“Yes, all of the performers have bedrooms here. The tech department and crew have rooms down to the right of the elevator. The corridors both lead around in a circle to the dining and entertainment areas. We have a small theater, library, and games-style room. The dining room isn’t much more than a big cafeteria, but it gets the job done. We don’t have chefs; the food is all created through the dining replicator, a very nifty piece of technology. Because we have different species, they can program in what they need.” Now that I’m in less of an awkward state of shock, I can hear some noise coming from some double doors just a bit up the hall.
William stops abruptly and turns to face me. “Lila, did you get to readanyof the information provided on the circus and the species involved?” he asks seriously.
I shuffle my feet back and forth and avoid looking at him. “I’m afraid I fell asleep before I got a chance to,” I tell him quietly.
“Hmm, well, nevermind,” he says with a frown. “Can’t be helped now. Be prepared for some interesting sights and try to keep your face neutral. You can insult some of these people if you flinch, not to mention lose their respect, and you will need that in order to run this show effectively.” He puts his hand to my back, pushes the door in, and we step through.
HOLY SHIT.What was previously a noisy bustling room grinds to a silent halt. Everyone turns to look at us in the doorway, and I struggle to keep a smile on my face instead of allowing my mouth to drop open. I can see fur, fangs, tails, and tentacles. They weren’t fucking around when they said some of the aliens like to relax in their half-form. William doesn’t let us pause for long before he leads me to a table at the top of the room. The noise resumes, albeit at less of a dull roar than before, but I’m sure more than one pair of ears is focused on our table and whatever I might say.
Sitting there with Fiona and Phillip are John and Eric, who both stand as we approach. John pulls out a chair in the center of the long table and says, “Sit here, Lila, as our guest of honor.” I smile at everyone at the table and take a seat, letting John push in my chair before he sits down on my left. William is on my right as a buffer between Fiona and Phillip, I’m sure, and Eric is next to John. We look out at what seems like a sea of tables. William is right; it does look like a standard cafeteria except for a wall of what looks like ATMs, with keyboards and a big hatch, along the left side of the room.
Eric stands and clinks a fork against the glass he is holding aloft. The noise dies down, and he clears his throat. “Everyone, it is a momentous day for our family as our granddaughter has been returned to us.” There is quiet murmuring around the room, but it’s all too soft and muddled to get any idea of what sentiment lies behind the conversation. “I would like you all to join us in welcoming Lila to the circus. We know we can trust you all to make her very welcome. To Lila!” He raises his glass, and everyone joins in. “To Lila!”
I smile and nervously raise my hand, waving at everyone and hoping I don’t look like an idiot. By the time he sits back down, conversation starts back up. “Lila, did you decide to embrace your birthright and drink the water from Skar?” he asks, getting right to the difficult question.
Crap, I haven't really had any time to think about it, but my gut is telling me to do it. If Mom and Dad had survived, none of this would be new to me. I would have been drinking the water and known about all of this.Not to mention that the idea of a brain-swelling coma doesn’t give me much leeway for planning my future.I think it’s that thought that tips me over the edge—that, and the excitement of the unknown. My life really has not been fun or exciting up until now, so the thought of this new adventure has my blood racing in both nerves and anticipation, and that far outweighs the niggle of negativity in my mind. Swallowing nervously, I nod. “Yes, I’m ready. What will happen?”
“We’re not actually sure,” replies John, a cautious note to his voice that isn’t exactly encouraging. “Most are drinking it from birth and have never gone through such a long period without it. Maybe nothing will happen at all, and you’ll have lost all powers.” I can see Phillip and Fiona smirking and whispering furiously to each other after that, no doubt liking those odds since it would probably increase the likelihood of the circus passing to them instead of me.
“That’s why we’ve decided not to make it a big deal. We’re going to let you drink it here with no announcement. We’ll monitor you afterward, just to make sure that there are no side effects or shows of power that require intervention. We don’t want to lose you right after we’ve found you.”
Eric had disappeared while John was talking, but he returns quickly, holding a ceremonial-looking pewter goblet. He hands it to me and says, “No matter what happens, we love you and will find a way for you to be with the circus.”Because that doesn’t sound ominous. Oh well, c’est la vie. I grab the glass and chug down the contents, refusing to give my mind a chance to second guess the decision. The water is sweet, cool, and has an effervescent buzz to it, tasting like nothing I’ve ever had before. There’s none of the typical chemically treated taste that our tap water has or even that fresh sterile taste of bottled water. I can’t even point out anything it might be similar to. Placing the goblet back on the table, I look up to find everyone at the main table is staring at me.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” I say, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand “I was expecting …” And that is as far as I get. My whole body starts to tingle like a fine current of electricity is running through it, and I can feel my hair rising as if I’ve suddenly stepped into an anti-gravity chamber. My body soon joins it, levitating toward the ceiling, with lightning crackling and wind blowing all around me. I bet I look like Storm from X-men, which would be much cooler if this wasn’t such a clusterfuck.
