Whispers

Survivors

Karina was the last to leave the room that afternoon. Lucius watched her speak to each one of those who attended. He was near enough to hear snippets of what she said to each of them. Mostly encouragements and offers of a shoulder to cry on if needed.

Each minute spent with her revealed more of her compassion and limitless capacity to share herself with others. Lucius was spellbound. Never had he met a human who had been so selfless, so pure in her intentions. And that was saying something.

He’d met his share of saints through the centuries. No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find an ill-tempered bone on her body. At some point, he found himself doubting if she was human. She was too good to be true. There had to be a catch somewhere. But as he followed her out of the building like a well-trained guard dog no one could see, he chastised himself for having doubts. He counted himself lucky to personally witness Karina’s goodwill.

She wasn’t some regular girl—that much Lucius knew.

He prided himself on being able to read people well, especially humans, and if there was any guile in Karina, she hid it well.

Again Lucius mentally slapped himself. How could he be so cynical? When did he become so mistrustful? Doubting even what was already clearly happening right in front of him.

Maybe Desmond was right to worry. Lucius was a different person from when he’d started whispering. If he looked at himself in the mirror as he was before Tommy Humphrey, would he recognize the face staring back?

Karina hummed a breathy tune all the way to the bus stop. The angle of the afternoon sun’s rays brought out copper highlights in her braided hair. Lucius couldn’t let go of how beautiful her hair was. He really wanted to reach out and touch it. He even caught himself halfway there, but just as his fingers were inches away from her braid, he pulled back like he’d been burned when really his embarrassment at succumbing to such mushy feelings was what caught him off guard. And to make matters worse, every time a breeze blew her way, it sent a whiff of her watermelon shampoo toward him. He inhaled greedily, imagining white sand beaches and umbrella drinks.

Lucius was glad no one could see him. In his mind, he imagined himself looking more like a creepy stalker than a respected whisperer. How he far had fallen. If Desmond could only see him, taking a seat beside Karina on a bench waiting for the bus. He was actually glad his friend had a job. For one, he didn’t want to hear any annoying taunts about boys and girls sitting on a tree. And for another, he would be severely annoyed if the moment with Karina was interrupted.

For the first time in he didn’t know how long, the voices in his head had practically disappeared. Oh, they were there, lurking, but he was sure that every time he was with Karina, they would shut up. Why this happened, he had no idea, but he certainly liked it. No throbbing. No impending migraines. Bliss.

Lucius twisted to his side so he could study her profile. Despite her angular features—ones supermodels made millions with—Karina had a femininity that made Lucius want to trace those lines with his fingertips. He wanted to know how soft her skin felt.

She wasn’t curvy, but not too thin either. Her body showed just enough lushness that her clothes sat on her frame like perfectly tailored pieces of cloth. Lucius wondered if there was any style she couldn’t pull off. He imagined her in tight fitting jeans and almost lost his composure. Steering his mind away from dangerous images, he focused his attention once again on her hands. They looked like they haven’t worked a day in their lives, so creamy and pink. And her nails. He loved that she kept them short with no polish.

He allowed himself to reach out. As she continued to hum a tune he had no idea from what song, he let his hand hover above hers. Only centimeters separated them. He closed his eyes and let her warmth mingle with his.

He was so engrossed that his middle finger accidentally tapped hers for a split second. A zing of energy climbed up his arm, startling him. It was like walking on a rug with socks on and then touching a doorknob. She must have felt it too because she jerked her hand, which had been resting on the bench in between them, and examined it. She looked around and her gaze skimmed over where Lucius stood slack-jawed. He didn’t want to move, having a total dear in the headlights moment.

He was so shocked, both literally and emotionally, that he failed to notice the bus and Karina climbing on. Making an executive decision, Lucius showed himself and climbed up the bus just as it was about to pull away from the stop. The driver muttered the fair price and Lucius forgot he didn’t have money. He made a show of patting his pockets and talking his way into a free ride when a hand reached toward the pay slot and dropped change in.

“There you go,” Karina said with a smile.

Lucius stared at her, mute. Unfamiliar warmth spread across his chest, and the impulse to take her into his arms short-circuited his brain.

Without losing her smile, Karina didn’t miss a beat. “I forget to bring money with me all the time too.”

It took the bus jerking forward and the rude driver barking that they take their seats for Lucius to regain his ability to speak.

“Thanks,” he said.

“No problem.” Karina turned her back on him and made her way to a seat about halfway down the bus. She took the space by the window.

Not knowing quite exactly what to do since his preferred mode of travel was teleportation, Lucius followed Karina and slumped into the seat beside hers. She didn’t seem to mind, treating him to another one of her smiles. She gave freely without giving much thought to how precious they were. She was indeed a generous person. And it melted a part of Lucius’ heart he didn’t think he had. As a whisperer, he didn’t have much use for compassion, but Karina was showing him that it was possible to actually be a good person.

He gathered his wits and opened with, “I’m sorry for running away from you at the cemetery. I had . . . uh . . .”

Sensing his discomfort, Karina reached out and squeezed his hand, which he had been rubbing on his jeans since he’d taken a seat beside her. His head almost exploded from the amount of blood that came rushing in. Her hands were indeed as soft as he thought they would be. If he died then, he wouldn’t care. He was so happy. Could a whisperer die of too much happiness? He didn’t even understand why he was deliriously happy. One hand squeeze. Was he really that shallow?

He cleared his throat and tried to look into her eyes. This almost killed him too. Her eyes were the kind of blue that showed the black diamond flecks within them. They were jewels in of themselves.

