He had to stop Mercier. Except the flames were nearly touching him now, so tall he could barely see Mercier’s face up above. Just like Mateo’s vision, the fire prison from which there was no escape. And Mateo had been able to see the vision, because in the future he’d seen, Sebastian didn’t have magic anymore—
The flames suddenly stopped moving.
“Look at this, Sebastian,” Mercier said, with dark amusement. “Your friend Lord Fine has come for you.”
“Wesley.”No, no no no.Sebastian tried to sit up. “Don’t, Jack. Don’t hurt him.”
Mercier ignored him, his aura lit in a blaze of flame, too bright in the dim interior of the pavilion. “Back for more, my lord?” he said, sing-songing the title. “You didn’t strike me as suicidal.”
Wesley’s voice came from a few feet away. “I’ve seen your circus trick already.” He soundedbored. “Let’s see. We’re silenced, so no one out in the fair can hear anything we do in here, and you’ve leaked magic fire everywhere. Haven’t you anything new?”
Mercier narrowed his eyes. “You’re in so far over your head.”
“Am I?” Wesley stepped close enough Sebastian could see him, the flickering fires casting orange on his skin. “Or have you completely misjudged me? You think I’m like Sebastian here, that I’ll play by some noble code of honor, but I won’t, Mr. Mercier. Your singular chance for survival is to put your fires out and let Sebastian go.”
“Wesley,” Sebastian croaked, pushing up with his hands and making it into a half-raised position.
Mercier laughed, a cold sound for a man burning hot. “I could let Sebastian go and it wouldn’t matter; he wouldn’t make it. I’m still going to kill him, but you know what.” He raised his hands. “I think first I’m going to make him watch me kill you.”
“No!”Fire singed Sebastian’s hands as he threw himself forward in a half lunge, half crawl. But he was too late; fire came up so fast and loud Sebastian heard it, like Mercier had doused the room in gasoline, flooding the space with heat as Sebastian’s prison knocked him backward and a new fire engulfed Wesley.
“Wesley—”
Wesley stepped out of the fire. His suit was burning, his shirt in tatters, but he was otherwise unharmed, a pensive look on his face and his revolver in hand.
“Stung a bit,” he said, and raised the gun.
The shot was deafeningly loud in the pavilion. The shimmering cage around them flickered but stayed intact as Mercier’s body hit the floor and the fires around Sebastian and where Wesley had stood went out like a blown match.
Wesley was suddenly kneeling at Sebastian’s side. “Are you all right?” he said urgently.
“Wesley—”
“These cuffs—just a moment, let me check Mercier’s body for the keys—” Wesley disappeared for a moment, and then his hands were on Sebastian’s handcuffs, and a moment later Sebastian’s wrists were free.
He forced his head up, reaching for Wesley. “The silencing cage—”
“Can’t you put it out?”
“I—I should be able to, but—”But I can’t feel my magic anymore. I think it’s gone for good this time. The words stuck in Sebastian’s throat. He wrapped his hand around Wesley’s arm and just shook his head.
Wesley’s brow furrowed, but he said, “Mercier had set another fire at the paranormal pavilion. Your cousin was drawing as fast as she can to contain it, but I hope the fires have gone out there with Mercier’s death.”
“You may have saved many lives, then,” Sebastian said hoarsely. “I thought you were going to die, I’m so glad you’re alive. How—?”
“Isabel wasn’t certain it would work.” Wesley pushed aside a piece of his burnt shirt. “But apparently I believe in magic and fairy tales now.”
Wesley’s chest was covered in blue paint. As Sebastian squinted, he realized what he was seeing. “It’s an ocean wave that becomes a rampant lion,” he said in awe.
“I stole the paint from a mime,” Wesley said, almost proudly. “I told your cousin to treat my skin like a blank canvas. Isabel said the water was to counter the fire, and the lion was for protection, like yours.”
Sebastian looked up at him in surprise. “But how did you know?”
“Your brother’s vision,” said Wesley. “I knew I had to be ready to rescue you from the flames. I wasn’t going to stop until I found you.” And as Sebastian’s heart swelled with a helpless sort of gratitude, Wesley said, “But you didn’t answer my question. Are you all right? What have they done to you?”
Feelings threatened to swamp Sebastian, but he couldn’t fall apart. Not now. “Blanshard took my magic.”
Wesley’s grip on him tightened.
