by JC Dameron
"What?!" I exclaimed, as I found myself in disbelief that this could be happening. My pulse was racing, as I felt my entire world was exploding, and I was helpless to stop it.
"Ethan was hung from the bathroom ceiling, and Leaha was severed in half from head to toe, they displayed her on the bed, and her innards were laid out upon the sheets," he said after taking a moment to catch his breath.
I fell to my knees in despair, unable to overcome the feeling of sheer hollowness that was quickly overwhelming me.
"Majesty, I have to find Seles; I have to keep her safe!" He shouted, running towards her room.
I sat in silence for a moment before I was able to find the strength to stand, and I silently mourned Ethan, Leaha and their unborn child.
"Majesty!" Grimaldi said loudly, as he rushed back to me. "Seles isn't in her room, Majesty, I can't find her anywhere!" he said, with tears still staining his face.
Grimaldi was out of breath, as though he had been running for miles.
"Grimaldi," I said, as I unlocked my door and opened it. "I need you to stay here with Vesta, I will search for her," I commanded.
"Very well, milady," Grimaldi said, bowing his head as he walked into the room and locked the door behind him.
I rushed to Seles's room, and I burst through the cracked door. I looked all around the room, but I could not find any clues as to where she may have gone. I turned to leave the room, but I noticed that there was something behind the door. I turned the lights on, and I shut the door to see behind it. Seles was there, impaled by a blade against the wall. Her head hung down, and as her weight pulled on the blade without the door to help hold her against the wall, her body fell to the floor. I rushed to her, flipping her to her back, and I held her in my arms as I screamed out loud. Screaming was all I could do; everyone that I cared about was gone. As I held her body, Seles coughed, and blood sprayed across my face. Her eyes opened slowly, and as she faced me, her life force continued to fade away.
"Grimaldi," she choked out, grasping my robe.
"He's fine, he is with Vesta," I assured her.
Seles's eyes widened as she shook her head from side to side which caused her to cough up more blood onto my clothing.
"Save Vesta, Grimaldi," she reiterated.
As her eyes closed and her body went limp, I watched one of my dearest friends exhale her final breath. I held her close, and as her blood drained over me from her wound, I wondered why she had reacted to Grimaldi's name as she had. Fearing for Vesta and Grimaldi's safety, I laid my friend to rest where she had fallen, and I began to make my way back to my room. I felt a surge of Ether that only Vesta could produce, and I heard Vesta scream, followed by complete silence. As I turned the corner of the hallway, I saw Grimaldi carrying Vesta, unconscious, out of the room.
"What happened," I said, as I rushed toward them.
As I approached, I noticed that it wasn't Grimaldi; rather, it was a man with a devil's head and a body which resembled Grimaldi's. The devil grew wings, and he flew through the window at the end of the hall and carried Vesta out of reach.
"Aunt Vel," I heard, as I felt cold water crash against my face. "Wake up, Aunt Vel!" Vesta screamed as I came to, and I realized that I had been dreaming. "You were screaming in your sleep, and I wasn't able to wake you. I hope that you're not too angry with me because I threw water on you," Vesta said, meekly.
As I sat up, I recounted the events in my dream. It had all seemed so real, and unlike my previous dream where I was simply an observer, in this dream I had spoken to my friends, touched them, and taken part in the events. This dream was more real, and as Vesta spoke to me, I wondered if my dreams were more than just dreams; I wondered if they were an omen.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Goodbye, My Friend.
I laid in bed, for what felt like an eternity, waiting for morning to come. I couldn't fall back asleep, there was no way I could force myself to do that. What if I were to become stuck in that dream again, that terrible nightmare. Finally, I could hear people talking as they passed by my room, and I knew that it was morning. I stood to my feet and dressed before going to the bathroom sink to brush my hair. I looked into the mirror, and I realized that the bag's under my eyes were so deep that a Filibat could nest in them. I attempted to mask them with some of the products that Leaha had brought me called cosmetics, but to no avail. I sighed and decided that perhaps today would be a wear your hair down day instead, hoping that may help to camouflage my fatigue. Vesta woke shortly after me, and she walked to the sink while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Good Morning, Aunt Vel,” she said, as she waited for a chance to use the bathroom on her own.
