Chapter 6 Jasmine #2
She shakes her head, tsking at herself. “I was so naive, like the necromancer king would ever allow that.” She finally looks up at me.
“It was a fight to the death, but you didn’t actually get to die.
You were brought back, to serve the victor for the entirety of their life.
My sister was about to be a ghost, a slave spirit, trapped forever.
And…” She stops herself, rubbing at her cheeks again.
My flames have gone, returned to coils around my skin, holding me as her sadness sweeps the room.
“I couldn’t let her die. I couldn’t. So I intervened. I lost control. I killed every one of the recruits, injured the king. I didn’t mean to, it just… I…”
There are too many tears to catch, and she tries desperately to rub them away as she stares at me.
“We ran, Jasmine. I took my sister and we ran. I killed so many people. The barrier guards, anyone who got in our way. We just kept running and running, but then… we were separated…” The sob she releases shakes her entire body.
I’m about to go to her when ghostly paws settle on her shoulders. Mr Bear stands behind the sofa, watching Kacey as she cries out her words.
“I told her, if we got separated, to keep running, to head south and I’d meet her at the next barrier. So I kept going. When I got to the next barrier, I didn’t even know what district I was in. But she wasn’t there and I lost it. I mean totally lost it.”
She’s consumed by the memory. Strands of hair floating with her power, then she shakes herself, wiping away the final tears.
“The barrier guards were going to kill me. I was an out-of-control necromancer without the correct paperwork, and I’d no doubt the king had already warned the other districts about two runaways. I knew I wouldn’t make it out alive… or worse.” Her gaze locks with mine. “Then Ezekial appeared.”
At his name, my entire body tenses. I wait silently, desperate for her to continue.
“He created a barrier around us, blocked every one of my attacks, let me exhaust myself. Then Kane stepped into the darkness and made everything… silent.”
A shiver runs down my spine. I can picture it all so clearly, as though I can see Kacey’s memories painted before me.
“At first, Kane wanted to send me back, but I was right about the king. They were looking for me and my sister… which meant she was… somewhere. I begged them to let me stay, said I’d do anything if they kept me hidden and helped me find her.
I need you to understand that they owed me nothing, J. Nothing.
“Saving me put them at risk, and finding my sister didn’t benefit them. But they still helped. They told the king I was now their prisoner for illegally crossing into the Council District. I’m sure he was furious, but he didn’t have the power, or the army, to fight the Council.
“I met Sai and Julien a few weeks later. Sai seemed almost… excited at the thought of defying the necromancer king. They never said, but I think there’s some history there…”
I slump back on the sofa just as two ghostly paws place our abandoned cups of tea onto the table, and I watch as he returns back to his original spot behind Kacey, touching her shoulders once more.
“And they searched, J. They looked for my sister.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “Ezekial gave me somewhere to stay and a job. Whenever I lost control, Kane stepped in.”
Now that comment hurts. She sees it and quickly moves on.
“Julien taught me breathing techniques and Sai, well… he made me laugh.”
This is agonising.
This is torture.
“I hadn’t laughed in so long…” She stares out the window, watching the final beams of light dip behind the hills circling the district. “So, that’s who I am. That’s why I trust them.”
“Are you sure they’re not your bonds?”
Laughter bursts from her as she whips around to face me. But I don’t find it funny.
It sounds like the fairytale story, those in the romance films I used to binge watch with Alexis on a lazy Sunday morning.
“No, J. No way.” She wipes tears from her eyes, but I remain solemn. Unmoving. “For one, I still find them absolutely terrifying. I know they wouldn’t hurt me but… I mean… do you really find them attractive?”
My mouth drops open. “Excuse me?” I blink, stunned. “I—That’s—Bonds don’t have to be about attraction. They can be platonic.”
“They helped me, J. Knowing they had nothing to gain. I was nothing to them—no bond, no leverage. Don’t you get it?” she says, raising her brows. “Also, I know your bond isn’t platonic because I’ve seen the way Zeek looks at you.”
Now I feel uncomfortable. I shift back on the sofa. “You’ve seen us together twice.”
“And I’ve known him for almost five years and I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that.” She smiles smugly. I peer away. “Do you think Amon is attractive?”
I scowl at her. “Why are you asking me that?”
She shrugs. “Just answer it.”
I frown. “I mean, he’s a good-looking guy, I didn’t realise you were so vain, Kacey.”
She blows out her lips. “That’s not why I asked and you know it.
