Page 67 of The House of Whispers

Casper. I could hear my name as it was whispered along my mind, echoing in the distance.Casper. It repeated, growing in volume, slowly peeling my focus back.

“Sister!” My vision snapped as the sound of her voice hit me.

“Min?” Chesmu and I both moved our focus to find Nathair and Min, dancing alongside us. Min was calling me, trying to grab my attention, her silver eyes filled with worry. My gaze shot around the room, realizing that Chesmu and myself had displayed our feelings for one another, proudly, in front of the entire town of Bedeville. The realization of the situation crept into my soul. “What’s going on? What’re you doing here?”

Nathair swirled himself and Min, looping around us as we continued moving with the music. Min spoke as she swayed, trying to keep her voice down. “We have a problem.” They moved away, following the steps of the dance before returning to our side.

“What is it?” Chesmu demanded, pulling me to his chest, speaking over my shoulder to her.

“It’s Madame Chepi.” Chesmu’s body stiffened in response to hearing her name. “She saw the two of you and wasn’t exactly thrilled.” Nathair spun her out as Chemsu did the same with me.

As if the idea of Madame Chepi knowing I had returned and was in her home wasn’t scary enough, my eyes caught a glimpse of rust-colored hair deep within the onlooking crowd. My vision struggled to focus, unable to do so as Chesmu pulled me back into him. My face remained looking over his shoulder, frantically searching.

“Casper,” Min whispered, breaking away from Nathair. She grabbed my shoulder as Chesmu stopped moving, holding me. “Casper, what is it?” Her gaze followed mine, confused.

“He’s here,” I whispered.

The four of us froze in the dead center of the ballroom, our eyes meeting one another as fear consumed us. My face looked up at Chesmu’s, wishing he could read the expression in my eyes beneath the mask. His hand gently touched my chin, the warmth briefly soothing me. “It’s time.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded.

“What do we do about Madame Chepi?” Min piped up from behind us. Chesmu looked at her, his hand still resting along my chin.

“I’ll handle Chepi. You two,” he nodded to Nathair and Min, “stick to the plan. No one leaves until Casper has succeeded.” Min and Nathair nodded, quickly rushing from us to carry out their tasks of securing all exits of the house.

The confidence Chesmu had in me was sweet, but it only created more doubt in myself. I didn’t want to fail him. “Do you truly believe I can do this?” The words whispered from my ruby crystal lips, resembling a soft cry.

Chesmu held my face within his hands, staring deep into my heart. “You are chaos. And chaos reigns.” His lips fiercely met mine, kissing me as if it were the last time we’d ever be together. Tears rolled from my eyes and down my cheeks, mixing with our saliva as we kissed, our tongues dancing together along with the music of the ballroom. Chesmu groaned, forcing himself to pull away, my lip stain smeared along the black and white paint of his face. “When this is over, we will be together—forever.” He slowly pulled away, fading into the crowd of people, disappearing from my view.

I was left standing alone in the middle of the ballroom, the candlelight shining down on me as tears fell from my eyes. Part of me felt as though I was dying without him. I didn’t want to continue or finish with our plan, but I knew I must. Forus.

A black handkerchief lined with delicate lace snapped over my shoulder from behind me, catching me off guard. I hesitated, taking the silky cloth from the mysterious gloved hand. “Dry your tears.” My body stiffened as he spoke, his arms wrapping around my waist, fiercely spinning me to face him. “It’s time to play.” He pulled me into the shadows of the dancing crowd, keeping us hidden from curious eyes as we blended into the overwhelming crowd.

Jakkal stared down at me; he was dressed in an elaborate costume of his own. He wore a deep-maroon, velvet tailcoat, the lapels of his coat lined with a dark gray lace made from an elegant black and gray damask printed material. The cuffs of the coat mimicked the gothic material and design, resting atop fresh black leather gloves. He wore a dark gray ruffled blouse that was buttoned to his neck and leather pants. His top hat seemed new, sitting politely atop his neatly styled rust-colored hair. Red, crushed rubies dropped from his hat and onto his weathered fox mask, concealing the obviousness of the old blood splatter while still representing it. His jawline was highlighted with tiny red flakes, reflecting the candlelight from the chandelier. His entire presence was regal and alluring. His costume and mask coincided perfectly with my own—we appeared as a true couple to the rest of the ballroom.

