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Five jewels had lost their lives.
The knowledge of that refused to soak into my brain, almost as if my system protected me from the sheer horror of their deaths.
When we were free, then we could mourn.
For now…we needed to focus on the living, not the dead.
At least the seven slaves that’d been healing were now back in the dormitory with the rest. Peter had resumed his position as shepherd, and each day the Masters stayed away, the jewels grew a little braver in tiptoeing into the kitchens looking for food.
Peter didn’t stop them as it covered our clandestine meetings. May and a few other cooks happily stuffed freshly baked croissants and delicious morsels into eager hands.
The guards got lazy and never stopped anyone. They watched. They followed sometimes. But no one told us no. No one electrified us if we went for a walk in the gardens or kept busy by helping other staff. I’d even heard Nancy and Rebecca had taken over looking after the chickens, spending all day out there.
The only one who seemed determined to die was Kirk.
His fight had ended with Suri.
He didn’t speak a word to any of us.
He stayed on his own, sleeping or sitting on the balcony with its black barred birdcage trapping him, denying him the chance to jump and join Suri.
He had the same hollow look in his eyes that Henri did.
I froze.
Henri...
Was that what the broken-hearted look was? A reflection of all the shattered pieces within?
Does he want to die?
He’d tried once before.
The scar on his leg revealed evidence of that desperation.
Could he…could he do it again?
Urgent fear. Terrible premonition.
God, how had I not seen it?
Before, this place was a playground for demons. Now, it was a heavenly holiday for the jewels.
Henri was the only demon left in their midst, and it showed.
Everyone ignored him.
The guards didn’t go near him, the staff stayed clear, and the jewels darted away if he came close. He acted as if it didn’t bother him to be so blatantly unwanted, but…every day, he retreated a little more, sank a little more, became a little less alive than before.
“I-I have to go.” I backed away.
Panic fizzled in my blood.
What if he’d done it?
What if he’d hurt himself all while I’d been too focused on escape to notice he’d fallen so far into his own imprisonment?
“You’re going to ask him?” Rachel arched an eyebrow.
