The Judgement Of Divinity (TMOE #2)

Chapter 10: Go for the neck

Anthony stared at him, eyes finally widening as the memory dawned on him.

"That was—?"

"And I buried them there. At that spot," Lucius continued, heart pounding in his chest and a concerning nausea reaching his throat. "I've visited the grave for years, and now..."

He had to take a deep breath.

"Now one of them is missing," his voice was barely audible now, and he blinked tears away from his eyes. "... Her corpse. Someone dug it up and I don't know where it is. And I don't know who did it. I just—I know that area isn't marked because of some fucking flower growing there, so... Just tell me something."

"What, uh... What's going on?" Richard's voice suddenly asked, and the two turned around to see Tom and the aforementioned standing in the doorway. "Whose corpse is missing?"

"It's no—" Anthony began, suddenly very eager to leave the subject, but Lucius wouldn't have it.

"My friend," he interrupted, sending Anthony a glare before facing Tom and Richard again. "I buried her in the forest and now her corpse is missing, and—"

"Lucius, don't—" Anthony tried, but Lucius was in no mood to listen.

"And both Anthony and Damien have marked that spot on maps but now this one's going with some bullshit reason about fucking flowers growing there." His gaze turned back to Anthony, whose face had shifted into panic for some reason. "But no larkspurs grow in that area."

All sounds were drained from the room, and Lucius watched in surprise as shock and dread spread over Tom and Richard's faces.

"... Larkspurs?" Tom asked, and Lucius nodded, growing a bit unnerved by the sudden mood shift.

"'Larkspur', it said. With a question mark, and a symbol resembling one."

"Why?" Richard's voice was a different kind of upset as he turned to Anthony. An angry kind. "Why do you have 'larkspur' marked down on a map?"

"They're gone," Tom shook his head in disbelief, though did not sound convinced by his own words. "There's... There's no one left."

"All right, calm—" Anthony began but was, as usual in this situation, interrupted.

"Where was it?" Richard turned to Lucius instead. "Where was the mark?"

"No, Richard, don't," Anthony tried before Lucius could say anything, but Richard only glared at him and turned on his heels to rush out through the door.

Tom stood paralyzed and disoriented at first, as if not grasping the situation entirely, but let his eyes dart between the two remaining men before turning around to follow Richard.

"Fuck," Anthony muttered, and even someone like Lucius had to wince. When had he ever heard Anthony curse before?

"What—Anthony, what just happened?"

"I'm going after them." He too began walking out the door, only turning around to forbid Lucius to do so as well. "You stay and look after Ethan. It's the least you could do."

"I'm—" As usual, Lucius couldn't bring himself to utter a genuine apology suggesting he'd done something wrong. "... I will."

Anthony's eyes narrowed, more in concern than anger.

"We'll talk later."

Lucius remained motionless as he was left alone in the entrance hall. He'd known Anthony liked to keep secrets from him, but him doing the same with Tom and Richard surprised him. By the looks and sounds of it, perhaps he did have a good reason, but was it a valid one?