"Good morning Vesta," I said, considering how odd it felt to have someone to share a bathroom with.
As I walked out to allow Vesta some modicum of privacy, she noticed my eyes.
"Did you sleep enough?" she asked.
"Yes, I had a bit of unrest for a while, but I feel better now," I lied.
When Vesta was finished, she walked out of the bathroom, and I noticed that her hair was still a total mess.
"Vesta, you can use my brush, for now if you would like. I'll get you a new one of your own today," I said, smiling.
Her eyes lit up like she had won first place in an archery competition.
"Really! Thanks, Aunt Vel!” With renewed vigor, she walked back into the bathroom to brush her hair. "We didn't have a real brush in Leordia City, so we would use a comb that mom made out of bones," she said, delighting in the simple pleasure of using a real brush.
It still befuddled me that Vesta's mother had given up her rights as a princess of Leordia, to live a commoners life with Vesta.
"Well, you are a real life princess, Vesta. I can assure you that you will never want for anything again, I promise," I said, as I vowed to ensure that Vesta had a chance to experience everything that she hadn't while living in poverty.
Vesta walked out of the room, her long red hair brushed, and hugged me.
"Thanks, Aunt Vel, but I have never been left wanting. My mom loved me, and she provided me with everything that I could ever need, and that has always been enough for me," she said, choking up a bit, while she spoke about her mother.
"I hope to be able to give you half of what she did, then, Vesta," I said, having never known the love of my own mother.
"I hope so too," she said, smiling up at me.
I took her by the hand, and I bent down to her level.
"How about we go and meet up with everyone for breakfast and show them that you're healed?
I didn't have any new clothes to give Vesta to put on, but I knew that with Leaha, it was only a matter of time before Vesta would have a full wardrobe and more.
"I'd like that," Vesta said, running to the door.
As I followed behind her, I heard people outside rushing by, speaking loudly. Though I couldn't make out what they were saying, I could tell by their tone that something bad had happened. I opened the door to step out, and I saw Grimaldi pass by. My mind was taken back to how I had seen him in my dream, and I stalled as he passed, stuck with the image of the devil that I couldn't get out of my head. Moments later, Seles passed by and noticed me in the doorway, and she came to speak to me.
"Vel, something’s happened at the lab!" She said before rushing off.
My heart sank into my chest as I considered that my nightmare had begun at the very place that I would now be compelled to go.
"Vesta, do me a favor," I said, turning to her. "Would you mind staying here for now and keeping the door locked until I return?" I asked, trying not to alert her.
"Sure, Aunt Vel. I'm not looking forward to admitting that I was afraid to tell the truth about my leg anyway.” She shrugged as she walked to the door to lock it behind me.
"No one but me enters, okay?" I said, and she nodded in understanding.
As I exited the door, I heard the lock turn over, and I headed toward the lab as a medical crew rushed by. O
nce I reached the lab, I saw a crowd of agents making way for the medical team. As the crowd parted, my fears were realized. There was a body on the ground, covered by a white sheet. From the size and shape of the silhouette, I knew right away that it was Felix. His blood had pooled near the sheet, which indicated that he hadn't died naturally, but had been killed in some horrific manner no doubt. I dropped my head as I considered how I would tell Vesta that he was gone. In her short time here, she had grown quite fond of the elderly man, seeming to think of him as family. I looked through the crowd of at least thirty or more people, and I found Grimaldi and Seles. I walked to them, unable to take my eyes off of the spot where Felix's body lay. I had chills running up my spine, and I rand my hands up and down my arms in an attempt to warm myself.
"They're saying that he was murdered last night," Grimaldi said, telling me the rumors that he had heard.
"Leaha is on her way here now. She will be the one leading the investigation while Ethan is away," Seles said, gripping Grimaldi's arm.
