by Jessica Roe
Zay slapped him on the back, obviously trying for some sort of comfort. “Don't worry—”
“No, seriously. I'm telling you, I have really good instincts and right now they're screaming that this is not a place we want to be at. We should leave right now.” He wanted to get away from there and never think about that place ever again.
“It's just the protective magic surrounding the area that's making you feel that way,” Charles explained, placing a reassuring hand on Nicky's shoulder. “We're fine, I promise. No one's going to hurt you.”
The fear in Nicky's belly was squirming so wretchedly that he refused to even acknowledge that Charles was talking about magic as if it was actually real, as if he wasn't a mad man. His nervous eyes darted about the area as he shook off Charles' hand. He was certain that they were being watched, maybe even followed. As he looked around, he spotted a sign at the top of the gates. It was wooden and rotting, and he could just about make out what it said.
Yarmac & Bogely's Fantastical Fun Filled Circus.
“Yarmac and Bogely's Circus grounds were abandoned in the early twentieth century after Yarmac shot Bogely in the heart when he discovered the torrid affair he'd been having with his wife,” Charles informed him. “Now it's home to one of the largest gatherings of Outcasts in North America.”
“And by Outcasts you're telling me you mean...Witches and stuff, right?”
“Amongst other beings, yes.”
Nicky was seriously beginning to wonder why Charles and his merry band of freaks weren't locked up in some kind ward. He peered through the gates again at the empty grounds. The surface was covered in dry, cracked mud, and patches of dying grass sat in sporadic tufts. A couple of small circus tents had been left behind, but age and lack of care had gotten to them and they were sagging and sporting giant, gaping holes. Nicky highly doubted they would provide much shelter to anyone. “I think they all left, dude. Like, a few decades ago.”
Charles smiled, looking very much like he was just humouring Nicky. Which was insane, because he was clearly the one spouting off a load of crap.
And then a man appeared out of thin air on the other side of the gate, right in front of Nicky's eyes. He hadn't even blinked! He stumbled back a step. “Jesus!”
Charles, Walker and Zay didn't seem surprised by the man's sudden appearance. In fact, they smiled at him cheerfully.
He was a big man. Tall and muscular and damned scary looking. His head was shaven and his skull looked dented, like he'd been in one too many fights, and almost every inch of skin showing was covered in tattoos. The smirk he sent Nicky seemed sinister, but when he turned it on Charles, it became a genuine, respectful smile. “Good afternoon, Mister Quinn.” He nodded at Zay and Walker. “Young Mister Quinn. Miss Wilbourn.”
Charles shook his hand through the gate in greeting and bobbed his head in Nicky's direction. “Tamitri, this is Nicky. He's our newest recruit. We brought him along today to introduce him to Terelle.”
Tamitri grinned knowingly. “Let me guess, he's having a hard time believing? Needs to see the Outcasts with his own two eyes?”
“Don't they always? I was hoping that you could help us with that. Maybe give a small demonstration.”
They shared a smile so secretive and sneaky that it had Nicky biting the inside of his cheek with nerves.
And then in a single move, Tamitri whipped off his black t-shirt, leaving him bare chested. Spread out across his chest was a tattoo of a large, three headed dog. It looked vicious. All long, sharp teeth, devilish red eyes, and horrifying knife-like claws. Nicky shivered, unable to take his eyes off it. As Tamitri breathed, the beast moved up and down on his chest and Nicky could almost believe that it was moving. That it was alive, watching him...
And then it opened its mouth and growled.
Nicky yelped and tried to move back, but Walker and Zay formed a solid barrier behind him and escape was impossible. As he watched helplessly, the evil looking dog tattoo stood and leaped right out of Tamitri's chest. As it flew through the air, it grew and grew in size. By the time it had reached the ground, it's three heads were level with Tamitri's shoulders.
With an angry snarl in Nicky's direction, it jumped at the gate, ratting the bars dangerously. It bared it's teeth and snorted angrily. A big blob of drool trickled out of one of its mouths and splashed to the ground.
