Cirque Periculum

Chapter 22

The entire hallway continued to glow as Mr. Summertin ushered Connor and Riley deeper and deeper into the tunnel. No one spoke as they descended, though Connor and Riley trailed behind. Riley's hand brushed against his, and he pulled away. His mind was spinning, unsure of who to trust- what to do.

So... What else did you do behind my back? Connor thought, though he mostly hoped that Riley wasn't paying attention.

"Connor, I'm so sorry. Mr. Summertin, he promised me so many things. My sister... He promised I could bring her back to life with the Alchemist's Mirror if I did what he asked." Connor felt Riley's gaze, but refused to return it. "Meridian is innocent. I- well, me and Amanda both- forced her to try to kill you. He knew you had the key the whole time."

Connor felt his blood pressure rise. It wasn't Camp Caute trying to kill him, it was Mr. Summertin.

I already knew Meridian is innocent. Seems like she's just about the only one in the whole camp.

"You should understand! When I first met you, you said you'd do anything to get your parents back. Well, it's the same for my sister. This is what I have to do."

Mr. Summertin stopped walking and turned around. He looked at the two of them, shaking his head and chuckling. "Children, I'm not certain, but I think we've arrived at the first task."

Connor met Riley's gaze. Well, you do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to do.

The hallway darkened as Mr. Summertin pushed open the door in front of them. Stepping aside, he gestured for the two children to enter. Refusing to look at either of them, Connor strode past and entered the darkness beyond the door.

Similar to when they entered from the jail cell, Connor looked back to see the doorway was gone, this time replaced with a stone wall. Ahead of him was a large cavern of stone, no sign of an exit. No sign of anything really.

Riley and then Mr. Summertin shortly appeared on either side of him, and the cavern started to glow a faint green.

"Watch yourselves," Mr. Summertin said softly. "Each trial will likely be treacherous. Be careful."

A pillar rose in the center of the room, stopping after a few feet. The top of the pillar shifted, glowing a bright orange and eventually dissolving away. In its place sat a child. At least, she seemed the size of a child.

The girl had bright blond hair, though thin and in some patches on her pasty-white scalp, nonexistent. Her frame was ragged, concave. Sickly green veins formed spiderwebs across her taut skin. Her cheeks were hollowed, eyes closed, swollen. Her mouth small, nose long. She opened her eyes, and Connor gasped. The same green veins crisscrossed black with a pinpoint of white in the center where the pupil should have been.

She stood slowly on spindly legs. Her body trembled, and thin grey wings protruded from her back. She wore a dirty white dress, the bottom flowed around her knees. The wings fluttered, and her small frame lifted of the pedestal and floated towards them.

Connor, mesmerized, didn't notice until then that Mr. Summertin and Riley both stood seemingly ready for a fight, both sporting daggers he didn't even know they had.

"Welcome friends," the creature whispered, her voice deep and harsh. "It's been so long since we've had visitors. We are the Somini. We wonder if you have brought us any food."

"We don't have any food for you, Somini. We simply wish to pass by," Mr. Summertin said.

The Somini closed her eyes. "He lies to us, sisters. We will just have to take the food for ourselves."