Page 5
The crowded coffee shop bustled with life, even in the dying light of the late afternoon. I checked the time on my watch before scanning the rows of tables and cushy chairs in search of today’s assignment. Mother had briefed me on the topics of discussion I was to bring up during my “date” with the son of an influential Adored matriarch, but already, I could feel the tedium sinking in as I stood in line to order. Another afternoon of vapid conversation and subtle influence as I charmed the pants off an insipid socialite.
These days, I felt more escort than envoy.
But such was my lot. It was how I could prove myself useful to Mother and stay in her good graces. And the job wasn’t without its perks. Being in the favor of the figurehead of the Magi Council opened endless doors for me, even if I did still have to wait in line for coffee.
“Next, please.”
The person standing ahead moved, making room for me to approach the wooden counter. A woman with pale pink hair and an impressively detailed sleeve of tattoos nodded at me. “What can we get started for you?”
“Double espresso over ice,” I ordered, eyeing the mouthwatering pastries in the bakery case before deciding better. It would be too difficult to steer the conversation in the necessary direction if I had a mouthful of scone crumbs. Even though they looked incredibly tasty….
I handed the woman a bill, waved away the offer for change, and slid down the counter to the waiting area, maneuvering carefully around the other patrons queued for their caffeinated concoctions.
“Here you go, Larry.”
A deep-timbered voice drew my attention as the barista handed a short, round man his order over the counter.
“Thanks, Bastien,” the portly man replied, grabbing the mug and carefully turning on his heel to retreat to a small table in the corner covered in newspapers.
The barista—Bastien, as confirmed by the name stitched on the front of his apron—returned to the polished chrome espresso machine, humming under his breath as he pulled the next shot of rich, dark liquid. His arms were the first thing that held my attention. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled past the elbow to reveal sinewy flesh, just a few shades lighter than the rich coffee he masterfully poured from a small glass. The next was his hair, rows of tight, dark locks stylishly swept to the side. They bobbed with each confident movement the man took, every step a gracefully choreographed loop of motion.
I forced myself to look away as the barista handed out the next beverage, if only because I was concerned he’d catch my lingering gaze. But as soon as the patron stepped away with their order, my eyes were drawn right back to him.
He smiled as he worked, humming an aimless tune. I couldn’t quite catch the melody in its entirety from where I stood, but what I picked up made the corners of my mouth twitch upward.
“Double espresso,” Bastien announced, scanning the line of customers before his sights narrowed in on me. “Here you go, friend.”
I stepped forward, an irregular heat building behind my cheeks. Without a word, I swiped the glass from the counter, reeling to move as quickly as I could away from the barista and into the café.
What in blazes was that? Perhaps I was coming down with something? I would seek out a healer as soon as my duty pertaining to this “date” was finished.
“Tobias!”
A lean, brunette-haired figure waved at me from across the room. My target had been spotted at last. Now, all that remained was the manipulation. It was a simple enough job, really. If my words and looks weren’t enough to sway the man, I could always rely on magic to get my point across. But that required a certain risk on my end, as other Adored matriarchs could possibly detect my influence on their sons, so it was best to keep it in reserve as a last resort.
I pushed the barista from my mind and set my focus on the target.
“Corinth, I do hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” I maneuvered around the table, pulling out the chair opposite the brunette. His smooth features masked his true age—just a year younger than myself—and he wore a loose poet’s shirt with golden string lacing the top that displayed the supple flesh beneath.
He was easy prey that was for certain.
“Not at all,” Corinth replied, flashing a bright smile. “I was so glad to hear from you. It feels like I’ve been twisting your arm for ages to get some one-on-one time. Your mother must keep you quite busy.”
“I’m lucky to be so useful,” I replied, settling into my seat. From this angle, I could still see the handsome barista each time he served a beverage over the counter. “But today isn’t about business,” I continued, leaning over the table to take Corinth’s delicate hand in mine. “I’d like to keep to the topics of pleasure if that’s alright with you?”
