Cirque Periculum

Chapter 5.1

Connor and Meridian stood up and strolled to the tables. They found steaming plates of rolls and cold ham waiting for them. When their plates were full, they sat down next to each other. Just as Connor began eating, Adam sat down on the other side of Connor.

"How was your first class?" Adam asked with excitement.

"It was good. I learned how to float."

With amusement, I watched his eyes widen. "Wow! I wanna learn! I wish I had that gift."

"Adam," Meridian said, leaning over the table so she could see him. "Your gift is just as powerful, if not more so."

"But it ain't flying," Adam muttered.

"What did you do during your class?" Connor asked.

"I learned how to do a simple energy pulse. Wanna see?"

Connor nodded. Adam closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. His brow furrowed when a small ripple of white light flowed out of him.

"Cool," I said, thinking of the white pulse Mr. Barge sent out in the performance. "Does it make people glow?"

"No," Adam said. "It's pretty much just light."

"That's still pretty cool," Connor said.

They finished eating in silence. Connor kept looking around for Riley, but he didn't see any sign of her. He stood up and took his plate to the baker's cabin after Meridian pointed him in the direction to go. The cabin was wooden and small. A window with a bar took up half of the front, which is where Connor put his dishes.

He knew he had to go with Mr. Salem for his next class, but he didn't have a clue as to where he was supposed to go. Instead of searching, he went back to the table and sat down again between Adam and Meridian.

"Connor," Meridian said. "Mr. Salem told me to tell you to meet him at the top of the watch tower. It's toward the center of the island. Do you want me to show you the way?"

Adam piped up. "That's the building I'm training in. I can walk him to it."

Meridian smiled. "Thank-you Adam. Good luck you two, I'm going to start working on a performance for us Connor. I was thinking trapeze."

"Sounds fun," Connor said.

Adam got up and took his dishes to the cabin, and Connor followed close behind. They then wound their way around the campsite, going past buildings and tents. The buildings seemed to get bigger the further they went until they got to the tower.

It stood above all of the other buildings, stretching into the bright blue sky. It appeared to be a lighthouse, with the top floor mostly glass. Adam went through the door ahead of Connor and climbed up the light wooden staircase. They continued up two floors before Adam stopped.

"This is where I go, but you need to keep going until you get to the top," Adam said. "See you Con. Good luck!"

"Thanks, I need it," Connor said before turning to continue up the stairs. He climbed six more flights of staircases before he reached the glass floor. Mr. Salem was standing in front of the glass wall on the other side of the room, gazing out over the rest of the island.

"Sit on the floor," he said without turning around. "We'll get started so you don't waste any more of my time."

Connor complied, one hand clenched in a fist. He took a deep breath and unclenched it. He couldn't get mad at one of his instructors. It wasn't that like he cared what Mr. Salem thought of him, but he would rather not draw attention to himself with the whole two gifts thing above his head.