” Then settles her stare on me. “I’ve never seen Amon before, never seen any man like him to be honest..
. but it’s like someone took every fantasy I never knew I had and compiled it into one man.
I mean, how is that even possible? Even thinking about him now, I feel like I’m—”
“Okay, time for sharing is over.”
She laughs but listens, stopping for a moment. “You know it’s the same for you. You know it’s the same for them.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Well, ask them.”
“What?” I scoff. “I’m not talking to them, remember?”
“Maybe you should?” She gives me a soft smile. “They’re desperate, J. You could ask them anything right now and they’d answer. Anything.”
“You know, the second time I met them, they forced me to take a truth serum? Kane even threatened to torture my friend, in front of me, if I didn’t.
” Kacey’s eyes started going wide at ‘forced’, they widened at ‘truth serum’ and now I’ve finished with ‘torture’, they look about ready to pop out.
“But I’m just expected to trust that they won’t lie again?
Forgive them? Give them another chance?”
When her eyes finally return to their normal shape, she grimaces.
“I mean, that is… that was really messed up of them.” I pull a ‘you think?’ expression. “But, yes?” She flinches back when my eyes slide into slits. “Not trust them, but just… just see what they have to say? They know they messed up and they know this is their second chance.”
I deliver a stern glare, and she corrects herself. “Their only chance. So tomorrow, why don’t you just try speaking to Kane?”
I begin shaking my head but she continues regardless. “I’m not saying you need to have a full-blown interview with him, but if you could ask him anything, why not? Maybe things you know he would never answer before? Things you know he won’t want to answer. You could use this as a test... Test him.”
I hate to admit it, but the idea of putting Kane into an uncomfortable situation, firing personal questions relentlessly at him, conjures a pleasing image.
“And if I don’t like his answers?” I push.
She shrugs, chewing on her lower lip. “At least you’ll know it’s the truth.”
I study Kacey, this nervous ball of a woman doing her best to persuade me, not manipulate or force, even after how I behaved before… at the mere thought of her feeling something for my b—them.
“I’m sorry, K.” My gaze flickers away for a moment.
“Before when I—I just… I can’t even explain the way I reacted, why I did that.
I was just so… I lost control. My emotions are all over the place, all the time, and sometimes I just feel like I’m going crazy…
” I slowly inhale. Exhale. “I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have happened. ”
“I’m sorry for not thinking about what I was saying and—” She points to herself. “—expert at losing control, right here!”
I pull my lips in to stop myself from smiling, but she notices, and her body relaxes further into her seat.
“And I’m so sorry,” she says, voice quiet. “For not telling you sooner. About my relationship with the guys, about the texts, the phone call—”
My brows furrow. “What phone call?”
Kacey’s eyes widen, her lips part. “Please, don’t bring back the fire and I’ll explain.”
I swallow, running my tongue along the inside of my teeth, waiting for her to speak.
“I called them yesterday… I told them you weren’t eating or sleeping.
” I’m about to interrupt but she sees, and speeds up her words.
“That was the only phone call, I swear, and Zeek just text me asking if you’re still in pain and I haven’t replied!
But I’ll tell him whatever you want, or nothing at all, I’ll just leave him on read if—”
“Breathe, Kacey.” She does, in three quick pants. Then my expression softens, and I lower my voice. “You knew I was in pain… all this time?”
She wets her lips, then nods.
I drop my gaze. “I’m sorry I put that burden on you.”
“It wasn’t—isn’t a burden!” She leaps from the sofa, drops to her knees on the carpet and shuffles towards me. Mr Bear stays behind the sofa but watches her. “But you feel… better, right?” she ventures.
Do I feel better? Maybe. The tightness in my chest has eased a little, and each breath feels fuller.
“I guess.” I shrug. “A bit.”
“Are we going to admit why you feel ‘a bit’ better?” she hedges sweetly, tilting her head.
No, we are not, I say in my head, resolute.
Kacey sighs as she notes my expression, sitting back on her heels. “Do you want me to reply to Zeek?”
“You know him, Kace,” I begin, her features softening at those words. There’s no bitterness, not anymore, not now I understand. “What would happen if you didn’t reply?”
“Well…” She glances at her phone and her eyes bulge. “Oh no.”
“What?” I lean closer.
“His last text was nearly an hour ago,” she mutters. “And now I’ve got… ten more messages. From all of them.” She turns the screen towards me. “The last one says—”
Kane: Reply to Ezekial. You have until 11pm.