Page 65 of The House of Whispers

“No. And right now, those doors,” I pointed towards the stairs leading to the parlor, “are going to open soon and the ball is going to begin. Dr. Reynard—The Ripper—will most likely be amongst the crowd, and we need to be ready.”

Chesmu crossed his arms as his jaw tightened. “Iamready.”

“Min?” We both turned our attention to see Nathair standing at the end of the hall, looking from one to another. He was dressed in an elaborate formal, green tailored suit, encrusted with crushed chameleon scales that reflected vibrant shades of oranges and greens. The skin of his face was covered in similar colors, concealing his eyes in a flaky metallic mask. The green of his eyes and scales appeared brighter against the vibrant orange hues present in the metallic flakes. He looked handsome and was dressed perfectly for the night. Chesmu leaned back, grunting as Nathair walked to my side, his eyes locked on Chesmu’s. “What’s going on?” He snaked his arm around my waist, protectively pulling me close.

My gaze remained fixated on Chesmu. “Casper’s back.”

Nathair’s head whirled toward me, our eyes meeting. “She’s back? Is she alright? What happened? Where’s she been?”

My hand rested atop his chest, the chameleon scales shifting in hues as he moved. “She’s—”

“Apparently she doesn’t remember anything.” Chesmu’s voice drowned out mine as Nathair’s jade eyes returned to him. “And instead of asking her what happened or anything of that nature, your little Whisp here decided to just leave her alone to dress herself.” My brows furrowed at Chesmu.

“You left her alone?” Nathair asked me.

I glanced up at him, biting my lip. “She has to at least try to go through with our plan. It’s the only chance. We have to stop this killer. This isouronly chance.”

“Wait,” Nathair shook his head, confused, “the plan for tonight is still on?” His eyes shot from me to Chesmu and back to me. The music in the parlor below began to play, signifying that the doors to the brothel were now open to the public. The festival of Samhain had officially begun.

“Great,” Chesmu growled, “I have to go. Chepi needs me at the doors.” He hesitated a moment before forcing himself away, leaving Nathair and myself in the hall alone.

“Min, my love,” Nathair gently rolled my body against his, my skirt flowing behind as I moved. “Do you think it’s wise to try to attempt this plan? If Casper isn’t well—”

“Casper’s fine.” I snapped.

The two of us fell quiet as the door to Casper’s room opened. We turned, our mouths dropping at the sight of her. Casper stepped into the hall, bringing a cloud of darkness behind her as she moved.

Casper wore a black-velvet halter dress that clung fiercely to her skin. The sides of the dress were tied together, revealing inches of exposed skin from her chest to her thighs. The small amount of material draped down from her torso to her shin, her thighs fully exposed beneath black fishnet stockings, her knife securely sheathed in its usual place. She wore leather heeled boots that tied to the middle of her shin, matching the color of the leather gloves she wore on her hands. Her pale skin clashed against the dark color of her costume. Her hair was slicked back, tucked behind her ears and draped down her back. Crushed red rubies were painted along her scalp, dripping down the back of her hair, matching the red stones that decorated the rough fox mask she wore across her eyes and concealed them entirely. The only jewelry she wore was a ruby-studded jeweled choker. It clasped tightly around her neck and dripped down her chest, stopping between her breasts, her brands on full display. She flashed us a sinister smile, her deep red lips flaked in crushed rubies. The rubies sparkled in the candlelight, resembling the color of fresh blood, sending a shiver down my spine as I absorbed the sheer sight of her. She was more beautiful and terrifying than Madame Chepi.

Casper nodded to me, her irises burning brightly as she effortlessly made her way to the hidden staircase and disappeared from view. Nathair turned to me, equally puzzled by how she appeared. “Min?” My eyes met his. “What’s going on?”

My head turned back toward the hidden passageway, my heart racing. “It seems Casper isn’t exactly sticking to our plan.”

“What does that mean for us?” he whispered, a hint of worry pervading his tone.

“It means,” my hand intertwined with his, “anything can happen tonight.”

The house was filled with voices, music, and the heavy, spicy smell of autumn that soaked the atmosphere. The air was electrified, buzzing with immense energy from the excitement of the masquerade ball. My power throbbed, pulsating beneath my veins, feeding off that spark as anxiety formed directly beneath my chest. The weight of tonight was overwhelming.

