A Spectacle of Souls
Jessica Julien
(Circus of the Stolen #1)
Published by: Bleeding Ink Publishing
Publication date: July 7th 2020
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Caitlyn always thought she was just your average small-town waitress, but she’s anything but average. Suffering from frequent headaches and vivid daydreams, her oddities mask a secret hidden deep within her mind—one that could defeat even the cleverest of psychics.
When a mysterious circus arrives in town, Caitlyn is immediately drawn to it. While visiting the hypnotic show, she meets a seer who warns her of a gruesome future and urges her to stay away. But soon, Caitlyn finds herself ensnared in the show and the Ringmaster himself.
Recognizing Caitlyn’s powers for what they are, and believing they are the ones he has been searching for, the Ringmaster is determined to claim them as his own. Trapped within the circus and the Ringmaster’s devious grip, Caitlyn realizes that to escape the seer’s foretold fate, her only choice is to fight. Banding together with Bevier, an imprisoned psychic, Meg, an eccentric seamstress, and Daniel, a handsome magician, Caitlyn falls into the Psychic Realm to thwart the Ringmaster and stop the show before they succumb to his control and are trapped forever in his spectacle of souls.
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The Ringmaster loomed in the shadows, peeking out from behind the heavy curtain. Letting his eyes wander over the audience, he stopped here and there allowing his attention to focus on certain spectators.
“Anyone?” Madam Svetlana asked, gliding up beside him.
Shaking his head he replied, “No, not yet.”
He had done this a thousand times, searching the crowd for a pulse—a pull— an aura that glistened a little brighter than the others. Those were the juiciest, the ones with the buzz.
“There are many happy auras tonight but…” the Ringmaster let his voice trail off as he squinted, trying to goad one to pop out at him.
There’s always someone, a voice whispered in his mind.
“There!” He pointed.
Madam Svetlana followed his gaze, landing on the girl she had spoken with the day before. Her long hair pulled back into a loose braid, her eyes still glowing with the same majestic blue. Frustrated she hadn’t heeded her warning, Svetlana had switched out the card hidden within her pocket and had Ian add something extra to drink softening her aura and ensuring she wouldn’t be noticed. But it hadn’t worked, he still found her.
“Caitlyn,” Madam Svetlana said obediently.
“Caitlyn,” he repeated, as if testing the name on his tongue—tasting it, feeling it—to ensure it felt right. “Yes,” he nodded, “You’ve met her? Did you know she held an ability?”
“She came into my booth the other night, wanting a reading with her friend.” Madam Svetlana nodded toward Vanessa who now stood on stage about to be sawed in half. “I did feel an ability within her, but she does not know it is there.”
“Tell me about the power,” he demanded, his eyes never straying from his prey.
“It felt strong,” she shrugged.
Delicious, the voice salivated.
The Ringmaster turned toward her to watch her face more carefully. Squinting subtly, he read the quivering aura around her. He knew she was hiding something from him by the soft nervous purple it emitted.
“And...” he urged, taking a step closer to her, daring her to lie or withhold any information.
“It was powerful. Stronger than I’ve felt in long time.”
“But?” he pushed.
“But,” she continued, “it seems blocked. Stuck inside her mind, and she is stubborn girl—young. She may never release it.” The psychic fluttered her hands about.
The Ringmaster turned to the stage once more. “On her own.”
“What?” she asked, tilting her head.
“She may never release it on her own, you mean.” He glared back, watching Madam Svetlana nod once.
“Yes, I suppose,” she replied. “But do you really believe she is the one?”
“I’d need to get close to her to find out for sure,” he said as he watched Caitlyn smiling happily. Her aura pulsed a sublime shade of pinkish-purple where the edges glistened slightly with her hidden ability. He knew she had power within, waiting to be released, he only needed to find the right key to unlock it.
Daniel shouted, “Abracadabra” from the stage while the audience clapped. Vanessa stepped out of the sawed through box, perfectly unharmed.
“Send her the tonic,” he told Madam Svetlana.
“Are you sure? As I said she is not pliable enough yet. It may not work, or worse, it could damage her mind completely. She is too young to lose—”
“Send. It,” he commanded, lowering his tone to a depth that sent an icy shiver down the psychic’s spine.
Madam Svetlana nodded before turning to leave. The Ringmaster waited, mindlessly twisting his wedding ring, as his gaze drifted over Caitlyn.
Nodding gently, as if answering an internal question, the Ringmaster knew she was the one he’d been searching for. She had to be.
Hungry. It whispered in the back of his mind.
He shook off the voice with a heavy sigh.
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Author Bio:
Born in the picturesque state of Washington, Jessica Julien is the marketing director of a boutique publishing company, a stay at home mom, wife, and wanderluster. When not drafting marketing plans or doing laundry, she spends her time writing young adult and new adult novels focused on the paranormal and supernatural inspired by her love of all things dark and twisty. With her vivacious imagination, witty personality, and ability to bring sarcasm to a new level Jessica creates unique worlds and characters that readers can't help but hate to love and love to hate.
In her free time, Jessica can be found enjoying a cup of dark roasted coffee while snuggling under a blanket with a good book. When the weather is right she hops in the car with her husband, son, and dogs to road trip across the country where she delights in eating red vines, drinking iced lattes, and singing loudly in the passenger seat.
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