Page 168

“From who?”

“From my father.”

“What? How do you know that? How do you even know she knew your father?”

“Because my father is her brother.”

I let the information sink in.

“You’re saying… you’re my…”

“Cousin. Now, tell me, Iris, how did you do it?” I look at his red hair. Could he be telling the truth?

I’m still lost, trying to process what he said, when he yells, “Fuck! You really don’t know, do you?”

I shake my head.

“You had to fuse yourself with it, otherwise it would’ve been a… dead diamond.”

“I didn’t do anything. I just put it on.”

“Right. You think I’m stupid?” He pulls out a gun and brings it to my head.

“I swear Darion. I’ll help you. Okay? Just put the gun away.”

I don’t have to fake it. I really am terrified.

I try to take the necklace off. I try to give it to him. But I can’t—it’s too painful. He sees it.

“You need to… disconnect first, defuse.”

“How?”

“Fuck, Iris, you should know. Now, stop fucking around.”

“I swear, Darion, I don’t know.”

“When you first put it on, what happened? Where were you?”

“I was in…” Awena’s voice comes to mind.You spilled blood. You spilled blood. You spilled blood.When I cut my finger on the broken glass, that’s when I saw the light. Maybe… that’s what Darion wants to know. I can’t tell him. But I have to give him something.

“I was in the bathtub, when… I felt something for the first time.”

He grabs a bottle of water and throws it at me. The prism glows.

“Try to take it off now,” he tells me, pointing the gun.

I really try. An intense jolt of pain hits me.

“What else, Iris? I know your brain, think.”

“There was nothing else…”

“You know what? I’m tired of this. Bring the girl,” he orders the man.

Frantically, I glance toward the door.Please don’t, please don’t.

I see Akira’s bloody face and I want to kill him. “Let her go!” I yell.