Whisper (9 page)

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Authors: Alyson Noël

Tags: #Paranormal, #YA, #Alyson Noel, #Riley Bloom

BOOK: Whisper
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“
S
hall we?” Dacian gestured toward a large platter of sweets a servant was offering.
But I just shook my head. I was in no mood for sweets. Not when I longed for fresh air, night sky, and escape.
“I think I’d rather go outside for a bit,” I said, my voice light and girlish but serious all the same. “I think I’d like some fresh air.”
Dacian nodded, offered his arm, and when I crooked my own around it, he led me through a series of crowded rooms until we found ourselves standing on a balcony that overlooked the arena where the gladiators trained during the day.
“Look at all the stars!” I leaned my head back, my complicated arrangement of curls and twists cascading to my waist as I took in the magnificent expanse of black sky.
“Do you know the constellations?” Dacian asked.
I smiled, admitting that while I did indeed know most of them, I still wanted him to show me.
“Well, let’s see then …” He squinted into the dark. “Right there is Cassiopeia.” He pointed, then moving his finger he said, “And that over there is Draco, of course. And, if I’m not mistaken, that one right there would be Aurelia Major.” He turned to me, his hair falling over one eye.
“Aurelia Major?” I shook my head and laughed. “And just when exactly was that one discovered? It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Oh, it’s quite real, I assure you.” He smiled, exposing teeth so white, dimples so deep, and a face so cute, I felt as though a bubble of butterflies had just burst in my chest. “How shall I prove it?”
The question hung between us, a flirtatious challenge that I had no idea how to respond to. All I knew is that if I didn’t do something, if I didn’t speak up, if I didn’t look away, perhaps even move away, then Dacian would soon kiss me.
And while I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted him to kiss me—I also wasn’t entirely sure that I was willing to miss out on what may be my one and only chance at him kissing me.
He rubbed his lips together, steadied his shaky fingers on my arm, then closed his eyes and leaned toward me, as
I stood there before him, body rigid, mind busily taking note of every tiny detail, knowing that later, I’d want to review them.
Noting the distant sounds of laughter drifting behind us—the swishy sound of my dress when Dacian moved his hand from my arm to my waist and pulled me closer to him. And then, before I could note anything further, his lips had found mine—pressing briefly—once—twice—and then he pulled away again.
Dacian grinned, slid his arm around me, and returned to stargazing—the silence unfolding between us until it felt as wide as the sky. But instead of rushing to fill it, I let it unfurl. Words would be said eventually, but for the moment, I was determined to savor the quiet for as long as it stood.
“Look!” Dacian’s voice was edged with excitement as his finger pointed toward the sky. “There’s Aurelia Minor! Right there—right next to Aurelia Major! Now do you believe me?” His gaze met mine, and I saw in his eyes the same thing that I felt deep inside.
We liked each other. There was no way to hide it.
I averted my gaze, suddenly overcome by shyness, having no clue what to say. Wondering if I should maybe tease him about failing to act on his best behavior—that the brief kiss we shared was more than enough to make good on my
threat to summon a gladiator. Though I quickly decided against it, worried that he might take me seriously—that it might give him reason not to kiss me again—something I was not willing to risk.
“Are you cold?” He smoothed a hand over my bare arm in an effort to warm me.
“A little.” I shrugged, unaware that I’d shivered until he’d just mentioned it.
He looked at me, his gaze gone all fuzzy like he might try to kiss me again. But just as he started, I glimpsed something shiny, something dazzling, something spectacular and fleeting, shooting clear across the sky.
And as I turned my head to get a better look, Dacian moved in for the kiss, resulting in two noses that smacked hard together as I said, “Look, a shooting …
star …
”
We stepped away from each other, gasping in shock and embarrassment that soon gave way to an uncontrollable fit of giggles. The two of us falling all over each other, falling all over ourselves, hands carefully cupped to our faces, checking for damage, the sight of which only fueled a whole new set of giggles that completely consumed us.
