Page 51 of The Wicker King

“I can’t be held responsible for this anymore. I won’t have him drinking in my home to escape this.”

“He won’t, I promise. He barely ever drinks. He was just scared.”

Rina whirled around, eyes blazing. “If he’s your responsibility, you should be responsible enough to fix it. If you’re looking after him, look after him,” she whispered furiously.

“What do you think I’m doing?” August shot back.

“I think you’re doing your best,” Rina said, tossing the wet dishrag into the sink. “But your best is not good enough sometimes,” she said, deflating a bit. “Sometimes … you have to stop trying and just let someone else try their best. In order to survive.”

It was the worst thing August had ever heard. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he could see that she knew what he was going to say before it came out of his mouth.

“We can handle it. He won’t drink anymore. Thank you for your concern.”

Then he walked out of her kitchen and took Jack home.

WATER

August turned over and blinked blearily in the early light. He frowned. Jack was sitting up, wide awake, and looking out the window. “Did you ever get to sleep?”

“No.”

August sighed. “Are you still upset about yesterday?”

“No. I don’t care about that anymore. I’ve been thinking. I think I’ve figured out how to fulfill the prophecy.”

“What do you want me to do?”

Jack was silent.

“Just tell me what you want. And stop looking so scared. I’m not going to say no.”

“We can do it with either fire or water. Fire, you’re familiar with, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Water … water is what I’m worried about. There are two ways to make it so you can affect things on the other side. The first is manually: we create a large enough energy source around the Rapturous Blue to jump-start it. Or alternatively, by baptizing you. Ritually.”

August laughed nervously. “The water one sounds easier.”

“We have to drown you,” Jack continued bluntly. “Or just nearly enough that you pass through the gates, but not so much that you can’t come back from there. To face what is beyond this world, so you can be allowed to play in mine.”

August looked at Jack. Really looked at him. He looked weak. Thoroughly spent. His skin under his eyes seemed so thin that it looked almost bruised. “Is this what you want?”

“I don’t want it. I don’t want for you to … But I think that maybe the visions will end if we…” Jack swallowed hard.

“I’ll do it,” August promised. “I’ll do it. Come here, go to sleep. Don’t worry about it. I’ll do it.”

ROSEMARY AND THYME

As soon as they got to the lunchroom, Jack stacked his books in a makeshift pillow and promptly went to sleep. August stirred his macaroni and cheese mindlessly and stared out the window.

“You guys look awful,” Peter proclaimed.

“You’re talking?” Alex said, in completely justified shock.

Peter narrowed his eyes at her. “We can talk, we just don’t like to. But I thought it would be good to let August hear, verbally, how absolutely terrible and tired he looks. Like he’s had all the life sucked out of him … by … something. But I can’t imagine what it could be,” Peter said sassily. He popped a cherry tomato in his mouth and absorbed August’s glare with practiced indifference.

To August’s surprise, Roger didn’t even temper his brother. Instead, he reached out and put his hand over August’s so he would stop vigorously stirring his food.

“Your time is running out,” Roger said gently.

“No one is supposed to get hurt. Not even you,” Peter scoffed.