Page 680 of Coal Hearts

No glow worms.

No stalagmites or stalactites.

Just chiselled rock that’d been forced to part, leading us closer and closer to the heavy crash of surf smashing itself against stone.

No.

Fuck no.

Peter tripped and went to his knees.

Victor turned and sneered at him on the ground. “Get up, Paavak. Now.”

Peter sucked in a gasp.

“What? You didn’t think I knew your real name? I hear everything, little Peter. I know all. Why give me a false one, hmm? Yet another thing you’ve kept from me.”

I wanted to barge past the two guards in my way.

To haul my friend to his feet.

To beg him to be with me when the time came.

But the guards didn’t move, and Peter stumbled upright with a bow. “Sorry, Sir V.”

Victor chuckled and patted him on the cheek. “You know...you have my permission to say what you truly feel, my pet. Enough of these charades. I’m sick of them.”

For a moment, Peter did nothing.

But then, he dropped all his obedience and cocked his chin. “Fuck it.” Baring his teeth, he snarled, “Do whatever you want to me. I won’t do a thing to stop you. But...leave her out of it. Whatever you think we’ve done? It was all me. She had nothing to do with anything.”

My heart fucking sank.

And I knew.

All of it.

Everything we’d planned.

All our hope.

Over.

Victor smiled. “That’s not how this works, Peter dear. You’re on clean-up. As always. Only once you’ve done your duty shall I deal with you.”

I almost threw up on my shoes.

Despair howled down the tunnel and pounced.

Every ounce of depression.

Every horror and misery, every desolation and melancholy found me, snatched me, and turned off every flicker of light left inside me.

I would die down here.

We would all die down here.

This wasn’t a procession to whatever game Victor had planned.