Cirque Periculum

Chapter 16

Connor sat down on the edge of the nearest bed inside the cabin. He didn't know how long he'd been in there, but he had had enough. Wesley had left him there at least an hour ago with a towel and a change of clothes, and Connor hadn't seen or heard from anyone since then.

The door was locked, and the many windows were locked from the outside. The room sported twenty bunk beds, and the only door that wasn't locked led to a bathroom with five stalls, ten urinals and an area to shower with six poles, each with four shower heads and no privacy. He counted nineteen bars of soap, twelve soap dispensers, and three drains in the floor.

He supposed that he should try harder to process what Captain Summertin had told him about the circus, but he didn't care to think about it. Adam was still there, and Mr. Summertin may have been the one to hurt him.

Connor showered and changed into a navy-blue Camp Caute t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. Why his shirt was blue instead of black he didn't know and frankly didn't care. He didn't want to stay.

As he walked out of the bathroom, Connor heard the front door open. Sean and a couple other boys strolled into the cabin and plopped onto their various bunks.

"T'sup Connor," Sean said when he saw him. "How was the talk with the big man?"

"Interesting..."

"Did he recruit you?" Sean asked.

"I'm still thinking about it," Connor muttered.

A little red headed boy perked up. "You mean he gave you a choice?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Connor asked.

Sean glared at the smaller boy and then turned back to Connor. "Captain Summertin is very set on gettin' the alchemy mirror."

"The Alchemist's Mirror?" Connor asked. "I thought he was guarding it."

"He is," Sean said slowly. "But only because your circus is closer to getting it than we are."

"Yeah, Captain's brother probably won't even know how to use it if he gets to it," another boy chimed in.

Connor sat down on one of the bottom bunks. "How is Captain going to use it?"

Sean shot Connor a warning glance as another boy spouted off, "Well, he's a glass mage so he's going to try to recreate it to resurrect-"

Another boy punched him in the gut. "Shut up you moron. That's classified information. You know what Captain Summertin would do if he heard you."

Sean stood up and glanced at the window. "Connor, how 'bout I show you around? I think I have something you're gonna like to see."

"Sure thing," Connor said, but his mind was reeling. What did the Alchemist's Mirror even do? Captain Summertin was a glass mage? Why did he want to replicate the mirror? Who exactly was the Alchemist? Why did he matter? One of the boys said something about resurrect? What if Connor could use it to resurrect his parents?

No, Connor thought, my parents are alive. I'm going to find them.

These thoughts continued to cycle through his head as he followed Sean back outside the cabin. The sun dipped into the water on the horizon, painting streaks of red and gold across the sky and sea. The island seemed to float lazily across the sky's reflection, a large dark clump in the middle of the serene sunset.

Sean took him past a few more buildings and into a field. It looked as if some sort of sport was played there, though the set-up was too bizarre to be any sport that Connor recognized. Tall wooden posts stood hap-hazardously across the grass, most topped with brightly colored green or orange flags. A sort of goal was set up on opposite ends of the field, with five tiers on each.

"It kind of reminds me of capture the flag," Sean said, "Only it's way more intense. I usually just watch, because I'm not exactly a ton of help without magic."

Connor looked at him, surprised by how downtrodden he sounded. "You can do so many other things without magic. Why aren't you a ton of help?"

Sean smiled. "That's the part I thought you would like. There are five flags for each team, the orange team and green team. The goal is to get all five of the other team's flags on your tiers. Problem is, each flag is hooked to a metal ring. Only way to take it off is from the top."

Connor nodded, "You have to fly to get up there."

"Exactly."

Connor paused. "Wait a minute! How did you find out that I was a flying mage?"

"It's not that hard, you've always loved the idea of flying as long as I've known you," Sean laughed, plopping himself down on the grass. He paused and looked up at Connor. "I saw you that night. The night both of you left."

"What? What do you mean?"

"The night you left with Cirque Periculum. I was there. I couldn't stop thinking about Adam. I was so worried about him, so I snuck out thinking that I could maybe stowaway on the train- y'know, to keep an eye on the twerp. But I got there just as the train started moving, just like you did. Then you started sprinting after it and then you flew. How is Adam?"

Connor's stomach lurched, and a sudden flash of anger washed over him. "You mean you don't know? He's dying, if he's not dead already. Your camp killed him."

Sean looked incredulous. "Dead? No, he can't be dead. You were supposed to protect him. He can't be..."

"I wasn't supposed to protect no one. At least it wasn't my friends that killed him! What do you know about it Sean?"

"Nothing. Camp Caute wasn't even on the magician's island anymore. Me and Captain went back to get you. I don't know who killed him, but I swear it wasn't us. Captain Summertin is a little rough around the edges, but he really does seem like a good person."

"How do you know he didn't leave someone behind that you didn't notice was missing? Who else would have killed Adam?" Connor yelled, hands balled into fists.

"I don't know," Sean said, head bowed. "I really don't know."

Connor closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, then launched himself into the air. Looping around the closest wooded beam, he spiraled to the bright orange flag and unlatched it. What was he going to do? He didn't know who he could trust. It was all just too much. He couldn't handle it. What was he going to do?

He sped back down to Sean. "I need to get out of here," he said. "If Adam's not dead, I'm sure he's still in danger. He knows something. Since you've seen him last, he's taken quite the liking to reading, and he stuck his nose in things that ended up biting him. I gotta figure out what."

Sean smiled. "That's the closest you've gotten to sounding like you since we picked you up."

"Since you kidnapped me you mean," Connor corrected with a small laugh. Then, serious, "I still trust you Sean. I need to escape, but I also need to see something in Captain Summertin's office. Can you help me?"

"Yeah, anything you need man," Sean said, his voice cracking. He coughed. "Only way in and out of this place is the bridge we took to come in. Try anything else and you'll get zapped by whatever barriers they have up. Except, the bridge is pretty heavily guarded, especially at night."

"What about Summertin's office?" Connor asked.

"Guarded, but not as heavily. There's bound to be other security there that Captain crafted himself. He's very good at setting traps."

"I'm good at springing them," Connor said with a grin. "He won't ever see this coming."

I need to get the key. It sounds like both Summertins are after the Alchemist's mirror, and it sounds like it wouldn't be good for either of them to get it. I have to stop both of them.

***

What traps await Connor? Comment your thoughts! Also, don't forget to vote :)