Page 853 of Coal Hearts

“He’s getting revenge, don’t you see? He’s committing suicide by rapist.”

My heart stopped. “But I didn’t die.”

“He doesn’t know that.”

“Then we need to tell him!”

“That’s what I’m trying to do!”

“We’ll go get him.” I swung my legs out of bed. I went dizzy. “I’ll come. We’ll bring him back. He can see for himself that I’m—”

“You can’t go anywhere. It’s too soon, and I won’t run the risk of you dying again. I just...” Slapping a phone into my hand, he barked, “Keep ringing him. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me and will be able to get through.” Striding to the door, he huffed, “I’ll fly to the UK and track him down. Tell Tess to call me if you manage to speak to that idiot.”

He vanished before I could agree.

* * * * *

For two days, I kept trying.

I sat in a pretty conservatory with a babbling fountain, tropical plants, and an aviary full of colourful birds. Mum and Dad sat beside me, reading and throwing side glances my way. Krish rested a little apart, lying on the floor and looking up through the glass roof as clouds drifted past and Tiger hopped around, exploring.

“Come on, Henri. Pick up the damn phone.”

Nothing.

It wouldn’t even ring.

My thumb hurt from stabbing the recall button, over and over again.

The phone had to be plugged in twice a day with how quickly I drained the battery.

While I fought to get ahold of Henri, Rachel sat quietly beside me looking at maps, drawing red dots on each address of the men on Q’s list.

He’d printed us off a copy.

He’d mentioned that Henri seemed to be working his way through them.

We could track him. Somehow.

But any one of those men could kill him.

Rachel had almost fainted when we’d seen how many names and red dots existed.

After everything she’d gone through on Victor’s island. After seeing Masters finally pay a price and earning a small amount of joy at being told Victor was dead—that all vanished beneath the godawful knowledge that there were so many men like him. So many other girls like us.

Tears lived in the back of my throat.

I’d cried when Rachel told me Peter hadn’t made it.

My entire soul threatened to crack and sob, but...I couldn’t break. Not yet.

I wanted to mourn him and all the other jewels that I hadn’t been able to mourn. All those lost in the cave, and in the Temple, and in the bedrooms of those despicable Masters, but first, I had to keep my twin flame alive.

I dialled again.

It gave an empty dial tone.

Henri...come on.