Nicky's heart raced with pure fear. He cursed loudly, even though he knew the giant beast was on the opposite side of the gate. Those deadly looking claws would have no problem at all ripping right through the metal to get to his throat, that he was sure of.
Tamitri chuckled. It was a low, oddly comforting sound. “Settle down, Xantherus.” The beast listened to him instantly and slowly backed away from the gate, sitting down at Tamitri's feet without once taking it's eyes off of Nicky. “Good boy.” Tamitri patted the middle head affectionately.
“Xantherus is a Gate Guardian,” Charles told Nicky casually. “It's in his nature to be fiercely protective of his home. Once he sees that you're not a threat, he'll back down.”
“So...he's kind of like a guard dog?” Nicky asked shakily.
Xantherus growled.
“I suppose that would be an easy way to describe it. Although he's a darned site more powerful than a regular guard dog.”
Nicky peered at Xantherus' six red eyes. “I'll bet.”
“Tamitri is Xantherus' Keeper. He was born to the Wayalori Tribe in Romania. They are the only beings known to possess the unique ability to be able to control the Gate Guardians.”
Looking between Xantherus and Tamitri, Nicky had to suppress a shiver. “So I guess that makes you a total bad ass.”
Tamitri smiled at Nicky, and it actually seemed genuine. “I have to say, boy, you took that better than most. There's usually a lot more crying and fainting the first time a human sees Xan wake up.”
“Don't speak too soon, I think I'm still in shock. There's a girly ass scream somewhere in here waiting to come out.”
“Even so...” He stuck out a hand through the bars of the gate for Nicky to shake. “Like Mister Quinn said, I'm Tamitri.”
Nicky didn't want to shake his hand, but he also really didn't want to piss the guy off.
“Thanks, man...Hey!” No sooner had he given Tamitri his hand did the crazy son of a bitch yank it through the bars in an iron clad grip that Nicky had no chance of breaking. He pulled Nicky's arm so hard that his whole body rammed against the gate. “Guys! Get him off me!”
But Charles, Walker and Zay just stood there, watching.
Damn, he knew they were messed up! He should have run while he'd had the chance! They really were going to chop him into bits.
Arm first.
He felt something sharp prick the palm of his hand, right underneath his thumb, and he was released. He cradled his hand to his chest and looked down to check the damage. “Dude! Did you just magic tattoo me?” A black tear drop shape had been carved into his skin. Inside sat a star, and a tiny T. The skin around it was sore and raised and red. “Jeez! Why do you people keep attacking my hand?”
“Relax,” Tamitri commanded. “You think that hurt? Try getting this thing put on your chest.” He ruffled Xantherus' ears. The beast had calmed down considerably the moment Nicky had been tattooed, and was nuzzling his paws in a playful kind of way. “Took a day and a half.”
“Will that happen every time I come here?” he questioned, thinking about the security back at Guardian headquarters.
“No. The symbol on your hand shows that you are a recognized friend of Terelle's Outcasts. You may come and go here as you please and our magic won't keep you out.”
Nicky realized that the tight, uneasy feeling he'd had about being in the area was slowly trickling away, sliding off him like water droplets off a smooth window surface. It really must have been magic making him feel that way. It was kind of awesome, if he didn't think about the fact that magic had the power to get inside his head and affect his emotions. “Oh. That's
pretty cool.”
“Don't ever betray our friendship,” Tamitri warned. “The only way to remove the tattoo is to remove the hand.”
Nicky stared at him. “Thanks, man. That wasn't creepy or weird at all.” He turned to the others. “Why am I the only one getting hand abused?”
Simultaneously, Charles, Walker and Zay held up their hands, palms facing outwards. They all had the same tear drop tattoo that he did, only theirs was older, and without the coating of fresh blood.
“This is crazy,” he muttered to himself. “I must have gone crazy. I must've finally tripped over the edge. Because I felt it!” He glared at them. “I felt that weird feeling after he tattooed me. That was magic, right?”
Walker and Zay seemed to find his freak out amusing. Charles was doing a better job of concealing his smile, and only the corner of his eyes crinkled as he nodded.
