Page 19 of Dead Wrong

“Is he here for you?” my memory asked Lynette, nodding my head toward the voyeur. “I have to say that I approve, but I don’t think there’s enough time for the two of you to get very far if that should be your intention?—”

Lynette’s snorted laugh cuts me off, her eyes drifting over to the stranger. “He’s not my preferred flavor, dear brother. But I’m afraid heishere for me. If you’ll excuse me for just a tick, I’ll be right behind you.”

“Are you certain?” I asked, not yet relinquishing the grip on my sister. “How do we know he doesn’t have nefarious intentions?”

Lynette grinned up at me, gently pulling her hand away. “I’ll be fine, Tobi. Wait for me at the landing above. I promise it won’t be long.”

I wanted to stop her. To pull her away from whatever shadowy game began on this night, but I was powerless as the Tobias of the past let her go, ignorant to the dangers that lurked in the near future. The memory turned from her to continue climbing the stairs, taking me along with him.

“Who is she speaking to?” Lorelei’s voice bounced off the smooth stairs, piercing and too loud. The stabbing pain behind my eyes intensified.

“I don’t remember,” I replied as the three of us crested the top of the staircase. There were more faceless figures here on the balcony, but they didn’t approach the group, keeping a polite distance. “I know him, but I can’t put a finger on it.”

“He’s part of the Hallowed,” Bastien interjected, suddenly standing very close to me.

“How do you know that?” I asked, willing the memory of my body to move further from Bastien.

Bastien pointed at the collar of his shirt. “The pin on his lapel. It was the crest of the Cardinal, Saint Sancha. Didn’t you see it?”

“I guess not. But what are the Hallowed doing here?” I asked, curiosity spinning. It wasn’t commonplace for the upper echelon of the holy church to be seen fraternizing with those outside of their congregates. Plus, this wasn’t just some party they were crashing. Every Adored family in the Magi City was in attendance to witness Lynette’s ceremony, so it wasn’t like Mother to have been lax in restricting the guest list.

“There are only two Hallowed on the guest list,” Lorelei said, flipping through her tiny notebook. “Including the Cardinal herself.”

“The Cardinal was here?” Bastien questioned, brow furrowed. “That can’t be a coincidence. Do you think she’s involved somehow?”

“I can’t rule anything out,” Lorelei muttered, marking something down with her golden pen. “Our mysterious friend’s name is Cirian. He’s?—”

“The Cardinal’s acolyte,” I finished for her, the name triggering a flood of memories alongside my throbbing headache. That’s why he looked familiar. I’d first met Cirian nearly two decades ago when we were mere boys.

Lorelei nodded, continuing, “If rumors are to be believed, he will soon inherit the Cardinal’s position. They say he was chosen by the Source itself.”

“How convenient,” Bastien scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. “To be chosen by something no one can see or hear. Makes it kind of difficult to disprove, doesn’t it?”

“What would he want with Lynette?” I asked, trying to piece together the scraps of knowledge about the Hallowed fluttering around my head. It was like trying to wrangle a bird with my bare hands.

“He’s one heir apparent speaking with another. Maybe he’s simply assuring that alliances carry over to the next generation?” Lorelei tapped the end of her pen against her chin, seemingly not convinced of her own theory.

“Here she comes,” Bastien interrupted, motioning towards the stairs.

Lynette crested the landing, the lavender fabric of her dress settling around her as she spotted me. She was smiling once she rejoined me, the tips of her cheeks slightly ruddy, though it could have just been a trick of the light.

“Did you miss me, dear brother?”

“Like one misses their own excrement after the flush, dear sister.”

Her smile widened, crinkles surrounding her emerald eyes. “If only Mother were here to witness your quick wit. You know how sheadoresyour low-brow touches of humor.”

“The night is still young, Lenny. I’m sure I’ll find ample opportunities to offend Mother dearest.”

Lynette took my hand once more, seemingly no longer in a rush to reach her destination, as she meandered us across the balcony at a lackadaisical pace. Maybe she wanted to savor these last few moments of normalcy between us, or perhaps she knew even then that there was something sinister lurking in the shadows ahead.

“Speaking of ways to torment Mother, it’s a shame that your mortal boy toy isn’t around any longer to?—”

Her words were drowned out by an intense pressure building bearing down on my skull. The scene flickered around me, sounds muffled and distorted as the shadowy figures who danced around us slowed to a stop. I glanced over to Bastien, only to find the space he and Lorelei had been occupying empty. It was just me and Lynette now, the shadows at the periphery of my vision pulsing was the only movement in sight.

“What’s happening?” I asked Lynette, my own voice swallowed up by the encroaching darkness. It smothered my words like I was trying to speak underwater.

Lynette turned to me then, her eyes wide. The lavender dress shredded from her body, the encroaching shadows wrapping around her pale form. She opened her mouth to speak, but a wave of noise filled my ears, blotting out all other sounds.

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