Chapter 6 #7
"Kenji," I whispered as fear began to slowly take hold of me.
His hand slid gently over the console and I grabbed it without hesitation.
"Together, Sienna," he whispered. "Together, Kenji," I replied before opening my door to get out.
The cold desert air hit me hard, making me shiver.
Kenji waited for me to pass him before following three steps behind, as was the rule.
I joined Joana and Igor, who were standing in front of the light cast by the car headlights, just in front of a cliff.
We were on the edge of a fucking cliff !
"What are we doing here?" I asked, rubbing my arms as the wind swept through the strands of hair that had escaped from my braid.
"What we're doing here, my pretty Stella," a voice suddenly echoed, and I froze, my eyes slowly settling on the Master who appeared out of the darkness followed by the Mother.
"We're going to punish the guilty," he continued with a slow smile stretching his lips.
My nails dug into my upper arms through my useless vest, my whole body froze from the inside, I was petrified with fear.
I didn't dare look at Kenji, I didn't want to draw the Master's attention to him.
Why had he brought him here too? It was me he wanted to torture.
"Last night, someone broke into Joana's office and stole her spare phone," said the Master, slowly approaching me, "do you know who it could be, little Stella?
" he asked, his gaze analyzing my bruised face.
He suddenly grimaced. "They really didn't miss you, did they?
" " he said, brushing my lip with his finger, and I stifled a moan of pain.
"Don't worry, my Stella, they've been punished for touching what belongs to me," he whispered, and my breath caught in my throat.
"Punished," I repeated without even realizing it. Where was Wendy?
"Yes, my beautiful, we'll discuss it later once you've satisfied me," he said, his hand resting on my waist, but my body moved on its own.
I grabbed his wrist firmly and pushed him away, breathless.
He looked at me with wide eyes, massaging his sore wrist as his guard dogs took a step towards me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kenji do the same, but the Master's laughter stopped them all.
"You learn quickly, Stella, that's a good thing.
I hear you excel in all your classes. There are some I can't wait to see for myself," he continued, his gaze sliding down my body, his thumb scratching his chin.
I crossed my hands behind my back for fear that they would act again before my brain could react.
They were itching, maybe with one well-placed blow I could kill him.
A fall from this height would be fatal, right?
"But first, let's finish the most important thing," he resumed, clapping his hands together, which made me jump. "Do you know who stole the phone?"
Olga's voice suddenly echoed in my head.
She knew the Master was going to question me, which was why she had told me not to confess.
He didn't know it was me. I simply shook my head, keeping my face impassive.
"Are you sure?" he insisted, and I nodded.
"Ah, you're loyal to your friends, my little Stella.
But don't bother, I already have a culprit.
" He laughed as he signaled to his men, and two of them walked over to one of the cars.
They opened the back doors and pulled out two people, a woman and a man, their faces hidden by the bags they wore over their heads.
The Master's men forced them to kneel before him while my heart pounded against my temples.
He signaled again and his men removed the bags.
I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands.
It was Wendy. I barely recognized her. Her face was so bloody and swollen.
Tape muffled the words she tried to say when she saw me.
The man next to her was her Shadow. I didn't know his name, but he too was disfigured, his dark gaze fixed on Kenji, who had approached me.
My Shadow's face gave nothing away, while mine clearly expressed my horror.
"We found the phone in her closet," Joana declared, her hard gaze fixed on Wendy, while my brain was racing a mile a minute.
In her closet? Olga had put it there, that's why she told me not to confess.
She had blamed Wendy, an innocent girl. I shook my head, the truth burning in my throat, ready to come out, when I felt Kenji's fingers brush against mine behind my back.
I pressed my lips together but I couldn't do that. Wendy was innocent.
But my mouth didn't open, my voice didn't speak the truth.
Instead, it was my sister's voice that echoed in my head, "I don't want to, Sienna, I want to die.
" I pressed my lips together, my gaze fixed on the floor, avoiding Wendy's.
"Did you hear her leave the room at night, Stella?
" the Master suddenly asked me, and I simply shook my head.
"Speak, Stella!" he suddenly shouted, making me jump.
"No," I said, clenching my fists, the Master nodded, sliding his hands into his pants pockets.
"All the evidence points to you being the culprit, Wendy.
Do you have anything to add?" he asked as Mother abruptly removed the tape.
"It wasn't me! I swear, Master! Sienna, Sienna, please tell them I was asleep that night," she sobbed, saliva and blood mixing on her face, and I pressed my lips together.
I had to save my sister, I had to save Selina.
Nothing could stop me, nothing. So I simply looked away, my nails digging into my skin.
"Sienna?" Wendy sobbed again. "Well, we're not stretching," the Master suddenly said, nodding his chin.
Suddenly, one of his men pulled out a gun and positioned himself behind Wendy.
Blood spattered across my face as I screamed, Wendy's lifeless body falling at my feet, her eyes wide open, staring at me.
"A Shadow without a Star has no place to be," the Master continued before a second shot rang out and Wendy's Shadow fell in turn, his eyes now expressing fear, now lifeless.
Two innocent people, because of me. Nausea rose so quickly that I couldn't hold it back.
I doubled over, acid burning my throat, clinging to Kenji's arm, who didn't move an inch as I emptied the contents of my stomach.
I fell to my knees, my head spinning, as Wendy's blood and her Shadow began to flow into the earth.
I didn't even know what his Shadow's name was, and he was dead, because of me.
"Come on, Stella, don't get so upset, my dear," said the Master, kneeling beside me and wiping my lips with a handkerchief as I tried to breathe but felt like there wasn't enough air.
"And then, I still have to show you something," he added, reaching behind him, and Joana placed a tablet there with a video open.
The Master pressed play, and Joana's office appeared.
It was from a camera hidden between books, a hidden camera.
A moment passed, then two figures appeared, Kenji and me.
You could clearly see me walking around the desk and picking up the phone while Kenji stood guard.
I slowly raised my horrified eyes to the Master's jubilant face.
"You knew," I whispered as madness flashed through my mind.
He knew I was the culprit, and yet he had killed Wendy and her Shadow, two innocent people.
"You knew!" I cried, straightening up to grab his jacket, but his hand was already around my throat, pinning me to the ground.
I heard Kenji scream as he tried to reach me, but the Master's men overpowered him, forcing him to his knees. He struggled, but in vain.