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“I say we take a vote.” Caishen held up his hand. “Our fearless leader is out cold. We have no idea where we’re going, and it’s idiotic to think we’re skilled enough to find a way out. I’m not even certain we can retrace our steps before that torch dies, but if we’re gonna try, we have to go now.”
Making eye contact with all of us, he demanded, “All those who want out, hands up.”
Everyone but Rachel and Mollie swung up their arms.
Lowering my own, I glanced at the two girls. “I know you don’t want Victor or Roland to find you, but…we can’t stay here.” I arched my chin at Peter. He barely breathed. His burned hands and feet covered in grit and dirt; his dusky skin far too pale in the dark. “We need to get him to Dr Belford…before it’s too late.”
Mollie sighed, her green eyes flashing. “How about a compromise? We’ll wait here for an hour or two. Peter will hopefully wake by then, and we can help him walk rather than drag him. It should be nightfall in a couple of hours and Victor will have rounded everyone up, thanks to his guards. We stand a better chance of avoiding this game altogether if we let Victor wrangle his guests into order rather than go out there while they’re being absolute maniacs.”
“Peter might not have two hours.” I stood too, balling my hands.
“Ily,” Rachel muttered under her breath. “You have to understand. Roland is a fucking creep. If he knows he can get away with shit and finds Mollie…he’ll kill her.”
“He’s a necrophiliac.” Caishen shuddered. “I’ve seen him kill before. I was with a Master in the same room. Yumeko only survived because the guards dragged Dr Mel in with her resuscitation kit before it was too late.”
The torch dimmed as if taking part in our debate and adding a fresh layer of panic.
Caishen’s tolerance snapped. “Right, that’s it. The batteries are dying. I’m leaving. All those who want to follow. Let’s go.”
“Go then if you’re that afraid. I’m going to wait for Pete to wake.” Rachel slid down the wall and sat beside Peter.
“Me too.” Mollie sat beside her.
I stood in a dank, chilly cave and was absolutely torn in two.
I understood why they wanted to wait for him to revive. I was on board with that plan—none of us would have the strength to drag him for long—but…every minute was a minute he couldn’t afford to spend.
“Just wait thirty minutes, Caishen.” I stepped toward him. “Surely, you can—”
“If he’s not going, we are.” Sonya snatched the torch from Caishen’s hands, sending the beam bouncing around the cave. “I’m done. How about you, Citra?” She arched her eyebrow at the Indonesian girl.
Citra rolled her shoulders. “I don’t want to leave anyone behind, but…” She sniffed and rubbed her nose as tears dripped from her eyes. “I’m struggling. I feel as if I’m moments away from a full-blown panic attack and…I don’t think I can stay.”
Caishen grabbed his hair and tugged. “Fuck, I need air.”
Almost as if the allure of sky and wind became too much, the jewels moved as one.
“Sorry, Ily. Follow us when you’re ready.” Caishen hung his head. “We’ll go slow. We’ll yell when we get out so you can follow our voices, okay? We won’t stop shouting until you’re with us on the beach.”
“See you soon, guys,” Citra whispered. “Please forgive us.”
With apologetic winces, the five jewels all turned their backs and squeezed into the crack we’d just come from.
“You can’t take the only light source!” I wriggled behind them, grabbing hold of Sonya’s wrist. “We won’t have any light to find our way out.”
“Then I suggest you start walking,” Caishen said sadly. “I’m sorry, Ily. I really am…but we voted, and this is what everyone needs.”
“Peter didn’t get a vote.”
“Peter would want us to do whatever we can to survive, and right now…I’m gonna lose my ever-loving mind if I stay down here another second.” Grabbing something from the back of his nude underwear, he passed me the knife he’d taken from the Temple of Facets. “Here. Just in case.”
My hand shook as I accepted the knife.
And then…they were gone.
Rachel and Mollie didn’t say a word as I fell back into the small cave.
The sounds of bare feet on stone faded with every heartbeat.
