Whispers

Mysteries

Lucius’ heart stopped. He had to remind himself to breathe. He didn’t hear Tomas wrong. Sasha was dead. But how was that possible?

It was only a few hours ago he had been with her. He still felt the crisp air surrounding them and the heat that came from her body so close to his. Granted, all he remembered of Janika’s party was up to the point of kissing her on the balcony, but he couldn’t possibly be involved in her death in any way. Of course, since he was the last one seen with her, the suspicions would land on him.

He swallowed. His throat had gone dry. “How . . .”

The question came out as a hoarse whisper. He was surprised he was capable of making a sound at all. He cleared his throat and swallowed again.

“How did this happen?”

His voice still didn’t sound his. A faint sheen of sweat rose on his forehead, but he fisted his hands, refusing to wipe it away.

Tomas sighed heavily. The kind of sigh that held with it the weight of the ages. For once, the way he slumped over, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, gave a hint as to how old he might be.

“What is the last thing you remember about last night?”

The question took Lucius aback. Surely Tomas didn’t believe he had anything to do with Sasha’s death.

“I was with Sasha on one of the balconies,” he managed to say without a quiver in his tone.

“What were you doing with her?" Tomas leveled his gaze at Lucius, even if he was seated. His expression remained blank.

Lucius licked his lips. They felt cracked and as dry as his throat. It was as if something was sucking out all the moisture from his body.

“I allowed myself to get drunk last night—”

“Just answer the question,” Tomas interrupted.

“I am answering the question. If you’d allow me to continue . . .”

His mentor dipped his chin to indicate Lucius should proceed.

After a deep, not so relaxing breath, he started where he had left off.

“I needed some fresh air. So, after the dance, I invited Sasha to join me on one of the balconies. We’d begun to grow intimate.” Lucius’ gaze fell to the expensive carpet he was standing on. The intricate pattern bled from his feet all the way to the edges. It was a series of interlocking vines. Their thorns angled in different directions.

“Intimate how?”

In agitation, he raked his fingers through his hair. “Jeez, Tomas, are you really going to make me spell it out? I had nothing to do with Sasha’s death!”

His voice had climb up a notch. Panic was setting in. He couldn’t understand why he was beginning to panic. He was innocent. He knew that much, regardless of the missing chunk of his memory.

“I know this must be difficult for you, Lucius,” Tomas softened his tone. He indicated the chair across from his. “Please, take a seat.”

It took Lucius a full minute before he could coax his legs to move. He had been rooted to the spot since the inquisition started. Once he made it to the chair, it took all his strength not to fall over. Sasha was dead. And it was possible Tomas suspected he had something to do with it. These two thoughts replayed themselves over and over in his head. And for once, the voices were speechless.

Tomas patted Lucius’ knee and said, “Everything’s going to be alright.” He rewarded Lucius’ panicked expression with the sincerity of his own. “Just answer my questions as clearly as possible. Can you do that for me?”

Defeated, Lucius nodded once.

“Alright.” Tomas sat back. “When you were on the balcony with Sasha, what did you mean you were getting intimate?”

“We were kissing,” Lucius said, his hands visibly shaking so he sat on them.

Gone was the whisperer thought of as legend by the young ones. Gone was the suave young man who carried his own against the most experienced among them. He was a boy once more, fresh from the nursery, entering the tutelage of Tomas for the first time. All his uncertainties and insecurities came flooding in, filling his mind to drowning point.

"What happened afterward?"

Lucius shook his head. “I don’t remember anything after that. We were kissing and the next thing I know I’m waking up in my own bed with a vicious hangover.”

Tomas frowned. “Is there nothing else?”

“Desmond came by today to fill me in on the rest of what I’d done.”

“Yes.” He leaned into his seat and tapped his lips. “You were definitely wasted last night. And Desmond did bring you home when you passed out.”

“Then why the questions?” It came out as an accusation. Lucius gathered his frayed composure and paused for a second. Then he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

Tomas waved away the apology like it was insignificant. “I’m just trying to get the facts right. Her body was found by Janika’s caretaker in one of the guest bedrooms of the penthouse. Upon being informed, Janika called Travis, who was still keeping an eye on her. Travis then called me and I called Dee.”