“Aghhh! A little help here,” I scream in panic, throwing my arms out for balance. A bolt of lightning flies from my outstretched fingertips, and when I look to see where it goes, I realize it hit someone in the ass. Squeals and growls sound out through the dining room. Oops! Suddenly, all the energy drains out of me, which would ordinarily be a great thing. At this point, looking down at the floor ten feet below me, not so much. I start to drop just as darkness descends.
“Oh, fuck.”
As I struggle my way out of the darkness, the first thing I hear is shouting. A warm, cozy feeling surrounds me, and I feel myself carefully being placed on the ground. My eyes shoot open, and I look up into a pair of magenta eyes surrounded by long, thick black eyelashes that any girl would be envious of.
Blinking a couple of times, I realize the person in front of me is paler than anyone I know, almost corpse-like, but he also has a vibrancy to him that’s entirely unexpected for a person that could pass for dead. Okay, I’ve never seen a corpse, but I bet they don't look like him. He has flawless bone structure that any supermodel would be envious of, with a thin nose and full lips. He studies me as deeply as I study him, and when I unconsciously reach up a hand to touch his face, he flashes a grin that exposes pointy fangs. When I reflexively pull away, his grin turns to a smirk as he breaks our staredown.
“She awakes.” His voice is deep and gravelly, not what I had expected from such a refined-looking specimen. The magenta-eyed honey backs away from me, and the grandpas crowd in, all with various expressions on their faces. John looks concerned, William has a devious, calculating look on his face, and Eric, well, his is plainly gleeful. He speaks first.
“Holy shit, you were like Storm from X-men!”Huh, I knew it.Holding up my hand, I offer him a fist to bump, which he does enthusiastically. Creepy grandpa is cool!
“Shut up, Eric,” says John. “She could have been badly injured. Thank god for Saxon, with his speed and quick thinking. I can’t believe he caught her as she fell.” He’s anxiously rubbing his hands all over my arms and legs, probably checking for injuries. “How are you feeling? Are you ok? Just sit up slowly. Where’s Link? I want him to check her over for damage.”
“I’m ok, I think,” I say as I follow his direction. The slight tingling is still running throughout my body, almost making my muscles itch to move. Maybe that will help dissipate the feeling? I bring my hand up to my face to push away my hair, and as I do, John, who is sitting in front of me, slowly rises off the ground.
“Arghh!” I shout, flinging my hand back down.
He drops like a sack of bricks, letting out a grunt when he hits the floor. Okay, maybe that was accidentally a bit more violent than intended.
“Help! What do I do? How can I turn it off?” I turn to William as Eric continues to cackle with glee.
“Take a deep breath then let it out. You’re just worked up, so it’s happening involuntarily. Once you calm down, it will settle.” William scowls at Eric, giving him a not so gentle smack to the back of the head. “You sound like a hyena. Give the girl a break and get her a glass of water.”
“No!” I shout, but I manage to keep my hands still.
“Hush,” he admonishes, “it’ll be fine. Only the first time should have such a big reaction. Granted, I don’t know that any of us were expectingthat.” He says that last part in a mumble, probably not realizing he’s still close enough that I can catch his final words. With that, he stands up and starts to shoo away everyone who is crowded around, watching the drama unfold. “Give Lila some room.”
As people start to move, my eyes catch on the one pushing himself to the front. My head aches, but I can still recognize male perfection at its best. He has a shimmer to his skin tone as if he isn't quite real, and his hair is a silver I’ve never seen on a human unless it came out of a bottle. It’s perfectly styled, with a sexy tousled look to the longer fringe. My eyes scan him when he stops to speak to William. He’s wearing a uniform similar to the ones that were in my closet, so I can see all the sleek lines of his body, streamlined like a swimmer, with nice shoulders and a trim waist. They both turn to look at me, so I quickly stop my perusal and drop my eyes down to my lap. I’m supposed to be shocked and possibly in pain, not totally perving on the stranger.
They both approach me and crouch down. “Lila, this is Link. He’s the ship’s doctor, and he’s going to scan you to make sure you’re not injured anywhere. Humans are a bit more delicate than most of us, and we can’t have any sneaky internal injuries going without treatment,” William explains gently.
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay,” I argue, shaking my head. I’m not sure if I’m ready to be examined by an alien doctor. What if there's probing…Hang on, sign me up.
