“Good,” said Rahel. “Karl! Martin!”
“No,” said Will. The fear in his voice pulled me back to his side, in the present. “You promised. Valentin, you swore!”
Dimly, I understood. I forced myself to turn away from the Stone. Will’s arms were around me, holding me in front of him. The other Germans entered the room. There were knives in their hands. Will’s hand tightened on my arm.
“Valentin,” said Rahel. “You may take the Stone now.”
He took a step toward us. Panic flared in me. I had known this moment would arrive. Once the Stone was made, my leverage was gone. I had only Valentin’s word to rely on now.
“Not yet,” I said. “You said I could cure him, and Dominic.”
“Cure yourself,” said Rahel. “Valentin will want to know that it works, after all.”
Help me, I said to the Stone. It wanted to. I felt its longing for me, just like I longed for it.
“Will first,” I said. I summoned all my strength and turned my attention to Valentin. He was hesitant, I saw that. He didn’t think any better of Will than Rahel did, but unlike her he didn’t seem quite happy to go back on his word. “You promised. I did everything you wanted. Let me heal Will first.”
Valentin glanced at Rahel.
“Certainly not,” she said. “I am not some Roman tyrant, to strengthen a man the better to torture him. He will die quickly, and with little pain.”
Despair welled in me. I had made the Stone. Against the odds and at such a cost. To me, to Dominic, to my mother. It was a victory that rivaled any in history, and yet my triumph was to become a defeat so terrible, so total that I would not recover. To lose Will and the Stone?
I would not.
I twisted out of Will’s arms and dove for the fire. Before any of them could stop me, I smashed the top of the ovum and shook the Stone out onto my hand. My fingers screamed from burns where they had touched the ovum, but the Stone itself was warm and just a little soft. There were no instructions for this, but I knew exactly what to do. I pressed it to my skin, pushing down the neck of my dress so that the Stone was just over my breast. The Stone throbbed in time with my own heartbeat. I felt it reaching in, reaching for what it needed to make itself whole. Warmth and strength came with it, spreading through me in curling tendrils. This was the best feeling I had ever felt. Better than falling asleep in a warm, soft bed after a long day of work while rain pattered on the shutters, better than the pleasant blur of champagne and the scent of apple blossoms and Will’s mouth on mine. I wanted to close my eyes, to savor and sink into the sensation. But the others scurried about, weapons and voices raised. I forced myself to attend, in time to see Martin bearing down on Will while he backed into the wall.
I was strong, I felt that. Not as strong as I would be soon, and even then not strong enough to take on all three of the Germans. Karl was steps away from me, knife out, not expecting resistance. I smiled.
I seized his wrist with my free hand and squeezed. He cried out and released the knife. I let him go and caught the weapon before it hit the floor. He was surprisingly slow to react. I lashed out, slashing at his throat. He dropped, clutching his neck. There was blood, but not enough to make me think he would die. I dropped the Stone into my bodice where it continued to pulse, safe against my skin.
Rahel stood in the corner, glaring at me but unafraid. “Valentin!” she cried. “Befasse Dich mit ihr!”
He lunged for me, but I was quicker than he was. I charged on Rahel, flipped her around, my arm across her chest, and put my knife to her neck.
“HALT!” I screamed. Martin swung his knife at Will. I screamed again in wordless horror, but Will dodged the blow. He threw himself to the side, lost his balance, and sprawled on the floor in front of the fire.
“HALT ODER SIE STIRBT!”
Stop or she dies. Martin stopped. If my howl of rage hadn’t convinced him, then Rahel’s strangled groan must have. I stood a head taller than her. From the corner of my eye, I saw a thin trickle of red on her neck. The knife I held was very sharp.
“Thea,” said Valentin, holding his hands out as though approaching a wild horse. “Be careful, Thea. I know you do not want to hurt her.”
“You’re right.” My breath came quickly, but I kept my voice steady. “But if any of you touch Will, I’ll do it anyway.”
There was a moment of tense silence, broken by Will, coughing from the floor. Karl, the big, slow man whose knife I held, whose throat I had slashed, was frantically and wordlessly wrapping cloth from his shirt around his neck. A small part of me was relieved to see that I hadn’t cut deep enough to sever his windpipe or hit an artery. Rahel squirmed under my arm, and I sank my knife just a little deeper into her skin. She went suddenly and completely still, but this time she made no sound.
“Don’t,” gasped Valentin. “Be careful! You’re close to the vein!”
I knew that. I had to be, to keep her frightened and still. I fought to keep my hand steady. I was as afraid of what I might have to do as Valentin was.
“You leave. You and the other men with you.” He hesitated. “Now!” I screamed.
“Yes, yes, we’re going,” he said. “Karl, Martin—lass uns gehen.”
The men obeyed without hesitation. Valentin backed toward the door, then paused for a moment at the threshold.
“What
