Chapter Thirty-Five
Ily
I DIDN’T SCREAM AS VICTOR snapped his fingers and two guards grabbed me around my arms and legs and plucked me from the ground.
I didn’t scream as they spread me on the stony, icy altar with its grooves for blood and cauldron to catch my essence.
I didn’t scream as heavy, thick straps were tossed over my ankles and buckled down tight.
I didn’t scream as my golden cuffs were tethered onto hooks and my collar snapped into place with a mechanism in the stone, choking me, keeping my head down, my chest exposed, and every part of me ready to be sacrificed.
I didn’t scream.
In this dimension.
But in all the rest?
I screamed and screamed until my soul was hoarse, and every lifetime rippled back.
Tears trickled down my face as my heart cracked and bled.
I’d never see Krish again. Never kiss my mum or hug my dad. I’d never cook with my auntie again or ride my bike to visit my cousin at the local gemstone. I’d never get to kiss Henri again or dance with Peter again or breathe fresh air or see the night sky again.
I had minutes.
Mere minutes.
And I wouldn’t waste them by screaming.
I couldn’t raise my head, but I could turn.
I looked for him.
Needed him.
I shuddered with relief as our eyes touched.
Henri.
God, Henri.
His grey gaze looked like ash. The fire in his soul burned out until nothing but coal and char remained. His skin pulled tight around worn eyes, his mask unable to hide his fear. His mouth so thin and his cheeks so stark, he looked skeletal in the harsh light.
I might live in terror, but he wore it.
Both of us painted forever by horror.
Now I knew why the velvet black capes all the Masters wore looked so familiar.
I’d seen them before.
In the chest where Caishen and I had found the torches and the chipped knife.
The Masters all fanned out around the cave, taking their places on the carved amphitheatre, their black tourmaline masks making them seem like spectres from hell.
Peter stepped stiffly to my side.
He grabbed my hand on the altar and squeezed.
Victor didn’t stop him.
He merely smiled as if all our secrets were exposed, and he took such pleasure in winning.
Henri dropped his stare where Peter held me.
He trembled as if he was moments away from snapping.
I was proud of him.
So fucking proud that he hadn’t lost his temper. Hadn’t revealed himself.
Victor knew Peter and I were up to something, but he hadn’t said anything about Henri.
I sent up a prayer that he didn’t suspect him.
Didn’t know that Henri was as complicit as us.
He would survive.
He has to.
There’d been too much death.
Far, far too much death.
It was over for me.
I knew that as surely as I felt the binds holding me on this altar.
But it wasn’t over for Henri.
He could go on.
Could do what we had failed.
Please don’t give up. I begged with my twin flame-connected heart. Please get them out…somehow.
Henri staggered and came toward me.
No one said a word as he took my other hand, looking at Peter across the table as both men crowded over me and gave me the same heart-wrenching look.
I’m going to get you out of here. Henri’s ashy gaze vowed.
You can’t. I shrugged. Don’t give yourself away.
His lashes snapped closed as if he couldn’t breathe.
He clutched my fingers with agonising pain.
And then, Victor started the countdown on my life.
“Friends, welcome.”
The Masters stopped rustling.
Their breathing quietened.
Even the surf outside seemed to soften.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to bring you all here this evening. I’m sure you’ve been wondering what my theme for tonight has been, and…I’m ready to tell you.”
Coming toward Henri, he cupped his elbow and tugged him away from me. “Mercer, if you will. Come stand with me, please.”
Henri stiffened.
For a second, I saw a different reality where he whirled on Victor and ripped out his throat. I pictured him as a hurricane of violence like the night of the treasure hunt. He transformed into something unbeatable and slaughtered every Master and guard in here.
But then reality replaced that fantasy.
Eight guards.
Ten Masters.
Completely outnumbered.
Even with Ben and Stewart as our silent accomplices.
We didn’t stand a chance.
Please… I breathed hard. He doesn’t know you’re involved.
Henri looked away and allowed Victor to drag him to the head of the cave where the shelves and its sapphires, and the cupboard with its skulls flanked them.
Victor sighed happily. “As you all know, this man has become rather special to me. Not only has he agreed to be godfather to my only child but he’s also trusted me to free him so he can find his ultimate happiness.” Giving Henri a doting look, his eyes through his mask radiated absolute peace. “He has continued to grow and step into the man he was always meant to be, and I pride myself on having something to do with that. He hasn’t been happy with my meddling. He’s fought my pushes and sometimes made me doubt, but with every scream of his jewel and every drop of blood he has drawn, I know he truly is a monster, so…tonight is entirely for him.”
“Me?” Henri choked.
“The theme, mon ami, is light and dark. Death and life. Monsters and diamonds. I warned you that love is holding you back. I told you what you needed to do to reach that final frontier of freedom.”
“Victor, I—”
“Don’t interrupt.” Victor clucked his tongue. “You’re in love with her. Any fool can see it, and I am not a fool. She has been a toxic presence in my home ever since that first night. She has wrapped you in her spell. Beguiled you until you are lost. You can’t see what I do. You aren’t aware how much she is using you. She’s nothing but manipulation and greed. She’s turned Peter against me. She’s scurried around and convinced my well-behaved jewels to plan an uprising that they can’t possibly win. She schemes and plots, and I’m so sorry to tell you this, but…she doesn’t love you back, Henri. It’s all a ruse—”
“That’s not true.” I jerked on the table. “I haven’t done a thing. None of the jewels—”
“You will remain quiet, Ilyana,” Victor hissed. “Otherwise, I will cut out your ungrateful tongue.”
