Page 77 of One Shattered Crown
She shrugs, looking young and rather carefree in jeans and a button-down. High-end flannel. The blue brings out the blue in her eyes. “We’re kind of family.”
“I appreciate that,” I say grimly. “I’d very much likenotto be dead.”
Corinda lifts a shaking hand to her head.
I frown. “How badly do you feel?”
“I just tried to charge the diamonds and I’m just feeling … I don’t know. Tired.”
“Don’t charge the diamonds,” I blurt.
Sylveria tilts her head. “Why not?”
“There’s obviously something wrong with them.” Ican’t tell her about the virus, but I also don’t want Corinda ending up dead. I’m not sure we could pull off the same feat with anyone else the way we did with Thorn when we saved his life, and Justice is still struggling. How am I going to save him? Plus, how did the virus end up in TimeGem, if that’s what’s going on here? Is there a different virus? Or a mutated one? “Let me discover what’s going on with the servers before you try to charge them again.”
Corinda pulls her sister into the elevator. “Nice try. We know you want to take over. We’re not going to let you do that.”
I decide not to answer, but my face must give me away, because she winks as the doors slide shut.
“What do you know about the diamond being weakened?” Sylveria demands, grabbing my arm and yanking me toward her.
I face her. “I don’t know anything about your damn diamonds. I do know TimeGem Moments is supposed to run on citrines.”
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Come this way.” She turns, head high, still draped in that ridiculous ball gown.
“Do you ever dress down?” I follow, acutely aware of the guards posted in the corners.
“This is dressed down.” She walks into the server room, and the moment I step inside, I feel at home. My gaze catches on a series of glass compartments set into the far wall. The middle one holds a tiara—citrine and diamond, but the glow is gone. It looks dull, lifeless. My breath catches. It has belonged in my family for longer than anybody can remember.
The tiara is exquisite. Large oval citrines burn golden in their settings, encircled by smaller diamonds that climb thedelicate platinum frame. Even dulled, it’s beautiful, regal. Once, the citrines would have shone like captured sunlight.
Then my gaze shifts to the center of the room. The diamond. Or rather, a structure made from several diamonds, massive, worth billions. They hum softly, as do the server banks surrounding them in tall columns flashing with yellow and white lights.
I step closer to the crown instead. I can’t help it. As I near, the citrines flicker faintly, beginning to glow. I stop, my heart pounding.
“Wow,” Sylveria says. “I always wondered about that.”
“It’s because the crown’s mine.” I wonder idly if my heirs, if I live long enough to have any, will be able to affect the citrines. I look back toward the diamonds. The centers are yellowed, but not with citrine color. It’s sickness. “Somebody’s infected your servers.”
Sylveria nods. “No kidding.” She lifts her wristwatch to her mouth. “Bring him in.”
I pause. Interesting.
A side door opens. Two guards push in a bleeding, battered Wesley.
“Wesley,” I whisper, moving toward him.
His gray suit is rumpled, one sleeve torn at the cuff. Blood trickles from his swollen lip down his chin, staining his white shirt. His knuckles are shredded, skin split and raw. A bruise is already spreading along his jaw, one eye puffing and darkening. His blond hair is damp, sticking to his forehead, but he’s still upright, still steady. Relief pushes through my chest. He’s hurt, but he’s still breathing. “What is going on?” I demand, turning to Sylveria.
She shrugs. “I figured the two of you were workingtogether, know you’re dating, and want to properly motivate you to help me.”
I shake my head. “You kidnapped the head programmer from Aquarius Social.”
“Yes.”
I blink and panic. A sneeze takes me, and I cover my nose with my arm. Blinking, I sniff. “You donotwant to go to war with Aquarius Social. You know they’re aligned with Malice Media right now.”
“I’m well aware.” She doesn’t even shift her weight. Does she have a clue how dangerous Justice is? She has to, right?
