Whisper (The Whisper Trilogy)

by Dana Faletti

  Finally she spoke. “You can see them too?”

  The three Micros stared at us from their perches around the kitchen, just waiting to see how all of this would pan out. For once, all three of them were quiet. This was Angel history in the making. Never before had two Arcs been anywhere near each other on the planet let alone been as close as Callie and I had been.

  She peered at me, hands on her hips, a million questions in her eyes.

  “Uh, Callie, there was something I wanted to tell you tonight.” I began.

  But I never got to tell her. The screams that reached our ears from beyond the kitchen door, the whispers coming from somewhere outside, the hissing and the sinister cackle… All of those noises beckoned us. From somewhere long ago and far away came a voice, like a memory.

  “Do my bidding Arcs. Fulfill your purpose and you will be rewarded. I am with you always as you will always be with Me.”

  A fatherly pat on the back and a nudge out the back door.

  The sky was dark but the pool lights lit up the scene with an unnatural and sickly glow. I heard Callie gasp before I registered the reason.

  There, above the pool, balancing on the third floor balcony ledge was Mila, Callie’s best friend. Even from the ground, I could see her eyes were glazed over. She was obviously on something. Her bare feet stood still as she swayed her hips and arms to music that must have been playing only in her head.

  A group of kids by the pool were screaming to her to get down, to get off the ledge. Some of them were crying. Mila was laughing at them, her red lips stretched over her teeth like the Joker from Batman.

  And wait a minute… Somebody else was up there. There was a form, hidden in the folds of the curtains, tossing shadows when the curtains blew in the breeze. Oh God, no it wasn’t–

  “Mila,” Callie called to her. “Stay where you are. I’m coming.” And she was gone.

  Before I could tell her anything.

  Before I could warn her that the demon preying on her best friend was one of the sickest, cruelest and smartest ones out there.

  Out of the shadows, he appeared, his wicked sneer stretched across his gaunt face, cackling in anticipation of the angel he’d baited.

  God please no.

  It was Mihm.

  18

  I had to get out of here. Gina’s pain was too much. I’d slaughtered the Raysers, but the words I’d heard them whispering to those other kids… I just couldn’t shake them. The horror, the ugliness. It was over, and Gina was going to be okay eventually, I knew she would. I didn’t know if I’d ever get over the brutality though, if I would ever be able to forget what those kids did to her.

  “Joshua.” Just seeing him melted some of the terror away. I wanted him to wrap me up in his arms and take me far away from here, to just hold me while I cried and to not ask any questions. I was not up for explanations tonight.

  He led me downstairs and towards the kitchen door. Most everyone had left when they heard the cops were coming, but there were still a few people milling around, looking nervous but curious enough to stay. I walked past them, still dazed from the bloodbath upstairs.

  After all that worrying over stage fright, I hadn’t given the onlookers a second thought while I fought the Raysers. It wasn’t a logical thing. I mean, yes I’d known they’d be cloaked, but really I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was totally into ripping those monsters apart and getting to Gina in time to help her. At one point I saw Joshua out of the corner of my eye. He was watching me intently from the hallway, hiding behind the door so that he thought I couldn’t see him. His presence didn’t faze me. I had a job to do, and I was in the zone.

  Didn’t matter anyways. I was going to tell him the truth. I knew I was not only risking my relationship with him but also my reputation as a sane individual. I just couldn’t put on this face anymore. I’d never been a good liar, and I cared too much about Joshua to be dishonest with him. I wasn’t sure how, but I was gonna spill. Whatever happened after... well, at least he’d know the real me.

  “I left my stuff out back by the pool.”

  “We can head out that way.”

  He held my hand and anchored me. I was so spent, I couldn’t even bask in the electricity of his touch, only the safety I felt in his presence.

  But, what was I hearing? More whispers? You’ve got to be freaking kidding me. I didn’t have any energy left. Those Micros better send somebody else in to finish this job.

  Flutter. Snap. Splat. “Aye!”

  A pile of Micros crash landed on the linoleum floor in front of my feet.