Hot splashes landed on my arm.
I looked at Peter.
He cried silently, clinging to my hand as if he’d collapse at any moment.
God, my heart broke for him.
How many times had he seen this?
How many times had he held the hand of one of his friends as they lay waiting to die on this godforsaken altar? How many times had he cleaned up their blood, their viscera, and placed their bleached skull in that awful cupboard?
I wished I could communicate with him like I did with Henri.
I wished I could tell him I wasn’t afraid.
Not truly.
I was afraid of the pain.
Afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from fighting, thanks to the animalistic instinct to survive.
But I wasn’t afraid of actual death.
I knew there was more than this.
I knew this wasn’t the end.
I just hated that it would be a while before I saw him again.
Before I found him and Henri again.
Brushing aside his velvet cape, Victor reached into his waistband and pulled out a long red bag. Holding it horizontal in two hands, he looked gravely at the Masters.
“Tonight, you will witness a ritual we have perfected over the years. A ritual that turns a prospective friend into a Joyero member. A kiss that not only frees a jewel but frees a Master too.”
Placing his hand into the red velvet bag, he slowly, dramatically—with the flair of a born showman—pulled out a diamond-handled knife. The exquisitely sharp blade glinted in the light. The handle glimmered with crystalline fractals.
Dropping the empty bag on the floor, he stepped slowly toward Henri and grabbed his slack hand. “Here.”
Henri didn’t react.
He looked as broken as I felt.
Victor curled Henri’s fingers around the blade and stepped back as Henri stared blankly at the knife.
“This place is called Temple of Facets as you will deliver one hundred cuts to turn her from human into gem. Each cut will drench her blood with adrenochrome, which will be collected and sold. Her kidneys have already been purchased. Along with her lungs and eyes. But it was her heart that fetched the biggest price. A price I will give to you, my friend, so you will always remember the value of this lesson. A lesson that you are worth far more than she could ever hope to afford. You are above her in every way. She is yours to do whatever you wish. That is how this world works. That is what you are. And love has no place in it.”
Moving to stand behind Peter, he placed his disgusting hands on Peter’s shoulders.
Peter choked on a sob, bowing his head.
“Tonight, gentlemen, Peter will perform his final duty as our cleaner. He has disappointed me and lost my trust. The other jewels will be punished for their role in their futile little war, but I have no doubt the unrest stems from these two. And so…if any man present would like to give him a Diamond Kiss later this evening, you are more than welcome to bid once he has cleaned up what will be left of Ilyana.”
Reaching over Peter’s shoulder, Victor kissed him softly on the cheek. “I’m being kind to you, Paavak. I could keep you alive after this. I could make you live a long, long life haunted by the memories of the girl you love. The girl you watched be turned into a jewel. The girl whose intestines slithered through your hands as you tossed them into the sea.”
He sighed and let Peter go. “What do you say, my pet? Come now, don’t be shy.”
With tears dripping down his cheeks, Peter raised his chin and tore off his crystal mask. Throwing it onto the floor, he hissed, “Fuck you to motherfucking hell.”
Victor nodded. “I expected you were holding that in for a while.” He chuckled and patted his cheek. “Doesn’t that feel better?”
“I fucking hate you. I hope you fucking rot.”
“Not before you, I’m afraid.”
My own tears spilled.
I looked back at Henri.
He hadn’t moved.
Gaunt and blinking at the knife in his shaking hands.
Victor returned to him.
He slung his arm around Henri’s waist. “Come now, my friend. You won this. I saw you find the chit and also saw you tear it up. That was the moment I knew you had to do this. Not because I wish to cause you pain but because this is the only way you can be free of her.”
Grabbing Henri around the nape, he said kindly, “I know this is hard. Believe me, I loved once too. And you know what cured me of that nasty affliction? Death. The moment I drove a dagger into her heart, I felt such relief, mon ami. No more humanity holding me back. No more doubt. No more fear. I stepped into my power. And now…it’s time for you to step into yours.”
Taking Henri’s wrist, he dragged him toward me.
He pushed and directed until Henri stood over the altar, his shoulder brushing Peter’s.
I couldn’t look away from him.
I couldn’t read him, hear him, feel him.
He’d checked out. Burned out. Gone.
Please be okay.
Please don’t let this break you.
No response.
Not a single blink.
“It’s time, mon ami.” Victor guided Henri’s hand and the knife to my belly. “Allow me to tell you how this will go. With that knife, once you’ve faceted and transformed her, you will cut right here.” He drew a line with his finger over the softest part of my belly.
I gasped.
Twitched.
Bit my bottom lip until I tasted blood.
“You will slice through her stomach and reach up through her ribcage. While she is still alive, you will grab her beating heart and tear it from her. As she dies in your hand, you will kiss those beautiful lips and let her go. And then…” Pulling a huge diamond from his pocket, Victor held it up. “You will insert this into her empty cavity. A heart for a heart. Meat traded for a gemstone. She’ll become priceless, and you? You will finally be free.”
With a wicked smile, he backed up and bowed. “She’s ready for you, my dear friend. Make the first cut. Let’s begin.”
Henri and Ily’s tale concludes in Diamond Kisses...
Hope is gone, pain is coming…it’s not a question of if someone will die but who…