Born with a damaged heart, Leanna Weston has lived a sheltered life with little chance at adventure. When she hears that Finvarra's Circus is coming to her small town, she sneaks off to witness the magic first hand, sure that this is her only chan...
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Irritated, Kioyo led straight to the Big Top and up the ladder with no preamble. Leanna followed with no argument, though once on the small platform, she wished she would have asked for perhaps one more go at the routine on the ring's edge. Uncertainty liquefied her joints and her legs wobbled terribly when ascending the ladder, while her pulse pounded each step in her ears. Now on the platform, they wanted to give out from beneath her as the ground zoomed out at an alarming speed.
Lightheaded, Leanna shot a hand blindly beside her, grasping the veranda tightly. Heavens, she wished this fear did not exist, but the platform—it seemed so much higher from the ground than days before. She too wondered if perhaps it grew magically like... like a beanstalk! Yes, she'd read a story recently of a growing beanstalk and the boy who dared climb it. That had been very magical, indeed. Maybe the tent grew, too. Taller with each day. Beads of cold sweat sprouted along Leanna's skin, and though the air was warmer up high, she trembled. Whereas the boy had giant leaves to catch him were he to fall from the beanstalk, what had she?
Unaware of her turmoil, Kioyo walked out onto the rope. Vertigo seized Leanna's empty stomach and squeezed bile into her throat. Dizzy, she leaned back against the veranda, pressing a clammy hand to her forehead.
Kioyo turned with a heavy sigh. "This is—" He was beside her in a flash, warm hands cradling her shoulders. "What's the matter? You're pale and sweating—goodness, how you shake. Is it your heart? Are you in pain?"
Leanna shook her head rapidly and regretted it instantly when the world wobbled before her eyes and swirled under her feet. She clutched Kioyo's shirt and closed her eyes. Taking a few calming breaths, she focused on Kioyo's hands on her shoulders, on her hands upon him. He was unmoving. Stable. He was there.
After a moment, she lifted her lashes. "I'm sorry. It appears I underestimated my fear. Being up here again, it's..." She let a long hollow breath speak for her.
Kioyo's hands dropped from her shoulders. "This is exactly the same as below, just the wire is a bit thinner than the ring's edge. That's all."
"And much higher," Leanna murmured.
With a heavy are we going to do this again sigh, Kioyo took a step back and folded his arms over his chest.
When he made to speak, Leanna pressed a hand to her heart. "Before you threaten to leave me up here by myself again, may I just say now that I do believe in magic. I do, with all of my heart. But the last time, I had Jin and Ellie to catch me. What if—just what if I should fall? Not that I don't trust you any, but it seems you have no wings... unless you do, only I haven't seen them." She realized then, "It may help my fear a little if you were to tell me what you are—you know, for my sanity's sake."
Kioyo stared at her a moment. "No, I do not have wings. But should you fall and I am unable to reach you in time," he pointed upwards with a grin, "They will."
