Page 36 of Shattered Jewel
Kaspian realizes it at the same time I do: Axe goes quiet because he can’t recall everything.
“The ritual Cav went through was to bind us to the jewel,” Kaspian says finally, his voice flat. “It’s meant to make us into... controllable weapons for the Sovereigns to use, or that’s what we’ve figured, ever since they started on Axe. They want something, or someone, to possess us.”
Horror floods me. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You saw what they did to him!” Kaspian slams his fist on the counter, making me jump. “It may sound ridiculous. It’s fucking deluded. But the Sovereigns believe it. They believe this ruby has magical properties going all the way back to Sarah Anderton.”
I take in a quivering breath. “Do you all really think we’re searching for a supernatural ruby with powers?”
“Fuck, no. Axe, Wilder and I—we know there’s no such thing.” A muscle ticks in Kaspian’s jaw. “But Cav...”
Axe lifts his chin, his features sharpening as he latches on to Kaspian’s story and is able to continue it. “The Sovereigns believe that the Heart possesses dark properties that can grant them immense power and control over others. They intend to harness this supposed magic to strengthen their hold on the Cimmerian Court and extend their influence beyond our secret society.”
I fold my hands over the sides of the teacup, seeking warmth. Needing it. “The blood ritual Cav went through, it’s just the beginning, isn’t it?”
Axe gives a solemn nod.
Kaspian adds, “It was punishment, too. Binding him to the Heart will make him find it faster. That’s what the Sovereigns believe. And he endured it. Cav didn’t say a word about the half you gave us. He kept it safe.”
The tea I was about to swallow gets caught in my throat. “And Cav seriously believes the Sovereigns succeeded?”
“They took him young,” Kaspian says in lieu of an answer. “The Nightshades have been part of the Court since its inception. Cav’s father wanted him involved as soon as he knew he was having a boy. They took him and tore at him, piece by piece, until he was nothing more than a vessel. They forced him to endure trials that would break lesser men.”
The small sips of tea I managed burn in my stomach, then reaches up as if to burn my heart, too. “How... how did he survive?”
Kaspian’s smile returns, but this time, it’s tinged with a fierce pride. It’s a strange, foreign expression for a man who is proud of so little and only invokes duty. “Because he’s a relentless fucker. Even now, he fights. His belief in the ruby’s curse—your ancestor’s curse—is a burden he may never fully escape, but one we’ll help him bear.”
I’d gotten it so wrong. Blaming them for Maverick’s death, confronting them when they refused to help me and demanding they put Maverick first—put my grief first—when all the while, they are a group of men who shoulder the worst in humanity and want nothing more than to help each other.
They have no obligation to me. They never have. Yet…
Kaspian came to my aid at Farrow Manor tonight the second he understood why Cav endured the Sovereigns’ punishment. They were to keep half the Heart, and me, safe.
The thought of having these men’s loyalty, as brutal and vicious as they are, makes my belly flip in concerning ways.
I don’t want to change them and turn them into moral men. I want these caged animals to fight by my side, fangs and scars and all.
Axe speaks, drawing me out of my stark revelation, “The Sovereigns plan to use the ruby in a final ritual that they believe will give them abilities. Their ultimate goal is to create a legion of unwavering followers who will blindly obey their commands. This current batch of initiates is just the start. They’re undergoing trials, tasks, and skill training that are vastly different from how we were brought up the ranks.”
As Axe trails off with tight brows, Kaspian continues without missing a beat, “They’re willing to go to any lengths to acquire the ruby. Tonight was just a flex.”
“This is insane,” I whisper. “This is the real world, not a supernatural realm where witches and curses exist.”
I gesture around dramatically as if to prove the non-existence of magic through the air alone.
Neither of them need to argue. Cav’s unhinged screams filtering down the hall say it all.
Whether or not it’s real doesn’t matter.
I squeeze my eyes shut as fresh tears threaten. He sounds just like my mother when she’s at her worst. This can’t be happening.
The kitchen door bangs open and Wilder strides in. Sweat dots his brow and blood stains his hands. My stomach heaves at the sight.
“How is he?” Axe asks.
“Let’s just say the sleeping pills didn’t take.”
He goes to the sink and starts scrubbing his hands, the water running pink.