Rise of a Queen

Chapter 8

Lumiere and I walked back to the parking lot hand in hand, and in silence. He hadn't anything more to say and I couldn't bare to hear another word, and so we made our way back towards the assaulted motorcycles without further discussion.

But though my voice was at rest, my mind was unruly with a cascade of concerns.

I never thought I would see the day when Lumiere bowed to misery. From the moment I first met him, he has been optimistic of the future – of the end. He believed there was something better waiting for us once past all the bloodshed and violence. Even while Dustin went to sleep each night with more bruises than hair on his head, even while our members were hunted and slaughtered in the pursuit of false revenge, even while Lumiere's eye was scooped from its socket in front of a hundred men he once considered family; all throughout these moments of devastation, Lumiere believed in that better future. Perhaps his faith wavered at times but never did he let his light get taken by those immoralities.

Yet now, in the darkest moment of all, that light was long gone – leaving behind a single trail of threading smoke, rising from an embered wick, still burning though lacking flame.

When we reached the parking lot, Corinth and Brandon were waiting beside the motorcycles, currently distracted by a heated conversation that left Corinth biting furiously at her nails while Brandon took reign of their conference. Although she listened to what her brother was saying, I could tell her mind was a million miles away.

At least, until she saw us.

Her gaze drifted over Brandon's shoulder and froze when she noticed Lumiere and I approaching, soon drawing Brandon's attention as well. They both turned towards us and their conversation died, waiting for us to close the distance. Brandon, in particular, regarded us with close inspection, his eyes jumping back and forth between Lumiere and I then dropping towards our entwined hands, analyzing our expressions as if to form a conclusion from the emotions we wore. But Lumiere emitted blank radiance, like blinding light that left the viewer dazed and confused. And I walked beside him, less daunting but much more uncertain.

Brandon stood beside Corinth, eager to hear of the clerk's fate. But when Lumiere and I stopped in front of them, neither of us spoke. I couldn't be sure of Lumiere's motives but I knew exactly where my voice was, swallowed deep within my throat where it was tied down and bolted in restraints, making it hard to breathe let alone talk.

Brandon looked between us, trying to persuade our answer with the look of alarm blatantly glimmering in his eyes. But Lumiere held his tongue and because of his silence, so did I. It wasn't my place to explain what happened. Eventually Brandon sighed and scratched at his forehead, "We have to hide a body, don't we?"

"Dammit." Recognition dawned on Corinth's face, no doubt remembering the last poor soul they buried deep into the ground, forgotten and left to rot.

I wonder how many people the Tribe has killed, not out of spite or judgement, simply out of curiosity to the count of bodies documented at the hand of a man or woman bearing a Tribe sigil.

"Okay, let's get this done quickly, we're already behind schedule. We can probably burn it although the smell will linger. I suppose burying it is more practical with our time restraint, it's a higher risk but we can come back to dispose of it permanently after we find Dustin." Brandon glowered, scrunching his face in thought of how much time this would take. Suddenly, he tossed that scowl in my direction, "I told you to call me once you found him. I would have been able to stop this."

I scoffed, "There wasn't any time to call you. Besides, I did stop-"

"Where is the body?" Brandon cut in, shifting his attention back to Lumiere and ignoring my attempts of defense.