by Trudi Jaye
Garth paused, his face expressionless. “Not straightaway. But it’s returning stronger and stronger all the time.”
Jack could see the trepidation in Garth’s eyes. It was their worst fear, being cut off from their powers. “You don’t have it back in full yet?” Jack tapped his finger on his leg. Would he get it back in full? Could that be another of the consequences Rilla was talking about?
“No. Soon.” Garth sounded confident.
“Did you feel Kara’s fall?” Again, Rilla’s question was asked in a low, soft voice. She stood holding her warm cup of tea as if it were keeping her afloat.
“Only as a slight hitch. I was still weak.”
“How do you feel now, with Jack right here?”
Garth took a deep breath. “Shaky. He’s giving off a buzz of power that’s short-circuiting me. But it’s not high-level. I can handle it.”
Jack felt the heat in his face burn even hotter. He hadn’t realized Garth was still being affected. “You can’t just suffer through being around me. I need to be able to control what I’m absorbing.” Jack pushed his hand through his hair, trying to figure out this whole situation. The power was now pulsing around them, and he became aware of what Garth was talking about. There was something in the air, a light static hum that set his arm hairs on end. If it really was the energy he was taking from Garth, he had to do something about it.
But he wasn’t sure he could actually make it right.
“All of that fits with Rilla’s theory. She thinks you were reacting to the high levels of power I was absorbing.”
“Absorbing?”
“Our new word for what Jack does,” said Rilla firmly. “Absorbing.”
“Okay.” Garth nodded. “But how am I linked to Jack’s… absorbing?”
“I think when Jack absorbs a high level of power, essentially too much power, it will affect you. Without realizing it, he was pulling in power from everyone around him as soon as his ability kicked in. That did something to you, shorted your circuits. You came running, and then being so close to him made you collapse. It fits with what I saw on the dragon.”
“The dragon?”
Jack shook his head at Rilla. They didn’t need to tell Garth horror stories of how Betty had killed the Giftmaster. “Long story. Rilla will tell you another time,” he said quickly. “For now, what do you think of her idea?”
Garth looked at Jack strangely. “It’s a theory. How do we find out if it’s true?”
“We do some tests,” said Rilla. “Jack has to soak up power at higher and higher levels. Then we see how it affects you.”
Garth’s cheeks paled and he narrowed his eyes. “You want to knock me out again?”
Rilla put one hand on his arm. “It’s important, Garth. We have to know how this works. Jack needs to be able to control his power. What if he does it again by accident?”
Jack held his breath as he watched Rilla and Garth. He needed Garth to agree to this, or there was a good chance he’d be leaving the Carnival very soon. The thought made his heart sink down in his chest.
There was a long pause, and Garth closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. “We do it slowly,” he said, opening his eyes. “And Jack, you have to promise me you can cut it off, fast. Just in case.”
Jack let out his breath. “I’m already way better. I can cut it off more easily now. I just need a pen and paper.”
Garth pointed to a drawer nearby and Rilla pulled out a red pen and a blank sheet of paper, handing them to Jack.
As always, it focused his mind to put pen to paper. As his thoughts settled, he concentrated on dampening down the thick layer of tingling power that surrounded him. It was easier now than it had been at first. He made the connections faster, and when he really concentrated, he could feel the energy in the room. It was all around them, but he didn’t feel it coming into his body like it had before.
“Ah, that’s better,” said Garth with a sigh. “It’s like you’ve lifted an electrified net off me.” He rolled his shoulders and straightened up. “Now that it’s gone, I can see what a difference it was making to me.”
Jack frowned. “So, what was I doing to cause that?” He didn’t want to affect Garth even that much. It sounded bad.
Garth shook his head and shrugged. “Maybe just a low level of absorbing that you weren’t aware of and wasn’t strong enough to really affect me,” he said. “I’m really not sure.”
Rilla cleared her throat. “We need to concentrate on the next bit. You have to start absorbing again, Jack, bit by bit. Learn to control it. Start really low. Try to keep it at an even but low level to start with.”
