Page 111 of A City of Smoke and Demons
‘Use me. Her magic is inside of me, so use me,’ Ezra repeated. ‘I can feel it—life. Too much of it. You said the human body is like a battery? It needs to be charged—mine is too charged. Pull the extra life out of me and give it to her.’
Charles stared at him.
‘I don’t know the science terms for it,’ Ezra said, frustrated. ‘Can you do it or not?’
Charles turned away, collecting more wires and needles. The battery crouched in the corner of Ezra’s vision. ‘I need your arms bare,’ the alchemist ordered.
Ezra rolled his sleeves up as far as they could go.
‘This will be like being struck by lightning, Ezra,’ Charles warned. ‘There would be risks but, in truth, I don’t know what they are. I can’t tell you what will happen to you. The voltage will need to be high enough that it can be pushed through you and into her.’ He paused. ‘In theory, this should work, but … in reality, it could kill you.’
‘I’ve cheated death twice already,’ Ezra mumbled. ‘Can’t hurt to try again. Hook me up.’
Charles nodded. Gently, the alchemist inserted a needle into Ezra’s forearms, one at a time. Ezra watched Analise’s face as Charles fiddled with the wires. A thin line of copper connected Ezra to the battery, and another to the needle protruding from Analise’s chest.
Charles squeezed Ezra’s shoulder, and positioned himself behind the battery.
Something cold touched Ezra’s arm. When he looked, there was no one beside him. He took a steady breath. ‘Light us up, Charles.’
Charles flicked the switch and the battery hummed. At first, nothing happened, but then, a bolt of heat slammed through Ezra’s body, travelling quickly through one arm and across his chest before it blazed its way down his other arm. His heartjolted. He grit his teeth, watching Analise’s face as another blast ripped through him. The skin opened on his chest, and the smell of burning flesh hung thick around him. The pain of it … he took a deep breath, let it sink inside him.
Ezra watched the copper wire connecting him to Analise, and breathed a sigh of relief. He could see the magic dancing along the wire like tiny balls of golden light. He was on fire, but it was working. ‘Again.’
Jem hurtled through the door, his face draining of colour. ‘My god.’
‘Don’t touch him,’ Charles cautioned as Jem hurried over. Tobias was close behind him, face pale beneath the bruises that were blossoming on his skin. ‘Don’t touch either of them.’
‘Ez,’ Jem whispered as another bolt of electrical current tore through Ezra’s chest. His heart seized, but kept beating. He watched the magic slide along the wire; his vision was starting to darken around the edges. Analise was deathly pale, but her chest rose and fell with a steady breath. ‘Once more,’ he said.
‘Ezra …’ Charles began.
Do you love her?
Ezra jumped as someone whispered in his ear, but there was no one there.
He did though. He knew it because he could feel it in every part of him, like he could feel the last of the magic she’d left there slowly gathering itself to leave his body. Charles said not to touch her, but Ezra figured that didn’t matter now. As heat ripped through him, he ran his fingers down Analise’s cheek. Her flesh was warmer than before and colour was returning to her lips.
‘Don’t you die,’ he whispered. ‘Please.’ Not caring if anyone heard him, he put his mouth close to her ear. ‘You can’t die because I need you. I need you, Analise.’
Her eyelids fluttered.
‘Do it again, Charles,’ Ezra commanded through clenched teeth. His insides, his skin, his organs were burning. As another bolt of blazing heat rippled through him, Analise’s eyes opened.
Blinking, she slowly turned her head.
Ezra managed a smile. A cold hand squeezed his shoulder, and then the world collapsed.
Twenty-five years ago, a man made a bargain with me. The price was not his life, like he assumed it would be, but yours.
Analise thrashed in her sleep.
Your parents wanted you badly.
I gave you your gift.
She shot upright, gasping. It hurt to breathe. Her chest ached, and her throat was dry, tongue thick. Analise blinked. Another memory pressed against her mind. Ezra! She looked around, frantic. He was sleeping beside her, the sheets tangled around his hips, his chest covered in bandages. They wound down his arms, stopping just below his elbow.
She frowned, reaching out to touch him gently. He was warm, and his chest rose and fell with steady breaths. ‘What happened to you?’ she whispered.
