The Fall Of Imbria (The Fendara Series. Book One)

Chapter Twenty-Three: Simon

I can hear the entirety of Cassius and Victoria's conversation from the tent I'm sharing with Maximus. Cassius seems to be leading up to something big, that even I haven't been brought in on yet.

"It's about Augustine. . . Tori he-" Cassius pauses, not wanting to say what comes next.

"He what?" When he doesn't answer she calls him by name. "Cassius?" Victoria's voice rises with her concern.

I can hear him sighing from here. "Reed was informed by Madelyn, the women who brought you here, about what you saw." He then corrected himself. "More so, who you saw "

It's quiet until Victoria breaks the silence. "The boy. The boy being tortured. Is that who you mean?"

Wearily he continues. "Yes."

"Okay. . . well who is he?" She asks

Finally he forces out "It's Auggie, Tori, the boy you saw being tortured to death is Auggie."

I can't believe it. If he's being tortured then that means he's alive, but we all saw him die. None of this make any sense.

"No." She demands.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Cassius asks confused.

"No. I walked right by him, I looked at his body, if he's alive that- that means. . . I left him. . . I left him to die all over again." Her voice sounds broken as it cracks out her words, each one ringing with guilt.

"Victoria, you didn't know. You couldn't have." He says trying to calm her waves of emotions.

"But I should have." She chokes out. "I kept hearing his voice.. the whole time.. when I saw that room, when I saw him, it called to me. I just should have known."

I'm sitting up in a corner of the tent with my arms wrapped around my legs. Max shuffles around in his sleep, until finally turning to me awake. "How long are you going to listen to them talk?" He asks.

I give him the look, the one that says 'shut up' with my eyes.

"If you didn't keep tapping your fingers on your boots keeping me up, then maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't be awake." He snarks.

I didn't realize that I had been doing that the whole time subconsciously. I try to keep listening and ignore him, but all I hear next is a set of footsteps walking by in the grass, I guess I missed the rest of their conversation.

I move near the flap to exit the canvas triangular prism, when I hear another stride of boots walk by towards the direction of Victoria and I pause.

"Why are you out here so late?" The familiar gruff voice of Reed asks.

With a sniffle she says "Can't sleep."

"Hmm." Is all he responds with.

I smell the smoke of a cigarette when I hear Victoria ask for a puff.

"You sure?" He questions.

"Does it matter?" She huffs.

He chuckles. "Guess not."

Max's intrusion of passing gas breaks my concentration and makes my eyes twitch at the smell. "Oh fuck off." I yell at a whisper.

He just smirks highly at me, his glazed eyes in a haze.

"Your hashish gas makes me want to save myself with death, then resurrect my soul, just so I can come back to strangle you." I say, my lips a line.

He places his hand over his chest, pretending to be appalled. "Gasp, I'm so offended by your harsh statement, what ever will I do with myself."