Jack nodded, acknowledging Rilla’s words. He kept writing, the words flowing along the page, his hand clutching the long red pen. He felt a pounding in his temples, like something was trying to get in, break down his barriers. But he kept writing, focusing on soaking up the energy he felt around him. His hand was starting to hurt, and Jack glanced up. Everything around him seemed a bit brighter, clearer.
He was absorbing.
“It’s closing back in on me.” Garth shook his head. “I’m feeling fuzzy. Not too bad, though. I can still think clearly.”
“Is it okay for Jack to keep going? We need to test his control.”
“Just do it quickly before I change my mind,” said Garth.
Jack grasped his pen even tighter and let his mind flow. He opened his eyes a little wider as the effects of this new level of absorption hit him. Bright colors flashed at him from the surrounding caravan. A red mug. A blue cloth. Garth’s yellow t-shirt. They all seemed more vibrant and alive than they had moments before.
“Can you feel it?” Rilla asked Garth.
“If he can’t, I certainly can,” replied Jack.
Garth just nodded, his gaze off to one side.
“Are you okay?” she asked him, her eyes wide with concern.
Garth’s eyes were slightly glazed, but he was still functioning. Jack could smell a faint tinge of orange, and the peppermint from Rilla’s tea hung in the air around him. The sounds outside the caravan became clearer, as well—the calls of the animals, the sound of cars, people talking. It all seemed as if it were happening right outside the door.
“I think he’s at his limit,” said Rilla. “If you go any further, you’ll knock him out again. You need to stop, Jack.”
Jack felt a rush of disappointment. “That didn’t feel like much at all,” he said. But he stopped writing and let the flux of power around him diminish and flow back out to the Carnival.
Jack blinked and looked at Garth. He hadn’t come out of his trance. He was sitting with his eyes open, staring out into space.
“Shouldn’t he have woken up?” Jack leaned forward and waved a hand in front of Garth’s eyes. They didn’t flicker.
“Is it something to do with proximity? Maybe because you’re right next to him, you can only use a little before he’s affected.” Rilla was crouched in front of Garth, her hand on his arm, fear in her eyes.
“Did we go too far?” asked Jack, panic pulsing through his veins.
Garth moaned but didn’t otherwise move.
Rilla put one hand on Garth’s cheek. “Garth? Are you okay?” She chaffed his hands, repeating his name a few times.
The door behind them slammed open, and Frankie appeared in the doorway. “What the hell have you two done this time?” he said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Rilla looked up at Frankie, startled. “You felt something?” she said, a tremor in her voice.
“I could tell you were tinkering with Garth,” said Frankie, coming over to where Garth was sitting and crouching beside Rilla. “At least his eyes are still all black.”
She could feel the anger radiating off Frankie. Guilt flashed through her. He was right; they should have left Garth alone.
Jack blinked owlishly, still coming back from his immersion. “We didn’t think it would hurt him.”
“You’ve got to be careful, the pair of you. I
know you want answers, but you can’t do it at Garth’s expense.” Frankie frowned at them as he felt for Garth’s pulse. “What you saw on the dragon should tell you how dangerous it is.”
Rilla closed her eyes for a moment, resisting the urge to laugh. It would come out sounding hysterical. Her day had been turned upside-down in so many ways, but she would never have expected Frankie to be telling her off for being irresponsible. “If Jack is going to have a chance at staying in the Carnival, he has to know how to control this ability of his,” she said instead.
“Well, do it without turning our Giftmaster into a dribbling idiot, would you?” Frankie shook his head at them. “I was on my way over. Henry wanted me to tell you that the last of his alterations to Viktor’s prosthetic leg have been finished. He wants to take it to Kara tomorrow morning, and he said you need to arrange it.”
Rilla nodded. “I’ll do it first thing.” She looked down at Garth, her heart skipping a beat. He was staring straight ahead, not registering anything around him at all. “We need to help Garth.”