Our laughter halted by the sound of someone saying, “Hi. Uh, sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you might be able to help me?”
I turned, my hand instantly dropping from my nose to my side as I took in the stranger before me. My eyes grazing over his longish flop of brown hair that swooped over his brow before falling into a remarkable pair of green eyes framed by a thick set of lashes. Working my way all the way down a set of very strange, entirely unfamiliar clothes that clearly marked him as a foreigner—including a pair of shoes that were big and clumsy and miles away from the strappy leather sandals all the other males wore. And when I worked my way back up, I saw that he chewed some sort of odd green object lodged in the side of his mouth, which just made him look even more strange than he already did. Everything about him was weird—and yet, somehow I found that I couldn’t turn away no matter how hard I tried.
Dacian moved before me, as though to protect me—a move I found rather sweet, if not also a tad bit unnecessary. “And just what is it you need help with?” He gave the stranger a once-over almost as thorough as mine.
“I’m trying to locate a … friend.” The stranger’s voice was cautious, careful. “I’m afraid I’m responsible for her, and I’m wondering if either of you might’ve seen her. She’s blond, blue-eyed, and at twelve years old she’s a bit on the small side. Goes by the name of—”
I slipped back to Dacian’s side, my eyes meeting the
stranger’s, unsure what to make of the unmistakable way he was looking at me.
With shock.
And disbelief.
As though he wasn’t just looking
at
me, but also
through
me,
beyond
me—and while I had no idea what he saw, there was no denying his interest was piqued.
“
Riley?
” His voice croaked as the straw fell from his mouth and landed at his feet. He stepped forward, his gait tentative, a bit shaky, stopping when Dacian raised a hand between them, flashing his palm in warning.
“I’m going to have to stop you right there,” Dacian said, the threat implied in his tone. “Clearly you have the wrong party, so it’s best you move on.”
If the stranger heard, he chose to ignore it. And though he made no further move in my direction, that didn’t stop him from staring in complete and utter fascination when he said, “Riley? Riley Bloom? Tell me, does that name mean anything to you?”
Heat rose to my cheeks, as a familiar feeling blossomed inside me—and though I knew I should look away, I just couldn’t, I was frozen in place
“It’s like I said.” Dacian took another step toward him. “You have the wrong party. There is no …
Riley Bloom
here.” He stumbled over the name. “It’s time for you to move on.”
The stranger glanced between us, his gaze landing on mine, holding the look for so long I couldn’t help but squirm under the weight of it.
Aware of Dacian’s body tensing, his fingers curling into fists, refusing to relax even after the stranger said, “No worries, I’m leaving.” He turned, stepped away, glancing over his shoulder to add, “At least for now anyway.”
M
essalina and I stayed up late into the night, picking at a tray of leftover sweets, braiding each other’s hair, and swapping tales that we swore into the strictest confidence, requiring a solemn vow of secrecy before they were told. And after I’d listened to her gush on and on about her top secret romance with Theocoles, it was my turn to relate every last detail of the moment Dacian kissed me.
“He did
not
!” Messalina plopped a sweet into her mouth and leaned toward me as her eyes grew wide with surprise.
“He did, indeed.” I smiled at the memory. “Not much of a gentleman to be sure, but still, I decided not to call him on it. In fact, I even let him do it again!”
“No!” Messalina laughed and shook her head, lounging on a large pile of pillows she’d arranged at her back.
“Oh yes.” I nodded. “Though, to be honest, it didn’t quite go as planned. Rather than actually kissing, we had a
little accident and ended up smacking noses instead!” I covered my face with my hands, seeing the embarrassing moment so clearly it was as though it was happening all over again. “And before we could give it another try, a stranger interrupted us … and … well, the moment was lost.” I shrugged. “But then later, by the fountain, he—”
“Stranger? What stranger?” Messalina bolted upright, her voice so edgy, face so alarmed, I immediately regretted having mentioned it.
