The streetcar rumbled to life. Panting, I looked back at our enemies. They watched with impotent rage as the cables carried us away.
“Grey, your shoulder.” Worry echoed in Carrow’s voice as she moved to stand before me.
“It’s fine.” But it wasn’t, not really. My shoulder hurt, and it should have been healed by then. Had the jet of water been laced with lethal magic? I wondered. It hadn’t glowed oddly.
Ms. Cross moved to join us. “That’s an ugly wound.”
“Do they imbue their projectiles with anything?” I asked.
“No, it’s just super-fast water.”
Carrow tugged off her jacket and flipped it inside out. “I’m going to put pressure on it.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve had worse.”
“I don’t care.” Gently, she pressed her jacket to the hole in my shoulder.
I sucked in air through my teeth but said nothing.
“We’ll be out of The Dens soon,” Ms. Cross said. “Then you can transport out of here. Or the streetcar can take you to a portal.”
“How far is the portal?”
“The one in the Circuit is only a few minutes away,” the driver said.
“We’ll go there, thanks.” Better to save the transport charm.
“Be there in five.” The driver nodded. “Fast service here.”
10
Carrow
As the streetcar careened through the city, I stared at Grey, worry seeming to drown me. He looked paler than usual. Weaker.
And yet, the wound wasn’t that big. I’d seen him take far worse hits.
There was something different about this wound. He seemed almost…human now. Like he could die.
What if I lost him?
Fear pierced me, cold and terrible. I’d tried not to fall for him. I’d tried.
But I’d failed.
I swallowed hard. “You really don’t think there was magic in that hit?” I asked Neve.
“I don’t think so. They tend not to use that type of spell.”
I nodded, looking back at Grey.
“Stop worrying,” he said. “It’s fine.”
“We’re here,” the driver called as the streetcar pulled to a stop.
Thank God. I gazed at the large open courtyard and spinning water wheel, grateful to see our exit. Neve helped me get Grey to the portal. He was able to walk on his own, but he was unusually weak.
The ether sucked us in and spi