Page 152 of Revealing Fate

No. No!

“What’s wrong?” Adder’s usually spirited voice was drenched with worry. “Santhe! What’s wrong with him?”

“I—I don’t know,” Santhe stammered. “It’s loose. I loosened the cage.” Her hands patted along Kal’s neck, as though searching blindly for the missing piece of a puzzle.

“He’s choking!” Felíne heard herself say. “Santhe, he’s choking! He can’t breathe!”

The color bled out of Santhe’s face. “Oh gods. Oh gods, what do I do?” She looked for Adder, panicked. “What do I do?”

Adder couldn’t help. Felíne couldn’t help. They were both chained to the fucking posts. Kal was bleeding out, asphyxiating in front of her, and she was going to watch him die. She was going to watch the light go out of his eyes.

Kal’s hands curled into fists. He pounded them into the ground once, then clawed at his neck.

No.

What would Mender Alcuin do? What would he—no. Mender Alcuin, for all his brilliance, was not here. She was. What would she do?

“Santhe,” Felíne snapped. “Come here.”

The woman looked at her like she’d sprouted a third eye.

“Now!” she demanded. “Or he’ll die.”

Santhe scrambled over to Felíne.

“Inside the left seam of my vest, along my ribs, there is a hidden pocket,” Felíne said, voice oddly calm. “Inside the pocket is a key. I need you to get it.”

Santhe was already patting along Felíne’s side. She tried to ignore the blood left behind everywhere the woman touched her. Kal’s blood.

Shut up, stupid woman. He needs you.

Felíne took a shuddering breath. “Rip the pocket if you must.”

“Got it,” Santhe said triumphantly. She held up a key.

The key.

“Good,” Felíne said. “Fit it to the lock on Kal’s skullcage. Quickly.”

“But—”

“Just do it, San,” Adder barked, voice urgent.

Santhe snapped out of her perplexity. She dropped behind Kal, pulling at the skullcage in her haste. His body jerked back. He was losing muscle tone.

“Hurry, Santhe,” Felíne hissed.

“It won’t fit,” Santhe cried. “It’s not the right key!”

“It is,” Felíne argued. That key fit every lock. “Turn it counterclockwise.”

Santhe’s eyes became blurred by frantic tears. “But that’s not⁠—”

“Santhe!” Adder thundered.

Santhe wrenched the key. The lock to Kal’s skullcage popped free. Felíne’s heart lurched. Santhe jerked the skullcage off Kal’s head. He lolled to the side, arms angled painfully behind him.

“Now his hands, Santhe! Same key!”