Page 47 of The House of Whispers

“Allow me,” his voice startled me. Jakkal stepped from the shadows along the house and gracefully approached the messy scene at my feet. He peered up at me, his mask tilting as he spoke. “Very impressive, little ghost.” He stopped, his hands behind his back as he stood directly in front of me, the three bodies lying between us.

I slowly lowered myself as my feet met the pavement, my magik fading away as the dark shadow within returned to hiding.

“I—” I glanced around, blinking at the realization of what I did, “I didn’t mean to—”

“No!” He growled, cutting me off as he rushed to my side. “Do not apologize for embracing your true self.” He moved his arm, motioning to the bodies at our feet. “Take pride in your masterpiece.”

“How can one be proud of such evil?” Jakkal was now standing directly next to me. He reached his hand out and moved my head to face him as he spoke.

“Evil is a mere perception. This,” he forced my head to look at the bodies, “is not evil. This is fate. The fate of all who cross us.”

Jakkal slowly removed his hand from my face as my eyes began to water, staring at the gruesome reality of what I had done. The evidence of an evil that seemed to haunt me. I quickly glanced at Min, running to her aid as she remained passed out along the pavement.

Had she seen what I became? Did she witness the darkness that escaped from within?

I cradled Min in my arms, examining her for injuries. Despite the small cut along her neck and a few fresh bruises and scratches, she was okay. Her silver wings hung down her back as my eyes shot from side to side, scanning the alley for witnesses.

“How marvelous,” I flinched as Jakkal examined the condition of the men’s bodies closely. He crouched, tilting his head, “what beautiful art you create.”

I forced my eyes shut as a tear fell onto my sister’s pale skin. “Please, just release me from this nightmare.” I whispered, holding Min close.

“That fairfolk of yours is holding you back.”

“Do not speak of my sister.” I growled in his direction.

Jakkal sighed as I could hear his fingers snap followed by what sounded like a roaring blaze of fire. Even with my lids shut, a flicker of orange lit the world around me, disappearing quickly. I peeked over my shoulder back to Jakkal to find him now standing, kicking at three piles of ash. He twirled his hand, flames of orange dripping from his fingers as his magik flowed to the ground and lifted the ash piles. He moved his arm, sending the ash into the wind as it carried the remnants of my crime away into the cold night.

Jakkal turned to face me. His top hat was positioned perfectly above his stained fox mask, staring down at me. I could feel the pressure of his sight despite the darkness behind the eyeholes, weighing heavy on me. Part of me wanted to smite him in his place, but… part of me was grateful for his presence. For cleaning up my mess.

I carefully laid Min back onto the pavement, slowly rising to my feet as our gazes remained locked on one another. Jakkal watched as I cautiously stepped toward him, bending to retrieve my knife as I moved.

“Why?” I held the blade tight within my bloodied hand. He remained unwavering as I took another step toward him. Something buried deep inside was being pulled as I inched closer. Some sleeping beast inside was beginning to wake as my boot hit the pavement. A strange hunger grew. “Why do I feel this way?” I clenched my chest, my heart racing as I stopped about a foot away from him. “What magik is this?” My voice had turned desperate as I pleaded for an answer.

Jakkal reached, pulling my hand from my chest as he laid it on his own. Our hearts raced in perfect unison. “This,” he tugged me closer with aggression, “is not magik. The surge you feel between us ispower.”

I snatched my hand from his chest. “What if I don’t want this power?” I raised my blade, pointing it directly at his stomach.

“Do it.”

His command shocked me. “Wha—”

“Pierce my flesh and rid yourself of me.” He leaned into my blade as it pushed further into the thick material of his clothing. “Do it, Casper.” The blade slowly moved into his stomach. I tried to pull it back, but he gripped my wrist with his hand and held it tightly. I struggled, trying to yank my knife back, beginning to panic. “You see,” he gripped my chin, “if you truly did not desire such power and darkness, you would have stopped this madness long ago. But alas, you did not.” He pushed me fiercely into the pavement, my head slamming into the pavement as my knife landed beside me. “You’re weak without me. You may not want me, but youneedme.”

My hair had fallen around my face as I looked up at him through the dark, wild strands. Absolute rage penetrated my chest. “I will end you.” I growled back at him.

Jakkal tsked. “We shall see, little ghost.” He turned and began to stroll away.

I scrambled to my knees, my hands flat against the pavement as I screamed, desperate to keep him here. To stop his game. “Jakkal!”

He slowly stopped.

My head throbbed as my vision blurred. The injury across the back of my head screamed. Jakkal throwing me to the ground only angered it more.

“You see,” he spoke over his shoulder, “weak.”

The vision of his silhouette faded as he disappeared into the distant fog.

Groaning, I crawled back to Min. She was beginning to stir, waking from her fainting spell. “Casper?” Her hoarse, whispered voice was tainted with fear. Her hand reached for her throat, making contact with the small cut with a gasp.

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