Page 72 of Stars Above the Never Sea (The Last Faeyte #1)

Chapter forty-five

Callan

T he cell is cold, but not as cold as her skin.

Across from me, Matthias bangs his head against the wall. “Of all the scrapes we have been in, I truly think this might top the list.”

Selene is still and silent, her head in my lap as we sit on the stone floor. “I think you’re probably right.”

I stroke my hand over her forehead, as I have done for the hours we’ve been locked in here. Praying for her to wake up.

She finally stirs, even as the steps sound outside. I don’t look up, focusing on her face. “Selene?”

Her brows deepen into a grimace as she shifts. The shirt that I tore up is wrapped around her stomach, that strange arrow tossed into the corner along with the one from my own arm. But the bleeding is still coming through, the scarlet stain dark and wet when I press my fingers to it.

“Stop touching it,” Matthias snaps. “It’s a flesh wound.”

She groans. “Gods, that hurts.”

Her eyes flicker open. I watch as the stars fade, leaving only darkness. “It was real, then.”

I nod.

Matthias scoots over to us. His fingers prod at the dressing, and she flinches. “You’re going to be fine. It looks worse than it is. They hit the perfect spot.”

“Wonderful,” she rasps. “What happened while I was asleep?”

“Can you access your maegis?” I glance down at the dried blood on my arm. The wound still bleeds, but it’s slowed.

Her brows furrow. “No.”

I swallow. “Me neither.”

The cough makes us all look up. Tobias stands on the other side of the bars, his face curved in a deep frown. “What in Ellas—I heard you were in here. What happened?”

“We were caught somewhere we weren’t supposed to be.” I hold his gaze.

“I see. Riordan didn’t show for his shift.”

“If he’s not in the cells next to us, then he likely won’t be showing up for some time.”

The frown deepens. “There’s a crowd gathering in the square.”

“Ah,” Matthias says softly. He looks at the ground. “I do like a show.”

Tobias stares at him. “Solomon is looking everywhere for you. I can’t stay—I shouldn’t be down here at all. But what do I tell him?”

Matthias’s face tightens. “Tell him… I wouldn’t change a thing. Not a single moment of it.”

All of us fall silent. Even Tobias shifts back, his eyes lowering. “I’ll tell him. You have my word.”

“Thank you,” Matthias says hoarsely.