Page 676 of Coal Hearts

FUCK.

Fuck.

Fuck!

My mind overloaded as the clip of polished dress shoes marched over stone pavers and the rustle of velvet capes whispered in the dark. Every Master came. Multiple guards interspersed with black-masked men.

All male apart from one.

Ily.

The only splash of white came from her and Peter at the front.

No other jewels.

It was as if Victor didn’t give a rat’s ass about them. Single-minded and entirely focused on whatever horror he had planned.

Stalking at a fast pace, Victor guided us down a corridor, through an archway, across a courtyard, and into a tower with a flag fluttering high in the star-studded sky.

Every metre, I tried to figure out how to stop this.

Every heartbeat, I begged for supernatural powers to surge through me and smite Victor where he stood.

This would be so much easier if I could kill with just a thought.

A bolt of sorcery.

A well-placed curse to the brain.

I had no idea which guards were on our side.

Ben and Stewart trailed a few men behind.

My spine prickled as they stared at me.

I wanted to fall back and talk to them.

Plan a siege as we walked because tonight was the fucking night.

There would be no Christmas.

No coup.

No bombs, no bullets, no freedom.

Victor knew.

How much he knew, I didn’t know.

But he knew something.

And none of this was fucking good.

Stone swallowed us whole as Victor vanished into the tower and we all followed. Echoes throbbed with ice. Eternal coldness bit into my bones with fangs.

A guard stepped forward and pulled out a ring full of brass keys from his pocket.

They jingled painfully loud.