  Seriously? What else, God? Come on, lay it on me all at once why don’t you.

  Silas was lying face up under Jules, his nose wedged beneath her armpit. And, of course, he was whining about his fancy white getup.

  And Jules, decked out in a lacy black something that was anything but street clothes, was totally messing with him as usual. She was on this lingerie kick lately. Too many Victoria’s Secret Magazines… The lace up knee high boots were a nice touch….not. Honestly… I would never understand her.

  And who was this Chachi on top of Jules? He looked like he’d climbed right out of a Happy Days Episode, cigarette tucked behind his blonde pompadour hairdo and everything. They were calling him Jixer. From the looks of things, he and Jules kind of dug each other. Seriously, Micros... get a freakin room. Ugh…

  Shaking my head at the ridiculous trio at my feet, I noticed I was starting to get a monster of a headache, the likes of which I hadn’t had in a long time. Squinting my eyes and trying to push away the pain, I massaged my temples and sighed. This night had been totally exhausting, and it clearly wasn’t over yet.

  I closed my eyes only to pop them right back open at the sound of Joshua roaring at the Micro Angels he wasn’t supposed to be able to see.

  What the?

  “Wait a minute…” I was totally confused. Josh was yelling at the Micros. Julia and this Jixer character were having a make out session. Silas was… well Silas was predictable at least, messing with his clothes as usual. What happened to my reality… the one in which everything was already several shades of crazy? These new developments were throwing me totally over the line. A girl could only handle so much.

  I peered up at Joshua who was looking gorgeous as usual but also a little sheepish. “So you can see them too?”

  His words were a blur. All that registered in my ears were whispers and snarls, shouts and screams, all of them coming from outside. We all, Micros included, tumbled through the kitchen door to the back patio to find a scene even more disturbing to me than the one I’d left upstairs…

  Her body swaying to music.

  Her lips, humming an old song, something about a dancing queen.

  Her eyes, half closed.

  Her feet not so steady, balancing on the railing of the third floor balcony.

  Who knew how she’d gotten herself into this mess, but I had to get her out.

  “Mila – “I called to her to stay put and with fire under my feet, raced back into the house. If only I could grab her and hold onto her before she lost her footing. If Mila fell off of that railing… I didn’t even want to think about what could happen to her.

  I pushed past groups of people still lingering in Gina’s living room and rounded the corner to the staircase. Taking the steps two at a time, I crossed my fingers.

  Please God, let her still be standing there. Maybe she’d gotten herself down. Who knew – she was so high on whatever she’d taken tonight, I wasn’t sure she’d even be able to get herself back down safely.

  One more flight of stairs up to the loft. Crap. Which door was it? I didn’t have time to search out the right room. One of the doors was cracked, and I could see the curtains beyond twisting in the night breeze. Had to be that one.

  Adrenaline pounded through my veins as I threw myself through the door only to find what I never in a million years would have expected.

  Mila was down from the railing. In fact, s
he was back in the bedroom, still swaying to the same song, still high as the clouds…But now she was dancing with a demon.

  Mihm’s evil grin spread across his leathery face like smeared ketchup. Twirling a giggling Mila around and dipping and spinning her, he was like some gross ancient zombie version of Fred Astaire. This was so not happening.

  But all of my senses told me it was. He smelled like hell and he was wreaking havoc in my head – images of terror, pain like never before. His laughter was like nails on a chalkboard but worse, it rang in my ears, torturing me, and his empty red eyes never left me, taunting me, challenging me, baiting me. I had to get her out of his hands... had to get to Mila.

  Focus Callie. Focus… but it was so hard…

  My head… just… hurt... so bad.

  “No, Mila.” I reached one hand out to her from across the room.

  On my knees.

  The hardwood floor felt cold and delicious on the fire of my head.

  One eye closed.

  The other trying to stay open…

  Push away the pain.

  He was dancing her back outside now. His claws had pierced her. There was blood on the floor... drops of it leading in a circular pattern and then a line towards the balcony.

