Page 102 of Shadow & Stars
“They’re turning the city into an icy inferno.” Phillipe lifted his gaze to me. “Is that really Andri by his side?”
“I’m afraid so,” I answered.
“We have to stop them. The ice fire has almost consumed London already.” He winced, tentatively touching his left side. “I tried to do something but… One of the other monarchs… Pandora… She poisoned me.”
Pandora, queen of the toxins, had been a kinder monarch than Ismael in her reign years before his. She only poisoned her enemies if they pushed her to it. Things did get out of hand at the end of her rule, paranoia consuming her, leading to a mass poisoning of her palace staff. She soon went into the lake to make way for the next queen.
Phillipe raised his T-shirt, exposing a festering wound on his left side. A map of black veins spread across his skin, fissuring up toward his heart. I saw one of them move a centimeter.
“I haven’t got long,” he said. “Maybe a few minutes at best.” As he said that, the poison made gains, vanishing under his top. He groaned, lowering himself to the ground.
Roman took a step toward him and reached out a hand. “What can?—”
“No!” Phillipe and I barked at the same time.
“It will infect you if you touch him,” I said.
Roman stilled, taking a few deep breaths. “I’m so sorry.”
Phillipe rested his spine against the wall, sighing deeply. “Please just stop them. I… I failed but you can…” He struggled for his next breaths, a sheen of sweat shining on his face. His skin flushed, flecks of obsidian appearing in his white eyes.
Two minutes later, he was gone.
“Damn it,” Roman whispered, turning to face me. He took hold of my biceps, fixing me with his amber stare. “I won’t let you die again.”
I mirrored him, planting a kiss on his forehead. “I love you.”
He smiled. “I’ll never get sick of hearing that.”
Phillipe’s body slumped to the side, his head hanging forward.
I kissed Roman gently on the lips.
He released me, smelling the air again. “Think we’re about a mile away. Come on. We won’t let the poor guy die in vain.”
Our journey continuedas Roman told me about Darcy’s ex, Jaz.
“Strange,” I said as we turned a corner.
“Yeah. It’s like fate’s connecting things with crazy threads.”
Halfway to our location, we found a worker’s station tucked away behind a door. There were monitors, a small TV on standby, and some thick, hi-vis jackets hanging over the back of the chairs.
Roman slipped one on. It dwarfed him a bit but would suffice.
“What about you?” he said.
There were none big enough for me. But I did find a scarf and a beanie hat.
“That’s not enough,” Roman complained.
“I have my heat.”
He poked me gently in the ribs. “If you freeze to death, I’ll never talk to you again.”
Such cuteness required another kiss.
My love licked his lips. “Sweet. You know how to lighten the mood.”
