"I gave you the benefit of the doubt once," Christian said, strolling up behind me. "I will not be so foolish as to do so again. You may cease playacting."
"Playacting?" I asked, suddenly furious. Couldn't they see that something was horribly wrong with Kristoff? He looked terrible, his flesh grey and clammy, his body emaciated, racked with waves of pain so strong even I could feel them. "What the hell is going on here? Why aren't you doing anything to help him?"
"They deserve no help," Mattias muttered. "They are evil. You should have destroyed them. You should have wiped them from the earth, as you were supposed to do."
"Knock it off," I snapped at Mattias.
His expression grew darker, but at a menacing gesture from Andreas, he slumped back in his chair.
"I do not like to be deceived, Pia. I would have thought you'd recognize that fact." Christian stopped next to me, his eyes distrustful.
Julian, standing in the open doorway, shook his head. "I told you the council would not welcome lies."
"What lies?" I yelled, wanting to scream at them.
Julian said nothing more, just closed the door.
I twisted my head around to glare up at Kristoff's brother. "You're his brother! Why aren't you doing anything to help him?"
"His plan has been discovered," Andreas said in cold tones that sent a little shiver down my back. "His plan... and yours."
Mattias burst into laughter. I wanted nothing so much as to smack him right at that moment, but reminded myself that Kristoff needed my attention more.
"You're all insane," I said, looking around for help. Kristoff shuddered in my arms, his knees pulling up as he fought an almost overwhelming wave of purest agony.
"Please." He gasped. "I can't stand your being here much longer."
"Well, life is full of trials," I snapped at him, too overwhelmed with anger and pain at his insult to temper my words. "I'm sorry to burden you with my presence, but no one here is making any sense!"
"Christian," Allie said, limping slowly over to us.
"Stay out of this," her husband said without taking his eyes from us.
"It is not too late, wife," Mattias called out. "There are two of us here-we could perform the ceremony for you to end that pathetic one's life."
"So help me God, if you don't shut up, I'm going to call down the light and smite you with it!" I bellowed at him.
My threat echoed around the suddenly quiet room.
Mattias's eyes grew round. "You are Zorya. I am sacristan. You cannot harm me."
"You want to bet?" I growled, my attention returning to Kristoff as another wave hit him.
"Leave me," he begged, his body convulsing so tightly I wondered how his muscles could stand the strain.
"I'll be happy to, just as soon as I figure out what's going on. Much as you despise my presence, I'm not leaving you until I know why you're in so much pain."
"Despise you?" His eyes opened up for a moment, burning me with a feverish light.
"I think you're all wrong," Allie said, taking her husband's hand. "Just look at them. This isn't right, Christian."
"She is an actress, nothing more," Sebastian said.
Another wave of red pain roared over Kristoff, catching me in its wake. I gasped for breath as he fought it, my own body suddenly racked with an intense, desperate need.
"Help them," Allie said, tugging on Christian's hand. "Can't you see this is real?"
"It is of their own doing," Andreas said slowly. His face was impassive. I hated him at that moment, hated them all for standing around watching Kristoff die. For that was what I was sure was happening-no one could endure such agony, such soul-searing torment, and survive it.