Page 85 of Outlaw Witch

I’ve barely stepped through the front door when I’m summoned up to the medical wing via text. It’s Roscoe summoning me, not Zeph. There’s zero humor in his message too, no suggested requests for nudes, no flirty remarks.

It has me on the alert. Guilt lashes through my gut as I consider the fact I haven’t checked up on Fabian’s status in hours. Although, they would have messaged if anything had changed or he’s gotten any worse, right?

I don’t know exactly when I started caring so much about these mages that the thought of them being in a bad state has my heart racing. Quite frankly, the way I’m feeling is freaking me the fuck out. I barely have enough space in my life for my family and working enough for us to scrape by.

I don’t have room for three mages.

This entire venture is not going as planned at all. I was supposed to dart in and out without showing anyone my vulnerabilities, without getting attached.

Here I am with my full soft belly on show.

Very much attached.

Not to mention the fact getting my family involved with the mages’ business was a terrible idea. Hanna, Ember and Rook might all now have a far steadier income than ever before, along with a safer place to work in one of the Nexus cafes. But that also means my life and that of the mages are growing even more interconnected.

It’s going to be a lot harder to extricate myself once this is over. The plan of casually dipping into save the day, only to retreat to my new and improved future life, is growing messier by the day.

Who knows how many more of my secrets will be unearthed before this is all over?

Despite all these worries floating through my head, I wind up charging along the corridor toward the medical wing like someone lit a fire under my butt. I find Roscoe waiting for me outside the room beside Seb’s. Although glancing through the window behind him, I can see that Seb’s dirty blond head isn’t the one in the bed.

“Is that Fabian in there? Is he all right?”

“He’s sleeping.” Roscoe sighs. He looks exhausted himself. There are dark circles under his eyes and lines that I’m sure weren’t there yesterday. “He’s been asleep more than he’s been awake for most of the day. Every time he woke up, he’d either ask about Seb or... uh, you, so we figured we’d bring him down here. Then he can see that Seb’s fine. I was kind of freaking out about how much he’s been sleeping, so it’s partly for my own peace of mind.”

I nod and wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans. He’s been asking about me? In a ‘where the hell is she, can’t she fix me’ way? Or a ‘where is she, I’m as worried about her as she is about me’ way?

“Zeph and I have to head out for a bit. Things at work are going to shit right now and we need to look into something, but I didn’t want to leave Fabian alone. Are you all right staying with him for a couple of hours?”

I glance over his shoulder at the body in the bed. Fabian’s hair is disheveled and his face is paler than usual, but otherwise, he seems to be sleeping peacefully.

“I’ll stay,” I reply softly.

I’m not sure I could tear myself away right now, even if I wanted to.

Roscoe presses a sweet kiss to my forehead, like this is how we say goodbye for now and he then heads off and is on the phone before he’s even out of the corridor.

I head into Fabian’s room and sink into the seat beside the bed, brushing a wayward strand of hair from his face. He’s fully passed out, breathing steadily, and I figure now’s as good a time as any to bite the bullet.

I need to know how bad the curse has gotten. Whether it has progressed since last night.

Gritting my teeth against a sudden swoop of nerves in my gut, I pull on my blood magic and inspect Fabian’s blood.

... it’s not good.

The thick, tar-like substance now fills his veins entirely. It twines around his major organs like thick vines. Pulling up the blanket to inspect his lower legs and ankles, his veins look normal. It doesn’t look like the curse has spread to the last parts of Fabian’s extremities yet. But the way it’s moving inside him looks... thicker. Like the curse has doubled down on claiming his body for itself.

“Is it bad?” A voice breaks the silence, making me jump in my seat. I find Seb creeping into the room like he’s afraid of waking his brother.

I pat the seat next to me in invitation and shoot him what I hope is a reassuring smile. “He’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

I don’t know if what I’m saying is the truth, but the poor kid looks anxious as hell and like he might cry.

Although, I noticed when he came into the room, he’s taller than I am. Calling him a kid seems a bit of a stretch. Still, he’s Fabian’s little brother, and he needs some reassurance right now.

So, I lie. Or speak the words into the universe and hope they manifest as truth, as Luna might say.

“He will wake up, right?”

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