And those lips up close . . . he shook his head vigorously. He needed to get a grip on himself or this little outing he had in mind with her wasn’t going anywhere fast. He would have to run away again, and that was the last thing he wanted to do, especially when she smelled oh so good. It wasn’t just the watermelon shampoo. There was a hint of lilacs too. But he wasn’t sure where that particular scent was coming from. All he knew was that it was intoxicating to breathe in. His lungs certainly enjoyed themselves. And forget about his heart. Its beats revved and kept on revving the second he stood behind her at the grief counseling meeting.

She was speaking to him. He knew that much. Her lips were moving, but his ears weren’t working properly. He mentally slapped himself.

“Excuse me?” he said.

“Oh,” she blushed prettily, “was I running my mouth off again? I’m sorry.” She let go of his hand and retreated to her side of the bus.

Instant guilt slammed into Lucius’ gut. “No, no. Please, I was the one who wasn’t paying attention. I was just wondering, your perfume . . .” His voice trailed off.

Karina’s face lit up like the 4th of July.

“You like it? I made it myself.” She extended her wrist toward his face.

Not knowing what to do, Lucius waited for her to give him a clue.

She laughed, which momentarily sent his nerves into overdrive. “Smell, silly.”

He bent his head until the tip of his nose touched her wrist and inhaled. Lilacs. Vanilla. And a pinch of orange blossom.

In Lucius’ head, if heaven had a scent, it would be whatever Karina called perfume. He wanted to keep her wrist close to his nose, but it might scare her if he verbally asked if it was possible. So, despite the sudden loneliness that flooded through him when she pulled away, he respected her personal boundaries by restraining his limbs within the space his body occupied.

She was speaking again. And this time, Lucius made sure to understand every word that came from her wonderfully pink lips.

“Making perfumes is a hobby. There are so many scent combinations out there. It’s fun mixing and matching. You should tell me the scents you like and I’ll mix some essential oils for you. What do you say?”

She was so enthusiastic that Lucius found himself saying yes. In fact, if she’d asked him to jump off the moving bus, he would have done so without a second thought. He’d have done anything, anything, in that single moment for her had she asked.

“And don’t worry about leaving at the cemetery,” she said as an afterthought. “I’m sure there was some place you needed to be. I totally understand.”

That wasn’t it, Lucius thought. All he wanted was to be with her, and he blew it by running away. Well, not today. He would make up for it if she’d let him.

“Where are you off to?” he asked casually, like riding the bus to somewhere was what he did on a daily basis.

“The market. I have some shopping to do before I head home for the day.” Karina watched the trees lining the side of the road into the city zoom by.

“I don’t have anything to do. Mind . . .” Lucius coughed into a fist to clear the sudden tightness in his throat that seemed to happen often when he wanted to tell Karina something. “Mind if I joined you? I’m pretty good at carrying heavy objects in plastic bags.” He put on what he thought was his most wholesome smile. “What do you say? Up for some company this afternoon?”

The happiness on her face was priceless.

Taken completely aback by her willingness to have him accompany her, he had to wonder at the back of his mind if she was this way to everyone. He was a complete stranger, yet she didn’t have to think twice about allowing him to join her.

“I’m Karina Wilson.” She reached out.

Thinking quickly, he shook her hand and said, “Lucius Clark.”

“It’s nice meeting you, Lucius.” Karina retrieved her hand. “And thank you for volunteering to help me today. I actually have a lot to buy and having an extra pair of strong arms lugging shopping bags is a total godsend.”

Lucius half heard what she said. He was still trying to figure out where he had gotten the name Clark. Maybe from an old movie or something. whisperers didn't have last names. They didn't need one since they lived anonymously. They mingled amongst themselves, so it would be silly walking around with a last name.

“Huh, yeah,” Lucius said when Karina stopped talking. “My pleasure.”

She clapped her hands once. “But don’t complain when it gets boring, okay? I know boys never like shopping.”

A smile tugged at one corner of his lips. There was something in the air around Karina that lightened up his mood.

“I promise.” He crossed his heart the way he’d seen on a romantic comedy Desmond had forced him to watch once. “I’m at your beck and call.”

And the moment Lucius spoke the words he realized he had meant them. Whatever she needed from him he’d bend over backward to give her.

His thoughts grew dark for a moment as a question entered his mind. Would she allow him to help her if she knew what he did for a living? Would she still have that sweet smile on her face for him if he told her he’d been the cause of the shooting at Blackwood High?

A fingertip on the knot his eyebrows made startled him out of his mood. “What were you thinking about, Mr. Serious?”

“Are you like this with everyone?” he asked. “I mean, I’m practically a stranger to you. One you met at a cemetery, of all places. And you’re okay that I’m accompanying you on a shopping trip? What if I was a murderer or something?”

Her expression grew thoughtful for a second. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

“Well, Lucius Clark, are you a murderer planning on stabbing me at some alley and dumping my body face down in a gutter?”

She sounded so serious that Lucius couldn’t help but laugh.

The sound attracted looks from the rest of the passengers in the bus. But he didn’t care. To laugh so openly was a treat he hadn’t had the pleasure of for so long. He’d actually forgotten how good it felt to release that kind of energy.

Karina giggled. “And that’s why I’m okay with you helping out. You don’t seem like the type that would hurt someone intentionally.”

Those words stopped Lucius short, his laughter gone as quickly as it started.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He leaned back. “We all have the capacity to hurt those around us, Karina.”

“It’s true. We can hurt each other, but do you want to hurt me?”

She asked so earnestly that Lucius had to open one eye to make sure. Yes, there it was on her face, the kind of sincerity that was so true, it could get her anything. If he ever had any more doubts about her goodness, they were all gone in that second.

“No,” he whispered. “I wouldn’t ever dream of hurting you.”