“You spineless little shite,” Felix growled, shoving up from the ground and flinging the token away with a sharp flick of his hand.
August pushed Marlow away.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Felix,” he spat, the words bitter and laced with venom as he rose shakily to his feet. “Was I supposed to just wait around for you to shoot me athirdtime?”
Felix drew his gun, leveling it between August’s eyes. “You won’t have to wait.”
“Both of you shut up,” Marlow snapped. “Felix, I am too damned tired to heal him right now. Put the gun away.”
Felix’s eyes shifted to her, their glares holding for a long moment before he relented and holstered the gun. He grabbed August’s chin and forced his head back to look up at him. “You just lost your chance to rest. We’re going. Now.” With a shove, he released him and turned to leave.
“No.” August was so sick of them threatening and forcing. They couldn’t do this without him. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Felix spun on him. “Of course, now that it benefitsyou, you’ll run back to your mother. Are you going to help hermurder wielders, too? Be a good little aesling and follow in her footsteps?”
August said nothing. He still wasn’t sure he wanted to go home, but it was a better option thanthis.
“You are such a coward.”
“I know. And I don’t care.” August pushed past Felix toward the door. “I’m leaving.”
“And what makes you think I’ll letyou?”
He knew the threat well enough by now. Knew the way Felix wielded his magic like a weapon. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of turning to see the glow of his eyes.
“Go ahead and force me,” August said, pushing open the large barn door. “You won’t get ten steps into the city now. They know I’m here. The Watch will find me. It’s over.”
“It’s not over until you fix your godsdamned mess.”
August finally turned to look at him. His mouth was set in a stubborn line, his eyes intense. But they weren’t glowing. Yet.
“You keep calling itmymess,” August said, “like you had nothing to do with it.”
“Aesling,” Marlow said in warning, but he ignored her.
“You’re manipulative. And you destroy everything you touch.”
The air hummed as Felix crossed the barn to stand in front of August, fury sharpening his features. “Probably smart to stop talking.”
“Every single person who died that night,” August went on, undeterred. “Their deaths can be traced back toyou. My sister. Your mother.Youstarted all of it! It’s your fault they’re dead!”
August had expected retaliation, expected Felix to use his magic to make him stop talking. Hehadn’texpected him to bury his dagger in his stomach.
August gasped as the pressure of it slammed him back against the wall. The crows scattered, cawing loudly.
Raw, desperate panic clawed at the inside of his skull, skittering beneath his skin, through his fingertips.
The world tilted. Marlow shouted something, but he couldn’t make out the words over the noise in his ears.
He grasped at Felix’s hand, trying to free himself, but Felix leaned in close and twisted the dagger. The pain made August’s vision swim, the edges sparking white.
Marlow moved to pull them apart, but Felix motioned her back with his free hand.
“Don’t you put this on me, Aesling,” Felix growled. “And don’t you ever speak of my ma again. She trusted you, and youkilledher.”
“Stop,” August said. Or at least he thought he said. Blood filled his mouth, trickling out from between his lips as he tried to form the words.
He was going to die.