“How…” The question stuck to the walls of Lucius’ mouth like toffee. He tried again. “How did she die?”

“Energy burst to her forehead.”

“That means she knew her killer, or else she wouldn’t have let her attacker get that close.”

Tomas considered Lucius’ reasoning then countered, “But she’s young, newly graduated from Janika’s tutelage. She isn’t . . . wasn’t strong enough to fend off an attack of any kind. She was easy prey. Are you sure you don’t remember anything from last night apart from your time together on the balcony?”

Lucius was thankful Tomas didn’t repeat what he was doing with Sasha at the time. He was guilty enough as it was.

“Ask Desmond. He’s the one who seems to know everything else from the moment I rejoined the party to the time he brought me home.”

“He’s being questioned by Travis now.” Tomas stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “Come along. Dee wants to see us.” He manifested his black-staffed scythe, tapped the onyx stud on the floor, and watched as an elevator rose from the floor of Lucius’ bedroom.

“Should I change?” Lucius gave a cursory glance at himself. He was still in the jeans, shirt, and leather jacket he wore to the amusement park.

Tomas assessed Lucius then shook his head. “This isn’t a formal meeting. You don’t have to dress appropriately. And I think it would go well for your defense if you come as you are.”

The elevator doors opened with a ding.

“My defense?” he proceeded Tomas into the cab.

“You need to repeat everything you’ve told me to Dee,” Tomas said as the doors closed.

Not a second passed before the doors opened again to a long hallway buzzing with activity. Young whisperers and whisps alike ran around carrying stacks of paper, boxes, or an assortment of cleaning supplies.

“Cleaning day,” Tomas said as an aside, leading Lucius out of the elevator into the chaos.

Lucius dodged another whisperer who couldn’t see where he was going because of boxes he was carrying. “Watch it!”

“Sorry, sir!” The whisperer paused to bow his head.

Ignoring the apology, Lucius stood at the very center of the hallway and clapped his hands once. He put enough force into the clap that it boomed, causing everyone in that hall to stop and stare. Even Tomas was scandalized, his hand to his chest.

Once Lucius had gotten all their attention, he said, “Make way!”

The crowd immediately parted like the Red Sea.

"Now, nobody moves until Master Tomas and I make it to the end of the hall. Am I making myself clear?"

In response, the young whisperers and whisps bowed their heads. No one moved. And Lucius was sure they barely breathed too. The panic that coursed through his veins earlier as if he had mainlined Red Bull dissipated.

Being at the Crossroads, Dee’s domain, reminded him of who he was. He wasn’t that boy who knew nothing of being a whisperer anymore. He was the best among them. The most powerful. Enough with being pathetic. He was innocent, and he wanted to do everything he could to find Sasha’s killer. He was Lucius, ranked first among them, and no one will pin the murder of an innocent, young whisperer on him.

As if to make his point, he passed a still shocked Tomas to lead the rest of the way.

“I assume he’s in his office,” he said over his shoulder.

Tomas scrambled to catch up. “Was that necessary?”

“Dee wants to see us; the chaos in the hall was preventing that, so I solved that problem.”

Lucius lengthened his stride. The faster he finished this mess with Sasha the sooner he could return to Karina and grovel. He may be a living legend among the whisperers, but to her, he was just a human boy who had the tendency to keep flaking on her. He wasn’t sure which role he liked better.

“It’s good to have you back, Lucius.” Tomas walked astride with his charge.

Lucius heard the smile in his mentor’s voice more than saw it. Renewed confidence set his shoulders and added weight to his every step. He allowed himself to start thinking of who might want to harm Sasha. She was a new graduate. She didn’t have enough time to make enemies let alone get to know each and every member of the brotherhood. To all of them, she was at the bottom of the ladder. She had yet to climb her way up.

“This is the first time a whisperer was killed in cold blood,” he said, taking a right, down another hallway. This one empty. Activity resumed the moment he and Tomas left the hallway they had come from. A small smile tugged at Lucius’s lips. He was good. He was really good.

“Not necessarily.”

Tomas’s response stopped Lucius cold right outside Dee’s office. “What are you saying?”