Gries freezes.

“My dad doesn’t deserve punishment!” Chase shouts.

“Did you tell him about the dozens of people you let go because you didn’t like how they looked, or because you were in a bad mood and wanted to take it out on someone else? Did you tell him about that man who begged you for a second chance? You had him thrown out of your office like he was yesterday’s garbage. Then he went home and shot himself.”

Chase’s mouth falls open.

“You turned your nose up at Karl, but you’ve hired attorneys and paid bail for stars who’ve done more than a hit and run. You’re a hypocrite for calling me out, Leo. You had a reputation with women yourself. I’ve seen you at some of those events. You pretend to be the angel, but I know. And when your wife about had it, you threatened to take full custody of your son and exhaust all her finances at court.”

Chase stares at his father, incredulous. The look on Gries’s face is enough to know that Hemslock is telling the truth.

“But that’s no longer the point. This god of yours is not going to let us go until we complete the sacrifice. So I’m going to do something drastic.”

And then, without warning, he fires at me.

Twenty

Ultimatum

I stagger backward. Askal is frantic, torn between keeping close to me and snarling at Hemslock. The man points the gun at him. “Shut him up, or I’ll shoot him, too.”

Someone grabs at my injured arm. It’s Gries.

“Stop this, Reuben!” He’s scared. They all are. Even Hemslock’s bodyguards are taken aback, though none of them break ranks.

Chase is taking most of my weight, all but carrying me. He shakes with anger at how close I’d come to being killed.

One of the medics approaches us, ties a strip of gauze firmly around the lower, fleshier part of my arm to serve as a tourniquet. “It looks a mess,” he whispers, “but it’s not as bad as it looks. The bullet only grazed you.” Askal whines, turning away from Hemslock and putting a paw on my leg.

“Are you listening to me, you immortal piece of shit?” Hemslock screams at the sky. “I can finish the ritual. I can give you what you want. Let me fucking help you.”

“Hemslock, this has gone far enough,” Leo says. “You’re going to kill us all if—”

“And what if I am?” Hemslock says. “You were happy to kill my career for ratings. You thought making me confess on camera was going to be the gotcha of the year. By this island’s own rules, you’re all guilty of punishment. Maybe if I lob enough bodies at its door, the Diwata’ll allow my men and me to get away. Galant’s sixth to lure. Karl’s seventh to consume. Who’ll be the last to wake?”

He trains the gun on me again. Chase steps in front of me again. Askal follows suit, teeth bared and growling low at the actor.