But that was all on the other side of the veil. All that pain, it was there, not here.
Here, there was only peace.
August pulled in a slow breath, then sank to the ground, the cold numbing his thoughts and chasing away any recollection of why he’d come.
The second August disappeared, Felix started counting, his finger tapping nervously against the gun in his holster. With every passing minute, the tapping grew faster.
The alarm bells fell silent at ten, leaving behind a dreadful, suffocating stillness.
The anxious nausea kicked in at fifteen.
August should’ve made it to the square by now. The tear should be gone. What was taking him so long?
He wasn’t coming back. The realization hit like a blow at twenty.
It had been too long.
Felix pushed abruptly off the wall. “Godsdamnit, Aesling. Where are you?” He reached out, fingers nearly touching the writhing darkness.
The tear felt alive. And hungry. Like one of those tendrils would reach out and drag him in.
What was he supposed to do? Marlow would be back soon. They’d have to leave, get out of the city before the Watch or the ministry closed in. Plan the next steps somewhere safe.
But August had risked his life to save the city. To save everyone. Felix wasn’t going to be the one to run away. He wasn’t leaving August inside the Hollow Dark.
He shook his head.You’re a damned eejit, Felix.If August was dead, he’d have no way back out. He’d die in that place. Alone.
No, August was alive. He had to be. Because Felix wasn’t dying today.
One last steadying breath, then he stepped forward and through.
Fallowmoor had never felt so big. Marlow quickened her steps, head down, trying not to draw attention, but the four of them were hardly inconspicuous.
It felt like ages before they finally reached the edge of the darkness, and it was a miracle they made it without crossing paths with any ministry or City Watch. Their feigned attack must have worked. They were all chasing their tails across town.
This close to the tear, the streets were eerily still. There was no sign of Felix, so they followed the edge of the thing deeper into the city. When Marlow finally saw him, she let herself relax.
But where was August? Why hadn’t he closed the tear?
Felix reached out and touched the darkness, and Marlow’s heart sank.
What was he doing?
“Felix!” she called, but it was too late. He was already stepping through.
Marlow froze. This wasn’t part of the plan. Why would he go inside?
Gideon’s shout cut through her panic, and she turned just in time to see a ministry officer unleash a roaring fireball. Horror twisted in her chest as it struck Niall and sent him sprawling.
As the fire caught, a scream ripped from his throat.
No!
She peeled off her jacket and used it to smother the flames. Once she was certain the fire was out, she threw it aside. The burns on his face and arms were a shocking raw red, and the air was thick with the smell of charred flesh.
“You’re alright,” she told him. Her magic rushed forward as she touched a hand to his cheek. “Just hold on.”
A flash of pink sent Marlow’s heart into her throat. She dove out of the way, and the fireball narrowly missed, vanishing silently into the wall of darkness behind her.