Rushing down the hidden stairwell, I was worried as to how I would sneak into the parlor unnoticed. Despite the idea of everyone dressing up for the masquerade, I knew I would stick out with my striking attire and appearance. Due to my recent disappearance, Madame Chepi would surely be hunting me, eager to put an end to my life. I had failed her once again, forfeiting my soul to her. My place in this house and the protection she had once offered me were no longer existent. The festival of Samhain had begun and the veil between realms had thinned. Evil was afoot, and tonight, these tireless games would come to an end. But for this to happen, I needed to stay alive.

Stepping into the desolate hallway beyond the parlor, the volume of voices increased substantially as the smell of burning candles and autumn slammed into my nostrils and filled my lungs. Thankfully, the wretched fox mask concealed my magik glowing eyes, disguising me as I lurked to the end of the hall. Peeking around the corner, the realization of how packed the parlor had become sunk in—the size of tonight’s festivities were substantially more grand than I originally anticipated. There were more bodies crammed into the singular room than I had ever seen before in the brothel. Blending in would be easier than I originally expected, as people were pushed into one another, funneling through the open doors of the brothel, along the parlor, and into the double doors of the ballroom past the main stairs. Taking my chance, my body pushed from the wall and dissolved into the never-ending wave of costumed guests, letting it sweep me away toward the ballroom.

The town of Bedeville enjoyed its fair share of holidays, festivals, and major celebrations, but it was particularly favorable to the Festival of Samhain. It was the one night a year where all species of people would blend together and interact as a whole. The one day Others pretended not to be their usual discriminative, cunt-like selves, judging the rest of us. To most, it would be impossible to distinguish the Others from the rest of the creatures present, but for those of us trained to take notice, we knew what to look for: the pastel and metallic wings, magik glowing eyes, and vibrantly colored scales briefly concealed beneath the elaborate masks and costumes. Most of the entering guests were high on drugs or partially already drunk, prepping their mentality for tonight’s festival. The laughter and fumbling movements of the crowd was irritating as it carried me into the ballroom. The ballroom was bursting from within, music and warmth drenching the atmosphere.

Much like the parlor, the open ballroom was adorned with scattered piles of fresh pumpkins, fall flowers, and foliage and smelled of a deep autumn spice. Large candles burned within the numerous gothic-style scones that lined the black damask wallpapered walls, casting dancing shadows that blended into the swirling couples onto the wooden floor. The ballroom was small but sufficient. It had rarely been used, sitting and collecting dust over time. Tonight, the giant three-tiered chandelier hanging in the center of the room had become a beating heart that pumped life into the air, lighting the ballroom with a warm glow as hundreds of candles flickered from its overshadowing stance. It grew from the ceiling, branching down toward the floor, resembling a cluster of charred horns rubbed in grease. The sheer sight of it sent a shiver along my spine.

I tried to remain unnoticed, blending into the moving shadows along the wall as I watched as couples danced together, swaying with the music. The ballroom floor had become a moving rainbow filled with numerous elaborate masks and stunning costumes, full of details and jewels, each more beautiful than the last. My gaze continued along the crowd of people, registering each mask, stopping as my eyes caught sight of him. A mix of emotions overcame me as Chesmu’s eyes met mine. His costume was strange yet alluring—the painted symbols along his skin and the skull fastened atop his head creating an aggressively eerie vibe. Before I could peel my eyes away, he forced himself through the crowd and aimed for me.

I tried to run away, knowing that Jakkal couldn’t find us together, but Chesmu was too persistent. He quickly reached my side, grabbed my arm, and pulled me deeper into the shadows at the corner of the room. His grip on my arm was fierce, twirling me to face him as he pushed me into the wall. “Where the hell have you been?” I struggled to speak, unable to answer his question. “Casper, answer me!” he demanded.

My hand gently rested atop his as I forced a faux smile. “Everything okay, I’m fine, I promise.” I tried to remove his hand, his strength increasing as he fought me, refusing to let go.

“No, you’renotfine. You went to that hospital to find answers and, instead, disappeared for days. Casper, we were worried sick. Then, you just show up here, silent, and want to pretend like nothing happened. Min says you can’t remember anything. What really happened during those days?” My lips pressed together, remaining silent. “Something happened,” he loomed over me. “There’s something brewing within your soul. I can sense a new darkness lurking beneath your skin.”

“The only darkness within my being is my own,” I growled back, startling myself at the defensiveness I flashed at him.

Chesmu raised an eyebrow, observing me. He raised his other hand, his index finger tapping between my breasts. “What happened to the necklace I gave you?”

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