Felipe’s panic rose in time with the beats on the other end of the tether as his heart struggled against whatever magicHolbrook had worked. Holbrook plucked the knife from Felipe’s hand and tested its weight. As he knelt down beside him, he held the knife over his neck.
“Tell Antonio—”
Before Oliver could hear the rest, he grabbed the neared the nearest tome from the shelf and ran at Holbrook with a roaring cry. Holbrook whipped toward him in time for Oliver to smash the book into his face. He fell back, chalk scattering under their feet as Oliver chased after him. He brought the book down again and again. The knife skittered across the stones and dropped over the edge into the darkness. Oliver hit him again, expecting Holbrook to pass out or at least look dazed enough that he could run off to haul Felipe to his feet, but when Holbrook stared up at him with barely more than a bloodied lip and nose, fear kicked through Oliver’s heart. The magic was sustaining him. Oliver didn’t dare take his eyes off the other man when he heard Felipe suck in a loud breath and a muffled curse as he staggered to his feet. He had to keep Holbrook’s eyes on him.
When he raised the book to strike him again, Holbrook lunged. He grabbed the top of the cover, the pages blackening as his hand burned through the leather and vellum. Oliver could smell the tang of blood on the other man’s breath and taste his bitter magic on the air. His arms shook as he tried to yank back the book from Holbrook. With a sneer, Holbrook let go. Felipe cried out as Oliver stumbled backwards. His arms pinwheeled for purchase as he dropped the book and his foot hit air. For a heart-stopping moment, Oliver feared he would go over the edge, but something shoved him back. Raising his gaze, he found Gwen watching him from Felipe’s side as he struggled to stand.
Oliver’s heart pounded in his temples as Holbrook took a step closer. He stood between him and his loved ones. There was nowhere to go but through him or down into the void. Magic lapped at the edge of the balcony, running over Oliver’sboots like a greedy tide. Holbrook’s chest heaved and his nose bled into his mouth as he gave Oliver a disgusted once over and stepped closer. Oliver instinctively took a step back but caught himself as he teetered over the void.
“You could have been one of us, you know. You could have had all of this if you hadn’t gotten involved with people like them,” Holbrook said, jerking his chin toward where he left Felipe. “Now, he’s gone, and you have to die because you don’t know your place.”
When Oliver followed his gaze, he found Gwen staring back at him.Trust me, she mouthed and motioned for him to keep talking.
“Why?” Oliver whispered. “Why do this? I haven’t done anything to you. The society welcomed you.”
“Because you mollies don’t deserve magic. You disgusting little upstarts think you’re better than us. That you can just do whatever you want. You’ll learn. You’ll all learn that you can’t push people like us around. It isourbirthright. Not yours.”
Holbrook lunged at him. Before they could collide, the floor dropped out from under Oliver’s feet. Bullets rang out as Oliver scrambled to keep a hold on the edge of the balcony. He kept his head down and his eyes screwed shut as air whooshed behind him and the tide of magic rose to break the other man’s fall. Oliver clawed at the stone. Gwen’s powers held tight to him, but he was slipping. He was too heavy and the magic below had too strong a pull.
A cry tore from his throat as his fingertips shredded against the rocks.
“I’ve got you! I’ve got you,” Felipe called as he lay on the edge of the platform and grabbed Oliver’s wrists.
“I’m bigger than you. I’ll pull you over.”
“Gwen and I have you, Oliver. I promise, we have you. Trust us.”
Gwen shoved him from below as Felipe pulled him from above. The moment Oliver got his leg onto the ledge a sob of relief broke from his throat. Gwen and Felipe tugged him away from the edge, but the second he reached solid ground, he threw his arms around them and refused to let go.
Even with Holbrook gone, the cracks in the walls remained and extra magic still stirred in the chasm below, but they were all safe. That was what mattered.
Epilogue
Ardut Nec Consumitur
Felipe’s pulse quickened as he finished reading the letter to Santiago for the fourth time. He tried not to pour his heart out to a man he hadn’t seen since he was a child and scare him off, but the important points were there. He told him how he had left the family and made a life for himself in New York, one they would never have approved of, and that he hoped they might be able to write to each other and get to know each other again. Folding the pages, he sealed the envelope and set it on top of the folder that contained his retirement paperwork. With all of the eyes now on the head inspector’s office and the investigative unit after the article came out, Felipe was glad to be getting out. All he had to do was turn them in, and he would no longer be Inspector Galvan. Felipe stared down at his signature. He had expected to regret his choice or second guess as soon as the paperwork was drawn up, but he felt more at peace than he had in a long time.
It probably helped that he and Oliver had sat up the previous night writing out all the things he might do in his newfound spare time. After his retirement party, he planned to talk to Dr. Perkins about learning to heal. That morning, he had picked up a book from the library on the body in hopes it might help. He had only gotten as far as the end of the introduction before he had to stop to help Oliver with something. When he reached into his pocket for a slip of paper, he had found the death card staringup from his palm. He debated throwing it away or giving it back to Mrs. Van Husen, but he decided to keep it as a reminder that things could always change.
Felipe eyed the clock on the mantle as he pushed up from the desk. He needed to get dressed. As soon as Oliver returned with Gwen, they were going to pay their respects at Tony DeSanto’s funeral. At least his mother had allowed the Paranormal Society to help give him a proper burial. Tears sprung to Felipe’s eyes, but he didn’t fight them. DeSanto deserved every last one. Oliver had helped him box up all of Tony’s things, so they could go back to his family, but he had kept the picture of the gargoyles outside the society as something to remember him by. He tapped the frame as he ducked into the bedroom to change his clothes.
“Felipe, we’re back!” Oliver called from the parlor.
“I’ll be right out. How was the meeting?”
“Much better now that Bennett and Theo are running it,” Gwen replied. “Oh, and guess who was there.”
“Who?” Felipe replied absently as he quickly knotted his tie and checked his hair in the mirror.
“Mrs. Cutler!”
“Really? I thought she only got out of the infirmary on Monday,” Felipe said as he threw on his jacket and opened the door.
“She did, but she was well enough to sit in on the meaning. She has some facial drooping and some weakness on her right side, but she’s getting stronger,” Oliver said with a smile. “It was nice to see her again in less chaotic circumstances.”
“Still a force to be reckoned with?”
“Absolutely,” Gwen replied. “Between her, Bennett, and Theo, there’s no way they aren’t getting the committee back on track.”
