d
anticipated.

“I am excited. I miss having a
roommate. The last one up and married to run away to a normal life, whatever
that is.” She flitted around the room, talking so fast I had to pay close
attention to make sure I didn’t miss something.

“Funny. I thought most people
run away
to
the circus,” I said.

She laughed. “I know. I do not
think I will ever understand what is so great about normal life. Boring! It is
no wonder people come running to us. So what are you?” she asked.

I hesitated and put my back to
her, opening my suitcase and focused on unpacking instead. There was a really
good chance she wouldn’t like living with a Firestarter.

“Sorry, was that rude of me?”
Delia straightened up from her cleaning frenzy and grimaced.

“Um, no, I wondered if you meant
what I thought you meant,” I replied.

She laughed. “Oh, yes, I am sure
you heard me right. No one told me anything other than I had a new roommate.
Are you a Chameleon? Muse? Telepath?”

“No, I’m…um, I’m a Firestarter.”
I winced; Firestarters weren’t always everyone’s favorite supernatural being
due to their tempers, therefore the ability to demolish one’s life in seconds.
A girl I’d known briefly in childhood had been hesitant to even loan me a
sweater before realizing I had my emotions under control.

Surprise crossed her pretty
face. “A girl Firestarter? Cool. I have only met guys with that gift. Only try
not to set my stuff on fire, okay? I am pretty attached to my clothes. And the
cookies in that drawer over there, which you can help yourself to.”

I took my only coffee mug, which
had superhero cartoons all over it, and set it in the cabinet by the sink. This
kitchen was way better than what I remembered from my previous camper. Maybe it
wasn’t coincidence that this very gifted group had more sophisticated living
areas than most.

“Well, most Firestarters
are
men. Women can be carriers, but
rarely have the physical aspects. Imagine everyone’s surprise when I created
fire from thin air as a toddler. Got lucky, I guess. Your turn—what are
you?”

“I’m a Runner.”

I looked at her, puzzled. “Sheffield
told me there might be those I’ve never encountered. I give up. What’s a
Runner?”

Delia grinned at me and raced
past me in a blur. All I saw was a split second of her dark hair before she
went out the door and back to her bed just as fast. I didn’t even have time to
blink.

Impressive. “Wow. Now that’s a
useful gift. You didn’t do track in high school did you?”

“Nah. My family and I have been
with this troupe for a while. Well, I mean before my parents retired. I was
twenty-two and knew I wanted to be here.” She smiled. “They live in Las Vegas
now and love it.”

“I can’t believe I’ve never met
a Runner before. How the heck does every circus not have six of you?”

“We have two others here, but it
is a rarity. For example, in my father’s family, it is only passed down every
two generations. It skipped my dad, but my mom was from another Runner family.
They got married and hoped they could break genetics. Lucky it worked.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-five, but do not spread
that around. I plan on staying this age for the next few years,” she said. “So
how did you get here? Sheffield rarely brings in people like this.”

“My situation is a little
weird.”

“Oh?”

“My dad was a Firestarter here
at this show. Lenny Sullivan, you may have heard of him? We were here until I
was twelve or thirteen. Mom wanted a normal life so we left.” I put a hand up
to my mouth and mock whispered, “It didn’t take for me, by the way. Sheffield
and my dad were really good friends. He died a few years ago; my mom passed
away last week. Sheffield left me a longstanding offer and I finally took it.”

“I am so sorry about your
parents. You must miss them very much.”

I stayed silent and an awkward
pause came over us. I spoke for no other reason than to break her pity gaze. “I
can’t seem to place your accent.”

“I am Delia Stavros; my family
is from Greece. We lived there until I was a teenager, then my parents met
Sheffield. He offered for us to be with his show. Best decision they ever made,
I think.” She proudly tossed her hair. “I have been talking English for many,
many years now.”

“You’re good at it,” I said with
a smile. “I wish we had stayed here.”

“Your father never wanted you to
return?”

“I expect he would’ve eventually
allowed me to come back, maybe after I turned eighteen. I’m not sure if he was
ever happy about leaving either, but he loved my mom enough to trade it in for
her. He knew I struggled around humans. High school wasn’t the best time.”

She grimaced. “Yikes. I have
seen enough American comedy movies to know that high school is a worldly hell
of stereotypes, flunking math, and awkward dances. It must be a hundred times
worse with a gift. I would not trade the circus for any of it.”

“I wouldn’t go back for all the
money in the world. I can’t wait to not worry about accidentally scaring
someone with a flame from my hand.”

She smiled and pulled her long
hair into a ponytail. “Have you met anyone besides me?”

“Not yet. I’m pretty nervous
about meeting the Firestarters and the rest of the troupe. Anything I need to
know beforehand?”

Delia gave a strange half smile.
“Well, you lucked out since people view me as abnormally friendly. But
sometimes it can get a little…interesting around here. A lot of them keep to
themselves, but some flaunt their gifts every chance they get. We all feel at
home together, so we use gifts very openly when strangers are not present.”

“You’re not the first to say
something along those lines. Should I be scared?”

“No, it is only that it can be a
large culture shock coming here if you are from a smaller troupe or one that is
more human. A few people have joined and left in a matter of days because it
was so different they could not handle it. It has been a while since you have
been around large groups of us.”

“I have a pretty open mind. Will
they be offended if I act surprised at their gift?”

“Most likely not the first time,
but after that, probably. Ready to go?” she asked. Before I even realized it,
she had blurred past me, and now waited at the door.

I followed her out into the bright
sunshine. “Do you do that a lot? Leave people in the dust, I mean?”

“I try not to, but I am
impatient. Why take your time when you can be there in an instant?”

“Understandable. Uh, but do you
think for the next few days you could slow it down for me? You’re my lifeline
right now, after all.”

Delia laughed. “Sure. But I can
only babysit so much on the grounds after tomorrow and you will be thrown in
whether you like it or not. Think you can look after yourself once you know
some people?”

We passed the grouping of
campers and continued through the maze. The campers were grouped behind the
tents and booths, and I could hear the low buzz of people nearby. Workers had
just finished getting up The Big Top tent, the main attraction where the
performance occurred each night. It sat on the back corner of the lot, guarding
the living area with its side entrance providing easy availability to the
performers.

“This way,” Delia said. She
motioned for me to follow her.

We followed the already worn
walkway around a corner, where a sea of activity blinded me. Whereas the
campers were quiet, the actual circus grounds thrived with members preparing
for the day.

My senses hit
overdrive—colors, smells, and sounds assaulted me. Costumes covered in
sequins and feathers were traded off between artists; my nose detected popcorn
machines, sawdust with hay, and sweat, both human and animal. And the sounds!
It was so loud between the people yelling, animals’ screeches, and equipment in
use to set up stands and booths. I would have to shout at Delia to be heard.

I suddenly became very aware of
why Sheffield and Delia warned me against being surprised. People made no
secret of their gifts in safe company. I saw another Runner dart in and out of
the crowd while Levitators floated seamlessly between the bodies. Birds flew
all over, carried messages or small objects such as tools or costume props. The
air filled with sounds of conversation, animals protested their displeasure of
cages, and men barked orders on the best way to get tents up fast.

My heart jumped when I saw two
other male Firestarters walking together. One was dressed in half a clown
costume. The other one flicked a lighter and began to juggle fireballs with the
clown; they walked simultaneously as they tossed them back and forth to one
another, gradually creating greater space between them. Walking five feet
apart, they continued juggling and while most troupe members simply walked
around them and rolled their eyes, a few walked through, seemingly oblivious to
the fire whizzing past their heads.