Olivier shook his head, panicked. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Emilio cursed. “Olivier. Your memories—”
“—are fading,” Olivier interjected, nodding. “I know. But maybe we’ll find a way to stop it. Hell, maybe the True Headmaster willknow a way to reverse it. The truth is—I don’t know. None of us do. But what I do know is that there is nothing in this universe that will keep me from you.” Olivier bent down, placing his forehead against Emilio’s.“Nothing.”
Emilio sighed, succumbing to the warmth of Olivier’s presence. He stepped closer, placing his hand upon Olivier’s chest, balling the fabric of his shirt in his fist. He held him there, the moment stretching between them.
“Must you be so stubborn?” Emilio whispered, the faintest hint of a smile in his voice.
Olivier chuckled, sniffling. “I’m afraid so.” He pulled back an inch or so, clearing his throat. His emerald eyes softened, trailing up and down Emilio’s face. “You…you must know…everything I did, everything I’ve ever done…it’s all for you.”
If Emilio’s soul had suddenly ceased to exist in that very moment, he would have drifted into oblivion with a smile on his face.
“No more secrets?”
Olivier looped his pinky around Emilio’s. “No more secrets.”
As they continued forward, catching up with the others, a thought threaded its way into Emilio’s mind. A newfound determination. He knew now, more than ever, that nothing would keep the two of them apart. Even if Olivier found himself swept away by the Forgetting. Even if he was stolen from this world and thrown into another.
Wherever Olivier’s soul went—Emilio would follow.
24
AUGUST
If feigning apathy was an art form, then August was a bloody prodigy. Later that night, he sat in silence, eyes trained on the flickering flames of the bonfire, and willed his body not to feel. It came easy to him after a while. Almost effortless.Feel nothing. Feel nothing. Feel nothing.He repeated it over and over, the words ringing out in his mind like a dissonant alarm.
Around him, Onyx Unit Demiens spoke in hushed whispersbeneath the orange glow of firelight. It was the night before the Equinox Gathering, and already, the atmosphere felt charged. There was an intensity in their movements. An edge to their voices. Luckily, most of the Onyx Unit Demiens left August alone. Whether it was because they detested him for betraying Edith, or simply because they were too afraid of Edith to interfere, the other Demiens barely looked in his direction.
Well,mostof them.
“Care for a drink?”
Callum sank into the space next to August, a goblet in his hand. He swished the dark liquid, his wine-stained lips curling into a smirk. He was trying to rattle August,again, but August remained stoic and expressionless as he turned to face the other boy with practiced indifference.
“I’m fine.”
“Ah.” Callum hummed, fingers drumming against the goblet. “Right. I should have known that Augustine Hughes would be above such pointless revelry.” He took a sip, eyes drilling into August. “Isn’t that right, General Hughes?”
August’s jaw twitched involuntarily.
“Correct.”
Callum let out a snort. He leaned closer, the edge of his elbow pressed against August, who did his best not to flinch at their sudden proximity. Callum’s face was inches from his now, those venomous green eyes of his snaking over August’s face with bone-chilling hunger.
“You know…” Callum’s voice was a throaty whisper. “I could tell you liked it.”
August exhaled a slow breath.
“Excuse me?” he muttered through gritted teeth.
“Using your shadows,” Callum clarified, smiling. He looked at August as though he were something to eat, wine-tarnished teeth gleaming in the darkness. “You should have seen the look in your eyes. Thepower. Honestly…you looked ravishing.”
Fury dripped into August’s veins, though a terrified part of him couldn’t help but wonder if Callum might be right. The moment the shadows had erupted out of him, wrapping around Callum’s throat, August had felt a suffocating rush of power, a perverse sense of pleasure at seeing the other boy suffer.
Hehadliked it.
And he’d hungered for more.
