AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I tripped backward, rolled my ankle against a small stalagmite, and fell painfully on my ass.
Oh God.
Oh God.
Oh God!
Just like my heart stopped beating, my soul threatened to fly free and abandon me.
“Close it!” Peter snarled with energy I hadn’t heard in a while. “Close the fucking doors, Ilyana!”
Scrambling to my feet, I couldn’t tear my gaze off empty sockets where eyes used to be.
Skulls.
So many, many skulls.
All stacked neatly side by side, bleached white and dust-free, rows upon rows upon—
The doors slammed closed. Caishen stood with his back to it. “Time to run, don’t you agree?”
I tried to swallow.
To nod.
The cave spun.
My lungs burned.
Peter broke my rising panic attack—or added to it—by whispering, “Now you know why I was so adamant about finding that Diamond Kiss chit.” Hobbling toward me, he tucked me under his sick-sweaty wing. “At least none of the Masters have come forward with it. If any of them had found it, they would’ve said something by now.” Kissing my temple, he breathed, “It’s okay, jaanu. We’ll get them out. You convinced me to try. Don’t give up on us now.”
Spinning in his hold, I flung my arms around his slim waist, not caring I smeared his streaky bullseye all over my own. “How the hell have you survived this long, Paavak? It’s bad enough being a jewel and putting up with the nightmares in that castle. But this?” Pulling away, I studied his tortured black stare. “Watching this? Seeing what they do? Cleaning up what they’ve done?” I couldn’t hold back the tears. “Please, please tell me you don’t have to…they don’t make you—”
“Cut the heads off?” He winced. “No. I just have to gather the parts, toss away the bits he doesn’t want, and preserve the pieces he does. Acid does most of the work.”
And that was my limit.
Breaking out of his embrace, I vomited.
A pitiful little pile of dismay and disgrace as the reality of Peter’s life slapped me stupid.
Five years.
Five years, he’d not only endured but done things that would forever haunt him.
How wasn’t he catatonic?
How was he still sane?
Peter went to hold back my hair but cursed under his breath as his bleeding hands stuck to my strands. “We’ve got to go, Ily. I don’t mean to belittle your reaction, but…save the throwing up till tomorrow, okay?”
Caishen planted a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “I’ve always respected you, even if you pissed me off for being such a stickler for the rules. I’m sorry for every mean thought I ever had that you got preferential treatment for being our little leader.”
“Respect me by getting her moving.” Sucking down his agony, Peter looked at the other jewels scattered in varying degrees of dread. “None of us will end up in that cupboard. I promise you. I meant what I said. I’ll kill you myself before I let anyone else be brought into this temple. But right now, forget everything you saw and follow me. As fast as you can. It’s dark the deeper we go, but use your hands, and you’ll get by.”
Shuffling behind the small podium—another rock that’d been chipped and chiselled to make a platform—he beckoned us to hurry. “Fuck the weapons. We’ve run out of time. Let’s go.”
Vanishing behind a thick outcropping of stalagmites, he limped into the darkness.
