Chapter Five #3
Luckily or unluckily, he didn’t remain conscious for long.
And we had no choice but to keep going.
Climbing higher and higher.
Light growing brighter and brighter.
The air cleaner and cleaner.
Until eventually...freedom.
* * * * *
“I want to kiss you, Ily.” Rachel laughed with pure giddiness as we limped, shuffled, and practically fell out of the widening crack and into the largest cave so far.
Not that it was a cave.
With a heavy exhale, I raised my face to the darkening twilight above.
Seagulls flew in the greying sky, squawking their daily news and getting ready to roost.
Greenery framed the scene above like a gorgeous painting.
The earth trapped us but the ceiling had fallen, creating the most wonderful skylight.
I would never take fresh air for granted ever, ever again.
I longed for rain.
I begged for the sun.
I craved the moon and stars and—
I gasped as soft lips slammed over mine.
Laughter spilled into my mouth as Mollie kissed me with great smacking affection before pulling away and kissing Rachel.
Rachel threw her free arm around her friend and kissed her back.
It wasn’t romantic or lustful but pure emotion bubbling free in the only way it could...love and gratitude.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Rachel flung her head back, basking in the dusk as if it was the hottest summer day. “Goddamn, it’s good to be out of there!”
Mollie chuckled and gave me a soft smile. “Good spotting, Ily. You saved our lives.”
I blushed. “Just luck.”
“Whatever it was, I’m grateful.” Hoisting Peter higher in her arms, she added, “Let’s put him down, and then we’ll figure out what’s next.”
We eyed up the driest part—a tussock padded undergrowth in the centre of this strange natural amphitheatre. Together, we half-carried, half-dragged Peter and gently lowered him as carefully as we could.
Rachel ensured his head was pillowed on the thickest part of the tussock while I rested his arms by his sides, careful to keep his oozy, charcoal hands from falling face down. Mollie arranged his legs and squeezed his knee as if telling him it was okay.
With streaks of paint from his bullseye and cave-smeared skin, he looked as if he’d been burned by a dragon and now lay cursed like some reversed Sleeping Beauty fairy-tale.
I studied his face, waiting for him to wake.
When he didn’t, we all stood and stretched.
Our moans were identical as we worked out our many kinks.
My shoulders throbbed.
My spine blazed.
Every bone and muscle ached with a thousand bruises, but I would’ve carried Peter for days if it meant we ended up here...together and alive.
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to go back down there if we can help it.” Mollie spun in place, glancing at every side of the bowl we’d found ourselves in.
The sides soared as high as a two-story building, the walls covered in twisted plants and stunted, ugly trees. No vines to climb. No convenient rope to scale. Unless we were rock climbers, getting out of here would be almost impossible.
And with Peter...
Almost as if the thought struck all of us at the same time, we made eye contact and slouched.
We could get out...possibly.
We could clamber to the top...maybe.
But Peter?
Even if he woke again, he wouldn’t be able to use his hands and feet to scale anything, let alone a freaking mountain.
“Well, crap.” Rachel scrubbed her face. “Perhaps one of us gets out and finds Victor? The gong will have gone by now.” She pointed at the rapidly darkening sky. “It’s past twilight, and he’s a stickler for rules. The Masters will have to be on their best behaviour again.”
“You could go.” Mollie cocked her chin at me, her shoulder length blonde hair swinging. “Find Master H. He’s Victor’s latest pet project. He could bring a few guards to haul Peter out.”
Henri.
The instant his name soaked into my ears, my dead heart fisted and came alive again. Its unwillingness to thump since we’d entered the Temple of Facets was now replaced with a very real, very annoying pounding.
I hated that it thrummed in longing.
That it turned traitor by whispering he could fix this.
I scowled.
He wouldn’t fix this.
He would make this worse.
He hated Peter.
He tolerated nothing and no one.
I crossed my achy arms.
He tolerates you.
He kissed you...
I froze as our kiss exploded in my head.
My lips tingled.
My insides melted.
How had a simple kiss become the hottest thing we’d shared?
That damn kiss burned my blood and turned me into an addict for more.
“I hate to say it, Ily, but Mols is right. If you found Henri, he’d have to obey the rules. Victor’s agreed to let him live here permanently, but that graciousness only goes as far as Master H’s obedience.”
“Did I hear someone mention Master H?”
All three of us spun around.
My heart leapt into my mouth.
Rachel cursed.
