Page 23 of Sigils & Spells

“It does to me,” I say. “On a magical, cellular level.”

“And how long will it take you to make a stabilizing potion?” Ivan asks.

“A few days maybe? A week? I’m not entirely sure.” But I know that if I don’t make the second potion, Ivan will keep trying, killing more people in the process.

“Well. Let’s see if we can speed that up a bit,” Ivan says. “Angel, you’re up. Come take this.”

“No!” I protest, and lunge toward Ivan, some half-baked plan to grab the vial away from him running through my mind.

But before I can get to my boss, Jake, who has been sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, stands up and backhands me.

He’s stronger than he looks, and I fly across the room, crashing into a wall and sliding down to land in a crumpled heap on the floor.

“Stop.” Angel’s voice echoes through the lab. “Promise not to hurt her again and I’ll take it.”

“And if you don’t take it, I’ll have her killed,” Ivan promises.

“You can’t,” I say to Angel, my tone turning pleading. “I can be certain this version won’t kill you.”

He holds my gaze for a long moment “I trust you,” he says.

Ivan laughs in delight. “Here you go.” He picks up a lab glove and uses it to open the cage door, letting Angel step out into the lab.

“Angel! No,” I beg. “Don’t take it. It’s not ready yet.”

Angel turns to me and shakes his head. “I have to. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Evie.”

“Then live for me,” I beg him.

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“It’s not going to kill me. I’m stronger than that.” And with that, he upends the bottle, draining it in one gulp.

CHAPTER14

ANGEL

The elixir tastesas bad as it looks, and I almost vomit as soon as the taste hits my tongue, but I force myself to flush it through my system. I don’t need Ivan taking my reaction as some sign of refusal and taking it out on Evie.

I’m doing this for her.

I watch as her eyebrows furrow, as her face falls and her eyes fill with tears. I half expect to start smoking any moment like Q did, but I feel … fine.

Aside from a little queasy, I don’t feel any different. Ivan grins, the light in his icy blue eyes making him look every bit the insane evil scientist I’ve come to learn that he is.

Evie holds her breath as she looks at me.

“Well isn’t that interesting,” Ivan says as he circles me.

Dr. Fitton moves in front of me, adjusting his glasses.

“Tell me what you are feeling right now, Mr. Rodriguez. Every little detail, even the ones that seem insignificant,” he says.

I don’t look at him though. I look at Evie.

“A little nauseous, but other than that I feel fine,” I say, because it's the truth.

Maybe the potion wasn’t stable. Maybe it wasn’t a good batch, a dud.

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