"Vel," I heard Lucas's voice call out from behind me. "What's going on?" He asked, unable to see through the crowd which had regathered, and obstructed his view of the body.
"Felix is gone, Lucas," I said, taking his hand.
From their interaction over the past few days, I knew that Lucas and Felix were very close. Felix had worked with Lucas's father in developing the portal technology, and as a result, would have been someone Lucas grew up knowing most of his life.
"What do you mean he's gone?" Lucas asked, standing as tall as he could to try and look beyond the crowd.
Lucas must have been able to catch a glimpse of the sheet which covered Felix, because the look on his face when he dropped flat on his feet again was that of a man in complete shock.
"I'm so sorry, Lucas," I said, embracing him as tears began to fill my eyes.
Lucas didn't react at all, he was completely lost.
"Clear out," Leaha's voice screamed over a loud speaker.
I looked back, and I saw Leaha at the edge of the crowd, holding a device which seemed to amplify her voice.
"Give the medical team room to do their job. Everyone back to their post," Leaha demanded, standing against the wall to let the crowd pass.
I stood with Lucas, Grimaldi, and Seles as Leaha walked up.
"I've alerted Ethan, and he has requested that another commander be sent to the facility he's at so that he can get back here ASAP," Leaha said, looking at Lucas who was still standing in shock. "Vel, take him somewhere he can lay down," She commanded. "Grimaldi and Seles, you two go to the command center and assume command for now. I'm going to spend some time here and try to get to the bottom of this." She watched as I took Lucas's hand, to lead him to his room. "Vel, once he's laying down, return here, please. I could use another set of eyes on this.”
I nodded my head, and I walked with Lucas down the hall toward his room. Once we arrived at his room, I opened the door, and I walked him in. I laid him on his bed, covered him with a blanket, and I sat down beside him and took his hand. I noticed that it was cool to the touch, and his complexion looked off as well.
"We're going to find out who did this, Lucas," I promised, releasing his hand. I knew that there would be no response, and that there was nothing I could do for him from here. I was best served by returning to the lab to help Leaha with her investigation.
Grimaldi and Seles passed by as I exited the room, and they stopped for a moment to speak to me.
"They're saying that Lucas was the last one to leave the lab last night, Vel. Prepare yourself," Seles said, hugging me.
Grimaldi nodded and took Seles's hand as they walked to the command center. I felt guilty as I smiled in spite of everything that was going on, but I had noticed Grimaldi taking Seles's hand and I couldn’t help but feel good about that. I wouldn't have believed that Ethan and Leaha's jokes about their blooming feelings could have been true, but they definitely appeared to be closer than just friends. I walked across the hall to my room, and I knocked on the door to check on Vesta. She meekly answered without opening the door.
"Hello?" She said through the door.
"It's me, Vesta, I just wanted to check in on you. Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes, I found a book in the dresser that I'm reading. The first chapter tells all about the beginnings of this world," she replied.
I could hear her walking to the door.
"Don't open the door just yet, Vesta. I still have something that I have to do, but I'll be back soon, okay?" I said.
"Okay, Aunt Vel. I'll see you soon," she replied, and I could hear her walking back to the bed, likely to resume her reading.
I backed away from the door, and I considered how funny it felt to fear for the safety of the most powerful person in the building; however, despite her strength, she was still a child. Armed agents rushed by, and stood on either side of Lucas's door. I worried that what Seles had told me was the reason that the agents were guarding Lucas's door, and not for his safety. When I arrived back to the lab, Felix's body had been moved, though the puddle of blood remained. None of the researchers were present, and I found only Leaha in the lab, sitting at a computer.
"Vel, come here," she said, typing on the keyboard in front of her.
"What's up, Leaha.?" I asked, ready to ask her how she could suspect Lucas after seeing his reaction.
"I'm glad that you didn't bring Vesta with you, is she okay?" She asked.
Yes, she's fine. I haven’t told her just yet, I didn't want her to get mixed up in this," I replied.
“Good call, because we have a real problem here," she started. "Felix was trying to access footage from Russian servers on the street where you faced The Dragon, last night.” She looked up to me as if questioning my involvement.
