by Leanne Leeds
My parents raised me in the human world outside the paranormal one. Their decision left me ignorant of the complications.
Until now, anyway.
Now, I had strolled right smack into them.
I was deemed a rogue witch by the ruling Witches’ Council for being born into a ringmaster family. Gunther was, too. My parents were frowned upon for living in the human world. And my uncle…
Well, my uncle was dead, so he didn’t much care what anybody thought of him.
“This is a depressing conversation,” I said and reached for my glass of wine. Like I said, I loved my friends and never thought twice about what type of paranormals they were. It made me uneasy when they mentioned their discomfort with witches, but it seemed like part of the price I had to pay.
Nothing more alcohol can’t fix.
It tasted good even if I couldn’t get tipsy anymore. Another fabulous benefit of being the ringmaster supply closet.
“True. Good thing we are insulated from that here.” Fiona grabbed her wine glass and held it up in my direction. As she inclined her head, she hiccuped again. “For now, at least, we have an unbiased ringmaster, I think.”
“Well, half a ringmaster. Maybe even a quarter,” Anya grumbled. Ouch. That hurt.
“Jeez! Can’t we go back to talking about cute boys?” I asked Anya. The skin headed beauty rolled her eyes.
“You have to admit, Charlotte, your uncle is becoming more entrenched again as the leader of this circus,” Fortuna told me. “You are doing little to tiptoe into his role anymore.”
“I’m still trying to learn the magic Gunther is training me, and I’m more worried about that than anything else,” I told Fortuna. “I don’t think I should advance beyond my capabilities. I’m too concerned about screwing up the way I did the first few days. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? I’m the tortoise. Step-by-step. No more shoving witches from the Council back to their homes in the blink of an eye. Or sending carousels to Egypt.”
In my first full day as the ringmaster, three unpleasant witches came to visit. Asking no one, I sent them back to where they came from using my ringmaster power. Though my Uncle Phil had howled with glee at the action, I had broken the law by beaming them without their agreement. My father had to travel to Democritus and speak with a witch magistrate on my behalf, and he was scarcely successful in having the charges dismissed.
Ignorance of the law was a defense that could be used only three times, and I was determined to hold on to my other two passes. Just in case.
“Ugh. I hate watching powerful women abdicate themselves to a man,” Anya snarled.
“That would be true whether that abdication was good for the woman, my friend,” Avalon, the quiet weredeer told her closest friend. “You are a fierce defender of women. But part of respecting a woman’s power, Anya, is trusting her decisions. If Charlotte does not feel she should step up fully yet, you must honor her choice.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you keep telling me.”
“You just want a woman in charge, and better if she deposes a man by force.”
“Well, heck yeah, I do! You’re damn straight.”
“I am in charge, in a lot of ways,” I pointed out to Anya. “I just think it’s more important right now for me to learn about being a regular witch first. Once I’ve got that down, I can learn to juggle all the complexities of being the ringmaster operationally. Besides, I trust Uncle Phil and Samson. Don’t you?”
“Anya loves your uncle, Charlotte,” Avalon answered for the displeased Anya. “We all trust him. He did well by all of us for many, many years. My friend is just impatient for progress.”
“Well, I am impatient for apple pie,” I announced as I got up from the table to retrieve the Costco apple pie my mother had sent from the oven. “À la mode, anyone?”
“The fact you have to ask, Charlotte, makes me question whether I should honor your leadership,” Anya’s voice cracked like a whip as all around the table laughed. “If you return to this table with no vanilla ice cream, I will lose all respect for your decision-making abilities.”
“Can’t have that,” I said.
I stood in the shadows of the entry tunnel watching the show wrap up. The big top was full of beaming parents and howling children. Tiny, grinning faces were tacky with pink cotton candy. Some children curled up in their parents' arms trying to keep their eyes wide as sleep tugged at them through the loud chaos.
It made me feel wonderful, watching this. Proud.
