The man grasped at the blade as blood poured down his front. Finally, Felix pulled the saber free, and the man fell forward. Silence settled around them.
The pressure in August’s chest was suddenly excruciating, like it was trying to tear a hole through him. He tried to stand, but his body revolted, and he folded forward, spitting up first stomach acid, and then black tar.
“Felix.”
He wasn’t sure if he’d said it out loud, but a second later, Felix dropped in front of him. He cupped August’s face, angling it up to look at him. His lips were moving, but the words were thin and distant.
Felix searched his face, brow furrowed in concern.
Please stay with me, he tried to say, but the words couldn’t make it out.
But Felix stayed anyway, folding his arms around August and pulling him close. It wasn’t gentle or comforting; it was fierce and protective. And it was the last thing August remembered before his vision went black.
August went slack in Felix’s arms, and for a terrifying moment, Felix thought he’d stopped breathing. All the light had drained from him, his face a horrifying landscape of blackened veins, thin and twisting.
His initial instinct was to call for Marlow, but he already knew there was nothing a healer could do for this. So he lay August flat, and after checking for a pulse—which he thankfully found—he took in the room’s carnage.
Two of Gideon’s were dead, lying in puddles of dark blood. Felix counted the creatures. Eleven total. Plus the two he’d seen August pull through the veil.
In Haverglen, they killed elixir users. He assumed the same rules applied here, so how did so many get to this point? How long had they been hiding out in here?
Marlow sagged against the wall, and Gideon dropped to his knees beside one of his wielders. Lark and Niall looked rattled, but they were unharmed.
Felix turned his attention back to August and shifted closer, lying down beside him, their foreheads nearly touching.
They were alright.
He let his eyelids drift closed—just for a moment.
He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but when he opened them again, the first traces of grey daylight pressed through the dirty windows. He sat up, frantically scanning his surroundings.
August was still beside him, and a quick pulse check assured Felix he was still alive. Marlow was sitting against the wall, but her head was tipped back, and her eyes were closed. Lark and Niall were asleep on the floor.
Gideon sat on a barrel near the door. He met Felix’s gaze, his expression unreadable.
“Mornin’ sunshine.”
Felix mumbled an incoherent response as he sat up. He’d fallen asleep with the prosthetic still attached, and now his leg ached something fierce. He winced at the pain as he unstrapped it.
They were supposed to make it to the tear last night. This was all supposed to be over by now. Instead, they were hiding away while the ministry swarmed the city, searching for them.
He cast August an irritated glare. It was his fault the aesran knew they were here.
“That’s a bad idea, lad.”
Felix looked up with a frown. He didn’t understand what Gideon meant until the man’s eyes flicked pointedly to August. Choosing to ignore the implication, he looked back at his leg, eyeing the blisters from where the padding had worn thin. He dreaded having to latch that damned thing back into place.
“How’d you get out?” Felix asked. They’d left the group trapped in a cellar with the ministry at the door. It felt impossible that they were still alive.
“You know me well enough to know I’d never hole up somewhere without a way out. Place has been around since thewar, had a tunnel ran right outside Haverglen. That’s why I went for it.”
Felix spared him a quick glance. “Wish I could tell you I knew you’d be alright, and that’s why I left you there. But I didn’t.” What was he supposed to say? That he was sorry? That he wished he would’ve stayed? That would’ve been a lie. They did what they needed to. And he didn’t regret it. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
That, at least, was the truth. He never should have stopped in Haverglen.
“You were only doing what I told you to. I don’t hold that against you.” Gideon gave a small smile, though it didn’t stick. “You and Mar, you’re family. Whatever you land yourselves in, I’m there. Sorry it took me a bit to remember that.”
“She’s angry with me. Blames me for leaving you to die.”
