Page 13
The banging has stopped, but something doesn’t feel right.
Kole looks at me as if he’s going to tell me to stand back, then catches himself and doesn’t bother. She’s the phoenix, she can take care of herself, I hear him mumbling.
When he flings open the door, at first, it seems as if there is no one there. All we are looking at are the darkening steps and the courtyard beyond the museum’s entrance. Then something groans. I look down.
“Kim?” I drop to my knees and smooth my hands over his back, then heave him over so he’s lying face-up.
He groans again,
This time, Kole bends down too. Scouring the courtyard, he scoops his arms beneath Kim and says, “We should get him inside. Quickly.”
We move silently through the museum, Kole practically carrying Kim. We are almost at Thornfield’s office when Miranda appears. Her eyes gleam in the darkness. She takes in Kim’s bedraggled, dust-covered form, then nods and beckons for us to follow her.
When we reach Mack’s room, instead of walking by, Miranda pushes open the door. Mack sits up in bed, bleary eyed. From beside the fireplace, Snow yawns loudly. Tanner is slouched in a chair, Sam curled at his feet looking more like a wolf than a person. Both carry on sleeping.
Waving her hand over the scene in front of us, Miranda steps back as she mutters a low incantation. With a shudder, the room expands. A large space opens up beside Mack’s bed, and then another bed appears. As if it was there all along, hiding in the wall, waiting to be summoned.
In his chair, Tanner begins to stir, but Sam continues to sleep soundly.
“What’s going on?” Mack looks at Kim, then at Kole and me.
“We thought he was dead.” I cross the room and slide onto the bed, pressing up against Mack’s side. He puts his arm around me. Even when he’s like this – not himself – he feels like warmth, and home, and safety.
“Seems he escaped,” Kole obliges as Miranda gestures for him to deposit Kim in the bed, then stands back to examine him.
“I don’t see any signs of internal injuries,” she says. “Although, he still has some burns and I think his wrist may be broken.”
“Do you need help resetting it?” Tanner asks quietly, clearly trying not to wake Sam.
Miranda shakes her head, a wry smile creasing the corner of her mouth. “No, my dear. I’m quite capable.”
Swiping his fingers through his hair, Tanner nods. “Of course.”
A few moments later, Miranda steps back and examines Kim’s newly-set wrist. The entire time, he hasn’t stirred, but when he finally opens his eyes, Snow is the one who ambles over to him. Giving him a long sniff from head to toe, Snow yawns again and climbs up onto the bed.
Kim chuckles at him. “You know, I really hope I get to see you bear-sized before you guys leave town,” he says.
Instinctively, he moves as if he’s trying to adjust his glasses on his nose, then remembers he’s not wearing any and sighs.
“You have any spares?” Mack asks him.
“Not with me.”
Kim pushes himself up on the pillows. Guilt tugs at my insides. “I’m sorry we left you.” I meet his eyes, and he nods quietly.
“I made my choice, Nova. I decided to fight. It wasn’t your job to save me.”
I glance at Kole as he strides over and extends his hand to shake Kim’s. “I’m glad you’re alright,” he says gruffly.
Kim nods, once again attempting to adjust the glasses he’s not wearing. “How are things here?” he asks, looking around the room as if he expects us to have been celebrating.
Tanner is the one who answers. “Not great,” he says. “Thornfield lost the scepter in the auction. It was bought by the AMA.”
“The Anti-Magick Alliance?” Kim raises his eyebrows. “Shit.”
“That’s what we said,” Tanner replies. “So, now we’re pretty much fucked. We don’t know where it is, whether they already have hold of it, or how and when they intend to use it.”
“But we do nearly have the elixir—” Miranda interrupts as she reenters the room, carrying a tray of mugs that slosh gently as she walks. As Kim peers into the cup she offers him, she chuckles. “Don’t worry, it’s just tea.”