Frankie eyed Garth’s face. “Jack, what did you do to him?”
Rilla bit her lip, watching Garth’s blank face. She glanced at Jack. “Can you try to push out some of the energy you just absorbed? Try to give it to Garth to get him better?”
Jack creased his face, closing his eyes. His hand started writing on the pad next to him. Energy flared, and Rilla held her breath. When Garth’s eyes fluttered and shut, she let out a breath in a rush.
Garth’s hand moved up to his face, and he rubbed it heavily. “We’re definitely not doing that again,” he said, his eyes remaining closed.
***
“What are you talking about?” Kara crinkled up her face in confusion. She was sitting on her front porch, a blanket over her lap, a cup of tea sitting to one side. Deputy Fordham was right by her side, his arm curled protectively around her shoulders. Evidently, there had been a few changes in Kara’s life since Rilla had talked to her last.
Rilla smiled, and gestured to Viktor and Henry beside her. “Viktor and Henry are inventors. They asked me if I could think of anyone to test their latest project on.” She tried to look innocent.
“It just happens to be a prosthetic leg?” Kara clearly didn’t believe a word Rilla was saying.
“They’ve been working on it for a long time.” Rilla crossed her fingers behind her back. “It was just their luck I met you.”
Kara looked from Rilla to Viktor to Henry. Then she looked at Deputy Fordham. “What do you think, Matt?”
He lifted his free hand in the air. “Don’t get me involved. You don’t want to do anything I say,” he said, a frown marring his handsome features.
Kara shook her head. “Come on, Matt. I’m doing the show tomorrow night, and you can’t talk me out of it. That’s a decision I had to make for myself. I need to finish it.” She reached out her hand, and he clasped it in his. “But I need your help on this one.”
“I’m just concerned about you.” Lifting her hand to his mouth, the deputy kissed Kara’s palm. “You were just in a serious accident.”
“You don’t have to be concerned for Kara,” said Rilla. “We’ve taken every possible precaution. Guards, extra-safe rigging, double-checks from the engineers Viktor met. Plus, Lucietta is in jail. Kara will be safe.”
Aside from all their other precautions, Rilla had woken this morning to the news that Christoph and Barb had left in the night. Missy had chosen to stay with the Carnival.
“See, I’ll be safe.” Kara gave a sweet smile in the deputy’s direction. “Now, I need your opinion on this fake leg.”
Matt gave her a loving smile but shook his head. “I don’t know. Give it a try, I guess. I remember Abacus once saying to me that Viktor was a mechanical genius.”
Rilla felt the jolt that unexpected mention of her father always gave her. She held her breath for a moment, then continued. “It won’t hurt, Kara. It’s the latest R&D in the world of prosthetics. Matt’s right. Viktor is an engineering genius.”
Kara sucked in a deep breath. “Okay. When do we do it?”
“Right now.” Viktor clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “No time like the present.”
Viktor nodded at his son, and Henry strode off down the footpath to the car. He brought a towel-wrapped object back up the porch stairs.
“We should probably go inside,” said Henry.
Kara reached for her crutches and batted off the deputy when he tried to pick her up. “I’m not a child to be carried around,” she said to him.
“But I can help.”
“Let’s be clear. You’re helping me by being here. When you try to carry me, you’re not helping.” Kara’s voice was firm, but she lifted one hand to his cheek. “Thank you, but no.”
Rilla grabbed the blanket, and they all trailed inside after Kara as she walked slowly on her crutches. Even that was a huge change. Rilla was sure Kara wouldn’t have been seen without her prosthetic even a week ago.
She led them into the large living room area at the front of the house. The kitchen was through a wide doorway at the back, where Rilla could see cheerful yellow curtains and walls.
The living room was a sizeable space, with long couches and a television taking up one corner. Kara smiled at everyone and gestured for them all to sit. She had a special expression for the deputy, and Rilla’s heart lightened when she saw the look he gave her back. She was the happiest Rilla had ever seen her.
