Page 102 of Liminal

“What—”

“Don’t force yourself to think about whatever set off the ensorcellment,” I order, feigning ignorance as his gaze traces my new cracks. “This could be a sign that the magic is unravelling. Let your memories return naturally.”

Lesser ensorcellments always break, eventually. They’re nothing like the one Galileo suffers under, which remains inked into his flesh and anchored in his marrow. The Carltons will undoubtedly be hoping to recapture him before the spell fails. If they catch wind of this—which they won’t—then they’ll redouble their efforts.

“Will you stay?” he asks, eyes already rolling back. “Please?”

His full lips form the final word as the muscles in his face go lax, sleep dragging him under.

The pleading tugs at me, and I fall gracelessly into a heap in the armchair beside his bed, wishing I could curl up beside him and tuck myself into the hollow beneath his arm. I imagine it would feel safe. Safer still if Dakari were on my other side.

The absurdity isn’t lost on me, but I think I might be going into shock—or whatever the dead version is. I sit there, mired in my own thoughts, until Jasper turns onto his back, and my gaze strays to the clock on the wall. Nearly midnight.

Of course. There’s still that to be endured.

I sigh my way through checking him over, relieved to find no major damage, then stick my head through the door to find Dakari leaning against the wall.

The giant arcanist shoves forward, heading for me with determined, anxious steps.

“He’ll be okay,” I reassure him before he can ask. “He just needs sleep. Is Edlynn…?”

“The Arcanaeum opened the door for her, then slammed it in my face.” There’s a smidgen of strained amusement in his voice, like he can’t quite feel it properly past worry for Jasper. “The others are gone.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “Let me know if anything changes. He didn’t want to be alone, but I…”

The clock chimes, and I’m dragged away before I can finish.

Twenty-Nine

Kyrith

When I finally drag myself up to the clock tower in the early hours of the morning, it’s to find that Eddy has made herself right at home—or perhaps the Arcanaeum did that for her. Her bed is covered in a pink patchwork quilt, hair messy around her snoring face as she snoozes beneath the clock mechanism on the opposite side of the space. What bookshelves were there have been moved out of the way, creating her own small cubby that mirrors mine.

She’s fragile like this. Her frame is still a little too thin, despite the potions I gave her, and her breathing a little reedy. I hope she managed to finish the burrito after I left with Jasper. Tomorrow, I’ll work on something to shift the fluid build-up in her lungs a little faster.

The oddly protective thoughts circling my mind disturb me enough that I look away, staring blankly at the cream-coloured glass of the clock face.

Staring at her like a creepy ghost all night would be rude, I reason as I lie back against my sheets and stare into thedarkness. But without her to distract me, my thoughts turn gloomy.

I now have to face the looks on the patrons’ faces as they see the new damage that’s been wrought across my body. Hiding it won’t work, at least not for long. I’ll just get distracted again, like I did last time.

I was only just getting used to the looks they were levelling at my arm.

“Hey, Kyrith?” Eddy ventures, and I turn over to find her awake and staring at me. “Are you…okay?”

Glancing down at myself quickly, I force my lips into a plastic smile. It’s no good to dwell on things I cannot change, and talking about it with someone I just met? Not happening, no matter how much I want to like her.

“What will you do now that you’re healed?” I ask her instead.

The bubbly girl gives me a knowing stare but doesn’t object to my change of subject. “I want to go out,” she decides. “It’s been ages since I was able to meet a pretty girl at a bar. Now that I’m a sexy sorceress, that’s got to improve my game.”

I shake my head with a chuckle. “Good answer.”

“You think?” Her grin turns megawatt bright. “I thought you’d disapprove.”

I aim a wry grin her way. “If I had a body and could leave this place, I’d join you. I just need to find a guy with enough talent to make it enjoyable…”

“You’ve thought about this a lot?”