Page 113 of Outlaw Witch

I’m already sweating and dreading how we’re going to get him all the way down to the medical bay. Maybe we need to fetch someone.

“You’re—” He turns his head and frowns at me, his eyes looking kind of dazed and glassy in a way that causes an anxious churning in my gut. “Sorry. Do I know you?”

Shit.

“Uh, I’m Silver.” I go through the full introduction again, hoping that he’s just exhausted and needs to sleep things off. This goldfish brain better not be his new normal or it’s going to get old fast.

I’ve just got the door open and am mid-way through repositioning Fabian’s arm to prop him up, when Felix Hawkshead barges through the open door.

“You,” he hisses, looking right at us with an expression filled with such venom I flinch.

Things happen quickly after that. One minute, he’s panting by the doorway, looking completely unhinged. The next, he charges forward like an angry warthog, grabbing hold of Seb with one hand and yanking him away from Fabian and me.

“What are youdoing?” My voice is shrill to my own ears as Fabian roars and tries to protect his brother, only to stumble and collapse onto his ass.

“Look at how weak he’s become. Because of you,” Felix roars at Seb, spittle flying into his face. Seb looks terrified, his eyes wide and pleading as they meet mine.

“Do you realize how much I have sacrificed? How much I have invested for you to be at the top of the ladder?” Felix spits, directing his words at Fabian. “Don’t forget, boy. I made you. I can break you just as easily.”

His eyes are wild and it’s clear he’s fully gone off the deep end and is now swimming in the confusing waters of mania. I can’t understand what he’s doing here, apart from scaring the shit out of Sebastian.

“You know,” Felix continues, talking way faster than normal. “I had high hopes for both boys. If this one—” He shakes Sebastian’s shoulder, causing him to squeak softly like a frightened bunny. “—if he hadn’t been so damn weak and sick all the time, he would have been fine as a substitute. I could have trained them both, brought them both up to standard until they were ready to take things to the next level. A blood mage and a memory molder? We couldn’t have hoped for two stronger magics to control the city. But you’ve both been soweak.So unwilling to do what’s necessary. And I haven’t spent all these years dwelling in the shadows for nothing. It’stime.Time for you to step up, boy, and you can’t do that as a walking corpse.”

Fabian does look like death warmed up. He’s pale and visibly trembling, barely able to hold himself upright as he stands against the wall. I step forward and leaning close to him so he can put some of his weight on me. He hesitates for just a moment, eyeing me warily before he puts an arm around my waist.

It feels so close to the casual affection we shared just hours ago, even though I know we’re miles from that now. My chest hollows and I feel a pang of sadness before pulling myself back. Now is not the time to dwell on things.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing here? Let go of him,” I demand.

“Ms Clement, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll want to stand back and let this happen. A sacrifice is what we need to pull this one back from the brink? Then a sacrifice is what we’ll make. The runt here should do the trick.”

My eyes widen. It’s official, he’s lost his damn mind. Or... my eyes scan over his dilated pupils and flushed cheeks.

He’s on something.

When no one moves, Felix snarls and shakes Seb’s shoulder again.

“Do the ritual, Ms Clement. Sacrifice the boy.”

I shake my head. “No. It’s—”

He roars, not listening. “If you won’t do it, I will.”

There’s a flash of metal as he pulls out a knife and I skitter forward just in time to shove Seb away. There’s a sharp lick of pain in my arm as Felix stabs down and grazes me with the blade. Seb stumbles, but I can’t check on him. My attention is too busy focusing on the madman in front of me.

“Get away from him.”

“I will not,” Felix roars again, spit flying everywhere.

He charges forward again and my instincts go haywire. In a mad panic, all I know is I can’t let him get near Seb.

“No!” My arms go out in front of me and Felix is blasted back with a deafening crack of thunder, mixed in with a fireball.

The result is a terrifying ball of energy that sends him flying six feet in the air and landing heavily with athwackas his head hits the concrete.

Fuck.

It’s so silent up on the rooftop, I feel like I’ve gone deaf. If it wasn’t for the sound of my heart pounding and my panted breath, I’d think that I had.

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