Corinth’s cheeks flushed as he nodded, bouncing curls momentarily obscuring his sapphire-like eyes. He was cute. I would award him that. If it weren’t for my duty, I could see myself wooing this man for entirely different motives. Unfortunately, that fact did little to alleviate me from my responsibility to Mother. This man held something that she needed, and my orders were to take it.
But that didn’t mean it had to be entirely unpleasant.
“Has anyone ever told you that your eyes favor the depths of Lake Veranova?”
Corinth’s lashes fluttered as he batted those crystalline eyes at me, then shook his head. “I can’t say they have. I’ve never been to Veranova if you can believe it. Mother always wants to vacation in the mountains, so I usually end up bundled in three layers of coats, pretending I like to ski.”
I let out a light chuckle, stroking the back of Corinth’s hand with my thumb. “The mountains are beautiful too, of course. Think of it: a cozy cabin with a warm fire, wine flowing as easy as conversation, and we’d spend the evening curled up ? —”
“Here we go, sir.” A glass pot of coffee landed on the table, severing my hold on Corinth’s hand. I looked up, flustered, to find Bastien standing at the edge of the table, a warm smile spreading his full lips. He pulled out a small hourglass from the pocket of his apron, flipping it over so the red sand began to trickle down. “Your aero press. Once the timer runs out, press down on the plunger, and you’ll be ready to enjoy.”
Corinth nodded at the barista. “Thank you. Could I bother you for some cream and sugar?” His gaze fell back to me, and he added, “I like things on the sweeter side.”
“No bother at all,” Bastien replied, turning to direct his smile at me. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”
“Sorry about that,” Corinth apologized sheepishly, his fingers wrapping around the empty mug in front of him as he watched the sand fall through the hourglass. “What were you saying?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied, brushing off the interruption. I leaned closer once more, lowering my voice. “Why don’t you tell me more about these ski trips?”
Corinth launched into an incredibly unamusing recollection of his family’s latest trip to the Crested Mountains, and I did my best to appear interested in the details of places I’d never been to and people I’d never met. By the time Bastien returned with a small pitcher of cream and a ramekin of sugar, I was almost relieved to see him if only to take a breather from the mundanity of Corinth’s ramblings.
“I think you’re ready,” said Bastien after setting down the accompaniments. He pressed the stopper down on the small pot, and a stream of rich-smelling coffee poured into the bottom reservoir. “If you’ll allow me.” He motioned to the empty mug, and Corinth nodded enthusiastically.
Bastien deftly poured from the pot, filling the mug but still leaving enough room at the top for Corinth’s additions. As he returned the vessel to the center of the table, he eyed my untouched beverage.
“Was the espresso not to your liking?”
“What?” I looked down at the glass in front of me, a bead of condensation rolling down the side and pooling on the surface of the wooden table. “Oh, I’m sure it’s fine.”
Bastien didn’t move, still eyeing me expectantly. Corinth watched me as well, a curious expressing twisting his smooth features.
I was beginning to feel like an oddity to be gawked at, so I grabbed the glass, raising it to my lips, and drew a long swig. The bright, floral flavor of the espresso danced along my tongue, bold at first but dissolving into the subtle sweetness of chocolate.
Bastien’s smile grew wider, obviously satisfied with my reaction to his work. Maybe it was just the way the light hit them, but I could have sworn I could see something glimmering in behind those honeyed eyes as the man looked at me.
“Do let me know if I can assist you further,” said the barista, pulling his attention back to Corinth. With that, he departed, leaving me floundering as an electric trill shot down my spine.
“They’re so friendly here,” said Corinth, stirring a heaping spoonful of sugar into his cup. “I’ll definitely be back.”
I watched as Bastien returned behind the counter, his golden eyes finding me once more from across the café.
“Yes, I imagine I will, too.”
* * *
The car door opened from the exterior, blinding sunlight pouring into the cab as Bastien reached in and offered me his hand. I ignored the offer, gripping the doorframe to steady myself as I climbed into the warmth of the afternoon. The air was still humid from the earlier rain, but a break in the clouds overhead was enough to douse the area in glowing light.