  “No, Mila.” I tried to yell, but it was practically a whisper. With all my strength, I reached inside for my voice. “Wake up Mila! Wake up!”

  I watched his lips moving, heard him whispering to her. Her legs straddling the railing, trying to hoist herself up again, still giggling, still totally fried. His lips formed the same words over and over again, and although he was whispering to her, he was staring at me, still grinning, still gross.

  “Stand up and jump. Stand up and jump.”

  Focus Callie. Do something!

  I honed in on Mila’s face, caked with blush and body glitter, her fake eyelashes drooping and her mascara runny. Still, her smile lit up the night. She was so rebellious, yes, but she was so naïve too. She thought all the fun in the world could be had just by breaking the rules, by pushing limits and exceeding boundaries. She wasn’t sweet or kind or even polite half of the time, but she had been my best friend since forever. She knew me inside and out, well… mostly. We’d shared so many firsts together, and despite our differences, we always were there for each other, to catch the other if she fell. And, I was not about to let that end now because of some stinkin’ ugly pile of leather and claws.

  Pushing myself up with one hand, I used the other to grab my weapons. I couldn’t use my machine gun. I’d end up hitting Mila. I grabbed for my dagger and ran for the balcony, straight at him.

  Thud.

  Breathe Callie… but it took a few seconds to catch my breath.

  I was back on the ground in the bedroom, and my head hurt worse than before. Mihm had practically just flicked me away as if I were a fruit fly, and it had been enough force to send me flying and landing head first in a heap ten feet away from him and Mila.

  My vision was double now, which sucked on a couple of different levels.

  First off, I couldn’t focus on my target, couldn’t get my bearings when I tried to stand.

  Second and even worse, there were two Mihms now, and they were both coming at me as if they were starving, and I was a piece of meat, just waiting to be devoured.

  This was so bad. I was so dead.

  Crash. Slam. Shriek. Rip. Yelp.

  What the…?

  Was that Joshua Pride on top of Mihm… wait now he was under Mihm, nope… on top again.

  Not only was my vision screwed up, it seemed as though my brain had been damaged in the fall. This definitely was not happening.

  “Callie!” And yet, he was calling out to me in the voice I knew could only be his. “Callie, get out of here now!”

  It was Joshua. And, he was fighting the demon Mihm. My eyes were coming back into focus, and they widened, amazed at the sight. Joshua was crouching over Mihm, who was now on his gnarly demon knees, grunting and writhing with all his might to get out of the stranglehold Josh had around his neck.

  His look was so fierce – I’d never seen him so intense, so full of rage. Sweat beaded on his brow and dripped into Mihm’s eyes, bulging under Joshua’s grasp. His biceps were pulsing, his calves tight and taught, his thick lips puckered in concentration. I was completely swept up in staring at him, this version of the boy I was crazy for... Who was he? What was he?

  He was bad arsenal, that was for sure. I watched him bring his leg back and kick a weakened Mihm square in the face. Mihm went down, legs splayed out in front of him, face to the ground. Joshua pulled something from the back of his shorts.

  Now, how the hello had he hidden a giant golden sword from me? Really? Was I that totally thick? I mean he did have a certain effect on me that kind of blocked out the rest of the world, but still, you think I’d have noticed something that big. I mean, at some point anyways. Hmmm.

  I watched him bring the sword straight up execution style, above Mihm’s barely moving body, and then slam.

  The sword stuck straight out of the hardwood of the bedroom floor, while Mihm rolled aside, stood and hurdled himself outside where Mila was leaning against the railing, half conscious. When he wrapped his talons around her neck, her eyes opened. She whimpered weakly and slumped backwards into his awful form.

  I took one look at Joshua. He was still in shock that Mihm had escaped his sword. Getting to my shaky feet, I willed myself across the room and outside.