Kara sat on the couch and looked up at Viktor. “So, what do we do?” she asked.
Viktor came forward, his gruff features softening slightly. He’d not had a chance to properly meet Kara yet, but Rilla knew he’d been impressed by her determination in the short time since they’d arrived. It was hard not to be.
“We need to fix it to your leg and see if it fits properly. Have you worn a prosthetic before?”
Kara nodded. “I generally wear one. It’s uncomfortable, though.”
“Hopefully, you’ll like this one.” Viktor pulled out the special sock he’d had made to go over the stump to protect it from the worst of the friction. “It’s a porous material,” he said, rubbing the sock between his hands to demonstrate. “Won’t rub much. And breathes well, so you don’t get the same level of heat in there.”
He went to put it on, then stopped. He handed it to Kara. “You do it. You’ll know best how it’ll fit.”
Kara rolled the sock onto what remained of her leg. “It’s so soft. It’s like I don’t have anything on there.” Her voice showed her surprise. “It fits perfectly.”
It should fit perfectly, thought Rilla. They’d stolen her old prosthetic while she was up on the ribbon with Barb and taken a mold of it. They’d also taken enough hidden photos of her stump while she was up there for the computer program to work out the exact dimensions.
“I’ve made you some spares. And you just come back to me if you have any problems with them,” Viktor said gruffly, handing her the additional socks. He was clearly pleased with Kara’s response.
Then Viktor gestured to Henry, who pulled the new prosthetic leg out of the towel and laid it on the floor in front of Kara.
She gasped. Rilla could understand why. It looked so realistic—the toes, the foot, in fact, the whole leg was a color and shape that would mean no one would know at first glance it wasn’t Kara’s real leg. She leaned forward and hesitantly touched the soft, rubber-like material. “It feels like skin,” she said.
Viktor nodded. “Our own invention. The traditional materials were all a little out-of-date. It’s a mix of the current rubber recipes with a few changes of our own thrown in. Henry here is the mold-maker. You can thank him for the shapely calf muscles.”
Henry blushed but didn’t say anything.
“Is it rubber all the way through?”
“No, it’s metal in the middle. It would be too hard to make those joints out of plastic or rubber. They’re just not as durable as metal, and we had to make a knee joint for yo
u, as well as the foot balancer. But you’ll never notice, unless someone takes a knife to your leg.”
Despite the fact that the prosthetic leg appeared almost exactly like a real one, Rilla knew the real genius lay in the knee joint and its ability to work with the natural movement of the body. Kara would be able to walk around without even thinking about it.
“How do we put it on?” Kara bit her lip.
“It would be better standing, I think. Can you haul yourself up?” Viktor looked at Kara from where he was crouched on the floor. He made no move to help her up; he’d learned from Deputy Fordham’s mistakes.
Kara used her arms to get herself to a position where she could push herself onto her remaining leg. Deputy Fordham didn’t move a muscle. Rilla saw how much it cost him to stay still while Kara struggled to stand.
The stump hung down beside her other leg to about two inches above the knee joint. Viktor moved forward with the artificial leg and kneeled in front of her, his face a mask of concentration. He held the prosthetic up to her stump.
“This bit,” said Viktor, pointing to the part that attached to the stump, “has been molded using a softened, high-tech material that has a few of my own special additions to keep out infections. It’ll also give you a strong and secure attachment to the limb.”
He pushed it so the rubber sat firmly against Kara’s leg. “Can you feel that?” asked Viktor. “The natural suction?”
Kara nodded.
“It’s the type of rubber we’ve used, plus a series of small rubber joints. It’ll hold it all solidly in place.”
As he fitted the prosthetic to her leg, Kara watched closely, twisting and turning so she could get a proper look at what he was doing.
Viktor pulled back and stood up. “Go on… Take a few steps. See what you can do.”
Kara stepped out using her good leg, an instinctive move. She winced as if experiencing pain but then looked up, her face cracking into a grin. “I don’t feel a thing. No pain. It’s like it’s not even there.”
