“Perhaps I’m not fine after all,” August murmured, the words barely audible.
Without warning, August’s legs gave out. Felix caught him, holding tight, but his own footing slipped, and he fell back against the wall. Together, they collapsed to the ground.
“Auggie,” Felix said, pulling his unconscious body in close, heart pounding a frantic beat as he looked up at the empty room. “Marlow!”
Quick, light footsteps on the creaking stairs.
“I’m here.” She tossed him the jacket he’d left downstairs, and her face sobered when she saw August.
“Heal him,” said Felix.
A pause. “I can’t.”
“Try!”
Marlow sighed sharply, then dropped to her knees beside them, setting August’s balled-up cloak on the floor. She pressed her hands to August’s chest, her rings glowing red.
Nothing happened.
Felix glared at her when she pulled her hands back. “No. Keep going!”
“Felix,” she said, her voice strained. “I went through this when it happened to you. Whatever that place does, I can’t fix it.”
Fear and panic buzzed inside him, wild and unyielding.
Come on, Auggie, he pleaded silently.
A faint metallic clink as something slipped from August’s hand onto the wooden floor. Marlow picked it up and turned it over. It looked like the finding token they’d gotten from the apothecary, but the engraving was different.
The sound of footsteps sounded outside.
Felix perked up and shot Marlow a warning look. With the curfew heavily enforced, the only people on the streets would be the Watch and the ministry.
They needed to go. But he couldn’t leave August.
“I can try something to shake him awake,” Marlow whispered. “But it won’t work if he’s too deep under.”
Felix nodded quickly.
“Lay him flat.”
He complied. “What are you going to do?”
She handed him the token, then leaned over August, wrapping her hands around his arms. “Gonna make him feel like his insides are on fire. Hard to sleep through that.”
Before the words had time to land, her rings shone red.
August’s body thrashed, and he gasped as he shot upright. He was still for a moment, eyes wide with shock, then his usual scowl snapped back in place, and he glared between them.
His eyes were back to normal. That was a good sign.
Voices came from out front, and Felix’s gaze cut to the barricaded door. It was a pathetic attempt. Not even enough to slow them down.
He stood and shrugged on his jacket, pocketing the token. “Open the veil.”
The scowl deepened. “Seriously, Felix? Do I look like I can open the veil right now?”
“We have to go warn the others,” Marlow said, but Felix grabbed her hand before she could bolt down the stairs. They might have been able to handle the Watch, if they all fought together, but even with the eleven in the cellar, they couldn’t take on more drugged ministry. If they went back down there, they’d be trapped, andnoneof them would make it out.