When I was alive—the first time—I never gave much thought to my affection for sunlight. How it wrapped around me in a warm embrace but never felt smothering. How it danced along the ends of my curls, transfiguring them into flames that fell into my eyes. The gentle way it coaxed open a budding flower in the gardens around the chateau or guided twisting vines as they stretched for the heavens. It was a constant companion to all who thrived in the light.
Now, I only wondered how long I’d have to enjoy it before I returned to the dark.
“Do you remember this place, Tobias?”
Lorelei watched me, her thin brows raised with a sort of bored curiosity. In the sunlight, her hair was golden thread, weaved into spiraling coils.
Pulling myself away from my re-acquaintance with the sun, I looked up at the iron gate across the sidewalk, wrapped in strangling ivy. Beyond the gates, rows of rosebushes bloomed in a cacophony of colors, the grounds sloping upward until they reached a beautiful structure of grey stone in the distance. A soft wind drifted over the wall, bringing with it a sweet, floral aroma that lifted memories to the surface of my mind, like buoys bobbing over waves.
“The Floating Gardens,” I answered, my voice almost swallowed by the breeze.
“That’s right,” Lorelei confirmed with a nod. “This is one of the last places your sister was seen before her disappearance. My reports say that the two of you left together. Now, I need you to walk me through what happened that night.”
I concentrated on the flashes of memory that came with the next breeze, but they were too sporadic to try and form a timeline— Lenny and I stood on a balcony, our mother beside us as she addressed the gathered crowd below. The next, I leaned against a bar, my glass filled with a swirling green concoction as I chatted with the handsome bartender. He gave me a wink, and I gave him a tip. Next, I was running my hands along the soft petals of red roses as I moved through the garden. In the golden light of dusk, the bushes came to life around me, rising into the air as their translucent roots dislodged themselves from the soft earth, drifting upward until a thin rope attached to their base pulled taut, keeping them from drifting too far. Then, there was a man before me with salt and pepper hair and a tie of glittering gold. He spoke of deals made behind closed doors, and his breath reeked of onions. Then, another face, another conversation of broken details, none of which seemed important. And more faces, each washed of detail until they were reduced to a parade of mannequins draped in finery, circling me in a carousel of silk and satin.
A steadying hand on the small of my back rocketed me back to the present moment. I shied away from Bastien’s touch, ignoring the traces of heat that it left on my skin. “It’s too jumbled,” I said through an exhale, my breathing shaky. “I can recall bits and pieces, but it’ll take me forever to sort it into anything coherent.”
“We don’t have the luxury of forever,” Lorelei said, pulling the small notebook from her vest pocket and flipping it open. “Every moment, Lynette’s fate grows grimmer. So, might I suggest you find a way to speed things along?”
“Are you not some grandiose detective?” I queried, a heated frustration rising in my gut. “My mother wouldn’t waste her time with someone who was inept. Surely, you’ve already parsed out the details of what happened that night. What do you need me for?”
Lorelei’s notebook snapped shut as she leveled a glare at me. “I have testimonies, yes. I know where the two of you went after the celebration. I know the food that was prepared. I know the family history of the woman who served Lynette dinner—they’ve got a nice farm not too far from here. What I lack, Mr. Greene, is context. Those invisible threads that tie everything together. I need to know what Lynette was feeling leading up to the event. If she mentioned being worried about anything in particular, or if anyone from outside her usual cohorts was hanging around. Those are the details I’m interested in, so stop wasting my time and start talking.”
“Don’t push too hard,” Bastien interrupted, which did little to elevate my mood. “His mental state is still fragile. You don’t want him to fracture.”
“What in blazes does that mean?” I questioned, temper flaring. I was growing weary of the barrage of ominous afflictions I had acquired during my short second life. I’d been ill fewer times than I could count on one hand, yet now I was moments from falling apart at every turn.
Bastien sighed, thick fingers rubbing the slope of his brow. “It’s a complication from Death’s Touch. If you place too much stress on your psyche, it can fracture. You’ll end up losing yourself permanently.”
