Free Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel by Liz Long

Sasha’s
command; she gave a curt nod of approval and whisked me out the door, still
dressed in it, before I could take a good look.
    Two more performers, a man and a
woman, made their way to the camper as I left. They both nodded their approval
as I clutched my street clothes to my chest.
    “Looking good, Firestarter,” the
woman said.
    “Yeah, that suit looks good on a
woman,” the man said with a wink.
    I blushed and hurried back to my
camper to put my things away. I stepped in, tossed my clothes on the bed and went
to look in the full-length bathroom mirror that hung on the door.
    “Wow,” I breathed.
    The full-length suit clung to me
as Sasha had adjusted it for my chest and hips. Long-sleeved so no outsider
would see my skin on fire, the black fabric covered my shoulders; the back
created a collar at the nape of my neck and sides of my throat. Sasha had taken
the liberty of cutting out a circular pattern on the front so my collarbone
showed. It also included flexible, flat black shoes that matched the thick
black material. Quite the change from my normal uniform of jeans and t-shirts,
I thought I looked rather like a superhero.
    I stepped outside my camper and
walked to the middle of the pathway, away from anyone’s possessions. I caught
my arms on fire and felt heat on my skin as usual but when I let the flames go,
I looked at the suit: all in one piece like nothing happened. No wonder Sasha
owned that job. I couldn’t believe she put this together in only a few hours.
    I rushed back into the chaos to
search for Delia. So many strange faces passed me and I wondered if I’d ever
learn them all. I couldn’t let it get to me on my second day, though. I headed
back to the meal area and Delia sat at one of the tables waiting for me. Her
eyebrows shot into her hairline when she saw me.
    “Wow, you look great!”
    “Yeah?” I ran my hands
self-consciously over my hips.
    “Sasha did a great job as usual.
Do you not like it?”
    I sat down next to her,
pretended not to notice some of the looks the guys gave me from nearby tables.
“I do, but I’ve never worn anything quite like it. I’m not used to seeing my
boobs up to my chin for one.”
    Delia laughed. “Do not worry,
you look fantastic. Plus, it is your uniform; it will be like your second skin
before long.”
    “Certainly snug enough for a
second skin,” I mumbled.
    She shook her head with another
laugh. “Do not be upset. It suits you; you will have many admirers, I think!
Oh, Sheffield gave me this on his way around the grounds.”
    She handed me a small note. On
the inside, Sheffield had written that he recommended I stay outside the Big
Top tonight and help those prepping for their acts.
    “So what does this mean again?”
    “Only to stay out of the way,
really, at least for now. You will not see any acts and for that I am sorry,
but it is better to get you adjusted first. Help gather props or open the tent
flaps for those who carry items. It is not hard, but it will be helpful to
everyone, trust me. He wants to ease you back into our ways; it’s been a while,
so it makes sense.”
    I nodded and began to eat my
sandwich. I could handle low pressure for a while. After we finished, we walked
around so I could begin to get comfortable with the grounds. On the way to the
Big Top, I accidentally bumped into a large, solid guy. I looked up to
apologize to him but he stopped me before I could open my mouth.
    “Hello, Lucy. Do you remember
me?” the man asked me. I shook my head and he gave me a gentle smile. “I
suppose not, it’s been a long time since I saw you last, at your dad’s funeral
I guess. I’m Marty; your pop was one of my very good friends.”
    “Oh, he talked about you a lot!
I certainly remember your name. It’s very nice to meet you again. I’m sorry I
don’t remember you from the funeral,” I said.
    “Not at all; you were pretty preoccupied.
You’re probably having quite a time as it is being back here now.”
    He rocked