Page 32 of The House of Whispers

I tried to pull my hand from his, but he refused to release me. “Nothing to concern yourself with. Now,” I strained trying to free my hand, “let me go.”

Chesmu pulled my arm, throwing me into the wall of the hallway away from prying eyes. His arms were on either side of me, eye level, as his head leaned down. Stray strands of his hair dangled lightly touching my face. I stared back at him, annoyed, eyeing the numerous kiss marks along his jaw and neck.

His eyes registered what I was doing. “Ah, are we jealous?” He smiled.

I snickered. “Jealous? Of what?”

“I’d be jealous of this too.” He teased, moving his head to show off the countless kisses that stained his skin. “I can see why Others prefer their company. Their kisses are quite sweet.”

I rolled my eyes. “I need to return to my shift.” I tried to move from the wall, but he only pushed me back against it.

“You need to tell me why you’re so upset.” His tone changed. This time, he was serious.

My eyes stared at his face. His expression hardened, his smile fading as he waited for me to respond. “Look, if you want to waste your time with the Whisps, be my guest.”

Chesmu’s smile returned. “I knew it. Youarejealous.”

“I am not!” I tried to leave once more, but Chesmu stopped me. I groaned. “Let me go!”

“No.” He leaned closer.

“Why do you even care how I feel?” I hissed.

He sighed as he stared at me. “I–I don’t know what it is, but watching you suffer as she branded you, as you sacrificed your freedom for someone else,” his voice lowered, “something inside me changed. I’d never witnessed someone do something like that.” His brown eyes met mine. “There’s something about you, Casper. Something different. You know the evil of this world and still choose to face it, to protect someone you love.” He lowered one of his arms, almost defeated. “I’ve spent most of my life devoted to serving someone because I thought she loved me.”

My face twisted, at the thought of him and Madame Chepi together.

“Not like that,” he smiled, “like a mother.” He removed his other arm, stepping back. Madame Chepi couldn’t have been much older than Chesmu. As if hearing my thoughts, he explained. “Chepi saved me as a child. She was a child herself, only a few years older than me. She saved me from being sold to Others. She herself was escaping some evil I do not know, but,” he looked back to me, “she saved me. I’ve served her ever since then, doing unspeakable things. Things you couldn’t imagine to protect her. To pay my debt.”

I wanted to hold him, knowing the pain he must have bottled inside. All I could manage were words. “I know more of the evil in this world than you think.”

Chesmu placed a hand along my face, holding my head. “I see the damage the world has caused you. I can see the pain you carry behind your vibrant, violet eyes.” His other hand mirrored the first, cradling my head in his hands as he stared deeply into my soul. “I know how it feels to suffer for those you love. To give every fiber of your being to protect them and keep them safe. But answer me this, Casper,” the sound of my name set a fire ablaze in my heart, “who is protecting you?”

Unable to answer his question, my voice escaped me. I remained, my face in his warm hands, staring up at him, shocked by everything he had revealed to me.

Chesmu gently removed his hands and smiled. “A secret for a secret.”

Baffled by the moment, I struggled to voice anything. I stood, silent and still.

He nodded, gently raising my hand to lips. He slowly removed my glove, rubbing his mouth along my skin. My body felt electrified by his delicate touch. “I’ll collect my secret another time.” He breathed against my skin as he kissed the top of my hand. Chesmu tossed me my glove and turned to the parlor. “You have no reason to be jealous,” he tossed over his shoulder, returning to the parlor as though nothing had occurred. I struggled to calm myself as my heartbeat echoed between my ears.

I quickly shuffled to my usual spot in the corner and forced myself to focus on the gleeful crowd before me. My shift was ending in less than an hour, but all I could think about was Chesmu.

As my shift ended and the house quieted for the remainder of the night, Chesmu approached me, smiling—the numerous, colored kisses now cleaned from his skin. “I think it’s time I collect my secret.” He winked, placing his warm hand on my lower back, guiding me toward the stairs. “And don’t forget,” he gently pushed me forward as my foot stepped onto the first step of the stairs, “you still need to thank me for covering your shift.”

I climbed another step and turned to face him, our faces almost level. Chesmu looked into my eyes with his warm and beautiful face as he watched me. My heart raced as we remained locked in a moment of stillness, the phonograph still playing quietly in the room. Knowing part of his story and his pain, something inside me trusted him. I felt this pull to him, and all I wanted to do was jump into his arms and have him carry me into the sunset. But life doesn’t have endings like that.

I placed my hand softly on his chest, across his heart as my head fell. “I fear there is a darkness deep inside my being that is consuming my soul more every day.” My eyes returned to his, tearing up as I looked at him. “I’m weak.” The words left my mouth like a wheeze.

Chesmu tilted his head, gently grabbing my hand on his chest as he wrapped his other hand over it too. “Do you feel that?” he asked. Beneath my hand, his heart raced like a horse running free. “I may not have known you long, Casper. But my heart has never once beat so fast for another.” A single tear rolled down my cheek. Chesmu moved my hand and stepped up the stairs, leaning over me and wiped the tear from my face and held my cheeks. “You arenotweak. You have the strength of a wild beast. We all have darkness inside us, but you, Casper,” he pulled me closer, “you have a soul filled with chaos. There’s nothing wrong with having shadows in our heart. Nature cannot exist without the light and the dark. We cannot exist without good and evil. There is no life without the other. But you, Casper, you are not evil. You are chaos.”

Before the words could process fully in my mind, he pulled my face to his and kissed me with such passion. The world spun as I released any guards I had remaining and melted into his warm hands. I struggled to breathe through his intense kisses. I wanted more.

“Chesmu.”

Her voice completely drained the moment of all happiness as color faded and Chemsu slowly pulled away. His eyes remained on me, crying out for help as he reluctantly released my face.

“Come.” She called him like a dog. It made me sick.

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