Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

laugh.
    “True. But redheads together
nonetheless,” he responded in a low tone. His lips turned upward so slightly I
might have imagined it.
    Delia spoke up. “Can someone
explain the whole carrier and creator thing? I never really understand it.”
    Nikolas looked at me and
motioned his hand as though to tell me the floor was mine.
    “Oh, okay,” I said. “It’s kinda
like Marty says there are other Unbreakables who have different skills. So with
Firestarters, you uh, have creators, meaning those guys can create fire by
will, as well as be engulfed in and control their flames. A carrier means that
you need a jumpstart—”
    “Like a lighter,” Nikolas said,
waving his own lighter around for effect.
    I was waving my hands around
more than necessary. Putting my arms down at my sides, I continued, “But they
can still touch fire and control it. Then there’s the last group. They can’t
control any fire, only be immersed in it.”
    “That’s Bobby,” Keegan said to
Delia, who nodded in understanding.
    “Hey, when did you get your
power?” Keegan asked me. “I was fifteen or sixteen.”
    “Yeah, I was twelve,” Nikolas
added.
    They looked at me expectantly.
My voice came out very high-pitched when I answered. “Um…two?”
    Even Delia gave me a shocked
look.
    “It still took me a few years to
get the hang of fireballs,” I said meekly.
    “It takes everyone a few years
to get those. You had the hang of them years before us,” Nikolas said.
    Delia spoke up again. “But you
guys can’t set each other on fire?”
    “It’s not so much that we
can’t,” Nikolas said, finally breaking his gaze on me to look at her. “It’s
more like we probably shouldn’t. Firepower is different for each of us so
sometimes our flames can be dangerous even for each other. That’s kinda what
makes it more fun though.”
    He gave me a broad grin that I
didn’t return. Raised under an extremely careful eye (and unfortunately for
Nikolas), I was a play-by-the-rules girl. Our gift was dangerous, could easily
kill anyone in close proximity.
    “And you are a creator?” Delia
asked me. I nodded and her face grew thoughtful. “You are sure my things are
safe living with you?”
    It didn’t surprise me that
people feared Firestarters. They could take down an entire neighborhood with
one bad day. I hesitated, slightly taken aback, then realized she was grinning
at me, teasing me.
    Nikolas turned back to me and
wagged his lighter in front of my face. “You ready to show us your stuff?”
    The girl with blue-streaked hair
spoke up. “Yeah, let’s see what you got, new girl.”
    “How about you guys go about
your typical afternoon. I’ll watch,” I suggested. “I probably need to get a
feel for it first.”
    The blue-haired girl rolled her
eyes again and I heard Delia give an exasperated sigh. I knew it was a coward
move, but I was too anxious to show my gift so soon and in front of such a
skeptical audience. Watching them first would give me an idea of how confident
I should feel.
    “It’s all right if you’re a
little shy right now,” Keegan said. “But you’re showing off before we leave
this field.”
    I nodded, defeated. It was
probably the best deal I’d get. Another girl walked over to me and introduced
herself.
    “I’m Bianca. The oh-so-friendly
blue haired chick, that’s my girlfriend Brooklyn,” she said in a husky, sexy
voice.
    Bianca, like Brooklyn, had a
nose stud, but her black hair was in a cute pixie cut and she wore thick black
eyeliner. I already envied her buttery brown skin and a lithe figure. I guessed
the couple that dressed alike stayed together, because they both had on ripped
jeans, black tank tops, and matching cigarette packs in their back pocket.
    Brooklyn snorted. “Are we your
first lesbian couple?”
    I forgot she was a Telepath.
That would get annoying pretty fast. Before I could respond, the third guy
spoke up.
    “I’m Finley, but everyone calls
me Fin.” He walked over