Whispers

Stalkers

From his seat at the table, Lucius gave the proceedings less than ten percent of his attention. His mind was still on what Ben had asked him to do. He didn’t want to leave Karina after he escorted her home. The only reason he left was he planned to grab a quick shower and change in fresh clothing before coming back, but the moment he teleported himself into his room, Shamus was there, hovering like a mother hen. He waved the black invitation and Lucius groaned. He completely forgot about the meeting . . . again.

For a second, he considered skipping the brotherhood meeting, but Shamus was Shamus. Immovable. Not that the caretaker had any real control over his decision making. Lucius just couldn’t stand how fussy the specter had been lately. So he decided to make a quick appearance and be back in time to guard Karina for the night.

“Master, I worry for you,” Shamus said when Lucius arrived that afternoon. “You are neglecting your responsibilities, sir.”

Lucius lifted his hand and wiped away his caretaker’s lips. “You need to stop mothering me.”

Shamus dissolved and reappeared, lips intact. “But, Master, this is not like you.”

“What do you care if—”

“I am here to look after your wellbeing, Sir. You have a job to do. The cases are piling up in your study, untouched. What kind of example will that set with the younger whisperers?”

“Are you lecturing me?” Lucius circled Shamus like a shark scenting blood in the water.

“I would never presume such a thing, Master.” The coward disappeared.

Lucius stared at the empty space his caretaker had left behind.

Now, among his peers, he did the same thing. He picked a corner of a gilded frame hanging on the opposite wall and stared at it, shutting himself away from everyone else. Ben’s worried expression interchanging with Karina’s innocent smile. He was wasting time attending a meeting he didn’t see the importance of anymore. He wanted to teleport to her house and stand guard. He needed to make sure nothing happened to her. A grain of worry sent ripples in his stomach.

Karina didn't act any differently after they left Ben for the day. She chatted on about what her mother was cooking for dinner: Lasagna with garlic bread. He couldn’t believe the vibrant girl sitting beside him on the bus was battling some sort of post-traumatic depression. That she was compelled to take long walks around her neighborhood at night. That she wandered aimlessly. Was she even aware that she did it?

If Ben’s suspicions about her sleepwalking were right, then she might be in more danger than Ben let on.

A nervous tic began at the corner of Lucius’s right eye. He’d been suppressing his restless energy for too long. It started to manifest as twitches. The meeting was running too long and on a day when he needed to be elsewhere. Just his luck.

Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he sat back and rested his chin on the palm of his hand, his middle finger massaging the tick away.

“Lucius,” Dee’s cool tone said his tactic didn’t work, “have you anything to report?”

All the whisperers shifted in their seats to face him as if a spotlight from above had come on and showered him with its light. Some bored. Some attentive. Others curious. Only Tomas was concerned.

Had they all been questioned by Travis about Sasha’s death?

It was possible, Lucius thought. Travis was nothing if not efficient when given a task.

Lucius sighed. Might as well get on with it.

“Not at the moment,” he said.

“Well,” Dee tapped a rhythm on his chair's armrest, “that was certainly . . .”

“I think the word you’re looking for, Dee, is uninspired,” Janika purred, chin on fist. “If you've noticed, our dear Lucius hasn't been paying attention to the little gathering we have here. His achievements are finally going to his head, thinking he can participate only when he wants to. I knew it was only a matter of time. High and mighty Lucius is finally showing his truth.”

“Bite me,” Lucius snarled under his breath, which he knew everyone heard despite the fact.

“You see what I mean?” Janika shook her head without lifting her chin from her fist. “He doesn't even respect the position he’s in. I’d call that a bad example to the younger whisperers in this room. He’s too drunk on his own power.”

Lucius pinned Janika against the wall with her windpipe crushed between his fingers before anyone could react.

“Hasn't anyone ever told you that you get on their nerves?” he said in a deadly whisper.

Janika presented him her teeth. “All the time,” she rasped.

A second later, when Tomas and Travis had recovered from their states of shock, they separated the two and shoved them back down onto their respective seats at the table.

“Do I need to change my very packed, very busy schedule just to scold you two?” Dee asked, seemingly unaffected by the fight that almost exploded.

No one dared speak. Not even Tomas.

An electric charge pinched every surface of exposed flesh on Lucius's body: his hands, neck, and face. And he had no doubt everyone else felt it too.

“I apologize for my lapse in manners, Dee,” he said. “It will not happen again.”

The cowl turned to him, its darkness within complete and limitless. “I just took you off of probation, Lucius. Today, I wonder if I have been mistaken in my decision.” He regarded Janika as well.

She had her head bowed in a flawless imitation of a scolded little girl when she said, “We will behave, Dee. Promise.”

“You do that,” said Dee.

As if on cue, the next whisperer began his report.

After the meeting from hell adjourned, a hand caught Lucius from behind by the collar of his jacket as he filed out of the room with the other whisperers. Before he could spin around and punch the jerk that clearly had no matters, the scenery changed to his bedroom. He pinched the bridge of his nose to help clear away the nausea that rose from not closing his eyes during the teleportation.

The hand that held him in place like an unruly kitten let go. He turned fist at the ready. When he recognized the dark suit with a light gray pin-stripe, he stepped back and dropped his hand to his side.

“You could have at least given me some warning, Tomas,” Lucius said. He snapped his fingers and black flames replaced his suit with his usual jacket, shirt, and jeans.

“What's happened to you, Lucius? Are you slipping back into—”

“How many times do I have to say this? I'm not depressed!”

Tomas came closer, resting his hand on Lucius's shoulder. “Sounds like denial to me.”