“It’s nothing,” I told her, quick to wave it away, wanting to get back to my story—the second brief kiss Dacian had given me. “He left fairly quickly, it is nothing for you to worry about.”
“But he must’ve wanted something—won’t you tell me what that is?” She leaned toward me, her fingers reaching for my brow, pushing my hair away from my face.
“He was looking for someone named Riley.” My gaze locked on hers. “Riley Bloom, I think he said.”
“And what did you tell him?” She leaned closer, staring intently.
I sighed, longing to move past it, but one look at her face made it clear that was not going to happen unless we finished this first. “I didn’t say anything.” My gaze held fast to hers so she’d know it was true. “Dacian told him there
was no one around by that name, that he had the wrong party, and should be on his way.”
“And he did? He left?” Messalina asked, clearly on edge.
“He’s gone. Not to worry, I doubt he’ll return.”
I looked away, bit down on my lip, struggling with the urge to take it all back, confess to my fib, tell her that he actually said just the opposite, leaving me to believe that he would return at some point. The war between the truth and the lie waging within me, until I saw the way her face softened, her shoulders slumped and relaxed, as she plucked an especially ripe-looking date from the tray and tossed it my way.
I plopped the squishy, puckered fruit into my mouth, closing my eyes to better savor its wonderful sweetness. The stranger’s image blooming in my mind, unable to make sense of why I lied to my friend, why I clung to his promise of return—I only know that I did.
“So, what was the kiss like?” Messalina asked, returning to my favorite topic. “You are going to tell me, right? I want to hear every last detail!” She held a pillow to her chest, wrapped her arms around it and leaned toward me, urging, “So go ahead—what was it like? Was it as romantic as you hoped it would be? I mean, after all, it was your first kiss, right?”
I reached for my own pillow, took a long time fussing with it, getting it just right. Though that was all pretense—buying the time that I needed in order to erase the memory of the green-eyed stranger and replace it with an image of Dacian. Then, once that was set, I was free to concentrate solely on the questions she’d asked.
I snuck a smile onto my face, plucked another date from the tray, and said, “The sky was sprinkled with stars—it couldn’t have been more romantic.” I closed my eyes, desperate to see it again. “There was even a shooting star—I’m so sorry you missed it.”
“Did you make a wish?” Her voice so urgent my eyes snapped open just in time to see the serious look that crossed her face. “You should have,” she said, nodding as she added, “you really, really should have. Most people wish for the moment to never end—or at least for the feeling to never end—and the wish is always granted, it never fails. They get to relive the experience again and again. Beautiful, isn’t it?” She sighed and looked at me, and all I could do was nod in agreement.
T
he next morning, Messalina woke me by jiggling my arm and giggling in my ear as she said, “Wake up sleepyhead—we’ve got a big day ahead!”
I ran a hand through my tangled mass of curls, lifted myself from the massive pile of pillows, and joined her at the trunk filled with what seemed to be an infinite amount of gorgeous, silky things she urged me to choose from.
“Go ahead! Pick something pretty!” She smiled brightly as she watched me riffle through it. Lifting a glossy stream of pink silk woven with intricate gold bits, only to have her snatch it away, and say, “Not that one.” She fought for control of her face, tried to soften the edge, to not look as angry as her voice had already betrayed her to be. “I should’ve told you, I’ve already decided to wear pink today. And since I’m sure you’d prefer to stand out in front of Dacian, you’ll need to choose another color.”
I gazed longingly at the pink. Now that it was forbidden, I wanted it more than ever. Hoping to sway her when I said, “But we are like sisters, right?” I gazed at her from under my lashes. “Well, if we both wear pink then we can be even closer—almost like twins!”
The argument was a good one, sure to win her over, but Messalina wouldn’t budge, wouldn’t even pause to consider. She quickly dismissed it with an impatient wave of her hand, and reached for a dress that gleamed with the deepest shade of cobalt with traces of green woven in.
