My eyes grow heavier as I continue to read while the drink in my hand empties in a steady correlation. Too tired to enjoy any more of them, I close my eyes and let sleep carry me away in the hope that when I wake next, there may be some sign of powers. Because let’s face it, are they really going to trust me with the responsibility over the orb of tremendous power if I can’t even get shit right in my own life?
Over the next week, my mind is completely blown. I’m kept so busy I barely have time to breathe, let alone worry about some ball of energy that I could possibly be killed over. The reality of that important fact hasn't quite registered in my mind yet. Every morning, I have lessons with the grandpas to learn to control telekinesis, and it isnotgoing well. Abort, abort, turn around, run away. Let’s just leave it at that for now. William is going to introduce me to the warlock tomorrow if things haven't happened by then.
Each afternoon, the grandpas show me around the dome. I’ve seen the control room which presides over all aspects of the show—from teleporting each act down from the mothership to the lights and special effects inside the dome, such as the snow during the ice tiger show. I’ve seen the flight deck, and I almost peed my pants. I was so excited! It was like something out ofStar Trek. The teleportation room was also pretty awesome, while the room that holds the tech department’s animatronics was honestly a bit creepy. There’s nothing like lifeless robots to give you that little chill down your spine. And even though I’ve been kept so busy I can barely breathe, I’ve had a nagging thought about Dylan in the back of my mind. I still don’t know what was up with his over the top reaction the other day. I really need to make an effort to search him out and check that we’re okay, but when the hell am I supposed to do that?
I collapse into bed every night after the grandpas have dinner sent to me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m still not showing any signs of powers or if they truly understand how freaking tired I am. As it is, I’ve avoided interaction with anyone due to my embarrassment. The one time I went to dinner, Phillip and Fiona grilled me on my abilities, wanting me to perform like I was one of the circus acts. John quickly put a stop to that, but we decided it might be better to not broadcast my lack of powers.
Tonight, I plan to not only stay awake, but I will see the show. I still haven’t managed to do that yet, but it’s the last night in this location, and there’s nothing left for me to learn. Well, there is, but I have all the technical knowledge either in my brain or in my trusty tablet. Now I need to put all that knowledge into practice.
Once the curtains close on tonight’s show, we move from the UK to the US. Nevada, I think they said, to the salt flats that were used for the Burning Man festival. It also means I get to see the mothership. I’ve been told it has cloaking abilities and sits in the upper atmosphere, not visible to any of Earth’s space sensors. Could you imagine the panic if they actually could sense the ship?
I cannot wait! I get to be on the flight deck.Will I get to sit in the captain’s chair?Although the grandpas are in charge of the whole thing, there’s a captain who pilots the crafts to and from the mothership. Just like how Jean Luc doesn’t drive the actual Enterprise. That’s Captain Lester’s job.
After eating dinner in my room and taking a shower, I grab my lanyard and pass then walk toward the elevator. As I walk down the corridor, I get that itchy feeling on the back of my neck. You know, when there’s someone watching you and your body tries to give you a heads up. Finding no one there when I try to stealthily peek around, I shrug. For all I know, there’s an alien species with invisibility, some jerk laughing his ass off because I look like an idiot. Might as well hop in the elevator and see if the feeling goes away.
Once the elevator arrives, I step inside, needing to get down to the ground level for my ringside seats. That in itself is pretty exciting; I haven’t really had the kind of life where I got those kinds of treats very often—if ever. A brush of wind goes past me, bringing a rush of what smells like salty sea air and a hint of coconut like being at the beach in summer time. I swing around quickly, but no one is in the elevator. Weird! Even weirder, when I move to hit the ground-level button, I realize my invisible companion has already hit a different one. Looks like I’m going up first.
With nothing else to do and no invisible admirer revealing themselves, I stare into the reflective walls of the elevator. My ass looks amazing in my pin-up-style tight skirt, its hem falling just below my knees. It has a slit up the back to allow me to walk in it, thank god, because I need a little leverage considering the heels I’m wearing. The long-sleeved, low-cut black top I’m wearing makes my tits look perky and playful, so the only element slightly out of place is my hair. I’m messing around with it, trying to neaten it up, when I see a ripple in the air behind me out of the corner of my eye.
Before I know what’s happening, I'm spun around and shoved up against the wall by a man with stormy blue eyes. “Look what we have here. Come out to socialize with the freaks, have you?” he whispers in my ear, and a shiver of desire runs through my body. I’m not afraid of a little roughness, and I’ve always appreciated someone who can take charge when I’m ready to give up some control. I’m not sure if he thinks he’s intimidating me, but he’s going to be sorely disappointed.
He has me pinned between himself and the unforgiving wall, our bodies pressed closely together enough that I can feel he’sallman today. Or at least the parts of him that I can see at the moment. Suddenly, I feel the smooth slide of a tentacle up the inside of my calf, the suckers placing gentle kisses on my soft skin, each little burst of suction sending white-hot heat straight to my core. Holy shit!
“Have you finally decided to slum it with the performers?”