Tamitri unlocked the gates and held them open. “You coming in, Crazy Boy?”
“We are not making that my new nickname,” Nicky announced hotly, scowling at Tamitri as he passed him.
Tamitri chuckled as he closed the gate behind them.
NICKY FELT A strange sensation wash over him as he stepped through the gates to Yarmac and Bogely's, similar to how he'd felt after getting the tattoo. It made him feel good and warm, and he closed his eyes as it flowed right through his body, starting at the top of his head, and moving slowly down until it reached the tip of his toes.
Magic, he realized.
He opened his eyes when the warm feeling vanished. “Holy shit! That was awesome!”
And then his mouth dropped.
Because what had been old, unkempt and abandoned circus grounds just a moment before had somehow transformed into a beautiful, thriving hive of bustling activity.
Thick, fresh grass had appeared underneath his feet where just seconds before had been only mud and dust. Instead of the few sagging strips of material, there were nearly a hundred tents and gazebos of all different sizes and shapes and colours. Some tiny, some towering. Stalls selling an array of peculiar and wonderful smelling things were set out by many of the tents. Nicky inhaled deeply. The air smelt of spice and wood smoke and delicious, home cooked food.
Tamitri explained that the entire circus grounds were hidden from the outside world by a powerful illusion, and that once a person entered the gates wearing the tattoo, the illusion dropped so that the real grounds could be seen. He told him that the feeling he'd experienced upon entering was the illusion melting away. And then he wished Nicky luck before disappearing into the crowd, Xantherus panting from all three mouths as he trotted by his side.
“They hid this place so that humans can't see it, right?” Nicky guessed out loud. “Because they'd freak out?”
“Correct,” Charles answered. “But humans aren't the only ones out there that these Outcasts want to hide from.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Outcasts here at Yarmac and Bogely's are a peaceful tribe. There are other people, other beings, out there who would harm these Outcasts if they knew how to find them. Not all Outcasts are harmonious.”
“Like who? Or what?”
“We can talk about that later.” Charles glanced around and stopped a spiky haired blonde man as he walked by. “Good afternoon, Cadby. Is Terelle around?”
“She's in her tent.” Cadby's gaze swivelled to Nicky and an enthusiastic smile lit up his already cheery face. He held out a hand for Nicky to shake. “Hi there. It's Nicky, right?” When he saw that Nicky was hesitant about taking his hand, he bit down on his lip as he tried to contain his laughter. “Don't worry, I won't stick you in the hand like Tamitri.” His wide grin stretched over a set of perfect white teeth, and his light blue eyes were bright with good humour. He gave off a youthful vibe, but Nicky guessed that he was in his thirties at least.
“How did you—”
“Cadby is a Psychic,” Charles informed him. He turned to Cadby, but before he could say anything, the other man spoke.
“Go speak to Terelle, she's waiting for you. And give me a call later about that thing you're thinking of. It's definitely possible.”
“What's possible?” Nicky wanted to know.
“I'll tell you in a while,” Charles said. “Come on, Terelle's tent is this way. Thank you, Cadby.”
As they strolled through the maze of tents, Nicky tried his hardest not to stare at the people...the beings. A lot of them looked completely normal, and he wouldn't have been able to tell they were any different from a regular human if he hadn't known any better. But there were some who were obviously not of human origins. Like the little boy with the horse tail sticking out of his shorts and pointed ears poking through his curly hair playing with toy trucks by a stall selling brightly coloured jewellery. Or the woman with the green tinted skin and the bright blue hair dancing to some low jazz music. Or the teenage boy with purple sparkles running up and down his arms.
The teenager caught Nicky looking at him and with a scowl, he scooped up a handful of sparkles and hurled them in his direction. Nicky's eyes bugged out and he ducked, but they swooped down with him and spread out around his hands, tingling as they moved. The boy burst into peals of laughter as Nicky waved his hands around in the air, trying to shoo the sparkles away.
Walker huffed impatiently at him and grabbed his hands out of the air, muttering about the scene he was causing. She wiped the sparkles off his hands like they were grains of sand before gathering them into a ball and throwing them back to the boy, who caught them easily.
