What’s left are cobbles littered with wraith and ashspawn debris and the bodies of Societas members sprawled in unnatural positions.
The faint stench of stagnant water, sour milk and cigarette breath pervades the air.It makes me want to vomit.Eleanor and Cordelia wave to me, beside them Red is triaging the most urgent injuries before allowing soldiers to speed them across the campus.
Even wielding campus magic, I collapse quickly.My body is done; it wants to give out.
“Red,” I shout.She kisses Octavia and then runs after me, catching up as I haul myself off the ground and continue to make my way around the back of the Great Library, past the garden of death and towards the churches.
“Can you help?”I plead.
“I… I’m not sure.I don’t know anything about rune magic, but I can certainly check her vitals and keep her… well, I’m not sure.Let’s get her laid down first and I’ll examine her.”
Lex meets us in the foyer of the church.She’s a little worse for ware.There’s a small cut under her eye and she’s not walking too smoothly.But she seems relatively unscathed.
“What’s—oh,” she falters.“Oh gods.”Lex pushes her sleeves up, then nudges me out of the way and tugs at Lucy’s clothes, pulling and pushing fabric this way and that so she can get a good look.
“They’re not the same as before, are they?”I ask.
“No.”She shakes her head.
Red’s hands glow golden.It almost looks like Lucy’s skin when her runes flare.There’s a faint hint of mint and lavender an even a little overcooked cinnamon.The light washes over Lucy and her trembling eases.
“Okay, I think I can keep her stable like this for a while.Can you read the pictures?”Red asks.
“They’re demonic runes,” Lex says.“But yeah, I think so.It’s just that they keep switching from celestial runes to demon ones.The celestial ones are the dominant runes, but it’s like the demon ones are blocking her from whatever it is she’s doing or… or becoming.”
“Blocked or controlled?”I say.
“I, umm…” She glances down at Lucy and brushes her sleeve up again.“Oh shitting hell.Ignatius.”
“Bastard.”
“I don’t understand.She broke free of her original contract,” Lex says.
“It has to be the deal I made.He doesn’t have the full control over her he used to.But because I sold her to free myself, he must have some power over her.”
Lex slumps into one of the pulpit chairs.“What are we going to do?”
We fall silent, but the truth lingers between us, thick and ugly, destined to rip another hole in our lives.
I already know what has to be done.I think I’ve always known.
“Not we,” I whisper.
Lex hesitates, the realisation washing through her as she replays my words.“Midnight, don’t you fucking dare.I lost Bastien, I will not lose you.”
Red’s eyes widen.She shifts uncomfortably and averts her gaze.
“Lex…” I start.
“No,” she growls.
“Lex…”
“No,” she says, her voice crumbling into tears.“No, please.You’re the first friend I made here.You and Lucy are the reason I know why my sister was able to save me, for demonsake.You’re the damned reason our flat feels like home.Don’t do this.”
I grab her hand and squeeze.“I have to.She will never be free.But I can be like your sister.If I make the sacrifice, then she will be free, finally, of his influence.”
Lex sobs as I pull her into my chest.