“Where did you come from?” I ask breathlessly, trying not to show how much I’m enjoying having his hard body pushed up against me or the tentacle slowly inching its way up my leg. By now, my core is tingling. Fucking tingling. No man has ever given me fuckingtingles.
He steps back from me, much to my disappointment, and when I look down, there’s no sign of tentacles. As he does, his whole-body ripples, changing to match the surroundings around him. Clothes and all.Huh, he camouflages.“My beast is a very good mimic, and the power carries over to me when I’m in human form. I can blend into all surfaces.” He reappears, looking quite smug when he says this, probably pleased he was able to get the drop on me.
I can’t let these people think they can get one over on me if I’m going to be their boss, so I walk over to him, batting my eyelashes and simpering. “That issoamazing, like a real octopus.” I have him backed up against the wall this time, running my hands up and over his chest. I can feel his nipple piercings through his shirt. I would love to get my mouth on those, not that I’m going to let him know that. “Does that mean that you’ll have sex once and then die a couple of weeks later? Are you a virgin? You poor, poor man, never to have experienced the wonder of a woman.” Thank you, Animal Planet and David Attenborough for the random animal facts I have stored in my brain.
I know this kind of sounds bitchy, but damn it, the man has been so fucking agressive toward me while I have no idea what I did to him. Yeah, I might have gaped when I first saw him, but I'm also sure he was going for some kind of reaction. So sue me for not wanting to take any of his shit.
His face turns from smug to shocked, and he starts to sputter, storming from the elevator the moment the doors open. Before he steps out, he delivers a final parting shot, accompanied by what I think might be his ever-present scowl. “This isn’t finished, and I’mnotan octopus. I’m the kraken.” He bares his sharp teeth at me in what’s probably supposed to be a threatening manner, but I just laugh at him.
“I hoped you wouldn’t give up so easily. This is going to be so much fun,” I say to him with a wiggle of my fingers, waving goodbye as the elevator doors close behind him. Caspian- 0, Lila- 2. I have a little giggle and fan my face. That man is smoking hot sex onlotsof legs. Pity he’s an asshole. But what’s provoked all this animosity? Is it humans in general, me as a woman, or me personally? I may have to hit Dylan up for some gossip. God, I hope everyone isn’t going to be as aggressive as him and the cats were. Granted, in the cats’ case, I lit one of their asses on fire. That’s a fair enough reason for a bad first impression. Caspian, well, who knows what crawled up his ass.
As the elevator starts to descend, I get a message that the grandpas are waiting for me in the lobby. Two of them will sit with me and explain anything I have questions about while the third will be the evening’s ringmaster. John takes more of a backstage role since he’s not interested in performing, so he’ll probably be sitting by my side.
While I wait for the elevator to continue downward, a warm feeling starts to heat both sides of my shoulders. It gradually becomes hotter and hotter until it feels like it’s burning. Ripping off my shirt, I turn to look at my shoulders in the reflection of the doors. On the right side is a small faded black circle with what looks like two black angel wings with extremely long feathers at the bottom. On the other, there are two marks. One is a faded blue circle with a sideways figure eight, and the other one kind of looks like the medical symbol on Earth. There are two snakes entwined around a staff, but instead of wings at the top, there’s a cog. What the fuck is going on? By the time the elevator dings, its doors slowly opening, I’m still standing there in just my bra and skirt. The horrified look on my face only becomes comically worse when I realize that the three grandpas are waiting for me in all of my half-naked glory.
“What the fuck just happened?” I wobble out of the elevator, pointing at my shoulder blades. “What are these things that just appeared on my shoulders?” I yell at them. They turn me around and take a look at the marks that have appeared, and Eric’s smothered laugh is most definitelynota welcome sound in the middle of my very reasonable freakout. “Explain, please,” I demand.
John takes me by the arm and walks me away from the crowd of onlookers that have migrated toward the elevators with all the commotion. “Calm down, dear. Why don’t you put your top back on so we can have a nice quiet conversation?” He’s managing me, but I don’t call him out on it. I wasn’t expecting so much of the public to be milling around in the lobby when I flashed them all a look at the girls.Though they do look great tonight.I quickly shrug back into my shirt and take a look around, realizing he’s led me to an alcove that’s out of the crowd’s view. William and Eric have followed, the latter still sniggering. That grandpa is going to get my foot up his ass if he isn’t careful.
“Seriously, Mutley, what is your problem?” I snarl at him. Since he’s still chuckling, useless at answering my question, I turn to William. “Please explain?”
William gets an uncomfortable look on his face again. “Well, ah, yes,” he stumbles.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” I snap at him. “Get it together, man.”
Eric is just about rolling on the floor in laughter, while John looks uneasy. Eric gets himself together and says, “Try before you buy, Lila.” I just blink at him and turn to William for a bigger explanation.
“Huh?”
“Yes, well, the right shoulder is your bonding mark. It looks like you’ve picked up the Norse symbol for protector. Quite apt, I might say, if you decide to take on your role with the circus.”
“Ok then. My bonding mark! You said that it would show up on men that I’m interested in and will stay there unless I lose interest, right?” I question. After he nods, I think about it for a moment. “It’s pretty. I’m ok with that.”
