Page 5 of The House of Whispers

“What do you want?”

Jakkal rushed from the room, vanishing before I could blink. I glanced back at my chains when I heard his footsteps. He returned just as quick. He had a distressed woman in his grasp. Her blonde hair was loose and disheveled as tears poured from her burning blue eyes. Fabric was tied around her mouth, gagging her cries. Her hands were bound behind her back, her clothes tattered. She was helpless.No.

“Show me how you like it, Casper.” He pushed the sobbing, young woman at my feet. She fell, her cries for help gagged by the dirty cloth. I glanced from her back up to Jakkal.

“You can’t be serious.” The words whispered from my lips.

He tossed a knife to my side—my knife.

I stared at my reflection in the blade. The woman’s muffled sobs faded in my ears. As my eyes burned with amethyst magik. Something inside was shifting as I gazed deeper into the mirror face.

“I want you to show me how you like to kill. Show me death’s beautiful face, same as the night you killed that young man in the alley. Iwantto see it.”

The blood drained from my face as I looked up at him.He’d seen me? He watched me murder that man?

“I had no choice that night—”

“You always have a choice. And youchoseto kill that man. I watched your face as you ran your blade across his skin. You enjoyed it, the power you held within your hands as you dragged the knife from one ear to another.” He stepped closer. “I know a killer when I see one.” He stopped directly next to the woman, removing her gag as she frantically screamed for help. He tilted his head to me, his mask covered in old blood splatter. “And you, Casper, are death itself.”

My heart raced at his words. I did not enjoy killing. Never have. I’d only ever done what needed to be done—to protect.

“Kill her, and I will ask no more of you. But fail, and you both die.”

I stared at the woman. Our eyes met as she pleaded. It was her life or mine.

“Please, please don’t hurt me! I have children, please!” Her please tugged at my heart. I felt sick debating such a choice. But I had to survive—for Min. She cried as my eyes shifted to the knife. “Please!”

Jakkal stepped back as my fingers touched the handle of my blade, dragging the slack of the heavy chains against the dirty floor.

“Please!” she pleaded as I moved quickly, my knees wrapping around the woman’s waist as I yanked her hair, throwing her head back. “No!” Her screams gargled as I pulled the sharp blade across her fair skin, cutting her throat completely open as warm blood pooled in my lap. Staring down in her burning blue eyes, adrenaline coursed through my veins as a dark shadow cast across my mind.

My breathing intensified as my mouth formed a small smirk. I looked up at Jakkal, his hat now on the table as he stared down at me. He was breathing heavily. Excitement burned in my veins as the woman’s warm blood covered me, soaking my towel completely.

“Beautiful,” he purred.

The realization of what I had done set in, the smirk quickly disappearing from my face. Excitement turned to disgust churning in my gut. I dropped the knife and kicked the woman’s body from me, hysterically crawling back. My chains clanked as my back hit the rough, cold wall. Jakkal walked to my side and knelt down.

“Your debt is paid.”

He lifted his hand to my face, his palm opened, the red powder returned.

“You said no more!” He blew the red powder in my face as I inhaled.

That was two days ago.

“Isaid, what do you want?” He’d promised me no more games, no more murder. Why was he here? Jakkal rose from the chair, stepping closer to the bed as he stared down at me. Emotions rushed me as he inched closer, so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

“I just wanted to check on you.”

My cheeks flustered. “Check on me? What new, sick, twisted game is this?” I huffed, shifting my head. I mentally still hadn’t recovered from everything that happened, hiding away in my room. Poor Min had no idea what had been going on and had been worried sick about me.

“No, I’m done with you. You need to leave.Now.” My violet hands motioned to the window, shooting it open as the curtains moved by the swift purple movements.

“Get out.”

Jakkal remained standing, watching as my hands and eyes glowed in unison. His own hand rose glowing a rusty red. I swear I could see a faint matching glow peeking from beneath his mask as he moved. His hand swayed, causing the window to shut, snuffing out my own power. The strength of his magik made me jump as the window slammed, locking instantly. My eyes shot back to Jakkal.

“Not yet.”

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