“Relax,” Zay advised, nudging him with his shoulder. “Fabian was just messing around with you because he can tell you're uncomfortable. Besides, he's a Healer, so he can't hurt you. In fact...” He lifted Nicky's hand, the one that Tamitri had tattooed. Nicky was astonished to see that the swelling had gone down where the sparkles had spread over it. The tattoo looked like it had been there for weeks, instead of minutes.
“What were those purple sparkly things he was screwing with?”
“That was just his energy. He channels it to heal people. Everyone has it, but Outcasts can show it in physical form. Fab's only got it on show now because he's trying to impress Celeste.”
Nicky noticed the pretty young blonde thing giggling alongside Fabian and had to give the guy some credit. He'd been exactly the same when he was a teen—always looking for some way to get that one girl to notice him.
Sparkle drama over, they continued onwards. Outcasts stared at him as he passed through, the men with curiosity, the women with a not so subtle admiration. One beautiful dark haired woman reached out her hand to him, and he felt himself stopping, compelled to touch her. Walker slapped his hand before he could, and he snapped out of his daze.
“Don't touch the Succubus,” she scolded, and then to the woman. “He's new, Ianira. Back off.”
Ianira pouted, but dutifully blended back into the crowds.
Their group approached the largest tent in the whole grounds, if the gigantic structure could even be called a tent. It was huge—easily the size of a house—and was coloured in green, yellow and red stripes. Large wooden beams supported the thick material and there were even windows and doors. It sat right in the centre, like a ruling castle.
“Terelle likes her privacy,” Charles explained, nodding at the wooden door. “This is her abode.”
“Who exactly is Terelle? I heard you mention her a bunch of times.”
“She's the leader of the Outcasts here at Yarmac and Bogely's.”
“So she's kind of like the boss here?”
“I suppose you could word it that way, yes.”
“But not the boss of all the Outcasts?”
“No. There is no boss of the Outcasts, just like there is no boss of the entire human race. But there are tribes, and each tribe elects a leader. Terelle is the leader here, as she is the most powerful.” He rapped on her door with his knuckles.
A moment later, the door opened and Nicky looked upon a woman so exotically
beautiful that for a moment, he thought he must be imagining her. She was tall and willowy, with skin so golden it seemed to glow, and brown hair so smooth and silky that the candlelight from inside her tent reflected off of each shining strand. He couldn't tell where she came from. India? China? Greece? America? She seemed to be made up of a mixture of every country, all put together to form one perfect woman. She was truly breathtaking, and regal, and a part of him wanted to drop to his knees before her.
“Charles.” She appeared pleased to see him. “Welcome back. And Walker and Xavier, too. It always delights me to see you.” Though her appearance was a mystery, she sounded as if she could have been born in New York, even if she did speak formally. “Come in. I'd like to get to know your new Guardian.”
“This is Nicky,” Charles told her as they entered. “Nicky, this is Terelle, leader of the New York Outcasts.”
She held out a dainty hand for him to take. “It's a joy to meet you.”
Inside the tent, Nicky could almost believe they were in a real house, if not for the fact that the floor was grass instead of carpet or wood. The room was tall and the walls a deep red. The furnishings looked lavish and antique, and large candelabras hung from the ceiling. Nicky thought it was odd that she used candles instead of electric lighting as he had seen the others do outside. A spiral wooden staircase led to a second floor.
“I like to feel nature under my feet,” Terelle commented, watching him as he stared at the grassy ground underneath her bare feet. “Sit,” she told everyone, waving at a set of leather sofas. “Would anyone care for a drink?”
They all shook their heads, no.
Terelle took a seat in a gold framed armchair. She crossed her legs and gazed at Nicky, openly assessing him. “Welcome to the home of my Outcasts, Nicky. I hope you weren't too alarmed by what you saw.”
“Thank you. And, uh...maybe I was...am...a little alarmed. It's a lot to take in.”
“I appreciate your honesty. Are you still finding it difficult to believe?”