Mollie froze.
And I brandished the knife on instinct as four Masters appeared.
Sprigs of leaves and foliage debris caped their shoulders as if they’d brushed through an autumn garden. My eyes narrowed as I looked past them, studying the cave walls for a hidden exit.
They hadn’t come in the way we had.
That means...there’s another way.
Mollie and Rachel squished closer to me, forming a wall before Peter on the ground.
The Masters chuckled, their eyes skating over our bloody, dirty bodies.
An older one said, “Well, well, you have been in the wars.”
A younger one with a thin chin strap and oily brown hair snickered. “Where on earth did you get a knife? It looks kinda cute on you.”
My arm trembled, but I didn’t lower the weapon. “Leave us alone.”
The men all laughed, their amusement like sick music.
“I lost my blade somewhere in the caves.” The Master with brown hair grinned like a jackal. “Thank you for giving me one. I would’ve hated to miss out on claiming my prize.”
“Fuck you and fuck your friends.” I bared my teeth. “It’s over. The game is over. You lost.”
“Oh, I never lose, little jewel.” He cocked his head. “Besides, you look as if you’ve been warmed up nicely. Rather...tenderised.” He laughed quietly. “I do love the sight of blood in the evening.”
Chills scattered over my skin.
Mollie shivered just once.
Licking his lips, the Master kept his eyes locked on us, refusing to look at his companions. He stood alone as if he’d led the party but wanted nothing to do with those who’d followed him.
Hefting his paintball gun, he clucked his tongue.
“Because you’ve done me a favour by bringing a knife to our party, I’ll give you a favour right back.
” He pouted. “I do so hate being the bearer of bad news, but...if you’re looking for Master H, he’s not coming.
Your worthless Master took a beating from a blowhole at the start of the game.
He left, I’m afraid. I hear he’s back at the castle, enjoying a beer at this very moment, all while sticking his dick in some other slut. ”
I wasn’t prepared for how violently that picture hurt.
How the thought of Henri touching another made my insides knot into thorns.
He chuckled as I braced myself against such a ridiculous response.
“A little possessive, are we? Fancy that you’re his only plaything?
” He shook his head and clucked his tongue again.
“You poor deluded little thing.” Raising his gun, he aimed directly between my breasts.
“Tell you what, I’ll put you out of your misery.
I’ll be the Master he never could and release you from all this pain. ”
The nude-coloured underwear barely covered me.
The bullseye on my skin distorted and smeared.
But the lines were still visible.
Marking the spot for his bullet.
Mollie and Rachel looked at one another.
The comradery between us faltered with fear.
We could’ve fought off one Master together.
Maybe even two.
But four?
God...
My knife seemed utterly useless against four Masters with guns—even just paintball ones.
If I charge them, I might be able to stab one...
I shifted, ready to run.
The other three Masters behind the scary dead-eyed one raised their guns too. “You can have that one, Kyle, but we’re taking the others.”
Kyle snarled and whirled on them. “No one else fires. You can do whatever the fuck you want to the others, but I’m the only winner, do you hear me?”
I waited for a battle to break out.
The whiffs of testosterone choked me.
But whatever they saw in Kyle’s face made them lower their weapons and nod. “Fine.”
“Good boys.” Kyle blew them a kiss.
And that was my cue.
I bolted.
On silent aching feet, I threw all efforts of survival into attacking first.
“Kyle.” Two of the Masters feinted back, arching their chins in my flying direction.
Kyle spun to face me.
Metres separated us.
Too many metres.
With a surprised, far too gleeful laugh, Kyle swung up his gun and grinned. “Time for some fun, little jewel.”
I feinted to the side.
I tried to get close enough to kill him.
Bang.
The punch of the paintball shot all the air from my lungs.
A burning pain feathered from my sternum.
Choking, I reeled back.
Bang.
This time in my belly.
I doubled over.
Bang.
Pain in my shoulder.
I stumbled sideways.
Bang.
A wallop on my wrist.
I dropped the knife.
Bang.
Agony in my thigh.
I tripped.
And then...there were too many to count.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
I fell backward.
My feet tangled with Peter’s.
I collapsed.
In a blur of speed, Kyle ran toward me, kicked away my knife, and towered over me on the ground.
With an evil smile, he emptied his entire clip into me.
Pain.
Everywhere.
Pain.
All over.
Pain.
Pain.
Pain!
I screamed—