Shutting the door behind me, I drowned out the sounds of the festival rumbling away in the distance. Even in the sleepy mornings it wasn’t quiet—the hubbub of voices, strains of bands practising, piped music on some of the food stalls, the ever-present swish-hush of the sea calling to my gift. I sat down with my back to a box containing someone’s drum kit and rested my chin on my knees. Too much was happening at once, even for me—and I’m the opposite of a person who seeks the quiet life. The discovery of a little knot of savants outside the usual network was a good result, and finding Margot was just wonderful. Even if I sicced Victor onto him, it was going to be tough teaching Kurt the need to keep his gift secret as he was already as much in the spotlight as anyone could be on the planet and I sensed he wouldn’t take advice easily. Far too used to calling the shots. But then, he had managed to keep his power hidden—or didn’t even realize he had one—so it couldn’t be that spectacular or someone would have noticed.