“
This
—this is the one, there is no doubt in my mind.” She held the dress before me, urging me to agree, but my excitement was no match for hers, I was still mourning the loss of the pink. “With some sapphire jewelry, or maybe even lapis …” She pressed a finger to her chin as though seriously deciding between the two. “Well, either way, this one will serve you well, of that I’ve no doubt. It’ll bring out your gorgeous blue eyes, to be sure. Dacian won’t know what to do with himself when he sees you!”
Dacian.
The boy who kissed me.
The boy I was really beginning to like—wasn’t I? Messalina seemed to think that was the case.
I fought to keep the facts straight—and yet, every time
I tried to retrieve a memory of him, all I could see were swoopy brown bangs, odd clothes, bright green eyes, and a face so comforting yet unfamiliar I couldn’t place it no matter how hard I tried.
I shook my head, desperate to rid myself of the thought. Messalina was staring, sensing a change in my mood, and not wanting to explain to her what I could barely explain to myself, I reached for the cobalt blue dress and slipped it right over my head. And once the complicated array of sashes and ties and jewelry and hairpins were all finally in place—once we were both shiny, and gorgeous, and elaborately dressed—Messalina linked her arm with mine, and said, “And now, let the games begin!”
 
 
 
The Colosseum was amazing, like nothing I’d ever seen before. My head forced to swivel from side to side in an effort to take it all in. Following Messalina into a private, shady box where all of Roman nobility sat, I turned to her and said, “Wow, look at all of these people! Is it always this crowded?”
“It is when Theocoles appears.” She studied me carefully.
I nodded, vaguely familiar with the name. He was a
champion. Went by some crazy nickname. Though I was quick to dismiss it, hardly interested in those particular details. I was more interested in finding Dacian.
“I hear Dacian’s been asking about you all morning.” Messalina smiled as though she’d just read my mind. “I hear he arrived early in anticipation of seeing you again.” She leaned closer, giggled softly into my ear. “So let’s not disappoint him, let’s make sure everything is in place, shall we?” She stood before me, held me at arm’s length as her gaze moved over me. Checking to make sure all was in place as she brushed a finger over my brow, saying, “Perfect. You are just perfect! I hope you enjoy the show, Aurelia—and believe me when I say that one never forgets their first time at the games!”
She pushed me toward Dacian who reached for my hand and guided me to our seats where he immediately began chattering about the day’s program.
The procession came first, quickly followed by games that were every bit as violent and gruesome as I assumed they would be. And yet, it wasn’t long before I found myself sliding toward the edge of my seat, caught up in the same excitement as everyone around me. Cheering, and clapping, and stomping my feet—fully engrossed in the spectacle of horrific, unimaginable death, as one after
another, the carcasses—both animal and human—began to pile up.
And when Theocoles took center stage, it became immediately clear why he was so revered. He was charismatic, magnetic, a bright and shining star in a sea of charmless brutes. The type of warrior one could easily pin all of their fantasies on.
The battle began, and I rooted along with the rest of them—greedy for more carnage, more slaying, more wounding, more bloodshed—consumed by an insatiable appetite for destruction that the previous battles had merely whetted. Torn between an eagerness to see Urbicus fall—torn to small, bloodied bits—and an eagerness for the show to go on, and on, and on so I could always feel so engaged.
My gazed riveted to the arena, eagerly following every blow, every leap, every swing of Theocoles’ sword—until someone moved into the space right before me and blocked it from view.
“Excuse me!” I tapped him hard on the shoulder, wishing Dacian would step in and handle this for me, but his view was clear and his eyes were glued to the arena, not missing a thing. “Do you mind? I’m trying to watch the battle, much as you are, but unlike you, I can’t see a thing, you are completely blocking me!”
The stranger turned, pushed his flop of hair away from his piercing green eyes, revealing himself to be the one from last night, only dressed far more appropriately in a blue-and-white toga that fell to his knees.
