Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade

42 | The Kiss of Death

- 42 -

The world fell away from Pandora. From the outside, it must have seemed she was trying to burn a hole through the man before her, but her vision had fallen away. Sound didn't reach her. Her mind was stuck, struggling to process his words.

        Reality returned when she felt the weight lift from her lap. Lily had slid off and taken the spot beside her. Her heart ached at the lost touch, but she was able to reestablish a connection by lacing her fingers through Lilith's. A small comfort, but important to her. For now, it would need to be enough. At least until she understood what had happened.

        She swallowed, then her words came staggering out. "Calm down." The phrase had never sounded more hypocritical. "Take a deep breath and tell us what happened."

        "I told you what happened! Allister is dead."

        Yes, he had told her that, but she was unwilling to accept it. Allister was intelligent, and more importantly observant. He didn't seem the type to fall for an ambush or get dragged into a hopeless fight. She couldn't imagine it. It wasn't true.

        She didn't want it to be true.

        A gentle squeeze at her hand drew her attention. The news had hit Lily hard as well. With her eyes focused on the floor, she clung to Pandora's hand and said, "It feels so sudden. I just talked to him the other night."

        "Really?" Pandora asked. Of course, she didn't think Lilith had any reason to lie about it, but she hadn't realized the two had any contact apart from her.

        "Yeah. He knew we were fighting and tried to encourage me to make up with you."

        Pandora caught a laugh under her breath before it could escape. He had done the same thing to her. So it turns out, he was the reason she and Lily were back together. Nosy bastard; thank you.

        "It wasn't even the first time," Lilith continued. "He said the same thing that morning. That I should use the hunt as an excuse to talk to you. Then he ran off after I told him about the lock."

        "What lock?" Stanley asked.

        His expression had solidified, uncertainty shifting to anger. The sudden change lit a curiosity in Pandora. There was a reason it had drawn such a reaction. He knew something she didn't. Pandora turned back to Lilith catching a frightened gaze.

        Lilith's head dropped but her eyes darted up to peak through her bangs. "I meant to tell you but then we weren't talking and then..."

        "Lily, calm down. I'm not upset, I just want to know."

        "The lock on the youkai's cage. Allister said that the kotengu had broken out from inside, but the way the cage was designed... I don't think it's possible. Besides, the lock didn't seem clawed at. More like..." Lilith paused for a moment, then raised a hand into the air where she clenched it into a fist.

        A stifled laugh rumbled free of Stanley's throat. "I fucking knew it."

        Pandora turned to him. "Knew what?"

        "That all of this is wrong. Allister was found dead in the immersion bath, supposedly killed in a fight with the youkai. But ever since our interaction in the morgue, I've been questioning things more. Trying to pay attention. His body wasn't clawed to pieces, or pecked apart. Not so much as a feather in his hair. Nothing suggesting he fought with that bird at all. And who was it that discovered the body? The same person who confirmed that fake succubus attack."