“Losing myself?” I repeated, a chill running up my spine. “What, like I go off my rocker?”
“Something like that,” Bastien replied, averting his eyes.
“Then what do you suggest we do, corpse peddler?” Lorelei asked with a huff, the toe of her shoe tapping against the sidewalk in an impatient staccato. “This is obviously a problem rooted in your expertise.”
“We can walk him through the space,” Bastien replied, moving toward the iron gates and pushing on them. They groaned in protest but swung open. “We’ll give his memories the opportunity to resurface naturally. It’s the best chance we have to avoid lasting damage.”
“Why bother?”
The question leaped from my mouth before I could stop it. The others turned to look at me, Lorelei grinning and Bastien looking like he was going to be sick. Overhead, the sun was obscured once more behind a wall of grey clouds, matching the shift in my mood.
“Why are you so hellbent on keeping me intact?” I continued, stretching out the collar of my shirt to poke at the sparkling gem protruding from my sternum. “I’m dead, Bast. What does it matter if I end up broken in the end? It won’t change anything.”
“See?” Lorelei positioned herself beside me, placing a dainty hand on my shoulder. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes. It is his sister we’re trying to find, after all.”
Bastien glowered, the darkness of his expression accentuating the growl in his voice. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Of course I don’t!” I shouted, arms flailing with frustration. “I’m only the one who was murdered, then dragged out of my cozy little grave and tossed into a clusterfuck of butchered memories and mind-numbing pain. So, you’ll have to excuse me if I’ve become a little disillusioned with this shitty second life. You can’t blame me for being interested in speeding up our hellish little field trip so I can get back to my dirt nap.”
Bastien blinked, the lines of his face smoothing. Lorelei grinned like a madwoman at my side, white teeth against crimson lips as if she’d been waiting for me to hit my breaking point.
“He’s willing to take the risk,” she said, pushing past the two of us and stepping through the open gate. “So, let’s get on with it, shall we?”
“Slow,” Bastien warned me as I trudged through, following Lorelei into the gardens.
The sun peeked through the clouds above, beams of golden light streaming down over the expanse of greenery. We were on the far side of the garden, the large building crafted from grey stone resting atop a verdant hill overlooking this place of beauty. Rows and rows of vibrant flora lined diverging paths of swirling design, intended to keep one wandering for hours. Another breeze kicked up, and I was wrapped in the honey-sweet aroma of roses.
It was peaceful here in the waning sunlight. The soft sounds of the branches swaying in the wind, the chittering of tiny animals that dashed under bush and trees, the thousands of blooms, each facing the bashful sun, the entity that brought them life.
I couldn’t help but feel the same way. Except, it wasn’t the sun’s warm rays that brought me back. No, it was the handsome man standing six feet away, watching my movements like a hawk. I was fully aware of it, the distance between us. Almost as if there was an invisible cord tethering me to Bastien. And perhaps there was. I knew little about the ways of the Reviled’s magic. Did it make sense that I would feel drawn to the man whose magic brought me back to the world of the living? Whose magic quite literally ran through my veins?
It made all the sense in the world to me at the moment.
“Anything?” Lorelei stood under the shade of a fir tree, arms crossed and looking at me expectantly. The chill from her icy blue eyes set the hair on the back of my neck standing. She could freeze a sweltering afternoon with that stare.
“Not yet,” I replied, pausing as my eye was drawn to a particularly beautiful rose—a deep and sultry orange. A bumblebee hovered over the open bud, its body covered in yellow specs of pollen. I watched, transfixed, as it disappeared, only for a moment, into the petals, then resurfaced, perching atop the edge of the flower. It watched me, too, with large bulbous eyes staring up at me like it knew I didn’t belong there.
Then again, perhaps that was a bit much to infer from an insect.