I could sample audience members energy like I was smelling single blossoms in a field. Happy, tired, merry, inspired, ecstatic… Most of the sentiments that swelled out from the humans that visited us were positive, more positive than you would feel from someone in everyday life. I was glad there were those left that still loved to watch such an old-fashioned show.
I contemplated how long this would endure.
If you were human, you saw the three rings filled with elephants and horses and bears and lions and tigers. All animals that, in the human world, were often exploited for entertainment. Two hundred years ago when my family founded the Magical Midway, few people cared for the suffering of animals.
In this modern day, humans had evolved. That was a good thing.
That growth, however, could spell the end of this place in the form it was. If humans would no longer visit, we would have no purpose. Our life as a traveling circus could end. The prospect disturbed me, but I had not figured out a solution for it.
“Charlotte,” Bob shouted over the din of cheering and clapping. The Roman lares guard took my arm and leaned in so I could hear him. “Those three witches that came the first day you were the ringmaster. They are hanging out at the edge of the grounds. It looks kind of weird. They’re just, like, standin’ there. Doing nothing. Just staring.”
“Thanks, Bob.” I walked with him toward the back of the house where it was easier to speak. “How long have they been there?”
“I made that circuit 20 minutes ago, and they weren’t there. So less than 20 minutes.”
“Are they where the humans can see them?”
“Naw, they’re at the back edge behind the big top. Behind the pretend generators.” As a magically powered circus, we had a lot of things that weren’t what they seemed. We worked hard to make sure the humans saw us as a run-of-the-mill circus. That included faking generators.
Okay, maybe not a run-of-the-mill circus. Our acts and offerings were darn impressive. Way better than a human circus.
“Go back out there and keep an eye on them. I’ll let my uncle know, and then I’ll come out there with you.”
“You got it, boss.” Bob Larry grinned at me, saluted, and then raced toward the back exit.
When I first met Bob three months ago, I thought he was a little off. His brothers were the embodiment of controlled, serious Roman soldiers. Bob reminded me of a surfer dude from California, and I had little confidence in his skills because of his unusual personality. As I got to know him, I recognized he was whip-smart, and loyal.
He was also the only security guard that would speak in complete sentences. So, there was that.
I’m out at the back near the generator, Samson told me. I can see them, and Bob was right. They are standing in a line and staring into the grounds.
Why aren’t they coming in?
Your ringmaster magic holds no sway over them outside the Magical Midway sphere. My guess is they’re staying outside of the grounds so you can’t send them back to where they came from. You still have two passes left with the magistrate, you know.
Wait a minute—I can’t use my ringmaster magic outside the fairgrounds? I asked in shock.
At some point, I would know all the little rules surrounding what I could do and what I couldn’t do. It didn’t seem like that time would come soon, though.
You can, don’t be preposterous, Samson scoffed. You can use your ringmaster power anywhere. You simply can’t influence anything not on the Magical M
idway fairgrounds with it.
That’s one heck of a postscript, Samson. I took a deep breath and reminded myself again and again that I loved my familiar. I loved my familiar. I loved my ancient, intelligent, supportive, snide, secretive, headstrong, stubborn…
Okay, periodically I wanted to throttle him.
Like right now.
I would’ve thought it would be obvious. You are the Magical Midway ringmaster, not ringmaster of the entire world.
I zipped my mental voice.
As I strode out into the mild night air, I could see the three witches at the edge of the back clearing. I halted and crossed my arms, glaring. Sampling the energy of each woman, I read their impatience but little else. My power never showed me specifics unless people were projecting, and the three women guarded their objectives with efficiency. I cursed myself for not working on my talent more.
Uncle, we have company, I thought. I was thankful for the mental link that persisted between my uncle and I. Though it made me wonder why Uncle Phil went around the fairgrounds calling my name when he was looking for me.
Habit, dear girl. I’m heading out toward you, he called back.
