“It was written all over your face. You’re very easy to read.” Felix let out a small, unsteady laugh. “Relax, it’s not like I read your thoughts, Auggie.” He dropped his gaze to his lap, and after a moment, he added, “But I could.”
August waited for some sign that it was a joke, but Felix only shrugged.
“I’ve never used that on you, either.”
“You . . . I don’t—” What was hesaying?
Felix looked up, searching his face. “You already know about one outlawed power. Kind of pointless to keep secrets now.”
The realization startled a laugh from August, sharp and loud—a nervous, involuntary response. Terror twisted in his gut, and he gripped the doorframe hard enough to make his fingers ache. It was the only thing holding him in place, keeping him from bolting.
“You’re a listener.”
“I am.”
“And a charmer. And a conjurer.”
“Yes.”
“No, you’re not!” August blurted.
Felix didn’t respond, and the room tipped violently, the ground beneath August’s feet wobbling.
Dual-wielders were already rare.
“That’s not possible. Triple-wielders don’t exist.”
Felix shrugged again. “And yet, here I am.”
If wielders were destruction and chaos, then someone like Felix . . .
Gods, what had he gotten himself into? This was all too much.
Did Petra know?
Parents of children with prohibited magic were required to report them to the ministry. They were supposed to be placed under strict monitoring—watched for any breach of the law. There was no way they knew about Felix and still allowed him this much freedom.
If Petra knew, she’d broken the law by not reporting him.
One word to the Watch about what just happened, and Felix would be arrested. Executed. And Petra would likely share his fate.
Felix stared intently at the floor, unmoving. It was odd to see him look so vulnerable. Like peeking behind a curtain.
Sure, he was dangerous, but so was the knowledge that August now held. Felix was trusting him to keep this secret and that felt so big, so important, that everything inside August ached.
He knew what it was like to have secrets. How much it meant to have someone care enough to keep those secrets.
Felix hadn’t been honest with him, but August had no right to judge him for that. He had no intention of sharing his own secrets. Ever.
Besides, Felix had only used his magic because August startled him. He was clearly worked up over whatever he and Marlow were talking about. He’d promised not to use the compulsion again.
What about listening? How did it work? Felix said he didn’t use it on him. Could he control it?
August thought back to his lessons, all the cautionary information he’d been taught.
Listeners’ powers varied greatly. Though it was rare, some listeners were able to pick up thoughts without even having to make contact.
He forced himself to ask. “Can you hear my thoughts right now?” The possibility made him nauseous.
