Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Victor huffed. “Please tell me you haven’t killed any more of my guests, mon ami.”
“No.” Henri kept a cool expression. “I’ve learned my lesson not to disobey you. I…I merely defended myself. I got injured for the effort, but I left him alive. He was still in the cave when the tide came in. I didn’t see what happened after that.”
“You’re saying a guest drowned? Who?”
Playing a dangerous game, Henri gave a name. “Kyle.”
“Kyle?” Victor gave him a careful look. “Kyle drowned?”
“Well, he said his name was Kyle. I didn’t exactly ask for ID.”
“I wasn’t aware you’d had interactions with him.”
“I haven’t.” Henri huffed, rearranging Peter again. “He was with Charles when we first met. Charles introduced us on the beach.”
“I see.” He inhaled a little harder as if sniffing for lies.
“They went ahead. I didn’t see Charles again, but I did bump into Kyle. He was…having some fun with a jewel and a knife.”
I shivered and fought the urge to touch my neck where Kyle had started to slice.
Victor didn’t speak for a while before nodding slowly. “It’s true he is a violent fellow. I’ve had to educate and discipline him more times than he’s worth.”
“Charles said he was the reason for all your cameras.”
“He was.” Victor nodded again. “Alright, tell me the rest. You interrupted his little filleting fun, and he ordered you to leave. I’m guessing you didn’t?”
Henri shrugged, his biceps bunching under Peter’s unconscious form. “He seemed high as a kite, if I’m honest. The moment I stepped into the cave, he came at me because he knew I’d tell you what he’d gotten up to.”
Mollie, Rachel, and I didn’t dare move as Victor mulled over Henri’s half-truths. “Okay…say I believe you on that. What happened next?”
“I got lost in the caves and barely made it out as the tide came in. I managed to swim, but in my escape, I saw a few bodies floating that weren’t so lucky.”
“A few?”
“Three maybe?”
“All Masters?” Victor asked far too calmly.
“I can’t be sure. But there were definitely a few bodies floating around.” Henri widened his stance as if Peter’s weight grew too much. “Look, Vic, as much as I want to—”
“Rachel.” Victor narrowed his eyes on his favourite gem and the unwilling mother of his unborn child. “You’re very good at telling me the truth, my pet. Did you see any of this?” He waved at Henri’s bleeding arm. “Did you see him get stabbed? Is what he said true?”
I stopped breathing.
Henri didn’t look over his shoulder, but the muscles in his back tensed.
Not looking at me or Mollie, Rachel bit her bottom lip.
She had the power to murder Henri.
She could collaborate or deny, and Victor would decide who he believed.
“Start at the very beginning if you’d be so kind.” Victor never took his reptilian gaze off her. “Don’t spare me a single teensy detail.”
What she said before the bullseye was painted on us echoed in my ears. She’d said she was on our side. That she was in on whatever suicidal mission Peter and I cooked up. But that didn’t mean her courage would hold up beneath direct questioning from the very man who’d made her doubt her feelings several times.
Goosebumps covered me from head to toe as Victor added, “Before you answer, my sweetling, allow me to tell you what will happen if you lie.” His face turned dead and terrifying. “If you lie and I find out you hid something from me, I will carve out that child from your belly while you’re still alive, then serve it to you as a special snack before killing you in the most drawn-out way possible.” He crossed his arms. “Now, go ahead. In your own words. What happened out there?”
Mollie fought a tremble, but Rachel didn’t so much as blink with fear.
Either she’d tipped over the edge of terror or gone into shock just like Peter. “From the beginning? Sure, Sir V. Your wish is my command, as always.” She practically curtsied. “You saw us all run as one. We left the castle and ran through the forest. Some of the jewels thought about swimming away—”
Mollie gasped, cutting off Rachel’s story and adding weight to what she’d said.
Victor smirked, enjoying Rachel spilling everyone’s secrets. “Go on.”
“If you’re missing a few jewels tonight, Sir V,” Rachel murmured. “You might find more took you up on the offer to jump than you would’ve liked.”
He shrugged. “No matter. It was getting a little stale in here. I’ll just tell my team to gather a few more while on their hunt.”
Rachel nodded, still numb, still vacant. “We managed to stay together until we reached the Temple of Facets.”
Victor sucked in a breath, arrowing a look at Peter. “Naughty boy. Seems as if someone has been tattling.”
Rachel didn’t stop. “Most of us couldn’t handle what we saw in there, so…we split up. I don’t know where most of the jewels ended up, but we chose the wrong direction and got stuck.”