"I asked him to do it," I admitted, lowering my head.
"Vel, accessing another countries servers without authorization is called hacking, and where the Russians are concerned, that could be enough to start a war between them and the United States," she explained, expressing the severity of the situation.
"I'm really sorry, Leaha, I didn't know that it was such a serious offense. I'm sure that there was more to that flash than what we could see on the footage they sent us, and I believe it will explain why The Dragon attacked those men," I said, feeling ashamed that I may have been the cause of Felix's death.
"I know that you didn't mean to do anything wrong, Vel, but you have to trust Ethan and I. If we tell you something is the way it is, there's a very good reason for it," she said, scolding me. "On top of the fact that what Felix was doing for you was wrong, it seems that it was also what got him killed. There is a file here labeled Russian Footage, but all of the contents have been deleted," she finished, sighing.
"How do you know that?" I asked, curious as to how the two were connected.
"Well, I looked into the log's, and I found something disturbing.” she resumed typing again. "The last log-in used on this server was Lucas's login. Felix had clearly found what you were looking for because he made a file to put the video into, but it's absence proves that it was deleted, and clearly not by Felix himself.”
"That doesn't necessarily mean Lucas killed him, does it?" I said, defending Lucas. I just couldn’t imagaine anything that would have motivated him to hurt his friend.
"Vel, we have eye-witness reports from the agent's working the kitchen, stating that when they left last night, Lucas and Felix were the only ones left in the lab. On top of that, Felix always locks up the lab himself at night, a process which involves a key and a biometric reading to accomplish. Last night, Lucas's fingerprints were recorded as the credentials used to lock up the lab."
I didn't really understand what much of what she explained; however, the guards at Lucas's door, and the details of her explanation, indicated to me that Lucas was indeed her primary suspect.
“What about his reaction to seeing the body?" I asked, realizing that Lucas could very well be the one who killed F
elix, based on the evidence against him.
I had been judge for too many incidents in Leordia City, and I valued my ability to gather information and to read a persons reaction's.
"Vel, this isn't Leordia City. The people here don't live as simply as we do, you know that. The people of this world are conditioned to be able to lie, or to act shocked at the drop of a dime, especially if it benefits them," she said.
I was surprised to hear Leaha be so critical of the humans of this world, especially considering that she was married to one.
"Don't bring Ethan into this, Vel," she said, reading me as always. "He isn't the same as someone who could conceal something like this. Look, I'm not saying one-hundred percent that Lucas did this, but he's our most likely suspect right now, so I'm having him detained while I investigate. I'm having all of Lucas's emails and online activities decrypted and sent to the command center. I'll grab something for us to eat and meet you and Vesta there," she said, rolling back and rising to her feet. It would seem I had been dismissed, and respecting Leaha’s judgement, I headed towards my room to get Vesta. I had no idea how I was going to break the news, but I knew that it was critical that she hear this from me, as she was still just learning control over her abilities.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
A Caster Breakfast
After Leaha and I left the lab, she made her way to the lounge while I tried to think of the best way to tell a child that someone they cared for was gone. When I arrived at my room, I panicked as I saw that the door to my room was open, and Vesta was gone. I rushed out of the room, and I asked one of the guards in front of Lucas's door if they had seen where she went. The agents explained that Seles had come to get her and that Vesta had opened the door and walked out with her shortly after. I rushed to the command center, hoping they had gone straight there. When I arrived, I placed my head into the retinal scanner and seconds later, I heard the now familiar beep as the doors to the command center opened. I rushed in, but no one was there. Images of the devil from my dream flashed through my head, and my heart began to race as I considered what could have happened. I knew that she would be safe with Seles and Grimaldi, I trusted them with my life, and a strange nightmare wouldn't change the bond we had. However, that didn't stop me from worrying. I knew that Leaha felt like everything pointed to Lucas, but I wasn't convinced, and I knew that I needed to find Vesta quickly to keep her safe. I quickly moved to leave the command center as Leaha walked up with food in her hands.