With a gentle buzz, the bee took flight, circling me lazily before changing trajectory upward and becoming a streak across the sky. As I watched it go, a sudden chill settled around me. The bee illuminated, bursting to life as a pinprick of light across the now-darkened sky. The sun had fallen impossibly fast, and the garden had come to life around me with lamps of swirling green fire suspended over the paved walkways. The bee flashed again, and I realized that it wasn’t a bee at all but a glowing firefly dancing on the gentle night breeze. There were more of them now, fluttering between the rows of flora and shedding their candescence across the ground below, each a burning star against the backdrop of deep purples and blues.
The fireflies weren’t the only thing to move amongst the darkness. Figures draped in clothing made from shadows stalked around me, drifting on soundless steps as they went, seemingly undisturbed by my presence.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, turning to where I expected to see Bastien, only the sidewalk was empty. Lorelei had vanished, too, which did little to quell the panic rising in my chest.
“Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
The shadows paid me no mind, continuing on their way without hesitation. One drew near, but when I reached for it, whispers brushed against my mind, soft as a caress but unintelligible.
I spun in place, grasping for anything recognizable. If I could get back to the gate, perhaps I could find the others. But dusk had robbed me of my bearings, and even though I was certain I was heading in the correct direction, it didn’t take me long to become lost among the winding paths.
My thoughts raced. Had my mind fractured, like Bastien warned? Had I been sent into the shadows of madness?
Panic swelled in my gut.
“Come along, Tobi! Mother is going to mount my head if I keep her waiting any longer.”
The words shredded through the shadows around me, coming from another figure that moved in the distance. Where all of the others had been ghostly apparitions, this one was an ethereal being haloed in golden light. As she approached, she smiled at me, hesitating long enough for recognition to kick in.
“Lenny?” I choked on her name.
She snatched my hand, dragging me alongside her. Her lavender dress billowed out from her waist—an antiquated silhouette popular amongst the Adored—with layers of ruffled fabric lending her the illusion of a physical presence far larger than reality.
As she pulled, I felt my body snap into place—as if something or someone were controlling it—and I followed her lead, clutching her arm.
“Let her squawk.” My lips moved along to the words. “Her days of tyranny are nearly over. What can she do now?”
Lynette weaved us through the faceless crowds, squaring us on the path up to the looming stone building at the top of the hill. The windows glowed with an inviting, soft amber light. “Just because she’s giving up her title doesn’t mean she can’t still make our lives a living hell, Tobi.”
My lips moved again, my voice sounding like it was coming from somewhere behind me in a fashion most disorienting. “And how would that be any different from the last twenty-some-odd years?”
Lynette looked back at me, her blood-red painted lips spreading wide. But something touched her eyes then. Melancholia appeared like a stranger in the dark, then slipped away as she turned from me, the mask of her smile firmly in place once more.
“It won’t be that way much longer, Tobi. I promise.”
Her words struck me like a sour note in a chord. What did she mean by that?
We passed others as Lynette moved us through the garden, weaving our way towards the observatory. Shadowy figures went by, illuminated briefly by the shimmering golden light that radiated from us. As the light washed over their features, they came into sharp detail, and it took me only a few moments to put things into place.
This was my memory from the night Lynette disappeared. The shadows hid the details I couldn’t recall—the faces of those I didn’t interact with or objects that didn’t capture my attention. But the golden light brought illumination—both literal and figurative—to all of the details I did remember.
How clever of my fractured mind to lay things out so cinematically.
“You’ll never guess who decided to show their arse at the bar earlier,” my lips continued to move while my body dodged a floating silver tray of hors d’oeuvres. My hand snatched one of the puffed pastries as they went by. “And after everything I did to show them a splendid time last fall?—”
A strong grip on my shoulder yanked me backward, and I was blinded by a sudden flash of light. I raised my arm to shield my eyes.
“Tobias!”
I blinked, Bastien’s features seeping through the brightness that assaulted my senses. He was panting, a droplet of sweat beaded on his dusky brow. Gone were the murmuring voices of the faceless shadows, the shapeless figures, and Lynette. I was standing in the sunlit garden once more, the memory of that night fading with each second, sifting through my grasp like the details of a dream.
“What happened?” I asked, still regaining my bearings from the whiplash of the changing scenery. “How did I get back?”
“Back?” Bastien repeated, his brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”