Page 195 of Fallacies

We’re halfway into the city, and I’m about to shift my gaze right when a stone falls to my left.

My father hears it too, coming to a halt in front of his side of the group, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary in the direction the sound came from. Nothing but a crumbled line of burnt buildings and vendor shops that have been destroyed.

There’s a flash of movement in my peripheral, and my fingers tighten around the knife at my waist. A few Sol gasp behind me, and when I snap my gaze forward⁠—

“Cal,” Pax calls out, his voice breathless as he limps towards us.

At first glance, he appears to be okay. His skin and clothes are dirty, with mud on the knees of his uniform and a mess of sticks and leaves caught in his hair.

Nix, however…

One arm slung over Pax’s shoulder, Phoenix’s head is slumped forward, but he keeps trying to lift it, and a heavy wave of fear crashes through me at the lack of color on his face.

I rush forward to help.

He’s clutching a wound at his side, his uniform torn across his ribs. Pax is carrying most of his weight, but Nix is still trying to keep up, the toe of his boots catching loose stone.

As soon as I’m close enough, I take his weight off Pax. “What the hell happened?”

Phoenix lifts his head, half-lidded eyes struggling to focus. “I’m…f-fine,” he stutters, lips twitching in a poor attempt at a smile. “Cross my…h-heart.”

“Rogue,” Pax supplies, wiping sweat off his forehead. “A group of them caught up to us too fast. He needs a mender pill…like now.”

I’d already reached that conclusion myself, barking the order to Devon, who has already swung his bag around his front and is digging through one of the pockets. When he finally pulls a yellow pull free, my relief is palpable.

Nix slumps forward, all his weight falling back on Pax.

“Hey,” Pax urges, tapping his cheek a few times. “Hey, open up, Nix.”

He does well at hiding the panic in his tone, and after a few agonizing seconds, Phoenix slackens his jaw, allowing me enough room to push the pill past his colorless lips. Holding his mouth shut, I tilt his head back, not letting go until I see his throat work through his swallow.

As soon as the pill goes down, his head rolls forward, falling into my shoulder.

I begin counting in my head. It shouldn’t take more than a few seconds for the pill to dissolve, but I’m nearing a full minute when real fear takes root, my heart pounding out of my chest.

Phoenix would be more than willing to die for this cause. No part of him would regret it. But I’ll shove ten mender pills down his throat before I accept that reality.

He’s my brother. All of them are. Losing one would be like losing a limb.

“Nix.” I tap his shoulder, patience wearing thin. “Nix,” I say again, feeling the weight of Pax and Devon’s stare, but I’m unable to look at either of them. “Nix,” I call his name sharper this time, grabbing his shoulders to pull him off my chest.

Phoenix drags in a gasping breath, and we all let loose heavy exhales.

The bastard takes his sweet time inhaling a few more lungfuls, letting go of the slow-healing wound at his side, and when he finally cracks open his mismatched eyes, his mouth splits into a smile.

“Phew,” Nix whistles, clapping me on the shoulder. “That was a close one.”

“A close one,” Pax mocks.

I glare back at Phoenix, but his attention has drifted to the group behind me. His giddy expression instantly falls into a grave seriousness.

Nix pulls out of my grip, pushing past me as if he’s in some kind of trance.

“Cal,” Pax breathes, taking a cautious step to my side. “Is that…?”

Phoenix makes it to the former Captain first, shocking us all when he throws his arms around his shoulders.

Eyes wide, my father stumbles back a step, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a smile when, over Nix’s shoulder, he sees Pax. “Little Paxton,” he says.