I strolled toward the women, Samson beside me. Bob trailed behind me with his weapon at the ready. As I peered back, the intense look on his strained face startled me. Gone was his cheerful, dopey grin. Bob was all business.
“Welcome to the midway, ladies,” I called as I arrived upon the edge of the defensive sphere. The shimmering wall of light between us, detectable only by paranormals, illustrated the divide. Mina, Mabel, and Mercy had visited me once before. When they couldn’t manipulate the Magical Midway from me, they threatened to destroy it.
I was not happy to see them, but it didn’t cost me anything to be congenial.
“You have humans here,” Mina spat.
“We have hundreds of individuals here at the moment,” I told the fiery redhead. “I’m not certain if you’re aware, but we are a circus. There’s a crowd of folks watching the end of the show as we speak.”
“I am not speaking about the humans you allowed to pass over your border,” Mina said as she waved at the shimmering barrier. “I am talking about the two humans you have accepted as citizens. The humans you have living at a moderated paranormal property.”
Mark Botsworth and Fortuna Delphi were two of the rare humans that contained an infinitesimal amount of paranormal blood in their heritage. When a descendant of a human and paranormal pairing walked onto the grounds of a paranormal circus, their inherent supernatural powers could awaken. Mark and Fortuna were two such humans.
“Fortuna and Mark? They came from the Langdon Circus,” I told her, confused.
“And why do you think the Langdon Circus is no more?”
“Honestly? I have no idea. But I bet you’re gonna tell me.”
“The Langdons defied the statute. The circus was overthrown. The family elected not to pay the price for their sedition.” Mina stepped forward, and the toe of her pointy shoe rippled the magic wall between us. Her eyes narrowed as she heaved herself up further with her own importance.
Bob Larry stepped closer and leaned his blade toward the women.
“I do not understand what you’re talking about.”
“Oh my gosh, she is so stupid,” Mabel whined. “How does she not know there is a penalty for harboring humans in our world? It’s like she knows nothing at all.”
“What are you whining about?”
“Continue to conceal the humans and keep the boundary up, and you will pay the price for your disregard of the decree,” Mina said. She held her arms wide as if to embrace the sphere that enveloped us. “Take this down, subject yourself to our orders, and your rogue family might be allowed to survive. Either way, the Astleys have restitution to pay that is long outstanding.” Mina paused and crossed her arms. “Or perhaps you will allow your parents to pay the consequences?”
My heart froze in my rib cage. “Why them? They’ve done nothing to you!”
“Because we can get to them, stupid,” Mabel answered. Mina slapped her and mumbled for her to shut up. “Um, because that’s the law. They own the circus, too, stupid.”
“I thought the law was no witch can harm another witch?”
“Well, we don’t kill them kill them, you know,” Mabel pointed out. “We could apprehend them. We could make them human, you know. Take all their witch power. You know, it’s kind of like death. I mean, it’s the death of a witch. They won’t be dead dead. Just locked up. Or an icky human.”
“They may as well be dead to you,” Mina laughed. “Once imprisoned, they can’t come here, and you can’t go there. If they’re human, well… you’d have to take a plane. Disgusting, filthy, dangerous things. You’d never see them, and you couldn’t find them.”
“Oh, for unicorn’s sake, I know where my house is.” Is she serious?
“What house? Doesn’t your family circus trust pay for your filthy little animal shelter? Your home?” My jaw dropped at the sheer viciousness of this woman, and the glee she took in delivering her threats. She would’ve put many a Disney villain to shame. My confidence wavered.
I imagined the next statement out of her mouth would be plans for the coat she would make from the puppies we were housing.
“By your own law, we have seven days to answer!” Uncle Phil shouted as he ran up to us. “Charlotte, agree to nothing! Say nothing! Commit to nothing! For seven days they can do nothing.”
“Is that right? Do they have seven days?” Mercy murmured behind Mina.
“I don’t know, no one’s ever argued before,” Mabel told her.