Lucius shrugged off his touch and moved to the other side of his room. He really needed to leave, and if he didn’t deal with Tomas, his mentor would end up following him to Karina’s house. If that happened, he’d be stuck having to explain what he was doing, and he didn’t want that. So, he reached for the white lie. “I’ve been thinking about Sasha’s murder.”

“The way you acted at the meeting, I’m not surprised.”

“Where are you in the investigation? Any leads?”

“It’s clear you still think Janika has something to do with it.” Tomas sighed like a father speaking to a troubled teen. “If Travis said she had nothing to do with it, then she didn’t. You should be glad Desmond had the presence of mind to save you from shoving your foot into your mouth. Leave the investigation to us, Lucius. I mean it.”

Appearing before his mentor, Lucius lifted Tomas's hand and pressed its knuckles to his forehead. “I apologize. I'm more on edge than depressed.” He returned to his previous position across the room. “At least take a second look at Janika’s story. It’s impossible that she didn’t know anything about what happened to Sasha. The murder occurred under her roof, most likely during her party or just after.”

“Thank you, Sherlock. I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.” Tomas leaned on one of the posts of Lucius's bed.

“Don’t patronize me.”

“Alright. Why aren’t you whispering?”

Frustration manifested as Lucius baring his teeth. This conversation was taking too long. His worry was a tidal wave now. He closed his eyes and breathed.

“I’m too distracted to whisper right now.”

“That girl—”

Lucius punched a hole through the wall. Flecks of plaster rained down from the ceiling. He needed to be elsewhere!

Dusting off his shoulders, Tomas said, “This has nothing to do with Janika.” He saw through the lie. “I think you should stay away from that girl for a while. A break from her company would do you some good. You’re too involved now.”

“She has a name, Tomas.” Lucius extricated his fist from the wall.

“Yes, Karina Wilson. I know of her.” He raised both hands in a sign of surrender. “If you feel attached to her enough to punch a wall in front of me out of pent up frustration, then there is nothing else I can do about it.” He waited until Lucius took several more calming breaths before he continued. “But this advice I will give you, let her go before you do something stupid.”

Deaf to Tomas's words, Lucius stabbed him with a heated glare and disappeared. He arrived at his destination behind a large shrub just as Karina pulled the front door shut. Baggy sweatpants hid the lower half of her body well while the gray hoody she zipped up engulfed the whole upper half, protecting her from the cold night air.

At least she dressed for the excursion, Lucius thought.

Not bothering to look around, Karina scampered down the porch steps to the lawn and took off at a brisk pace, hunched over with her hands in the front pockets of the hoody.

“What are you doing?” Lucius asked no one.

He pushed away the urge to shake some sense into her by setting his jaw and following her at a stalker’s distance. Ben was right. She walked and walked and walked. But where was she really going? Why did she feel the need to wonder at night?

Lucius hadn't followed Karina long when a car came careening down the street. He paid no attention until it crossed over into the opposite lane. It sped up as it approached Karina. Heart at the pit of his stomach, Lucius didn't think. He teleported to where she was about to step into the path of the speeding vehicle. He grabbed her around the waist with one arm and used a blast of energy with his other hand to push the car away.

Karina gasped in Lucius’s arms as if she’d been awakened from a nightmare. The screech of tires and loud crash of crumpling metal followed by hissing steam made her flinch. He felt her heart beat hard against his chest.

Realizing he must have been holding her too tightly, he relaxed his arms. Then he cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. They were a glazed blue, indicative of someone who had been whispered to. Panic erupted in Lucius’s chest. Karina wasn’t the type to think of suicide. And that car, it seemed too staged. What was going on?

“Lucius?” Karina said, blinking rapidly. “What are you doing in my room?”

He swallowed. “We’re not in your room.”

She looked around, confused. “What happened? Why are you holding me?”

“You . . . uh . . .” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not exactly sure I can explain what happened.”

“What are you doing here?” Fear and uncertainty filled her voice. She shivered uncontrollably.

Lucius rubbed her arms briskly, hoping the friction kept her from going into shock. “I’ve been following you.”

“You . . .” Karina processed the information. A semblance of clarity returned to her clear blue eyes. “Why am I not in my room? And what am I wearing?” She looked down at herself.

It became obvious she was trying hard to understand the situation. He needed to remain calm for her sake. If he lost it, she had no one to help her.

“Karina, you’ve been walking the streets at night.”

“What?” Her gaze met his like she expected to find a lie.

“Ben told me about it this afternoon. Your mom went to him for help. According to him, you’ve been doing this for a while now. You don’t know any of this?”

The deliberate head shake confirmed his rising suspicions. Someone had been whispering to her. But who would do such a thing?

Lucius suppressed his anger. He had time to sever heads after he was absolutely sure Karina was safe. He gathered her into his arms again and held her close. She returned his embrace and buried her face in his chest.

Lucius took in their surroundings. Apparently, while he was sorting Karina out, half the neighborhood had gathered; men and women in various stages of undress—robes and pyjama bottoms everywhere. A few kept their distance, observers to the event that cut into the monotony of their lives. Others—emboldened by courage or morbid curiosity—inched toward the wreck.

Karina looked over Lucius’s shoulder. "Oh God was that . . . ” She pointed at the car that had slammed into a streetlamp. The pole had fallen on its roof. “You save me?”

He nodded.

Her jaw dropped. “Was I supposed to die?”

Lucius’s lower lip trembled. He couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. She came so close to dying that night. The realization had finally settled in his mind, replacing his anger and panic with dread.

“I don't know. But I feel like the answer to that question is yes.”