  “Mila…” Mihm’s eyes were wide and hungry when he noticed me hurdling towards them. I pushed myself between them, and before he could move, I sunk my dagger into one of his creepy red eyes that had been haunting me since I first saw him. I grabbed Mila around the waist and tugged at her, trying to wrench her free from his grip, but he was not giving. He held onto her neck with one hand and used the other to tear my weapon from his eye and throw it over the balcony. We both watched it fall.

  Clink.

  And then Mihm’s eyes met mine. For a moment, there was silence. We summed each other up and measured our strengths against each other. Somebody had to win this battle, and I was not going to give into this piece of scum without the fight of my life. His nostrils flared, and he let out a kind of roar. Mila whimpered again.

  I didn’t even flinch.

  “Oh, yeah, Mihm? Is that all you got for me?” I snorted at him and rolled my eyes.

  This really ticked him off, I think, because he reached around the shaking Mila’s body, not letting go of her but placing his efforts at grabbing onto my head. I squirmed and wiggled but he had a good grip on me. I couldn’t wriggle free, couldn’t even get my hands to reach the weapons at my waist. I was stuck, and Mihm was squeezing my head like he was trying to pop it, like it was a blueberry.

  I felt the pressure ease just a bit and opened my eyes. He stared straight into them, victorious.

  “Now, you’ll die, Arc.” And he laughed his horrible terrifying laugh. He laughed and laughed and the pressure in my head got tighter and tighter. Tears squeezed through my eyes shut tight. Everything was black. I heard something crack, and the pressure was gone.

  19

  JOSHUA PRIDE

  “No!”

  “What happened, Joshua? Where is she?” Silas and the rest of the crew flew into the bedroom as I raced out and down the stairs. They followed me towards the back of the house.

  “The bastard took her down with him. I practically took his head off with the sword, but he took her with him… right over the ledge.”

  “Bastardo!”

  As I raced from the third floor to the backyard, one image haunted me, Callie’s crumpled body, wrapped, unmoving, around her best friend’s on the cement patio below.

  Why hadn’t she listened to me when I told her to get out? Why had she even attempted to fight him? Mihm was the only Rayser I’d never been able to completely destroy. I’d come out the winner of many battles with him, but I’d never been able to finish him off. He’d always gotten away. No
t this time. Mihm was definitely dead. I’d heard the crack of his spine being severed by my own sword. But, in his last act of defiance, he’d grabbed tightly to Callie and Mila and dumped himself over the edge of the balcony, pulling them over with him.

  So Mihm was dead, his body lay not ten feet away from Callie and Mila’s bent and broken, bleeding and lifeless, but what was the price? I bent over Callie’s still form. I could hear her pulse. She was alive. Mila was too. Thank you God.

  Sirens. Someone had called the paramedics. They’d probably take Callie with Mila, unless they couldn’t see her. I was pretty sure the scene had seemed anything but supernatural to the onlookers though. Obviously, Mila had been under the influence of some major chemicals. A bunch of kids had seen her standing up on that railing and had watched as Callie disappeared to rescue her. One friend talking another friend down… it wasn’t really weird enough to be cloaked.

  The only one in question was Mila. She’d seen and experienced a lot, even in her altered state.

  I pushed Callie’s blood and sweat muddied hair off of her face, and I noticed a singular slash on the left side of her neck, under her ear. Shit, Mihm must have gotten her. I reached into my deep back pocket and pulled out my own little first aid kit for angels. I squeezed a pin size drop of Nordac ointment onto her skin and gently massaged it over the gash, hoping she was feeling none of this. Within seconds, the six inch angry red cut was gone, leaving Callie’s creamy skin as perfect as it had been before.

  “Joshua, we couldn’t get in.” Jixer was fluttering next to me, sorrowfully sucking on a cigarette and coming to land at my feet, near Callie’s pink painted nails on her hand. “Mihm must have done something to the field around the door. After you went in, Jules and I tried everything.” He stared at the ground. “Sorry Man.”

  “She’s okay… well, she’s breathing, so…” I told him. “You couldn’t have done anything, anyways.”

  “We could have messed with him.”

  “Jix, Mihm was way too smart for you three.” He would have eaten Silas alive in the space of a breath.