Mina stared at Uncle Phil, and I could swear I watched her eyes turn red. The two stared each other down, one enraged and one confident. After several seconds, Mina shrieked and shot lightning at the sphere. It harmlessly bounced off—well, harmless for us. Mercy and Mabel dove for the ground squealing at their leader as the sparks rebounded.
“You should be worm food,” Mina told my uncle once she collected herself.
“Magic is a marvelous thing, Mina. You should try it.”
“Insolent fool. I will return in seven days. I expect when I return you will hand over the humans and take down the protection around the Magical Midway that blocks you from us,” Mina pronounced. “Until then, no harm will come to your parents. We follow the laws since we are the law.”
“Just so I have all the facts here… If we gave you Mark and Fortuna, what would happen to them?”
“Why, they would be killed, of course,” Mina said pleasantly. “No human can know of our existence and live.”
Mercy’s head snapped toward Mina. She stared at the woman as if Mina’s statement had startled her, her face troubled. In the blink of an eye, Mercy’s expression returned to a sneer as she shifted her eyes toward me and I wondered if I had seen the concern at all.
“And that’s, like, dead dead. Like, really dead. In case you’re wondering,” Mercy said as she tossed her blond hair. Mabel nodded.
“Seven days!” Mina shouted. The three women raised their arms. Lightning bolts flew from their fingertips and fog surrounded them.
Then they disappeared.
2
“Everybody, I need you to calm down! Be quiet!” I hollered at the assembled paranormals jostling against one another around my dining table. Fortuna and Mark sat against the wall looking glum with their heads down. Despite the crisis being provoked by their presence, they seemed to be the only two people without an opinion.
Word spread of the Witches’ Council visit and threat through the Magical Midway. After my uncle and I reassured as many as we could, we called for a meeting the following morning. Besides Mark and Fortuna, my girl squad was in attendance. Bob stood back observing the crowd, ensuring no one got too out of control. Serena, a werelioness, perched next to Mark Botsworth holding his hand. Her gray eyes revealed her fear even as her posture was rigid and defiant.
“How did they find out that humans were here?”
Serena demanded. Her majestic voice cut across the chaotic din of chattering noise, and the room fell silent.
“The Witches’ Council has always known that humans are in residence at the circuses. They noticed the awakening power in the second-generation of the fairs,” Uncle Phil told her. “It appears they are moving against us with much more seriousness than I expected. That’s the only reason I can see for this. There’s no reason I can think of to make it an issue all of a sudden.”
“I do not wish to start a war with the Witches’ Council,” Serena told him. “However, I will happily tear out the throat of anyone who seeks to harm Mark.” The polished beauty leaned over to caress Mark’s shoulder with her cheek. Mark raised his head and smiled at her, leaning to press his head against her golden hair.
“Serena, I don’t want to cause anyone harm, or for anyone to be harmed because of me,” he told her.
“That is not up to you,” she responded sharply. A low, throaty growl emanated from her even as her rich voice spoke the next words. “I am a lioness. I fight for whatever male I choose. And I have chosen you, human. With that, it is done.” Mark’s eyes filled with tears and I heard his breath hitch as he bowed.
“We have seven days, so before we talk about tearing out people’s throats, I think we should explore less violent options,” I pointed out.
“I don’t know, I think the violent solution deals with the issue,” Anya chimed in as she placed a hand on Serena’s shoulder. “They’re not men, but I bet I could drown the other two. Might be interesting just to hold someone under the water instead of chanting to them. I mean, that could work. Might even be fun.”
I stared at my friend and swallowed. Sometimes I was thrilled Anya liked me, if for no other reason than it seemed far safer to be on her good side. This was one of those moments.
“We have a spy problem,” Fiona said. “Whether it’s the Makepeace spies, or the Witches’ Council spies, none of this would be happening if someone wasn’t providing our enemies information. That has to end. We have been tolerant of the spy network, but times have changed. The spy network is no longer the charming gossip tree of a bygone time.”