My mouth grew dry, my throat went all hot and tight, as my head swirled in a way I couldn’t quite identify.
I mean, yes, he was cute.
Seriously cute.
Incredibly cute.
But no cuter than Dacian.
No cuter than my
new boyfriend
Dacian.
So why did I care? Why was I feeling this way? It just didn’t make any sense.
“I didn’t realize you were such a fan of the games, Riley. Usually you get completely grossed out by that much blood and gore. Usually you have a lot more respect for human life. I guess I misjudged you.”
“My name isn’t Riley,” I snapped. It was the only thing I was sure of.
“Isn’t it?” He looked at me, regarding me closely. “Well forgive me then, you remind me an awful lot of someone I once knew. Someone I’m
very
worried about. Someone I’ve been searching for.”
“My name is Aurelia,” I said, unable to break my gaze from his.
“Ah.” He nodded. “And I am Bodhi.” He reached for my hand, though as tempted as I was to take it, I held back. Dacian may be engaged in the games, too busy to notice, but I still wasn’t sure if I should go through with it.
“You two together?” Bodhi asked, his eyes darting between Dacian and me.
I nodded, rubbed my lips together, and then nodded again.
“I won’t keep you then,” Bodhi said. “Still, I’m very pleased to meet you. I don’t know many people in these parts, so it’s nice to see a familiar face.”
“Familiar?” I quirked my brow, unsure if he said that on purpose, or if it was an honest mistake.
But he was quick to dismiss it, laughing easily as he said, “Is that what I said? See, I guess you really do remind me of my friend,
Riley Bloom
. I meant to say
friendly
. It’s nice to see a
friendly
face around here. This can be a tough crowd, in case you haven’t noticed. Though you’ve seemed to fit in quite easily, haven’t you?” His eyes squinted when he smiled, and he offered his hand once again.
I peered at Dacian, seeing he was still engrossed in the games. I reached forward and placed my hand in Bodhi’s. Watching as he lowered his head, brushed his lips against the top of my hand, then lifted his eyes to meet mine, shooting me a saddened look that was soon interrupted by the roar of the crowd.
Theocoles had gone down, and the next thing I knew, the stranger, Bodhi, was racing toward the arena, racing toward Theocoles, as I turned to Dacian and said, “What is going on? What is he doing?”
“He’s fallen,” Dacian said, shaking his head in pity. “The Pillar of Doom has fallen.”
I glanced from Dacian to the arena, saying, “No, I mean that guy, the stranger from last night—what is he doing down there?”
Dacian squinted, his brow creasing in confusion when he said, “I have no idea.”
I jumped to my feet, pushed my way to the edge of the box where I watched as Bodhi knelt beside Theocoles, speaking urgently into his ear.
“I don’t understand,” I said, turning to Dacian who’d made his way to me. “What are they doing down there? What’s going on around here?”
My eyes darted wildly, wondering why no one else was bothered by what I could so clearly see.
“I think the heat and spectacle has gotten to us.” Dacian laughed, grabbing my hand as he led me away. “It’s a tragic turn of events, completely unexpected, to be sure. What do you say we find someplace quiet to sit, someplace where we can cool down. Night will fall soon, and once it does, we can search for our favorite constellations again.” He looked
at me with a face so open and hopeful it seemed impossible to resist.
And yet, I managed to pull away, managed to push my way back to the front of the box so I could peer into the arena. Surprised to find Messalina down there, following Theocoles, who followed his own dead body as it was dragged out of the arena and back behind those heavy iron gates. As Bodhi remained standing in the middle, his gaze locked on mine, telling me something I couldn’t quite read no matter how hard I tried.
Our gaze broken when I heard a rush of laughter and noise, felt a light touch first on my arm, and then on my forehead, as I turned to find myself in the middle of a party with Messalina giggling beside me, as she introduced me to a super cute boy who went by the name of Dacian.

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