Page 697 of Coal Hearts

And I intend to take them with me.

I funnelled all my strength into my arm and let loose.

I didn’t know which Master it was with his black mask and cape, but I drove the tip of my dagger right through his gristly throat.

He dropped with a gurgle.

I stabbed another.

The knife twanged with obstruction as the blade struck bone.

I pulled it out of his sternum and aimed for his belly.

It went in easily, smoothly.

He screamed and fell backward, clutching the new hole I’d given him.

The other Masters scattered, trying to get as far away from me as possible.

The monster inside me stalked and slobbered for blood.

So...I fed it.

I hunted them.

Three guards charged me.

I parried and slashed, trying to incapacitate them so I could slaughter every monster in this cave. I didn’t stop to wonder if these men were the guards who Stewart and Ben had been liaising with.

I didn’t care.

I smashed my chains, freed the darkness, and as Ily’s gentle wonderful voice echoed in my head, forgiving me for so many sins, I took my final breath as Henri and became something else.

Barrelling through the wall of guards, I launched myself at Victor. His eyes flared in panic as I managed to get through two of his protectors. But then three more grabbed me, throwing vicious punches and knocking me to the ground.

I didn’t stay down.

Adrenaline fed me.

Fury ignited me.

I lost it.

Springing upright, I threw myself into war.

Just like the fugue that came over me the night of the treasure hunt, everything happened in a blur. I kicked, punched, stabbed, and slashed.

Blood and screams.

Bellows and pain.

The entire chamber erupted with violence.

“Someone stop him!” Victor snarled.

More arms came at me. A few guns aimed in my direction.

“No, don’t shoot. Just...incapacitate him!” Victor barked, slipping through the crush of cloaked Masters to stand safely by the exit. “Get him shackled. Now.”