“Tell me,” he moved, pulling me along as the music faded into a new song—a song that felt eerie and familiar. The strings continued as the sound morphed completely into a cryptic carnival tune, igniting something deep within. “Why were you dancing with him?” The words were laced with anger. Jakkal spun my body along with the music, nailing each step of the dance with perfection.

“I-I—” the words escaped me as the music intensified, my mind twisting.

Jakkal spun me around, my back slamming into his chest, his arms wrapped across my body as his face brushed along my neck. A soft moan whispered from within as I slowly leaned into him, letting him hold me close. Any power I had faded away as he breathed into my ear. “I must say,” he leaned closer, “seeing my mask upon your beautiful face excites me. What a truly intoxicating embodiment of death herself.” A soft growl broke through his lips causing my body to shake. He twirled me back around, releasing my body.

He raised my arm, fully extending it out as he moved behind me, his arms tracing the exposed skin along my sides. He shifted my hair to kiss the nape of my neck, his lips moving down my flesh to my raised arm. I struggled to contain my emotions as he slowly removed my glove with a seductive motive, gently sliding the leather from my skin and kissing my hand. His hand ran along the underskin of my arm, giving me chills as he lifted it, placing it against his cheek. We swayed, my backside against him as his hands traced the curves of my body, entrancing me with each touch. I fell into his trap, allowing him to caress me, moving with him to the tantalizing music. Together, we danced, embracing one another as the music continued, flowing through our veins. The desire between us was unbearable.

“Come with me,” he whispered into my ear.

Jakkal squeezed my hand, dragging me through the dancing crowd and into the corner of the ballroom, deep in the dark shadows. A single sconce with a small, burning candle flickered above us, offering minimal light. He slammed me fiercely into the wall, his hand clasped around my neck, causing me to gasp. I struggled to keep my mind clear, trying to remember what it was I was supposed to do as he slammed his lips into mine, stealing my breath away. I choked on his kisses, craving more, allowing him to devour me.

The music faded into a seductive piece, feeding the desire between us as he pulled away and faced me, his mask glaring into mine, the eye holes of his mask faintly glowing. He ran his thumb along my lip, smearing my lip stain as my mouth curved into a salacious smile. He lifted one of my legs around his waist, his other releasing my neck before lifting my mask, revealing my brightly glowing eyes.

“I want to see your face when I take you, right here, in front of everyone.”

Before I could respond, he forced himself inside me, bracing the wall as he moved. My mouth widened, gasping as my arms rose, gripping the metal sconce that extended from the wall above, holding my weight as he continued roughly moving back and forth. My back arched, hurting my spine as my head raised. Jakkal gripped my backside, groaning as he forced himself deeper. My heart beat rapidly, my lungs bursting as my leg gripped him tighter, pulling him closer into me. Magik began to burn in my palms, weakening the metal sconce, bending it down toward me. Candle wax dripped from the burning candle, casting us in menacing shadows as the hot wax melted onto my chest, dripping down my breasts and adding to the overwhelming ecstasy. Feeling Jakkal inside me as he claimed me in a crowded room was one of the most euphoric experiences.

I could see his magik burning along his hands, our moans fading together as the music increased adding to the growing pleasure. The urge to remove his mask itched beneath my skin as I inched near the edge of exploding. I wanted to see his face.

My hand dropped from the sconce, the candle extinguishing as we fell into complete darkness, only our magik glowing. I raised my palm in his direction, my fingers touching the edge of the mask when his hand grabbed me, stopping me. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, halting his movements and pulling away.

“Please,” I pulled him closer with my leg forcing him back inside, gasping. “I want to see you.”

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