Marlow retreated a step, her breathing ragged. They couldn’t handle this many.
“Run!” Gideon shouted, lifting Niall off the ground. Lark sent out a burst of lead balls, and the officers scattered to avoid the shots.
Something coiled around Marlow’s ankle. With a sharp tug, it yanked her leg out from under her, and the hard ground flew up to greet her. She writhed against the grip as the vine dragged her back.
Ciaran smiled down at her, then pain exploded through her skull, and the world plunged into darkness.
The anchored must have lost interest in August, because the mist clouds had stopped hovering. He sat now in the centre of the market square, surrounded by the nothingness of the Hollow Dark. Even his thoughts had gone quiet, and he soaked in the blissful silence, with no intention of ever moving from that spot.
So, when Felix dropped to sit in front of him, August nearly jumped out of his skin.
What was he doing here?
He flashed August a tight, bitter smile, then gestured curtly with one hand for him to get up.
August ignored him and closed his eyes. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Hands clamped tightly on either side of August’s head. His eyes flew open, and he tried unsuccessfully to pull away.
“You’re supposed to be saving the world.”
He scowled at the intrusion of Felix’s voice in his mind and fired back without speaking.Get out of my head!
“Then get off your arse and sort this out.”
No.
Felix’s eyes narrowed. “You are such a coward.”
I was fine here. Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?
“Because I knew you’d screw this up.”
He registered then, Felix’s wilted appearance. His eyes were sunken, and dark veins snaked beneath his pale skin. How far was it from the edge of the tear to here? He’d walked all that way.
August wanted to tell him to leave, to get out and let him be, but he knew Felix couldn’t leave this place without him.
He was going to die.
Good riddance.
August refused to feel bad for him while they were sitting in the spot where Felix had tried to kill him…thefirsttime.
All of this washisfault.
You shouldn’t have come here.
“But I did. Now, get up and get us out.”
Why would I save you?askedAugust. Maybe I’ll just let you die here. One problem solved.
Felix arched a brow. “You let me die, I swear I’ll haunt you until your last breath. You know how persistent I am. It’d be deeply unpleasant for both of us, and frankly, a terrible use of my afterlife.”
August glared.Gods, you are irritating. Leave me alone.He shoved Felix’s hands away and climbed to his feet. When he turned to leave, Felix grabbed his arm and held him fast. He spun, ready to shove him away, but the tightness on Felix’s face froze him in place. August had never seen him afraid.
Felix returned his hands to August’s head, gently this time.
“Please, Auggie. You might think I deserve this, but what about everyone else? Marlow and the others are out there. I need to get back to them.”
