Page 453 of Coal Hearts

Looking past him, I made eye contact with Mollie and Rachel. Beside Rachel, the older Master lay unmoving with a heavy log dropped by his head. The other two Masters stood side by side.

I’d seen how ruthless Henri could be.

I’d watched him turn into pure violence the night of the treasure hunt.

He’d taken on three men and won.

But...he didn’t seem to even notice the others behind him.

The two men crept closer with the faintest nod from Kyle.

“Watch out!” I croaked.

“You little bitch.” Kyle wrapped his hand around my neck.

Henri merely turned on his heel and glanced at the two Masters.

Quietly, coldly, he murmured, “I’ll give you one chance to leave. Just one.”

He flexed his fingers. His voice all wrong.

None of the passion I was used to.

No echoes of the man who’d confessed what he was and forced me to admit my own downfall.

Kyle spat on the ground, his fingers vised around my throat. “Gut him, Gary. I’ll finish him off.”

Henri shrugged and crossed his arms.

He didn’t say a damn word, never looking away from the two men.

His silence was absolutely petrifying.

An icy breeze whipped.

The heavy pound of surf against the cliffs sounded like the earth’s heartbeat.

I flinched for carnage.

I tensed for war.

But then...the two Masters bowed slightly and held up their hands. “This isn’t our fight. We’ll go.” With a quick glance at Kyle holding me as his shield, they marched toward the south end of the cave, brushed aside a curtain of dead shrubs, and vanished.

“Fucking cowards,” Kyle spat.

The moment they were gone, Rachel and Mollie charged back to Peter. Resting their hands on his unconscious form, they never took their eyes off Henri as he took a single step toward Kyle and me.

I scrambled for air. I flinched from the knife.

Henri didn’t drop his eyes to mine.

He seemed utterly saturated with darkness.

Kyle bristled behind me. “Take another step and I’ll slit her throat.”

Henri didn’t stop.

Footfall after footfall. He. Did. Not. Stop.