He was serious. He was going to blow this place up.
His cry sounds strangled as I twist further and apply more pressure. “Did you kill Mark?”
Syd's head shoots up, eyes wide.
“Yes, I killed Mark,” Larry says between sharp breaths. “Stop fuckin' around and get me the jinn.”
I lean down. “You're not in any place to be giving orders, are you?”
He sneers, but another little twist has him rethinking his attitude.
“Dim, we need to get out of here. Now.”
Syd sounds panicky, but she's been solid all the way through. What changed?
I look up.
“Please, let's just go.” She makes a move for the door.
Silvia bends down, grabs her knife, and lunges at Syd.
I yell a warning, but Silvia is on Syd's back. She raises the knife. I let go of Larry and charge across the room.
Syd spins in a half-circle, dropping the gun. She throws her elbow, repeatedly, into Silvia's side. I hook Silvia's arm and yank her off. The knife clatters to the floor. Silvia and I both dive for it. She grabs it from under me and swings at Syd's face.
Syd blocks with her arm. The knife slices through her sleeve and gashes her open. Blood streams to the floor. She takes a retreating step. Silvia swings again and again, like she's in a David Carradine movie.
Syd backs into the wall. Silvia swings low and up, aiming for Syd's gut. Syd drops down. I scramble for the gun and pull the trigger.
The explosion fills the room. Then there is silence.
Syd peers up at me from behind her bleeding arm. I follow her gaze to Silvia's body on the floor. Headshot.
She should have given the last commandment first. Until then, my master is at my mercy. No hum to stop me from making a split-second decision.
A thud sounds on the far end of the chamber. I turn to see Eileena tearing out of the door. The world feels surreal. I scan the room. It is just me and Syd separated by Silvia's limp body, with Larry off to the side. He is nursing his arm. I think I broke it.
I reach down and help up Syd. She steps over Silvia, and then falls into my shoulder—and cries. Deep, long sobs, her whole body shuddering. I wrap my arms around her.
God, I've missed her.
I squeeze a little tighter and touch my face to the top of her hair. She reigns in her emotions and breaks free, though my arms are still around her waist.
She looks into my eyes. My hand goes to her face, cupping her jaw. I lean in to kiss her.
She puts her hand over mine and moves it away, shaking her head.
She steps back. “No, Dim. No, you killed Silvia.”
“I know.” I swallow hard, trying to find my voice. “I know what it means. It was worth it.”
I've never said anything more honest in my life.
She takes another step back, pulling away from me. The lines of her throat are taut. She keeps shaking her head.
I'm hurting her again. I'm killing someone she loves. But this time, it's for the right reason. Maybe I can be redeemed.
“Dimitri,” she says, as if speaking pains her. “Do you know Karl Walker's real name?”
I halt. “What do you mean, real name?”
She runs her hand through her hair, her gaze flicking past me. “His real name is Franklin Ballantyne.”
“Ballantyne?” I stare at her. “You mean, he's … ”
She nods once. “One of the four brothers. The oldest. That's why my family was looking for the jinn.” Her frown deepens. “The master bond was passed down from the oldest son to the oldest son. The others … wanted a turn. They wanted you.
“That's why Larry killed my father.” She turns to her uncle. He is still huddled on the floor with his arm cradled against his chest. Her expression sparks with rage. “We were supposed to be doing this together! We were supposed to be a family! You drove Grandma away! She couldn't stand it anymore. All anyone talked about was the master bond. All anyone did with their life was study ways they could take it. Mythology, anthropology, sociology. That's all you guys ever cared about!”
She turns back to me, tears breaking free again. She forces them back. “My father was the second oldest. He would have inherited the master bond if Karl and Silvia died. Silvia didn't know we were related, though. Karl sent you for Zoe, and he told my dad to call Larry off or we would never see Zoe again. I begged for them to do what he asked, but they didn't. They just became more determined.