Page 5 of Dead Wrong

“Patience,” Bastien retorted, his voice lacking any of the familiar honey I had once been accustomed to. Bastien firmly gripped my arm, tracing prodding fingers down to my wrist and then back again. Once he was satisfied, he jotted a note in a leatherbound journal lying on the table next to me.

“And?” I watched him now as he stared down at his notes, his taut jaw revealing more than words ever could. He was upset. Whatever strange magic he’d used to bring me back to life must have had a hitch. Some unforeseen side effect. That certainly would explain the chaotic condition I found my faculties in. And perhaps the insatiable itch coming from the soles of my feet.

“The Viridian gem is taking hold,” Bastien said finally, snapping the book shut and stuffing it into the chest pocket of his button-down. “It will keep your body moving, keep magic pumping through your veins. But it won’t help far beyond that. Your magic had already seeped from your body by the time I was called, so this—” he tapped the gem embedded in my chest, “is filled with a portion of my magic. It’s not a lot—I don’t have much to begin with—but it’ll keep you going until we find Lynette.”

“My magic is gone?”

I reached into that space in my chest—the hollow where my magic usually thrummed, filling my veins with vigor—but found a cavernous emptiness. Well, maybe not entirely empty. It took a moment, but I was finally able to detect the abnormal magic Bastien had given me. I reached out for it instinctually. It was like a familiar song, played in a foreign key, recognizable but eerily wrong. Sorrow, muddled with a wave of panic, swelled in my gut. My fingers wrapped around Bastien’s forearm, anchoring me to him.

“Please,” I pleaded, my voice splintering. “I can’t—I don’t understand what’s happening. How did I die?”

“Allow me,” another voice interjected, the clacking of heels returning as the woman with yellow-blond curls glided into view. She was a few inches shorter than me, which meant that next to Bastien she almost appeared as a child. Her piercing blue eyes looked me up and down, and I silently cursed Bastien for leaving me so exposed, especially under her chilly stare. “Your sister is missing, Mister Greene.” The woman’s voice was matter-of-fact as if she were discussing sales data and not vanishing loved ones. “She was last seen leaving the residence of the VanDoughtens after her Ascension ceremony three nights ago. You were reported to be with her at that time. The day after, your body was discovered in an unmarked grave outside on the outskirts of Adoracia Cemetery in the upper Magi City. The Council of Magi has launched an official investigation into the whereabouts of Lynette Greene. However, the Madame has retained me to locate her daughter as soon as possible and by any means necessary.”

The Council of Magi. I at least had enough faculties to remember the collection of high-powered Magi who acted as the governing body of Magi society. My mother, Adoranda Greene, had been a part of the Council for decades. Depending on who you asked, she would be considered its defacto leader.

It was odd that I could recall the intricacies of Magi politics, yet anything leading up to my supposed death was scrambled to near oblivion in my mind. If these two were to be believed, and I’d been dead for the last three days, then the strangeness was only beginning.

“Well, that’s right shit,” I concluded, scratching my stubbly chin and longing for a shave. “I would have at least expected them to provide a headstone for me.”

The corner of Bastien’s mouth twitched. It didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, I reveled in the realization I could still draw out that reaction. I’d take any small victories I could.

“I’m looking for Lynette,” the blond woman continued, stepping between me and Bastien. “And we’re hoping you can help us in locating her.”

“How exactly would I do that?” I asked, failing to understand the woman’s logic.

“All I need is the truth,” she replied, her stern voice commanding my attention. “What were the two of you doing the night of her disappearance? Why were you at the VanDoughtens?”

Her words gnawed at the soft tissue of my brain like vermin, radiating a nauseating pain down my spine. “Look, I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.”

“His memory has been affected,” Bastien interjected, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder and steering her out of the way. “Hopefully, it’s only temporary, but I told you this could happen with a revivification this late. I can’t guarantee it will come back at all.”

I let out a shuddered sigh. The news was less than comforting. Then again, Bastien had already promised to put me back into the ground once Lynette was found, so maybe I wouldn’t have long to lament over the missing pieces of my life.

I was already dead. And what’s worse, I couldn’t even mourn the life I’d lived before. Not when the details of it lay shattered in a heap.

The woman muttered something I couldn’t catch, shaking her head hard enough to send her curls bouncing. “Fine,” she spoke up, turning to Bastien. “Then let’s focus on what we can get out of him. It’s better than nothing. Can you see?—”

“Don’t speak about me like I’m not in the room,” I snapped, pushing myself up into a seated position. Immediate regret sunk in as I swayed, the room spinning around me.

Bastien was at my side before I could topple, steadying me with warm hands. “Easy,” he coaxed, the edge dissolving from his voice. “You can’t rush yourself.”

The woman stomped her foot with a huff. “You can, actually. And you should. The longer this situation drags on the less of a chance we have of finding Lynette alive. You do want your sister to be alive, don’t you?”

“Would you care to fill me in here?” I addressed the woman, bracing both hands on the edge of the desk to hold myself upright. “Preferably starting with who the bloody hell you are? You said that the Council had launched an investigation, so why would my mother go out of her way to hire you when there are teams of Magi trained to track targets down?”

The blond woman’s eyes narrowed. Her lips pursed as if she found the question so far beneath her it didn’t even deign a response.

“Some details might help speed up the recovery of his memories,” Bastien said, digging through his duffle bag on the floor and retrieving a small blanket. He wrapped it gingerly across my shoulders and I quickly pulled it tight around my exposed flesh.

The familiar scent of pine and musk filled my nose, and for a moment, I was transported miles away to a room far cozier than my current surroundings—A crackling fire roared opposite a plush, velvet sofa. Wine glasses sat on the low table, half empty. Legs wrapped around my torso, painted by firelight in coppery hues?—

Heat built at the nape of my neck, spilling over to trickle down my back. I pulled the blanket tighter, letting the corners of the fabric bundle across my lap.

Why would these memories be the first to return to me? Surely, my addled mind needed to check its priorities.

The woman huffed once more, folding her slight arms across the buttons of her striped vest. “Fine. In the interest of saving time, my name is Lorelei Orion. I was retained by Madame Greene to locate her daughter in a discreet fashion. As I’m sure you are aware, Lynette was to officially assume the role of Head Councilwoman of the Magi Council yesterday. Because of her absence, the position now sits vacant, leaving other houses chomping at the bit to fill the vacuum of power. They will hold a special election if Lynette is not located in time, so you can imagine that Madame Greene has stressed the importance of locating her as quickly as possible. Which is why she came to me.”

Odd that she would go behind the Council’s backs. Perhaps Mother suspected treachery from the other Council members. If they could stall the search for Lynette long enough, they could replace her with another candidate. Mother must have suspected a coup d’état in the works.

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