Page 59 of Shadows in Bloom

“Welcome,” I intoned, doing my best to disguise my voice. “Let us begin by sharing the sacred blood of the ancestors.” Carefully lifting the jug, I poured a generous amount of the wine into the two glasses before sliding one of the glasses across the table to him. Catching his dubious expression, I continued. “You may know it as wine.”

His expression cleared, and as I lifted my glass, he grabbed his own, tipping it to his lips and downing the contents, just as I’d anticipated him doing–having seen him do so countless times before.

As he watched me expectantly, I realised that I’d forgotten to prepare for one of the components–the fortune telling itself. I had no idea what to do, other than the line I needed to speak, which would be the cue for the second part of tonight’s events. Amélie lightly brushed my back as she stepped into the shadows, and my confidence returned. This was the cirque, and we made our own rules, so I could do whatever I wanted.

Moving my hands over the crystal ball, I began.

“I see…a great change coming. I see…flowers. A reflection. I see–”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s all bollocks. None of that shit’s real, is it? Gimme some more of that wine.” My former guardian swiped the jug, sloshing some of the liquid onto the table as he poured the rest of the contents into his glass, downing it in one go.

I held my breath. I wasn’t sure how long the flowers would take to act, but based on the sound of his distinctly laboured breathing, they were already beginning to take effect.

His meaty paw came up to rub at his chest, and he frowned down at himself. “W-what’s happening to me?”

“I foresee…darkness,” I said, and at my words, the lights went out except for the glow from the crystal ball. This time, I wasn’t afraid of the dark.

Because this time, I was one of the monsters.

His shout echoed around me. “What the fuck is going on? Get the lights back on, fucking now!”

Behind him, a tiny light winked on, and off, and on. The glow from the crystal ball was enough for me to see him spin around in the direction of the light. Amélie stepped up next to me, dipping her head to my ear.

“It’s time to go,” she whispered softly, and I nodded, climbing to my feet. As I did so, I flipped the hidden switch that would turn off the light emanating from the crystal ball. The only light remaining was the tiny, winking light, that became another light, and then another, creating a trail that led into the mirror maze.

“What are you doing? Turn the light back on!” There was a crash that sounded like a chair being overturned, and then I saw my former guardian illuminated in the faint glow, lumbering down the pathway we’d carefully laid out for him.

“Run, run, as fast as you can…” A sinister voice sounded from the shadows. “Don’t look behind you.” A mocking laugh came from behind our Chosen, and then there was a sudden scream as the lights brightened a little, and he caught sight of grinning sharpened teeth, the clown’s painted face reflected in dozens of mirrors that had become visible. Amélie grabbed my hand, and together, we ducked out of the tent while Teeth did his job, chasing our Chosen through the mirror maze, getting his heart pumping to allow the poison to spread more efficiently.

We reached the circle that had been carefully prepared earlier, joining the other masked cirque members, silent and still as we waited.

The sound of screams grew nearer, and across the circle, Florin palmed his knives, bouncing on his toes in his excitement. The dogs paced up and down, on high alert, the bloodlust just as thick in their veins as it was for the humans.

Then, bursting from the tent at a staggering, pained attempt at a run, came the Chosen. Teeth stalked after him with a rictus grin plastered on his face, his creepy clown makeup giving him a horrifying, nightmarish look. His long black cloak swirled around him as he herded his prey into the centre of the circle, right where we wanted him. The Chosen’s tattered clothes had several rips, courtesy of whatever mischief Teeth had been up to inside the maze, and as he entered the circle, Teeth caught up with him, his long, pointed talons tearing straight through the remains of the Chosen’s shirt.

Ollie, another of the cirque members, was prepared with rope to bind him, but it turned out we didn’t even need it. The Chosen collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his watery blue eyes vacant and glassy.

The Chosen hadn’t yet spotted me, his bleary gaze focusing on Judge, who had stepped into the circle, a whip coiled in his hand.

“You are here tonight to face your crimes, and to pay for your transgressions,” he began, his voice booming around us. A crack of his whip, and the Chosen jerked backwards, but I could see he no longer had the energy to move away.

Judge began listing the Chosen’s crimes, some of which I hadn’t even been aware of. Bile rose in my throat, and the cirque members shifted on their feet, restless and eager to see justice served for this man who had dared to hurt one of their own.

Another crack of the whip. Another flinch. Judge inclined his head, and as one, we removed our masks.

I stepped forwards. Blinking, the Chosen gazed up at me, and recognition dawned on his face, contorting with hatred.

“Y-you.”

“Yes. Me.” Holding my head high, I looked down on my former tormentor.

“W-what have you done to me?”

“What have I done to you? What have you done to me? What have you done to others? The years and years of abuse. Killing your own wife in cold blood–”

“She w-was going to leave me,” he gasped out, his lips curling into a snarl. “It’s all…it’s all your f-fucking fault, you little fucking bitch! You left, and everything went to hell!”

I stared at him, kneeling on the floor at my feet with the poison working its way through his veins. There was no redemption for this unrepentant man.

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